Inside scoop on the tastiest "big name" wines

Looking for access to Napa's biggest names and undiscovered wines? You should try Porthos, the Wine Insiders. They have a team to taste over 5,000 wines per year and only the best of the best are featured in their site. At Porthos, the Wine Insiders, you have access to the tastiest “big name” wines such as Silver Oak, Duckhorn, etc. Get “insider access” to undiscovered, boutique wines before the critics and collector crowd discover them.

At Porthos, the Wine Insiders, you will have access to their Monthly Insider Wine Clubs which include the Favorites Club where you have sensational undiscovered treasures and highly rated crowd-plesers, the Premium Club where you have rare reserve wines and highly-rated selections, and the Collector Club where an exclusive collection of California's most highly-rated, ultra-premium wines. And if you register and join as member, you get special pricing. If you are looking for Napa Cabernets, a good place to look is Napa Carbenets.

It is believed that moderate wine consumption is associated with a significant reduction in all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease and cancer among men. According to Wilhelm Vetter, M.D., and colleagues of the University Hospital of Zurich, Switzerland, alcohol, when consumed around mealtime, reduces the proliferation of smooth muscle cells within the arteries. smooth muscle cells growth is a key element in the development of atherosclerosis, which commonly leads to heart attacks and strokes. So get your favorite wines, enjoy it and be comforted that along with the enjoyment comes some health benefits.

Wine Tastings for Singles

Wine Tastings for Singles
by: Jennifer Marie Jordan

Dating, for those of us who are tired of being single, can be a royal pain. From speed dating to online dating, from the taverns to the grocery stores, we have several outlets where we can meet potential matches. But, unfortunately, these matches often extinguish before they can light even the slightest spark, leaving those of us frustrated to long for the days of arranged marriages: someone just marry me and give my parents a llama.

My own personal experiences have led me to meet dates a variety of ways. I’ve been set up by friends, I’ve been set up by computers, I’ve gone to functions for singles, and, of course, I’ve met many a’people at the bars. But, it wasn’t until recently that I found a dating medium I truly enjoyed: wine tasting for singles.

Wine tasting for singles had a lot of similarities to a regular wine tasting event. A sommelier presented three red wines and three white wines, conveying the regions where the wines were from and their general flavors. Each wine was tasted one at a time, appetizers were served, and people dared each other to take a sip out of the spit bucket. The main difference between a wine tasting for singles and a regular wine tasting is simple: no wedding rings allowed.

Why a Wine Tasting?

Now, for those of you who are in the dating scene, the lack of wedding rings at wine tastings for singles might not be enough persuasion: you may be posing the question of what makes a wine tasting superior to meeting people through other means. Well, I’m glad you asked. To begin, at a wine tasting for singles, as opposed to going to the bars or hoping to meet someone in the Laundromat, you automatically have the advantage of knowing three things: everyone there is single, everyone there is looking, and, most importantly, everyone there enjoys wine. Having these three things in common arms you with the ability to approach that cute stranger, bat your eyes, point to his Pinot Noir and ask, “Are you going to finish that?”

Is it Better than Online Dating?

A wine tasting for singles is much more realistic than meeting people online, otherwise known as spouse shopping. This is because online people can easily pretend to be anyone: the old can pretend to be young, the short can pretend to be tall, the men can pretend to be women and vice versa. Along these lines, because the majority of communication is nonverbal, meeting someone in person at a wine tasting allows you to gauge certain things that you wouldn’t be able to see over email. From the tone of a person’s voice, to the way they carry themselves, to the way they sip their wine, body language is a major element in discovering what a person is truly like.

Is it Better than Blind Dating?

Mingling at a wine tasting for singles, where the room is filled with a variety of women and a variety of men, allows for less pressure than the one on one situation of blind dating. In one on one situations, people often get nervous, sweating, stuttering, accidentally revealing that they live in their mom’s basement with six cats. In a wine tasting, however, people are free to mingle in groups, removing the one on one pressure and allowing a wingman or wingwoman to be standing by, ready to swoop in at the first mention of something like the latest Star Trek convention.

Is it Better than Speed Dating?

Many people in the dating scene have probably been on several dates that they wished were speed dates, having had their fill within the first five minutes. However, this isn’t always the best concept: people aren’t always themselves in the first five minutes, some people need a second chance to make a first impression. In speed dating, people are only allowed to talk to each other for a set amount of time, usually only a few minutes. It’s hard to tell anything important about someone in a few minutes, it takes at least twenty minutes before you can feel secure inquiring about your date’s annual salary. At a wine tasting event, conversely, you are free to talk with someone for as long as you choose, whether it’s three hours or just a few minutes that felt like three hours.

