WHISKY WHYS KIT BY WINE AWAKENINGS – A SENSORY EXPERIENCE FOR ALL LOVERS OF WHISKY/SCOTCH

 

WHISKY WHYS KIT BY WINE AWAKENINGS – A SENSORY EXPERIENCE FOR ALL LOVERS OF WHISKY/SCOTCH – For the past fifteen years, we have developed an expertise of aromatic science, beginning with wine. When this expertise is married to spirits, namely to the art of Whisky appreciation, all roads led to an obvious partnership developed between our company and the wealth of knowledge we found that had been authored and published by the world renowned whisky expert—Michael Jackson.

 Our partnership in “spirit” quickly became a perfect match. This means taking the experience of the enjoyment of

Candy & Wine – The Perfect Pairing!

Can you pair Halloween goodies with your favorite wine?
At first glance, most people’s faces cringe…the idea of sipping an acidic beverage after ingesting that sugary treat is not the most appealing.  But with every challenge there are experts and voila!

Pairing Candy & Wine

Experts say if you want to indulge in the Halloween candy – there is actually a perfect pairing with your favorite wine!

1.  Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Sherry.  The raisin, caramel, and almond flavors of the Sherry help enhance the creamy peanut butter filling.

2.  M&M’s and Port wine. The dark, sweet, black fig and dried fruit notes of Port counter-balances the milk chocolate in M&M’s.

3.  Hershey Kisses and Zinfandel.  It contrasts the creamy milk chocolate with ripe berry flavors, and will supposedly turn every bite into a quote, “raspberry cordial on the palate.”

4.  Twix and the Portuguese wine Madeira.  Coconut and caramel both complement the brown sugar nuttiness of Madeira.

5.  Sour Patch Kids or Sweet Tarts and Riesling.  The sweetness of the Riesling counters the candy’s tartness, and finishes with a cleansing kick of acidity.

Enjoy your treats and remember…if you “trick or treat” and sip…don’t drive!

The Newest Trend: BLUE WINE!

Can’t decide between red, white and rose wine? How about a glass of blue Spanish company Gïk has introduced a new wine color to entice new drinkers, especially the younger non-wine drinkers who might have been discouraged by all the wine snootiness. The new tipple is a blend of red and white wine but comes in a bright blue hue. The new color suggests it’s the trendy drink to be seen sipping. Gïk blue wine has 11.5% alcohol by volume (ABV).

While it’s the blue dye that gives the wine its signature hue, the coloring is all natural. The blue dye is made from a naturally occurring pigment found in grape skin, anthocyanin, as well as indigo, which is another all-natural dye extracted from plants.

The blue wine comes with a calorie-free additive that gives it its sweetness.  The Gïk tipple is said to taste like a Riesling, which is a sweet white wine thatis often served chilled.

Gïk blue wine is made from grapes from the León, La Rioja and Castilla-La Mancha regions near Madrid in Spain.  After the launch in Spain, the Gïk team brought the blue wine to several countries in Europe, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Portugal. Each bottle has a price tag of £7.50 ($9.99) and could make an appearance on our shelves later this year.

“We do not believe in wine tasting rules and we don’t think that anybody should need to study the bible of enology to enjoy a glass of wine” explained Gïk on its company website.

In fact, the Gïk team itself is made up of six young Spanish entrepreneurs without a seemingly snobbish wine tradition, namely Iñigo Alday, Jen Besga, Aritz López, Imanol López, Gorka Maiztegi and Taig Mac Carthy.

According to the Gïk team, they are not vintners. Rather, they are creators and they have chosen the wine industry as their battlefield to create a “radically different product.” Apart from making the color blue, they have made their wine sweeter, making it easier to drink, especially for the non-wine.

In psychology, the color blue also represents infinity, movement and innovation. In terms of shaking things up in the wine industry, the new hue is also the one most linked to change and flow.

Drink Like A Pro

 

Trying to impress your boss, co-worker, or wine loving freind?  Sometimes, enjoying a glass of wine can be a complicated afair.  For those instances, have a look at this great article and illustrated guide on the finer points of enjoying a glass of wine.

 

https://www.fix.com/blog/drink-wine-like-an-expert/

Article on Entrepreneur about what to get the wine lover in your life…Featuring Wine Awakenings Kits!

A great read!

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/254018?utm_source=Social&utm_medium=Sharebar&utm_campaign=Sumome_share

Kelowna Part 2

After a quick Tim Horton’s breakfast and coffee, we were fuelled and ready to start Day 2. While allowing the coffee and food to settle, we decided to check out the local Kelowna Farmers’ & Crafters’ Market. The market allowed a quick glimpse at all unique crafters and great produce Kelowna and surrounding areas had to offer. We picked up a few snacks that we would enjoy from winery to winery and started heading toward the West Side Wine Trail, the first of two trails we would complete that day.

The West Side Wine Trail is situated in beautiful West Kelowna. Compared to the wineries of the first day, The Kelowna Fab Five, these wineries operated on a much larger scale. Another distinguishing quality of all these wineries were their incredibly breathtaking views…the wine wasn’t too bad either!

Some Highlights…

How Many Kelowna Winery Tours and Tastings Can You Do In One Day…?

Two weeks ago, my wife and I visited family who live in an eastern suburb of Vancouver, in beautiful British Columbia. After a few very enjoyable days spent admiring the view and heights in Squamish BC, and the beautiful walking trails in Deep Cove, my family and I could not resist the gravitational force pulling at us from the nearby Okanagan Valley …undoubtedly the most beautiful and picturesque wine regions anywhere. So, without even feigning any resistance whatsoever, we embarked on our voyage which took us on Highway 5 (the infamous reality TV backdrop for Highway from Hell).  Through the breath-taking symphony of mountains, hills and valleys of majestic British Columbia, we made the long, winding journey to Kelowna, situated in the very heart of the Okanagan Valley. Upon our arrival, we were welcomed by the festivities of their annual Fall Okanagan Wine Festival, and we prepared our senses for what we knew would be a most enjoyable cram session…an oenologically delicious study of this region’s unique native wines. I could tell by the look of steely determination in everyone’s eyes’ that we were not to be denied…we were on a mission to take full advantage of the situation at hand (in part for research purposes, of course).

What We’ve Been Up To Lately- Globe and Mail Article

It’s been a while since our last post.  We’ve been up to a lot but here is our most recent exciting news.

 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-growth/the-challenge/aroma-kits-offer-an-edge-in-wine-appreciation/article26093938/?cmpid=rss1

Happy Valentine’s! Why are chocolate and wine such good companions?

When one only considers strictly the symbiosis of wine and chocolate, it is easy to conclude that there is little to suggest that they actually complement one another…other than to say that both have a somewhat “guilty pleasure” trait…and both are very desirably complex items over which wars have been fought!

The increasing lovers of wine and chocolate will tell you that this is a better match than wine and cheese. After all, cheese is made (mostly) with milk, and milk is the opposite of wine.

Try this: take a sip of wine (don’t let me twist your arm, now). Now, eat a piece of your favorite dark chocolate. Now

Drinking Could Make You Smarter, Research Says

We know that wine can definitely make you merrier, but can drinking actually make you smarter? I remember that when my neighbor recounted the unfortunate incident of him being stopped and convicted of DUI, his reaction was: Boy, that made me smarten up!
I was compelled to conduct my own research and started by posing the question to loyal Wine Awakenings customers and followers of this blog. I was astounded by the results and I will be sharing some of those stories in the new year.
I’m glad to report, however that the answer is an emphatic YES! (Even though further experimentation is warranted…and encouraged… by all…)