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Would You Rather Belong to a Wine or Cheese Club?

partysugar — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 01:30:11 -0800

Download Our Wine Tasting Worksheet!

partysugar — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 10:01:31 -0800

I don't consider myself a wine connoisseur, but I do love learning more about wine by tasting new varietals! To really make the most of wine tasting, we've created a
downloadable worksheet. It's your space to make notes on all of the wonderful wines you taste. The tasting notes are perfect for a wine club meeting, a wine tasting, or simply a night in with the girls. Filling it out can help you learn more about wine in general, and it will also help you remember certain beloved bottles. To check out a list of wine-related vocabulary and to download our free, printable tasting-notes worksheet, read more.

Download YumSugar's Wine Tasting Notes

To help fill out the sheet, here's a list of wine-tasting vocabulary:

Name of the wine: The name as it appears on the bottle. If you are performing a blind tasting simply label it Wine A or Wine #1.

Vintage: The year that grapes used to make the wine were harvested.

Variety: The type of grapes that were used to make the wine.

Price Range: How much the wine costs.

Aroma: The smell of the wine. The fragrance of the wine that is affected by the fermentation or aging process used to make the wine.

Body: The texture or weight of the wine in the mouth.

Taste: The flavors of the wine and how it tastes.

Finish: The final impression that remains in your mouth after you have swallowed the wine.

Have fun and happy tasting!

YumSugar Gift Guide: The Haute Hostess

partysugar — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 10:03:19 -0800

I like to consider myself a hostess with the mostess. Entertaining is what I do; it's what I live for. So naturally, putting together a gift guide for the ultimate hostess was incredibly easy. I simply looked for fabulous gifts I would love to receive!

Give the party queens and kings in your life a gift that they can show off while entertaining.

A pretty pot holder, sleek cocktail shaker, or stylish tray are all wonderful options. Or give them a great conversation starter like these introductory cocktail napkins. They break the ice and totally eliminate small talk. For more ideas, scroll below!

Hello Cocktail Napkins ($3.50)	Anthropologie.com Snowflake Pot Holder ($12.00)
Two-Piece Chip and Dip ($32.95)	Wine Club - NapaStyle ($90 per 6-Bottle Shipment every 1, 2, or 3 months)
Coakley Cay Pattern Pink Serving Tray ($100.00)	Cocktail Shaker at Barneys New York ($120.00)

Summer Reading: The Wine Club

partysugar — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 10:03:31 -0700

Lately I've been encouraging my grandfather and his lady friend to start a wine club. I love wine clubs because they are a great way to get friends together while learning about wine. When I first got into wine I tried reading stuffy books full of information on wine varietals, grape types, and climate conditions. These reads were too textbooky, which is why I enjoyed Maureen Christian Petrosky's The Wine Club - a book that's packed with knowledge without all of the stuffiness. Each chapter is labeled by months of the year, with one type of wine for each month. Within each section are fun facts about the wine, bottles at different price points, and tasty recipes. Petrosky writes in a female-friendly, snob-free tone and the text is in purple and green print (like the color of grapes!) instead of the standard black. Get this book and host your first wine club party!

Definition: Sediment

partysugar — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 03:19:47 -0700

Sediment
Commonly found in older bottles of red wine, the deposit or residue that can accumulate in the bottle during the aging process. The solid matter can be from yeasts, fragments of grape skins and pulp, or it can form naturally. Sediments are not considered a negative quality, and can sometimes be associated with finer red wines. Sediment should be allowed to settle completely and can be separated from a well aged wine by decanting.

Definition: Tannins

partysugar — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 07:56:12 -0800

Tannins
A group of astringent and bitter compounds found in the seeds and skins of grapes. These compounds slow oxidation and promote aging. Sometimes tannins are found in the barrels that are used to hold the wine. Important to the production of good red wines, because they provide flavor, structure, and texture, tannins have antioxidant traits that contribute to graceful aging. You can detect tannins in the wine you are consuming by the puckery, drying sensation in the back of the mouth and throat.

