Take Advantage of Summer’s Bounty.

Summer is a great time of year for baking and cooking because there are many possible activities available. Barbecues, family reunions, block parties, pool parties, and summer weddings are all possible summer activities where you can bring your own baked foods. What better time is there to show off your baking skills with some light summertime recipes that are the perfect ending for any festive celebration from a backyard cookout to a beach blowout?

Of course, summertime baking calls for a lighter hand with the sugars and fats, and if you are planning a day outside, food safety considerations are an absolute must. For more resources login on to www.300-chicken-recipe.com. Here are some of the things that you should consider when baking in the summertime.

Summer is not the time for elaborate cakes and recipes. Heat and humidity are the enemy for most kinds of frosting and glazes, and can make ruin most baked goods. Keep summertime baking on the light side too, sponge cakes and meringues are great summer dessert bases.

Whipped cream frostings and custard fillings are usually a poor idea for any outdoor event in the summertime. If you are unable to keep éclairs and cream puffs on ice for the duration of the event, save them for another time of year.

Instead of sweetening fruits with sugar, try adding spices and flavor enhancers like vanilla, cinnamon or lemon zest.

Fresh peaches, berries and melons are perfect desserts all by themselves, but if you want to go a little fancier, here are some tips for using fresh fruits in your summer baking. Riper fruits are juicier and sweeter, so you use less sugar to get the sweetness you want. Instead of sprinkling berries with sugar to ‘bring out the juice’, try macerating them in orange juice or a few tablespoons of liqueur. Mix berries or sliced peaches with a little bit of lemon juice, add water and cornstarch and boil until the fruit is soft and pulpy. You can also visit us at www.tailgatting-recipe.com. Strain off the liquid to use as glaze in fruit desserts, and puree the fruit to use in place of fat and sugar in cake recipes. Top meringue cakes or sponge cakes with fresh fruit and a spoonful of freshly whipped cream for the perfect summer dessert. There are a number of sugar substitutes on the market that have versions made expressly for baking, such as Splendid Sugar Blend, a natural sugar substitute. Any of these can be substituted for sugar in recipes on a one for one basis.

What would the 4th of July be without strawberry shortcake? This delicious item is a perfect dessert after a big meal of chicken, hot dogs and hamburgers. Can you imagine the family reunion without your family’s famous refrigerator cake? Some desserts are so associated with summer that it is hard to imagine having to give them up. Guess what? You don’t have to! These light summer recipes are reduced sugar versions of some favorite summertime classics. Sponge Cake is a perfect substitute for shortcake in strawberry or peach shortcake. The texture is light and airy, and the open grain lets it soak up juices and syrups.
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The Amazing Versatality of Wine

Want your dinner to be supremely festive? Then, instead of the still wines, offer a choice of Champagne and Sparkling Burgundy. An extra fillip, to backtrack a course or two, is to serve a special wine with the soup. This presents no problem: the wine that goes with any soup—so well, indeed, that the best canned soups already contain some—is Sherry.

When it comes to dessert, the choice is also easy, because most desserts are sweet, and so are dessert wines such as Port, Tokay, Muscatel, Cream Sherry, and the various berry wines. If you happen to encounter an especially delicious, extra-sweet Sauterne, you will enjoy that with dessert, too.

The members of my family like assorted cheeses at the end of a meal. We find that some of our guests enjoy a hearty dry red wine such as Cabernet Franc (http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape/Cabernet%20Franc/) as the accompaniment, while others prefer red Port. Moving on to the bridge table, which also gets exercise some afternoons, there are many wines to sip between bids.

Cool White Port, Cream Sherry, the sweet Concord and berry wines, and those flavored specialties already mentioned are all especially popular here. A mixture of Sauvignon Blanc (http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape/Sauvignon%20Blanc/) and lemon juice became the standard afternoon bridge drink in one California suburban community a few years back.

For guests who just drop in casually, afternoon or evening, the bridge-table beverages will also do. In hot, stuffy summer weather, however, serve them either chilled Rose or a Wine Cooler. The latter can be anything you feel like mixing, from the simple spritzer (white wine and seltzer) to wine lemonade (lemonade with red wine or Rose added), to the various wine punches that you usually can pick up at your beverage store.

In recent years many people have discovered that any wine can be mixed with any kind of sweet soda pop (especially the lemon-flavored ones) and served as a delicious light highball. Wine for the barbecue is easily chosen. Again it is Rose or any red dinner wine. If you prefer to serve white wine with those sizzling, charcoal-broiled chickens, bring out a tub of ice to keep the bottles well chilled in hot weather.

