There are approximately 14 different size bottles commonly  in use. The larger sized bottles are produced in less quantity than the standard size bottle and can be difficult to find.

► Opening and serving wine - Temperatures: Serving wine at home is neither difficult nor overly formal. The wine's serving temperature is an important issue. Depending on the wine's style, temperatures range from 46° for champagne, Riesling, Sauterne and Rose, 50°  for a Chardonnay and a Viognier. Red wines start at 55° for a  Beaujolais and Madeira, 59° for Chianti or Zinfandel to 62° to 64° for Cabernet, Red Burgundy, Bordeaux, Merlot, Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Port. Restaurant temperatures for reds are usually about 70°. Dessert wines are normally chilled at approximately 42° to 44°. Expensive wines will will not be kept at room temperature.

Removing the cork: There are many tools for this job. The most commonly used cork remover used by waiters consists of an 1 1/2 to 2 inch knife for cutting the foil, a spiral shaped metal prong for screwing into the cork and a lever for pulling the cork. Perhaps the second most popular may be the Osso, which is a cork puller, consisting of 2 thin parallel prongs one longer than the other. The thin prongs, long side first, are carefully pushed in between the cork and bottleneck. The longer prong should not be inserted below the bottom of the cork. (This could cause a piece of the cork being pushed into the wine bottle). To accompany the Osso (most popular name) is a foil cutter to make way for the Osso. The fastest foil remover, in my opinion, consists of 4 small round cutting heads which are on the underside of the device. This device is placed over the top of the bottle, and with a half turn, the foil is cut and easily removed. There are hundreds and hundreds of different types of cork removers. Many wineries have cork removing device on display. Some showing on display more than 2 hundred hand-held wine openers. To view corkscrews click here.

Home use: There are many easy-to-use home wine opening devices ranging from air-pumps to large table-size units. Choosing an opener can be loads of fun. Just keep in mind to try to find the cork remover which you are most comfortable with to use.

Serving:  Once the cork has been extracted gently wipe the lip of the bottle with a cloth being careful not to allow any cork to fall into the wine. A slightly damp cloth works the best. If at home an easy way to remove a piece of cork is to use a large straw. Simply place it on top of the cork, place your finger over the top of the straw and then remove the straw. If at a restaurant you can, very carefully, pour the wine with the cork still inside the bottle. If this method isn't possible the wine will have to be decanted. Decanting is a simple process once learned. Many older bottles wines, about 7 years or more, often have a natural sediment that collects on the underside of the bottle, which should be stored on it's side. This sediment is gritty and displeasing to the taste. To view decanters click here.

Enjoying your wine: The best part - If wine tasting is a fairly new experience for you try something that connoisseurs would nix. Once the wine is uncorked allow the wine to breath for only 5 or 6 minutes and then pour about an once  into your glass. Immediately take a taste of wine remembering what you taste and smell. Continue doing this until the wine has fully opened. You should taste many changes with each sip of wine, which will give you a much better understanding about wine.

Another important aspect to wine enjoyment is to use the proper glass. This takes time to know which glass is the best for each style of wine. It would be best to buy a good book on the subject. To view proper wine glass shapes and sizes click here.

Remember, savor and enjoy.

► Demystifying the wine bottle cork. You're in a very nice restaurant and have ordered a bottle of wine. The waiter/waitress has removed the cork and placed it on the table for your it scrutiny. What do you do? Not much of anything would be a the correct  response. Examining the cork does not reveal much of anything about your wine selection. In fact, about all that a cork can reveal is if the cork shows a stain of red wine reaching the top of the cork, it may denote a spoiled wine. If the cork shows a crystallization on the bottom of the cork the wine may need to be decanted or poured so the crystallizations are not transferred to the glass. So, next time your dining out, don't be intimidated by the cork and if the waiter looks at strangely just remember that your correct.

► What is the difference between Fume Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc? You may here differing arguments on this topic. The term, FUME BLANC, originally coined by Robert Mondavi is another name for SAUVIGNON BLANC. That's right! The secret is divulged. The French word Fume΄ means 'smoke or smoked' and 'Blanc' means white. This wine is California's second most popular white wine next to Chardonnay.

► Wine Styles:  In most instances, when pairing wine with food, you should order a better wine and forgo its compatibility with the food rather that ordering a mediocre or inferior wine which may be thought of as a better match. However, there are some who believe the best match is always the best choice to drink with a course. It is usually worth the extra effort to balance the style of the wine with that of the food. Both food and wine should be enjoyed equally.

