Cape Wine Cellar

How To Buy Wine Online

February 8th, 2010

A great philosopher and scientist a long time ago notably joke “wine is light, held together by water.” Wine clubs tenders an enjoyable means so that wine aficionados get together with the same taste and knowledge, take pleasure, and discover the splendor of wine tasting. Because of the influence o f this beverage, different wine and many aficionados clubs are world spread, there is wine to buy in each crowd of that assemble to rejoice the greatness of wine. Are you familiar with the wine club? If not, to give you a little idea, these club has activities like wine tastings, information sharing concerning the newest wine in the market in addition to associated devices and innovations , and there’s more ,the club also has monthly contribution of special bottles of wine for every member enjoy.

It can be difficult to know exactly which wine to buy or seem intimidating to step out of one’s comfort zone and explore different wines. For those not familiar with wine clubs joining one may seem a bit intimidating. However one need not be an aficionado to join a wine club . As mentioned above, the primary purpose of a wine club is to provide members with a selection of wines on a monthly or quarterly basis along with wine related information. Often this selection is themed based (reds, whites, etc). Therefore wine clubs can be useful to those who aren’t sure how to buy wine serving as a crash course in the world of wine. For those with developed taste a wine club membership can be a great way to taste wine from all over the world that might otherwise be difficult to procure with extensive travel.

We often see in movies wealthy people having good conversation with wines in their glasses. Isn’t it pleasant to see? On the other hand, nowadays’ this is not the same. There is a vast selection presented in the wine club world comprises online wine clubs. On behalf of those that get it hard to buy wine online an online wine club is a grand option. Online wine clubs tender the assets of a long-established wine as well as collection of wines delivered to members on a standard basis. Whereas, conventional wine clubs are excellent means to have meet with new wine lovers in the neighborhood, online society are also a very good round-table to bring people from across the world. Although it’s hard to get wine to buy from certain wineries as of their country of origin and the incapacity of mainly wineries to deal out internationally, online wine clubs can serve up as inclusive relations for the wine marketplace. Today, getting the narrow favorite from is now trouble-free since of the facility to buy wine online by the help of a wine club.

The price of a membership for a wine club can vary greatly from the cost friendly club focused on bargain wines to the expensive club offering exclusive wines. The typical factors that determine the price a wine club membership include the type of wines offered coupled with the number of bottles members receive monthly, quarterly etc More expensive wines obviously result in a costlier membership as is the case with the more bottles received from each selection. Wine club that offer monthly selections usually ship 1-4 bottles, while a standard quarterly selection is 2-12 bottles. Wine clubs focused on bargain wines typically select lower end wines. Such wines clubs can cost under $20/month. Moderately priced wine clubs can cost anything from $20 per month to a couple hundred dollars depending on how exclusive the wines offered are. For those connoisseurs with sophisticated wine taste and looking to try the world’s most valued wines membership can cost $500/month and up.

A wine club membership can be a great gift for a friend or family member or wonderful gift for oneself. A deeper knowledge of wine gained through a wine club can make the often daunting task of knowing which wine to buy a much more enjoyable experience. While it’s nearly impossible-it wouldn’t be very cost effective even if it were-to travel seeking out wines from the many regions of the world, wine clubs serve as an alternative. Online wine clubs can further the global reach of the wine club experience and expand the palette of wine lovers of every level-entry level enthusiast to adamant aficionado.

If You’re Looking for Wine to Buy, Buy Wine Online, it’s Cheaper!

Posted in Wine Miscellanea | No Comments »


Your Favorite Wine in Three Seconds Flat. Get Your Metrokane Rabbit Wine Opener Today.

February 7th, 2010

Based on the opinion of most professionals, wine has many healthy benefits when consumed in moderation. Due to its natural plant compounds, wine has been shown to reduce the risk of some cancers and of heart disease, and to delay the progression of some maladies like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Drinking a glass of wine is both relaxing and enjoyable. And before you pour that glass of wine, you are going to need to easily remove the cork. Let’s talk about corkscrews and making sure you have what you need.

