It is an important part of wine making and drinking to know the wine classification and categorization. But before you can continue your journey you need to know the basics of just what wine is. In its simplest definition, wine is an alcoholic drink fermented from grapes.

Wine makers take the grapes from the vines and crush them, adding the needed yeast. The yeast then like hungry little buggers consumes the sugar from the grapes. This consumption is what makes the grapes turn to wine.

Grape Varieties

Different wines are made from different grape varieties, although it is Vitis Vinifera, also known at the common grape vine that is the dominant variety used in making wines. It is native to Europe as well as East and Central Asia, but it has been planted all over the world. There are thousands of varieties of this species, most well known include, Merlot, Chenin Blanc, Riesling and Zinfandel.

Hybrid Grapes

When you take two different species of grapes and combine them you are making a hybrid wine. This wine hopefully will have the best qualities of both the parent grapes. Hybrids were developed by crossing the sturdy American grape that can withstand the cold with the more fragile European vinifera; their goal was to create a grape with amplified disease resistance, stronger crops and, most of all, tolerance to the cold winters.

Wine Classification and Categorization

There has been much musing about classifying wine and categorizing wine, in fact I have found both terms used interchangeably, here we will discuss briefly both.

Wine Categorization is done by:

Vintage

The vintage of a wine refers to the year in which the grapes were harvested and not the year in which the wine was bottled.

Non Vintage

These wines are produced from grapes with different vintages.

Taste

Wines are also classified by taste. Wines may be classified as dry (meaning not sweet), fruity, or sweet, for example. Or wines may be classified according to specific flavors.

Style

Type

Most countries that are not of Europe classify their wines by the type of grape used. Wines classified by the different grape types include the Merlot and the Pinot Noir.

Quality

Many attempts have been urged by wine valley regions around the world to use quality as a categorization of wine, but have never truly been adapted.

Vinification

Vinification refers to how the wine is made. Examples of classifications by vinification method include sparkling, rose, or blush. For example, champagne is a sparkling wine. Sparkling wines are wines which contain carbon dioxide, which may either be a by product of the fermentation, or may be added.

Region

This is where the grapes are grown and the wine is made. Champagne is only grown in the Champagne region of France and Port is the only wine grown in a certain valley in Portugal. Some wines are now being recognized for the location of the vineyard such as Willamette Valley, Napa Valley and Marlborough.

Wine Classification refers to the type of wine or when it is consumed.

• Aperitif or aperitif wines: herb or spiced wines served before meals
• Dessert wines: sweet wines, usually fortified
• Pop wines: sweet fruity mostly cheaper wines
• Sparkling wines: wine containing carbon dioxide to make it bubbly like champagne
• Table wines: Low in quality

As you can see it is an important part of wine making and drinking to know the wine classification and categorization. For more information on this visit my website.

The short answer is that light can definitely affect wine, but we need to take a closer look at the physics and chemistry of it all to understand why and how in what is called light-strike reactions, which can impart off-odors to wine, what the French call goût de lumière.

 

Wine is sensitive to the damaging rays of light, particularly ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight and fluorescent lighting; that’s why wine (and beer) is packaged in dark bottles-the best example is Port in those familiar, dark, opaque bottles. Wines packaged in clear glass bottles are meant for quick consumption and should be stored in carton boxes until such a time.

 

All forms of radiation, including visible light ultraviolet (UV) rays and X-rays, have energy that is directly proportional to their frequencies or inversely proportional to their wavelengths-that is, high-frequency waves have short wavelengths, and vice versa. And the greater the energy, the greater the catalytic effect of chemical reactions in wine.

 

Of concern in wine are visible light and the sun’s UVA rays-yes, UVA rays because research has proven that even a short exposure of wine to sun (UVB and UVC are absorbed by the atmosphere), in the order of hours, can have detrimental effects. That’s because UVA rays lie in the 315-400 nanometer (nm) range of the electromagnetic spectrum and therefore has more energy than visible light, which lies in the 400-700 nm range.

