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Pairing Thai Cuisine with Wines from Around the Globe- 4 styles and 4 Regions

Pairing Thai Cuisine with Wines from Around the Globe- 4 styles and 4 Regions

Aside from Jasmine rice, coconut milk, and fresh herbs, discover some of the additional components used in authentic Thai curry pastes and explore wine options that cater to various tastes. Thai cuisine revolves around the harmonious blend of four essential flavors: Sweet, Salty, Sour, and Spicy (or Bitter). These flavor elements take center stage in different proportions depending on the region of Thailand you explore. Thai cuisine is incredibly diverse, offer...

Ways to set up a budget friendly personal wine cellars

Ways to set up a budget friendly personal wine cellars

Simply put, you want a place that has consistent cool temperature—in a perfect world that’s 14°C. You don’t want any sunlight to hit the wine. You want wine in a cool, dark place. You ideally want it to be kept on its side as well as having the wine in a remote enough place so it doesn't get....
The Fundamentals of Aging Wine

The Fundamentals of Aging Wine

A wine made to be opened immediately, as 95% of wines are today, will lose its fruit character and brightness if it’s declared too long. Wines made to age, such as heavy reds, can be unpleasant to drink young because of relatively high levels of acid and tannin....
Non alcoholic wine - A hush hush talk of the town?

Non alcoholic wine - A hush hush talk of the town?

Non-Alcoholic beer is having a renaissance. Booze-free cocktails are all the rage. But wine, that most rarefied of libations, has been a little slower to the sober-curious party.Making a good-tasting, zero-proof wine has been technically harder to pull off, and “there’s a fair amount of bias against nonalcoholic wines from wine purists...
An uncertain new home in Australia - Sangiovese

An uncertain new home in Australia - Sangiovese

Despite its Italian renown, Sangiovese was not planted in Australia until the early 1970s.Sangiovese is the famous grape of Tuscany.Sangiovese was one of the first original ‘alternative’ varieties in Australia, and it is an indication of its acceptance that it is no longer considered ‘alternative’ (though it is still considered ‘Italian’). But in the early days
An emerging era of Australian Shiraz

An emerging era of Australian Shiraz

What is the first grape that comes to mind when you hear Australia? Shiraz is as synonymous to Australia as vegemite. Australia is a massive land mass that, when superimposed over North America, accounts for over half of Canada and practically all of the United States excluding the north-east and Texas. Even though wine is exclusively produced in the country's south, referring to Australian Shiraz (or any Australian wine) as a single style would be incorrect. S...
Old World vs New World wines

Old World vs New World wines

Old World and New World wines are two broad categories of wines based on their geographical origin. Old World winemaking traditions are deeply rooted in history, with strict regulations and appellations governing production. There is a strong emphasis on terroir (the influence of the vineyard's environment) and maintaining a sense of tradition ...
Autumn is here – time to swap over your ‘wine wardrobe’

Autumn is here – time to swap over your ‘wine wardrobe’

As autumn sets in, the air gets crisper, and the nights cooler, it’s a good time to swap over your ‘wine wardrobe’. At the same time you start donning an extra layer in the evenings and trading your thongs for sneakers, it also makes sense to start replacing some of your lighter, fresher summer wines with a new selection of autumn favourites.
 The Importance of Wine Scores

The Importance of Wine Scores

Wine scores have become an institution, and yes, they can serve as excellent guides when you’re trying and buying wine. However, they represent just one piece of the wine-selection puzzle. It’s important to go beyond the numbers and the medals when you’re choosing wine – to consider opinions from fellow wine consumers, the stories behind the wines, and, most important, your personal preferences. Here, we look not only at the benefits of and issues with ...
How Important is a Wine's Vintage?

How Important is a Wine's Vintage?

The term vintage has two meanings in the wine world - the year in which grapes making a particular wine come from; and the physical process of grape harvesting and winemaking. A vintage wine thus means the grapes used to make this wine come from a particular single year. As weather varies from one year to another and is never identical, the grapes grown and wines made each year are also unique. Therefore it is hardly surprising to find same wines from diffe...
What makes a wine great?

What makes a wine great?

The defining element of a great wine is its ability to provide enjoyment. After all, we drink and appreciate wine for the joy and pleasure it brings. However, we are all influenced by our personal preferences and experiences, so not surprisingly, we don’t all enjoy the same wines. The differentiation of a great wine with a good wine becomes a very subjective matter, and we often find a commonly acknowledged ‘great wine’ tastes merely ‘good’ to us, or ...
Wine and Food - A match made in Heaven

Wine and Food - A match made in Heaven

Food and wine matching have become an art and culture nowadays. However, the pairing of food and wine is not restricted to only the experts! By following a few basic rules anyone can find pleasure in playing around with various combinations of food and wine.
How to Store Your Half Bottles of Wine

How to Store Your Half Bottles of Wine

We wine lovers have all encountered the situation where a bottle or two extra have been opened and cannot be finished. How to deal these wines with justice has been a great issue in the past and the debates will most likely to carry on in the future. Before we get to the details on the whys and hows of wine preservation, there is one suggestion recommended! Drink up if what you have there is something super prestigious, such as a bottle of Bordeaux First Growth...
Pairing Cheese with Wine

Pairing Cheese with Wine

Wine and cheese pairing can be a bit of a love-hate relationship – the mouth-coating texture of cheese can help soften the taste of wine and make it more pleasant, but it can also mask a delicate wine’s flavour and texture. A great place to start from is to match cheese with wines from the same region! This makes sense as wine and cheese pairing is most likely to have evolved together in the region as part of its culture, therefore the combination would hav...
Terroir - From Land to the Sky

Terroir - From Land to the Sky

Terroir is unsurprising, a French term. It emerged from Burgundy during the region's glorious period of winemaking in the 14th Century. Simply put, it includes all the natural factors that impose direct and indirect influences on vines and grapes.

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