Holiday Season Deals

The holiday season is upon us and there's plenty of time to get gifts.......or is there?   We are fully stocked right now as are most stores but it won't be long before some of the most popular items start to run short.  As it gets closer to Christmas it will be harder for stores to get items restocked so if you see something that you really want now is the time to buy.

We just received a new supply of High Heel Wine Bottle Holders, we now have a dozen different styles and they are priced to sell quickly.  Also our decorative Metal Wine Bottle Holders is another hot item that has been selling well but we are already short on a couple of styles so don't wait too long too decide.

Stop by and visit TwistedCorkscrew.com and checkout some of the great bargains and unique items we carry.

Basic Food and Wine Pairing

There are many articles about pairing wine with meals.  The basic answer is white wine with fish or chicken, red wine with steak or pasta but there’s more involved.  Someone ask which white wine goes better with fish well it depends on what type of fish you are having and the flavor style (mild or spicy) as well as your taste preferences.

Many wines are vinited in a range of styles from light to full texture, depending on the producer so a heavy oaked Chardonnay may go well with a cream based pasta but an un-oaked Chardonnay might pair well with a mild fish or poultry.  Since there are many wines and so many cross over the lines for basic food pairing due the unique vintages and blending it is nearly impossible to come up with a complete list that is simple and straight forward. 

There are some people that only drink red wine and others that only drink white and still others that drink both but a limited selection.  No matter what your preference is there is either a red or white wine that you will find compatible with your main course whatever that may be.  So don’t stress, work within the boundaries of your taste preferences and gradually experiment to expand your taste palate.

Think of it this way, the food and wine you’re having needs to compliment each other or balanced by their flavor, texture and acidity.  

Spicy foods pair best with a sweet or flavorful wine. 

Beef dishes pair well with a bold full-bodied wine. (Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel)

Pasta with tomato sauce (Acidic) goes well with a wine with higher acidity like Chianti or Sauvignon Blanc if you prefer white wine. 

Pasta with a creamy white sauce works very well with a Chardonnay.  Cream based pasta contains milk so acidic wine would not be a good match.

If you’re having a fish dinner with a lemon sauce I would suggest something like Sauvignon Blanc but with a mild fish dinner Riesling would be a better choice.  There are many varieties of fish, some are mild and flaky and others are more like a steak (swordfish).   When I have swordfish I like a medium body wine like Pinot Noir, it seems just bold enough for that texture and taste.   Pairing wines with meals should not be stressful, relax and enjoy the process, try experimenting you might discover a great combination.

Here’s a no stress basic wine-pairing list.  This is by no means a comprehensive list and there are some that may dispute some of my selections but that’s ok.

Steak, Beef Dishes                            Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, 

& Barbeque                                       Zinfandel, Malbec,  

                                                       Norton (Missouri), Bold Reds

  

Poultry                                               Riesling, Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir,  Chianti, Merlot, Rioja, Burgundy, Medium Bodied

Pork                                  Pinot Noir, Chianti, Merlot, Rioja, Riesling

Fish                                        Semillon, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Noir (swordfish)

Shellfish                                    Chablis, Riesling, Burgundy, Chardonnay

Tomato based Pasta (red)               Chianti, Sangiovese, Italian wines, Merlot, Zinfandel (red)

Creamy Pasta                               Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Merlot

Spicy foods                 Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Rose’          

Matching food and wines from the same country work well because they are produced to enhance the local fare.

Let your server, or the menu guide you to a wine selection.  The restaurant wants you to come back so they don’t want to steer you wrong with a bad wine pairing.

Sometimes the season can lead you to a wine selection.  Personally, I drink more white wine in the summer that red because it’s just more refreshing in the Missouri heat.  I love Cabernet Sauvignon but sometimes it’s just too heavy on a hot summer day.

Visit Twisted Corkscrew and browse our fine selection for Ravenscroft Wine Glasses, which are designed to enhance your wine experience.

Twisted Tuesday Sale

Twisted Tuesdays sale starts now and is offering The Gentleman Vintage Corkscrew for a super low price of $12.95.  This offer is available today only until supplies are depleted.  Retail price  is  $28.95, so take a look at this replica antique corkscrew which comes packaged in a leather/wood gift or display box The Gentleman Corkscrew.  This is a great gift for any occasion.

Happy Hour Thursday Sale

Happy Hour Thursday is Here! This special sale runs from 4 pm to 7pm today only. So here’s the special, all Laguiole Corkscrews are marked down a whopping 20%. All you need to do is come back and visit us between 4pm and 7pm to get the coupon code. So this is your chance to get a high quality Laguiole Corkscrew at a great discount but remember the sale ends at 7pm today. There’s no time to wait any longer buy your gifts now at a great price. Limit 2 Laguiole corkscrews per customer. Free Shipping does not apply to happy hour sales.

