4 Reasons To Celebrate National Drink Wine Day

Punch Bowl Cards

Tomorrow, February 18, is National Drink Wine Day in the U.S. It’s an annual celebration that gives us a chance to tout the health benefits of wine, pay tribute to wine’s enhancement of food and lifestyle, and provides the perfect reason to enjoy a glass. Here are four reasons to get your wine happy on tomorrow.

1) Wine Provides Health Benefits

A glass of wine a day has been proven to increase heart health, help in weight reduction, boost immunity, decreases blood clots and reduce forgetfulness.

2) Wine Is Popular

Wine is very popular in the U.S. with two-thirds of the population reporting that they drink occasionally, and 40% say they take at least one drink a week. The top five wine drinking states are the District of Columbia, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and New Jersey.

3) You Have a Special Bottle Waiting

You probably already have some wine stashed away for a special occasion. Well, today’s the day. Grab that bottle you’ve been waiting to try and enjoy it tonight.

4) It’s Time To Spread the Love

Wine has played a part in our lives for more than 6,000 years. We’ve used it to mark those occasions of historical and life significance; we toast christenings, baptisms, and other religious events with it, and we share a bottle for special days like anniversaries, birthdays and holidays.

You can celebrate the day with a glass of red or white, sweet or dry. The main point is to simply enjoy a glass of vino! If you’re located a larger city, check out Local Wine Events to see what’s planned, or keep up with events on the Drink Wine Day FaceBook site.

There are over a dozen days designated for wine celebrations this year, including Mulled Wine Day on March 3, Malbec World Day on April 19, National Moscato Day on May 9, National Chardonnay Day on May 23, National Wine Day on May 25, National Cabernet Day on August 29, and National Champagne Day is December 31.  

So raise your glass in a toast to National Drink Wine Day, and to Robert Louis Stevenson who noted that “Wine is bottled poetry.” Indeed, it is!

~ Joy

Celebrate National Mulled Wine Day

I’ll make this short and sweet. Tuesday, March 3^rd is National Mulled Wine Day. Sipping a glass of mulled wine is the perfect way to bid winter a final farewell before spring rushes in with warmer temperatures and those wonderful crisp, white wines.

Mulled or warmed wines were first served in Rome during the 2^nd century. As the Romans traveled the continent, they shared the mulled wine recipe with other communities including what is now England, Germany, the Netherlands and Austria.

Mulled wine goes by many names including glögg (Sweden), gløgg (Norwegian), gluhwein (German), vin chaud (French), and vin brulé (Italian). It is usually served during the holiday season as a festive drink at parties or around a bonfire.

Mulled wine recipes abound. Most call for using red wine, usually claret or port, and adding various mulling spices which can include ginger, cloves, cinnamon and anise. Fruit may also be added; the most popular being orange slices, raisins or cranberries. The drink is then served piping hot or warm.

Here is a standard crockpot recipe for mulled wine that will keep you warm all evening as you celebrate the end of winter and anticipate the coming spring.

Mulled Wine Recipe

1 bottle of red wine (your choice)

Up to ½ cup sugar (according to taste)

Slice of ginger root

6 cloves

½ teaspoon aniseed

½ teaspoon allspice

2 cinnamon sticks + one for each mug

1 orange (peeled and sliced)

½ cup raisins or cranberries

¼ to ½ cup brandy (optional)

Pour wine into crockpot, add sugar and stir in spices. Turn dial to medium and let wine begin to simmer (20 minutes). Turn down to low and add fruit to crockpot, along with brandy, if using.  Stir well. Wait 10 minutes, pour wine in mugs (leave spices in crockpot), and enjoy by a roaring fire.

~ Joy

Celebrate #Cabernet Day

Tomorrow, August 29^th, is #Cabernet Day and that’s reason enough for me to pop open a bright and bold Cabernet Sauvignon and toast to the day.

Started by Rick Bakas in 2010, #Cabernet Day was advertised by word-of-mouth  through social media platforms. http://cabernetday2013-eorg.eventbrite.com  It is actually a global event now, to be celebrated around the world with a raised glass, or bottle, of your favorite Cabernet (Franc, Sauvignon or blend.)

Cabernet Sauvignon Grapes

But why Cabernet? Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most recognized grapes, and wines, in the world. It is grown throughout Europe, America, and Canada.

Cabernet Franc Grapes

Sauvignon Blanc Grapes

During the 17^th Century an accidental crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc resulted in the Cabernet Sauvignon grape.  The grape became very popular in Bordeaux during the 18^th Century. The vines are hardy and resistant to disease and cold temperatures, which makes them easier to grow. Cabernet Sauvignon was the most planted grape in the world until Merlot took over in the 1990’s.

But never fear, Cabernet has bounced back and is once again the most planted grape in the world. In fact, in the U.S. 25% of all grapes planted in California are Cabernet Sauvignon. 

In France, the majority of the country’s Cabernet grapes come from the Left Bank in the Bordeaux region. (The Right Bank tends to lean toward Merlots.)

Cabernet Sauvignon can be crafted into a wine that cellars well. Mature Cabernets can demand a high price and they are the stars of the wine auctions. It is not unusual for more mature California Cabs to command $300 to $800 a bottle. If you’re looking for mature California Cabernets at better than expected prices, check out Sotheby’s http://www.sothebys.com and Christie’s http://www.christies.com auction houses in New York and Chicago where these bottles can range from 65% to 85% of the prices the same wines go for in San Francisco at Bonhams & Butterfields http://www.bonhams.com. But one word of caution, know your vintages for the best deals.

  And speaking of the highest prices, Screaming Eagle http://www.screamingeagle.com commands first place as the most expensive California Cabernet with an average selling price of $2,500 a bottle. The reason it can command such a price? When it was first released in 1992, Robert Parker gave it 99 points and Wine Spectator gave it 96 points. It’s now a prestigious bottle for the wealthy to name-drop that they have cellared.

However, Penfolds http://www.penfolds.com of Australia holds the title for the world’s most expensive wine, which just happens to be a Cabernet. Last year Penfolds offered 12 handmade ampoules of their 2004 Block 42 Cab for $168,000 each. Why the price? According to Penfolds:

"2004 Block 42 is a rare, single-vineyard wine, only released in stellar vintages and produced from the oldest continuously-producing Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the world."

But there's even more "bang for the buck(s) - You can't open the bottle, only a Penfolds expert can.
Watch the video demonstration @ http://www.penfolds.com/en/news-events/ampoule-project.aspx)

"When a decision is made to open the ampoule a senior member of the Penfolds winemaking team will personally attend a special opening ceremony for the owner. The winemaker will travel to the destination of choice, where the ampoule will be ceremoniously removed from its glass plumb-bob casing and opened using a specially designed tungsten-tipped,  sterling silver scribe-snap.  The winemaker will then prepare the wine using a beautifully crafted sterling silver tastevin."

But for today, any Cabernet will do. So pour a glass and savor those intense flavors of berries, tobacco, leather and lead pencil. After all, any time we can celebrate with a Cabernet is a good time, indeed.

~ Joy