We would like to introduce you to Tracie, the winner of AYZA’s Romeo and Juliet Intimate Dinner Sweepstakes. The sweepstakes was an overwhelming success and we received a nearly universal positive response.

We have a lot of customers with similar experiences as Tracie and we feel it would be a great time to share her AYZA story with all of the participants.

Tracie, as many of you have, learned about  AYZA online. We have benefitted from appearing all over the place, mostly as a result of our very passionate customers. This gives a reach far beyond NYC.

She is from Maryland and came with her daughter came to NYC last Mother’s Day Weekend to see 2 plays. She and her daughter are both lovers of wine.  They spent a fabulous afternoon sitting outside at AYZA with my friend from high school and her husband.  They went through 4 bottles of sparkling wine and 5 different food items.

Also, Tracie loved the service – as she felt unhurried – they were able to enjoy our wine and company before heading to the show. Tracie is a true wine lover – but she is mostly a white wine drinker.  Of course, she loves bubbly.  And her  favorite chocolate, as is many of the AYZA faithful,  is anything dark!

Tracie intends to take her daughter to enjoy her prize, which is just fine with us. We will post some photos.

The post Meet Tracie, Winner of the Romeo & Juliet Intimate Dinner Sweepstakes appeared first on Ayza Wine & Chocolate Bar Blog.

1.) Give her breakfast in bed. There’s a reason this gift is so classic. Mothers spend their lives taking care of their children; returning the favor once a year is always a welcome gesture. Surprise your mom with breakfast in bed and let her lounge around comfortably while you get things ready around the house. Obviously you probably would need to live with your mom to be able to pull this off. If you can’t do breakfast, consider coming over for dinner instead. Your mom will appreciate the opportunity to stay out of the kitchen while you treat her to a nice meal.

2.) Lighten her load. Most mothers have busy schedules and an endless list of chores. Sometimes, the best gift you can give is a gift of time: Handle some of her responsibilities so she can take time off. To make the gesture last all year, print up some coupons that can be redeemed for various chores and responsibilities, such as laundry, house cleaning, yard work or babysitting younger siblings.

3.) Enjoy a movie night. If you don’t have many chances to spend quality time with your mom, carve out an opportunity this mother’s day. Even something as simple as a few rented movies and a tub of popcorn can be a great way to bring you together, and picking her favorite movie is a great way to prove that you pay attention to her tastes. Better yet, make plans to spend another day together to prove that your appreciation lasts more than one day out of the year.

4.) Make her Queen for a day. If you really want to give your mom a mother’s day she’ll remember, pull out all the stops to pamper her for the day. Give her a home spa treatment, or send her away to a relaxing get-away while you tend to all the outstanding chores at home. You might want to team up with your siblings to ensure her day is as magical as possible. Alternatively, if your mom is the type of person who relishes being the center of attention, invite some close friends and relatives for a major celebratory bash in your mother’s honor.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a thoughtful gift, especially if there’s something your mother’s been wanting. Whether you choose to shower your mother with presents or simply spend the day together, show your mother that you care about her is the true meaning of the holiday.

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Even the casual wine drinker knows that varieties of wine are most commonly named after the type of grape used in production. But what accounts for the different flavor profiles in wines of the same type? Why, for example, does a Napa chardonnay taste different from a Chablis, which uses the same grape? There are several possible reasons, but the most prominent is climate.

Climate Conditions

Climactic conditions are the primary factor in determining the speed and depth of the vine-ripening process. The average wine grape needs 1,400 hours of sunshine to ripen on the vine. Warm, sunny climates produce riper, richer fruit, while chilly climates or those at higher elevations tend to produce crisper, tart fruit.

When comparing wine grapes to other fruits, this is easy to understand. A peach that is slightly less ripe than average will have a firmer texture, a bit of tartness and a more acidic flavor. Meanwhile, a ripe peach will be sweet, rich and soft. This is also true of wine, although not in the way one might think.

Sugar and Fermentation

While one might expect that wines from warmer climates should be sweet and ripe-tasting, it is often seen that dry, crisp wines still come from such regions. How is this possible? The secret is in the yeast. Yeast, which is used in the fermenting process, converts the sugars in grape juice into alcohol. Therefore, a wine grape grown in a warmer climate often results in a wine with a higher alcohol content and a richer flavor profile. Colder climate wines, on the other hand, tend to have a slightly more crisp, tart, flavor, but also a lower alcohol content.

Other climactic factors are influential as well. Wind, while good at moderating warm climates, can also interrupt the ripening process and lead to unfinished wine production if it is too strong. Humidity can lead to mildew, disease and over-ripening but can also, under the right conditions, produce a very desirable condition know as “noble rot,” which leads to sweet, rich wines.