Happy Hour Thursday Sale

Come visit Twisted Corkscrew for our 1st Happy Hour Thursday sale.  It starts at 4pm on Thursday Aug 25th and ends at 7pm.  This is a 3 hour sale only.  I promise you won't be disappointed,  Go to our home page at Twisted News to find out all about the sale.  Remember it starts a 4pm and ends at 7pm, so be sure to check it out.

Weekend Sale

Twisted Corkscrew is hosting a Wacky Weekend Whale of a Sale form Friday 8-19-2011 to Sunday 8-22-2011.  All the Decorative Metal Wine Bottle Holders are being discounted an additional 7% by just using this coupon code (wbh525).  All you need to do is enter this code in the coupon box during checkout or in the floating shopping cart and you will receive the 7% discount.
     These decorative metal wine bottle holders from Berkeley Designs are unique, fun and priced to sell.  The metal character wine bottle holders are our newest top selling product.  These are great gift items, and noe is the perfect time to buy before the rush begins.  So visit Twisted Corkscrew and checkout all the different character wine holders we carry.  Visit often because we are getting new stock all of the time.  Keep up to date on our sales promos and new products by reading The Twisted News and our Product Reviews on the home page.

Twisted Tuesday Sale

Twisted Corkscrews 1^st  Twisted Tuesdays sale starts now and is offering the Artful Winemaker Deluxe kit for a super low price of $98.00 including free shipping.  This offer is available today only until supplies are depleted.  Normally priced at $159.99, so take a look at one of the most innovative products on the market today for personal wine making is the Artful Winemaker Deluxe system.    Each all inclusive Artful winemaker package includes: instructional DVD, premium wine refill kit your choice, 12 bottles, toppers (corks), closures (bottle dressing), funnel, spoon, adhesive thermometer and ingredient packets.

Look for Twisted Tuesday Sale on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month. One item will be on sale at a super low discounted price until the supply is depleted. So look early and buy before our supply runs out. Visit us on our first Twisted Tuesdays Sale (Aug 16th) to find out about the special.  


Get more information about Twisted Tuesday Sale by visiting our Twisted Corkscrew Home page and read the Twisted News section.


Remember Twisted Tuesday Sale happens the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month.

Wine Aerators - How They Work or Do They Work?

Experts say your wine needs to breathe and for most red wines and some white wines that’s true.  All wines have some tannins but more so in red wines especially noticeable in young red wines.  In an older red wine the tannins will soften whereas in young wines the tannins are strong and may give the wine a harsh taste.  

Let’s talk about red wine aerators first.    Red wine aerators do make a noticeable difference in the wine in that it will smooth out the harsh tannins and improve the taste.  I have personally done taste test with the Vinturi and Franmara aerators and they work well but do I use the aerator with every bottle of red wine, no I don’t.  Wine drinkers all have different pallets and taste buds so what I perceive to be too tannic may be just perfect for someone else.  That’s why I always taste the wine first to see if it is pleasant and smooth tasting to me.  If I feel it has a harsh or biting taste I will the use my Vinturi aerator to smooth out the tannic taste.  It’s about your taste and what you prefer but I recommend red wine drinkers buy an aerator to have on hand when you feel the wine does not meet your taste pallet. 

What about white wine aerators, do you really need to aerate white wine.

I drink more red wine than white but I do like some whites.  If you prefer white wines and like a bold full bodied white like Chardonnay or Viognier then a white wine aerator might be worthwhile.  This again depends on you taste preferences.

I like the crisp taste of Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, which are light and medium bodied.  I don’t believe aerating a light or medium body white wine is worthwhile for me. 

What is the difference in the red and white wine aerators?  Can one work on both red and white?  I tried using a red wine aerator to aerate white wine (Sauvignon Blanc) but I couldn’t distinguish any difference even when I ran it through a 2^nd time.  I’m not a Sommelier so I may not be the best person to make this determination and I also used a red wine aerator but I would think that would make a more decisive change.  The question is how many wine drinkers have the taste buds of a Sommelier my guess is not very many.  So if you are the average person drinking white wine unless it’s Chardonnay, you probably won’t benefit as much buying a white wine aerator as you would buying a red wine aerator.

Can you over aerate?  Absolutely, try leaving a bottle out all night without preserving it.  It is exposed to the air, which will aerate it all night long but it will be flat in the morning.  The Vinturi , Franmara, Soiree, Selection decanting pourer and other aerators will not over aerate your wine.  Some are more aggressive aerators (Franmara) than others but all of them perform the worthy task of improving the wine to match your taste.

What about decanting wine?  Decanting is a perfectly acceptable to aerate wine but it takes longer (up to an hour for bold reds) and doesn’t have a cool sound like the Vinturi.  Decanters can be are very elegant looking and make a great presentation but we will talk about decanters in another article.

Bottom line is that the more tannin in the wine the more benefit you will receive with aerating the wine.
Visit Twisted Corkscrew for all your wine accessory needs.