The amazing versatility of wine extends to cold winter nights also. A traditional warmer-upper in the ski country is hot mulled wine: sweetened red wine such as Grenache or Pinot Noir spiced with cloves and lemon peel, warmed and served with cinnamon sticks. Also available are hot buttered wine, Sherry Tom and Jerry, and others for this purpose.

How about quantity punches for parties? The best known, of course, is Champagne Punch. But here we must protest; there can be no excuse for wasting good Champagne in a mixture where this effervescent wine loses its identity and where bubbles can be gotten much more cheaply from sparkling water.

Use still wines to mix the punch; then add club soda, and finally a single bottle of Champagne for the use of its glamorous name. Punch recipes, with ingredients such as sherbets, frozen concentrates, canned juices, and fresh fruits, are available by the score.

Superfood Menu Ideas: 2 Yummy Desserts

If you are planning a menu for a get-together, party, or just an upcoming family meal, you are faced with a lot of choices for what to serve. If you are like most people, preparation time, nutrition, budget, and taste are all factors to consider in your decision about what to prepare. And, choosing the right dessert can be even more of a challenge, since you would like to strike the right balance between calories and taste.

By choosing superfood-based desserts, you do not have to sacrifice taste for health. The term "superfoods" encompasses any number of super-nutrient-rich foods that treat the cells of your body well while going easy on your digestive system and at the same time bolstering your immune system. The class of foods known as superfoods includes certain types of greens (e.g., spirulina, algae, and chlorella), anti-oxidants, sea vegetables, probiotics, essential fatty acids, enzymes and herbs. All of these are excellent sources of healthy energy that your body craves. Eating superfoods regularly make you healthier by contributing to the creation of robust body tissues, better immunity against disease, and better cell regeneration.

Of course, what your dinner guests will mainly care about is the taste of the food you serve. That is why I have created the following two superfood-based desserts for you to try. The first is a raw chocolate pudding made with avocado (don't knock it until you've tried it!) that is very easy to make and is a real crowd pleaser. The second is a creamy banana-mint shake that will leave everyone feeling refreshed and energized. Here is how to add either of these delicious treats to your superfood menu:

Recipe #1: Raw Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients: Fresh Thai coconut, avocado, cacao powder, coconut oil, spirulina-based superfood powder, agave nectar. Equipment Needed: Vita-prep (or equivalent) blender.

Blend:
- 2 tablespoons agave
- 1.5 cups of Thai coconut water (or substitute with purified water and add some extra agave)
- 1 avocado (make sure it is fully ripe)
- 2 tablespoons cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon cold-pressed coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon spirulina-based superfood powder

Chill before serving.

This dessert is a real treat for pudding lovers or anyone who likes chocolate but also appreciates a light treat that doesn't weigh one down after a large meal. Your guests will appreciate the great taste, and you can have fun revealing to them the healthy ingredients you used to make this sumptuous pudding. Totally smooth, creamy, fabulous!

Recipe #2: Banana-Mint Shake Paradise

Ingredients: Ripe banana, pure water, spirulina-based superfood powder, hemp seeds, herb-pharm peppermint extract. Equipment Needed: Blender.

Blend:
- 1 ripe banana peeled and frozen
- 1 cup pure water
- 2 tablespoons spirulina-based superfood powder
- 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
- 10 drops herb-pharm peppermint extract

Serves one, so multiply each quantity shown above by the number of people in your party. This is total body nutrition refreshment!

Nutrition starts at the family dinner table. Whether you are raising kids, living with your significant other, entertaining guests, or cooking for one, today you have more options than ever available to you concerning the food you serve. While cost is always a factor for most people when deciding what to serve, so are taste and speed of preparation. The next time you plan a healthy menu and are looking for a delicious dessert choice, try one of these superfood-based dessert recipes to round out your meal with a delightfully-sweet, nutritious taste that everyone will enjoy.

Alcohol The International Issue

The excessive use of alcohol is becoming a problem on a global scale, resulting in numerous social problems upsetting all walks of life. In northern Ireland the Chief Medical Officer – Dr Michael McBride has identified the extensive use of alcohol amid the younger generation. In Northern Ireland children as young as 11 are consuming alcohol and by the age of 16 it is believed four out of five teenagers will have had an alcoholic drink of some description. Dr McBride believes that the reason so many young people are turning to drink in Northern Ireland is to improve their social and sexual confidence and requests higher awareness of the damage that alcohol can do.

Regrettably excessive consumption of alcohol among teenagers is having a harmful impact on communities across Northern Ireland predominantly within urban areas. Within 2 years child crime has risen by approximately 20% mainly fueled by alcoholic consumption amid children as young as seven. In contrast, burglary, vehicle crime and criminal damage have seen little or no rise whereas alcohol-related offences have grown by as much as a third.

