Sherry - Spanish Sunshine in a Bottle! (part 1 - Introduction & Regions)
Sherry is a fortified wine, made in Spain from three types of grapes: Palomino, Pedro Ximénez, and Muscat (Moscatel). Sherry-style wines made in other countries often use other grape varieties.
Sherry differs from other wines because of how it is treated after fermentation. It is first fortified with brandy and then if destined to be fino style a yeast called flor is allowed to grow on top. Oloroso style is fortified to a strength where the flor cannot grow. (In contrast, port wine is fortified to a higher percentage of alcohol than sherry, effectively preventing the growth of any yeast.)
REGIONS
JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA or JEREZ for short, the Scheris of the Moors, one of their fortresses in Spain, was long a walled city of great strategic importance. Today it is a busy town, and the hub of the Sherry Trade. It stands upon the main road from Seville to Cadiz, some 9 miles north of Port St. Mary at the top corner of the Bay of Cadiz and at the mouth of the Guadalete; and 12 miles east of Sanlucar, upon the left bank of the Guadalquivir, immediately before it flows into the Atlantic.
JEREZ has given its name to Sherry, the wine of Jerez (both names Jerez and Sherry being corruptions of the old .Moorish name of the town, Scheris), which Shakespeare and all Elizabethans loved and praised above all others. To the Victorians, Sherry and hospitality were synonymous: few, indeed, were then the homes without a welcoming decanter of Sherry upon the mahogany, awaiting the pleasure of your company. Today, in spite of the notorious fickleness of fashion; in spite of high taxes and of bureaucratic controls, Sherry, the wine made from the white grapes of the Jerez vineyards, still is still first favorite among all the wines imported into Great Britain.
ANDALUCIA
Andalucia no longer comprises three kingdoms as it once did, nor is it any longer the great Moorish Province that it was once, but still is the richest and sunniest part of Spain, stretching from Castile, in the North, to the Straits, in the South; and from the Mediterranean, in the East, to Portugal and the Atlantic in the West.
SEVILLE the capital of Andalucia, is one of the fairest cities in the world, but sea-going ships have long ceased to come up the Guadalquivir to its once busy quays with the gold and goods of the Indies. The inexhaustible wealth of Andalucia is in its fertile soil and genial climate, its wheat, oil and wine; its oranges, figs and other fruits; its light-hearted, hard-working people.
Vines flourish and wine is made in many parts of Andalucia, but the vineyards which produce the finest and most distinctive white Spanish wine, Sherry, that which brings solace and joy to all men and women of taste and discerning thirst, are the vineyards scattered twixt Guadalquivir and Guadalete, during the last lap of their seawards run, the first reaching the Atlantic at Sanlucar de Barrameda, and the other the Bay of Cadiz, at Port St. Mary.
For the rest of this series please visit www.thewinelover.org where Michael has prepared an ebook all about sherry. There are other books in preparation and many articles all about wine and its enjoyment.
The Spirit of Coffee: Coffees of the World
Ever wonder where the coffee beans in your morning coffee come from? You probably know words like Arabica and Robusta in terms of taste, but did you know that these words can also tell us where those coffees were grown? Here is a look at three of the world's best specialty coffees and the regions in which they originated. Read on to discover the rich history of these coffees.
Yemen Arabian Mocca
Grown in the mountainous region of Sanani in south Yemen at an altitude in excess of 4,500 ft, Arabian Mocca is the world's oldest cultivated coffee, distinguished by its richness and full body with chocolate undertones. Yemen is on Asia's Arabian peninsula, a stone's throw from Africa. Since there are no other Arabian coffees, it is classified as part of the family tastes of North African coffees.
It is here that the term "mocca" was coined. Its correct spelling is Mokha, for the port city that Yemen coffees ship from. Yemen's arid climate contributes to the production of one of the best-loved specialty coffees that led Europeans to fall in love with coffee many centuries ago.
Yemeni coffee is one of the most distinct and prized coffees in the world. It's been called a "wild" or natural cup, earthy, complex, pungent -- to some it may be strange and bitter. This coffee can also be characterized as dry, winey, and acidic with chocolate and fruit undertones, rustic flavors, and intense aromas.
(Source: http://www.sweetmarias.com/coffee.arabia.yemen.html)
Mexico "Spirit of the Aztec"
The state of Veracruz produces many average coffees in its low-lying regions, but atop the tall mountains near the city of Coatepec an excellent Arabica bean coffee called Altura Coatepec reigns. The word Altura itself means "high grown". Altura Pluma indicates the finest coffee of Mexico. Coetepec, a coffee district of Veracruz, provides particularly outstanding coffee beans. Mexican Altura beans have a full medium body, fine acidity, a wonderful bouquet and a satisfying flavor that is mild and sweet. This fine Mexican coffee is noted for delivering a consistently smooth taste and fragrant flavor with good body, depth, and overall balance. It is likely one of the most underappreciated coffees around.
Mexican coffee botanists celebrate Mexico's highest altitudes (with their approximately one hundred species of Arabica coffee plants) as the finest region of all the world's gourmet coffees. An inferior grade of coffee bean known Robusta grows at lower altitudes. Mexico itself produces huge quantities of these unremarkable coffee beans, often utilized as dark roasts, supermarket coffees and beans for blending.
Arabica coffee arrived in Mexico at the start of the nineteenth century from the West Indies. Today, Mexico ranks among the world's top coffee exporters. Most Mexican coffee is processed by the wet method to ensure better acidity and body. Mexican coffee is graded based on the altitude where it is grown. The plantations of Veracruz account for 60 to 70 percent of the Mexican coffee crop. Approximately 5 million bags of coffee a year originate in Mexico. Most of the better beans are grown on large plantations in the states of Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Guerrero. These are producers of "high-grown" Altura Coatepec coffees, among the finest coffees grown in the Americas.
