Who are the Wine Makers
November 30, 2009
For centuries now, vintners and great wine makers have been tirelessly fermenting grapes, other fruits and flowers to produce the wine that is served at feasts, parties and dinner tables.
There are thousands of varieties or types of wine to choose from. White, sparkling, red or rose wine are just some of the “colors” that you can choose from.
Wine making is a very lucrative venture because there is a worldwide market. France, Italy, Australia, Spain, Chile and the United States have their share of the worldwide market and are the leading countries which export and produce wine.
Meanwhile, South Africa, Argentina, Portugal and Germany aren’t far behind.
California is the state which boasts the most of wine producers in the US. Vineyards are mostly found in Sonoma Valley, Monterey, Paso Robles, Santa Ynez and Napa Valley.
Here are just some of the popular wine makers in the country:
1. Greenvale Vineyards & Winery
This vineyard is located in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. They produce red and white wines located from grapes which are locally grown.
Chardonnays and Cabernets are produced from the fertile soils of Greenvale Vineyards.
2. The Mount Pleasant Winery
Located north of St. Louis in Augusta, the Mount Pleasant Vineyards and Winery produces the best wine out of quality grapes.
With Chambourcin grapes, a Nouveau-like wine is aged and fermented. Chambourcin is a type of red grape grown mostly in states located on the East.
3. Domaine Drouhin
Located in the Red Hills of the Dundee in Oregon, this vineyard claims a sense of history since it is owned by the Drouhin family.
Their wine has received worldwide recognition due to class and quality. The Pinot Noir wines that they produce have the distinct flavors of berries and vanilla for an exquisite taste.
4. Savannah Chanelle Vineyards
Located in the mountains of Santa Cruz in California, the Savannah Chanelle vineyards produce Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir.
Pinot Noir is mostly produced in the vast vineyards of Savannah Chanelle and are on the top of the list when it comes to this type of wine.
5. Chappellet Winery
California, being the wine-producing state in the US, includes the Napa Valley region.
This is where the Chappellet Winery is located and they produce Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. This winery produces wines which undergo as little processing as possible.
6. Sanford Winery
This vineyard is located in Buellton, California in the Santa Ynez valley. They make Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
When deciding which wine to serve your family, consider the bottles produced by such popluar wine makers and you can’t go wrong.
Jerry Shannon
http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/who-are-the-wine-makers-711577.html
Hearty Beef Casserole with Red Wine and Prosciutto
November 29, 2009
As summer turns to fall, a hearty beef casserole will keep you fed for days, and HHTV’s host Michelle Koen ensures it is not only tasty, but healthy as well! Tune in to Healthy Helpings TV for another great recipe!
Duration : 0:6:34
Red Wine Might Help Fight Obesity
November 27, 2009
One of the most interesting findings of the researchers regarding the qualities of red wine is the benefits of resveratrol, a compound found largely in the skins of red grapes. It came to scientific attention only four years ago, however, as a possible explanation for the “French Paradox” — the low incidence of heart disease among the French people, who eat a relatively high-fat diet. Today, it is touted by manufacturers and being examined by scientific researchers as an antioxidant, an anti-cancer agent, and a phytoestrogen.
The resveratrol content of wine is related to the length of time the grape skins are present during the fermentation process. Thus the concentration is significantly higher in red wine than in white wine, because the skins are removed earlier during white-wine production, lessening the amount that is extracted.
A last study on resveratrol done by the National Institute on Aging at Harvard Medical School reveals that its findings could, in the future, help obese humans.
To investigate the effects of the molecule on mammals, Dr Rafael de Cabo who conducted the looked at middle-aged mice fed on a high-calorie diet, with 60 per cent of the calories coming from fat. These mice shared many of the problems of humans on an equivalent diet, including obesity, insulin resistance and heart disease. The interesting finding was that the mice that consumed resveratrol alongside their food did not lose weight but they did show decreased glucose levels, healthier hearts and liver tissue, and better motor function compared with the mice on the same diet but without the supplement. They also discovered the chemical was improving the mice’s life-span. The scientists estimated resveratrol reduced the risk of death in the mice by about 31%, a point similar to the lifespan for the standard diet mice. The exact mechanism of the chemical is not yet known, but the researchers believe it may be activating a gene called SIRT1, which is linked to a family of proteins thought to be involved with longevity.
