Tag: Wine

The Great Debate: Single Malt vs. Blended

Many people get confused and the difference between single malt and blended scotch. The blended variety consists of approximately fifty different grains, and single malts, sent from many different producers. The term single malt refers to one single distiller, and therefore what is produced, is indeed not the product of blending.

They say that every 50 years is the leveling out point on scotch, as it will no longer get better with age. Prior to that point it is like wine and will continue to produce a better taste. The differences in many of the distillers of fine scotch in Scotland can be very noticeable, as the geography lends to different techniques.

Each region of the Scottish territory yields a different product due to varying methods of development. Many methods can be employed, right down to the grains and water used. Some distilling companies even use certain peat mosses on the grains for added flavor.

One would assume you must try them all, to consider yourself a true aficionado.

Holiday Italian Food

Have you ever wanted to celebrate the holidays with Italian food? Maybe you want to try something different this year and love Italian food, or maybe you’ve been invited to spend the holidays with Italian friends or are fortunate enough to actually be spending the holidays in Italy. What Italian food is appropriate and traditional? Well, like many other cultures, Italians have certain food traditions for certain holidays.

The biggest tradition is with Christmas and it starts on Christmas Eve. The traditional Christmas Eve meal doesn’t include a lot of Italian food that foreigners may be familiar with. That’s because the Italians observe a type of symbolic fast which actually equates to more of a light dinner. This means that there will be no Italian food that includes the typical meats. Instead the Italian food will be centered more around seafood including fish, snails, and frogs. That may sound a little more French than Italian, but it’s a great time to experience some excellent traditional Italian food that is hard to find outside of Italy.

The next day on Christmas the food may be a little more familiar. The first course is a very well known Italian food, tortellini. This pasta dish filled with meat is more in keeping with what most people envision when thinking of Italian food. After the meal dessert consists of one of two types of cake, either panettone or pandoro. If you’re in Milan or spending the holidays with a family from Milan it will be panettone. This cake like bread takes days to make and is an Italian food that not many people know of, despite it being a symbol of Milan. The other traditional cake is pandoro, a sweet bread that is often made to look like a mountain complete with white sugar icing giving it a snowy finish. Christmas is a great time to taste the sweeter side of Italian food.

Easter Sunday is another holiday that brings families around the table. The holiday starts out with breakfast. Not too many people think of breakfast when thinking of Italian food, but Easter Sunday starts off with a feast of salami and boiled eggs with cakes and pizzas all washed down with fine wine. That night the Italian food of choice will be dishes that rely on lamb, avoiding other meats. The evening will be finished off with wine and cakes.

The last holiday that has importance to those who love Italian food is St. Joseph’s Day. This holiday is in commemoration of St. Joseph saving Sicily from famine. This holiday centers on a rather unknown Italian food, the fava bean. It was this bean that saved Sicily from starving. So, while this bean is not native to Italy, there are many Italian food dishes that are centered on it in celebration of St. Joseph’s Day. The day is spent giving food to the needy, eating doughnut like pastries and enjoying good Italian food.

Anytime is a good time for Italian food, but the holidays really make authentic Italian food shine as families get together to celebrate with traditional dishes. Try celebrating the holidays with Italian food and you’ll be introduced to a side of the cuisine that many don’t know exist.

Wine Gift Baskets For Any Occasion

For any celebration or glorious moment in life, wine is essential to have. Parties and celebrations are thought of as being incomplete unless there is wine present, which makes it an ideal gift for virtually any occasion. Wine gift baskets are a great gift, they are very affordable, and perfect for nearly any occasion – such as birthdays, weddings, festivals, parties, or anniversaries.

Wine gift baskets are trendy gifts that are very popular – in terms of price and taste. Along with the bottles of wine, wine gift baskets also contain various accessories as well, such as wine glasses and corkscrews. With most wine baskets, fruit and chocolate is included as well. You can also find cheese in some baskets, which most consider to go perfect with fine wine.

Depending on the occasion, there are suitable wine gift baskets to choose from. When you select a basket, there are several factors that youll need to consider in order to make the basket a truly special gift. If you are giving a basket as a wedding present, then youll obviously want to choose a different basket than one you would give to a friend at a party. There are wine baskets out there that are cheap in price – to those that are more expensive and more suitable for a wedding gift.

If you are buying a wine gift basket for a beginning enthusiast, you may want to include a book on wine that will help them learn more about wine in general. If you are giving the basket to a wine enthusiast with a lot of experience, you may want to include a stopper. No matter who you are giving the basket to, a wine gift basket with an assortment of fine wine is a great gift that can bring joy to anyone.

