History of The Ycoden-Daute-Isora Wine Region
Wine searcher say, "Ycoden-Daute-Isora is the most ancient
but most recently Denominated of Spain's regions. The best
dry white wines in Tenerife, from the Listan Blanco grape,
are made here." (I think the reds are even better.)
The region of Ycoden-Daute-Isora, which was constituted in
1994, started with 800 hectares and now has more than 2,000
hectares of vines, most of them with the varieties of listan
blanca and listan negro. It includes the areas of San Juan
de la Rambla, Guia de Isora, La Guancha, Icod de los Vinos,
Garachico, Los Silos, Buenavista del Norte, El Tanque and
Santiago del Teide.
This recently created Denomination of Origin, which takes
its name from early Guanche kingdoms and dominions, from the
far western side of the island of Tenerife is a recognition
of the ancient wine growing pedigree of the region with its
recognized centres like Icod de los Vinos and La Guancha.
Wine growing began here in the 16th and 17th Centuries and
is inseparable from the history of the islands themselves.
Being almost the only economy, both locally and of Tenerife
at that time, had a determining influence on the customs,
the landscape, the history, the art and the culture of the
area. The Canary Islands being then an obligatory stop
between Europe and America, exported the famous "Canary"
wine from the port of Garachico. It was to the wines of this
region that William Shakespeare was referring, in The Merry
Wives of Windsor, saying, "Canary, a marvellous and
penetrating wine that perfumes the blood."
Today it is an area of small but vigorous wineries with new
ideas.
The vineyards grow in small terraces built into the slopes
of the mountains, generally, between altitudes of 200 and
800 meters and, the rich volcanic soil and mild climate give
the wine its own unique aroma.
The whites obtained from the Listan Blanco and Malvasia
species predominate but the red, made mainly out of Listan
Negro and Negramoll are velvety to the palate and have an
unique character.
A long, phylloxera-free past in Tenerife has allowed twenty-
seven wine-making grape varieties to survive. Authorized
varieties in the Ycoden-Daute-Isora region include; Bastardo
blanco, Bermejuela, Forastera blanca, Gual, Listá® blanco
and Listá® negro, Malvasí¡¬ Moscatel, Pedro Xim鮥z, Sabro,
Torront鳬 Verdello, Vijariego (blancas), Bastardo negro,
Negramoll, Tintilla, Malvasí¡ rosada, Moscatell negra and
Vijariego negro (tintas).
Secret Tenerife is all about the lesser known side of
Europe's favourite winter sun playground. Visit us for daily
images, free downloads, postcards and wallpaper and more.
http://www.secret-tenerife.com
A Guide to Buying Australian Wine
Why buy wine?
In Australia, wine has become the new beverage of choice for people in all walks of life. Moreover, Australia has developed an enviable reputation amongst wine drinkers and appreciators the world over. Myshopping.com.au can help you make the right selection of wine for any occasion and to suit any taste. Listed on our website, you will find some of the most celebrated labels and award winning wines and you can make a selection based on reviews, price and supplier, regardless of why you want to purchase wine.
Wine
There are essentially three reasons that we can think of why you might want to buy wine: to drink in some social occasion, to give as a gift, or as an investment with a realisable future.
Buying wine to drink
Winemaker Greg Gallagher at the Charles Sturt University, South Australia, says judging a good wine is simple. "It starts with asking, 'do you like it?' " he says, "and finishes with 'did you like it?'" When you have a list of favourite wines, all you need to do is find them on Myshopping.com.au, and you will find out where it's sold for the best price.
But, because it's not always easy remembering the name, style and vintage of the wine you enjoy, it's a good idea to keep a record of wines you drink that you really like (and those that you'd prefer to avoid), for future reference.
When you're buying wine to drink, there are a number of considerations you might like to bear in mind, the first being: what is the occasion? It stands to reason that a wine for an intimate dinner with a partner might be a different choice than one for a footy night with the boys. Sharing a wine with someone is a lot more than simply sharing the drink. It's also sharing your taste, your values and your standards, so it pays to think carefully about the occasion and the company with whom you are sharing the wine.
A second consideration might be, what is accompanying the wine? Wine is often enjoyed with a meal, but you might like to consider also how the occasion (or meal) will develop. Matching the perfect wine with the perfect food and mood is an exhilarating experience, and is often at the heart of great memories.
