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Box Wine Benefits
For many years box wine had a bad image as being cheap and not good to drink. That seems to have changed in recent years with the creation of the premium 3L box category. Consumers are opening up to buying box wine more and more. In 2017 Black Box and Bota Box wines had sales of over six million 9 Liter cases each. These brands and other box wine producers are putting better quality wine in a box, and keeping the price very reasonable. Could box wine become the new house wine at your restaurant or bar? After reading the following benefits of box wine, you might consider it as an option.
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Types of Sparkling Wine
“Sparkling wine” is the term used to combine all types of Champagne like wines into one category. In general, people looking for a sparkling wine will automatically refer to this as Champagne. They will ask, “Where is the Champagne section?” Then freak out on the price when you take them to the French Champagne section. In order to legally be called Champagne, it has to come from the Champagne region of France. Sparkling wines outside of this region have various names. So, let’s look at some of the main options in the Sparkling wine category:
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Sauvignon Blanc
What is Sauvignon Blanc?
Sauvignon Blanc is a white grape varietal that is usually produced dry with a crisp acidity. Sauvignon blanc may have aromas of grass or hay (typical California style), grapefruit, green pepper, gooseberry (typical New Zealand style), minerality (French style and some South American styles), and sometimes even a little toast or smoke if it has been oak aged. Most Sauvignon blanc are all stainless steel fermented and never spend time in oak barrels. The wine should be served chilled.
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Vermouth
Vermouth is a liquor made from fortified white wine, with a number of different herbs added for flavor. The word vermouth comes from the German word “wermuth”,(in German the “W” sounds like a “V”) which means wormwood. Wormwood was originally the primary ingredient in vermouth until it was found to be poisonous. Vermouth is made from a combination of herbs, spices, flowers, and seeds.
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Riesling
Riesling (Reessling)
About:
Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. Riesling is indigenous to Germany and, because of its ability to withstand cold weather, is one of the few quality grapes that can be grown there and other regions with similarly marginal climates. The grape can make entirely different wines when grown in other areas of the world. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines.
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Organic Wine
This information provided by Paul Dolan and Parducci wineries
A rapidly growing number of ecologically aware consumers who value taste and quality are enthusiastically purchasing wines from vineyards and wineries that are certified Biodynamic, certified organic and utilize certified sustainable farming and business practices. What do these terms mean?
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American Pale Ale
American pale ale
History/About:
This style is basically the American version of an English pale ale using American hops, malt, yeast and water as the ingredients.
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German Wine Laws
Ripeness Categories:
German Wines are categorized by the degree of ripeness measured in natural grape sugar upon harvest. These ripeness categories are determined by the sugar content in the grapes, which is measured in degree Oechsle. The Oechsle requirements for the respective categories vary by growing region. Riper grapes have more sugar but more importantly more extract and flavor in the grape, hence a more expressive wine. The higher the ripeness of the grapes used for the wine, the higher up in the pyramid the wine will be categorized.
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Basics of Ales
Beer styles are divided into the two main groups of Ales and Lagers. While there are many differences between the two, the most important distinction is the flavor. Generally ales have more fruity, robust flavors than lagers while lagers can be more crisp and subtle. Ales are often referred to as being "top fermented" by the way they stay on top of the beer during primary fermentation and Lagers are referred to as "bottom fermented" because lager yeast tends to settle to the bottom and ferment.
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India Pale Ale/IPA
History:
In the early 1700’s troops and British citizens living in India as part of the colonial rule did not have access to good British ale and any attempts to ship the malt British ales to them resulted in spoilage, due to the extreme temperatures and rolling of the seas. A brewer discovered that a high dose of hops and increased alcohol content preserved his ales and during the long voyage to India.
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American India Pale Ale
American India pale ale (IPA)
History/About:
An American version of the English style India Pale Ale using all American ingredients: Yeast, malt, water.
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Rum 101
What is Rum and how is it made?
Rum is made by distilling fermented sugar and water. When sugar cane juice or other sugar-based liquids are allowed to rest, a natural process of fermentation occurs where sugars are converted by yeast into alcohols, at approximately the strength of wines. This sugar comes from the sugar cane and is fermented from one of the following raw materials: 1) Fresh Cane juice, which is fermented immediately after being crushed. This raw sugar cane liquid contains 18 – 24 percent sugar in solution. Rums made from fresh sugar cane juice include Cachacas from Brazil. 2) Molasses -- a by product of the crystalline sugar making process. Molasses is over 50% sugar and is used in most of the rums produced in the world. 3) Cane Syrup – also called sugar cane honey or sweet table-grade molasses. Cane syrup may contain more than 90% sugar.
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Malbec
Malbec – Red (MAHL-beck)
About:
Malbec is a red grape that tends to produce wines with an inky dark color. It is one of the grapes allowed in the production of Bordeaux wines of France but is used very little in those wines today. In France it is the main grape in the appellation of Cahors, where it is called Côt. Malbec has grown successfully in Argentina and makes up a large portion of the red wine produced in that area. The climate and soil in Argentina seem to bring out the best in the Malbec grape.
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Scotch Whiskey
The whisky (no “e”) must come from and matured in Scotland. Scotch has a distinct smoky flavor that comes from the use of peat fires to dry the malt. Scotch will be labeled as “single malt” or “blended”. The age statement on a blended Scotch will be that of the youngest whisky in the blend.
