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Sunday July 06, 2008 - Wine Cork

The Best Articles on Wine Cork

Wine Wedding Favor Ideas


Red or white, day or night, wine and barware accessories are becoming increasingly popular as wedding and event favors. In style with today's wedding trends, wine favors are both fun and functional - and are sure to be used in your guests' homes for years to come. These memorable wedding favors are a smart choice for your wedding or event!

Wine has been used in celebrations worldwide for many centuries, dating back as early as biblical times. For many, the fine gift of wine is one of life?s greatest gifts. It?s only natural that those who feel a deep love and respect for wine and the wine making process, want to give it a special place at their weddings. Whether you are having a wine themed wedding, or just want to give something practical to your guests, wine and barware favors will be appreciated.

Here are some ideas and suggestions on popular wine and barware favors:

Bottle Stopper Wedding Favors

Bottle Stoppers also known as wine stoppers come in a variety of styles, shapes and textures, and are the most often selected type of favor for weddings and events in this category. Bottle stoppers are like miniature works of art: some may be made of colored blown glass, while others may take on a seasonal shape or even may be topped with crystals and other adornments. They may be made of silver-plating, chrome or cork and depending on the material used ? will cause variations in pricing. If selecting a silver-plated or chrome stopper make sure you look closely at the ?O? rings. These rubber rings ensure an airtight seal ? the more rings on a stopper, the more secure the seal. Even if some of your guests prefer other beverages, most households these days have a bottle of wine, which eventually is opened. Bottle stoppers are contemporary gift and work well as favors for a variety of functions.

Coaster Wedding Favors

Almost all households have them, use them, or display them. Coasters have become quite popular among the favor giving crowd and its no wonder why: they are pretty, affordable, useful and everyone will love them. Current wedding favor styles come packaged in four per set or two per set. Some allow guests to insert their favorite photo inside the coaster, while others reflect the theme of the day. While coasters are the second most popular wine themed wedding favor, keep in mind that some of the glass styles available are extremely heavy to ship ? with most four pack styles weighing in at nearly a pound each. However, the weight alone makes it a substantial wedding favor to give and receive.

Wine Charm Wedding Favors

Wine charms are another favor designed to delight wine connoisseurs and people who love to entertain in their home. Wine charms attach to the stems of wine glasses and help to identify which glass belongs to which guest at parties and events. Many people don?t have wine charms as standard in their home ? and more than likely a gift of wine charm favors will be a welcome addition. Like their bottle stopper cousins, wine charms are miniature works of art ? charms are available in many different designs to suit various popular wedding and non-wedding themes. Wine charms come in a variety of materials and quantity packs, so shopping around for charms that will suit your style will be rewarded.

Bottle Openers & Corkscrews

Both bottle openers and corkscrews should be standard in many homes. However, many households don?t have pretty openers such as the ones available on the market today. In both whimsical styles and traditional shapes, openers and corkscrews will fit anyone?s style. Most are manufactured in silver plating or chrome and are attractively packaged. Browse both wedding favor and wine sites to see the many styles available.

Miniature Wine Bottles, Champagne Bottles and Personalized Options Many wine shops and local liquor stores carry a variety of miniature wine or champagne bottles. You can easily purchase these in bulk from local suppliers and save on the cost of purchasing online and having these shipped to you. Additionally, with a bit of creativity, you can print your own labels or contract a local print shop to create custom labels that can be applied over the label. In some instances, with a bit of patience, labels can be removed with a bit of glue remover.

Make Your Own Vintage Wine

If someone in your family or friends is experienced in wine making, you can make your own vintage for your wedding or vent. Some specialty wine shops and vineyards may also help you develop your own wine for your party. Although this is a most personal gift of all the wine wedding favors, it is not for the first time wine maker.

Champagne Jelly Wedding Favors Champagne jelly is elegant and easy to make at home. It goes beautifully with many dishes and can be jarred and labeled to match your wedding colors. If you search the web, there are many recipes available. A twist on standard champagne is to use rose or pink champagne jelly.

Personalized Champagne Flute Wedding Favors Personalized Champagne flutes are classic and elegant wedding favor. Most companies can personalize them with your names and a graphic of your choice in your wedding colors. You can fill the flutes with candies and wrap them in tulle for an elegant presentation. If you are handy you can also turn these flutes into candles.

Wine and Champagne Candle Wedding Favors

Candles make useful and traditional wedding favors and gifts. Many candles today come in unique styles including wine themed ones such as merlot wine candles, champagne basket candles and bubbling champagne flute designs.

If you are having a wine themed event, browse many wine shops, vineyards, and online stores to comparison shop and to find the perfect wine themed favor. With so many options available you will be sure to find the perfect wedding favor or event gift.

Erica Tevis is the owner of Two Hearts Wedding Favors www.twoheartsfavors.com . Vist them on the web and check out their large supply of wine wedding favors, wine charms, bottle stoppers, coasters and other wedding favors.



A Short Wine Cork Summary

Wine Wedding Favor Ideas


Red or white, day or night, wine and barware accessories are becoming increasingly popular as wedding and event favors. In style with today's wedding ...


Click Here to Read More About Wine ...

