Nothing brings about a happy feeling than the feeling of drinking a sparkling wine.  Thats right a great glass of bubbly can compliment a meal, brighten your mood or bring a sense of sophistication or luxury to your experience.  The great thing about sparkling wine is all of the choices that abound.  You can find ones that are dry to sweet, from low price points to high and from all over the wine growing world.

This was more evident than ever to me last evening.  After a wonderful deep dish pizza we popped open a bottle of Blanc de Noir from Gruet winery in New Mexico.  First off pizza and sparkling wine they do go together try it !  Second who has heard of bubbly from New Mexico ?  Well if you haven’t tried it I suggest doing so they make a wonderful bottle.  In fact you can find great bottles of sparkling wine made around the US.  Another one of my favorites is Illinois Sparkling from Illinois.  Finally, the price point on this bottle made it a great value.  Which, means you don’t have to break the bank for a glass full of good bubbles.

My point being is that we need to start thinking of sparkling wine not as a special occasion wine or a wine that is too pricey or only enjoyed on New Years.  It needs to be thought of as a wine that is extremely versatile.  You can it enjoy it at a black tie affair or on a Tuesday night.  It can be 15$ or 150$.  In fact it goes great with pizza, seafood, and a great many other dishes.  So go down to your local wine shop and pick up a bottle.  You will definitely be able to find something you will enjoy !  Start drinking bubbles!

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When going to the beach you are most concerned about what beach you will be going to, bringing the correct equipment, who will be going, and finally what you will be bringing to eat and drink.  For this post lets talk about what you should bring with to drink and eat.  Isn’t this the most important?  Beaches stand for summer, the hot sun and fun.  When you bring food and drinks along it must compliment these three things.

First beaches stand for Summer.  In the summer we think of long relaxing days filled with good friends and family with out a care in the world.  Some foods that may help take you to this place would be a simple BBQ.  This includes things like burgers, hot dogs and sausages.  These are things that everyone can enjoy and are simple to make.  The wine you pair with these should compliment these simple dishes and good company.  Try a dry Rose or a Zinfandel.

Second the beach is the most enjoyable when the sun is hot and the sky is blue.  This means you need a way to stay cool.  My suggestion is to make a simple salad topped with shrimp or chicken.  Then pair this with a Sauvignon Blanc or a slightly dry Riesling both chilled.  I also suggest lots of water as well!

Finally the beach is a place to have fun.  With all of the games and activities surrounding the beach it is never hard to find something to do.  My fun food of choice would be a seafood boil.  These are fun and simple to make and are great for a group of people.  Pair this fun food with a fun wine like a sparkling wine or a Vinho Verde and everyone will be having a good time.

Remember when going to the beach to bring the proper dinnerware and glasses.  There are plenty of non breakable items to choose from out in the market place that will serve your food and drinks both in a fun and elegant way.  So go grab your suit some food and a bottle of wine and enjoy the beach while the summer lasts!

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It is July and the weather is warm and the ideal summer activities pop in my head effortlessly.  One that comes to mind is enjoying a wonderful bottle of wine with my friends and family.  The panic sets in which one is the right one for a summer day in July?  Any wine of course will do but certain wines tend to fall higher on my list.  Here are some of my thoughts and ideas for wines to share this July with your family and friends.

I am first drawn to white wines that are light and crisp and can be slightly chilled for a warm day.  Some ideas include a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand a Riesling From Michigan that is a little dry or a Gewürztraminer. One of my favorites for the summer is a Prairie Fume, which is a seyval from Wollersheim Winery.  These wines are great slightly chilled and enjoyed on a porch, patio, and beach actually anywhere your summer activities take you!

My second set of wines I enjoy during the summer months are sparkling wines.  Yes these can be enjoyed at times other than the holidays or special occasions.  I have a few I have been enjoying lately.  May I first recommend a Cava?  These sparklers are from Spain and can normally be found at a reasonable price point.  I have also been enjoying Prosecco, which is an Italian sparkler.  Who doesn’t like food or wine that comes from Italy plus these too can often be found at a nice price point.  Finally, one of my favorites to enjoy is any of the sparkling wines from Illinois Sparkling Company. Yes you are correct these sparklers are from Illinois but they are definitely worth the try.

While I only highlight two types of wines above lets be honest any wine will do in the summer.  As long as you are enjoying it and those around you are as well and the time you are having is wonderful!  Have a wonderful summer sipping wines with wonderful people.

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Christmas is upon us and one of the traditions this time of year is deciding what to put on your with list.  If you are like me your list often consists of wine or wine themed gifts.  Below are some of my suggestions and thoughts.

If you are going to put wine on your list make it something you have always wanted to try.  Maybe it is a new brand, or a specific vintage or a wine from a particular region.  Also, I suggest being specific in what you ask for on your list when it comes to wine ( just my two cents). If you are asking for wine themed items here are some thoughts.  If you enjoy reading there are a lot of great books out there on wine outside of the reference material.  There are books on the history of wine, the wine business, the making of wine, and the interesting stories of famous wine families.  If reading isn’t your thing try a film on wine.  In recent years there have been some fun ones that have come out such as SOMM or Blood Into Wine.  Finally, there is always a pleathora of wine accessories and gadgets out there that will help with any of your wine needs.  Happy Christmas list creating !

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Do you view wine only as a drink ?  Or do you view it as possibly something larger.  Let me explain.  As part of our Mission statement states:  “We believe that wine is more than a drink, we believe that it is a lifestyle and culture to be enjoyed.”  One of the ways we believe this to be true is by viewing wine as entertainment (and no I don’t mean drinking to much of it and doing something ridiculous).  What I mean is that wine can be a good source of creating entertainment. Examples include movies, TV shows, music, and board games.  Since wine is such a broad topic it can lead to many fun and interesting ways to entertain ourselves.  Below is a list of some wine entertainment you should check out.  Remember wine is more than a drink.

1.  Movies: Bottle Shock, Blood into Wine, Somm

2.  Books:  The House of Mondavi, Napa: The Story Of A American Eden, The Billionaire’s Vinegar

3.  Games:  Wine Wars:  A Trivia Game For Wine Geeks and Wannabes, Wine Smarts Game 2.0, Wine Party Game

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I know what you are thinking why bother with such a topic that doesn’t really matter.  My answer is becuase it is fun and light hearted ( and who couldn’t use a little fun).  Have you ever wondered what type of wine your favorite super hero would drink?  Or what kind of wine your favorite movie character or character from your favorite novel would drink ?  Maybe they wouldn’t drink wine at all (this would be a shame).  This question came to mind recently for no apparent reason.  However, we can all relate to certian fictional characters and, you never know maybe the wine they would like might be something you would like.

If we are speaking about super heros my thought is that if they have two identities ( a mild manner side and the super hero side)  they probably have two different wines they perfer.  This would not only help to disgise there identities but also help to better define each of there identities.  An example would be Batman.  As Bruce Wayne I could see him drinking a champagne from Dom Perignon or a Chateau Mouton Rothschild from Bordeaux.  This would show those around him that he has class, taste, and money.  However, as Batman I could see him drinking something like a Pinot Noir  since Noir means black in French. (Thanks John).  This is just a example, but as you can see the personality of the character and even what they do or there upbringing could play a role in what they pour into there glass.  I believe the same is true for other Fictional characters in literature and film.

So the next time you get ready to sit down and read or turn on a movie disect your characters a little and come up with a wine you think they would like based on what you know of them.  Then try to find that kind of wine and pour yourself a glass.  It may help you better connect to the characters.  If it doesn’t than it is a good excuse to try something new and fun that you may enjoy !

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