http://kevinzraly.gather.com Recent Articles on Gather by Kevin Zraly en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 20:17:58 GMT 2010-01-01T20:17:58Z en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 http://www.gather.com/images/header/logo_gather.gif http://www.gather.com/ http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977737820 No winegrowing area in the world has come so far so quickly as California. Thirty years ago we were asking if California wines were entitled to be compared to European wines. Now California wines . . . Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:07:58 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977737820 Kevin Zraly 2009-07-15T15:07:58Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977698357 Why did Chianti have such a bad image until recently? One reason was the little straw-covered flasks ( fiaschi ) that the wine was bottled in—nice until restaurants hung the bottles from . . . Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:21:23 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977698357 Kevin Zraly 2009-06-02T14:21:23Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977662321   Today, Kevin launches on Delish.com , MSN’s official Food channel, where he will be sharing his unique advice on wine. On the site you'll find video guides for tasting and buying, slide . . . Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:24:06 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977662321 Kevin Zraly 2009-04-24T15:24:06Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977662017 New York is the third largest wine-producing state in the United States, with nine AVAs. There are more than 200 wineries in New York State, up from just 19 in 1975. The three premium wine regions . . . Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:17:54 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977662017 Kevin Zraly 2009-04-21T15:17:54Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977657896 Sales of Spanish wine in the United States grew by 16% in 2005 alone - so what should you look for in Spain's finest region, Rioja? Spain's Wine Renaissance Spain is the world’s third . . . Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:42:39 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977657896 Kevin Zraly 2009-04-16T18:42:39Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977651418 The color and the grape: Red wines, because of their tannin content, will generally age longer than whites. And certain red grapes, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, tend to have more tannin than, say, . . . Thu, 09 Apr 2009 19:37:54 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977651418 Kevin Zraly 2009-04-09T19:37:54Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977644799 Port comes from the Douro region in northern Portugal. In fact, in recent years, to avoid the misuse of the name “Port” in other countries, the true Port wine from Portugal has been renamed . . . Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:16:37 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977644799 Kevin Zraly 2009-04-02T20:16:37Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977629625 What’s the correct way to open a bottle of Champagne? Before we sip Champagne in class, I always take a few moments to show everyone how to open a bottle of Champagne properly. I do this for a good . . . Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:13:13 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977629625 Kevin Zraly 2009-03-18T20:13:13Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977612181 Why do I get a headache when I drink wine? The simple answer may be overconsumption! Seriously though, more than 10 percent of my students are medical doctors, and none of them has been able to . . . Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:12:24 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977612181 Kevin Zraly 2009-03-02T19:12:24Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977590187 There has been a trend toward wineries specializing in particular grape varieties. Twenty years ago, I would have talked about which wineries in California were the best. Today, I’m more likely to . . . Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:54:28 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977590187 Kevin Zraly 2009-02-24T16:54:28Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977590157 This is one of the most controversial subjects among my wine friends, and everyone seems to have a different answer or angle regarding the question. I think most of my peer group would agree that . . . Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:42:50 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977590157 Kevin Zraly 2009-02-10T17:42:50Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977571625 Women, particularly ones attached to royal courts, deserve much of the credit for Champagne's international fame. Madame de Pompadour said that Champagne was the only drink that left a woman . . . Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:42:11 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977571625 Kevin Zraly 2009-01-22T20:42:11Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977568901 Great things are happening in Argentina's wine industry! A growing number of wineries have changed their philosophy and now concentrate on producing higher-quality wines rather than manufacturing . . . Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:22:59 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977568901 Kevin Zraly 2009-01-20T14:22:59Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977567827 To celebrate the new year, Kevin Zraly’s publisher, Sterling Publishing, is raising its glass to you! Sterling is giving away ten copies of Windows on the World Complete Wine Course 2009 edition by . . . Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:57:20 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977567827 Kevin Zraly 2009-01-19T13:57:20Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977561917 Although grapes were planted and wine was made as early at 1847 in Oregon, the modern era began in the mid-1960s. Today, because of its climate, Oregon is becoming well known for Burgundian-style . . . Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:56:25 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977561917 Kevin Zraly 2009-01-13T14:56:25Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977556095 First, forget everything you’ve ever heard about wine-and-food pairing. There’s only one rule when it comes to matching wine and food: The best wine to pair with your meal is whatever wine you like. . . . Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:59:23 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977556095 Kevin Zraly 2009-01-07T16:59:23Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977548677 Everyone knows that Champagne is a sparkling bubbly that everyone drinks on New Year's Eve. What better way to celebrate than with Champagne? Most of my readers want to know the best value choices . . . Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:29:01 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977548677 Kevin Zraly 2008-12-30T19:29:01Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977539983 As in all matters of taste, the topic of wine and food comes with its share of controversy and debate. Where it's especially heated is on the subject of matching wine and cheese. Wine and . . . Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:10:21 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977539983 Kevin Zraly 2008-12-19T15:10:21Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977535915 Although I have never had this problem, one of the most frequently asked questions in Wine School is " What happens when I can't finish the whole bottle of wine? " If you still have a . . . Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:39:59 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977535915 Kevin Zraly 2008-12-15T15:39:59Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977533448 The Wall Street Journal recently came out with an article stating that most people have one or two wines that they've been saving for years for a special occasion. This is probably not a good idea! . . . Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:37:43 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977533448 Kevin Zraly 2008-12-12T16:37:43Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977532458 I remember my first taste of a dessert wine - a Sauternes from Frances's Bordeaux region. It was magical! Then there are also Port, Cream Sherry, Beerenauslese, to name a few - all very different . . . Thu, 11 Dec 2008 17:23:36 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977532458 Kevin Zraly 2008-12-11T17:23:36Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977531395 Drinking wine with your meals should add enjoyment, not stress, but it happens all too often. You briefly eye the wine list or scan the wine-shop shelf, thinking well, maybe...a beer. In the face of so . . . Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:54:27 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977531395 Kevin Zraly 2008-12-10T14:54:27Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977530700 In most restaurants, the wine service ritual is as intimidating to the service staff as it is to the new wine consumer. Picture this scenario: You’ve ordered your bottle of wine. The server now presents . . . Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:25:34 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977530700 Kevin Zraly 2008-12-09T21:25:34Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977529714 Over the last few years I have insisted that my students spend one minute in silence after they swallow wine. I use a "60-second wine expert" tasting sheet in my classes for students to record . . . Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:33:31 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977529714 Kevin Zraly 2008-12-08T21:33:31Z