Wine trip to Atlantic City

Among all the activities that Atlantic City has to offer, who would have thought to try a wine tasting. Last month when I went to Atlantic City, I stayed at the Borgata and ate dinner at Wolfgang Puck's famous restaurant. I had 2 glasses of Wolfgang Puck's Cabernet Sauvignon with my dinner and it was delicious. Our waiter informed us that Wolfgang Puck's wine is not for purchase and can only be drank at the restaurant. He also told us about a Vintage Wine Boutique that is located in the Water Club (which is attached to the borgata.

This Wine Boutique carries hundreds of bottles of wine that are essentially "on tap" like beers are at a bar. You fill up a card for what ever value you would like and then use your card to taste different types of wine. They have bottles that are up to a $1,000. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for a bottle of wine, you can sample it just to see what it tastes like for around $20. That way, you can see what the difference in taste really is instead of paying that kind of money. The samples range from $1 to around $20. Next time I am in Atlantic City, I am making this a must!

Gifting made Easy

Giving gifts can be a drag sometimes but when you think out of the box it can be fun. Whenever I get someone a gift for something whether it be a birthday, holiday, house warming or bridal gift, I also try to be creative and get something that stands out from the rest of the gifts. A perfect gift for anyone that drinks some sort of beverage is a gigantic wine glass. No one else will show up with it, and everyone will love it! I got one for my sister last summer for her 30th birthday and she loved it! She poured beer in it because in order to fill it with wine, she would have to drink a whole bottle!

I got this bottle at the Christmas Tree Shops for $13. They have gigantic wine glasses on Amazon.com also.

California Lovin'

California Wine is known as one of the best on the market for some drinkers. If California was a country, it would be the fourth largest wine producing country in the world. There are a number of different regions within the big state including Napa Valley, Sonoma County and Central Valley. Depending on which type of grape you like is where you should look to purchase your wine from.

As I mentioned in previous posts, my favorite wine is Sauvignon Blanc. My go to favorite Sauvignon Blanc is "Honig" which is from Napa Valley. I originally picked out "Honig" because of its attractive display. The background of the bottle looks like a beautiful vineyard. You see it through the wine and it looks nothing like any other bottle out there. I also chose it because it is from Napa Valley and that holds a high standard for any wine drinker. Napa Valley has achieved such a dominance in creating top notch wine, that it's prices are actually marked higher than other wine that tastes just as good.

My sister loves Chardonnay and her favorite wine is Rodney Strong which is from Sonoma County. Sonoma County is another region that is popular among wine drinkers. It is known to have great taste and it starts out a little cheaper than Napa Valley so many people use it as an alternative.

Both of these bottles retail for around $15. Red white from California is always a little more expensive. Bottles of Red from Napa Valley start around $20 for a single bottle. However, an alternative is to buy wine that just says "california wine." You are still getting wine from California, but it is not from just one region. Many red blends do this. My favorite red blend is "Menage A Trois." It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel. It retails for around $10 so it is perfect to buy for a BYOB night at a restaurant, or just a lazy Friday night. It also makes a great gift for anyone!

Never Judge Wine by its Bottle

Never judge a book by its cover has been a saying that has been around for decades. The same goes for wine. Wine distributors spend thousands of dollars to make the perfect label to stand out from the rest of the bunch. They advertise it in the way they hope their customers will perceive it.

Admit it, you have been a victim of this. Everyone that goes to buy a bottle of wine has been intrigued to buy a certain brand just because the looks of it was appealing to them. Wine companies do this on purpose. They know that the packaging is one of the main reasons that people buy certain brands, especially if they are uneducated about wine. From time to time, I still buy wine that just "looks cool." 

When I was in Spain last year, I bought this bottle of wine just because I thought the bottle was cool. I still have it as a keep sake, but it was hands down one of my least favorite white wines that I ever drank. 

Some of the most expensive and prestigious wine has the simplest labeling. This is mostly because they know the people buying their wine are old time wine drinkers that know what to look for. Next time you go to the liquor store, take a minute to check out the wines over $40 and you will notice that they have few colors and simplicity on their label. 

Wine-duce, Wine-use, Wine-cycle

Don't know what to do with all those empty bottles of wine you have? Re-use them and have fun doing it! Here are a couple of ideas that you can do yourself at home with your recycling that are quick, easy, and fun!

In the mood for a new vase? Take an empty wine bottle, take the labels off and spray paint it with metallic paint. Finish it off with a nice bow to give it the final touch. Add your favorite flowers and enjoy! It is perfect for bridal showers or just to put on the kitchen table at home. 

Another idea for reusing a wine bottle is painting it with chalk paint. That way you can use it for whatever you want. You can write what is for dinner, leave a note, or just put the date on. It is also a perfect gift to give, especially for a house warming party. 

New Zealand

As I mentioned in previous posts, Sauvignon Blanc is my favorite variance of white wine. New Zealand's most produced wine is Sauvignon Blanc. Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand compared to other countries is lighter and more crisp. I tried a Sauv Blanc from Napa Valley and New Zealand in one night and when comparing the colors in the bottles, the wine from Napa Valley was a lot darker, looking almost like a chardonnay. The wine from New Zealand was a lot more transparent.

I picked out "Monkey Bay" which is affordable and tastes great. My taste buds actually picked up the fruit. It is perfect for the warm weather because it is not too heavy. If you are looking for something new to drink, I would highly recommend this especially for this time of year.