Definition: Come Party With Me: Wine Club's 1st Meeting- Tasting Notes Worksheet

partysugar — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 11:58:31 -0800

In order for me and my guests to fully understand the wines we shall be tasting, taking a few tasting notes are highly encouraged. To make it super easy (this a party and not a class) I've created a wine club tasting notes worksheet. You can download it, print it out and use it at your own wine club meetings. Or if you are sampling a new wine and want to remember it at a later date, print one out and fill it in. For detailed directions on how to fill it in and vocabulary definitions, read more

Start by filling in what you can consider to be the wine's identity. First write the complete name of the wine how it appears on the bottle (ex. Amador Foothill Sauvignon Blanc). If you are performing a blind tasting simply label it Wine A or Wine #1. After the blind tasting is over you can fill in the wine's name, vintage, grape variety, and price range. The vintage is the year that grapes used to make the wine were harvested (ex. 2004). The grape variety refers to the type of grapes that were used to make the wine (ex. 75% Sauvignon Blanc & 25% Semillon). The price range is how much the wine costs.

Now move on to the part that involves the tasting, what you can consider to be the wine's description. There are five major ways to characterize a wine and they are in no specific order: the aroma, color (appearance), taste, body, and finish. I like to be my own wine critic and give the wine my personal score. I do this by rating each of the five categories, with 1 point being the lowest/worst score possible and 20 points being the highest/best. When done with the tasting add up the scores to see where your wine rates. This is important if you are blindly sampling several wines of the same varietal to determine in the end which is your favorite. Remember this is all about you, if you like the way it smells give it a high score and if it tastes bad to you give it a low score.

The aroma is the simple, smell of the grape variety. Basically it is the fragrance of the wine that can include fragrant changes due to the fermentation or aging process used to make the wine (ex. intense, lime, grapefruit, spicy). If the aroma is complex, intense, and with many layers it will have a high score. If there is little to no aroma or an off-stinky smell then give it a low score.

The body alludes to the texture or weight of the wine in the mouth (ex. rich, well-rounded). A high scoring body will feel perfectly smooth in the mouth while a low scoring body will feel like it is either too heavy or too light.

The taste is basically the flavors of the wine and how it tastes (ex. citrus, melon, tropical fruit). A higher score generally consists of a balanced, structure, taste with several flavors detected and a lower scored taste lacks balance, structure, and has no distinct flavors.

The finish is the final impression that remains in your mouth after you have swallowed the wine (ex. lingering). A distinct, smooth, rich lingering finish is ideal. A wine with tastes and flavors that end abruptly with no after taste is considered lacking.

If you happen to note a great relationship between what you are eating and what you are sipping, there is a space to write what foods pair well with the wine. At the bottom of the tasting notes chart there is a list of helpful vocabulary that may aide you in filling in the pages.

Once you have figured out your personal score and opinion of the wine, share it with us on TeamSugar in the Wine Cellar group.

Come Party With Me: Wine Club's 1st Meeting - Music

partysugar — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 06:55:18 -0800

Lately I have been reading a lot of books about wine and they all say the same important message: the best way to learn about wine is to taste as many and as much as you possibly can. Thats why I am forming a wine club. By inviting a small, intimate group of friends to each bring a bottle of the same varietal of wine, I hope to refine my palette and ability to judge aromas, flavors, and finishes. The first meeting is coming up (perhaps meeting isn't the best word to describe event, it's more of a party) in which we celebrate a love and appreciation for wine while learning about what we are drinking. I know education and alcohol rarely go hand in hand, but in this case they do. I began preparing for this party on Monday when I made invitations that can be changed each month. On Tuesday I talked about the menu, on Wednesday tips for successful sipping, and yesterday the look. Today I must come up with a soundtrack for the get together so come party with me. read more

At certain parties the role of the music is essential for setting the mood. This is one of those occasions where you must not leave the playlist until the last minute. It should not be forgotten because it is as significant as the wine and the menu. A lovely, pleasant sound in the background will add an air of sophistication that this party deserves. Steer away from playing anything trendy and hip, instead opt for festive music without lyrics or with lyrics in another language. Smooth, soulful jazz is a great selection or, if you prefer, something a little more exotic. Ravi Shankar's music is interesting. Brazilian Bossa Nova and Buddha Lounge mixes are crowd pleasing options. Argentina's Juana Molina's music is a mix of piano, guitar and electronica that makes for a mellow background.

If your meeting revolves around a wine from a specific region (mine does since we are tasting a Spanish Rioja), select authentic music from the area to enhance cultural awareness. I'll play Vincente Amigo's Un Momento En El Sonido and the new (to the US at least) Ojos de Brujo Techarí.

Got a great suggestion for the musical selection for this party? Tell me about it below!