Their flavor is light and nutty with medium acidity and a mild, well-balanced body. With a fine chocolate tang and a hint of sweet undertone beneath the finish, these coffees make an ideal beverage for those of us who enjoy a smooth, mellow-tasting brew that is not overpowering. Altura's smoothness produces many loyalists of the coffee drinkers who sample it. Mexican Altura Coatepec is an incredible morning coffee, as it could be used in a blend to tone down accompanying fuller-bodied coffees, or better yet, alone for the pure regional flavor.
(Source: http://www.coffeeuniverse.com/world_coffee_latin.html)
Java "Dutch Estate"
As a synonym of coffee, "java" introduced itself in the seventeenth century when the Dutch began cultivating coffee trees on the island of Java (part of the islands of Indonesia) and successfully exported it globally. Often the standard by which all other coffees are measured, Java's finest golden beans are roasted to yield a piquant aroma, displaying an exquisite acid balance, a heavy body with chocolate undertones, and a lighter finish than Sumatran.
At one time the island of Java was ruled by sultans and dominated by mysticism. The early Dutch settlers who came in the late 17th century found Java to be a wonderfully diverse place with high mountains, thick tropical rain forests and a sultry climate that revolved around the monsoon rains. The Dutch and the Javanese settled the coastal volcanic plains, while much of the interior of the island was left to the jungle and a few tribal groups. The Dutch found that coffee grew very well in this climate, and began to set up plantations around their initial foothold in Batavia (modern day Jakarta). Initially Arabica coffees were planted, but many of these were killed by the coffee rust plague that devastated the region in the 1800's. Robusta was the logical replacement -- a tough plant resistant to many diseases.
Eventually the Dutch plantation owners conquered Java and took on the elements. Large plantations were established in the east of the island, as well as in Central Java and the west. After the Japanese occupied Java in the 1940's many of these plantations were destroyed or absorbed back into the jungle with their owners imprisoned by the Japanese. After the war and the ensuing independence struggle, many of the larger plantations ended up under the control of the government. Today the big Java plantations (such as Nusantara XII) are still government-owned. However there are many medium and smaller growers who produce excellent quality Arabica beans. These coffees are known as "Government Estate" Java. They are primarily produced at 4 old farms (Kayumas, Blawan, Djampit, Pancoer). The Government body grows about 85% of the coffee in East Java, close to Bali on the Ijen area. The range of altitudes suitable for coffee production is 3,000 to 6,000 feet, with most growing in the plateau region at 4,500 feet.
Government Estate is undoubtedly Indonesia's highest quality coffee. Other more inferior coffee producers of the area are called "Private Estate" Java plantations. They are lower-grown and not processed or prepared as well but they are a good option for those who want to spend less. Java is an undeniably clean-tasting cup for this Indonesian varietal, a fully wet-processed coffee that has the Indonesian body and thickness in the cup without earthy or dirty flavors. (Source: http://www.merdekacoffee.com/regions.php)
AA-001
Frozen Coffee Parfait
Try making this coffee drink using one of the coffees described above and bask in the wonderful flavors of these delicious brews!
Yield: 6-8 servings
1 14-oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup double strength coffee sweetened with 4 tb. Sugar while hot (allow to cool before using)
1 cup whipped heavy whipping cream
In a large bowl, combine the sweetened condensed mild and the coffee into hand mixer; whip on high speed for 3-5 minutes. By hand, fold in the whipped whipping cream. Make sure the mixture is evenly distributed.
Spoon the mixture into 6-8 serving dishes, then freeze for 3 hours or until firm.
Garnish before serving with a chocolate-covered espresso bean and chocolate syrup for a yummy treat.
About the Author
Michelle Faber owns and operates Gourmet CoffeeXpress, a leading online provider of high-quality coffees, teas, chocolates and more. Gourmet CoffeeXpress offers distinctive products for gift-giving and personal pleasure with world-class service. Visit their site today at http://www.gourmetcoffeexpress.com/ to indulge your coffee and chocolate cravings.
Sobriety Checkpoints
Sobriety Checkpoints
The increasing menace of drunken driving is crippling the road traffic system in every part of the world. As a result authorities have started scouring the roads for erring drivers with a high content of alcohol. Of late, police are using repeated road blocks or checkpoints to check the drivers for alcohol. Also called sobriety checkpoints, these measures really work wonders for police personnel. More commonly, law enforcement personnel set up check points to check the safety of the vehicles and to inspect driving records. If the driver is found to have a slurred speech or if he/she is emanating a breath full of alcohol, then he/she is made to get out of the car and forced to take a sobriety test.
With the Supreme Court's express judgment of 1990, the constitutional validity of DUI roadblocks and checkpoint was upheld, though with some restrictive clauses. All officers in question are asked to conduct such checkpoints without intruding in the privacy of the drivers. However, if the driver is found to be inundated with alcohol, then the officer has all the liberty to conduct an alcohol test.
To enforce the good intentions of the DUI checkpoints, a ''Sobriety Checkpoint Advisory Committee'' was appointed to establish guidelines and regulations; this committee consisted of representatives of the state police, local police, prosecutors, and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. However, there is still much confusion in seeking answers for the suggested guidelines. There are still no defined answers as to what constitutes "guidelines". However this kind of checkpoint has enabled enforcement authorities to bring a semblance of correctness into the society. But, this kind of intrusive checks has its own flaws and disadvantages like breach of privacy, unintentional arrests and unfavorable advantage to the enforcement authority.
About The Author:
Author recommends http://www.evisibility.com for further Information