 

Glass acts as a filter, but clear glass offers no protection against UVA and visible light. Green glass offers some protection, but only half as good as amber; dark-amber glass offers almost complete protection. So why is so much wine, particularly many of the ultra-premium wines of the world, packaged in green glass? This is likely for historical reasons when making green-colored glass was easiest and the effect of radiation on wine was unknown.

 

But glass is only half the story. We must now consider the optical properties of wine to then determine how radiation effects any chemical reaction.

Research has shown that wavelengths in the 375-440 nm range-that is, the high end of the UVA range and the blue (low) end of the visible light range-are most damaging to wine. The amount of radiation absorbed by wine in this range is directly proportional to opacity; therefore, red wine absorbs the most, and is most affected, while white wine absorbs the least-rosé wine is in the middle. As such, for marketing purpose where displaying color is important, white wine can be stored in clear glass, although not for extended periods of time; that’s why premium whites, such as age-worthy Chablis wines come in dead-leaf-colored glass, a golden-yellow color that provides better protection than green.

 

Opaque, deeply colored, rich reds absorb almost all radiation; however, these have the highest concentration of effect-inhibiting tannins, which provide protection. But if the concentration is low or the extent of exposure is long, unpleasant and off-putting aromas and flavors can develop. Specifically, red wine has sulfur-containing amino acids, namely, containing methionine and cysteine, which have a thiol (sulfur-hydrogen) side chain in their structures. These then react with naturally occurring vitamins, such as riboflavin (vitamin B2) and pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)-water-soluble vitamins that are easily destroyed by heat, oxygen and, that’s right, UV light. The products of this reaction are sulfur compounds such as hydrogen sulfide, dimethyl sulfide (DMS), and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), responsible for imparting a range of foul smells from rotten eggs to cabbage and wet dog.

 

Interesting science.

And now I’m left to wonder if my precious magnum of 1991 Château d’Yquem, in a clear-glass bottle, which I bought for my son born that same year, was affected by X-rays on its travel from the U.S. It was pre-9/11, however, the unyielding airport security guard simply couldn’t be convinced not to X-ray my precious bottle. I guess he was not a fine-wine aficionado.

A wine cellar is a storage area for wine in barrels or bottles and is normally built underground. It is a necessity in a quality wine cellar to provide a favorable environment to ensure that the wines kept there remain in a fresh state even after many years cellaring. This means that the temperature and humidity of the cellar have to be regulated at levels that will allow the wines to age slowly and develop complexity.

If a cellar is built above the ground, it could better be described as a wine room and if it contains less than 500 bottles and is above ground, it could be identified as a wine closet. The main purpose of building a wine cellar is to protect the wine from environmental factors that will compromise the quality of the wine. Factors such as light, high temperature or low humidity will all affect the wine in an adverse way. Wine is a living thing that must be protected from fluctuating temperatures, heat and light as well as vibrations. With proper storage, wine not only maintains its freshness but also improves the quality of its aroma, complexity and flavor.

Therefore, a quality cellar should not only maintain the vibrancy of the wine but also improve it. The right temperature in a cellar should range from 13 to 18 degrees C and it should be free from vibration. If the temperatures change from season to season, it should vary by less than 10 degrees C. For centuries, the French have stored their wines in underground caves at these temperatures and that is how people gauge the level of temperature for wine storage. To ensure that the final product has qualities of a well matured wine, the temperatures should not be higher than 18 degrees C as the wine will mature too fast. Wines that mature too fast will often taste more like vinegar and not have the refined and delightful flavor of a fine wine.

Active or passive describe the cooling system used in the wine cellar. A wine cellar with an active cooling system requires insulation and a vapor barrier installed. A special wine cooling unit is then installed in the wall to ensure that the temperature and humidity are maintained at the correct levels. Many above ground cellars will require a cooling unit to maintain a constant temperature. Geographic areas that are naturally very cool are often suitable for a passively cooled wine cellar. Most underground cellars are passively cooled and frequently a well-constructed and well-insulated basement cellar can be passively cooled. A passive wine cellar requires no energy to operate. They are therefore cheaper to build and run albeit sometime unreliable in extreme weather.

