Secrets from The Wine Diva

Feeling bloated? Have a glass of red!

thewinediva — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 16:06:59 +0000

Enjoy salty foods or go heavy on the salt shaker? The antioxidants in red wine help the body excrete excess sodium.

Three steps to make a $10 bottle of red wine taste three times as good

thewinediva — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 19:46:12 +0000

Play “tag” which stands for Temperature, Aeration and Glassware:

1. FEEL THE BOTTLE. If the red is slightly cool to the touch, serve it. If it’s warm, meaning ambient room temperature (70-75 degrees), ask for an ice bucket and give the wine a dip for five to 10 minutes so it gets slightly cool like the temperature of a wine cellar.

2. HAVE THE WINE AERATED IN A DECANTER (or glass pitcher at a more casual restaurant) before serving it.

3. ASK FOR BIG RED WINE GLASSES The big bowl lets you swirl and limber up the wine so it tastes better (just as you limber up and stretch before you exercise). For use at home, or as gifts, buy the Riedel ‘Vinim’ line at about $15 a glass, or the Ravenscroft line at about $10 a glass. Wine glasses are the gift that keeps on giving.

So gift yourself first!

Eat Right, Drink Right, Live Longer

thewinediva — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:04:20 +0000

Red wine isn’t a medicine, but it is part of a healthy lifestyle. Enjoyed in moderation, red wine lowers the risk of heart disease, reduces the chance of blood clots forming, and helps prevent bad cholesterol from being laid down as unhealthy plaque that clogs arteries. These benefits have been known since 1991, when the TV program, 60 Minutes, catapulted the subject of the “French Paradox” into the American consciousness. Since then, a growing number of clinical studies have added to the body of evidence that underscores that enjoying red wine in moderation can improve your health, wellness and chance of living longer. For example:

- Protects knee joint cells from arthritis
- Reduces development of retinol cataracts
- Reduces kidney dysfunction
- Lowers risk of prostate cancer
- Reduces risk of asthma
- Lowers risk for Alzheimers and Dement
- JUST DISCOVERED! Acutissimin A , combats growth of cancer
tumors in women which is formed when red wine interacts with oak during the ageing process

So, drink well and live well!

Going shopping

thewinediva — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 12:51:02 +0000

We went to Bottle Rocket in NYC with The Wine Diva where we learned about storage and screwcaps.

Salty, smoky and spicy

thewinediva — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 12:01:07 +0000

In today’s culinary global village, you’re bound to encounter food that’s salty, smoky, spicy. . . or, as in the case of some cusines like those of the Pacific Rim and Asia, all three! So, when you are standing in your local wine shop or reviewing a restaurant wine list, consider the S Factor: Is what you are going to eat salty, smoky, spicy? Fatty roast lamb marries well with a big, tannic Cabernet. However, if you marinate lamb in a spicy mustard, raspberry vinegar, and rosemary sauce, the result is much different and calls for a different kind of wine, a fruity wine whose ripe fruit and sweetness can stand up to the spicy marinade. What happens when you smoke your duck, or you barbecue a piece of meat, or even add salty ingredients (capers, cheese, anchovies) to a meat dish? Those smoky and salty flavors, like the spicy mustard sauce on lamb, need sweetness as a counterweight and thus go great with what I call Pinot Noir on steroids. I’m talking about fruit bombs like Shiraz and Zinfandel. In fact, one adage I’ve heard hits it on the head: If you flame it, Zine can tame it!

The book is out

thewinediva — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 13:47:55 +0000

Secrets From The Wine Diva is out and available at a bookstore or wine shop near you. You can order the book directly through The Wine Diva’s web site here.

To filter or not to filter

thewinediva — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 14:37:16 +0000

Some wines feature “unfiltered” on their labels when most don’t even mention it. What does it mean, and should you care?

Most Americans think a wine should be perfectly clear and would be very leery about drinking a red wine if it was hazy or there was sediment in the glass. So wines made in commercial quantities, for immediate consumption, are filtered.

The word “unfiltered” on a red wine label usually indicates a wine with some residual sediment in the bottle. Many wine producers who make fine wines intended for long-term aging promote the fact that they don’t filter their wines. They believe, as I do, that these extra particles of flavor should not be swept away by filtering prior to bottling. I equate filtering to making the gravy at Thanksgiving. I would never scrape away all the crusty particles in the pan where the turkey was roasted because when those particles are left with the drippings… the resulting gravy has much more flavor!

The gift of glass

thewinediva — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 20:07:29 +0000

When it comes to gift giving, I prefer to give wineglasses more than a bottle of wine. They give the recipients years of increased drinking pleasure, which is why I call them “the gift that keeps on giving.” Before you start giving them away, be sure you gift yourself! They come in all price points to fit all wallets.

Screw it?

thewinediva — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 11:21:06 +0000

You buy what you think is a “good” bottle of wine, bring it home, and fine no cork. Did you get screw capped?

Cork plays a vital part in ageing fine wines, but for everyday wines that are meant to be fresh, fruity and consumed within the first year or two of their release – bring on the caps!

Screw caps do not mean a loss in quality. To the contrary, screw caps ensure quality. Screw caps mean the wine will always be vibrant and fruity, plus they are easy to open and reseal.

Markdown madness

thewinediva — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 01:04:12 +0000

Buyer beware! Wine shops like to feature specials, which are sometimes actually loss leaders, wines the store makes little or no profit on just to attract business. The lure of a bargain always attracts shoppers. Wines that are on special and put out in baskets at the end of the aisles seem like a really good deal, but they could be marked down because the store owner knows these wines are not in good condition.

Be aware that many of the wines in end aisle baskets have a shelf life of sorts. It’s not stamped on the label like those on medications and certain foods, but young, inexpensive wines should be enjoyed when they are fresh, within one to two years of the vintage date on the bottle.