Interview by Jean-Jérôme Carre (Obiwine) of Antonio Galloni , a wine-critic inside the Robert Parker team, in charge of US West Coast, Champagne, Burgundy and Italy.
Antonio shares his views on wine tasting and reviewing at the World Wine Symposium (Davos du Vin), held in November 2012 at the Villa d'Este Hotel, Como, Italy.
Did you know that beer was critical to the birth of civilization? That’s right – beer.
Scientists and historians line up to tell the amazing, untold story of how beer helped create math, poetry, pyramids, modern medicine, labor laws, and America.
If you think beer is just something cold and filling to drink during sporting matches or in the kind of bars that you probably shouldn’t order wine in, then, boy, are you ever in the dark.
It turns out beer is responsible for, like, all the greatest things on earth. Learn more about what beer did for you.
Fine Dining Lovers provides you with some special wine tips and tricks with an exclusive series of video lessons given by Andreas Larsson, one of the World’s Best Sommelier.
In den Langhehügeln im norditalienischen Piemont befindet sich die Heimat eines herb-trockenen Spitzenrotweins, des Barolo. Er ist nach dem kleinen Weinort benannt, in dessen Umfeld er seit Jahrhunderten angebaut wird.Zur Römerzeit war der Barolo eher süß. Es war dann eine französische Marquise, die dem heutigen Barolo ihren Stempel aufdrückte. Sie ließ ihn zu einem trockenen Wein nach Art eines Bordeaux veredeln. Heute wird der Barolo in viele Länder exportiert und gilt als Festtagswein für besondere Anlässe.
Sam heads to Peru to explore an ancient corn based brew called Chicha. Since he's always looking for authentic brews, Sam decides it's worth following the ancient recipe -- including chewing up the corn to naturally speed fermentation. So it's all hands on deck in Delaware when the Dogfish staff is enlisted to use their own saliva to brew their newest craft beer.
Asti: Sparkling wine, deliciously sweet, low in alcohol, with pronounced fruity and floral flavors. Usually non-vintage, but freshness and youth are essential to its quality.
Frascati: Dry or slightly off-dry, light-bodied, and un-oaked with crisp acidity and subdued flavor.
Gavi: Dry, medium-bodied wine. Typically crisp and un-oaked (sometimes slightly oaky) with delicate notes of honey, apples, and minerals.
Orvieto: A generally medium-bodied wine. Dry, crisp, with flavors of pear and apple and a pleasantly bitter finish.
Pinot Grigio: Generally light-bodied, dry, and crisp, with subdued aromas and flavors and no oakiness. Made from Pinot Gris grapes, usually in Northeastern Italy. Wines from Collio or Alto-Adige DOCs are usually the best.
Soave: Generally dry, crisp, un-oaked, and light- or medium-bodied, with flavors of pear, apple, or peach.
Verdicchio: Dry, medium-bodied, crisp white with minerally flavor and a sea-air freshness.
Major Italian Red Wines
Amarone: Lusty, full bodied wine from partially dried Corvina grapes, in the Veneto region. Dry and firm wine, but it's ripe, concentrated fruitiness suggests sweetness. Needs rich, savory foods or flavorful cheeses.
Barbaresco: Similar to Barolo, from the same grape in a nearby area, but generally a tad tighter in body and slightly more approachable. Drinks best at 8 to 15 years of age, depending on the producer.
Barbera: Varietal wine produced mainly in the Piedmont region. Dry, light- or medium-bodied, with intense berry flavor, mouth-watering acidity, and little tannin. Particularly versatile with food. Many of the best wines are from the Alba or Asti zones.
Barolo: Dry, full-bodied, magisterial wine. Has complex aromas and flavors of strawberries, tar, herbs, and earth, as well as a firm, tannic structure. Drinks best at 10 to 20 years, depending on the producer.
Brunello di Montalcino: Full-bodied, intense, concentrated wine. Dry and quite tannic, it drinks best when it's at least 15 years old.
Chianti: Very dry, medium-bodied, moderately tannic wine with lovely tart-cherry flavor, mainly from Sangiovese grapes grown in the Chianti area of Tuscany. "Chianti Classico" is often the best.
Lambrusco: Most commonly a sweet, fizzy wine with delicious, grapey flavors. Dry and sparkling styles also exist.
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo: Generally medium-bodied and flavorful with red fruits and a slightly vegetal note. Lighter examples are smooth and easy to drink; the best wines are concentrated and denser in texture.