The relationship between wine and food goes back a long way and there are long standing traditions governing the pairing of certain wines with certain foods. This proper combination of the appropriate wine with a delicious meal results in an enjoyable experience by all who are participating in the event. By choosing the correct wine the taste of the meal can be enhanced greatly and the same is true of the correct dish being served along with the wine. It is not necessary to spend lavish amounts of money at some exclusive restaurant to achieve satisfaction; you can have the experience in your own home.

The rules for pairing certain wines with certain foods goes back to the 1800s when French chefs were traveling throughout Europe and sharing their opinions on what wine should be drank with a certain meal. This is where the basis for serving white wines with seafood comes from and that of serving red wines with red meat and wild game. Sometimes in modern times these rules have been bent or broken due to more availability of a greater variety of wines.

The key to the proper harmony of wine with a meal is to always take care that the wine and the meal compliment one another and not compete with each other, for example serving a premium wine with a more average meal instead of trying to combine the best wine and the best meal all at the same time. Another key point is to serve regional wines with their equivalent local dishes, for example certain Spanish dishes are best served with a Spanish wine from the region the food originates from.

To help you make the right choices in matching the appropriate wine to a meal bear these things in mind:

Always consider the richness of both and choose a heavier full bodied red wine in most cases for a rich red meat or wild game meal. There are some white wines that could be appropriate as a matter of personal taste.

Never serve a dry wine with dessert, always choose a wine that is at least as sweet as the confectionary delight being served.

Wines that are higher in tannins should served with high protein meals which mix with the tannins and lessen the tannin taste. If you attempt to serve a high tannin wine with fish or other seafood they will sometimes give an unpleasant metallic taste or even taste bitter with salty dishes.

So keep the old rules in mind when making your choices but also remember that they can be bent a little in consideration of an exceptional wine or rare meal.

After building a beautiful wine cellar for your precious wine collection, you don't want to just have an ordinary entrance to it! The wine cellar door is a very important aspect of a wine storage room and comes in many styles. It is made not just to set the mood of your interior design, but also to seal in the ideal climate conditions in a wine cellar which include keeping the right balance of light, temperature and humidity in a wine room needed for wine to mature properly.

All wine cellar doors have certain qualifications that meet the demands for maintaining ideal climate conditions. To increase your wine cellar's aesthetic value, choose a door that's stunning, has great features and benefits and will make you feel like a celebrity while you enter your wine cellar!

Understanding Cellar Door Properties

Your cellar entrance should be an exterior grade door which is very sturdy, able to withstand constant change in temperature and keep outside air from leaking in. It should be durable and insulated to avoid warping. All doors should come with automatic bottoms or combination of door sweep and threshold (to avoid cool air from escaping), and perimeter seal. These allow openings to be sealed protecting the wines from spoiling due to air leaks. In the case of glass doors, they should have dual-paned, tempered and thermal glass.

Custom wood cellar doors should go through a special process designed to strengthen its insulating properties. A new technology, which only a few manufacturers offer, makes use of the Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL). LVL is a type of engineered wood (made from small diameter trees) where multiple layers of thin wood are bonded together with the use of adhesives. This technology is better compared to traditional technology because of its essential features such as durability, uniformity, and ability to resist warping and shrinkage due to changing climate conditions.

Another technique called Mortise and Tenon has been widely used by woodworkers for thousands of years because of its simplicity and effectiveness. It involves the joining of pieces of wood. It comprises two components which are the mortise hole (the cavity) and the tenon (the projection). The joint may be glued, pinned or wedged to lock it in place. Combining this process with LVL will give wood cellar doors ultimate strength.

The cellar door helps maintain the balance of temperature and humidity in a wine cellar by sealing in the air. Regulated temperature slows down the wine's aging process resulting in great flavors, colors and aromas. Maintained humidity level keeps the cork's moisture, thus preventing wine damage due to oxidation. If you don't have the proper door, there will be wine spoilage or damage, which of course you don't want to happen.

