Posts in category Red Wine

What Foods Go Best with Red Wine?

May03
2012 Written by Debbie

You may know which wine you enjoy, but still be lost when it comes to pairing it with food. If you’re partial to red wine there are a number of delicious foods you can pair with it. While many people think of red meat, there are several other foods that go well with sweet or full-bodied red wines. Here are just a few foods you should consider pairing with your favorite red wines.

Steak and Other Red Meat

A full-bodied red wine pairs perfectly with steak and other red meats. Whether you’re serving prime rib for the holidays or having a grilled steak for dinner, red wine is an excellent choice. In fact, red meat is the first thing people suggest when discussing red wine. READ MORE »

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What’s So Special about Resveratrol?

Jan27
2012 Written by Debbie

What’s so special about resveratrol? It’s the chemical contained within red wine that supposedly supports all of those incredible health benefits you’ve heard of.

Even though those Dr. Das studies are in question, there are other studies, like the one mentioned in this video from the National Institutes of Health, that support the findings regarding heart health and other benefits.

Check out what DocShop has to say about red wine and resveratrol:

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How to Choose a Red Wine to Compliment Your Meal

Jan23
2012 Written by Debbie

You love having wine with your meal, but rarely serve wine with home cooked meals. The truth is it can be intimidating to know which wine to serve with your meal. While you may understand that white wine goes with white meat and red goes with red meat, it’s a bit more difficult than that. For example, which red wine goes with your meal? With so many varieties to choose from, how do you choose? Here are a few tips on how to choose a red wine to compliment your meal.

Know Your Price Range

It doesn’t do you any good to head to a wine shop and tell the merchant what you’re serving, if you don’t know what you price range is. The wine merchant will gladly assist you, but will more than likely recommend the most expensive brands in the shop. However, if you have a price in mind, the merchant can then offer a selection in that price range and then help you choose the best variety. READ MORE »

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Light-bodied Red Wines: How to Choose

Jan14
2012 Written by Debbie

Walk into your average liquor store or wine shop and the sheer number of options is instantly overwhelming – especially when it comes to choosing a red wine. The problem with red wine is that there are so many different types to choose from, including full-bodied and light-bodied wines.

This short video features Rachel Kerzweil, a sommelier interviewed by AskMen. She talks about three different types of light-bodied red wines from three distinct regions: Beaujolais (made with gamay grapes),  Piemonte (made with nebbiollo grapes), and Oregon (made from pinot noir grapes).

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Dr. Dipak Das Manipulates Red Wine Data

Jan12
2012 Written by Debbie

Things that make you go, “Hmmmm.”

MSNBC recently published an article stating that Dr. Dipak Das, a researcher from the University of Connecticut, has been falsifying his research data regarding the health benefits of red wine.

While Dr. Das has received quite a bit of positive attention for  his research over the past several years, officials at the university found that the doctor has falsified, manipulated, or completely fabricated information in more than 140 separate instances.

READ MORE »

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How to Choose a Quality Red Wine

Dec27
2011 Written by Debbie

You enter a local wine shop, or even visit your local grocery store, and are stunned by the variety of red wines available. How do you know which to choose? Is one brand really any better than another? The truth is it’s important to choose a quality red wine. The reason is that cheaply made wines can make you quite ill. That’s not to say that you should avoid $3 bottles of wine. Even expensive wines can be poorly made. How do you find your way through the poor quality wines to find a good quality brand? Here are just a few tips to help ease the process.

Consider the Age

Age can tell you a lot about the quality of wine. When discussing wine you will hear the terms: ordinary, fine and collection. Ordinary wines are not aged. This means they lack flavor and should be avoided. Fine wines are what the average person buys and have aged for up to two years. They are also made with some of the finest grapes available. Collection wines are the finest of the fine. Collection wines have aged for at least five years and can be quite expensive, but extremely high quality. READ MORE »

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Refreshing Summer Red Wine Cocktail Recipes

Jul27
2011 Written by Debbie

As the worst of the summer heat approaches, many of us spend the day dreaming about going home to sit by the pool with a cool cocktail or a glass of wine. Times are tough, though, and purchasing the absolute best in terms of wine isn’t something we can do every day. Using lower-cost wines and mixing them into cocktails is one way of creating a cool and refreshing alcoholic beverage you’re bound to enjoy. Here are a few refreshing cocktails you may want to mix with your favorite red wines this summer.

Cardinal Cocktail

A Cardinal Cocktail falls into a category of beverages know as Kirs, or berry flavored cocktails. All you need is a red wine and some crème de cassis, which is a liqueur made from blackcurrants from France. Fill your wine glass with ice, pour in an ounce of the crème de cassis, and fill the rest of the glass with red wine. You can make this with your favorite red wine or with a wine that isn’t as sweet or flavorful as you usually like. Whichever you choose, this sweet cocktail is bound to please. READ MORE »

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The Health Benefits of Red Wine

May03
2011 Written by Debbie

Every red wine has its own personality – a distinct smell and a bitter, dry, or silky aged taste. We enjoy a nice glass of wine when out for a nice meal, using it to bring out the flavors of some of the best foods, or while relaxing at home with family or friends. Scientists have long been promoting the incorporation of red wine into a healthy diet. They know that the health benefits of red wine, when consumed in moderation, can be life-altering. Here’s why.

Antioxidant Effects

The skin of the red grapes used to make red wine contains a chemical called resveratrol. Resveratrol is considered to be an antioxidant. Antioxidants work by repairing damage done to your body’s cells by the oxygen byproducts created in the body by the free radicals in the air. Ingesting high levels of this compound mean your chances of developing heart disease and some types of cancer are decreased. READ MORE »

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