Salice Salentino: Dry, full-bodied. Generally have somewhat intense aromas and flavors of ripe, plummy, baked fruit, and rich, dense texture. Suitable with robust foods.
Valpolicella: Medium-bodied wine. Dry, lean, and only moderately tannic, with more or less intense cherry aromas and flavors. Some versions, such as single-vineyard wines are particularly good.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano: Medium-bodied, dry, and lean, with red cherry flavor, similar to Chianti but slightly fuller.
Shot on location in Australia this series takes the viewer on a journey through the historic wine regions of Australia. Produced by Sydney based Panorama Films International, this series will give rare access to the exotic and colorful world of Australian wine. While Australian wines are available for purchase in many countries, little is known about the vineyards, process, culture and people who cultivate the grapes. This may very well be the only wine series available on Australia.
Grape varieties
Major grape varieties are Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and Riesling. The country has no native grapes, and Vitis vinifera varieties were introduced from Europe and South Africa in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Some varieties have been bred by Australian viticulturalists, for example Cienna and Tarrango.
Although Syrah was originally called Shiraz in Australia and Syrah elsewhere, its dramatic commercial success has led many Syrah producers around the world to label their wine "Shiraz".
About 130 different grape varieties are used by commercial winemakers in Australia. Over recent years many winemakers have begun exploring so called "alternative varieties" other than those listed above. Many varieties from France, Italy and Spain for example Petit Verdot, Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Viognier are becoming more common. Wines from many other varieties are being produced.
Australian winemaking results have been impressive and it has established benchmarks for a number of varietals, such as Chardonnay and Shiraz. Moreover, Australians have innovated in canopy management and other viticultural techniques and in wine-making, and they have a general attitude toward their work that sets them apart from producers in Europe. Australian wine-makers travel the wine world as highly skilled seasonal workers, relocating to the northern hemisphere during the off-season at home." They are an important resource in the globalisation of wine and wine critic Matt Kramer notes that "the most powerful influence in wine today" comes from Australia (Kramer).
GSM blends
GSM is a name commonly used in Australia for a red wine consisting of a blend of Grenache, Shiraz (a.k.a. Syrah), and Mourvèdre. This blend originated from those used in some Southern Rhone wines, including Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Grenache is the lightest of the three grapes, producing a pale red juice with soft berry scents and a bit of spiciness. As a blending component, it contributes alcohol, warmth and fruitiness without added tannins. Shiraz can contribute full-bodied, fleshy flavors of black fruits and pepper. It adds color, backbone and tannins and provides the sense of balance such blends require. Mourvèdre contributes elegance, structure and acidity to the blend, producing flavors of sweet plums, roasted game and hints of tobacco.
Das Pilsener Bier aus Budweis ist für die Tschechen mehr als nur ein Bier. Es ist ein Stück nationale Identität. Doch jetzt droht der Verkauf.Tschechiens Biertrinker sind alarmiert. Die Regierung will die Brauerei in Budweis in eine Aktiengesellschaft umwandeln. Allerdings - so wird beteuert - wolle der Staat die Aktienmehrheit an Budweiser anschließend behalten. In Budweis wird gerade das bezweifelt. Schließlich würde ein Verkauf bis zu 1,2 Milliarden in die leeren Staatskassen spülen. Großes Interesse hat vor allem der Biergigant Anheuser-Busch InBev, der sein eigenes Budweiser bisher nicht in Europa schützen lassen darf.
On this "Let's Dish" we're cooking with beer! We learn how to make a yummy beer onion soup, a tasty stout marinated steak, and a delicious beer poached salmon! And, we'll also find out the best beers to use when cooking!
Made of potatoes, grains or even beets, vodka is a popular alcohol due to its versatility in mixed drinks.
Blueberry Vodka (Engl)
The sweet-tasting blueberries are not just for jams, juice, muffins and pies. They can also be used to infuse vodka, all you need is blueberries and patience!
Mixing the beautiful blue sky's of Hawaii with the tastes of rum, curacao, coconut and pineapple. This is a cocktail made for drinking, fairly thick, refreshing and tasty. Not to mention, blue!
How to Buy Orange Liqueur, Our Taste Test (Engl)
Learn how to buy orange liqueur based on what flavors and tastes you like best. We're looking at Triple Sec, Blue Curacao, GranGala, Tuaca, Patron Citronge, Cointreau and Grand Marnier.
