Wine Culture

Yecla is one of Spain's smallest wine regions. Established in 1975, the Yecla DO surrounds the city that shares its name. Like many small wine regions, Yecla has survived because of a fierce dedication to its traditions and heritage.

It would be easy to suggest that if John Steinbeck hadn’t written Cannery Row and other novels about the Monterey Bay region, it might never have come into prominence as a wine region within the confines of California.

The middle of November is rivalry time in the world of college football. It is also the time of year when the retailers and restaurant start blaring “Le Beaujolais est Arrivè”. For many, there is no connection between the two, but not for my friend and wine lover Andrew Hall. You see Andrew lives in Columbus, Ohio. There may not be a city in the country more crazed over its college football team, in his case, the Ohio State Buckeyes. And, there may not be a more storied or bitter college rivalry than Ohio State vs. Michigan. So bitter is the rivalry, that the word Michigan is rarely uttered by the denizens of Columbus, euphemistically referring to them, as did former OSU coach Woodrow Hayes, as “that school up north”. The last game of the Big Ten football season always features these two teams.

The first thing you should know about Portugal's Vinho Verde wine region is that the name, which translates to "green wine," doesn't describe the color of the wine produced here. Instead, the name refers to the tradition of drinking Vinho Verde wines while they are young. In fact, the worst thing you can do to a Vinho Verde wine is save it for next year.

Women have played a role throughout wine history, but many gained status through husbands or fathers. Since the 1960s, the number of women making their way into the industry on their own merit has greatly increased. Even without prominent family ties, women have become winemakers, winery owners, grape growers, researchers, writers, managers, sommeliers, educators . . . in fact, experts in all areas of the business.

In December 2008, the Navarra DO will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its first constitution. Of course, Navarra has been producing wines for much longer than 75 years. In fact, archaeological finds from the second century B.C. include Roman-era earthenware wine jars. Perhaps the DO should be celebrating its 2,075th anniversary instead.

Be they clubs, books, glasses, fridges, gadgets or wine, here are ten gift ideas for wine lovers: My Wines Direct The My Wines Direct Wine Club makes a great gift for any wine lover. With both 3 month and 6 month options, My Wines Direct offers 3 bottles of wine delivered each month (either 3 bottles of red or 2 reds and 1 white). The wines are included in the club are from “small undiscovered vineyards around the world” and are chosen through consumer tasting panels that the company holds each month. Over the course of the club, recipients can expect to taste a variety of wines from California, Europe, South America and Australia. My Wines Direct wine club information / Wine Shipping Information . Christmas Wine Gift Recommendations New Years Eve Champagne Recommendations Books There are a lot of wine books out there and any wine geek has likely learned that people love to give wine books to wine geeks. In other words, they probably have a dozen wine guides to this or that collecting dust on their bookshelves. If you are going the book route for a gift, consider Julia Flynn's book on the Mondavi Family, The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty . It's a quick read on the first family of American wine and provides an interesting perspective on the evolution of the US wine industry.

Size Isn't Everything Rheinhessen's long winemaking history and large size are the building blocks of its reputation in the world of wine – and there are pros and cons associated with both. Rheinhessen's most famous wine, Liebfraumilch, while well known as far back as the mid-1700's, might well be called "infamous" today because of its reputation for insipid sweetness. Still, it's hard to argue with brand-name success, so you're likely to find Liebfraumilch prominently displayed in your local wine shop's German section.

The name Burgundy conjures up images of lush pinot noirs and chardonnays with expensive price tags, served to you with a French accent. It’s most wine lovers dream to visit the region and immerse yourself in pate, pinot and pastries.

Cariñena's winemaking heritage goes back a long way. The Romans who built Carae, today's Cariñena, discovered that the local inhabitants mixed wine and mead – a fermented beverage made from honey and water – as early as the third century before Christ. The Romans continued this winemaking tradition, as they did wherever they settled in western Europe.