Let's Raise a Glass to Screw Caps
For as long as there has been a company known as Vinesse, we have been championing the use of wine bottle closures other than corks. We don’t hate corks. Far from it. We appreciate the...
View ArticleThe Language of the Label
You can learn a lot from reading a wine label. You also can learn nothing at all. Allow us to explain. Among the important pieces of information you can glean from perusing a label are...
View ArticleA Wine Label You Can Believe In
Yesterday here on VinesseTODAY.com, we urged you to take a “buyer beware” approach when it came to reading and interpreting a wine label. We pointed out that certain words and phrases infer a...
View ArticleWhat to Do When You Don't Have a Corkscrew
You’re on vacation, you’ve brought along a great bottle of wine to enjoy in your room at the B&B, and then it hits you: You forgot to bring a corkscrew. Just as panic begins to set in,...
View ArticleWinemaking: Hands-on or Hands-off?
The two basic “styles” of winemaking can be summed up thusly: hands-on versus hands-off. The hands-on approach calls for the vintner to involve himself or herself in virtually every aspect of the...
View Article'It's Right on the Tip of My Tongue'
Some critics are so over-the-top in the phraseology they use to describe wine that their reviews serve to stymie, rather than stimulate, wine enjoyment. That said, even some of the most common...
View ArticleTips for Organizing Your Wine Cellar
You’ll be busy with spring cleaning soon enough. Meanwhile, take some time to organize your wine cellar (or closet or rack) so you won’t have to deal with it at the same time as everything else. The...
View ArticleCaring for Your Wine Glasses
Some of us invest a lot of money in our wine glasses. Different sizes. Different shapes. Real crystal, as opposed to plastic. Nothing is more disheartening than the sound of a favorite wine glass...
View ArticleOak and the Ever-Evolving Palate
Everything, it seems, goes in cycles, and so it is with the use of oak barrels in making wine. Toward the end of the 20th century, wines lovingly referred to by their makers as “big oaky monsters” were...
View ArticleHow to Order Wine in a Restaurant
When dining out, there are several rituals associated with ordering a bottle of wine. All of them are just that: rituals. They are not rules. A few could even be perceived as pretty silly. Let’s take a...
View Article7 Fascinating Facts About Winegrapes
Great wine cannot be made without great grapes. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard winemakers utter those or similar words. I was thinking about that over the weekend, and that led to thinking...
View ArticleOver a Barrel: The Role of Oak in Winemaking
The aromas and flavors we experience in wine come not just from grapes, but also from winemaking processes and the vessels in which a specific wine is aged. When vintners wish the nuances of the grapes...
View ArticleRed Wines at the ‘Right’ Temperature for Fall
With fall approaching, many of us will be drinking more red wine more often. After a summer of imbibing mostly well-chilled whites, the ol’ palate is ready for some soul-warming reds — wines that will...
View ArticleThe Fascinating History of Wine in 338 Words
For as long as there has been a recorded history of mankind, there has been a recorded history of wine. As soon as human beings gained an appreciation for the finer things in life, wine was considered...
View ArticleOver a Barrel: Why the Source of the Oak Matters
You may know Vosges as one of the most indulgent brands of chocolate on planet Earth. Since I’m a wine geek, I also know Vosges as one of the five primary forests in France where most of the trees are...
View ArticleWhich Do You Prefer — Burgundy or California Pinot Noir?
Ask a confirmed lover of red Burgundy what he thinks about California Pinot Noir, and you’re likely to be met with a raised eyebrow and a sniff. Burgundy aficionados know what they like and typically...
View ArticleThe Role of Oak in the Style of Wine
Everything, it seems, goes in cycles, and so it is with the use of oak barrels in making wine. Toward the end of the 20th century, wines that were lovingly referred to by their makers as “big oaky...
View Article3 Keys in the Art and Science of Tasting Wine
Making wine is part science and part art. Likewise, tasting wine involves more than simply lifting a glass to the lips if one is to have an opportunity to fully experience — and enjoy — the wine in...
View ArticleWine’s Next ‘Cycle’: A Wider Spectrum of Styles and Flavors
Everything, it seems, goes in cycles. Sports. Business. The economy. And so it is with the use of oak barrels in making wine. Toward the end of the 20th century, wines lovingly referred to by their...
View ArticleThe Differences Between French and American Oak Barrels
Most of us know Vosges as an indulgent brand of chocolate. Wine lovers may also know Vosges as one of the five forests in France where most of the trees are destined to be made into oak barrels. The...
View Article