In Northern Ireland The Garda youth diversion programme has been put in place to try and curb this anti social behavior with some positive results. Children suspected of crimes under this system are given the chance to redeem themselves by compensating or saying sorry to victims. Around 60-70% of the children have not re-offended within the first year after being submitted into this venture.

Obviously these problems are not limited to Northern Ireland and across the globe countries are taking their own steps to combat the social impact of alcohol-related incidents.

In recent years millions have been invested on an annual basis by drink companies in Kenya on measures to tackle alcohol abuse, underage drinking and drink driving. Purchases of alcoholic beverages have increased rapidly and these companies have invested a lot in projects to try and decrease the sometimes negative impact. Advertising, warnings on bottle labels and bartender training are just some of the ideas that have been applied.

The National Alcohol Beverages Association of Kenya (Nabak) working alongside The Pubs Entertainment Restaurants Association of Kenya (Perak) have been guiding the drinking habits of Kenyans by persuading alcohol selling outlets to endorse sensible drinking. The result has been very positive seeing in a significant downward trend in underage drinking following recent campaigns.

Other countries are using other techniques in their fight to combat alcohol abuse. Australia has brought in restrictions in its Northern Territory, and in some towns photo identification must be shown when obtaining alcoholic drinks. These new measures have not gone down well with everyone and some publicans have been subject to abuse, but on the whole the general belief among retailers is that this is a positive step in the right direction in the battle against the increasing social problems related to alcohol.

5 Tips To Drinking Beer Responsibly

TDrink minimal quantities. If you find yourself drinking more than would be used in a social situation, alcoholism may be a lurking illness. The best way to avoid addiction is to drink minimal quantities and know when to stop.

TDrink beer at home. The best way to drink beer responsibly is to simply drink it at home. This will eliminate the danger associated with driving or getting into a confrontation with others.

TDo not drive. If you have consumed beer, it is best not to drive. Not only may it be illegal, but also dangerous. If you need to go somewhere, walk or have someone to take you.

TIf you are away from home and have been drinking, give your keys to a friend, designated driver or call someone to pick you up. If you need a ride home, you can call a friend, family member of even a taxi. Anytime that you are under the influence of alcohol, it is pertinent that you not attempt to operate an automobile. This could not only endanger your life, but those of others as well.

TNever leave your drink unattended in a public place. This is especially true of restaurants, bars and/or anywhere that alcohol is served. Leaving your drink unattended may leave you susceptible to someone placing a substance in your drink. If you get up to dance or go to the restroom, order a new glass of beer when you return. If you are just mingling, take your drink with you.

In the United States, an individual must be 21 years of age to purchase and/or legally consume beer. When purchasing alcohol, photo identification is required. This can be in the form of a driver’s license or other similar form of identification, which features a photo and birth date of the customer. A number of retail grocers, in the United States, prohibit the sale of beer before 12 . in the afternoon.

If you, or someone that you know, is believed to have a drinking problem, consult a local treatment center for diagnosis and therapy to help overcome the illness. Alcoholism is a disease that often requires professional medical care, which is why proper treatment is critical to its cure.

Soup's On!

Frigid winter nights call for the hot, steaming comfort afforded by a bowl of soup. The appeal of this entrée reaches as far back as the 16th Century, where there are recorded recipes from the American Colonies. A woman named Eliza Smith had written a book of recipes called "The Complete Housewife", and it was published by William Parks in Williamsburg, VA, in 1742. It had several recipes for soups and bisques.

Soup for sale was originated in Paris, France. It was an inexpensive meal sold by street vendors, called "restaure", and advertised as a remedy to combat physical exhaustion. An enterprising Parisian opened up a shop that specialized in these "restaures" in 1765, and were furthermore referred to as what we commonly call today, restaurants.

Soups vary by region, with what is available, and with the imagination of the chef who creates it. There are soups that can be used for either an entrée or appetizer, which are traditionally saltier and consist of either meat and vegetables, and perhaps rice or pasta, such as the ever popular Chicken Noodle or Vegetable Beef Barley, or just vegetables, such as in Minestrone. There are also dessert soups, such as Ginataan, which is a Filipino creation consisting of coconut milk, milk, fruit, and tapioca pearls. The French also have a creation called a Citrus Fruit Soup with Orange Crisps, created with Oranges, Clementines, Pear Syrup and Grand Marnier, among other ingredients.

Whatever your preference, winter is most definitely the time to curl up with a comforting bowl of soup, and enjoy the season.

