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Prosecco’s popularity has experts warning consumers of counterfeits

Prosecco's popularity has experts warning consumers of counterfeits

Prosecco is one of the most popular drinks, but experts warned that the demand for this high quality Italian sparkling wine has meant an increase in counterfeits products. So what is so special about Prosecco? Prosecco is a controlled designation of origin in North east Italy, where sparkling wine, or semi-sparkling, is principally made from the Glera grape variety. Two quality assurance labels help protect the Prosecco region outside of Italy — DOC – Denominazione di Origine Controllata (controlled designation of origin) and DOCG – Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (controlled designation of origin guaranteed). Despite these labels, the Food Standards Agengy says they are seeing an increase in the number of knock-offs coming out of Eastern Europe. They’re being passed off as the real deal, but out of the 4,000 samples sent to laboratories for testing every year, around 1,000 are counterfeit. According to FSA wine inspector, Mark Dawson, a…

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New Wine Water has all the taste without the alcohol

New Wine Water has all the taste without the alcohol

If you’re in the mood for wine, but can’t or don’t drink alcohol, pretty soon you’ll have a solution. An Israeli startup has created O. Vine Wine, a grape infused water that is supposed to taste like your favorite red or white. The beverage made its debut on June 30 at the Fancy Food Show in New York. O. Vine is the newest comer in the ‘new water’ category. Brands like La Croix and Bai have everyone reaching for the lower calorie seltzer and tea alternatives and skipping out on sugary sodas and soft drinks. O. Vine mixes the smell and taste of wine with clear, spring water. It contains extracts from wine grape skins and seeds, which includes resveratrol, a compound found in red grape skins though to have heart health and anti-cancer properties. Not too shabby for a water replacement. “Our mission was to create a pure water sensation that…

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Hail storms wipe out eight million bottles worth of Champagne grapes

Hail storms wipe out eight million bottles worth of Champagne grapesImage credit: AFP

Today the Champagne industry has nothing to toast. Strong hail storms hit the famous wine growing region of France and wiped out the equivalent of eight million bottles of bubbly. The strong hailstorm damaged 4,450 acres of Champagne vineyards — completely destroying about 1,000 of those. This isn’t the first storm to wreck havoc on this year’s harvest. The northeastern Champagne region was hit hard four times between late April and May, which is unfortunately the exact time that the delicate vines begin to flower. The fourth storm, which hit May 27, caused the most harm. “Of course storm and hail are not unusual phenomena in Champagne, but what is rare is to see them at this very early stage and with this level of violence,” the industry’s Champagne Committee said. Thanks to the region’s reserves, the hail damage is not expected to result in a shortage for customers this…

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Seasonal

You can now buy a keg of rosé because dreams do come true

You can now buy a keg of rosé because dreams do come true

Just in case you were worried about running out of rosé for your next party, one company has taken note of our favorite millennial pink summer drink and is producing a party-sized keg of the stuff. Bridge Lane Wine is selling bright blue kegs of rosé, perfect for Memorial Day parties, outdoor weddings or just about any other type of gathering you might be having. https://www.instagram.com/p/BizSgFMh1fr/ Bridge Lane Wine sells its wine kegs in five different varietals: chardonnay, red blend, sauvignon blanc, white merlot, and rosé — each with a different colored label. Each wine keg is the equivalent of 26 bottles, or about 130 glasses. The kegs costs around $240 each, meaning that you’re paying less than $2 a glass, making them a great economical alternative to filling up your recycling bin with empty glass bottles. According to the description on Bridge Lane Wine’s website, the rosé is fruit-forward with notes of  guava, peach blossom, strawberry and…

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Bob Dylan makes whiskey to become latest celebrity with branded booze

Heaven's Door

Singer/songwriter Bob Dylan is the latest celebrity to create his own brand of alcohol. The Nobel Prize winner worked with bourbon maker Marc Bushala to create Heaven’s Door. The small-batch whiskeys come in three varieties: a straight bourbon, a straight rye and a double-barreled whiskey. “Dylan has these qualities that actually work well for a whiskey,” Bushala told The New York Times. “He has great authenticity. He is a quintessential American. He does things the way he wants to do them. I think these are good attributes for a super-premium whiskey as well.” The whiskey is only available at the online store for Heaven’s Door, but it will be available in mid-May in stores in select states. Dylan joins a crowded market of celebrity-branded or -owned spirits, as seen below: • Drew Barrymore — Barrymore wines. The actress has a partnership with Jackson Family Wines that’s produced Pinot Grigio, Pinot…

