PUREvil's Blog

Wine has a long and venerable history, with references to its use cropping up in ancient texts from thousands of years ago - not least, of course, in the Bible. We know for a fact that it was firmly established in the Middle Eastern culture of around two thousand years ago, and for it to be so commonplace at that time it must have been around for quite some time before that.

Viticulture was certainly a large part of the economy of the Roman Empire, and the spread of Roman civilisation included the spread of wine growing and wine drinking as the colonising soldiers moved across the Old World. In ancient Rome, a common form of wine was known as mulsum, heavily sweetened with honey, and produced on large agrarian estates largely by the slave population. What remained in the wine press after crushing the grapes - seeds and skins mainly - was often fed to livestock, or alternatively brewed into a very low quality 'wine' and given to the slaves who'd grown the grapes.

We also know that winemaking was familiar to the ancient Greeks, from whom the Romans learned so much, and there's physical evidence of this in the form of a stone wine press found in a Minoan villa on the island of Crete, dating back to around 1600 BC. The winemaking facilities discovered there appeared to be quite advanced and sophisticated, suggesting that the Minoans had been practising the art of winemaking for a considerable period before that date.

Prior to this, the trail is a little less clear as we go further back into history. The ancient Greeks had strong trading links with nearby eastern cultures such as Egypt, and although we can't be sure, it seems that it was from the ancient Egyptians that the Greeks learned to make wine.

Physical evidence of wine production in ancient Egypt includes remains of wine jars and stoppers dating back to the earliest years of the civilisation, and wine was used both as a food and a medicine. Wine in pharonic times was not only made from grapes, but also from figs, pomegranates, and other fruits, a practice which continues across the world to this day in the rural production of 'country wines' such as damson and elderberry.

The first great civilisation of historic times was in Mesopotamia, close to Egypt, in what is modern day Iraq and surrounding areas. Although records from this era are sketchy, considering that writing was not invented until the latter part of the civilisation, there is evidence that wine was produced here too. A clay jar bearing traces of what could have been wine has been discovered in what is now northern Iran, and carbon dating shows that it was made around 5000-5400 BC. This is the oldest known evidence of wine consumption, but as this period of pre-history stretches back to 8500 BC, it is likely that winemaking had been known and practised for maybe thousands of years before that.

So, next time you relax with a glass in your hand, ponder for a moment that what you are drinking could be the results of over ten thousand years of cumulative learning and experimentation with the magical process of fermenting grapes!

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Andrea writes for a wine guide site, 1Stop Wine, where you can read wine articles and search a database of relevant sites.

Despite what many may think, the area known as Hungary holds more wine tradition than any other country in Europe. Most of this very tradition is just now surfacing in the light, with people finally starting to catch wind about everything Hungarian wine has to offer. Even though many wine drinkers aren't familiar with Hungary - there are many who are.

Hungary is home to over 20 wine regions, fully of forests, vineyards, and orchards. With several different varieties of grapes to offer, the vineyards found in Hungary have flourished since the great Roman Times. The weather in Hungary is seasonal to say the least, with cold winters and extremely hot summers. This weather allows the soil in the country to be diverse, which allows wine makers to create a variety of quality wines.

Despite the communist control in the past, there are several different wines found in Hungary. Although the vineyards here produce a lot of excellent wines, Tokay Aszu is by far the favorite here and the wine that locals always love raising their glass to. Tokay Aszu is a popular wine with meals or dessert, in Hungary and also happens to be one of the most popular dessert wines in the entire world.

Tokay Aszu was discovered in the mid 17th century in Hungary, quickly becoming a favorite for many European aristocrats. Even though it was great to the taste, many believed that certain types of the wine had mystical healing powers. Although this was strictly a rumor, it actually helped the wine become more popular than ever. Over the years, Tokay Aszu was one indeed the most popular wine in Hungary, spreading to other areas of the world as well.

Egri Bikaver, also referred to as Bulls Blood is another popular wine found in Hungary. This is another popular wine for locals, and can be found throughout the world as well. Getting its name from its color, Bulls Blood is truly a feast for anyone who likes wine. The wine is dark red in color, yet sweet to the taste. The wine was first developed back in the 16th century, and remains popular even to this day.

If you ever visit Hungary, there are many places you can visit to get some great wine. You should also make a point to visit Tokay, located in the northeast. You can take a train from Budapest and arrive here in a few hours. There are several different wine flavors and varieties here, sure to please just about anyone. The wineries found throughout the Tokay area are normally open for tours and tasters from May to the end of October. If you visit during these months, you can tour the underground cellars, sample the superb wine, and learn more than you ever thought possible about the manufacturing of Hungarian wines.

All in the all, the wine found in Hungary is great to have in your collection or just have around the house for special occasions. You can get it by the bottle, the glass, or by the case. All types of Hungarian wine has been perfected over the years, making it something that you really can't go wrong with. If you like to drink wine, as most of us do, you really can't go wrong with any type of Hungarian wine. Hungarian wine gives wine lovers plenty to study, plenty to order, and plenty to drink. The wine is very tasty and refreshing - and it helps to keep the nation of Hungary thirsty for more.

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Carl Hoffman has over 20 years of sales and marketing experience. He has many online ventures and author of many articles on sales, leadership, marketing, food and cooking. Visit him at www.hoffyskitchen.com or http:/www.cehoffman.com

Many people don't realize it, but there is a difference between sparkling wine and real champagne. Champagne is only champagne if it comes from a certain area of France and it actually says "Champagne" on the label.