The Wine Guild

The Guild was governed by a council of six: two ecclesiastics, two municipal representatives, and two wine-growers. These met before and after the vintage to fix the price of grapes and that of the new must; as far as it is possible to calculate such things, based on the relative cost of living then and now, these prices were more than double those of today. When the West Indies fleet was provisioned with wine, this was arranged by a quota system, rather than by free competition.

Worst of all, merchants were forbidden to accumulate large stocks; wine was therefore not matured long enough, and trade was lost because lack of stock caused delay in preparing the blends and drink coasters for shipment. The idea behind this extraordinary regulation was that such wine stores would divert profits from the hands of the growers into those of merchants, and that it would encourage speculation. The only large stores of old wine were in the possession of the Church and in a few private cellars.

These restrictions aimed at making the trade easy and profitable with a minimum of effort and competition, but in fact they had the opposite effect, and sherry shippers were unable to compete with wines grown elsewhere. Malaga, for instance, exported a rich, dessert wine not unlike sherry, and it became popular in Britain under the name of Mountain. This captured much of the available market for Spanish wines, and exports from Malaga were greater than those from either Cadiz or Sanlucar.

The restrictions of the Gremio were opposed by a number of merchants, notably by Juan Haurie. There was a lawsuit, and much acrimonious wrangling, not all of which was concerned with wine: the deputies were accused of spending too much on fireworks for the annual feast of San Gines, and on presents of chocolate and cocktails. But despite all the efforts of its opponents, the Guild continued until it was dissolved by Royal proclamation in 1834, after 101 years of disastrous existence.

By 1754, owing to the poor state of trade, there were only nine sherry shippers left in Jerez, and it is doubtful whether more than one of them was English. The solitary Englishman was John Brickdale, who was said to be a Freemason, in spite of which he was apparently on good terms with the local ecclesiastics. He was also a supporter of the church of St George at Sanlucar, though this does not necessarily mean he was a Catholic: perhaps he supported it simply because he was English.

Other English merchants, however, were trading in Cadiz and one of them at least--Henry Pickering--was also interested in exporting wine. In 1785, a Catholic family of Gordons arrived from Scotland and, by the turn of the century, they had become prominent in the wine frade. Haurie accumulated a number of British assistants at about the same time.

Haurie himself was a refugee from France, and he was joined by kinsmen and fellow-countrymen such as Pemartin, Domecq, and Lacoste, whose work was to do much to revive the sherry and table coaster trade. Other families of French origin still active in the Sherry trade include Lustau, Lacave and Delage. There was also an influx of capital from the Indies, brought back to Andalusia owing to political turmoil in the colonies.

Such English merchants as there were lived at Sanlucar, and the most prominent of these was Henry Stonor. As a younger son, he could expect no inheritance and, as a Catholic, no great career lay open to him in Britain. Like many other cadets of his family he chose to seek his fortune in a Catholic country. After finishing his schooling at Douai in 1760, he settled in Cadiz, carrying with him an official copy of his pedigree and arms, obtained from the College of Heralds.

After a few years, he married an English wife, Elizabeth Gardiner-Brown, and they settled in Sanlucar where Stonor built up an extensive business as a general merchant. He exported orange and lemon trees to stock the fashionable orangeries, together with broods of Spanish partridges and, of course, sherry. In return, he imported British saddlery and sporting dogs, specializing in greyhounds. One of his four sons took a temporary commission in the Spanish army and created a sensation by visiting his English relations resplendent in his striking uniform.

Other English residents in Sanlucar at that time included a Captain David Ferrier, whose precise occupation (if any) is uncertain, but he had a clerk named Gaspar Muclek and a butler named Joseph Colisons. In 1754, thirty-two English residents signed a petition to the Pope, concerning the appointment of a visitor to the church of St George. Probably only a few of these were connected with the wine trade.

Information On Ontario's Wine Region

Ontario's Wine region is blessed with a 'cool climate' that means that at the time of harvest grapes have more concentrated flavors and balanced acidity levels. Further, the "lake effect" caused by lakes Erie and Ontario protects the precious vines from frosts in the spring and grants the benefits of an extended growing season in the fall. Add to this the influence of Ontario's soils on the quality of grapes; there are many different varieties of grapes that can be produced in the four viticultural areas of Ontario.

Sandy loam soil is found near the Lake Ontario shore, while silty clay is found on the escarpment bench areas. Because of the unique quality of these soils the Niagara Escarpment wineries and Lake Ontario have been able to create a microclimate suitable for the production of World Class Wines.

