It’s been said that wine is supposed to get better…

It may not be a surprise to some, but global warming is actually contributing to better tasting wine. Most winemakers and grape growers will admonish that the climate of a region is a key factor in how yummy a wine will come out. Believe it or not, the warmer climates are reported to create tastier vintages due the better harvested fruits. The temperatures increased an average of 5 degrees Fahrenheit over the past 50 years, which best affects the colder climate areas; the implications point to the fact that the warmer temperatures offer advantages for regions that are avid grape-growers.

However, places in Italy worry that their world-famous wines may not turn out so well with this increase. They fear that the grapes may wither before ripening form heat and sun has made Italy question how long their wine with withstand the global warming effect.

In the meantime, this just makes room for more places in the world to grow better tasting grapes to make the wines.

Global warming may turn out to be a wine lover’s best friend.

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As we all know, wine clubs around the world boast the best wines in the industry. Today, the Economic Times released their VIP list of wine clubs, from the U.K. to New York to California. This VIP list of wine clubs consists of nine worldly establishments that offer their basic to extravagant bottles for average wine tasters in the heart of some of the world’s largest cities. Some allow everyone to come in and enjoy the inspiring tastes and others are extremely exclusive.

Here are the nine places that made the list:

Mystere Wine Club-Cardiff, Wales

Hells Angels Motorcycle Club World-U.S.

Velvet Cigar Lounge-NYC

The Bin Club-London

Buena Vista Cigar Club-Beverly Hills, CA

Yellowstone Club-Montana

California Wine Club

Blue Note-New York

The Beefsteak Club-London

Uncategorized economic times, wine clubs, world wine clubs

When coupling wines and chocolates, pairing up one of the lighter, milkier chocolates with a lighter flavored wine, or one of the darker, heavier chocolates with the fuller flavored wine is usually the recommended combination for that scrumptious and savory experience. If a wine has a particular nutty or cherry essence to it, it can either be matched or contrasted with the flavor notes of the chocolate.

Although quite strong for some people, Bourbon and chocolate are a popular combination of the two distinct tastes. Others love the fruitiness of the Zinfandel or Cabernet intertwined with the smoothness of chocolate. At a particular Lindt event, the Chadonnay with its fruity tones was coupled with white chocolate truffles. Just the way that combination sounds is mouthwatering, isn’t it?

Some people may enjoy the rich taste of the fuller flavored wines accented by a light and milky chocolate. Others may want the opposite effect. There is such an expansive range of combinations that can be concocted by people that love both wine and chocolate, just one favorite mixture is never enough. Trying new blends could inspire a whole new exhilarating experience for the taste buds.

When it boils down to it, though, creating the perfect wine and chocolate “couple” is up to the individual and what savory outcome they desire at the moment. With the assortment of choices available, everyone is sure to find their favorite chocolate even more attractive to the senses when added to a glass of their preferred wine.

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With summer quickly coming to a somewhat regretful close, if you have not experienced the smooth and refreshing delicacy of a frozen Sangria Slushy, you still have time to squeeze it in before the Fall moves in. Whether you are relaxing by the pool, sitting in your gazebo enjoying a quiet summer evening or hosting a “Goodbye Summertime” party, this drink is sure to create that sigh of contentment we all desire at the end of the day.

Follow this quick recipe to fulfill this tasty summertime treat for wine lovers:

Sangria Slushy

1.5 c. chopped fresh pineapple
1 c. orange sections
3 tbsp. frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 1/4 c. Burgundy or other dry red wine, chilled
1/2 c. club soda
3 fresh pineapple spears

On a 9×9 baking sheet, arrange a single layer of the chopped pineapple and orange sections. Freeze the fruits in the pan until they are firm. Place the frozen fruit mixture into a blender or food processor and chop until the fruit is chunky. Add the concentrate and 1 cup of the wine and blend until the mixture is smooth. Pour the concoction into a 1 qt. pitcher; add remaining wine and the club soda. Stir. Pour sangria into individual glasses and add a pineapple spear for garnish. Makes 1 qt.

