Wine Education Sheila Donohue Wine Education Sheila Donohue

The Quest for Balance

While achieving balance is in life is an art, balance in wine and food has a lot of science to it.

It starts with our individual taste buds and the interplay of our sense of taste & smell and the tactile sensation which, with our brain’s help, determines our own take on the flavor and textures of wine and food.

The ultimate pleasure is when it all balances out.

This article is all about how to achieve this “magical” balance and to raise the bar on your own wine and food tasting experiences. Check it out!

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Sparkling Wines, Wine Education Jacqueline Mitchell Sparkling Wines, Wine Education Jacqueline Mitchell

The Story of a Sparkling Underdog

While Champagne may be an iconic choice for a sparkling wine, there's a hidden gem from Italy that offers the same quality, but off the beaten path. The Alta Langa sparkling wine has an incredible underdog story, almost created to prove a point. It’s a story that is as incredible as the flavors of the wine itself. Read more to see how it all intertwines!

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Wine Education Jacqueline Mitchell Wine Education Jacqueline Mitchell

The Search for Great Whites

Looking for a white wine that has depth and texture beyond the fruitiness? If that’s you then Italian whites is your next wine destination.

In Italy, there are loads of native varieties to explore, made in all sorts of styles from dry to sweet and still to sparkling. When made by winegrowers hyper focused on quality and authenticity, you get a great white wine with amazing balance and complex flavors to exceed the expectations of the most discerning wine drinker.

Discover the world of Italian white wines in this article.

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Wine Education, Winemaking Jacqueline Mitchell Wine Education, Winemaking Jacqueline Mitchell

ABC’s of How to Make Wine

Now that harvest is taking over the wine world in the Northern Hemisphere, it's time to brush up on the ABC's of how to make wine.

While it seems like a simple enough process, after all wine was discovered by accident by women in ancient times who discovered that their grapes lying around started to create this juice which made them giggle and feel happy. 

But the 3 million dollar question is: how do you make a GOOD wine?

Meaning, a wine that has an enticing flavor and intriguing complexity that makes you want to take another sip.

Brush up on the basic building blocks of winemaking in this article.

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Wine Education, Farming Jacqueline Mitchell Wine Education, Farming Jacqueline Mitchell

Training a Vineyard

What shapes a vineyard? What decisions and reasoning brings a wine farmer to cut, trim, and train their vines in a certain way? Each method creates a different vineyard profile, unique to the hand that trims, and also affects the quality and profile of a wine. Let’s explore some of the most popular vineyard trellising systems, and discover what drives a farmer to choose a method of grape vine training.

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Farming, Wine Education Jacqueline Mitchell Farming, Wine Education Jacqueline Mitchell

Wine Biology 101

Do you remember biology lab in school when you first dissected a frog, or other animal? It was fascinating to go under the microscope to see in miniature what made up a living body.

Think of this article as a biology class for grape vines. We dissect the vine and the grape into its parts so to help us better understand not only where wine comes from but also what aspects of its anatomy impacts terroir, vintage variation, and ultimately the style and taste of the wine.

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Farming, Wine Education Jacqueline Mitchell Farming, Wine Education Jacqueline Mitchell

Down to the Roots of the Vineyard

Who is not awed by a vineyard. It brings us to a bucolic state, capturing our eye and our emotions which then transport our minds to a happy place.

Ever wonder what goes into creating a vineyard? While grape varietal and winemaking techniques are often at the forefront of wine exploration, the rootstock, the hidden foundation of the vine, plays an important role. In this article we explore the fascinating world of grafting and rootstocks and discover how they influence a vineyard's health, resilience, and ultimately, the very identity of the wines they produce.

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Wine Education, Winemaking Jacqueline Mitchell Wine Education, Winemaking Jacqueline Mitchell

It’s the Sugar, Baby

Can a wine with a significant amount of sugar taste dry? Can a wine with a lower amount of sugar taste sweet? You bet!

Many wine professionals say that American wine drinkers “talk dry but drink sweet.” What is behind this phenomena? How do winemakers use sugar as a lever in making both dry wines and sweet wines?

Learn about the art & science behind sugar in wine in this article.

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Wine Education Jacqueline Mitchell Wine Education Jacqueline Mitchell

Breaking Down Sugar and Wine

Americans’ quest for health and wellness has wine as the target. It’s making sugar in wine a “problem,” which gets in the way of wine lovers achieving their health goals. But, being made from fermented fruit, “poor wine” can’t help from sugar fruit in it. It’s like telling your dog it can’t bark! Is sugar in wine really this evil villain? We break sugar and wine down in this article. Let’s learn all about sugars and wine.

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Pairings, Wine Education Jacqueline Mitchell Pairings, Wine Education Jacqueline Mitchell

Elevate Your Favorite Pastime

Getting ready to fire up the grill? While beer may be your usual go-to beverage when planning a barbeque, why not switch it up to wine?

Wine, especially red wines, offer incredible depth and complexity that can beautifully complement grilled meat. Plus, there are some many types, each one that will pair better with different grilled meats.