Wine Tours

To experience some of the most incredible wines you can opt for Niagara on the lake wine country tours. These wine tours offer you the thrill of enjoying a multi-course lunch or dinner at a scenic winery location. You can choose from beautiful courtyard settings, bistros with expansive vineyard views, exceptional award winning

Hillebrand is one of the best Niagara on the Lake wineries that captures the essence of Niagara's wine lifestyle in a stunning and relaxed environment. Hillebrand ice wine was the first icewine to come out of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Icewine is produced by allowing the grapes to freeze naturally on the vine. Grapes in this condition acquire the optimum level of sugar and flavor. Ontario's Niagara region is currently the largest producer of icewines. Hillebrand also pioneered the production of Trius in the Niagara region. Trius is a blend of selected best Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes.

Grape And Wine Festival Wine enthusiasts can also look forward to the Niagara grape and wine festival that takes place in the middle of September when the area celebrates the annual harvest of the grapes. Over a hundred exciting events take place during this ten day celebration. The attendees get the opportunity of wine tasting, sampling the best of the regional cuisine, being entertained by live concerts and enjoying the pageantry of two outstanding parades. If you're visiting in late January, the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake has an Ice Wine Celebration based around the harvesting of the ice wine grapes.

The VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance) consists of a set of standards for winemaking excellence from the vineyard right through to the bottling line. Every Ontario VQA wine earns its position by meeting demanding standards and then undergoes complete laboratory and taste testing. If a wine has VQA on its label, you can be sure that it represents authenticity and quality. Perfect grapes, a Passion for winemaking and an Obsession for quality is the essence of VQA certified Ontario wines. For more information about Ontario wine please visit http://garretsonwines.blogspot.com/

More Rules on Serving Wine

A particular annoyance when it comes to the "proper" way to serve wine is the inverted-cone-shaped trinket called a Sherry glass, which cannot hold much more than an ounce and a half without spilling. When Sherry is served, most people want at least two full ounces or none at all. This abominable, widely-used ornament is the reason hardly anybody ever orders Sherry in a restaurant or bar, where the price charged is excessive but the portion served in this exasperating little glass is skimpy.

Despite the foregoing tirade, it must be admitted that our eyes condition our taste buds and that consequently a nice Grenache does taste better when sipped from a thin, long-stemmed, crystal-clear glass than from a tin cup or a kitchen tumbler. You are likely to avoid the eggshell-thin, long-stemmed kinds which break too easily. But most important is to avoid the glasses that are too small to provide a decent-sized serving.

The best example of eye appeal is furnished by the hollow-stemmed Champagne glass. The tiny protuberance at the bottom of the hollow stem causes the wine's bubbles to cascade pleasingly upward long after the wine in the bowl has ceased to sparkle.

The seemingly excessive rule of wine ritual--correct table setting--originated with the formal banquets of an earlier century. If you have time to fuss with details, and are serving several different wines at a dinner, this provides an opportunity to put on a pretentious display of how much stemware you possess. At each diner's right place two or three glasses (no more; guests need elbow room). Each successive wine is poured into the glass closest to the table's edge. When that particular wine is finished, the glass is usually removed.

A common question is whether to include the water glass when setting the table to include wine. Since Americans are habituated to ice water with their meals, it cannot very well be omitted; but it is recommended to not fill the water glass unless the guest wishes it. In European homes, a bottle of water is usually available for guests who wish to dilute their wine, particularly if it is a heavy Cabernet or Zinfandel.

Once at a banquet of gourmets, who regard water as fit only for bathing; diners were surprised to see pitchers of that tasteless liquid placed in the center of the table. A closer look disclosed several goldfish swimming in each pitcher-- an eloquent expression of the dinner committee's opinion on the subject.

A second rule--that nobody may smoke where wine is being served--belongs to groups such as the Wine and Food Society and nowhere else. Except among professional wine tasters who must keep their palates keen, because their job is to detect flaws in wines rather than to enjoy them, this taboo is plainly silly. There is plenty of smoking at banquets in the wine countries of Europe.

A third ritual, the decanting, is sometimes necessary if you are serving an extremely old red wine, in order to avoid pouring sediment into the guests' glasses. But in recent years leading vintners, both in America and in Europe, have learned to stabilize their Chardonnay before shipment; and only very rarely do you now find a bottle containing the sediment or crust (consisting of grape solids) which some wines deposit with great age.

If you ever have occasion to perform the decanting rite, do it before the guests arrive. Gently pour the wine from the original bottle into a decanter in front of a candle flame. When the light discloses tiny fragments of sediment swimming by, that is the point at which to stop pouring.

