The Wine Ladies

Enhance your whiskey’s flavour with a special glass,splash of water

Dear Wine Ladies

Loved the show last week on whiskey! One of the topics I didn’t hear you cover was how to best enjoy whiskey; in terms of preferred type of glass, are the standard tumblers suitable? Is swirling the glass as you do in wine tasting a good or a bad idea and what does the addition of water do to the whiskey’s flavor?

Josh

Wine oxidization

Dear Wine Ladies,

I’ve recently started to really get into wine. I have a very general question about tasting; most wines generally come in 750 ml bottles and I would like to try two, three or even four or more varieties of wines in a sitting, especially to compare them. Since I usually have only a few ounces of each I would like to know how I can keep the wine fresh for longer. Does the oxygen affect it?

Helmut

Variety of sparkling pairings

Dear Wine Ladies,

I am planning on throwing a small wine and cheese party for the ladies that work with me at my salon as a thank you for their hard work and support throughout the year. This will mark my second anniversary! One of the cheeses that I will be serving is gorgonzola; my favorite. I’ve heard that serving an icewine would be best but am wondering if there are any other options that might work equally well?

Theresa

Acid: Warrior for clean wine

Dear Wine Ladies,

I recently heard from some-one who is quite the authority on wine that wines are 100% bacteria free due to the alcohol content. In fact I understand wine was the beverage of choice in lieu of water in former times specifically for this reason. If you could confirm this for me it would be greatly appreciated.

John
Keswick

Health benefits of polyphenols found in home-made red wine

Dear wine Ladies,

I make my own wine from juice concentrate and have a question with regards to my heart! With all the great news about the health benefits of polyphenols found in red wine, I was wondering if there’s just as much in home made wines as there is in commercial wines.

George

Are aroma and bouquet are interchangeable?

Dear Wine Ladies,

My partner and I are just getting acquainted with wine and are wondering if the terms aroma and bouquet are interchangeable? Secondly does the length of wine refer to its age ability?

Bruce

Ask the Wine Ladies: Northern Italian Grappa

Dear Wine Ladies,

My wife and I had a delicious grappa from Northern Italy a few weeks ago and are now keen on learning more about them. Might be a good topic for one of your shows? Where are the most popular ones made and are they made with wine?

Eric

How to foul good wine

Dear Wine Ladies,

Last weekend at one of our favorite restaurants we ordered a bottle of wine that we were very familiar with. It tasted foul so we sent it back. The waiter had no problem taking it back and bringing us another bottle which was fine Afterward we wondered what could have been the reason the first bottle tasted so bad. Is there a common explanation for this? 

Being candid on decanting

Dear Wine Ladies,

We have been invited to my mother in laws for Thanksgiving dinner and I would like to surprise her with a decanter as a gift. She is just getting into wine and I thought she might enjoy this surprise instead of flowers or chocolates. Would I be able to find one that would fall into my limited budget of around $35-00-$50.00? I’d like to share a few of words of wisdom with my gift as well, if you wouldn’t mind offering a few tips it would be greatly appreciated. Should all red wines be decanted and what are the main reasons for decanting? Thanks for your advice Wine Ladies.

John

Wines for the feast

Dear Wine Ladies,

It’s our turn to host this years family thanksgiving dinner with over twenty or so guests expected, each bringing a dish of some kind or another. We’re in charge of wine selection and are wondering what pairs well with turkey? We’d like to serve both a red and a white but are really at a loss on where to start!  Any recommendations would be most appreciated.

Brenda

Wine for Goat Cheese

Dear Wine Ladies,

We’re slowly getting into selecting the right wine to go with the right food. We’ve discovered a wonderful goat cheese that is very delicate and creamy. What might be a good choice for a wine?

Adrianne
New York

Sherry will fortify trip to Spain

Dear Wine Ladies,

My wife and I would love to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary in the beautiful country of Spain. Besides all the great food, art and architecture, how does it fare on the wine stage? Do you have any recommendations for which area might be among the most interesting to visit? We have some relatives in the south west and thought we might concentrate there.

Leonard
Toronto

B.C. wine a good find

Dear wine Ladies,

I heard that there is a winery in British Columbia that is actually owned and operated by an Indian Band. This is pretty cool! Can you tell me more about it? How are the wines? Where can we buy them?

Derek

The Meaning of Meritage

Dear Wine Ladies,

The term Meritage is one I have seen on wines from California. What does it mean and is it a French word? I’m afraid French class was not my strong suit and I’m wondering how to pronounce it. Merci!

Brian

Different Options for Drinking Wine

Dear Wine Ladies,

We’re starting to enjoy a glass of wine or two most evenings albeit very moderately priced wines in the range of $10.00-$15.00 per bottle. Is it okay to drink out of tumblers or will this really take away from the wine? We do have our set of expensive crystal glasses but we’d rather not use them all the time.

Brenda

Let Wine Age Gracefully

Dear Wine Ladies,

We recently opened up a 1993 Barbaresco from Italy which we were very disappointed in. It was given to us about eight years ago and at the time we were told these wines, along with Barolos are known for their ability to age for up to twenty years! Are they? How do we know when to open our wines and if it’s too late?

