The short answer is that the skin of the grapes gives the wine its color. When a grape is pressed the juice itself is clear or white. This is true of nearly every variety of grape. The pigments, or the substance present in plants (and animals) that gives it color, of grapes are in their skins. As the juice ferments the skins of the grapes shed pigments and give the wine its red color. The red colors vary from light red to ruby to maroon, garnet, almost black and nearly every shade in between.

If you press grapes and ferment the juice without the skins you end up with a white wine, even from red grapes. A white wine made from red grapes is called a blanc de noir. If you leave the skins in contact with the juice for a brief period of time the wine is only slightly colored and called a blush or rose’ (a term that has fallen out of use of late.)

Most red wines are of the varieties, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Merlot, Shiraz, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah, Shiraz, Sangiovese, Malbec, Grenache, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wine coolers as a beverage were extremely popular in the United States during the decade of the 1980s but their popularity faded when the US government raised the taxes on wine and made the cost of the beverages prohibitive to maintain their popularity.

Wine coolers as an appliance are better known as wine refrigerators and are used to maintain the temperature of wines. They are popular as both built in and counter top models. Many of the popular models have dual or multi-temperature zones to maintain different variety wines at different temperatures in the same unit.

When considering the purchase of a wine refrigerator a couple of considerations are the venting and the vibration of the unit. Any refrigeration unit works basically the same way. It removes heat from the air in the unit and moves it outside through a vent or by means of coils exposed to outside air. Some units vent out the front and some the back. If you plan on recessing your unit you should probably choose a front venting unit.

Refrigeration units that use compressors generally have higher vibration tendencies than units that use thermoelectric systems. Since many people believe that vibration adversely affects wine, thermoelectric systems should rate careful consideration.

From wine selection to ambiance to the taste experience, what you should look at to optimize your wine is quality. When you buy a bottle of wine, what you have to know is that quality does matter.

For all but the most experienced wine drinkers, the range you want to spend on a bottle of wine is eight to forty dollars a bottle.  Anything under eight and you get into the Mad Dog/Boone’s Strawberry Hill type wines that are really little more than fruit flavored malt liquors. However, for eight dollars a bottle, you can get a tasty
little Riunite or Ernest and Julio Gallo type wine. You can get such wine types as Shiraz, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, White Zinfendel for about this price. Spend around twelve dollars a bottle and you will be able to get a higher quality wine like Yellowtail.

Remember with wine, it’s always a matter of taste, so if you try a wine and you like it, stick with it because not all wines are made the same.  They all use different grapes too.  The ambiance you want to capture while savoring your wine drinking experience should be one of high culture and distinction.  Just think “What would Garrison Keillor do?”  Try to be as gentle as possible when choosing your wine drinking spot and try to make it as dramatic and romantic as possible.

Think “From Here to Eternity”; or “Gone with the Wind.” Any time you are on a beach with Burt Lancaster or hanging out with a girl name Scarlet, it’s an appropriate time to uncork a nice bottle of vino.

As far as the taste experience, this is a far more delicate matter. Everyone has their own unique tastes and inclinations when it comes to how and things taste. Taste is a wholly private thing. However, nothing reveals an individuals taste so much as their choices and habits when drinking wine.

Some say that if someone is a dry person, they tend to drink a dry wine. If someone is a outgoing, energetic person, they might drink a sparkling wine like champagne. Dry and fruity are some of the scales people use to judge a wine on. There is also something called Oak Quality which is heavily prevalent in wines such as Pinot Noirs and many of the Pinots.

Just remember, to enhance your enjoyment of a wine drinking experience and to to finally understand the whys and hows to enjoying wine, remember the term “fine quality” is the key. If you choose a fine quality in purchase, scenery and taste of wine, you will have a fine quality experience.

Wine decanters are not only beautiful but functional, as well. There has been little change in the science behind the decanter since the 18th century when glassworkers introduced the stopper. Originally the decanter was designed to allow the sediment to decant or separate from the liquid. Modern wine enthusiasts decant wine for the purpose of aeration, a somewhat controversial and often debated process of allowing the wine to aerate or breathe. It is thought to be more helpful with tannic wines but the perceived softening of the wine could be due to oxidation induced chemical compound alteration rather than from allowing the wine to breathe. Ones school of thought is that the shape of the glass changes the drinker’s perception of the wine thereby changing the taste of the beverage. In fact, many people believe decanting can actually diminish the quality of delicate wines.

