Wine Club Blog
Welcome to the Gold Medal Wine Club Blog. Below you can peruse our most recent wine blog posts with engaging topics ranging from frequently asked Wine Wizard questions published in our Gold Wine Club newsletter, to even some fun wine tips and tricks! Discover wine tasting guides, recipes and more to grow your wine knowledge that will impress even the snobbiest of wine snobs.
Interested in a topic we haven’t covered yet? Email us with an idea or question about wine and you may see it appear in our next blog post!
What Is Amphora Wine?
Erin O'Reilly - Certified Specialist of Wine
Long before oak barrels arrived on the scene, winemakers depended on terracotta jars for their craft. These vessels, called amphora (am-for-ah), have played a role in winemaking and wine storage since antiquity. Today, many modern-day winemakers have rediscovered the compelling properties of clay.
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How to Put Together a Great Wine Flight
Erin O'Reilly - Certified Specialist of Wine
Looking for creative ideas to host your next event with family and friends? Assembling a wine tasting flight is easy to do if you follow a few tried-and-true guidelines. So set a date and get those glasses polished!
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What Is Ice Wine?
Erin O'Reilly - Certified Specialist of Wine
Ice wine, also known as ‘Eiswein’ in German, is a lusciously sweet dessert wine crafted from frozen grapes harvested in the depths of winter. Not every region can produce ice wine, and it remains a delectable treat for special occasions.
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Why Can’t I Find Wines from Small Wineries in Big Stores?
Erin O'Reilly - Certified Specialist of Wine
Prohibition, America’s failed experiment to control alcohol consumption, officially ended in 1933. Repeal hinged on allowing each state to dictate its own liquor laws. No one could envision the bloated regulatory maze that would evolve over the ensuing century.
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Is There Such a Thing as 'Sugar Free' Wine?
Erin O'Reilly - Certified Specialist of Wine
Understanding how sugar gets into wine and which wines may (or may not) be sugar free can help you select the perfect bottle for your lifestyle. There’s no better way to learn about sugar-free wine than by first covering sugary wine! I know, it seems counterintuitive, but bear with us and you’ll see how sugar can ultimately be eliminated during the winemaking process, creating the sugar-free beverage that you’re looking for.
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Pinot Noir vs. Cabernet Sauvignon
Erin O'Reilly - Certified Specialist of Wine
Pinot Noir vs Cabernet Sauvignon. How are these two grapes and wines different? These two red wine darlings of the wine world are not only different in body, weight, and style, but also in origin. If Cabernet is the heavyweight champion of wine, packing a punch that you won’t soon forget, then Pinot Noir is the dancer whose power is veiled under finesse and elegance.
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Why Leave in Wine Skins During Winemaking or Aging?
Erin O'Reilly - Certified Specialist of Wine
For most wine grape varieties, the skins are where the magic happens. Depending on the final style of wine, the producer will use different techniques when it comes to manipulating wine skins and shaping your wine experience.
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How to Taste a Bunch of Wines Without Getting Palate Fatigue
Erin O'Reilly - Certified Specialist of Wine
If you’ve ever gone wine tasting, or better yet attended a wine festival, you’ve probably experienced a point in the day when the wines begin to blend together. You can no longer tell the them apart - one Syrah tastes like the next. Even the Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc start to blur.
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The Dirt on Vineyard Soil
Erin O'Reilly - Certified Specialist of Wine
If you pick up a crumbling fistful of vineyard soil, you’ll hold in your hand a complex set of ingredients to make great wine. But before getting into how... What Exactly Is Soil? Soil is a combination of solids (organic and inorganic material), liquids and gasses. It occupies a physical space and supports rooted plants in an environment.
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Inexpensive Gifts for Wine Lovers
Erin O'Reilly - Certified Specialist of Wine
Thinking about presents for a special wine lover in your life? If you don’t know the difference between Chardonnay and Chablis, buying a bottle of wine can seem downright daunting. Not to mention that wine can often come across as pretentious and expensive, when in reality most wine enthusiasts have discovered a special experience that they would love to share with you.
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Do Old Vines Really Produce Better Wines?
Erin O'Reilly - Certified Specialist of Wine
Old grape vines, gnarled and weathered with the seasons, evoke images of the vigneron’s careful stewardship through a lifetime. The vines’ thick trunks twisted and sturdy, are rooted against the seasonal changes of market demand, loyally offering up their fruit year after year to make old vine wines.
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90+ Point Wines: What's in a Score?
Erin O'Reilly - Certified Specialist of Wine
Today’s wide-spread use of wine scores may make it seem like rankings have been around forever. Designed with the consumer in mind and popularized through mainstream wine marketing, understanding how the 100-point wine scoring system works can help you select quality 90+ point wines with confidence.
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