The beautiful volcanic island of Madeira was discovered in 1418, when Portuguese explorer Gonçalves Zarco was blown off course by a violent storm while exploring the coast of West Africa. The earth was rich, fertile, and so covered with trees that he named the island Madeira, or “wood” in Portuguese. He reported his findings to his sponsor, Prince Henry the Navigator, who immediately decided to claim the island in the name of Portugal and establish a colony. However, the colony didn’t fully flourish until 1452, when sugar cane and Malvasia grapes were imported from Sicily and Cyprus. By the end of the 15th century, Madeira was one of the largest sugar producers in the world.

This changed towards the late 1500′s, when Portugal extended their reach to the Americas. They realized that the tropical climate of Brazil produced better, cheaper sugar than Madeira, so the island’s farmers focused their attention on wine production instead. Madeira wine is produced from grapes grown on terraces that have been cut into the island’s steep mountainsides. The grapes are crushed and fermented, but before fermentation is complete, brandy is added to increase the alcohol percentage while still preserving the natural sweetness of the grape. Although this is the standard process used to create fortified wine, one important difference is that Madeira is heated for several months. This heating, known as “estufagem”, started in the late 1600′s when wines from Madeira were transported on ships sailing to the Americas, as well as to mainland Portugal, England and India. Legend has it that a Madeira cask, forgotten in a ship’s hold, returned to the island from a trip across the Equator. The wine was found to be richer, smoother and more flavorful than when it left, so from that point on, producers sent casks of their wines on long, tropical voyages. This practice ended in the early 1900′s, but heating the wine is still a crucial step in the production of all Madeiras.

The popularity of Madeira grew as ships from numerous European countries stopped at the island to purchase and trade goods on their way to the Americas. In 1665, British authorities wanted to control the goods being imported into their American colonies, so they banned all products from Europe unless they were shipped on British vessels from British ports. However, products from Madeira were specifically exempted and British merchants in Madeira took full advantage of this by establishing ties with merchants in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charleston and Savannah. It became the wine of choice for most wealthy Americans, and was even used to toast George Washington’s inauguration, as well as the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Unfortunately, Madeira’s booming business declined in the late 1800′s when the Oidium and Phylloxera diseases destroyed six thousand acres of the island’s vineyards – even causing some grapes to become virtually extinct. This crisis passed and production was eventually restored, but only 20% of the damaged vines were able to be replaced with true Madeira varietals. The rest of the land was planted with American or European hybrid varietals, as well as numerous banana trees, which helped to revive the economy.

While many Madeiras today are blends of vintages and grape varieties, it is the vintage and solera wines that truly capture the essence of Madeira. These wines are created from particular grape varietals – Malmsey, Bual, Verdelho and Sercial – which not only describe the type of grape, but also the style of wine. Determined to preserve the tradition, The Rare Wine Company, along with Vinhos Barbeito, created The Historic Madeira Series in order to reintroduce Madeira to the general public. To emphasize America’s deep historical connection to Madeira, each wine in the series is named for a U.S. city where it was popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. Each bottle bears an early engraving from the chosen city, along with a back label describing America’s special link to Madeira’s illustrious history. Try their “Boston Bual”, “New Orleans Special Reserve” Terrantez, or “New York Malmsey” to experience Madeira first-hand, and truly appreciate the rich history behind this renowned wine.

Cheers from DrinkUpNY!

Don’t you hate when you open a bottle of wine and have to leave it unfinished?

Because if you don’t finish it, the wine’s going to get stale. When you come back a few days later to pour a glass, the aroma and flavor have eroded. The wine doesn’t taste like it did when you first opened the bottle, and the best you can do with it is add it to spaghetti sauce.

Thank heavens they’ve invented wine preserver!

You see, when a bottle of wine is opened oxygen begins to decay the wine. Exposure to air deteriorates the wine’s color, fragrance and flavor. The principle behind wine preservers is to remove the oxygen, keeping the original wine characteristics intact as though the cork had never been removed.

There are a few different types of preservers available today, ranging in price from $7 to about $900.

The simplest one is a can of inert, non-toxic gas (the company doesn’t specify, but most likely it’s argon gas) that you squirt into the wine bottle while slipping the cork back in. The gas replaces the oxygen in the bottle, keeping the wine from spoiling.

This product, marketed as Private Preserve Wine Preserver, promises to give about 120 uses from one .60 ounce can. This preserver lists at $11.95 per can, although you may be able to find it online at about $7.