Materials and Styles for Stunning Wine Cellar Doors

Cellar doors can be made of wood, glass or wrought iron. There are many customization options which include:

* standard doors

* carved wood doors

* combination of carved wood and etched glass

* wrought iron grills attached to a wood door frame with bevelled glass

Wooden Cellar doors can be plain or carved. Hand carved cellar doors are commonly chosen by wine enthusiasts because they make lasting first impressions and set your door apart from the ordinary. Free your imagination, have a specific idea or theme in mind and incorporate it in your door carvings. The theme could be grapevines, leaves, scenes related to wine industry or any theme you would like to be displayed in your custom entry door.

With skilled artisans, wrought iron can have a variety of uses in creating artful pieces. Its strength, resistance to corrosion and beauty are the reasons why it has been important important of architecture for centuries. You can go for an old world look with an ornamental wrought iron cellar door. Wrought iron grills with hand forged realistic details attached to a wood door frame are really decorative and luxurious. It can be designed to best fit your desired configuration and can even be painted to match your decor. Just like hand carved wooden doors, you can choose a theme or motif for this type of door. It comes with glass panes which are removable for cleaning purposes.

Another attractive cellar door option is the glass door. It can be plain, etched or stained. Glass etching is the roughening of a piece of glass in selected areas to create a permanent design on it, thus creating an elegant look. Doors with stained glass are also attractive and can blend with any existing decor you have. Insulated glass compared to regular glass is ideal for doors because of its improved binding capacity and ability to control climate in a cellar.

Wine cellar doors are as significant as your wines. Without them properly installed, you'll not achieve the satisfaction and enjoyment of your wine collection in the end. Customized door options have endless possibilities with the use of expertly crafted wood, glass or wrought iron. Make sure that you choose the right material and incorporate unusual and attractive designs to have a perfect entrance to your wine room!

Being an ecologically minded consumer just isn’t about the vineyard. It seems that the wine industry is betting on consumers wanting and appreciating grapes grown in a prescribed manner that allows for designations such as: sustainable, Biodynamic, green, organic or natural.

As if grapes aren’t the only component of winemaking to come under the long arm of the “wine police”, the winery gets special attention in such things as their use of renewable energy (wind and solar), recycling water, fermentation additives and closures; yes closures.

Have you ever thought: What is the after-life of a cork? Well there is one. There is a whole new industry that has cropped up in America that recycles, repurposes and otherwise disposes of used cork. You thought you were helping the planet by throwing your used corks in that glass jar only to occasionally look through them to remember that special wine.

Cork re-purposing is bucking a recycling trend. In an article re-published in “Salon”, author Anna Sanford writes that recycling in California is down approximately 5 percentage points and recycling centers are closing primarily since recycled materials such as plastic bottles are less valuable due to the price of oil–plastic is a derivative of oil. But recycled cork is booming. One organization that is focused on repurposing cork for the good of the planet is a non-profit forestry organization-Cork Forest Conservation Alliance, (CFCA) which operates Cork ReHarvest.

Cork is an interesting product because a tree is never cut down for the cork. Corks are made from the bark, which is hand harvested, every 9-11 years. The trees can be harvested for up to 150 years, with no harm to the tree. The cork tree is from the oak family, (Quercus suber) so the cork will impart some of the same characteristics as does an oak barrel. From an environmental viewpoint, the carbon footprint to produce a cork is significantly less than that to produce a metal screw caps or plastic plug closure for wine. With convenient recycling methods for the consumer, the carbon footprint for re-purposing used wine corks, through the Cork ReHarvest program is virtually zero. Also, there are no active recycling programs for screw caps or plastic plugs in the U.S.

There are 13 billion wine corks produced each year, with 51% of the wine corks coming from Portugal and 30% coming from Spain. Cork is natural, non-toxic, biodegradable and is a totally renewable product for the wine industry.

The same cannot be said for aluminum screw caps and plastic closures. In making a cork for a bottle of wine there are approximately 26 steps and in an environmental study by “The Academic Wino”, cork is the hands down best closure from an ecological perspective. Life Cycle Assessment, (LCA) studies show that each cork sequesters 9g of CO2.