You may also want to consider the ambience of the occasion. A wine for enjoying at an evening symphony concert will have a different character to that enjoyed at a beach picnic.
Buying wine as a gift
Wine makes an excellent gift for many reasons. It's an easy purchase; you can buy a wine to suit practically any budget. And it is a demonstration of your taste and standards, subtly imparted to someone whom you may care for.
However, as well as meeting your taste standards, you also need to choose a wine that will meet the tastes of the receiver. It pays to find out what sort of wine that person enjoys, and buy within that person's style or region preferences. A person who enjoys sweet white wines will appreciate a gift that matches that personality.
Buying wine as an investment
Some wines make a good investment because they are rare and have an established reputation causing them to appreciate in value. Possibly the most famous of these in Australia is Penfolds' Grange Hermitage, a Shiraz style Claret that has been made since 1951 (a bottle of that vintage now might set you back $50,000 or more if you can find one). Although young in terms of wine heritage, Australia has some notable wines that do and will appreciate in value.
A good investment wine is not necessarily a guarantee of a high quality drinking wine. The investment values are arrived at by reputation. A particular vintage may have enjoyed popularity for any number of reasons and become scarce because only a limited number of bottles were produced. What results is a collectors market and wine changes hands through auctions, private sales, estate dissolutions and wine club memberships.
What makes a good investment wine however, is the fact that you are able to sell the wine at some future date for a sum greater than what you paid. Therefore the condition of the wine-or more importantly, the bottle-is of paramount consideration. The provenance of an investment wine is important. Before buying, you need to establish its history of origin and previous ownership. Satisfied that the bottle is in good condition, once in your possession it needs to be cellared correctly in the absence of heat, light and movement. You should document your ownership and the conditions of its cellaring before selling it to a new buyer.
What makes good wine?
The winemaking process
The quality of a wine is affected by a wide variety of factors that occur in and as a result of the winemaking, cellaring and handling processes. One of the key factors is the terrain and climate, commonly referred to as a 'region', where the grapes are grown. Different conditions affect different varieties differently. A Shiraz style from McLaren Vale in South Australia, for example, is a heavier and darker wine than the same style from the Swan Valley in Western Australia, which tends to be lighter and more peppery. A Chardonnay from the Hunter Valley is more full-bodied than one from Margaret River.
While knowing which vines are best suited to a soil type and climate is one aspect, another is knowing when to pick the fruit for particular effect. The fruit's flavour at the time of picking is a major character of the residual flavours of the wine. After initial fermentation, some winemakers choose to ferment in oak, others not to. Using oak affects the reduction of tannins in the wine. Different types of oak-English, American, old-affect the flavour and character of the wine as it matures to its nominal alcohol level. It is in the barrel that a lot of transformations in flavours and character occur, and a great deal of skill is required to know exactly when to bottle the wine.
Different winemakers have different techniques and, while a good wine can't be made from bad grapes, it is largely the winemaker's skill that produces a good wine.
Taste
One of the ways we can tell the quality of wine as judged by its taste, is whether it has had successes in any of a number of wine shows held around the country. Experts from the wine industry judge wines on their quality and medal winners enjoy the benefits of being recognised and written about in the main media.
While not every medal winner is a wine that suits our taste, it is as a direct result of the shows and competitions that Australian wines have grown in popularity and quality. At Myshopping.com.au you can compare many award winning wines.
What's your taste?
Regions and style
When you are shopping for wine, one of the first questions to answer is whether you are choosing a red wine or a white wine. Once you have decided this, you can then start to narrow down the different styles. Begin with the question of whether you are seeking a dry wine or a sweet wine.
Styles of wine are named after the region from which the grape originated. In the popular dark reds you have the Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot styles that tend to be drier wines. Lighter reds feature Beaujolais, Pinot Noir and Rose styles and these tend toward sweeter wines.
Popular white wines include the Chablis, Riesling, Semillon, Chenin, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay styles in dry wines, with Traminer Riesling, Moselle and late picked Verdelho in the sweeter styles. Aperitifs include sweet and dry sherry and Marsala. Dessert wines include Sauternes, Muscats and Ports.
Many wines are now presented as blended wines, a way to offer wider variety in taste and a way to use up less popular grapes and thereby minimise waste in the industry.