Sometimes opening a bottle of wine can be daunting with the most basic cork screws, as they require that you use brute muscle to screw them into the cork, and even more power to pull them manually back out. The Metrokane Rabbit Corkscrew eliminates this problem entirely. It is uncommon to find a wine opener that is so easy to use, and the last thing you need when you are going to open a bottle of wine is fight with opening it.

This is the specific reason that everyone should have this corkscrew. Just imagine the fear if you are trying to open a very special bottle or a old vintage and you can not get the cork out or you break it. Cork removal troubles can happen with older bottles of wine which may have a dry cork or with the new plastic corks that are sometimes hard to penetrate with a traditional corkscrew that may have a blunt edge. With a Metrokane Rabbit corkscrew (the top selling brand in “rabbit style” wine openers) you’ll have the cork pulled out in about 3 seconds, without any fears of damaging the cork; they work that well and are straightforward to use.

The top-of-the line Metrokane Rabbit corkscrew will make opening wine bottles a straightforward and quick experience for even the most hard-to-open vino. The handles on the Metrokane Rabbit corkscrew fit nicely into your hand so it is comfortable and does not slip from your grasp or hurt your hand when you are using it. It is easy to hold while you are removing the cork from any wine bottle. The Metrokane Rabbit corkscrew has an award design which includes hardened metal gears and sleek styling.

The Metrokane Rabbit wine opener comes in a few different versions. There is a very easy to use manual/lever type which does not demand any particular strength in the hands to take out the cork. With the lever, the drill edge of the rabbit easily pierces the cork and with one smooth motion, it comes right back out. It is just as easy to move the lever again and the cork falls into your hand. In addition, there is a very handy electric (rechargeable) version, which pulls the cork out with the touch of a button and it drops into your hand. This is a perfect gift for an older person who may have trouble with their grip. Furthermore, it includes an lighted LCD screen that reflects how many corks you can still remove before recharging.

Naturally, you can purchase them with a sleek case or with its own tool stand. Some of the models come with a polished chrome foil cutter and an extra spiral. Metrokane, the manufacturer, stands behind its products by offering a ten year guarantee on each one. The Metrokane Rabbit corkscrew is tested for 20,000 cork pulls, it’s made of die-cast metal and comes in polished chrome, gun metal finish, red, pink, blue etc. It is also available in a gift set with a sleek leather case. If you are a wine-lover, or even just a lover of cool kitchen tools, purchase this set now, for yourself or as a perfect gift.

Before you buy anything on the web, be sure you review the objective customer comments of the Metrokane Corkscrew Outlet. This and other unique content ” articles are available with free reprint rights.

Posted in Wine Miscellanea | No Comments »


Liquors, Fruits and Other Ingredients: What to Understand When Making Homemade Wine

February 7th, 2010

Years ago, the brandy cost about fifty cents a bottle, but now you know what is meant by “the good old days” and take note, the recipes would have called for gallons of the stuff as casually as today’s call for one measly bottle. Yet, one bottle of gin, whisky or brandy will give two bottles of the finished product with a high percentage of alcohol to half the cost of the commercial product.

Before going on to the recipes, remember that a homemade wine usually has an alcohol content of fourteen percent by volume and is about 24 proofs of spirits. Such a wine will keep well because this amount of alcohol is usually high enough to destroy souring yeast and the bacteria which cause vinegariness that immediately comes in contact with them. This will be seen that a nice percentage of alcohol acts as its own preservative. The alcohol content of commercial wines rarely exceeds twenty percent by volume and is about 35 proofs of spirits; more often they range between fourteen percent and nineteen percent by volume and have 24 - 33 proofs of spirits respectively, which is a high percentage of alcohol. Clearly, then, you could very well dilute the 70 proof gin (forty percent by volume) to 35 proof (twenty percent by volume) by making one bottle into two bottles and still have a very strong sloe gin. Whisky and rum could be similarly treated, while brandy might well be diluted even more owing to its higher spirit content. Bear in mind that it would be unwise to reduce the proof to below 30. Thus, it is a good idea to make one bottle into two as the recipes advice or make half a bottle into a whole bottle by using half of everything in the recipes. You could make three or four bottles from one bottle of the spirit if you were planning to use it up fairly quickly, such as at a special party or over the three day Christmas. Naturally, you could dilute the flavors of the spirits you are using, provided you add the flavors of spirits you choose to counter-balance this. The commercial spirits mentioned above are rarely drunk meat. Whisky is usually diluted with water or ginger of soda while rum is often diluted with peppermint or orange cordial. Gin is usually diluted with lemon or orange cordial to make the popular gin and orange, etc. Usually, the spirit is diluted to one-third of its volume.

