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Uncorked: The Blog : THE BLOG

5 Ways to Quickly Chill White Wine

wine glasses with white wine

Close up of white wine being poured in a cellar with an oak barrel in background.

A glass of chilled white is a great way to start your evening.  But it takes at least two hours to chill a bottle in a refrigerator.  What if you want a glass of white wine now? Watch this short video on 5 Ways to Quickly Chill White Wine and never be stuck with warm wine again.

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Napa Wine Stars

Napa Valley is the epicenter of the California wine scene and Cabernet Sauvignon is its star varietal. This is due in part to one Winemaker, Andre Tchelistcheff, who arrived in Napa in 1938 and is considered the most influential post-prohibition winemaker in America. Get to know some other superstar Napa Winemakers who burnish the fame of this region.

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25 Facts to Know About These Popular Wine Varietals

3 wine glasses

How much do you really know about wine? Test your wine knowledge with these 25 facts about 5 of the most popular wine varietals: Cabernet, Pinot, Zin, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. Plus, learn a little more about the hard to pronounce but delicious nonetheless Viognier varietal.

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What Are Wine Bottle Capsules?

Beautiful custom capsule on a bottle of wine.

Napa Valley’s Anthem Winery uses a beautiful custom capsule on their bottlings.

Here at The California Wine Club, we have been enjoying and learning about wine since 1990. We love sharing the things we’ve learned with our wine club members.

Today we are answering the common question, “What are wine bottle capsules?” Wine capsules are the protective sleeves on the neck of a wine bottle over the cork. Their main purpose is to keep rodents or insects from harming the cork while wine is stored for long periods. They also can serve as a collar to catch drips when pouring, and they decorate the bottle. Some include information such as the winery name or logo or motto. They are not typically used on screw cap wines, but some “twisties” mimic the look of capsules. Continue Reading >

Going Organic at Castoro Cellars

“My wife was the main driver behind it,” says Niels Udsen of Castoro Cellars’ conversion to all organic farming. In 1983, right after Paso Robles became an AVA, Niels and his wife, Bimmer, took a leap of faith when they founded their small winery. Castoro means beaver in Italian and is Niels’ lifelong nickname. “We were the thirteenth winery in Paso Robles,” says Niels. “I never thought there would be over 300 wineries here. We are now the largest grower of organic grapes in Paso Robles. One hundred percent of our vineyards are farmed organically and are SIP certified (Sustainability in Practice, a nationwide sustainability program). We want a healthy environment for our employees, our family, the grapes, and the wines.

Big Barrel that says Castoro Cellars Tasting Room/ Sunset in a vineyard in the background

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The Joys and Challenges of Winemaking

Owning a small winery can be compared to a crazy spring day — brilliant sunshine followed by dark clouds, rain … and then a rainbow! It is a mixed bag, to be sure, but those who love it embrace it fully.
After 30 years visiting thousands of small artisan wineries, we’ve learned all about their highs and lows.

Vineyard with sunrise and sky
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Top 5 Wine Questions Answered

1. Why is diurnal spread important to fine winemaking?

“Different flavors and aromas are produced at different temperatures. The best tasting wine needs a vineyard with an ideal range of temperatures. With Cabernet, for example, ideal daytime highs are in the low 80s and nighttime lows are in the low 60s. This is a diurnal spread of about 20 degrees. It is the last eight weeks of the growing season that really count.”

Bill Hill, iconic Vineyard Architect and founder of William Hill Winery, Expressions, and Prime Solum.
Bill is pictured below with his daughter, Elana Hill, who is a Winegrower at Prime Solum.

woman and man next to a container of newly harvested grapes. It is nighttime and there is a light shining in their face.
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7 Before and After Wine Party Tips

Group Of Friends Enjoying A Wine Party

Good friends, good music, good food, good wine, what could be better? It is easy for wine club members to serve up a great time. For a perfect no-fuss wine party, order appetizers from your local gourmet deli or select a variety of cheeses. Sample a selection a few days ahead of time with your wine club wines and pick the best pairings. Serving charcuterie? See our what to include and what to skip on your charcuterie board. Or see 500+ recipes (with pairings!) that the small, family wineries we feature have shared with us.

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How-To Store Wine Properly

Wooden barrels with wine in a wine vault, Italy

How you store your wines can significantly change what you taste in your glass. Whether you are storing wine for a few months or a few decades, there are some basic rules to help prevent wines from aging prematurely.

In this short video, “How-to Store Wine Properly,” we’ll cover humidity level, temperatures, location and discuss storing cork versus screwcap bottles. You’ll get some easy tips to help keep your wines in perfect condition.

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Delicious and Festive Appetizer for Parties: Mushroom Tempura

Mushroom Tempura with dipping sauce in a wooden bowl on a wooden table.

Delicious & Festive!

“Mushrooms make a delicious, crowd-pleasing party food fried in this light, crisp batter,” says Emma Lipp, Head Chef and partner at the acclaimed Valley Bar and Bottle restaurant in Sonoma. She created this recipe to pair with her father’s COHO Wines Headwaters 2017 Napa Valley Red Wine, a Merlot-based Red Blend.

“While any mushroom will work in this recipe, we recommend a mixture of chewier, sturdy trumpets and festive hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, which look extra lacy in their tempura party dresses. The dipping sauce flavoring is based on Japanese dashi, the umami-rich base in Japanese cooking. The earthiness of the mushrooms combined with the delightfully savory sauce, all brightened by texture, lemon and chili, pairs wonderfully with the bright, deep fruits of the 2017 Coho Headwaters.”

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