Another simple wine preserver is basically a vacuum that sucks the oxygen out of the wine bottle. Some offer bottle stoppers of different sizes in order to fit most wine bottles. Two popular models are Vintage Vac and V-Gauge Wine Vacuum, and they retail between $20 and $40.

A more complicated wine preserver is the Wine Saver PRO Preserve & Serve Wine System. This preserver allows five wine bottles to be simultaneously preserved with the argon gas canister located under the counter. Promotional materials state that this system will preserve opened wine for weeks, primed and ready to pour through their dispensing spigots. This model retails for about $900. It is designed primarily for bars, restaurants and hotels, or for the home wine cellar.

All of these products have received favorable reviews, indicating they do a good job at preserving the freshness of opened wine for days and even weeks at a time.

Anyone who works in hospitality will recognise that ubiquitous creature the barfly, propping up the bar whilst pouring huge quantities of booze down their perennially babbling trap, are the tell-tale characteristics of this never extinct specie.

But this is not about the barfly; this article is about a far more extensive creature, but no less deadly or dreary than the barfly. This article is about the bar butterfly, in all its many habitats and guises.

From pub locals in suburbia, to downtown big city bars, the bar butterfly, once hatched, has a long and delusional shelf life running from late teens to (particularly in males) 60′s. The bar butterfly is that annoying type of poser found in bar’s the world over.

Here are some of the more prevalent sub-species:

The Country Pub Bore – Lording over the recently refurbished gastro pub of middle England is the 50 to 60 something bar butterfly. Not only do they think they own the pub, but they also think that they own the village. The hectoring voice comes from one who has earned a lot of money from either living in the city and moving rural once it’s made it, or owning a business(generally that of a trade) that has somehow struck lucky. Don’t expect them to move away from the bar for you to order a drink (don’t you know, they own it), but then again don’t take it to heart – their lesser alpha mates are all just hanging round for free drinks.

The City Centre Wine Bar Fake – Twenty-something posers of both genders, their appearance has been preened for several hours before deporting to their mating ground. Males vie for the attention of more attractive female’s using several techniques, usually making smaller males appear smaller and pecking at less coiffured female’s. Many of this species were born devoid of personality -instead extra genes attributed to muscle (in males) or size 8 figures (in females). They have been known to frequent their chosen habitat until well into their 40′s.

The Hoxton Art Lounger – Not just found in Hoxton, but this area of London is the perfect example of this creature’s habitat. Either an artist or desperate to be one, this type of the specie is so cool it hurts to touch. Vintage clothed, Apple clad, I Phone in hand, they aren’t the starved artist that they claim to be. Like all of these sub species they are territorial, and if you ain’t cool enough to be on their turf, they’ll let you know about it. Their call goes something like: “jug of tap water please,” particularly when there’s a huge cue.

The Sport Club Big Red -So called because of the characteristic red face, thick neck and shaved head. This solely male creature knows-it-all about sport and although not a homosexual sub-specie, one characteristic is a lot of man-on-man love. The mating call is lewd (sorry, spell check – loud), and the attraction prowess to females is legendary.

So, the habitat of the bar butterflies, be careful not to become to attached to one particular haunt, don’t you know a caterpillar like you or me, could become one.

Making homemade wine being a pastime may very well be simultaneously pleasing and aggravating in some cases. Being a new starter you are usually eager to merely get an initial batch created and fit for consuming. There is a glee you have holding that first cup of wine in your hands, which you yourself made. And regardless if it’s good or bad there is the experience of fulfillment you’ll have after you take that very first drink.

But then again, when you are a whole lot more practiced in your home wine making adventures you will commence to drive far more toward perfecting your wine. Ultimately, you can aim to get every last crop you fix to adhere to your likes. Then you will yearn to yield wine that your family and mates may well rave over. Then making one flavor of wine is not good enough for you. You need to produce diverse flavors to accompany virtually any occasion.

Perfecting the creative side of making homemade wine will take hours of time and persistence. In order to generate a terrific tasting wine you must original begin using the very best products. Typically the instruments that you use won’t matter much given that it is the correct equipment, it is all within the hands of the individual. Be that as it may, utilizing poor fruit or fruit juice as an ingredient makes for some bad tasting wine. Some people literally go as far as growing their very own fruit for their wine making.