Australia has more than a dozen identified wine growing regions that produce distinctive wines of the main styles. The Barossa Valley in South Australia is possibly the most famous region with the richest heritage, and features many labels from subregions such as Claire Valley, McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek and the Adelaide Hills. These regions produce some of the most spectacular Riesling wines, and Shiraz styles in the country. East of this region, near the border with Victoria lies the Coonawarra district (also known as Riverland), famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon. In Victoria lie the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsular districts. The Goulbourn Valley lies on the border with New South Wales. The Hunter Valley in New South Wales produces some of Australia's finest wines, while in the West, Margaret River, t4he Swan Valley and the Plantagenet districts all produce fine wines.
Trends
Recent economic conditions and consecutive years of oversupply have changed much of Australia's wine market. There are many small boutique wineries whose products can be bought direct from the cellar door. Many of these wines are featured on Myshopping.com.au by style and region.
The wine industry is encouraging the buying of wines and cellaring them (storing them in a cool place) for a period of time and enjoying them at a later time. To cellar your wine, store it somewhere cool, dark, airy, and free from vibration and dampness. Temperature stability is the most important factor in preserving wine in the cellar. Storing wine in an environment where the temperature varies gradually with the seasons is better than in a room that varies with the day and night.
For long-term storage, the ideal cellar temperature is 18 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of 60-75%. Warmer conditions accelerate the development of wines, which could mean a reduction in the pleasure of drinking them.
The second phenomenon to occur through oversupply is the introduction of cleanskins, a method of selling wine without a brand label. This is presented as being 'money saving' because of a reduction in marketing expense, however the real cost saving per bottle is around 3-5 cents (the cost of printing and applying a label).
Cleanskins enable a wine producer to present a lower cost bottle, but this is mostly achieved by not having to identify the origins of the grape, or the varietal blends that make up the wine. And while it is true that some cleanskins are eminently drinkable wines, evidence suggests that they are generally of a far poorer quality than branded label products. It is suggested that you taste the wine before purchasing any cleanskins.
Wine is a high fashion product, and wine trends emerge on a regular basis. The best way to follow these trends is to shop using Myshopping.com.au -- comparing prices and suppliers, and following medal winning labels.
Andrew Gates is a writer for Australian comparison shopping site MyShopping.com.au. MyShopping.com.au helps you compare wine and buy online from top-rated online stores. You can also read wine reviews and specifications.
Seven Tips To Make Your Salsa Recipe Better
So, you have what you think is the perfect salsa recipe and it is still not turning out the way it should when you make it? Or maybe you are looking for ways to make your fresh garden salsa even better? Well, here are seven tips to get the best out of your salsa recipe and turn an ordinary salsa into an extraordinary salsa.
1. Have the proper equipment and keep them in good shape. Make sure your knives are sharp and your cutting boards are clean. Keep several large bowls on hand. If you are using tomatoes, avoid metal bowls since the metal will interact with the acids in the tomatoes. A food processor is also a handy gadget to have and will decrease your salsa making time.
2. Always use fresh rip vegetables. Use local produce whenever you can. Vegetables grown in your or your neighbor's garden will always taste better. Explore your local farmers market for fresh produce. If you must buy from your local grocery store, experiment with organic produce if available.
3. Learn to chop food correctly. Take a class on food chopping and you can learn how to quickly and safely chop a wide variety of foods. Practice makes perfect in this regard.
4. Chop your salsa ingredients finely. Every scoop of salsa should have a little bit of each salsa ingredient in it. Finely chopped produce will ensure this. A food processor can help with this but be careful that you don't overdo it.
5. Always use fresh spices. The flavor and strength of spices deteriorate over time. Keep your spices in a lidded container away from sunlight. Write on the spice container the data that you opened it and throw away any spices older than six months. Whole spices can last longer.
6. Always use fresh oils. Like spices, oils lose their flavor over time and some can go rancid if kept too long. Oils kept in a closed container away from sunlight can last for up to 6 months. Oils high in monosaturated fats can last up to a year if stored in the refrigerator.
7. Once you have made your salsa, don't serve it immediately. Store the salsa in a sealed container in your refrigerator for two or more hours, overnight is best. This allows the different flavors in the salsa to "marry" creating a much better flavor. Your patience will be rewarded.
Following these seven tips will help make your homemase salsa the best it can be. Picking a good salsa recipe is only half of what makes a good salsa. With a great salsa recipe, fresh quality ingredients, the right tools in top shape, and a few basic cooking skills you can make salsa that people will talk about for a long time.