Rain, of course, is also a key factor. Although most people tend to think of wine grapes as a “dry climate” crop, the truth is that they need a delicate balance of moisture: not too much but no less than 22 inches annually.

This sensitive balance leads to another point: Certain varieties of wine grapes are notoriously fragile. Pinot Noir, a popular and well-balanced wine that has become quite popular in recent years, is especially fragile and difficult to produce and maintain. This is largely due to its climate sensitivity and thick skin, which makes it tough to process.

Some varieties of northern grapes, although sturdier, must often deal with extreme temperatures and high winds, meaning that a whole crop can be easily ruined if not carefully maintained.

Ice Wine

One fascinating approach to growing grapes in cold climates is ice wine, a product that squeezes juice from grapes naturally frozen on the vine. This wine has an intensely sweet, rich and unique flavor that has become increasingly favored among wine connoisseurs.

For consumers, paying attention to the location and climate of a grape’s growth and production is a good way to learn more about a wine’s possible flavor profile. For growers, learning about proper climate management is an essential aspect of the craft. Either way, it’s as essential aspect of becoming a true lover of wine.

The post Warm Climate vs. Cold Climate Wine Grapes appeared first on Ayza Wine & Chocolate Bar Blog.

Katherine Mulert is a private investigator and internationally exhibited artist. She lives and works in New York.

MISSING: See the photographs and send potential matches or information leading to the identity or whereabouts of any of the suspects to cruelmysteryinfo@gmail.com. There is a REWARD available for any information that leads to the locating of these girls.

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When seeking indulgent recipes using this most divine ingredient, look to the professionals–chocolatiers, that is. One of the very best cookbooks in this category is “The Ghirardelli Chocolate Cookbook: Recipes and History from America’s Premier Chocolate Maker,” which provides comprehensive instruction regarding the different varieties of chocolate and their uses. It also contains 80-plus recipes ranging from simple cookies and brownies to elegant desserts such as Chocolate Ganache Tart and Individual Chocolate Lava Cakes.

A wonderful option for the chocolate fanatic who is a kitchen novice is “Hershey’s Chocolate Lover’s Cookbook.” This must-have guide features 175 decadent, mouth-watering recipes with color photographs and easy-to-follow instructions for classics such as Deep Dark Chocolate Cake, S’mores, Chocolate Kiss Mousse, Fudgey Fondue, and Cool ‘n Creamy Chocolate Pie. There are also more than enough recipes featuring chocolate and peanut butter to satisfy even the most demanding connoisseur of this classic combination.

The best way to learn everything there is to know about chocolate and then some is “The Great Book of Chocolate” by David Lebovitz. In it, he discusses all things chocolate, from the history of the dark seed to the modern distribution system. This book provides a glossary of chocolate-related terminology and a fascinating description of the chocolate-making process. He also explains how to evaluate and purchase chocolate along with profiles of some of the world’s most prominent chocolate producers and consumers. Delicious recipes included in this book are classic combinations of chocolate and complementary flavors such as Orange and Rum Chocolate Mousse Cake, Homemade Rocky Road Candy, and Mocha Pudding Cake.

Another great choice for recipes to help chocolate addicts get their daily fix is “Chocolate: From Simple Cookies to Extravagant Showstoppers.” This massive collection of more than 360 chocolate-filled recipes by Nick Malgieri covers all the basics of preparing perfectly chocolaty hot or cold treats for any taste or occasion. This tome is undeniably the quintessential guide to everything chocolate.

While it has always been most popular in desserts and sweets, chocolate is finally coming into its own as a savory ingredient due to its recent surge in popularity and chefs exploring new culinary avenues for common foods. Another more recent trend for this captivating ingredient is the use of savory spices in chocolate sweets, such as the pairing of chile, ginger, salt, basil, rosemary and even wasabi or curry with sweet or dark chocolate. Let these chocolate-centered cookbooks and others open the door to culinary exploration of this most valuable and versatile flavor.

Here is a link to Amazon if you are in the mood to buy one of them right away.

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Wine connoisseurs tend to place great weight and mission on the liquid, sprinkling their conversations with terms like “elegant,” “sparkling” and “authentic” when describing wines to other specialists and the general public. Wine reviews and the corollary tasting notes are important, but beyond the fluid lie a pastiche of bottle features that make a Beaujolais Nouveau distinct from a Château Cheval Blanc, or elevate the stature of a Puligny-Montrachet over, say, a Graham Beck NV Brut Rose Chardonnay Pinot Noir. These distinctive wine bottle features include things like color, punt, foil, size and shape.

Colors

Conventional color codes used for wine bottles are diverse, depending on whether the content is Bordeaux, Champagne, Rhine, Mosel and Alsace, or Burgundy and the Rhone. Bordeaux tends to favor clear for sweet whites, light green for dry whites and dark green for reds. Rosé champagnes typically are green or colorless, whereas pure champagnes’ color codes range from medium green to dark. Rhine wines are usually amber, but some producers may use green. The Mosel and Alsace wine brand traditionally prefers amber, but dark and medium green are not unusual. The color code for Burgundy and the Rhone is dark green. Each has a traditional color and bottle scheme that individualize the varietal.

