Wine country is undiscovered country for many people. Some people do not know what wine pairs nicely with what foods, or even what some good wines to try might be. This article is for those people to learn more about food wine. Here, you will get an overview about food-wine relations and what wines typically go with what foods. No longer do people have to be ignorant about their food and wine combinations.

The old rule that white wine is best with white meats and that red wine is best with red meats still stands today. Although things are a little more complicated now, it is still a good beginning rule. Another rule to follow in most cases for food wine is that each taste should be counteractive. What this means is that each taste of food or wine should completely mask the taste of the other. Food wines are supposed to enhance the food’s taste by acting as a palate cleanser, making each bite of food taste as good as the first. And of course, it is vice versa for the wine flavor. If you can taste the flavor of the wine or food over the other item, then you probably are working with a bad match. It is harder to match food and wine now because so many different flavors of food get worked into a single dish. The best rule for these cases is that the body of the wine should match the food. Heavier foods get heavier wines and vice versa.

The main determination for food wine combinations is the balance of sweetness, acidity and bitterness of both the food and wine. It is pretty easy to figure out what wine should go with what foods by considering the wine and food characteristics. If a sweet food is being served, pair it with a sweeter wine. For bitter foods, a more bitter wine is in order. The best way to determine the acidity of a food is to determine if it would go better with more acid added. For example, adding lemon to a fish means that a more acidic wine should be consumed. Some common white wines that are acidic are: Rieslings, most sparkling wines and white Bordeauxs. Acidic red wines include: Gamays, Pinot Noirs and Sangioveses. Sweet white wines include: White Zinfandels, other forms of Rieslings and Chenin Blancs. Sweet red wines can include: Port and Lambrusco. There are not many bitter white wines, but there are some bitter red wines. These can include, red Zinfandels, Merlots and Cabernet Sauvignons.

So there you have it, an overview about the very basic elements to food wine parings and how to determine which wines should be paired with what foods. The world of wine is very broad, but these simple rules can definitely help keep newcomers to the world of wine on the right track. If you are interested in learning more, then join a wine club or check out some books that cover the subject. You will be glad you did.

We don’t often think of Michigan as a wine producing State do we, but look at the facts:

• Michigan has 13,500 acres of vineyards making Michigan the fourth largest grape-growing state.

• Almost all of this acreage is devoted to juice grapes such as Concord and Niagara.

• About 1,500 acres are devoted to wine grapes, making Michigan the eighth in wine grape production.

• Vineyard area has increased 24% since 1997.

• Michigan’s 45 commercial wineries produce more than 200,000 cases of wine annually, making the state 13th in wine production. Just about all of the production is from Michigan-grown grapes.

• Wineries are popular tourist destinations, attracting more than 600,000 visitors annually. Some of these wineries also have retail stores where it’s possible to purchase anything from a wine cellar kit to a wine cooler refrigerator.

• Wine production and winery tourism annually contribute $75 million to the state’s economy.

• Three types of grapes are used for wine in Michigan:

• • Vinifera varieties — these are the classic European varieties such as Chardonnay, Riesling (the most widely planted white), Pinot Noir (the most widely planted red), Pinot Grigio/Gris and Cabernet Franc; 58% of Michigan’s wine grapes are vinifera. Since 1998, 71% of the new plantings in Michigan have been vinifera varieties.

• • Hybrid varieties (sometimes called French/American hybrids) — these are botanical crosses between vinifera varieties and grapes native to North America. Typical names are Vidal, Chambourcin, Marechal Foch and Vignoles; 39% of Michigan’s wine grapes are hybrids.

• • Native varieties — actually close relatives of true native varieties. Typical names are Concord and Niagara. Only 3% of Michigan’s wine is made from these varieties.

• Most of Michigan’s quality wine grapes grow within 25 miles of Lake Michigan. Here, the “lake effect” protects the vines with snow in winter, retards bud break in spring helping avoid frost damage, and extends the growing season by up to four weeks.

