Wine Highest Bidder!

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Bienvenido, a nuestro blog de vino. Soy Daniel Harringon sumiller en Avinae Wine & Spirits . Con el tiempo, gracias a lectores como tú, éste espacio se ha convertido en uno de los blogs de vino más leídos en ingles. Gracias por estar a ese lado de la pantalla. Te animo a que pases al nuestro colaborando con tus comentarios y preguntando lo que te interese.

Nunca hemos tenido la pretensión de entrar en ránkings de los mejores blogs de vino de España. Ni cosas por el estilo. Desde que empezamos con Avinae Wine & Spirits ,Mallorca Wine Experience y ahora con Vinos de Mallorca siempre hemos querido dotar a nuestra web de contenido de calidad. Nos inspiramos en algunas webs inglesas que nos parecieron interesantes. La idea es que los miembros de nuestro club de vinos tuvieran en este espacio un rincón donde poder encontrar información útil. Vídeos sobre catas de vino, algunos consejos para aprender de vino, curiosidades sobre le mundo del vino, recomendaciones de vinos y de winebars en los que hemos estado (y nos han gustado), ideas para hacer enoturismo,  etc. Hay posts que incluyen vídeos y hay otras entradas con sólo texto.

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Wine For Thought: Wine Highest Bidder!

Auctions can seem like a scary concept to many. The way that they are portrayed in films and in books make them feel like an activity for the wealthy and fortunate few…. And whilst it is true that they tend to attract those with a more “disposable” income, they are still very approachable and fun as both a one off experience and a repeatable hunt for rare wines and good bargains.                                                                                                                              Wine Highest Bidder!

The key to enjoying an auction is knowing what to look for and so I offer these simple steps to hopefully inspire you to at least try!

Step 1: Investigation

Auction houses tend to be very rigorous in their presentation of events/auctions and so normally there is a good deal of information, either through a website or by request (e-mail etc). Through investigation you can determine whether or not it will be the right auction for you; does it have the kind of wines you like? Do they offer vintages you have been looking for? Is there a minimum bid? These kind of questions are the ones to be asking when considering attending an auction.

Step 2: Help  Wine Highest Bidder!

Never avoid asking for assistance at an auction, they normally have advisors that can offer all sorts of advice and guidance on the how`s/what`s/whys of the selecting and buying of the wines available. Just like Jean-Paul Sartre said “It is better to ask for help at an auction than to spend 50k on a rubber bottle of Beaujolais”. Also, talking to someone who truly understands the ins and outs of an auction is a great way to learn and to gain confidence for your next one. Make sure to ask about the previous auction, so as to get a feel for what kind of wines sold best and average spend per bottle.

Step 3: Time                                                                                            Wine Highest Bidder!

Make sure to dedicate a good portion of your day to the event. Auctions are sometimes more a game of patience than anything else and the more time you have to scope out the offers and the pieces of interest, observe the other buyers and simply get a feel for the surroundings, the more comfortable and prepared you will feel.

Step 4: The Extras

At auctions there are often extra services at ones disposal, for instance pre-auction tastings or talks to offer as much info as possible on the items that will be sold, give you an advantage and time to investigate thoroughly. Guides and catalogues are also very useful, but be warned, most of the time extras come with a price tag.

Step 5: To be or Not to be……..there!

As I mentioned earlier, Auctions deserve time and so if you are set on going, make a day of it! Give yourself the opportunity to get to know the ins and outs of the experience and take notes so that you get familiar with it. If you can’t make it  but did the research, remember you can often bid from a distance via phone/email/apps depending on the organizers of the auction and their in-house rules and systems.

So there you have it! If you decide to venture in to the world of bidding then I hope I helped you enjoy the process a little more.

Good hunting

The key wingredient!!

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Bienvenido, a nuestro blog de vino. Soy Daniel Harringon sumiller en Avinae Wine & Spirits . Con el tiempo, gracias a lectores como tú, éste espacio se ha convertido en uno de los blogs de vino más leídos en ingles. Gracias por estar a ese lado de la pantalla. Te animo a que pases al nuestro colaborando con tus comentarios y preguntando lo que te interese.

Nunca hemos tenido la pretensión de entrar en ránkings de los mejores blogs de vino de España. Ni cosas por el estilo. Desde que empezamos con Avinae Wine & Spirits ,Mallorca Wine Experience y ahora con Vinos de Mallorca siempre hemos querido dotar a nuestra web de contenido de calidad. Nos inspiramos en algunas webs inglesas que nos parecieron interesantes. La idea es que los miembros de nuestro club de vinos tuvieran en este espacio un rincón donde poder encontrar información útil. Vídeos sobre catas de vino, algunos consejos para aprender de vino, curiosidades sobre le mundo del vino, recomendaciones de vinos y de winebars en los que hemos estado (y nos han gustado), ideas para hacer enoturismo,  etc. Hay posts que incluyen vídeos y hay otras entradas con sólo texto.