Here we share 3 key tips to arm you with techniques for finding wines to pair with your next barbecue.

We also have some great food and wine pairings, along with recipes, to try yourself and to create a memorable and delicious barbecue.

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Wine Education, Wine Grapes Jacqueline Mitchell Wine Education, Wine Grapes Jacqueline Mitchell

The Joy of Discovering a ‘New’ Wine Grape

For a wine enthusiast, stumbling upon a wine made by a grape you never had before is like finding a treasure in a treasure hunt. It’s the “hook” that catches, and delights, wine explorers, from wine loving consumers to wine professionals.

Branch out from the same old same old: get onto the unbeaten path and experience the thrill of trying a wine grape you never had. Plus we’re here to tell you the rich, and real, stories behind them. Start your treasure hunt with this article.

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Wine Education, Winemaking Jacqueline Mitchell Wine Education, Winemaking Jacqueline Mitchell

Orange You Ready To Discover Orange Wine?

Dive into the world of orange wine, a unique style crafted using an ancient technique. These intriguing wines, also known as skin-contact whites, are made from white grapes left in contact with their skins during fermentation, resulting in surprising orange hues and bold, complex flavors. Often classified as natural wines, they offer a fascinating alternative to traditional white and red styles, attracting curious palates with their unique character.

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Wine Education Jacqueline Mitchell Wine Education Jacqueline Mitchell

Wines that are 'Just Right'

Are you planning a party ? Are you going to one?  Needing a gift but not sure what wine to select?

Hosting a  party or finding a great gift for a wine lover just got easier with our tips on finding crowd-pleasing, drinkable wine that caters to diverse tastes, while also finding wines that are unique and stand out.

We have an approach to finding crowd pleaser wines in our latest blog article. We liken it to Goldilocks - remember her? But now we've moved up, from porridge to wine.

Read on for expert tips and find your own Goldilocks wine!

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Wine Education, Pairings Jacqueline Mitchell Wine Education, Pairings Jacqueline Mitchell

Learn the Art & Science of Wine and Food Pairing

Wine and food pairing can seem like a daunting task, yet, once you get down the basic principles, there is almost no right or wrong. It can turn into a life long skill that you can practice all the time, while alone or in groups, while at home or out and about. Start with this article which lays out an easy to follow approach to pairing foods. Then you’ll be on your way to doing fun and tasty food and wine pairings with others.

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Farming, Wine Education Jacqueline Mitchell Farming, Wine Education Jacqueline Mitchell

Mother Nature + Math = Wine Vintage

In the captivating world of wine, there's an age-old secret that lies within each bottle—the vintage. It's a timestamp of history, a testament to the unique interplay of climate, terroir, and winemaking expertise. As we delve into the climatic nuances of wine vintages, we unlock a trove of stories, each sip an invitation to a specific moment in time. From the warmth of a sun-soaked harvest to the cool feeling of a late autumn rain, wine vintages encapsulate the essence of the year they were born. Find out how you too can assess a wine vintage in this article.

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Wine Education, Wine Industry Jacqueline Mitchell Wine Education, Wine Industry Jacqueline Mitchell

The Art of Mindful Drinking with Thoughtful Wines

In this article, we explore the practice of Mindful Drinking. As with many wine related “trends” that propagate in the US, they may be new to us Americans, yet have deep roots somewhere else. In this case, European culture embraces mindfulness both in wine and food, as its culture is about sipping and savoring, with long and deep traditions that are hardwired into their culture. To explore what mindfulness drinking entails, we’ve called on a wine and wellness expert to share with us her personal journey and how we could all benefit from following some of her tips.

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Wine Education Sheila Donohue Wine Education Sheila Donohue

Breaking the Glass Ceiling on Rosé

Who says there has to be a season for rosé wine?

Who says that a rose wine has to have a specific pale pink color?

Who says that a rosé wine is not age worthy?

Whether you drink rose or not, this article will open your eyes to rose wine dry. We’re breaking the myths on rose wine in this article!

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Wine Education, Pairings Jacqueline Mitchell Wine Education, Pairings Jacqueline Mitchell

5 Tips for Wine and Cheese Pairings

It may seem like a daunting task: pick out and pair wine and cheeses. But when done right, it is so worth it! It is also not quite as hard as it may seem to pair wine and cheese together. Inside we have 5 tips and tricks to help you learn what wine goes with cheese! So get your local cheese monger on speed dial, open up a new tab with the VeroShop, and get ready to enjoy a delectable article!

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Pairings, Wine Education Jacqueline Mitchell Pairings, Wine Education Jacqueline Mitchell

All About Umami

What is umami flavor? Do you know that it is considered a fifth taste, after sweet, sour, bitter, and salty? In what foods can you find this fifth taste? Can you find umami in wine as well as food? … You may not know that some wines have umami flavors, or that certain wines pair better with umami dishes than others. Discover the flavor of umami and how it interacts with wines in this article.

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