Another way to avoid putting mud into your guests' glasses is to lay the venerable bottle on its side in one of those metal or wicker ware wine cradles. By careful handling the contents can be poured without disturbing the sediment. It is ornamental, but unnecessary, to use a cradle to serve a wine that is perfectly clear.

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Host A Wine Tasting Party

A Wine Tasting Party is an ideal way to get friends and family together to learn about wine and experiment with new or unusual varietals. It can help to break the ice and give your partygoers some great conversation down the line. I myself had a wine tasting bridal shower. Rather than the usual shower games we tried different wine and paired yummy food with it. It was a great icebreaker and gave guest that didn't know each other something to chat about.

There are different styles of wine tasting parties that you can throw. Two general tasting terms you may want to know are, Vertical Tasting and Horizontal tasting. These are tasting terms used regularly in the wine world. A Vertical Tasting consists of tasting wines from several different vintages or years, that were produced by one winery. A nice example of this would be tasting Cabernet Sauvignon from Clos Du Bois spanning the "90", "91", "92", and "93" vintages. This would let the tasters see how each vintage compared to the next and also judge the aging process.

A Horizontal Tasting consists of tasting wines from the same vintage or year, represented by several different wineries. A nice example of this would be tasting Cabernet Sauvignon from Joseph Phelps, St. Francis, Chateau Souverain, and Robert Mondavi all from the "1990" vintage.

To make your event a bit more challenging, you can also offer a "blind tasting" experience. In this case, you pour each wine without identifying the label, allowing guest to incorporate all of their senses to identify different aspects of the wine. For example you can give the labels' descriptions and see who can match the descriptions with the wine. Or score who is able to recognize the most about each wine giving a point value to characteristics such as varietal, country of origin, vintage, price range or whatever you think would be fun. The guest that is able to identify the most wines or characteristics correctly wins a prized bottle of wine or perhaps a book on the art of wine tasting.

Yet another option is to do a food focused wine tasting party. For this style of party I would suggest choosing 3 reds and 3 whites. You can pair wine with food and/or cheese and the guests can decide which goes best with which type of food. Or you can make cards up to point out why each wine goes with each food, leaving out any competition and just highlighting the wine and food.

I would suggest keeping decorations simple. It is best to use white table clothes or place mats when doing a wine tasting so that when you hold your glass against it you see the true color of the wine. If you are using candles it's best to use unscented so that it doesn't interfere with the aroma of the wine.

Design a tasting card that specifies the type of wine, the producing vineyard, the year and a brief description of the wine (usually found on the wine's label). Make sure that each guest has their own tasting card to record the wine's distinct appearance, aroma, flavor, and cheese pairing nuances.

It is also nice to have a place mat designating where each wine will go. This helps to keep everyone on track and from getting the glasses mixed up.

Have enough wine for approximately 1 ½ ounces per tasting sample (1 bottle usually serves 10 tasting samples) and a few extra bottles for drinking after the tasting is finished. People usually like to further enjoy the wines they just tasted.

Provide simple hors d'oeuvres for the guests between wines, allows for guests to cleanse their pallets and sets them up to fully experience the next wine. You also want to limit the chances of your guests over-indulging and driving home intoxicated. Some good choices are mild cheese and crackers, bread, oyster crackers, popcorn (very nice with champagne), and nuts. If you are feeling a little fancier you can also try some smoked meats, mild chocolate, or fondue.

Typically, when tasting wines, you will want to work from dry to sweet with white wines and progress from light to full-bodied with red wines. Have your guests sample each wine by itself, assessing the wine's unique color, smells, flavors and then introduce the appropriate cheese pairing and have them reassess the wine's qualities in light of the subtle flavor changes.

I like to pour all of the wine ahead of time and then let my guest sample the wine at leisure adding their own notes to the "scorecards" and sampling the different munchies. You can also have a designated leader to talk about each wine as you go through the wines to have a more structured tasting.

After the tasting is over collect all the scorecards, core the wines, tally each taster's score and then rank all the wines. Have a quick announcement to go over the favorite wines and/or the winners. Give out any prizes you may have and then encourage everyone to enjoy some more food.

Some tips and things to have on-hand at your wine tasting party are:

Bottled Water or Pitchers of Water -Room temperature bottled water is best. If it is too cold it can numb you tongue a bit and that may effect you wine tasting. Guests may also use it to rinse their glasses between wines if a new wineglass is not provided for each wine.

Wine Opener and possible a spare so that you can have a friend help you open all these bottles of wine.