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Wine for thought: The key Wingredient!!

The key Wingredient!!

The key to succesfully understanding what part of your meal your wine should pair with, is a combination of
chemistry and preference. I know that we all find comfort in the simplified concept white wine = Fish and red wine goes with meat, but this way of thinking can often hinder your experience rather than help it, which in turn leads to either blaming the wine or the food.

Lets take a look at food by basic categories and try to inspire alternatives and help with some of the confusion.

Fish and Seafood – So both of these do tend to go with white wine, true, but it is also true that what kind of white is important and also that not only whites are perfectly suited, as light to medium reds, even fortifieds can provide just as much of a harmonius paring. lets take a look;

Whitebait, squid and non spiced octopus go very well with the traditional Galician whites, like Albariño and Ribeiro, but a lovely and cold manzanilla or fino can pair just as well. For something very different, try Granache based Rose or even a well chilled beaujolais.

White Fish w/ Veg ( no sauces ) is perfectly accompanied with light, fruity or dry and herbaceous whites, but think of this dish also as a chance to give provence rose a reason to be at the dinner table

Salmon, Tuna in a cooked or in a sushi format give you the opportunity to break out soft and fruity reds like Pinot Noir,Gammay or Mencia that still keep enough acidity to cut through the fattyness of the fish

Poultry and Game birds – There is a lot of fun to be had trying different kinds of wine with different kinds of bird. Everything from intensely oaked whites that you might normally turn away from, to earthy and tannic reds and the rainbow that exists between. Lets start with the basics:

Chicken and Turkey are the most commonly eaten of the flying foods and both suffer from the rigid belief that as white meat, white wine is the only way to go and to add salt to the wound, it often ends up being the wrong white wine ( Im looking at you Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and unoaked Chablis ). Considering the moist and soft nature of these birds and can imagine how well some fruit, spice and body could work in it favour. Try a warm climate Pinot Noir or Granache if you want to try something different, and if you just want white, then its time to get acquainted with the oakier side of Chardonnay or a nice warm climate Viognier.

Grouse and Pheasant are more interesting in how to approach them as both can dry out pretty fast and the right tipple can keep them delicious. Take Pheasant for instance, if you want to go old tradtional, a nice dry kentish cider can be the match made in heaven, but as this is a wine blog, try a rounded Spanish white Garnacha or a white wine from the southern Rhône with its richness and herbal notes. Grouse on the other hand is a bird that yearns to be caressed by an interesting red!! Try this game bird with a delicious Blaufränkisch from Austria, a young red burgundy or a savoury toned Pinot Noir from the Yarra Valley.

Goose needs good acidity to cut through the fat but can also stand up to strong flavours, try dry Riesling, Australian Pinot Grigio or even a youthfull Crozes-Hermitage

and Finally Duck is excellent with a fruity Pinot Noir if you are looking to add flavour, a sharper Burgundy Pinot Noir if you want to cut through the fat. Try also South African Chardonnays or Mallorcan Viogniers

Check Part 2 for the red meats

Wine´s Down Under !!

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Bienvenido, a nuestro blog de vino. Soy Daniel Harringon sumiller en Avinae Wine & Spirits . Con el tiempo, gracias a lectores como tú, éste espacio se ha convertido en uno de los blogs de vino más leídos en ingles. Gracias por estar a ese lado de la pantalla. Te animo a que pases al nuestro colaborando con tus comentarios y preguntando lo que te interese.

Nunca hemos tenido la pretensión de entrar en ránkings de los mejores blogs de vino de España. Ni cosas por el estilo. Desde que empezamos con Avinae Wine & Spirits ,Mallorca Wine Experience y ahora con Vinos de Mallorca siempre hemos querido dotar a nuestra web de contenido de calidad. Nos inspiramos en algunas webs inglesas que nos parecieron interesantes. La idea es que los miembros de nuestro club de vinos tuvieran en este espacio un rincón donde poder encontrar información útil. Vídeos sobre catas de vino, algunos consejos para aprender de vino, curiosidades sobre le mundo del vino, recomendaciones de vinos y de winebars en los que hemos estado (y nos han gustado), ideas para hacer enoturismo,  etc. Hay posts que incluyen vídeos y hay otras entradas con sólo texto.

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Wine for Thought:

Wine´s Down Under !!