• Michigan has four federally approved viticultural areas (AVAs). In the northwest part of the state, near Traverse City, lie the Leelanau Peninsula and the Old Mission Peninsula. This area has a growing season averaging 145 days and an average heat accumulation of 2,350 growing degree days; 51% of Michigan’s wine grapes grow here. In the southwest part of the state lie the Lake Michigan Shore and Fennville appellations, where 45% of Michigan’s wine grapes are grown. This area has a growing season of about 160 days and an average heat accumulation of 2,750 growing degree days. Both are Region 6 on the USDA plant hardiness zone map.

• Harvest begins for early hybrid varieties at the end of August in the southwest and may extend into November for late-ripening vinifera varieties in the northwest.

• Michigan wines win numerous medals at prestigious competitions every year. More than 16% of the wines entered in the Michigan Wine & Spirits Competition had already won Gold Medals in regional, national and international competitions. A list of winners is available upon request.

• Michigan wineries make many styles of wine, from dry to sweet including Ice Wine, sparkling, fortified, fruit wines and eau-de-vie (fruit brandy).

• Michigan wines are typically “cool climate” – clean, crisp, balanced wines that exhibit real varietal character.
• Michigan Wines are very popular choices in the offerings of Wine Clubs
  where you set up a monthly subscription to order wine online

Next time you’re savoring your favorite Chardonnay, check the label. It just may not have come from California!

A wine club is a great way to learn about wine and to sample different wines that you might not otherwise try. Many people appreciate the gift of a wine club membership around the holidays, and it’s the gift that keeps on giving if the recipient is generous with the wine they receive.

So how do you choose a club? Are all clubs the same and are there important things you should look out for when choosing a membership. There are different things that can help you to choose the right one. Everything from cost to wine style will determine what club you choose.

The Cost Of Wine Club

While cost should not be the only thing that you think about when choosing a wine club it is important. If you are just starting to learn about wine it might be a good idea to start with an inexpensive membership. A wine tasting club that allows you to pay as little as $20 a month can still offer you some very decent wines to try.

More expensive wine clubs offers you to try varying ranges of wines and also they offer more bottles of wine each month. So settle on a price range that you are comfortable with and you are on your way to discovering great wines.

Choose Your Wine From Wine Club

There are different types of wine clubs that you can choose from and depending on your preferences you will probably go for a different club than your friends. You can join a wine club that only selects red or white wines. There are some clubs that will only showcase wines from California; others will choose wines from all over the world.

The wines that are not commercially available and are hard to come by otherwise are offered by some clubs from small vineyards. The choice is up to you and many of these memberships are extremely affordable.

Little Details For Choosing The Right Wine From Wine Club

Paying attention to little details can also help you to choose the right wine club. The long membership of customers shows that a club has excellent customer service. Be sure to check if shipping costs are included in your monthly membership fee or if it is counted as an extra. You might also have other benefits to joining a particular club so look around and find the right type of wine club for you.

It’s very important that your collection is stored properly so it will last for years. The complexity, boquet, and flavour of a wine will only increase with age. Your wine collection will appreciate a wine rack, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. In this time, money saving is important, so if you want a cost effective wine cellar you may not want to spend a lot of money. A wine rack is as much a part of your wine collection as a wine cellar, so look for a good set of plans before you begin building. Don’t just do a “good enough” job, do a “great job” that you can be proud of for years.

The worst thing that could happen is not having enough space for your wine rack. Storing the wine in the right environment is crucial to its flavor. Temperature, light, and humidity are the important factors for wine storage. Keep your wine away from direct sunlight above all else. There’s no faster way to ruin your wine than letting it get too hot. Keep the temperature between 50 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit. A dry cork will crack and disentegrate, to prevent that keep the wine horizontal. If you already have your diy wine cellar finished, everything should be quite simple from there.