David Sinclair, associate professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School, who also participated at the study said: “The ‘healthspan’ benefits we saw in the obese mice treated with resveratrol are positive clinical indicators and may mean we can stave of in humans age-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer, but only time and more research will tell.”
The reactions of the scientific world to this study are positive. Professor Peter Rabinovitch, from the University of Washington, suggested that “the next step for the researchers should be to investigate the effects of the chemical in humans.” Professor Steve Bloom, head of an obesity research group at Imperial College, London, UK, said: “If we start with the idea that there is an evolutionary advantage for the life expectation of each species, and this is tied into scarcity or abundance of food. This paper is extremely interesting – it could be the breakthrough of the year, with massive possibilities for treating human beings.”
Alison White
http://www.articlesbase.com/free-articles/red-wine-might-help-fight-obesity-74920.html
Episode 3: Red Wine (Brief History and Tasting Intro)
November 26, 2009
Our first wine episode in our series exploring alcohol of the world. Matt takes us through some interesting historical bullet points in wines journey to your lips. As always a series of jibjab animations are thrown in throughout. Watch as matt tastes Pinot Noir, Cabernet, and Shiraz
Duration : 0:8:40
Recipe ideas for red wine sauce?
November 24, 2009
I am making top side fillet of beef with creamy mash potato and red wine sauce. I have been researching different Types Of Red Wine sauces and really dont know which one to go for. Does anyone know from experience of a red wine recipe that goes really well with beef?
You don’t need to worry if it goes well with beer cause the wine will give a taste to the sauce, but the alcohol will actually evaporate.
1) Mushroom and Red Wine Sauce
•1/2 small onion, diced (1/4”)
•2 small carrots, diced (1/4”)
•2 celery stalks, diced (1/4”)
•2 garlic cloves minced
•2 teaspoons olive oil (10ml)
•1 teaspoon herbes de provence (5ml)
•2 cups red wine (500ml)
•2 cups beef stock (500ml)
•1/2 cup dried wild mushrooms (125ml)
•1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into cubes (15ml)
•1 tablespoon olive oil
1.Dice onion, carrots, celery and garlic and place into a saucepan with oil and herbes de provence. Stir and sauté over medium heat for 3 minutes until tender, but not browned. Add the red wine and allow to simmer over low heat to reduce it to a few spoonfuls thick.
2.In a separate pot, add beef stock. Crumble in the dried wild mushrooms and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes.
3.Strain the beef stock into red wine sauce and leave to simmer and reduce for 15 minutes.
4.Strain the red wine sauce into the now empty beef stock pot to remove all of the vegetables. Place over medium high heat and simmer until 1 cup of liquid is remaining in pot. Remove the sauce from the heat. Add cold butter and whisk gently to incorporate. Do not place back on heat or butter will separate.
Yield: 1 cup
2) If you are cooking the steak in a pan, there is this one too:
Don’t worry about the type of steak.
4 rib grilling steaks (6 to 8 oz/175 to 250 g each)
1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper
1 tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup (250 mL) red wine
1/2 cup (125 mL) beef stock
1 tbsp (15 mL) brandy (optional)
1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried thyme
1/4 tsp (1 mL) cracked black_peppercorns
2 tsp (10 mL) butter, softened
2 tsp (10 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp (25 mL) minced fresh parsley
Preparation:
Sprinkle both sides of steak with salt and pepper.
In large skillet, heat oil over high heat; fry steaks, turning once, until browned and medium-rare inside, about 8 minutes.
Transfer to plate; tent with foil and keep warm.
Drain fat from skillet; add wine and bring to boil, scraping up any brown bits.
Boil until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
Add beef stock, brandy (if using), thyme and peppercorns; return to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
In small bowl, mash butter with flour; whisk into sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
Stir in parsley.
Slice steaks if desired; serve with sauce.