Will you Meet your True Love?

Like all avenues of dating, a wine tasting for singles can not guarantee success: you may meet someone you really like or you may find no commonalities with anyone in attendance. But, because wine tastings allow for lengthy, in-person interaction, they automatically give you better dating opportunities than other avenues of dating. And, even if you don’t meet the love of your life, a wine tasting can almost assure that you will find a bottle of Merlot with which you can live happily ever after.

About The Author

Jennifer Jordan is the senior editor at www.savoreachglass.com. With a vast knowledge of wine etiquette, she writes articles on everything from how to hold a glass of wine to how to hold your hair back after too many glasses. Ultimately, she writes her articles with the intention that readers will remember wine is fun and each glass of anything fun should always be savored.

Enjoy A Cold Glass of White Wine In the Sun Without The Red Cheeks!.. No More Wine Allergies

Enjoy A Cold Glass of White Wine In the Sun Without The Red Cheeks!.. No More Wine Allergies
by: Lucy Ross

The Red face, The itchy Skin, The almost hangover like symptoms coming on while you are still drinking, headaches, sneezing, irritation! Sound like you... or someone you know? Unlike Santa Clause... a flushed faces at a dinner party, or picnic is not so appealing, when it comes to drinking wine, some people are allergic... but you can still have your wine and drink it too!

So What Causes the Irritation

Well the Majority of people have a reaction to white wine, this is due to the high levels of sulphides within white wine, ( or Preservative 220) this can cause a number of side effects, as mentioned above. One of the sure fire ways to combat feeling under the weather when drinking is firstly, not to over indulge, and secondly to keep your fluids up, And i mean water not more wine, simply by having a glass of wine between drinks, you help your body to keep its fluids up, and may reduce that dehydrated, hungover feeling.

How Sever Are Wine Allergies

Well wine allergies can have a range of reactions, depending on the severity of allergy a person has. Sulphur dioxide has had minor reactions, and in its pure form, deadly reactions, but you can avoid high levels of it when drinking wine.

For the average person reactions such as, flushing, wheezing, nausea, headaches, stomach pain, congestion, There are a few ways to combat certain symptoms, some may result in drinking certain types of wine, and some just thinking about what you drink.

Well it is known that high levels of sulfur dioxide can cause asthma attacks, and tightness of the chest and even anaphylactic shock, these is in extreme cases thou, but for those with sensitivity even minor exposure can cause some nasty side affects.

Allergies and Treatments

Look out for wines with a higher sulphur level, this is wines found in casks, and sweet white wine. So What is left to drink you ask, well red wine, sparkling wine, and dry white wines like chardonnay, they have lower amounts of these additives in them, you will also find organic wines have lower sulphur dioxide levels.

When it comes to a Blushing face when drinking wine, things get a bit trickier

When you drink your body produces a number of chemicals, a lot of allergic people lack a chemical called alledalsehyde dehydroenase, which counter acts alcohols presents in the body, and for those people this means symptoms such as drowsiness nausea asthma and facial flushing. There is not really a lot that can be done against this, other then building up an immunity over time, this way symptoms will lessen as your body learns to cope with wine.

The Red Wine Head Ache

If you suffer from head aches when it comes to red wine, you may find the tannins in the red wine are triggering histamine production, the majority of people have no problem with histamine, but it can cause some to suffer from sever headaches.

So how can you counter act the infamous wine head ache your ask, well some suggest popping an aspirin an hour before drinking. And if that does not work, you can try drinking softer reds... and if all else fails try less reactive wines such as champagne and method traditionale sparkling.

So get those wine allergies under control, one you identify what it is in wines that irritates you, then you can drink, and feel good, and avoid those nasty side effects.

About The Author
Lucy Ross Is Webmaster from ABC of World Food and Wine. She knows how important it is to get the right wine, and wine related products, and suffers from allergies her self!

Organic Wine: Reprieve for the Allergic

Organic Wine: Reprieve for the Allergic
by: Jennifer Marie Jordan

When I was a kid, I developed an allergy to peanut butter, something I loved to eat by the spoonful. While others ate it, mixing clumps with strawberry jam and putting it between two slices of bread, I stood by drooling; then, with a sense of defeat, I went to stick my head in my Easy Bake Oven. To me, there was nothing worse than being five years old and having a peanut allergy; it‘s the equivalent to having a wine allergy when you’re over 21.