The yeast is the other ingredient you need to get exact if you’re perfecting your wine making skills. Keep in mind there are tons of completely different kinds of yeast out there, which can be used for all types of diverse things. It is used in cooking bread to get the dough to rise. It’s needed to produce ethanol fuel, useful in bio remediation and even in making root beer. With regards to wine making and yeast, it isn’t one kind fits all. Different flavors use completely different kinds of yeast. Making use of the wrong yeast can have an undesirable reaction on the taste of the brew.

Cleaning and sterilizing the equipment is also important and vital as you make your own wine. In the event bad bacteria is given a chance to grow somewhere on the hardware that touches the wine you may not only have a bad batch of brew, but it can also be harmful. Looking after all your tools is an important part of the art.

Basically, whether or not you are a fledgling or a highly skilled winemaker you have got to know that there’s a design to making homemade wine and when you have it your pay off is not going to merely be incredible tasting wine, but the benefits of knowing it was made by your hands.

Isn’t champagne wonderful stuff! The trouble is it’s all too easy to get carried away and spend way more than necessary particularly if you’re thinking of buying a cuvée champagne.

The glitz and glamour that has been created around champagne over the years has given it an almost magical quality and thank goodness for that. Without all the excitement a glass of champagne would be just another glass of wine; with it champagne is transformed into a luxurious little indulgence that leaves you feeling that everything’s right in the world.

The thing is though that sometimes all this wonderful imagery is based on nothing much more than a lot of marketing talk, so if you don’t want to waste your money it’s essential to be able to tell the difference between what actually influences the quality of champagne and what’s just hot air and misconception.

The term cuvée champagne falls fair and square into the latter category. Here’s why…

If you ever do a Google search for the term cuvée champagne you’ll see that there are thousands of searches every month, but it’s not very helpful.

The word cuvée comes from the French word cuve which means a vat, or container, used to store wine. The cuvée is the actual liquid that’s in the vat, so in that sense cuvée just means ‘wine’ and it defintely doesn’t guarantee anything about the quality, good, bad or average.

When it comes to champagne, each maker produces a variety of different champagnes under their own name: usually there’s a non-vintage, a rosé, probably a vintage champagne and perhaps a champagne made in small quantities and sold for more money.

Each one of these can be called a cuvée champagne just because one of the early stages in making any champagne is to take a selection of still wines and to blend them together in a cuve before that particular blend goes on to complete its journey to become champagne.

So all champagne is cuvée champagne.

Where the misunderstanding comes into it is that the more pricey champagnes are often referred to as cuvées de prestige or special cuvées

Dom Pérignon and Cristal, to name a couple for example, are both called cuvées de prestige and many champagne lovers assume that when they see the magic word cuvée it must mean top quality.

That’s fine up to a point; the thing is that there are no fixed criteria to say what can and can’t be a special cuvée or a cuvée de prestige, so any champagne brand can and does use these words.

So it’s clear that the words themselves don’t help you much when it comes to choosing.

It’s true that the cuvée de prestige will probably be the most expensive champagne in any champagne maker’s range of products, but when you realise that almost all brands have a cuvée like this you’ll also understand that the words themselves don’t help you at all to differentiate one brand from another.

But wait….. there’s another meaning for the word cuvée. Perhaps the secret lies there?

La Cuvée is also the word used to describe the best juice that comes from the grapes during pressing, in fact it’s the juice that runs off first.

La Cuvée is considered to be the best juice because it contains lots of sugar and acid – to create first class champagne you need both – and it has none of the bitterness that you can find in the juice that comes out of the press at the end of the pressing. That’s called La Taille.

When La Taille runs out of the press you’ve arrived at the skins, pips and stalks which contain an astringency that is not what you look for in your champagne

That’s why lots of champagne makers make a big thing about only using La Cuvée for their champagnes as if this is exceptional, but once again you’ve got to avoid being taken in by over-enthusiastic champagne marketers…

La cuvée isn’t as extra special as you might believe from what you read and hear.

In fact 80% of the juice that comes off the press is classified as La Cuvée, so just about everyone can use it and as before, it sounds better than it actually is.

So when it comes to champagne it’s worth to be a little cautious: a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, so don’t pay too much attention to those two words cuvée champagne.

There’s no substitute for just trying a few champagnes that you’ve never tasted before, particularly some of the smaller grower champagnes and then making your own decision about which ones you prefer.

With 5,000 or so champagne makers to choose from, it’s a tough job, but hey, someone’s got to do it and it might as well be be you!

Indian wine industry has become increasingly bullish. Increase in wine consumption in the country is predictably driven by rise in purchasing power parity of middle-class, changing lifestyles, habits and attitudes of young adults and women.