According to Wikipedia, a carbon footprint study concluded that cork is the most environmentally friendly wine stopper in comparison to metal or plastic. The Corticeira Amorim study, (“Analysis of the life cycle of Cork, Aluminum and Plastic Wine Closures”), was developed by PricewaterhouseCoopers, following ISO 14040 standards. Results concluded, relative to the emission of greenhouse gases, each plastic stopper released 10 times more CO2, while an aluminum screw cap releases 26 times more CO2 than does a cork stopper in the manufacturing process. The 26 steps, in analyzing the carbon footprint, pertains to the manufacture of cork and includes getting it to the winery.

As alluded to earlier, there are two major players in the relative new industry of repurposing cork-Cork ReHarvest which is a non-profit 501c3 and ReCork. I came across Cork ReHarvest while at a Whole Foods store and saw a used cork collection box. I called The Cork Quality Council in Sonoma, CA to find out what this was all about. The Executive Director of the organization is Peter Weber. Peter confirmed there are two large groups that are active in aggregating used corks through relationships with various retail, hospitality and winery locations. “There are probably a dozen or so smaller organizations that collect used corks for various specialty applications,” Peter commented.

Cork ReHarvest being a non-profit uses the used corks they collect for educational programs to build awareness of the cork forests, to promote cork applications (wine closures) and to explain the ecological benefits of cork-wine being one application. The recycling of cork happens rather quickly. ReHarvest reports, approximately 98% of wine bought is consumed within 48 hours. That means corks can come back into the recycled system quickly.

Cork ReHarvest partners with approximately 1,500 collection centers. “In addition to Whole Foods, there are major restaurants such as Emeril Lagasse, Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Caesars Palace who support our recycling program along with major wineries who send used corks to us for recycling; we prefer to call it repurposing,” says Patrick Spencer of Cork ReHarvest whose offices are in Salem, Oregon. “We sell collected corks to 6 recycling partners in the U.S. who then distribute them to customers only in the U.S.” To a winemaker, a grade “Triple A” cork can cost $1.00 to $1.50 each. A recycler will sell these used corks for approximately $0.09 each in 1,000 quantities.

The question remaining: What are used corks good for? Some recycled cork finds its way into concrete due to its insulation properties. The recycled paper industry uses ground-up cork combined with reconstituted paper to make packing material. The sports and fishing industry uses reprocessed cork for bobbers and grips, dart boards and household items such as trivets. The building industry uses recycled cork for floor underpayments. Even those sandals you like might have a cork sole liner.

Four times each year the non-profit Cork Forest Conservation Alliance conducts eco-tours to 3 of Spain’s cork forest regions to give travelers a total emersion in the culture, food, wine and forestry of these remarkable forests, http://www.frombarktobottle.org

Cork is the environment friendly gift that keeps on giving; it has a life after the wine is gone.

Packaging of craft beer, wine and spirits have a lot in common, especially when it comes to branding. However, craft beer producers seem to be looking at packaging to reinforce the corporate brand image. It seems that the style of beer drives the consumer more than the label toward experimentation. Over the past 15 years, with the proliferation of craft breweries, this industry has moved to shrink sleeve labeling to maintain a competitive high quality image of their brand and distinguish themselves versus the major beer producers. The shrink sleeve approach allows for some spectacular labels at highly affordable pricing without having to buy inordinately high quantities of bottles and cans relative to their small volumes.

A year ago, I wrote a piece about the cost of wine packaging as a percent of the total cost (to the consumer) of a bottle of high-end wine. In fairness to the reader I will admit that I got pricing for all the components from various vendors, asking that they give me pricing on some of their more elaborate packaging products-labels, bottles, cork and capsules. To elaborate further, label pricing I received was based upon foil printing, embossing, four color and two piece labels (front and back). Cork costs were established based upon long, top of the line cork grade and printed with the name of the wine. As a percent of the total cost for a 750-ml bottle of high quality wine, the costs to the winery for premium packaging was astounding; assuming all components were top of the line and small quantities.

