Rioja is a region in northern Spain.

A flight is group of wines tasted together for the purpose of comparison.

The quickest way to cool a bottle of wine is to stand it in iced water for 15 to 30 minutes.

The Falanghina grape is indigenous to the Campania region of Italy which is just north of Naples.

Terroir is a French word that means “a sense of place”. It refers not only to the types of soil where the grapevines grow, but it also refers to other factors that influence the character of the grape such as climate, altitude and wind.

Red Burgundy, and Pinot Noir in general, are very versatile when it comes to food pairings.

Cava is a sparkling wine from Spain made from macabeo, xarello, and parellada grapes.

In Bordeaux almost all wines are blended wines. The permitted red grapes in Bordeaux are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec.

Champagne must be made in the Champagne region of Frace. A sparkling wine can be made from the same grapes and production methods but not called Champagne.

A Grower’s Champagne refers to a Champagne that is produced by the same estate that grows the grapes (owns the vineyards on which the grapes are grown).

The bouquet refers to the smells a wine gives off.

Wine investment is focused purely on purchasing wines to be sold at a later date for a profit. Collecting wine is for one's personal enjoyment.

Tannin is a natural compound found in the skins, seeds, and stems of grapes.

Almost all grape juice, even from black grapes, is colorless or light golden in color.

Seasoning is the practice of pouring a small amount of wine into a glass, swirling the wine and then pouring it out into the next glass.

The Appellation System was created around the concept that unique wines come from unique areas. In the EU, the system protects this designation of origin so that a winemaker from outside the Tuscany region, for example, cannot label their wine “Chianti.”

The wine that comes to mind is Gewurztraminer which comes from the German word “gewurz” which means spice.

The place to visit is Argentina where their vineyards are located at the highest altitude known for wine cultivation ranging from 300 to 2400 meters above sea level, with the average being 900 meters above sea level.

In 1892 the Oregon Grape Flower became the State Flower. It is a low maintenance plant that is used in landscaping.

A “punt” also referred to as a “kick-up” is a word used to describe the dimple in the bottom of the wine bottle.

The correct temperature for serving red wines is always determined by the amount of tannin in the wine. The more tannin in the wine, the warmer the wine should be when served.