The Ultimate Bar: Corkscrew

partysugar — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 11:43:52 -0800

Every week YumSugar highlights an essential tool for the ultimate kitchen. People are always asking her what her favorite kitchen tool is and in a response to this perpetual question, she is creating a list of kitchen must-haves and special splurges (attention brides: use this as a checklist when creating your registry!). Lately I've noticed that more and more people are asking me about what the perfect hostess should have in her bar. To answer this question I thought I would put together a list of important tools, glasses, and gadgets that The Ultimate Bar (for the ultimate at home mixologist) should have.

Let's start with a tool that no bar (or kitchen for that matter) should be without: a good, reliable corkscrew. I have tried out the more expensive rabbit screw pull gadget like wine openers (test for yourself: the one pictured is $100), yet the two that I had both broke after several months of use. That's why I prefer the leverage winged, modern spiral corkscrew. It's by far the most dependable and one of the easiest to use: as the center coil is screwed into the cork, the arms rise up. When you press the arms down, the cork extracts. In some circles this twin handled affordable ($9.99) corkscrew is referred to as the Charles de Gaulle. The top of most can also be used to remove bottle caps.

Two more corkscrews so read more

Another option is the two-pronged cork fork, or butler's friend, that swiftly opens a bottle of wine without damaging the cork. It's recommended for use with older vintages of wine whose corks are more likely to crumble with the injection of a metal coil. ($18.95)

Some consider the corkscrew that waiters use, a waiter's friend, to be the most sturdy and handy corkscrew. This corkscrew relies on simple leverage to remove the cork and is light and compact. All parts fold up inside the handle, like a pocket knife making it extremely convenient and portable. When I worked in a bar I never got the hang of maneuvering this tool swiftly with one hand, however if used properly it's a great gadget complete with foil cutter, bottle rest, and battle cap opener. If you are on a budget this baby is your best bet, a fun, colorful one can be purchased under $8.00.

Come Party With Me: Wine Club's 1st Meeting - The Look

partysugar — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 06:57:13 -0800

After I graduated from Cal, I was scared by the thought that my education was officially over until I realized that while my school education was over I would never stop learning. Now instead of having to study subjects required of me I could study what ever I wanted: cooking, baking, current events, tennis, and knitting. In January I decided to further my admiration for the culinary world and fully understand wine. To aid in my quest for wine knowledge I am forming (and challenging you to do so with me readers!) a wine club that will meet monthly to discover, taste, and appreciate a distinct varietal of wine. I've made post card invitations (post card invites are great because you save money on postage!) that can easily be customized on my computer each month, planned a small, simple menu of savory and sweet appetizers to pair with the wine we will be tasting, and organized the tasting. Now I am envisioning the look of the wine club so read more

Think back to your favorite classrooms at college, what made them comfortable and inviting? You want to capture that educational essence when you are arranging the decor for your first wine club meeting.
Start by selecting a location for the meeting. Will you host it in your own home, at a friend's house, or at an outside location such as an event center or favorite bar? I looked into hosting it at a wine bar but at most places clients are expected to consume wines from their collection. For now, I am having the party at my own home.

Be sure to clean and organize your space, you don't want guests to feel embarrassed because your clean laundry is waiting to be folded and last night's dinner is still in the sink.
Create a warm, glowing, alluring feel to the room by lighting lots of candles.
Replace super bright light bulbs with gold hued 'candle-light' bulbs for rosy lighting.

If you will be tasting wine in a room that has a fireplace, make it your focal point. Adjust your furniture to sit around the fireplace instead of the television to promote discussion and conversation about the wines you are sipping.

Just as changing your placemats can transform the look of your kitchen, changing your throw pillows can change the look of your living room. Add texture and richness by tossing in a few ruby-hued pillows in plush fabrics like satin and velvet.
Fill a vase with a bouquet of sunny early spring flowers to add a burst of bright life.
Make sure all of your wine glasses are cleaned, polished, and waiting for the guests' arrival.
If you prefer to have the club sit around the same table check to see if you have enough chairs for everyone to sit leisurely.

Have a handful of writing utensils ready and waiting for guests to make notes and score the wines.
For a quick, easy centerpiece fill your favorite decorative bowl with fresh grapes.

What is the look for your wine club's 1st meeting? Tell me about it below! Tomorrow I'll be talking about the soundtrack for this party so stay tuned.