I prefer to  argue occum’s razor. Wine simply tastes better if it is served beautifully and experienced as an occasion whether it is totally placebo effect or only partially placebo effect, most people agree that the placebo effect is present. And just the placebo effect you get from the aesthetic value of a stylish decanter far outweighs the insignificant possibility of damage to the wine.

Wine decanters are a valuable source of history. Glass blowing came into being with the Phoenicians about 50 B.C. and over that short period of years the art has progressed quickly with major advances such as lead glass, also called lead crystal and flint glass being made as late as the mid 20th century. Lead glass has increased refractive properties that causes the glass to have more sparkles and appear more brilliant as light passes through it. Glass blowers over the centuries have blown great works of art and wonderfully functional artistic accessories. There are many collectable wine decanters. A recent eBay search yielded ten pages of results ranging from a 1950’s era bargain for under $3. to a pair of French Glass Enamel decanters for under $3500. Riedel Crystal is notable for producing some of the most visually surprising and asthetic models. In 1678 Johann Christian Riedel started trading in glass. Glass became a family tradition that eventually let to the founding of the world famous Austrian company. Riedel offers models ranging from ever popular $300. and up hand blown wine decanters to expertly machine made $30. models. Not all of these wine decanters will go up in value but all of them will be an added and attractive treasure to your home bar, counter top or display case. Magnum decanters hold twice the standard 750 ml so you can serve more guests faster or entertain longer without interruption.

There are, however a minority of professional vintners, are employed in the production of wine by wine companies and wineries. Vintners coordinate with viticulturists, or those responsible for managing vineyards. Viticulturists monitor the plants for disease and pest attacks. They document the development of the fruit and control fertilization and irrigation. They maintain canopy management standards.They schedule the harvest and control the winter pruning of the vines. Professional vintners control the crushing of the fruit and the pressing process. They follow the juice through the processes of settling and fermentation, removal of the solid materials through filtering. They taste the wine and assess quality before the wine is stored and matured in casks or tanks. After maturation of the wine the professional vintner controls the bottling process and quality control once the bottling procedure is complete. Often the professional vintner has a degree in oenology or the science of wine due to the increasing accumulation and advancement of scientific knowledge in the industry.

Professional wine tasters follow traditions and utilize a system of methods that continue to evolve even after eight centuries. Many professional wine tasters are employed as sommeliers in fine restaurants and control all aspects of the acquisition, storage and serving of wine. Sommeliers also known as wine stewards have supplementary knowledge and information to assist management, educate wine waiters and assist customers of the restaurant.

Buyers for retailers have specialized knowledge of the wholesale and retail wine industry and are primarily responsible for obtaining quality wines at the lowest possible cost.

Thus wine amateurs and professionals shape and share a terminology used in the description of wines and their characteristic flavors and aromas.

Wine refrigerators will meet the need for storage for the average wine consumer. Budget considerations and low volume storage needs preclude most of us from building a full-blown wine cellar. If you find an especially appealing deal on a wine refrigerator, consider buying two. Store red wines in one and whites in the other. To save space you should consider purchasing either a dual or multi-zone model. Besides consistent temperature control probably the most important consideration when buying a wine refrigerator is vibration. Vibration control is essential to preserving the quality of your wines.

AllAboutWineGuide is tailored to helping you discover the information you need about the proper purchase and care of wine. From the correct wine temperature setting for your wine refrigerator to picking out a wine gift set for your next occasion, AllAboutWineGuide can be your personal wine assistant. We research the wine industry, from manufacturing to wholesale to retail, and bring you helpful news and information. From how to find bargains at the wine shop, to breathing wine, cellaring wine, popping the cork, champagne, crystals in your wine, growing grapes, juice pressing, ferminting and bottling. Is saving labels your thing? Maybe you’re thinking about making wine at home or looking for bottles with those dents in the bottom called punts to bottle your wine. Those hard to find – or hard to define items are to be found at AllAboutWineGuide.

At AllAboutWineGuide antique wine accessories and advertising-themed collectables are hot. A corkscrew recently brought $21K at auction. Champagne cutters, wine labels, antique bottles, wine decanters, and coolers are much in demand. Find that wine bottle stopper that is the bottle stopper of all wine stoppers. Discover wine corks, the occasional wine bottle holder, pourers and coasters as popular collectors items, as well as the highly regarded crystal decanter wine decanter.

Choosing a wine glass to go with your wine? Riedel Decanter makes wine glasses that are wine specific as well as the perfect decanter set to showcase your grapes wine or to give as a wine gift set.

Whatever you wish to find, evaluate or requisition for your wine pleasure, AllAboutWineGuide is your first stop.