Invite your neighbors or friends over for an evening gathering and enjoy conversation and Sangria Slushies while you remind each other of the fun times you spent together and make plans for the Fall festivities that are right around the corner.

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How much wine you need for a party depends entirely on what sort of party it is, and whom you’re inviting. If there are two pregnant women at the table, you can scale the amounts down; same goes for marathon runners with a race the next day. Use common sense to decide how enthusiastic your guests will get over the wine.

The kind of event also helps determine how much. If it’s a casual dinner, with just one main event (a pizza party, or a simple roast chicken dinner), you can figure two to three 4- to 6-ounce glasses per person. If there are up to three courses with different wines, the same applies, only you’ll need fewer bottles of each wine.

Unabashed wine geeks like myself who love to put people through extensive multicourse meals matched with wines often put out a large container of some sort (a wine cooler or a pitcher, for instance) into which people can dump their glasses, so that they don’t feel compelled to finish each glass to get on to the next wine. The thing about wine appreciation, you see, is that you have to be sober to do it.

If you’re going all-out, though, for a 12-course wine-matched meal, you’ll need far less of everything, unless you want your guests to be under the table by dessert. Plan on just 2 to 3 ounces of each wine; it sounds like a little, but it will feel like plenty by course four.

Etiquette

Whatever you do, make your guests feel comfortable. Always offer water, whether they ask for it or not, and have some nonalcoholic options on hand. If someone doesn’t want to drink, don’t make a big deal about it. Offer them something else, and give it to them in a wine glass, so they don’t have to stand around feeling like the odd man out. I do this with children, too: It makes everyone part of the party.

Whenever there are more bottles of wine than there are people, have a receptacle into which they can dump their leftovers—or even spit, if they prefer. It’s not gross; it’s respectable. It’s much better than them getting sick on your carpet, right?

Since you’ve volunteered for the care, feeding, and wining of your guests this evening, make sure they can get home safely, too. If they have to drive, don’t let them get drunk unless you’re ready to have them stay over. Saying no can be really tough, but it’s better than risking the chance of a much worse outcome. Besides, who wants to hang around with a drunk?

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The wonderful aspect of having a fine dinner matched with wines at home is that you have ultimate control. You’re not limited by a set menu, nor by an overpriced or underwhelming wine list. You don’t have to consider the needs of three other people who ordered very different dishes, nor that your appetite for different tastes might break the bank. You’re in control: The menu and wine selection are in your hands.

The challenge, of course, is that you’re cook, sommelier, and host all wrapped in one, so you’d better plan ahead.

Wine First?

Sometimes, the inspiration for a dinner party is to share a special wine. Designing a dinner around wine is often easier than deciding on food first and then wine.

If you want to focus on a single wine, put it in the starring role, with the entree, even if it’s a white wine. Build out from there, adding lighter wines to begin. If a meal isn’t a meal without a red wine, add it at the end, with cheese or dessert. Some people think it’s fine to go from red wine to white wine, but it doesn’t work for me.

If you have an array of great wines to share, order them by weight and match the courses to their weight. That way, you won’t lose people as they fill up on richer dishes first, and every wine and dish will get its chance to shine without being overwhelmed by the previous course.

Food First?

The whole world is open to you if you’re starting from food, so make it easier on yourself and focus. Get inspired by the season, and design a menu around what’s in the farmer’s market, or choose a cuisine—from American to Zimbabwean—it doesn’t have to be that of a wine-producing country.

Decide how many courses you want, and arrange them by richness; for example, start with a light salad, move on to a fish course, and end with beef. Then pick the wines, keeping the basics in mind. Not every dish has to have its own wine, of course; some can share, or go without. Which leads us to the question, how much is enough?

Uncategorized serving wine with dinner, wine and dinner, wine and food, wine or food first