Spit Buckets-Some guests will spit a bit since they are tasting so much wine. These buckets may also be used to pour water into, if folks are rinsing their glasses. I've seen small fish bowls used, metal Champagne buckets, cardboard cups, and Tupperware bowls. I like to let everyone know ahead of time that it is very okay to spit! Some people may not know that it is proper and ok to spit.

Pens and Tasting Note Sheets or Scorecards - Lots of people will want to take these home with them so that they can remember the great wines they tried.

A Wine Place Mat for each taster (contains a pattern for placement of wineglasses).

Wine Glasses-A 12oz. (or bigger) glass for everyone. Try to have the same style for each taster. Some hosts rent glassware and actually provide a new glass for every person, for every wine. It is a nice touch but can be a bit of a hassle to rent a bunch of glasses. If you are going to insist that each guest reuses the same wine glass through out the evening then provide enough bottled water.

Food - Prepared in advance.

Prize - (optional) for a blind tasting winner

Humor - encourage your guests to share their thoughts and humor on each wine

Music - It's always nice to have a good selection.

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Apparently The 5th Element Is Glass

These glasses have the flute and stem but are missing the stand. That’s because you’re supposed to stick them in the stand when not in use. The sand you ask? Yes, they were designed for hot Swedish summers at the beach.

They come in sets of four with each glass representing an element of nature; fire, air, water, and earth. The 5th element? The glasses themselves. Ooh, clever.

Diva Vodka, the world’s most expensive vodka

If I say cognac, you’ll remember France, if I say tequila, Mexico will be the first word in your head, if I say vodka, you’ll remember Russia or maybe Sweden that was placed on the booze map by Absolut, but from now on, at least for a few days, you’ll be also remembering the whiskey’s land, Scotland.

The Scotland based company Blackwood Distillers is producing the triple distilled Diva vodka. Through a sophisticate process, it gets ice-filtered, filtered through Nordic birch charcoal to purify then passed through a sand of crushed diamonds and gems.

But what is really outstanding is the product’s price। In every single bottle you’ll find semi-precious or precious stones, including diamonds, which will make the product price range from US$ 70.00 (£35) up to astonishing US$ 1,060,000.00 (£540,000).

Bottles of Size

As autumn progresses and the holiday nears, I'm starting to get the annual flurry of questions about celebratory wines in oversize bottles. So I hope you'll indulge a "rerun" today as I update my last report on this topic from November 1999.

Although wine goes back at least 5,000 years to Bronze Age times, the wine bottle as we know it today is only a little over 300 years old. It was only in the late 1600s that improving glass technology made feasible a consistently shaped, cylindrical glass bottle that could be stacked on its side to facilitate shipment, storage and cellaring.

The "fifth" bottle, originally one-fifth of a gallon in English-speaking nations but now rounded off metrically to 750 ml, was allegedly chosen as the standard size in times past because it was considered a suitable ration for one (although it's worth noting that most wine was quite low in alcoholic strength in those days). Another theory holds that this size bottle was actually the largest that early glass-blowers could produce with one full breath.

But even in older times, wines for special occasions were occasionally put up in impressive, oversize bottles. For reasons lost to history, many of these bottles were given the names of Biblical figures like the evil king Nebuchadnezzar and the long-lived Methuselah.

The naming conventions varied somewhat among wine regions, with the two standards being Champagne and Bordeaux in France. In case you run into a big bottle, here's a quick field guide to the larger sizes:

CHAMPAGNE
Magnum: 1.5 liters (two bottles)
Jeroboam: 3 liters (four bottles)
Rehoboam: 4.5 liters (six bottles)
Methuselah: 6 liters (eight bottles)
Salmanazar: 9 liters (12 bottles)
Balthazar: 12 liters (16 bottles)
Nebuchadnezzar: 15 liters (20 bottles)

Even larger sizes are occasionally seen, although they are very rare:

Solomon: 20 liters (28 bottles)
Primat: 27 liters (36 bottles)

BORDEAUX
Magnum: 1.5 liters (two bottles)
Marie-Jeanne: 2.25 liters (three bottles)
Double Magnum: 3 liters (four bottles)
Jeroboam: 4.5 liters (six bottles) *
Imperiale: 6 liters (eight bottles)

*Because of recent U.S. regulations limiting larger bottles to even liter sizes, some modern red-wine "Jeroboams" are now 5 liters rather than the traditional 4.5.

Drinking Alcohol Raises Breast Cancer Risk as Much as Smoking Cigarettes

(NaturalNews) Consuming three or more alcoholic beverages per day raises a woman's breast cancer risk approximately as much as smoking a pack of cigarettes daily, according to a large-scale study presented at the European Cancer Conference in Barcelona, Spain.