Single Malt Scotch Whisky – is produced by a single distillery and has not been blended with whisky from any other distillery. The ingredients used come from one of the few specific regions designated for Scoch production. The whisky must be distilled and matured for at least three years in Scotland in order to be named Scotch whisky. Some Single malt Scotch brands are: Balvenie, Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Aberlour and Laphroaig.
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Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon [cab-er-NAY SO-vin-yon]
About:
Cabernet Sauvignon is the king of Red wines and is one of the world’s most recognized red grape varieties and is grown in almost every wine producing country. The varietal does much better in warmer weather areas and not as good in areas with early winters. The grape is believed to be a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Cabernet Sauvignon originated in Bordeaux France. In this area Cabernet is many times blended with one or more of the approved grapes which are: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec. Many vintners around the world try to make wines in a Bordeaux style and blend a portion of these grapes into their Cabernet Sauvignon as well. Cabernet Sauvignon is also bottled as entirely Cabernet as well without blending other grapes. In Australia Cabernet is blended sometimes with Shiraz.
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Spanish Wine Varietals
Spain grows a large variety of grapes. Many Spanish wines label their wines using the region name and will not show the grape varietal. So we will give some of the prominent growing areas the following grapes are grown, in order for you learn what grapes could be in a bottle from that region. The following are some of the more prominent regional grapes found in Spanish wine.
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Amber Ale
History/About:
Amber Ales were created by American craft beer brewers in the early 1980’s. They are known as Red Ales in some regions.
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Irish Whiskey
Irish whiskey must come from and mature in Ireland. It is made from barley (malted and unmalted, unlike Scotch which is from malted only) as well as corn, rye, wheat and oats. The malted barley in Irish whiskey is dried in enclosed kilns and not over peat fires like scotch, so they are not smoky tasting and smelling like scotch. They are triple-distilled for extra smoothness and aged in casks for a minimum of 3 (however, many are usually 7 to 8) years. The barrels used to age Irish whiskey often have been previously used to age bourbon, sherry or rum, which contribute unique nuances to the whiskey. Some Irish whiskey brands are: Jameson, Bushmills, Powers and Redbreast and Tullamore Dew.
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Spanish Wine 101
Spain is one of the world’s largest wine producing regions. The country has the largest area of vine cultivation in the European Union and the world followed by France and Italy. It is the third largest producer of wine after Italy and France. Spain’s geographical position, its climatic differences and its wide variety of soil types makes it a privileged place for producing wines with very different characteristics.
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Canadian Whiskey
This whiskey is produced in Canada and made primarily of corn or wheat and supplemented with rye, barley, or barley malt. Canadian whiskey is aged in used oak barrels for a minimum of 3 years although most are aged 4-6 years. Almost all Canadian Whiskey is a blend of various ages. Canadian whisky is the lightest example from the major whisky distilling countries. Well known Canadian whiskey brands are: Crown Royal, Canadian Club and Seagrams VO.
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Sake Brewing Process
The content below was provided by Sake One. For more details on Sake One products go to http://www.sakeone.com
Saké is brewed from rice (no other grain) with water, yeast and koji being the only other ingredients. What makes it very unique in the realm of beverage are two things:
Koji: Aspergillus Oryzae – a mold that is applied to the rice grains.
Multiple Parallel Fermentation: Saccharification and fermentation taking place at the same time.
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Cachaca
The following content provided by Leblon …
The ABCs of Brazil's National Spirit, Cachaça
What is Cachaca? How do you say it? How do you use it? And is it a Rum or not? As the fastest growing spirit in the United States, more and more Americans are discovering Cachaça, the national spirit of Brazil. Unique only to Brazil, Cachaça is pronounced ka-SHA-sa, with the emphasis on the ‘SHA.' Like Hefeweizen, Fahrvergnugen, and Pinot Grigio, Cachaça is a foreign word easy to mispronounce - at least initially. Cachaça's cocktail sidekick, the Caipirinha, is the national cocktail of Brazil (pronounced kai-pur-EEN-ya, with the emphasis on the third syllable).
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Vodka 101
What is Vodka?
Vodka is a clear liquid consisting of mostly water and ethanol purified by distillation from a fermented substance such as grain (rye or wheat), potatoes, corn, sugar beet molasses and even grapes. It has a high alcohol content that is usually around 80 proof (40%). The majority of vodkas produced for consumption in the United States and Western Europe are made from either wheat or rye. By law in these regions, vodka cannot have a distinctive color, smell, or flavor.
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Pursuing quality draft beer
Draft System Overview (Provided by Summit Brewing Company)
There are three main types of draft systems.
1. Direct Draw – Kegs are stored directly underneath the taps, not in a remote cooler. This system generally holds from 1 to 5 kegs and is easy to clean. Bar supplies should not be stored in the unit because the constant opening of the doors can warm the unit and cause excess foaming.
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Pinot Grigio
First of all, Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are the same grape. Pinot Grigio is the name used in Italy where it translates as “gray pinot” and in France “gray pinot” is Pinot Gris. This comes from the color of the grape which has a grayish/brownish pink skin. This white grape is thought to be a mutant clone of the red pinot noir grape. The word “pinot” means “pine cone” in French and is believed to be used because the grapes grow in small pine cone shaped clusters. The grape originated in France and is known there as Pinot Gris. However, it thrives in the Alsace region of France where it is called Tokay. In the United States you will see the wines labeled as either Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris. With the popularity of the term Pinot Grigio, this is the primary name used. However, when produced in Oregon it will be called Pinot Gris most of the time.