We cannot get away from the fact that packaging helps sell the product, just look to the perfume industry to realize how profound this fact has become.

Branding and marketing research, juxtaposed against a good marketing plan, will direct the delicate balance between cost/benefits of high-end packaging and sales. If a winery really wants to reduce cost they would probably consider boxed wine, maybe screw caps and nondescript labels with just enough information to meet TTB requirements. But, I submit, wine is an emotional buy that pushes up against the concept of elegance or refinement. We all know the signs of refinement in wine consumption-holding the glass properly, smelling, looking at the wine through a ray of sunlight, etc. Beer does not project that image at this point.

By contrast let’s look at craft beer; positioned as a less elegant product, as opposed to wine, and is often consumed in different venues, etc. The packaging for craft beer takes into consideration branding to the craft beer consumer is different than wine consumers. About branding, craft beer labels are more edgy, colorful, and reinforce a corporate and community marketing positioning.

As opposed to a wine brand, craft beer is a very dynamic marketplace. They can produce dozens of styles of beer and often change product offerings on a weekly basis. With that in mind it is easy to understand that craft beer producers need to present their products as a recognizable brand, professional look and remain cost effective.

There are some wines that have used shrink sleeve labels. The craft beer industry however is more prolific in turning to shrink sleeve labels to meet the requirements of the TTB (Tax and Trade Bureau of the Treasury Dept.) and state laws while building brand identity.

Sun King Brewing in Indianapolis, IN has become a significant player in the craft brewery business. They still use shrink sleeve labels on some of their specialty and seasonal beers. A shrink sleeve is a cylindrical sleeve with the printed label graphics on the inside of the label, the label is then manually or machine positioned around a bottle or can and blasted with heated air to shrink the label conformally around the container. Generally, the shrink process is done without beer in a container. However, the heat shrink application is so quick the contents of a can or bottle are not affected; even ice cream containers are now shrink sleeve labeled with ice cream in the container.

Shrink sleeve applications in the beer, spirits and wine industries are finding more traction in the beer and spirits industry but no so much in wines. It wasn’t that long ago that long ago that screw caps were looked down upon in the wine industry; there still may be some awakening to shrink sleeves in wine.

Some advantages of shrink sleeve labeling are:

• Durability–The label is more durable than paper and can stand up to a lot of handling. Because the printing is on the inside images will not scratch off.

• Decorating/label printing for cans or bottles are more versatile-The whole container can be covered with label design, branding information and product attributes.

• Water proof labels.

• Colors and resolution can be a lot more precise. With high resolution printing the images will have more detail that “pops”.

• In shrink sleeve packaging there are a myriad of printing methods and materials available for visual and tactile effects. Sleeves can be printed with foil, embossing, matte finishes, four color, thickness of labels and even the seams can be virtually invisible. The label can be even written on.

• Precision of shrink sleeves-The amount of shrinkage is controlled based upon the thickness of the sleeve. As the contour of a container changes that variability is factored into the printing of the label design. What this means is, there is no distortion in an image once shrunk.

• No need to warehouse large quantities of individual labeled containers for each style of beer or wine or spirit.

• Cost are greatly reduced for shrink sleeve labels. Individual sleeves can cost as little as $0.10 and up to $0.25 each for a quality label.

Currently, approximately 7% of craft beers are consumed at the brewery. But, containers for take-out are traditional 12-16 oz. cans, crowlers (32 oz. cans that are sealed with a crimping machine once the beer is in the container) and growlers (64 oz.). Retail sales are in 22, 16 and 8 oz. sizes. In a retail environment with a lot of clutter of different brands/styles, shelf presence is important to any brewer.

In researching packaging options for craft beer and wine one thing keeps coming up when talking to breweries, wineries and branding consultants; shrink sleeve label applications should be within the purview of an overall branding consideration. “Shrink sleeve labeling makes an otherwise expensive packaging project simple. But having easy and inexpensive access to high-end labels is not the real consideration,” says Isaac Arthur, co-founder of CODO Design, a banding and web design firm based in Indianapolis, IN. “Package design for a beverage product is more than a logo, or a cool illustration; it is an introduction to your brand’s story. It communicates, even at first glance, what you stand for and why someone should care enough to buy the product.”