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7:12 AM

July 05, 2008 - Sweet Sherries

Today's Sweet Sherries Article

I Love Italian Wine and Food - The Sicily Region



If you are looking for fine Italian wine and food, consider the Sicily region of southern Italy. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour.


Sicily is the football kicked by the Italian boot. It is an island in the Mediterranean Sea located off the southwest tip of Italy. Sicily was first inhabited about ten thousand years ago. Agriculture and animal raising date back well over four thousand years. Its rulers have included the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Germans, and Spaniards, among others. This mountainous region is prone to volcanoes and earthquakes; in 1908 an earthquake and subsequent tidal wave killed eighty thousand people in the coastal city of Messina. Sicily's population is about five million, with an additional ten million people of Sicilian descent around the world.


Agricultural products include wheat, barley, corn, olives, citrus fruit, almonds, and, of course, grapes. Tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers are prominent in local cuisine. Sicily is Italy's second region for organic food. Many think that the Arabs introduced pasta to Sicily, which subsequently introduced it to the rest of Italy. Cattle, mules, donkeys, and sheep are raised. Sicily claims to have invented meatballs, The seas surrounding Sicily are bountiful, favorites include sardines, tuna, and swordfish. Sicily is famous for desserts, including frozen treats made with snow from Mount Etna.


Sicilian heavy industry includes petro-chemicals, chemicals, mining, and electronics. Tourism is a major factor in the Sicilian economy. Did you know that the Valle dei Templi in Agrigento on the Mediterranean Sea has some of the finest Greek ruins on earth?


Palermo, arguably the world's most conquered city, is Sicily's capital with a population of a little under seven hundred thousand. It is a definite tourist destination, with its numerous historical churches, museums, theaters, and Italy's largest botanical garden. Another urban tourist destination is Syracuse, dating back to Ancient Greece. The Greek writer Cicero described it as "The greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all." Both earthquakes and World War II caused heavy damage, but many of the most interesting sites have been reconstructed.


Sicily devotes about a third of a million acres to grapevines, it ranks first among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about 213 million gallons, also giving it first place. If Sicily were an independent country, it would rank seventh in the world for wine production. About 54% of its wine production is red or ros? (only a bit of ros?), leaving 46% for white. The region produces 19 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. Only a little more than 2% of Sicilian wine carries the DOC designation. Sicily is home to over three dozen major and secondary grape varieties, with more white than red varieties.


Widely grown international white grape varieties include Malvasia and to a lesser extent, Chardonnay. The best-known strictly Italian white varieties are Catarratto, Grecanico, Inzolia, and Grillo. The first three of these varieties are blended in the wine reviewed below.


Widely grown international red grape varieties include Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. The best-known strictly Italian red varieties are Nero d'Avola, Frappato, and Nerello Mascalese.


Before reviewing the Sicilian wine and cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.
Start with Insalata di Finocchi, Arance Sanguigne de Olive; Fennel, Blood Orange, and Olive Salad.
As a second course try Pollo con Prosciutto e Melanzane Fritte; Braised Chicken with Proscuitto and Fried Eggplants.
For dessert indulge yourself with Cassata; Candied Fruit and Chocolate on Sponge Cake.


OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.


Wine Reviewed
Tasca d'Almerita 'Regaleali' Blanco 2005 IGT Sicilia 12.5% alcohol about $13


We'll start by quoting the marketing materials. "Made with the local grapes Inzolia, Greciano, and Catarratto, this wine is matured only in stainless steel and is not put through acid-softening malolactic fermentation. The producer chooses this approach to retain the bright fruitiness and racy crispness of the wine. Enjoy with steamed mussels, chicken or summer salads." And now for my thoughts on the wine.


I first tasted this wine with broiled chicken burgers accompanied by a hot pepper relish, and red peppers. The wine was light, perhaps a bit intimidated by the relish. It was delicate, but not weak. When I finished my glass with the red peppers, the wine was quite fruity and sweet.


I next tried this wine with fillet of sole poached in an onion sauce, accompanied by brown rice and okra in a tomato sauce. The wine tasted light and citrusy in the presence of the fish, and was more powerful when facing the rice and the okra. I finished that meal with fresh pomegranate. The wine became sweet and acidic, but did not take on new flavors.


Isola is a Sicilian fresh cheese made from sheep's milk. The Isola cheese was powerful, strong smelling and strong tasting, especially when you crunched into a peppercorn. Unfortunately, the cheese overpowered this relatively light wine. In contrast, when paired with an Asiago cheese from northern Italy, the wine became quite full bodied and fruity. Sometimes rules such as local wines with local cheeses are meant to be broken. I had a bit of wine left over and finished the bottle with out-of-season strawberries. They brought out the wine's complexity and softness.


Final verdict, in spite of its low official rating, I found the wine pretty good. I would buy it again, but avoid pairing it with strong-tasting food.




About the Author


Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine website is www.theworldwidewine.com .

A synopsis on Sweet Sherries.

I Love Italian Wine and Food - The Sicily Region


If you are looking for fine Italian wine and food, consider the Sicily region of southern Italy. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you'll have f...


Click Here to Read More About Wine ...

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Price: 84.99 USD



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