Wine 101: An Introduction to Madeira
on Nov 11, 2008 in Portugese Wines Wine 101 Wine Blogging Wednesday desert wine fortified wine Madeira Maderized Oxidized Portugal In honor of Wine Blogging Wednesday (’WBW’) scheduled for tomorrow, November 12, 2008, I want to do a primer on Madeira – the wine and the island.  1WineDude, the host of the 51st WBW, has set the theme as fortified (and maderized)

Christianne’s Fave Five For the Week - Vinoblog Round-up
on Nov 8, 2008 in Book Review Weekly Round-up Wine 101 blogs Round-up This is a new weekly deal where I will pick my favorite five posts from the world of wine blogs posted in the last 7 days.  Feel free to let me know about your blog and I will check it out! My top five, in no particular order: 1WineDude visited Opu...

What I Learned in School Today
on Nov 2, 2008 in Miscellaneous Sommelier Program Tasting Palate Terroir wine Today was humbling.  Well, most class days are humbling for me.  We taste every wine blind.  Tasting is hard.  Let me rephrase that - tasting well is hard.  And there is an incredible amount to know about wine.  It’s still fun, just a lit.

Wine Book Review: Wine Politics by Tyler Colman
on Oct 28, 2008 in Book Review Dr. Vino Wine Politics, How Governments, Environmentalists, Mobsters, and Critics Influence the Wines We Drink, discusses how influences outside of viniculture and viticulture, shaped the growth of the wine industry in both France and the US. A short read o...

How To Speak Wine - Part 2, Dry Versus Sweet
on Oct 21, 2008 in Cork Wines Tasting Wine 101 dry sweet varietal wine Part of my job at Cork Wines is to recommend wines to customers.  The difficult part is not finding good wines but finding the right wine for that person.  First, everyone’s palate is different.  Then you add the complexity of a different vo.

If I Were a Grape, Which Would I Be…
on Oct 20, 2008 in Miscellaneous Sommelier Program Wine 101 grape Italy Madeira Malvasia Spain varietal wine Okay, so it is a hokey party game, but it also is my homework for my next class in the Sommelier Diploma Program.  With well over 10,000 varietals to choose from, choosing one grape that best represents “Christianne” is a daunting tas

Impromptu Mini Wine Tastings - Fun, Easy and a Great Way to Shake Things Up
on Oct 15, 2008 in Miscellaneous Tasting wine A former co-worker of mine reminded me recently how much fun “impromptu” wine tastings can be.  By “impromptu,” I mean casual, or small and/or spur of the moment.  The concept is not new or complex.  The idea cam