Lucky for me, I’m not allergic to wine. I’ve self-tested with hundreds of bottles and I can confidently declare that I would definitely know by now. Definitely.. But, many others aren’t that lucky; some people have wine allergies, an allergy that hinders their ability to savor one of life‘s greatest pleasures.. This allergy leaves people with an empty wine glass, an empty wine cellar, and a unyielding impulse to look up to the sky and scream, “Make me allergic to diary, make me allergic to cats, make me allergic to my siblings, but please don’t take away my Cabernet.”

While no one wants a wine allergy, those who have one are forced to take it seriously. This is particularly true if they are allergic to sulfites, compounds often used as a means to preserve wine by helping it to avoid oxidation and spoilage. Unfortunately for those with allergies, sulfites are added to a vast majority of wines. Because of this, checking the label doesn’t just become a matter of hoping to find the best tasting wine, it also become a matter between being well and being ill.

When someone who is allergic to sulfites drinks wine containing this compound, they run the risk of experiencing an allergic reaction - an allergic reaction to wine makes a wine hang over look like a walk in the park. Some people may experience sneezing, or hives, while others may have difficulty breathing and need emergency medical attention. Sulfites can also cause anaphylaxis, the most severe of allergic reactions.. During this kind of reaction, a person’s blood pressure dangerously drops and their bronchial tubes narrow, making it increasingly harder for them to breathe.. If left untreated, this can lead to death in a matter of minutes. For these reasons, many people with sulfite allergies avoid wine altogether: not even the greatest wine in the world is worth compromising health.

However, luckily for those affected by sulfites, organic wine has come to the rescue, wearing a red cape and giving those allergic to regular wine a second chance.

Organic wine doesn’t necessarily mean “sulfite free,” a tidbit of information extremely important to those sensitive to even the most minute levels of sulfites. In fact, wines are rarely sulfite-free; sulfites occur naturally in wine. However, conventional wines go above and beyond the naturally occurring sulfites, adding many more sulfites to their finished product. Organic wine, on the other hand, tend to believe that the naturally occurring sulfites are enough - they don’t want to compound the situation.

The true definition of organic wine depends on where the wine is produced. For wines produced in America, the National Organic Program, the federal agency overseeing the production of organic food, has mandated that any wine claiming to be “organic” must not contain any added sulfites. Wines merely claiming to be made with “organic grapes,” however, aren’t subject to these regulation.. Along these lines, wines that are produced outside the US are governed under their own regulations: these wines generally have added sulfites, but the amount is roughly a third of the amount found in conventional wine. Thus, for those with sulfite allergies, it’s important to read the label very carefully.

Drinking organic wine isn’t just limited to those with sulfite allergies - it’s not a secret club people are allowed into by submitting their medical records.. Many people simply find organic wines better tasting, healthier, and good for the environment.

Organic wine is composed of grapes that are grown in an organic vineyard with organic farming techniques. Essentially, this means that the grapes were grown in a manner void of artificial fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides and full of natural fertilizers.. These vineyards also contain cover crops between their vines and work to attract beneficial insects, insects that will feed on harmful pests. Though no scientific provides credence, there is strong speculation that drinking organic wine instead of conventional wine decreases the chance of a hang over. This has led many people down an organic path, a path paved with the healthiest of soil.

Though not widely available, organic wine has recently begun to gain in popularity. Sommeliers are finally beginning to get the hint as bottles of organic Pinot Noir approach, tapping their fingers and impatiently saying, “Ahem.” Still, organic wine remains harder to find than conventional wine - many restaurants do not serve it and some liquor stores have either no collection or one that is minimal.. But, rest assured, there are places to find it, and soon they’ll be more..

Online is a great place to start, booming with shops that will ship organic wine to your house. Organic food stores - such as Whole Foods - have also jumped on the organic band wagon, obviously needing a ride from drinking too much. Along these lines, there are certain liquor stores that do carry a large selection of Organic wines.. To find one in your area, try calling around, doing an Internet search, or going to http://www.wine-searcher.com.

It might take a little research, but you’ll be rewarded once you are cradling that bottle of organic wine in your hands with a straw in your mouth. Then, it will all be worth it…naturally.

About The Author

Jennifer Jordan is the senior editor at Savor Each Glass. With a vast knowledge of wine etiquette, she writes articles on everything from how to hold a glass of wine to how to hold your hair back after too many glasses. Ultimately, she writes her articles with the intention that readers will remember wine is fun and each glass of anything fun should always be savored.