► Glassware: For some reason many restaurants use a one size fits all glass such as a standard 5 to 7oz white wine glass which is fairly round and open at the top and a similar type of glass for a red wine, the red wine glasses are usually a bit larger. Wrong! Each wine, whether white or red, has it's own distinguishing  characteristics. Standard size glassware does not allow bouquets and aromas to be fully enjoyed. Light wines such as Pinot Noir (red) or a Chenin Blanc (white) need a more closed or narrow opening at the top so the aroma and traits can be enjoyed. This is called the nose. A narrow top keeps the aromas in the glass so the nose may be fully enjoyed.

On the other hand heavier wines such as an oaky Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon respectively require a larger opening at the top of the glass allowing the aroma to escape a bit as to not overpower the nose.

Lastly, heavy full bodied wines such as Burgundy or Bordeaux need even larger size glasses, 16-24 oz. glasses, with larger opening at the top as well to be fully enjoyed. In short, light bodied wines need a smaller opening to keep the aromas in and heavy wines need a larger opening so as to not overpower the nose. To view proper wine glass shapes and sizes click here.

► Optimum Wine Serving Temperatures: The serving temperature of wine varies depending on the style of wine and your personal preference. Serving a wine that is a bit too cold reduces it's aroma and flavor unpleasantly flat & dull and  the wine can  be come unpleasantly alcoholic. White wines are normally served chilled between 42-55° depending on the type and style of wine, and red wines are chilled from 43-67°. The less expensive wines are usually stored at lower temperatures. Fortified wines such as a Madeira, Muscat, many Ports and Sherries are served at 55-65°. This is a very broad subject. If you are buying expensive wine it would be best to buy a book on the subject. To view cooling unite use this link.

► Demystifying The Wine Label: The given information on a wine label can provide the consumer with pertinent details about the wine in the bottle. Unfortunately some foreign wine labels can be quite confusing. In the United States certain mandatory label information is required even for imported wines. The following information should provide your wine label knowledge and help decipher even the most complicated label.

The mandatory label information for wines sold in the United States is: ~ name of the wine, ~ name of the producer, ~ name and address of the producer, ~ name and address of the bottler (if different than the producer), ~ name of the importer, alcohol content, ~ name of the shipper if different than the importer,  ~ volume of the bottle's contents, ~ name of country, ~ sulfite advisory, and government warning. There are optional label information but this should suffice.

► How to store leftover wine: Careful handling of an unfinished bottle of wine is a necessary task if you wish to save the wines' integrity. Prolonged contact with air will ruin a wine's flavor. There are several ways to store your wine. One way to minimize the loss of a wines integrity is to remove as much air as possible. This can be done by using a special plastic cork and suction device. Other ways to save your wine are re-corking the bottle and refrigerating the wine, using nitrogen, or buying a refrigerated wine dispenser (about $200). All choices only last 1 to 3 days.

• CARAMELIZED - (caramelized);
• CHEMICAL - (papery - wet cardboard, filter pad, pungent - acetic acid - ethanol, ethyl acetate - sulfur dioxide);
• COOL - (menthol) EARTHY - (earthy - alcohol, earthy moldy) >earthy wines are usually grown along a coastline;
• FLORAL - (floral - geranium, linalool, orange blossom, rose, violet);
• FRUITY - (berry - blackberry, black current, raspberry, strawberry -
• FRUIT TREE - apricot, apple, cherry, peach - fruit-tropical - banana, melon, pineapple);                                                                             
• fig, prune, raisin, strawberry                                                                      other - (artificial, methyl anthranitate);                           
• MICROBIOLOGICAL - (lactic, bunyic acid, lactic acid, sauekraut, sweety);
• NUTTY - (nutty);
• PUNGENT - (cool);
• SPICY - (spicy, black pepper, cloves, licorice);
• VEGETABLE - (canned, cooked - artichoke, asparagus, green beans, black olive, green olive);                                                                                      dried - (hay/straw, tea, tobacco);
• WOODY - (phenolic, vanilla).

Central Valley: This huge California growing area is located north of Chico, which north of Sacramento, to south of Bakersfield. This valley is divided into two sections. In the north is Sacramento Valley and in the south is San Joaquin Valley. The area is so large that 55% of California's vineyard acreage is grown and over 75% of California's total wine production comes from this region.

There are three VITICULTURAL AREAS, Madera, Merrit Island and Clarkburg. Because of the valley's high temperatures and short growing season, acid in the grapes isn't fully developed, which is why high-acid grapes like Barberra, Chenin Blanc and French Colombard have been planted in increasing numbers. The most popular red wines grown this area are Zinfandel and Grenache, as well as, Barbera, Carignane, Rubired, Ruby Cabernet, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. The popular white wines are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Malvasia.