Foils

A foil, also known as a capsule, is the protective sleeve you usually find on a commercial corked wine bottle. The foil primarily has a hygienic motive, protecting the cork against rodents and helping catch small drips when discharging. Besides the public-health objective, the capsule plays a potent role in wine branding, helping decorate and distinguish the bottle’s label. Historically made of lead, foils in the modern-day economy are assembled with a hodgepodge of elements, running the gamut from polylaminate aluminium and polyethylene to tin and polyvinyl chloride. Some wine producers omit the foil altogether, or use sealing wax, depending on commercial constraints, market needs and regulatory requirements, among others. A foil also serves as a measure of authentication, and some winemakers often insert a paper strip under the foil, forcing the potential drinker to break it before uncorking the bottle.

Sizes

Common wine bottle sizes are tied to the Western culture, and it is not uncommon to see bottle sizes named for historical personalities and Biblical monarchs. A standard wine bottle is 0.75 liter, or 0.20 U.S. gallon, but the varieties of sizes are astounding. For example, a Piccolo contains 0.1875 liter, while the metrics for Chopine, Demi, Tenth and Jennie are 0.25 liter, 0.375 liter, 0.378 liter and 0.5 liter, respectively. In the plus-size category, for example, the respective content metrics are: Melchizedek (30.0 liters), Primat or Goliath (27.0 liters), Melchior (18.0 liters), Nebuchadnezzar (15.0 liters) and Mordechai (9.0 liters). Champagne houses generally cannot perform secondary fermentation in bottles larger than 1.5 liters because it is operationally difficult and economically inefficient to riddle heavy, large bottles.

Shapes

Wine bottle shapes are as varied as the colors of the grapes that make the underlying wine. Bordeaux, Sherry and Port varieties are sold with a straight-sided bottle, usually high-shouldered with a pronounced punt. The varieties often feature bottles with a bulbous neck. Italian wines, such as the Chianti and the Fiasco, display a round-bottomed flagon sheathed in a stubble basket. Sparkling wines in general, and Champagnes in particular, prefer a thick-walled and wide bottle, typically with a prominent punt and slanting shoulders. The Schlegel variety, a prominent feature in German winemaking, favors tall bottles with slender and elongated shoulders.

It is fun to be able to see from the wine bottle the type and region the wine originates. Many of the differences are subtle but they parallel the subtleties that make wine mediocre or magnificent.

The post A Deeper Look into Wine Bottle Differences appeared first on Ayza Wine & Chocolate Bar Blog.

Ask a botanist, and they’ll tell you that there are more than one thousand different varieties of grapes. Most of the flavorful and aromatic properties of grapes are contained in the skin. To keep things simple, let’s focus on the four basic colors of wine grapes: white, green, red and black.

White Grapes / Green Grapes

There are no truly white varieties of wine grapes. Grapes that are not black, red or purple are referred to as “white” or green grapes. Grapes of this sort range in color from a bright herbal green to the palest shade of green which does appear to be almost white under sunlight.

While “white” or green grapes do not contain all the nutrients of red and black grapes, they are still quite yummy and good for you, too. All grape berries contain trace minerals along with vitamins C, E and K. For eating, green Thompson grapes are quite popular. For wine making, varieties such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel are preferred. The whitest of the green wine grapes is the Pinot Gris, which, as the word ‘gris’ implies, appears greyish white in sunlight. These grapes normally produce  refreshing wines that are normally zesty, acidic and light.

Red Grapes

Red grapes actually include grapes that can look both red or blue or somewhere in-between. Of all wine grapes, the reds provide the most available source of Carotene and Resveratrol. Studies are being conducted worldwide that show an exciting array of promising potential health benefits to Resveratrol, including improved heart health and protection from certain forms of cancer. Red wines come from the when the grape juice, after being the grape is crush, is exposed to the skins in the beginning of the fermentation process.

Grenache, Pinot noir and Cabernet are among the most popularly grown red wine grapes, being cultivated in many regions of the globe. Napa and Sonoma counties in California are known throughout the world for the fabulous red grapes and wines created there.

Black Grapes

The most deeply pigmented wine grapes are referred to as black or purple grapes. Rhone varietals such as Syrah and Sangiovese produce excellent wines which are reminiscent of black pepper and sometimes, chocolate. Aging in new oak barrels contributes to the exciting and powerful flavor of red wines made from black grapes.

The enticing Malbec wine of Argentina, the sprightly Bordeaux of France and the enchanting Chianti from Italy are all delicious examples of wines made with highly pigmented wine grapes. If you’re looking to boost your antioxidant intake, red and black grapes and wine made from the same may be exactly what you want.