Believe it or not, since 2001, Indian wine market has been drawing world attention. Considered as the fastest-growing wine market in the wider world, Indian wine industry has sparked enormous amount of interest among wine manufacturers around the world.

Sales of wine in India have literally pole-vaulted, from a mere 3, 40,000 cases in 2001-02 to about 1.5 million cases in March ’09- a remarkable growth of nearly 25 percent per annum. These statistics also include volumes of ‘cheap’ wines being brewed from table grapes (Golconda, Goan wines). So the actual increases of wines brewed from wine grapes is even more-their volumes grew six times, from 1,25,000 cases in 2002, to 7,75,000 cases last year.

However, India’s per capita wine consumption is still a paltry 9 ml, as opposed to 370 ml in China and 2.1 litres in Brazil. So, this merely indicates India’s growth potential in the coming years. According to expert estimates, total wine consumption in the country will grow “10 times in 10 years”. By 2015, it is estimated that the total wine sales in India will touch almost 40 millions. So, this will be a matter of Interest for Indian wine manufacturers, suppliers and exporters.

Increase in wine consumption in the country is predictably driven by different factors like, rise in purchasing power parity of middle-class, changing lifestyles, habits and attitudes (especially of young adults and women), and the rise in use of TV and internet. The growth is also stimulated by increase in availability of quality wines, both those manufactured in India and imported from abroad, large number of people from overseas coming to and preferring to stay back in India; and the supposed health benefits from wine.

Even government attitude towards the wine industry is changing. A National wine Board has been established. The Maharashtra Grape Processing Policy has helped in setting up of some 50 new wineries in that state, and even Karnataka wine policy will attempt to do the same.

A study by consultants Mckinsey & Co says that total number of households with income levels above Rs 5 lakh will be around 42.6 million in 2025. So these households will naturally add to the wine consumption in the country. And, arguably some of the 95 million households in the next income bracket will also manage to be wine consumers.

Of course, there will be many challenges Indian wine manufacturers and suppliers will have to confront with, from high prices due to high import tariffs and a slew of state level taxes, as well as high cost of manufacturing and marketing the stuff in the face of stiff competition from spirit and beer manufacturers.

But all this will change. Increased investment and production will bring down the cost, which in turn will lower the prices. This will further attract investment and boost sales.

Indeed, the Indian wine industry has come a long way.

If you are a true beer connoisseur, you may eventually want to try and brew your own. Doing so is extremely satisfying for any beer lover, as you can save money and produce the flavors you love. When you’re ready to take the first step in home brewing, you need to begin by purchasing the correct beer brewing equipment. You can find this equipment on the Web through an online distributor. When you choose your equipment supplier, make sure they meet the following criteria.

• They offer wide array of beer brewing equipment. You never know what equipment you’re going to need. Especially once you get deep into the beer brewing process. So it’s important that you find a supplier that offers a wide range of beer brewing equipment. This will ensure that you can take care of all your needs in one central location, eliminating the need to place orders with multiple distributors. It will also do away with having to search for a new supplier once you get better-versed with the beer brewing process. A reliable supplier will supply all necessary brewing equipment for both the novice and expert home brewer.

• They ship orders as quickly as possible. Once you decide to brew your own beer, there’s no doubt that you’ll be excited and ready to get to work. Who wants to wait weeks for their beer brewing equipment to come in the mail? The supplier you choose should be committed to a quick turnaround. That means they process orders quickly and try to get them out as soon as you place your order. Sometimes even in the same day!

• They have multiple years of experience supplying beer brewing equipment. It’s true that all companies have to begin somewhere. But they don’t have to begin with you. If you want reliability, you should go with a company who has made a name for themselves through years in the industry. A good rule of thumb is to choose a distributor that’s been around for at least a decade. That’s plenty of time to show that they deliver quality customer service and aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

• Their website is easy to navigate. Have you ever tried ordering products from a website that just doesn’t make any sense? Look, while perfecting the art of brewing your own beer could take some work, you shouldn’t need special skills to order beer brewing equipment online. If you feel like you need an instruction manual to navigate through the buying process on a company’s website, move on to a different supplier. They aren’t worth your time.

• They offer competitive pricing on all products. One reason people brew their own beer is to save money. And you won’t save money if you have to spend a fortune on your beer brewing equipment. Whether you’re shopping for stainless steel fittings or brass fittings, all equipment should be offered at competitive prices. That means wholesale.

