There’s nothing that says luxury and the good life more than sitting down on the patio and sipping a glass of good wine on a hot summer’s evening. I used to think that being a Budget Smart Girl meant that I’d either have to forgo this one little pleasure, or be forced to buy a wine that wasn’t that great. However, as the philosophy of the Budget Smart Girl’s lifestyle is to have luxury but at your own price, I did some research and happy to say you can enjoy a great glass of wine at a Budget Smart price, […]
Serving Wine
Serving Wine
Raise a glass of great vino with help from Chatelaine’s wine expert Natalie MacLean. Here are her tips to serving – and enjoying – a perfect glass. 1. Decanting Pour wine out of the bottle and into a decanter, which can be a water jug, specially designed wine decanter or another large vessel to soften the wine and clarify it of any remaining sediment (the tiny particles from the grapes). Exposing robust red wines to air softens their harsh tannins, which make them taste smoother. White wines don’t have strong tannins, so they taste best when fresh from the bottle. […]
Braille Labels
Many people rely heavily on the information on wine labels to help them in making a purchasing decision, but what if the consumer is sight-impaired? An item on wine writer Natalie MacLean’s Web site calls attention to several producers who are using Braille on their labels to feature the winemaker, appellation, name of the wine, vintage and whether the wine is red or white. Interestingly, none of the wineries mentioned are in the U.S.The senses of sight, smell and taste all play a role in wine tasting, but this adds another dimension — touch. MacLean also said that a blind […]
Wine, Women and Connection
The July issue of Chatelaine has a terrific article by Anne Kingson on how women connect over wine: it brings them together for conversations (and wine-fuelled confessionals) and connection through shared emotions. She says that women, who now account for 80% of wine purchases, tend to browse when buying wine and are more open than men to trying new things. They’re also far more likely to think of wine-food pairings and other social factors. Recent Stats Can numbers say that white wine sales have increased 50% and red wine sales have doubled largely because of the increase in female buyers. […]
