A wine tasting party is a great way to get friends and family together to learn wine and experiment with different varieties of wine and appetizers. Wine appreciation is a great hobby to share with friends and family and if you decide to host a wine tasting party, you can range from a formal gathering to an informal, fun party. The friends and family wine tasting party should be based on the type of people that will be invited. Wine enthusiasts and hobbyists in the friends and family gathering would be the best resource for selecting wines. If friends and family are not big wine enthusiasts, then a nice informal occasion can be used to learn and experiment with wine and foods. Preferably, a wine tasting party should have a light, fun and informal atmosphere.
Preparation and Invitations for the Wine Tasting Party
In order to prepare for the wine tasting party, you will want to purchase plastic or glass wine glasses in two varieties. The tall, slender glasses are best for sparkling and white wines while round, wide-rimmed glasses are best for red wines. You will also want water glasses for rinsing the mouth and foam cups for spitting in if necessary.
Include dump buckets for pouring out left over wine and don’t forget the paper napkins and plates. You may also want to purchase a large plastic appetizer platter. Also, print off a wine tasting party tally sheet for family and friends to record what they like and dislike about each wine while they experiment.
Rita Fae
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Removing Red Wine Stains on Carpets
Red wine stains on carpets can ruin an evening if you are not prepared. A light colored carpet, a bottle of Merlot and a frisky cat or toddler or some overly zealous adults can add up to a wine stain disaster. There are many tried and true remedies for removing wine stains on carpets, but there are some remover’s that simply do not work as well. Prepare for red wine stains on carpets by knowing what works and what does not.
Never ‘rub’ or ‘scrub’ red wine stain on carpets. This does two things, first it rubs the stain into the carpet instead of blotting the red wine stain out of the carpet and secondly it frays the natural and synthetic fibers of the carpet.
The longer a stain sits, the more it will set and removing wine stains becomes hard. If there is not enough time to use a home remedy mixture to remove the red wine stains on carpets, pour salt or club soda on the stain to prevent the red wine stain from setting into the carpet.
Salt is a classic remedy for red wine stains on carpets. Salt can be used for removing wine stains when the stain is still fresh. When the red wine stain is still fresh, cover with regular iodinated table salt until the salt is no longer absorbing the stain. The salt will change color. Allow the salt to dry and vacuum the stain away. However, this method does not work with all red wine stains on carpets all of the time.
Rita Fae
Never ‘rub’ or ‘scrub’ red wine stain on carpets. This does two things, first it rubs the stain into the carpet instead of blotting the red wine stain out of the carpet and secondly it frays the natural and synthetic fibers of the carpet.
The longer a stain sits, the more it will set and removing wine stains becomes hard. If there is not enough time to use a home remedy mixture to remove the red wine stains on carpets, pour salt or club soda on the stain to prevent the red wine stain from setting into the carpet.
Salt is a classic remedy for red wine stains on carpets. Salt can be used for removing wine stains when the stain is still fresh. When the red wine stain is still fresh, cover with regular iodinated table salt until the salt is no longer absorbing the stain. The salt will change color. Allow the salt to dry and vacuum the stain away. However, this method does not work with all red wine stains on carpets all of the time.
Rita Fae
Wine Basics
Understanding wine basics might seem like a complicated process, but in reality, it’s rather easy to understand. Viticulture, or the growing of grapes for wine, has been a time-honored tradition for literally thousands of years. The practice is so old that it is even mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible. But wine basics have remained traditionally the same, with just a few additional practices, thanks to the onset of modern technology.
Wine comes from a variety of grapes, but don’t confuse grapes used for viticulture with those you find at your local grocer. Unlike the grapes you eat, wine grapes are usually tart and bitter in taste. Understanding wine basics means knowing the grapes available to winemakers. Wine grapes are numerous in varietals, but many vineyards all over the world rely on a few basic types. The main variety of red grapes used in winemaking are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Syrah (Shiraz in Australia), Zinfandel and Gamay. There are several white grape varieties used in winemaking. They are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Chenin Blanc.
The color of wine is derived from how the juices of grapes are processed. A quick note before delving into the “pulp” of wine basics; the color of wine is not always a result of the color of the grape. Wines get their color from the skins of the grape, not from the juice. To make red wine, the red grape skins are infused with the juices while it is going through the fermentation process. White wine, on the other hand, is devoid of the skins during the fermentation process. The sugars from the juice mix with yeast to release the color from the skins during fermentation. This is why there are a few red grape varietals that can be used in making white wine, so long as the skins are removed completely from the juices before it is fermented.
Samantha Rhodes
Wine comes from a variety of grapes, but don’t confuse grapes used for viticulture with those you find at your local grocer. Unlike the grapes you eat, wine grapes are usually tart and bitter in taste. Understanding wine basics means knowing the grapes available to winemakers. Wine grapes are numerous in varietals, but many vineyards all over the world rely on a few basic types. The main variety of red grapes used in winemaking are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Syrah (Shiraz in Australia), Zinfandel and Gamay. There are several white grape varieties used in winemaking. They are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Chenin Blanc.
The color of wine is derived from how the juices of grapes are processed. A quick note before delving into the “pulp” of wine basics; the color of wine is not always a result of the color of the grape. Wines get their color from the skins of the grape, not from the juice. To make red wine, the red grape skins are infused with the juices while it is going through the fermentation process. White wine, on the other hand, is devoid of the skins during the fermentation process. The sugars from the juice mix with yeast to release the color from the skins during fermentation. This is why there are a few red grape varietals that can be used in making white wine, so long as the skins are removed completely from the juices before it is fermented.
Samantha Rhodes
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