For wine lovers, you can find gift baskets that include fruity red wine, tangy white wine, full bodied wine, dry wine, sparkling wine, and even sweet wine. Red wine is ideal for main course meals such as meats, while white wine is ideal for seafood and white meat. Sparkling wine on the other hand, is ideal for special occasions. If you are giving the gift basket as a wedding present, sparkling wine is a choice that you cant go wrong with. Sparkling wine is one of the most popular types of wine – perfect for weddings and anniversaries.

If you have a bit of difficulty choosing a wine gift basket, you cant go wrong with mixed baskets that offer a mixture of wines. You can find these types of baskets in local stores or on the Internet. They are affordable, starting around $20.00 and going up from there. If you are thinking of getting fine wine gift baskets, you should keep in mind that it can be a bit more expensive.

Wine Collecting For Beginners

Collecting wine can be a very fun and exciting hobby – especially when you try to find the wine. If you are looking to collect wine, you may end up spending a bit more money than you thought. Wine collecting is a great hobby, although it can be very expensive. If you are just starting out, the tips below may come in very handy to help you get started.

The first thing to do, is find a place to store your wine. You can store your wine at home, although youll need to have a location with the proper amount of space and cooling temperature (between 50 and 65 degrees F). Youll also need to determine what brands and types of wine you are planning to collect. There are several options to choose from, including red and white wine. Youll also need to find some places with good quality and refinery to buy your wine from.

You can always participate in tastings and trade shows as well. Here, you can meet other people who are into wine collecting, and get to know local traders. You should also strive to learn as much as you can about wine. You can learn a lot about wine on the Internet, or by reading magazines and newsletters dedicated to wine. By doing so, you can also learn more about storage, buying wine, and even cooling your wine.

To better prepare your wine for storage, you can try tasting different varieties. This way, you can identify which wines you need to age more. Youll learn more about wine this way as well, such as how to distinguish tastes. You may also want to learn how to identify the flavor quality as well. As you may already know, there is a difference among rare vintage wines and wines that are instantly processed.

If you are just beginning to collect wine, you should avoid purchasing in bulk until you know for sure what types of wine you wish to collect. When you visit a wine trader, you should let him know that you are a collector. This way, he can inform you whether or not the wines you are collecting are available in his inventory. If you hope to collect wines from other areas, he may be able to give you contact information for finding the wines you are interested in.

Keep in mind that wine collecting isnt all about fun – its also a great way to eventually start your own business. You can attend wine shows and tasting events to learn more about the different brands, and also find wines that will bring in higher profits. Once you have collected some rare bottles of wine – you can start selling and watch your profits soar.

What Are Some Mexican Cookies

Special occasions call for special treats. There is quite a variety of Mexican cookies. Some are for anytime, while others are made at celebrations. Some are served at holidays while others are found at weddings. Whatever the time, they are sure to make anyone’s mouth water with the sweet aromas and delicious tastes.

Wedding Cake cookies are traditional Mexican cookies. They are made out of shortbread. Some of the ingredients include different nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and pecans that are ground. These cookies are very popular. They are served around Christmas, but also at Mexican weddings and anniversaries. Throughout the world, there are different variations of these cookies. Russia and Sweden refer to the cookie as Tea Cakes.

Biscochitos is another popular cookie in Mexico. It originated in Spain. When the Spaniards came to Mexico, they also brought the cookie. They are made with anise seeds and sprinkled with cinnamon. Depending on the maker, some of these cookies include different ingredients. You might find some biscochitos with orange juice and wine taste for added flavor. The cookies are cut with cookie cutters or made into diamond shapes. Some people even drink wine while eating them.

Marranitos is a cookie with different names. It is also called cochinos or puerquitos in different Mexican-American communities. It is known as “gingerbread pigs” even though there is no ginger in the cookie. The cookie is shaped like a pig. Traditional marranitos get their spicy flavor from molasses. In Mexico, the bakers make their own molasses syrup by taking brown sugar and placing it into cones. It is then boiled with the right amount of water. Once it has turned into the syrup it is then added to the dough for the little pigs. The cookie is very moist and rich in taste with a flaky top.

Originating from Spain, Churros are tasty fried cookies that are seen in both Mexico and other countries. It is made from a light paste that is sweetened. The paste is piped into oil and fried until golden brown. Cinnamon is added to make it taste even sweeter. Churros are best when eaten warm. It is typical to find street vendors selling Churros. They can make them fresh right on the street. Year ago, it used to be hard to find Churros outside of Hispanic areas, it used to be only sold at carnivals, and sporting events, but with the popularity of Latin food, it is now easy to find Churros in local restaurants and Mexican grocery stores. Some companies even offer the Churros that have an inner filling. You can find different flavors such as strawberry, apple, and chocolate. Churros are enjoyed in the United States by consumers of all nationalities.

There are many types of Mexican cookie recipes. If you are new to these types, you might want to visit a local Mexican grocery store and try a few that are fresh from their bakery. Once you enjoy them, you will want to include them for your own celebrations. These cookies would be a hit at any party!