Australia, The land of wine opportunity!!
So much to explore and to talk about when it comes to this wonderous place of viticultural adventure.
Australias 3 major regions are South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria

South Australia:

In Adelaide we can find the AWRI ( Australian Wine Research Institute ), a truly important institution dedicated to the advancement of Viticulture and Enology as well as having studied and developed better yeast strains, better more effective use of sulphur dioxide and methods to better control pH. Unsurprising that it is found in the largest, most famous wine making region in Australia.
South Australia is home to some of the most recognised sub-regions on the whole continent, some of my personal favourites are;

Barossa Valey: Internationally acclaimed and one of the most famous wine regions, Barossa is located northeast of Adelaide. The area is most known for Shiraz, and doesnt shy away from making some of the richest, darkest and full-bodied examples of this wonderful and historic red.

McLaren Vale: The Mclaren Vale also produces incredible Shiraz, as well as very high quality Grenache and has also dipped its creative toes in to producing interesting Tempranillos and Sangioveses. For me personally, what most excites me from the Vale are the Shiraz-Grenache blends. like intense and simplified homages to CNdP.

Clare Valley: To the north of Adelaide

Wine For Thought:  Chardon-Nay or Chardon-Yay?

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T

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how each sip of each wine interacts with each bite of the food. Make sure that at the start it is made very clear that there is not a right answer

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Wine For Thought: Wine & Dine !!!

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Bienvenido, a nuestro blog de vino. Soy Daniel Harringon sumiller en Avinae Wine & Spirits . Con el tiempo, gracias a lectores como tú, éste espacio se ha convertido en uno de los blogs de vino más leídos en ingles. Gracias por estar a ese lado de la pantalla. Te animo a que pases al nuestro colaborando con tus comentarios y preguntando lo que te interese.

Nunca hemos tenido la pretensión de entrar en ránkings de los mejores blogs de vino de España. Ni cosas por el estilo. Desde que empezamos con Avinae Wine & Spirits ,Mallorca Wine Experience y ahora con Vinos de Mallorca siempre hemos querido dotar a nuestra web de contenido de calidad. Nos inspiramos en algunas webs inglesas que nos parecieron interesantes. La idea es que los miembros de nuestro club de vinos tuvieran en este espacio un rincón donde poder encontrar información útil. Vídeos sobre catas de vino, algunos consejos para aprender de vino, curiosidades sobre le mundo del vino, recomendaciones de vinos y de winebars en los que hemos estado (y nos han gustado), ideas para hacer enoturismo,  etc. Hay posts que incluyen vídeos y hay otras entradas con sólo texto.

Follow a manual added link

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Wine For Thought: Wine & Dine !!!

wine & dine

There are  few dinning experiences more nerve – racking than the aproach of the guilded and snooty Sommelier, with the leather-bound wine bible and the shine of golden grapes adorning the lapel . The sensation of ……….., talking to someone who talks to you about wines as if you should be blessed to here the grape gospel from the lips of a Bordeaux Bishop,a Rhone valley Reverend.Thank Bacchus that this particular stereotype is fortunatelly becoming a thing of the past !

Not the existence of  wine professionals  in restaurants ,but more the arrogance that come with that position. wine & dinewine & dine 

The truth is ,for those that enjoy the wine ( Im talking to you dear restaurant goer )  there is gray area that consist of generally accepted missinformation and a lack of  understanding of just how profound  the relationship between wine and food is and more importantly how they can elevate and improve or distort each other.  wine & dinewine & dine

Lets talk about the ” usual ” information ! The most common one being that red=red meat ,white wine = white meat / fish and rose is for picknic and girls ! DEEP BREATH;

Red Wine : OK yes , it is true that the right red wine is the perfect pairing for the right cut of read meat ,be it Ongles steak or a rack of Lamb, the perfect red wine can either enhance the meat or vice-versa make the wine pop. Anything from a  robust Saint Josepf (Syrah,Sira) from the Norten Rhone to a  Palazzo della Torre ( Corvina Veronese ,Rondinella & Sangiovese ) from Verona can play with as an aromatic to enhance the spices and aromas of the elaboration of the meat in case of the former ( Sant Joseph ) or add dimensions and mature fruit to the flavour of the meat like with the latter ( Pallazo de la Torre ) .But what if I told you that you can have red wine with fish and chicken ( I know,I know ,some of you have already been there done that ) or crazier still a cream based curry ?

push the boat further , how about with a dark chocolate dessert ( try with 80% dark chocolate flourless cake or coulant ;))

This is where your Sommelier can be helpfull ,ask him for non – typical pairing ,ask him t0 challenge himself to not only give him a chance to apply the knowelege he has but also to challenge yourself . Very Important Though :Be sure to mention your budget !!! We the wine people tend to forget prices if we asked for something interesting or exeptional.

White Wine :  Look Ma, Im having fish/chicken ,better crack out the whites then .Well sure ……if you happy taking a walk on the mild side , go for it, play it safe !