Finding an online wholesale distributor for beer brewing equipment shouldn’t be too difficult. Just perform a Web search and look for the above criteria. Once you find a company that embodies all of them, you’ll be brewing your own beer in no time!

When it comes to wine, Italy is well known for its Chianti and Pinot Grigio. However Italian wine isn’t just about these two famous gems. The country offers a huge variety of diverse and unusual wines, while boasting some of the oldest wine growing regions in the world.

Italian Favourites

Possibly Central Italy’s greatest export, Chianti is the region from where the wine is made. It is a light and easy drinking red wine, made primarily from the Sangiovese grape and is famous for its straw enclosed bottle. Pinot Grigio, on the other hand, is a deliciously crisp and refreshing Italian wine and is great for drinking on its own or as a pre-dinner drink. It is the Italian version of Pinot Gris from France and has become so popular in recent years that it is rivalling Chardonnay for the role of number one white grape.

Hidden Secrets

If you fancy getting to know the real Italy, you’d be best to steer clear of the famous names. Italy produces hundreds of different grapes and many of these are native to the country. Yes, you might come across the odd international grape such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay or Riesling, but Italian wines are much more about its Nebbiolo, Barbaresco, Montepulciano, Barbera, Trebbiano, Cortese and Verdicchio to name but a few. Work your way through a few of these and you certainly won’t be left feeling disappointed!

Diversity and Distinctiveness

There are 20 Italian wine growing regions stretching from the North to the South and with huge variations in the climate and landscape of each, the style of the wines coming out of each region are truly diverse. While no two regions (and, therefore, wines) are the same, it is worth taking the time to discover the exciting and unique delights being produced. If you need a hand to help you get started, you can generally expect Italian wines produced in the North to be lighter and more elegant due to the cooler climate, while those in the South will have richer and fuller flavours.

Eat Like the Italians

Entwined with Italian wine and the country’s regions is its cuisine, so it really is no surprise that pasta and tomato based dishes, which are the staple of the Tuscan diet, are a perfect match for a bottle of Chianti for example, while fresh fish from the North East coastal regions taste good with a bottle of Soave from the Veneto region. If you are lucky enough to be visiting Italy, make sure you get under the skin of the country and learn the real way by eating and drinking like the locals. Not only will you save on your pocket but also you’ll get a far more authentic experience and undoubtedly you will get to enjoy some of the best Italian wines that you have ever tasted.

This is just a brief introduction to Italian wine.

Every month, Los Pandos Opportunities is going to give away a mixed case of wines for you to savour and enjoy in the comfort of your own home. All you have to do is, click on the resource link below and enter into our draw. It couldn’t be simpler! Good luck!

*The competition runs from the first to the last day of every month, inclusive. You may only enter once. Contestants who enter more than once will have all their entries invalidated. There is one nonexchangeable, non-refundable prize of a mixed case of 6 Spanish wines, to be delivered to an address of the winner’s choice at an agreed date. The winner will be picked at random from the competition entries. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Entrants must be aged 18 or over and residing in Europe. The winner will be notified by email within the first week of the preceding month. From receipt of the notification email, the winner then has 30 days to reply to the email with a delivery address and time. Failure to do so within 30 days will result in the prize being forfeited by the winners.

These instructions form part of the rules, and acceptance of the rules is a condition of entry. No responsibility can be accepted for lost or misplaced entries. Employees of Los Pandos, Martin Clews, and associated companies are not permitted to enter the prize draw.

Good Luck !

Every month, Los Pandos Opportunities is going to give away a mixed case of wines for you to savour and enjoy in the comfort of your own home. All you have to do is, click on the resource link below and enter into our draw. It couldn’t be simpler! Good luck!

*The competition runs from the first to the last day of every month, inclusive. You may only enter once. Contestants who enter more than once will have all their entries invalidated. There is one nonexchangeable, non-refundable prize of a mixed case of 6 Spanish wines, to be delivered to an address of the winner’s choice at an agreed date. The winner will be picked at random from the competition entries. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Entrants must be aged 18 or over and residing in Europe. The winner will be notified by email within the first week of the preceding month. From receipt of the notification email, the winner then has 30 days to reply to the email with a delivery address and time. Failure to do so within 30 days will result in the prize being forfeited by the winners.

These instructions form part of the rules, and acceptance of the rules is a condition of entry. No responsibility can be accepted for lost or misplaced entries. Employees of Los Pandos, Martin Clews, and associated companies are not permitted to enter the prize draw.

* Click The Link Below For Entry! Good Luck !