A Wine club allows you to collect more wines . As your collection grows, you will need more wine rack storage space. Even in a small area, a wine rack should be able to store lots of wine. You can often store lots of wine in a small space. It is also quick and easy to read the wine bottles, which is good if you have a large collection. If you want your wine to speak for itself, a simple wine rack will do the trick. When buying in bulk, you can expect the dealers to offer you a discount. Finding a free wine rack design and constructing it yourself will help lower the cost.

A DIY wine rack is probably the cheapest option out there. If you want to save money then build your own wine glass rack, it also impresses the wife. Free plans are on the Internet, and you’ll probably need at least a table saw or jigsaw, a sander, and drill press. You can build a racking system for under ten dollars if you wanted to.

Likely the cheapest option is to build your rack with wood and bricks. Stack the bricks for height, and use wooden planks with smaller wooden dividers for an easy-to-make wine rack. You make the call how expensive your wine racks will be. Budget wine cellars are very possible, and you can make them yourselves. Check out our website for many more wine storage suggestions.

Are you trying to find some top gift ideas for wine lovers on your gift list? Keep reading, because I’ve put together a list of gifts which are sure to delight the oenophile in your life. Now of course, a personal vineyard is the ultimate gift for your favorite wine lovers; but if this is out of your budget, then these ideas may help you find a great gift for that special someone.

10 Tempting Gifts for Crushed Grape (Wine) Lovers

1. Well, like I said before, you’re favorite wine lover could use their own vineyard. However, there is another option available if you can’t quite swing the whole vineyard. You can become a part owner in many wineries for a cost. This is definitely worth a look – it may not make you or the recipient rich, but it makes a great gift for any wine lover on your shopping list.

2. Wine glasses. This is a gift which every wine lover will not only appreciate, but actually use; and they’ll think of you whenever they do. Look for large wineglasses which are made with quality craftsmanship – these will be attractive and your wine loving friends will adore them.

3. A cute and inexpensive gift is the royal purple “Instant Youth” bottle bag. You can fit the drawstring bag around an empty or full wine bottle and present it to one of your friends. The writing on the bag declares “Instant Youth just add wine”. This will get a chuckle from the recipient and if you toss in a selection from a particularly great year, it will be twice as appreciated.

4. Personalized labels. You can order a bottle of Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon or Petite Syrah which comes with a personalized label. You can have this printed in any design you like – you can even have a photograph of your choice printed in the label!

5. One of the best wine gifts available is a wine box or basket. These are available in wood, wicker or even leather. These can be found in one bottle, two bottle or larger carrying capacities. Some of the higher end models include stoppers, corkscrews, napkins and glasses; these baskets are ideal for picnics and outdoor concerts.

6. If your wine lover enjoys games you can dazzle and delight them with a Wineopoly board game. The tokens used for the game include a wine glass, carafe, cheese, grapes and more. You can best your friends and become a grape champ as you challenge them with this game, and you really learn some cool facts about wine as you play.

7. Wine glass charms are always appreciated. These decorative items are collected by many wine lovers and you can even order custom made sets of these wine glass charms from some companies.

8. A wine club membership is a fantastic gift idea for anyone, whether they are already serious about their wine or just learning. This is a great way to introduce them to your favorite winery. Wine club memberships are available with many options and can be customized to suit the tastes of the recipient.

9. Cookbooks that specialize in recipes involving wine are also welcome gifts. You can create a gift basket with a cookbook, a bottle of wine, and a few other small additions. Toss in a wine lover’s apron, potholders, corkscrew and some assorted pastas and cheese to create a unique and lovely presentation that is sure to please.

10. Novelty T-shirts featuring wine-related slogans will always be appreciated by wine lovers; how about:

• Get a Tan with your Tannins…pick your own grapes
• The Wine is Divine but it crushed the poor grapes
• Nectar of the gods…Produced by our soles
• Us Old Vines Have The Best Wines
• Wine is fruit….and they recommend 4 servings of fruit daily