OR,try this instead :

Smoked Salmon or Salmon en croute? Central Otago Pinot Noir or a dry Cabernet dominant rose .Roast Chicken ? …..well ok cant lie that: a big oaked Chardonay or Viognier isnt amazing with chicken ,but try Cava or Champagne with it and it is also wonderfull ( try them with fish & chips for a surprisingly great combo ) want to throw a red at the roas small game ? will stick to those elegant and fruty Pinot Noir or if you are feeling adventurous ,try a Valpolicella Ripasso to give the wine equivalent of a fruit sauce to the meal . Try and Remember Thought : If you are serving food with an acidic profile ,avoid acidic wines at all cost .Acidity plays really well with salty or fatty or sweet ,but can become your worst enemy when other acid are present in your dish .

When ordering your wine at Le Local Eaterie ,remember that the best information you can give the Sommelier/ Wine waiter is what grape varieties you LIKE so that he/she can best ajust his recommendations,but also avoid closing yourself off to varieties that you do not know very well or that you might think that you do not like because maybe the Sommelier can guide you towards an expression of that grape that you havent tried  and might LOVE .

And more importantly ,that the reason you might not have been so fond of that variety is because you have never tried pared with the correct food . Wine is a journey of a thousand routes and each one changes year after year , but also each route has a way to make the journey more beautifull you just need the right transport

Another great way is to consider asking for wines by the glass ,and the simple reason for it is whilst you might love your Barossa Valley Shiraz ,maybe it isnt the best pairing for your first course Oysters or second course Trout Foam  on a bed of seaweed jelly. In this situation the wine by the glass or by the garafe can be the key , allowing you to a glass of your favorite before and after the meal but being able to pair the subsequent glasses of sommething different to best enjoy the course at hand .

Wine For Thought: Not just a pretty Vase!!

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Can cheap wine be good? Can expensive wine be bad?

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That Everyday Super (  wine market ) Feeling!

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Wine For Thought: That Everyday Super (  wine market ) Feeling!

wine market wine market 

Aaaaaaaah the supermarket, the department store, the local ! How well they dazzle us with striplights and big colourful “Special offer” banners. The intriguing 2 for 1 or 3 x 2 on those easy to drink Pinot Noirs and Sauvignon Blancs that you already know you love, and even if you dont, you know someone who has told you they only drink New Zealand Sav Blanc so it must be good! And look its 20% off.

So what about the quality of supermarket wines, are they all cheap and bad ? Can you find premium or quality wines on those endless shelves? Do you really need that frozen blueberry cheesecake? No, Yes …….and sure why not! Think about what a Supermarket offers, the bulk mentality and factor in cost vs sale. You end up with this scenario; I buy 100 bottles at $3.50 and sell them at $5.50 and I sell them in one week, thats $200 profit a week or $800 a month, but I also buy 100 bottles of a premium wine at $12 a bottle and sell it at $20, sell 30 a week and make a profit of $240….. but you still have 70 bottles, which is accumulated stock and still leaves you at minus $840 against what you paid for the wine. As a business model that revolves around bulk and fast turn-over it makes sense to have more entry level wines. That being said you can still find great wines on those shelves and not only in the “fine wine” section and all it takes is just a moment to understand what you actually like and what you actually want ( more on this later)

The obvious and sometimes garish marketing behind wines in supermarkets can be very affective at both facilitating but also influencing the wines we buy, so that even if we went in with a wine in mind or the desire to explore something different, we left with that “Special Offer”. But what if you didnt? with mobile phones we have a helpfull yet limited sommelier at our disposal, one who can point out, the finer points of a wine regardless of price and we should not be afraid to simply do a bit of research, as it can quite literally mean the difference between just another bottle and a wine that maybe makes it into our favourites list.

The Fine Wine section!!!: This part of the supermarket can sometimes feel exciting and daunting as its filled with long and fancy sounding names and grape varieties that we maybe havent heard of before, but it can be a wonderful excuse to try something new without having to break the bank. Its very easy to be put off after seeing one or two bottles at the 30 to 50 range when all you wanted was something nice and comforting, but take time to properly go through the wines as the eye has a tendency to be drawn to bigger numbers, we often convince ourselves that all the prices will be similar.

The essence of this blog is just to point out that whilst the majority of bulk…..

Your wine cellar or mine?

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The post discusses proper wine storage practices, emphasizing the factors of light, temperature, movement, and humidity. Ultraviolet rays can harm wines, so keep them away from direct sunlight. Stable temperatures below 22ºC are necessary to avoid oxidation. Wines should be stored horizontally without interruption, and humidity control is critical to prevent cork damage. These considerations will enhance the wine’s quality over time.

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