What is in a name?

Well, sometimes more than meets the eye - especially when it comes to Italian wine. Just as Italy hosts a mind-boggling array of different grape varieties, there is also something of a free-f0r-all when it comes to putting them on the label. Unlike the U.S. or France, where labeling is strictly regulated, Italian wines might be named for the grape variety, the village or district where the grapes were grown, or even simply for the winemaker. To make matters even more confusing, some wines are named for both the grape and the location.

For example:

• Chianti is not a grape; it is a region in Italy
• Pinot Grigio is a grape best grown in the Friuli and Trentino-Alto Adige regions of Italy
• Moscato D'Asti is both a grape and a region. Moscato (Muscat) is Piedmont's most traditional white-wine grape and Asti is a village northeast of Alba, Italy

Confused? Me too! It's a good thing that what really matters is what's inside the bottle.

Wine don't Whine

Over the course of the current recession, thousands of people have lost their jobs. For some, downsizing has come as an opportunity to try out something new. Some people have turned to wine as a second career. Only, where does one go to get the proper training? The top schools dedicated to the study of oenology are located in Chicago, NY, Denver, California's Napa Valley & Alexandria, Virginia. These schools cover such topics as viticulture, wine vocabulary, winemaking, winetasting, wine evaluation and food/wine pairing. You could pay to go to one of these schools or you could join The Traveling Vineyard as a wine consultant and earn while you learn!
Call into tonights conference call and hear what our president, Rick Libby, has to say about the New Improved Traveling Vineyard.

Date: Wednesday, Sept. 8th
Time: 9:00 pm EST
Phone: 218-844-0860
Code: 922283#

If you like what you hear, contact me at theeducatedgrape@yahoo.com. I will help you turn your love of wine into a business.

Together we can uncork the possibilites!

Cheers!

Deb

How to turn wine green...

No matter what your preference is in wine-white, red or rose- you can always think green once the wine is gone. Recycle the empty bottle, or perhaps use it for something else. The 375 ml bottles (1/2 bottles) make great containers for olive oil. And don't forget the cork. While those with a creative mind might turn them into trivets, wreaths or bulletin boards, others are creating a demand for recycling. Recycled corks are being used as floor tiles, agricultural products, sporting equipment and more. To find out whether there's a cork recycling location in your area visit www.recork.org. Turning wine green is easier than you think.

Wines that go great with BBQ's

Hitting the sauce this Labor Day weekend? Whatever your secret recipe is for BBQ sauce, you'll find it is one of the hardest foods to pair with wine. Spicy.... smoky....sweet... piquant...you'll want something that can stand up to these qualities without being overwhelmed by them. Plan on bold wines with a higher alcohol content (13% or more) and plenty of acidity, that also have fruit-forward flavors and a hint of pepper and spice. Red-wine lovers might want to choose Zinfandel or Syrah, while Riesling is a good prospect for white-wine lovers.

Happy Labor Day and Cheers!