Go ahead and power into a big bunch of juicy grapes for breakfast. Enjoy a glass of vino with dinner tonight. You’ll be doing yourself a wonderfully delicious favor.

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Sulfites and Wine: What is the Relationship

Natural Origin

At Risk Groups

Why do people object to wine sulfites? One of the biggest complaints is that wine sulfites cause headaches. Many people believe that red wines contain the most sulfites and cause the most headaches. Actually, wines in the United States all have the same limit on wine sulfites, 350 ppm, and in Europe red wines have the lowest limit at 160 ppm. European sweet wines do have a limit of 400 ppm, and many sweet wines are red. On the other hand, there are other substances in wine that can cause headaches, such as tannins, histamines, and alcohol. It may be hard to pin headaches on the wine sulfites alone.

A serious concern with wine sulfites is sulfur dioxide sensitivity. Many people are allergic to sulfur dioxide, and can suffer from hives, seizures, vomiting and asthma, and can even have fatal respiratory failure. This can be caused by drinking the wine or by inhaling the free form gas in the wine. People who are allergic to wine sulfites should definitely avoid drinking wine with sulfur dioxide added.

Why Sulfites Are Necessary, But Not As Necessary As They Used to Be

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Yasodhara

You can tell that a significant women of history is unsung when she is often identified by being called someone else’s wife, as is Yasodhara (Buddha’s Wife). That is regrettable. But Yasodhara has a profound influence, although outside the notice of most (even educated) Westerners. The lack of appreciation of Yasodhara’s enlightenment that is arguably equal to that of her husband, Siddhartha, who would become the Buddha, causes a lopsided view of the history of Buddhism and Buddhist women. Buddha’s Wife, Yasodhara, lived around 2,500 years ago in modern day Nepal. Most focus on her story of fated loss: signs had shown even before her marriage that her husband would need to leave her and her child to seek enlightenment. Yasodhara is a great women because she embodies a different story of resilience, destined love, and an equal worthy of her husband’s spiritual greatness. She eventually set out on a similar journey as a spiritual leader and a leader in an order of Buddhist nuns. Historical records attest to her spiritual growth and leadership.

With so much dismissiveness towards women in modern history, the story of the Buddha’s Wife may have been ignored for the very reason that it should be remembered: her story is one of self-empowerment and active choice in marriage that leads not to failure but to profoundly spiritual success. Misogynists would be loathe to acknowledge a woman’s equal power. Yasodhara saw nothing of power and ownership in her relationship with Siddhartha and held no attachment to his destiny, choosing instead to intertwine hers with his.

Sappho

On the other side of the Earth, on the Greek island of Lesbos, Sappho embraced many instead of one, marrying a man while appreciating other women. Sappho lived outside social norms in a time when social norms put women at a severe disadvantage. Sappho was recognized as a great women by virtue of being the only woman in the Alexandrian list of nine lyric poets and one of the greatest of her time. It is a shame that most of Sappho’s poems that survive are fragments, although still cherished by lovers of poetry.

Sappho’s work was set apart by a focus on passion and beauty through love, contrasting with other fashionable stories of beauty through military glory and war. Her poetic beauty has even inspired modern poets to use the Sapphic stanza verse form in their own work.

One Girl
BY SAPPHO
TRANSLATED BY DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI

                           I

Like the sweet apple which reddens upon the topmost bough,

Atop on the topmost twig, — which the pluckers forgot, somehow, —

Forget it not, nay; but got it not, for none could get it till now.

                           II

Like the wild hyacinth flower which on the hills is found,

Which the passing feet of the shepherds for ever tear and wound,

Until the purple blossom is trodden in the ground.

Mary Wollstonecraft

Another great woman shows that the written word can be used for power as much as beauty. Mary Wollstonecraft used her craft to philosophize about and advocate for women’s rights in the late 1700s. Prolific in both fiction novels and non-fiction treatises, her writing was energized by critiques of patriarchal society and illuminated by calls for feminine equality. One work in particular established her as the founding mother of the feminist philosophy: her treatise “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman,” which proposed that women were born as able to reason as men but poor education and male-serving acculturation created the feminine subservience that was common in the day.

Virtue can only flourish among equals.

Mary Wollstonecraft From “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman”

Great women throughout history, like great men, act not for their historical legacies but from their spiritual, personal, and professional passions. Sappho’s visions of beauty through love bled onto the pages of her time and unknowingly mirrored the ancient story of spiritual love lived by the Buddha’s Wife a hundred years later. Mary Wollstonecraft’s intellect and literary power were a platform from which to bring the unsung gender into the light. Great women of the past are definitely one of many good reasons to to participate in International Women’s Day and apply those ethos for the other 364 days a year.

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