The SkyBar Wine Preservation and Optimization System is a wonderful way to serve and display a single bottle of wine. The high-tech system is designed to do four things, all at the press of a button: 1. Chill the wine to the optimal temperature (there are pre-programmed settings for 15 different varietals) 2. Dispense the [...]

Summer can be a difficult time for a red wine lover. In the heat, that Cabernet Sauvignon with its deep berry fruit you loved so during the winter may seem like a mouthful of hot alcohol and tannin. What’s a red lover to do? I would recommend shifting from the heavier reds to some lighter [...]

I recently came across an old article written by one of my favorite wine writers, Matt Kramer, a contributor to The Wine Spectator. In it he reflects of the role of ritual in life and how it deepens our relationship with the subject matter and provides a comforting space in that relationship. Matt Kramer makes [...]

There are all sorts of deck wines – wines possessing no pretension, no requirement of food, not even a need for serious contemplation. These are wines that simply put a smile on your face. Personally, most of the ones I enjoy are white, simply because I’m in the mood for something cool after sweating through [...]

The Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator is quite a nifty gadget with its wonderful ability to instantly aerate a bottle of wine. Simply hold the device over your wineglass and pour your wine through the funnel. Small channels in the body pull air into the funnel as the wine goes by, mixing air with the wine. [...]

So you are at an expensive restaurant and your sommelier ceremoniously pulls the cork on your bottle of wine. The aromas of violets or plums should fill the air but instead you smell the unmistakable funky reek of mold. It is what is called a “corked” wine (cork taint). Isn’t there a solution to this [...]

Do all the different sizes and shapes of wineglasses really matter? If you are just drinking wine as refreshment with your meal, the glass you use probably won’t matter too much. There is an old saying that any glass is suitable for wine, as long as it does not have a hole in it. But [...]

I am sure that you have read elsewhere that red wines should be served at room temperature. These days most would consider room temperature as being in the low to mid 70’s, which is actually too warm for wine. Consider that the old maxim of serving at room temperature dates back to 18th century Europe [...]

Sediment is a desirable by-product, especially in age-worthy red wines. It indicates that the wine was made with a minimum of intervention, a process which usually results in a more interesting, complex finished wine. Sediment though can have a rather bitter flavor, gritty texture and unattractive residue, so decanting (or separating) the wine from the [...]