Packaging can be expensive but alternatives for wine and craft beer labeling are available that can relieve cost pressure for the finished product and at the same time meet legal requirements for alcoholic beverages while still being sales oriented.

Most wine tastes nice. There's no doubt about that. And there's a general consensus that drinking some alcohol is probably OK (experts never agree on that kind of thing!). Not to mention that life would be boring if you denied yourself every simple pleasure.

But if drinking the occasional glass of wine has turned into rather more than that, it's worth checking out these ideas for cutting down your wine drinking.

1. Use smaller glasses (or fill them up less)

I know that wine needs room to breathe and that the bouquet is better when the wine has room to be swirled round.

So smaller glasses may or may not be an option for you. That will depend on the size of your wine glasses in the first place – there's certainly been a trend here in the UK (and probably elsewhere in the world) for larger servings and where a restaurant may have previously poured half a dozen glasses from a bottle that's now often just 3 glasses. Which works well for the "buy two get the rest of the bottle free" offers but isn't as kind on your liver.

So consider using smaller glasses or merely not filling them up as full.

2. Keep a diary

If your first thought on this suggestion is "yikes" then you probably do need to keep an alcohol diary.

But if you do that, make sure that you use it as you drink. Otherwise you run the risk of putting less in your diary than you've actually drunk – maybe because you forgot, maybe because you're embarrassed at the true amount.

3. Consider drinking spritzers

Spritzers are a mix of wine and some kind of sparkling soda or mineral water.

They're surprisingly nice and can even brighten up an otherwise dull wine.

You can also get non-alcoholic spritzers if you're really cutting down on your alcohol intake.

4. Alternate your drinks

I don't mean swapping between a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Merlot.

Alternate your drinks so that every other drink is non-alcoholic.

There are plenty of alternatives and if you used something like a sparkling water you could use the alternate drink to clean your palette, allowing yourself to appreciate your next glass of wine more.

5. Notice your drink

Pretend that every bottle you're drinking is good quality wine.

You'd treat it differently rather than slurping it down as fast as possible.

Breathe air into your mouth to help release the flavors.

Swirl the wine round your mouth in the same way as a professional wine taster would.

Savor the often subtle flavors that are in the majority of wines.

Pay attention to your wine and you'll enjoy it more even when you're drinking less of it.

6. Have an alcohol free day

Choose one or two days a week where you won't drink unless it's a special occasion such as someone's birthday or anniversary.

Maybe a Tuesday – often an uneventful day – would work for you?

Challenge yourself to keep to your day off wine regime for a few weeks, then let that stretch to a few months and you may even find yourself adding more wine-free days without noticing.

Pinot Noir is a red wine grape that originated in Burgundy and it is one of the oldest wine spices planted in France. The name is derived from the French words pine and black, pine to describe tightly clustered grapes. Today, Pinot Noir grapes are all around the world. The first historic evidence is associated 2,000 years ago in the French region known as Pasco Robels – this was an ideal soil to produce tightly packed clusters. Some wine experts call it “heartbreak grape” because of the thin skinned grapes capable for early ripening with overwhelming flavour.

The thin skin of these delicate grapes requires diligent management as the balance of the wine can be easily destroyed by intervention. As one of the fines wines in the world, it is recognizable by cherry aroma mixed with strawberries. Soon after the wine ages it can bring the potential to develop “barnyard” aroma and savoury fleshiness with more fruit prominent and cleaner appearance.

The international success of the Pinot Noir as the most highly prized wine is typically evident during the late 1980`s and through the next couple of decades. The 1990`s showed an increase in the world production and sale in several wine growing regions of Australia, Austria, Canada and France. This wine is very fickle and can have quite a range of aromas, depending on the vintage and the earth where it`s grown. The major Pinot Noir produced in Burgundy is usually herbaceous with earthy aromas close to wet leaves. The wine in Germany tends to offer more sweet and fruit aromas which are quite different from Italian Pinot Noir where the climate is much cooler. Pinot Nero, as the Italians call it, tends to have more colour extraction and higher alcohol content.