STRAWBERRIES 1 1/2 lb. strawberries, 3 oz. sugar, 1 bottle of brandy CHERRIES 2 lb. cherries, 4 oz. sugar, 1 bottle of brandy RASPBERRIES 1 lb, raspberries, 5 oz. sugar, 1 bottle of brandy LOGANBERRIES 1 lb. loganberries, 4 oz. sugar, 1 bottle of brandy BLACKBERRIES 1 lb. blackberries, 5 oz. sugar, 1 bottle of brandy

However, if you do this for the purpose of fortifying, the alcohol present in each bottle must be accounted for. Thus, you have a total of 82 percent; how? The three bottles of wine each containing 14% is equal to 42%, plus one bottle of gin at 40% equals 82%. You divide this figure by the number of resulting bottles - in this case you already have four bottles - and each will contain just over 20%. Going further, you have 5 bottles at 14 percent equals to 70 percent. So, if 1 bottle of gin is at 40% then you have a total of 110%. In this case you now have 6 bottles, therefore divide 110 by 6; approximately you have a total of 18% of alcohol.

The following recipes produce wines which are neither sweet nor dry; if you like a slightly sweet wine, you can increase the amount of sugar given in the recipes by half. On the other hand, if you like wines drier than average, you can reduce the amount of sugar by half. In the recipes called liqueurs, the amount of sugar should remain as in the recipes. Note: As the bottle is the means of measuring your materials, remember that a bottle is a bottle and half a bottle is half a bottle. A bottle - the recognized standard wine bottle or the bottles containing spirits-hold five gills; this is one gill more than a pint. Many bottles containing imported wines hold one pint. Because you will be making exactly two bottles from one bottle of the spirit you are using, be sure to- at the second bottle you use - holds the same amount as the bottle of spirit you are using. So, if you are using White Horse whisky or Booth’s gin, try to use a similar second bottle. CHERRY BRANDY LIQUEUR 1 1/2 lb. black cherries, 8 oz. white sugar, 1 bottle brandy, 8 blanched almonds (these are usually added, but personal tastes must decide.) 1.Wash the cherries and let them drain. Pour the brandy into a four-pound Kilner jar, then stone and halve the cherries carefully and add them to the brandy. Add the almonds if you like them. 2.Screw down tightly and put in a cool, preferably dark place for six to eight weeks. Give the jar a good shaking twice a week. Strain and squeeze and put the liquid into a smaller jar then put away as before and leave to clear. Then pour or siphon into two wines bottles-putting exactly half into each. Then boil the sugar in one pint of water for two minutes. When this is cool, fill the bottles to within one inch of where the cork will reach. Shake well to ensure thorough mixing. Seal and keep for one month.

1.Peel the fruits and remove all the white pith. Crush well and put the pulp in a four pound Kilner jar. Grate the rind of one orange (not a seville), avoiding any white pith, and add this to the pulp. Sprinkle in the sugar and pour on the whisky. Screw down tightly and put the jar in a cool dark place for a week-giving it a shake every day. 2.Strain into another jar and squeeze the screw down again tightly, and then put it away to clear. Pour or siphon the clear whisky into bottles, putting exactly half into each. Then fill the bottles to within an inch of where the corks will reach with boiled water that has cooled naturally. Cork hard, seal and keep for at least two months. ORANGE GIN 6 oranges, 1 lemon, 2 seville oranges (or an extra ordinary orange and lemon), 5 oz. sugar, 1 bottle gin. Proceed as for orange whisky.

Helen Curie has been a practicing wine-maker for years. She’s discovered the tricks to picking out the perfect combination of ingredients to obtain the best tasting wine. Using her information, anyone can learn how to easily make wine that tastes fantastic. To learn more aboutmaking homemade wine, follow the link.

Posted in Wine Miscellanea | No Comments »