Sharon

No lack of variety in world of wines

Dear Wine Ladies,

My husband and I have fallen into a trap, a wine trap that is. We’ve exhausted our palates with Chardonnays, Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Grigios from around the globe; from the old world to the new including Chile, Argentina, California and of course down under.  We’re searching for a new thrill; a new white wine, or a new grape.  Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

- Karen

The Skinny on Drinks

Dear Wine Ladies,

While approaching the 19th hole at a friend’s golf club we were all looking forward to a well deserved drink. As I am perpetually trying to lose five pounds, I wondered what would be less caloric; a glass of wine or a beer? I guess a margarita or a pina colada (my real favorites) would be out of the question! The fact is none of us really knew how beer, wine and cocktails compare when it comes to calories. What would have been the least fattening choice?

Dina

The origin of cheers

Dear Wine Ladies,

At a recent pub gathering a few friends and I we were in a particularly celebratory mood and proceeded to clink our glasses and boisterously announce “cheers” every chance we got.  I was just wondering how this custom got started? Why do we say cheers when we clink our glasses and can we only participate with an alcoholic drink?

Robin

Wine Cellar Aroma

Dear Wine Ladies,

My husband is quite proud of his wine cellar, which currently holds about 200 bottles, half of its capacity. Lately he’s been complaining about the cellar smelling like mould.

We’re guessing that is not a desirable aroma to have emanating from one’s wine cellar and are wondering where do we go from here? How did the mould get there? Any suggestions?

Dale

Ask The Wine Ladies: South African Wines

Dear Wine Ladies,

Up until now I’d never had the opportunity to taste any wines from South Africa but had a delicious white wine recently made from a grape that I believe was called “steen”.

This grape is new to me as well. What can you tell me about it?  Is it a new wine or just not very popular? Some-one recommended we try a wine called Lammershok that is suppose to now be available, saying it was made with this grape but we are unable to find it.

Allison

The Best BBQ

Dear Wine Ladies,

We’re throwing a party in the next couple of weeks to celebrate the completion, finally, of our backyard patio including a built-in barbeque and kitchen!  It’s been quite a while since we’ve entertained and are unsure as to how much wine to buy; is there some kind of formula to figure out how much we will need? Merci.

Giselle

Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Dear Wine Ladies,

A small group of us get together every couple of months and more and more, wine is becoming an important part of our socials. Last month we had a super red called Chateauneuf du Pape which I heard has to be made of thirteen different kinds of grapes. Is this right? I was also wondering if a white Chateauneuf du Pape exists.

Oh, and I have to tell you, I totally enjoy tuning into your radio show and I love your regular guest Chef Darryl!

Lena

Keeping your Champagne Bubbly

Dear Wine Ladies,

Last weekend towards the conclusion of an incredible 21st birthday celebration I saw some-one putting the end of a spoon in an un-finished champagne bottle! Then they stuck it in the fridge!  My first thought was “why is there any champagne left at all” and my second was “is that suppose to keep the wine fresher for the morning?
Have you ever heard of this?

Max

Wine Pairing for Smoked Bacon and Gruyere Tart

Dear Wine Ladies,

I’ve got a favorite recipe that I discovered a couple of years ago for a leek tart, with Gruyere cheese and smoked bacon. A few ladies will be coming over for the long weekend and this will be on the menu for a light brunch item. I’d like to serve a nice white wine, not a Chardonnay or a Sauvignon Blanc, something a little different. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Leesa

Ice Wine Serving Size

Dear Wine Ladies,

We are planning a small dinner party and I would like to offer an icewine at the conclusion of the meal. A little virtual shopping is leading me to rethink this due to the prices.  How many ounces is an appropriate serving for a dessert wine?

Helen

Sleepy Chardonnay

Dear Wine Ladies,

What does it mean when some-one says “a wine goes to sleep” for a while? Did I hear that right?

Douglas

Wine in the Freezer

Dear Wine Ladies,

I occasionally stick a bottle of wine in the freezer for a quick chilling, but am wondering if wine can actually freeze? What about hard liquor?

Kathryn

Austrian Wines

Dear Wine Ladies,

I really enjoyed your guest on the radio show and was fascinated to learn about some of the wines of Austria, formerly a place that never really entered my mind as a producer of great wine! How significant is Austria on the world stage?

Also one of the challenges I found while tuning in was trying to remember the names of some of the grapes which were unfamiliar to me, as well as the places they came from. Could you tell me the name of the award winning white wine Jamie Kennedy always has on his wine list? Is there also a red wine made more specific to Austria? 

Sheila

Screw Caps

Dear Wine Ladies,

As a total believer in screwcaps I am often tested repeatedly about my conviction. How do we rate as a nation in screwcap acceptance? I understand the Aussies are leading?

Jennifer

Wine Pairing for Pasta with Wild Mushrooms, Cream, and Mascarpone Cheese

Dear Wine Ladies,

We’re finally back on carbs (my wife and I have lost 45 pounds collectively) and we’re ready to dive back in head first entertaining with a fabulous recipe for pasta with wild mushrooms, cream and mascarpone cheese.

First of all we’d like a few suggestions for wine to go with the recipe and secondly what would you recommend to serve as an aperitif for when the guests first arrive? We usually begin with a white wine but are ready to consider something different.

Joseph

Talking About Port

Dear Wine Ladies,

Is Port considered a wine and how do they make it so high in alcohol? What is the range of alcohol levels found in Port?

Germaine