Researchers said that the increase in risk was also equivalent to that from taking estrogen hormones.

The study included 70,033 women in the United States of various different ethnic backgrounds. All participants had received health exams between 1978 in 1985. By the year 2004, 2,829 of the women had received a breast cancer diagnosis.

... (continues) ...

Provide your email address to read the rest of this story now... Enter your email address to get INSTANT access to the full article: You'll also receive full access to all 25,000+ articles on NaturalNews.com plus: Over 20 free, downloadable reports Exclusive interviews with top naturopathic practitioners Free instant access to all the summaries of the industry's top health books offered at HealthBookSummaries.com (If you've already registered, just enter your email address again to access the full article.) Unsubscribe at any time. We NEVER send spam. Your e-mail privacy is 100% protected! Praise for NaturalNews and Mike Adams: "Mike Adams is the best health and natural products writer on the scene today." - Ronnie Cummins, founder, Organic Consumers Association (www.OrganicConsumers.org) "I wish that more people had the level of intensity that Mr. Mike Adams has to get the knowledge in our hands and help us get healthy and stay healthy. I have recommended ALL my friends to sign up for this important newsletter." - Dr. Jack Singh, founder, the Organic Food Bar Company "I'm so impressed with the work that you're doing and the information you're disseminating, it's just vital for people to get this sort of information." - Michael T. Murray, author of The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods and The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine "Mike Adams has one of the best websites on the Internet. His articles, podcasts and books will improve your life, and possibly save it. As a journalist he is relentless in his questioning, always asking insightful questions to expose the truth. Masterful!" - Suzy Cohen, R.Ph., Author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist (www.DearPharmacist.com)

Women who drank three or more alcoholic beverages per day had a 30 percent higher breast cancer risk than women who consumed less than one drink a day. Women who consumed once to two drinks daily had a 10 percent higher risk.

There was no significant difference between red wine, white wine, beer or liquor in terms of the increased cancer risk, and all results were consistent across age and ethnic groups.

"Population studies have consistently linked drinking alcohol to an increased risk of female breast cancer," said researcher Arthur Klatsky. "But there has been little data, most of it conflicting, about an independent role played by the choice of beverage type."

He noted that while few women drink heavily, a 30 percent increase in risk is so significant that it may account for up to 5 percent of all breast cancer cases.

Klatsky commented that it is unclear why red wine has benefits for the heart but still increases breast cancer risk, speculating that red wine may reduce risk factors of cardiovascular disease that are unrelated to breast cancer.

"The coronary benefit from drinking red wine may also be related to favorable drinking patterns common among wine drinkers or to the favorable traits of wine drinkers, as evidenced by US and Danish studies," he said.

According to Klatsky, the main conclusion to be drawn from the study is that heavy drinkers have yet another reason to "quit or cut down."

Red Wine And White Wine May Be Equally Good For The Heart

The new study, scheduled for the Aug. 23 issue of the ACS Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry, challenges the idea that red wine is more heart-healthy white wine.

Past studies indicated that the cardioprotective compounds in grapes -- polyphenolic antioxidants -- reside in the skin and seeds. Grape skins, which contain purple pigment, are crushed with the pulp to make red wines. But the skins are separated from the pulp to make most white wine. That situation led to the conventional belief that red wines and red grape juice are the most heart healthy.

Dipak K. Das, of the University Of Connecticut School Of Medicine, headed the study. It was done with colleagues form the University of Milan and several other research institutes in Italy.

"Although further study is needed to identify the principle ingredients responsible for the cardioprotective abilities of the grape flesh, to the best of our knowledge, our study provides evidence for the first time that the flesh of grapes is equally cardioprotective with respect to the skins," the researchers report.

Reference: "Comparison of Cardioprotective Abilities Between the Flesh and Skin of Grapes"

Organic Wines

Organic vineyards are not necessarily "tidy" in the conventional sense with "spreadsheet" rows of vines devoid of all interior plant or animal life except the prized vine. However, they are beautiful - a stunning display of nature's innate system of checks and balance, cover crops, bugs, bees, birds, bats and the like checking in on vine-destroying insects and weeds - helping to balance their formidable populations to give rise to a vine that can thrive. Organic wines area true ecosystem gem.

With grapes topping the list of the most chemically "sprayed" (with insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and other nastey "cides") categories of produce on the market today, it is no wonder that many are seeking an organic alternative to their conventional wines. Tides are certainly turning as more vintners are discovering that the common-sense approach to both organic and biodynamic growing methods, results in not only "healthier" vines, but in wines with greater flavor, more distinct terroir character and at times a noticeable cost-savings on their bottom line.