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How to avoid getting gouged on wine at restaurants

How to avoid getting gauged on wine at restaurants by Everybody CravesImage credit: Pixabay

If you’ve ever glanced at a restaurant wine list, you know adding a bottle of red or white can inflate your bill pretty quickly. You may be left wondering how you can buy an entire bottle of Merlot at the state store for under $15, but a single glass is going to run you the same price at a mid-range restaurant. Of course, we expect there will be a markup on any type of alcohol, but why so high with wine? Sommelier Mark Oldman clues us in. In his book “How to Drink Like a Billionaire,” Oldman writes that the typical restaurant will markup a bottle of wine at least 200 percent, so that $15 brand you’re familiar with, quickly becomes a $45 bottle  — or in extreme cases, even 400 percent with a $75 price tag. “The need to cover glassware, staff wages, rent, inventory — the reasons are sundry for why wine is marked…

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You’ll soon be spending more for that cheap wine

You'll soon be spending more for that cheap wine

Just when you found a few good, cheap wines to rely on, they’re about to get way more expensive. According to data from the Paris-based International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV), wine production was down this year to the lowest production levels seen since 1957. According to Reuters, it’s the weather causing the problem. Three of the world’s top wine producers, Italy, France and Spain, were hit by harsh and unusual weather last year, like drought, hailstorms and late spring frost, leading to an overall drop of 14.6 percent in production. The 2017 harvest only brought 25 billion liters of wine. That’s down from the 2015 harvest which produced 27.6 billion liters, and the 2016 harvest which brought 26.7 billion liters. The continent accounts for 65 percent of global wine production. The OIV told the Independent that this doesn’t necessarily mean there will be a shortage of wine unless the weather conditions and poor harvest…

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France’s Wine Theme Park is like Disney for Adults

France's Wine Theme Park is like Disney for Adults

Anaheim, California may have Disneyland, but the happiest place on Earth is actually located in France. La Cité du Vin, or “The City of Wine,” is located in Bordeaux — one of France’s most storied wine regions. While it may not have whizzing go-around rides and 20-ft tower drops, the two-year-old theme park-museum-hybrid has plenty of thrills for oenophiles. Visitors can start at La Cité du Vin’s on premise restaurant where more than 800 varieties of wine from 70 different countries are stored — all of which are available for tasting and ordering. Guests can then also explore more than 20 wine themed exhibits and sections of the park, including an immersive simulated boat ride that shows what it’s like to be a globe-trotting wine merchant. Bordeaux, France #csmidlifegapyear #memories #travel #travelblogger #travelbug #laciteduvin #bordeaux #france #wine A post shared by midlifegapyear (@midlifegapyear.info) on Mar 28, 2018 at 4:32am PDT A 250-seat auditorium…

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6 unexpected factors that put you at risk of heart disease

6 unexpected factors that put you at risk of heart disease

Every 60 seconds, a women will die from heart disease in the U.S., according to the American Heart Association. Heart disease is the number one killer of women (and men) in America, but it’s not always just giving up cigarettes and stepping away from donut box that will save you. It’s a little more involved than that. It is true that the biggest risk factors for heart disease are obesity, lack of exercise, smoking and high blood pressure, according to the AHA, but as a women, there are other factors than increase your risk of blocked arteries as well. Little did you know that when you were growing up, your likelihood for developing heart disease was beginning to form. While you couldn’t decide at what age you got your period or whether you’ve had heartbreak, you can avoid other lesser-known stressors like diet pills. February is Heart Healthy Month, and if you’re serious…

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12 Foods you think are vegetarian but surprisingly aren’t

12 Foods you think are vegetarian but surprisingly aren't-12

Becoming vegetarian isn’t always as easy as recognizing there is pepperoni on your pizza or bacon bits on top of your Brussels sprouts. Whether you’ve gone vegetarian for dietary or ethical reasons, you always have to be on the look out for the sneaky animal products manufacturers slip into seemingly safe food items. If there’s not chicken stock in your vegetable soup (very common at restaurants and in store bought brands), there’s gelatin in your marshmallows (so long Rice Krispie squares!). Here are 10 other foods that have got to go if you’re serious about an animal-free diet. 1. Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese For vegetarians, cheese can spruce up a plate of pasta, make a salad extra satisfying, or add oomph to a tray of appetizers. Unfortunately, for vegetarians, not all cheeses are, well, vegetarian. Some cheeses use an enzyme called rennet that is sourced from the stomach lining of goats and cows. This enzyme helps…

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