Gindi Cafe

Archive for the ‘Wine’ Category

Do you remember the episode of Taxi where Father Jim takes a hit off a joint and says, Columbian, Indica strain, South side of the mountains, picked in October, in the morning. Now that wasn’t wine tasting but there are wine enthusiasts that can tell you the strain of grape, the area it was produced in and in some cases, the specific vineyard. What you say? You make your own wine and you consider yourself a wine enthusiast. But do you ferment your own grapes and look down on the people that use kits? Yes there are a few definitions of wine enthusiasts. You may even consider yourself a wine enthusiast if you go to lots of wine tasting events such as the Los Alto Arts and Wine Festival. There are many more events in wine regions all over the world. At these events, wine enthusiasts can go to taste the new offerings of both domestic and foreign wineries.

Imagine my Surprise

Before my wine enthusiast stage, I pictured wine tasting as a gathering of stuffy looking men with moustaches who would look at and smell the wine, take a sip and spit it out. I thought it was all quite stuffy and high-brow, something akin to polo. Another view of the wine enthusiast was the one portrayed in TV and movies, that of the cork-smelling, glass swirlers with a superiority attitude. I remember my wife asking me to go to a winery for tasting. I relented after a few words and resigned myself to the fact that I was going to “taste” wine. Happily I went and discovered the joy of wine tasting. I had no idea it would be that much fun. My God, they weren’t all stuffy. Most of them were good people who had a love of wine in common.

A Changing of the Times

In the past, the public generally took their wine choices from so-called wine experts. That has changed because of more wine tasting opportunities and the fact that most community education programs include wine education classes. This has taught the general public to judge the wine on its own merits, after all each person has individual taste.

Here Taste This

There are lots of conversations that go on while wine tasting. Wine enthusiasts are generally very social animals who love nothing better than to discuss the merits of the favorite wine of the day. They take great joy in introducing new offerings to complete strangers within the wine tasting room. They discuss different vineyards and wineries. The may steadfastly claim their love for a certain blend but they are open to at least trying new wines. Back in the day, wine enthusiasts were depicted as unrelenting about trying new blends.

So what’s in it for me?

These days there are advantages to being a wine enthusiast. People get paid well as tasters. Another more likely source of benefit to the wine enthusiast is in educational forums, teaching other people what to look for in a good wine. With this multi billion dollar industry, there are lots of spin-offs. Wine accessories are a huge business and growing by leaps and bounds.

It is commonly known that beer has been around mankind for a long while. As beer itself changed, expanded, and improved, so did the way in which we actually got the beer to our mouths. Pottery, wood, stoneware, and even sewn up pieces of leather made up the earliest drinking vessels. As time went on, man witnessed small advancements in the quality of their beer receptacles. Early Europeans that lived during the time of the black plague saw the development of beer steins, which had a closed top on the steins to prevent flies from landing in the beer and making the person ill.

Today, the most important factor to influence modern beer glass making was the creation of glass. As consumers actually started to be able to look at what they were consuming from the glass they began to demand a beer with more flavor and a improved hue. Customers didn’t want chunks in their drinks anymore so manufacturers began to filter their beers. With this new, improved wave of beer glasses, it appeared beer steins were on the way out.

A variety of glasses were created and produced for the various kinds of beers. The sixteen-ounce pint glass is the most in demand glass in the United States. It was originally used to fit the top of a Martini shaker, but barkeeps soon discovered that as the beer poured out of the beer tap handles the pint glass was the top receptacle because it let part of the carbonation to be released and let the aroma of the brew to be more obvious. The pint glass rapidly became popular with barkeeps who had to rinse each glass by itself because it can be put on top of each other and stored easily on the shelves.

An attempt to get consumers to get their kind of beer by breweries led to some unique and groundbreaking moves on the marketing and advertising front. Handing out glasses to consumers was a way that manufacturers found to promote their beers even though it was illegal. This led to the manufacturers creating glasses that were works of art unto themselves. The first were gaudy and costly; they would often have gold or silver embossed on the sides. Eventually, artists for the breweries began doing detailed carvings on either side of the beer glasses or steins and even developed a method of cooking enamel paint onto the glasses. These enameled glasses are still some of the most rare beer souvenirs, even though they were made more recently than the others. Nowadays avid collectors all over the earth continue to collect these tin signs and memorabilia that are sometimes worth thousands. Have you looked up in the top of Grandpappy’s old drawer in a while?

It is commonly known that beer has been around mankind for a long time. The way we consumed beer developed as beer expanded, grew, and advanced. The earliest vessels humans used for drinking included stoneware, pottery, carved out wood, and even sewn-together bits of leather. As time proceeded, humans saw small improvements in the quality of their beer glasses. During the bubonic plague beer steins were essential because of their closed top to keep bugs from getting in the beer and getting them ill.

Nowadays, the most important thing to affect modern beer glass production was the development of glass. As glasses became more and more popular, customers could actually see what they were consuming and demanded a lighter and better color and taste. Drinkers didn’t want chunks in their beer anymore so manufacturers started to filter their products. With this new, more aesthetically pleasing wave of beer glasses, it appeared beer steins were on the way out.

All kinds of beer glasses were created and produced for the different kinds of beverages. The most popular in the United States is the 16-ounce pint glass. It was originally used to cover a Martini shaker, but barkeeps soon found that as the beer flowed out of the beer tap handles the pint glass was the perfect vessel because it let some of the carbonation to be released and let the smell of the brew to be more obvious. The pint glass rapidly became popular with bartenders who had to rinse each glass individually because it can be stacked on top of each other and put easily on the shelves.

On the advertising and marketing front some extraordinary and groundbreaking moves were developed by early breweries to try and persuade people towards their products. Handing out beer glasses to people was one way that manufacturers found to promote their products even though it was prohibited. This led to the breweries creating beer glasses that were works of art unto themselves. Gold or silver embossing on either side of the glass was not uncommon for these first flashy and pricey glasses. Gradually, artisans for the breweries began doing detailed etchings on the sides of the glasses or steins and even developed a method of firing enamel paint onto the beer glasses. These painted glasses remain some of the most unique beer souvenirs, even though they were produced later than the others. Today fervent collectors all over the planet continue to collect these signs and collectables that are sometimes worth thousands. Have you been up in the top of Granddad’s old drawer lately?