Beside the fact that Champagne is only made in France, there are other strict guidelines to how Champagne is made.

Unlike most wines, champagne goes through a secondary fermentation process which is done in the bottle. That's what causes natural carbon dioxide gas to get caught inside. This trapped co2 is what causes the bubbles.

Sparkling wines do not go through a secondary fermentation process. Sparkling wine is made from regular wine with co2 injections. This is done the same way as when they make coke or any other type of soda.

But does sparkling wine taste the same as champagne? The answer to this is that they may taste close, but the real difference can be told with a taste test. Champagne is bubblier and a bit lighter and sparkling wines will always carry a taste from the region they are from. Most people tend to prefer the real champagne.

The best way to chill champagne is not in the freezer, but rather in the refrigerator for not more than a couple of days. Better yet, 30 minutes before you are ready to drink the champagne, put it in a champagne cooler that is filled with equal parts ice and water and chill.

When you are ready to open the bottle, make sure that it is always pointed away from yourself and anyone else. To be on the safe side, keep your thumb on top of the cork and with your other hand separate the wire from the bottle. Hold the cork and top part of the bottle firmly in your hand while holding the bottom of the bottle with your other hand. Slowly turn the bottom of the bottle. You do not want the cork to pop, but in case it does and champagne comes pouring out of the bottle do not turn the bottle upright, but rather at an angle which will stop the flow of champagne.

So how do you know what to look for when choosing your champagne? Assess the bubbles. How many are there, how big are they and how fine are the beads? A young champagne will have lots of bubbles where as an older champagne will have less bubbles. Vintage champagne is any champagne that has a date on the label. It means all the grapes were picked in that same year. Non vintage champagne is a mix of various years and a mix of different kinds of grapes.

Labels can tell you more than whether the champagne is a vintage or not. You can also tell how dry the champagne is. For example, "Brut" is the driest of champagnes with almost no residual sugars. Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry and Dry are the four different levels of dryness you can get. It can be misleading because by the time you get to "Dry" you are actually drinking champagne which is more on the sweet side.

What type of glass should you use to drink champagne from? It all depends on how many bubbles you want your champagne to have. Narrower glasses or flutes keep the bubbles in the best. If you were to pour champagne from a flute to a martini glass, you would see almost of all the bubbles disappear. But this does not mean your champagne has gone flat. Pour it back into the flute and the bubbles will come back.

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Evelyn Whitaker writes articles for German Toasting Glasses www.german-toasting-glasses.com which specializes in custom engraved wedding gifts from Germany.

For many people, although appreciating wine at home is a favorite pastime, it's just not enough. More and more wine lovers are visiting wineries, seeing how it is produced, and enjoying a new experience. Forbes Magazine wrote about some wineries that are off the beaten path. Sure, it's great to visit the big names, but smaller wineries offer just as great an experience, and sometimes a little more attention.

From Forbes:
West Coast's Winning Wineries - Avoid the throngs in Napa and head instead to the up-and-coming Paso Robles region, midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. This region, with about 200 wineries, has the third-largest concentration in the country...
While there, visit Justin Vineyards, famous for its cult wine, Isoceles (a cabernet and bordeaux blend), Vina Robles for its 2002 syrah and J. Lohr for its cuvees.

Down-Under Drinking - If you're willing to travel far to fulfill your love of wine, visit Marlborough, New Zealand, on the South Island, an area Densmore says is becoming a hot spot for tourists. This region is famous for its sauvignon blancs, most of which are produced on a small scale. Wineries, spread along the Wairau River and surrounded by green hills, have views of Mount Tapuaenuku. Notable vineyards include Cloudy Bay and Wairau River.

Tippling In Italia - If you can't imagine a wine trip that doesn't include Italy, skip Tuscany and head north to Piedmont... Gaja, which boasts such pricey vintages as Sperss Nebbiolo Langhe, is a major producer. Visit Bruno Giacosa, situated 1,300 feet above sea level, to taste Barberesco Santo Stefano, one of the most coveted wines in the country.

Also, here is a first. Yes, I know about some of the great beer that comes out of Mexico as well as the fabulous food, but wine? I guess just about everybody is growing and stomping grapes these days.

From Fine wine tasting awaits just across the border: Ten years ago, the Valle de Guadalupe began to sprout vines full of grapes, transforming into the wine-producing region it is today. Wine has become the staple of the valley, and because of the expanding viniculture, restaurants and innkeepers have claimed their stakes right alongside the wine producers. With the development, the quality of the Mexican wines has risen.

"The wines are comparable to the Napa Valley or the regions of France," said Jens Nielsen, my foreign guest. "They are very fine wines."

What has drawn steady-but-not-overwhelming crowds to the region for the past few years has been an exquisite mix of fine dining and award-winning wines, without the notoriety of other regions. Even on Sundays, restaurants with gourmet menus accompanied by wines from the Valle sit half full with excellent service standing by. A day trip is easily feasible on any day of the week, with most of the wineries offering tastings from morning until mid-afternoon. Many wineries that front the Ruta del Vino (Route 3) are easily found by markings from Scenic Highway 1 along the coast of Ensenada. This scenic, well-paved, two-lane highway snakes through green hills, which become lively in the spring months after moisture is carried from the Pacific Ocean into the valley.

Well, now that I think about the fact the Mexico is right under California, this all makes a lot of sense.

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The author writes about Kosher Wine and blogs at www.celebrate-wine.com/.