Australians have identified Victoria and Tasmania as being cool enough for this wine. New Zealand is capable to produce the best Pinot outside Burgundy and certainly there are many fine examples of cooler regions in which the grape can develop interesting flavours. Often described as a difficult grape to deal with, wineries around the world are really passionate about its sensuality for the purpose of making wine. The popular image persist that this type od wine creates a long lasting impression in every person`s memory. The aroma is widely accepted as one of the most complex of all varieties starting with fruits enhanced with cinnamon and mushroom as common spiciness for identifying Pinot Noir. Most of the best Pinot Noirs are bottled under screw caps, which further highlights the fresh, clean fruit of these wines.

There is one component in which Pinot Noir seems naturally quite rich, 3-4 times higher compared to other varieties, especially when it is grown in chiller and more humid environments: resveratrol. While this may not affect the aspects of sensory enjoyment, it may draw the attention of health-conscious consumers.

Pinot Noir is not a simple wine. It is likely that it fascinates everyone by its greater complexity rich with dark fruit aromas and flavours.

Italy has been famous for its wine and wine-makers since Roman times. Today that tradition continues as every region in Italy produces wine. In fact, the country of Italy has over one million acres of vineyards under cultivation, most remarkably indicating how much Italians love their wine.

Each region is special for a certain type of wine. Each type of wine enhances and complements the food of its region. Among the many appellations of Italy, are the wines of Tuscany and Piedmont, surely the most famous and sought-after. Wine-lovers the world over crave the renowned Barolo, Barbaresco and Brunello di Montalcino, the famed Killer B’s of Italy’s heartland.

What makes these wines so special? First, they are all reds, and not just any reds. Each of these reds from Tuscany and Piedmont regions reflects what is best and most characteristic of the wines of Italy. Though made from different varieties of grapes, each is lusty, rich and dark. Like all Italian red wines, these varieties are made to go with food, tempting and gently caressing the palate in the consumption of fine Italian cuisine.

Brunello di Montalcino, the first of the Killer B’s, is born of the sangiovese grape, the pride of Italy in the gently undulating Tuscan countryside. By law, the wine must be aged for 2 years in oak and at least 4 months in the bottle. Traditionally made, the wines are full of cherry fruit, earth, and cedar. Among the most expensive of all Italian wines, Brunello must be 100% sangiovese grape. Its dark, fruity taste goes best with grilled meat and game, making it a favorite in steakhouse restaurants. In fact, one-third of all Brunello is exported to the United States where it is wildly popular.

The nebbiolo grape, meaning “little fog”, is notoriously difficult to cultivate, but finds its true home in the Piedmont area of northern Italy where the renowned Barolo and Barbaresco wines are produced. Traditionally-produced Barolo can age for fifty years-plus, and is regarded by many wine enthusiasts as the greatest wine of Italy. Barolo is often described as having the aromas of tar and roses; the wines are noted for their ability to age and usually take on a rust red tinge as they mature. When subjected to aging of at least five years before release, the wine can be labeled a Riserva. Barolo is a powerful wine and can overwhelm delicate foods. In its home region of Piedmont, Barolo complements heavy meat dishes, thick risottos and rich pasta entrées.

Vineyards producing Barbaresco, may be a scant 10 miles from those of the Barolo variety, and though they share many similarities, they are distinctly different. Touched with a gently maritime influence, Barbaresco grapes ripen earlier than the Barolos, so are less tannic. This means they require less time to age, up to a year less, and tend to come to full fruition at an earlier age than the harsher Barolo. Both complement the same robust dishes.

Wine-lovers the world over turn to these famous Italian wines for the most satisfying accompaniment to not only Italian cuisine, but any hearty meal. The rich, dark and smooth taste of each of these Killer B’s tends to leave a memory that is not soon forgotten. For this memory, aficionados turn time and again to these fine wines, the end product of more than 2000 years of Italian wine-making.