Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Proof.
The Loire Valley: Refining the Art of Wine
The Loire Valley represents some of the most distinguished chateaux in all of France. Among these celebrated estates, you’ll find a wealthy generation of vintners whose low-intervention wines are among the finest natural wines in the world. Subtle flavors that range from sweet to complex to intense or even outright acidic can provide exquisite moments for wine lovers.
By Anthony Dezenzio5 years ago in Proof
It's All About The Grapes
Do you love wine? But are not sure what kind of wine you like? Well, there are so many varieties of wine from sweet to the driest. My preferable taste is on the dry side and red. I know some wine drinkers, may think that wine is only made in the vineyards of California. But there are wine vineyards across the continental USA. When I was about 21 years old, I had my first drink of sweet wine, called Cherry Kijafa. This wine was delightful, and it made my head spin and I got drunk. When I woke up, I had the biggest, sweet wine hangover. That was the end of my sweet wine crusade. As I begin to work in the corporate world, I found out there were many varieties of wine, and I set out to see what wine I really could enjoy. When I ordered wine, waiters or waitresses would tell me about their wine list. I began perusing and pretended I knew wine. I decided I would try drier wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot. (Not all at the same time mind you.) To be on the safe side, I tried Merlot, and this wine was not too sweet or dry, it seemed just right, and I began ordering Merlot when I went out to dinner. I then discovered that Merlot could taste fruity, dry, or between it depending on the brand of the wine. I noticed that I was a wine drinker and started trying a variety of dry wines. I discovered that there were different types of Cabernet Sauvignon wines, and they were the wines I enjoyed. Some of them taste just right not too dry or tart. Other cabernets had similar tastes but it depends upon the individual's taste buds. I wanted to know why some bottles of wine had an indent on the bottom of the bottle. In my research, I found out that this is called a “punt”. The punt allows residue to settle down into a tight space on the bottom of the bottle. This prevents the residue from being released back into the wine. The punt also allows the bottle to stand upright and be more stable and prevents the wine bottle from falling over. The punt also adds more style to the design of the bottle. In my further research, I wanted to know why there are years posted on the bottles of wine. Well, the year represents when the grapes were picked. So, if you find a bottle of wine with 2010, that is the year the grapes were picked, and the label is placed on the wine for that year. There are other variations, but this is the standard way the years are put on the bottle. Ladies and Gents, I wanted to give a little education about the wines you care to drink. In addition, to provide an insight into wine and what you may or may not think overall about wine drinking and tasting. Before I leave you, let me recommend some good-tasting wine for every palate whether sweet, sparkling, or dry. Here are a few you can enjoy, and one that I highly recommend: Cabernet Sauvignon Jacob’s Creek. Sweet Red Berringer, Napa Valley Shiraz, Lambrusco (Red wine), Sutter Home Red and White Moscato, Zinfandel Rose and Blush, Brachetto Red, Sidewood Chardonnay, Sangiovese Red Wine, Cupcake Tawny Port (sweet), 14 Hands Riesling, Bordeaux Reds, and Maury Sauvignon Blanc. Oh, I forgot to add, "drink responsibile".
By Jeanette Cepeda5 years ago in Proof
The same is beer, what is the difference between "bottled" and "canned"?
The same is beer, what is the difference between "bottled" and "canned"? Don't buy it randomly after you know it! Alcohol is the most common drink in our lives. In life, many friends like to have a drink or meet a few friends to drink, eat, and chat together. There are many types of wine, including white wine, beer, red wine and various fruit wines. In summer, when the weather is relatively hot, everyone will choose to drink beer, especially the cold beer, which is very popular for cooling off the heat. Everyone will order a draft beer, which feels really refreshing.
By Oscar S. Tutt5 years ago in Proof
First try tequila
During my stay in Gandia, a coastal town in Valencia, Spain, I received my landlord, a Ukrainian who spoke Russian, and one day shared with me his favorite organic German beer with excellent taste. I seem to have asked the landlord whether it is dark beer, and added that beer in Germany and Belgium is also good, with my only experience in drinking beer. I deeply know that when I say this, it is only to open the topic. Then, somehow, the conversation turned to Tequila, which I had never tried before.
By Gavin Rollings5 years ago in Proof
Wine Basics: A Short Course on the Different Types of Wine
Everything about wine is interesting. Stories say that wine was unintentionally discovered after the accidental fermentation of grapes in a container. Aside from its history, the different aspects of winemaking, such as the cultivation of grapevines, the various methods of fermenting grape juice, and other wine facts and figures never fail to enliven conversations among wine enthusiasts.
By Raichelle Carpio5 years ago in Proof
Bourbon Collage at Its Best
People who love to drink bourbon whiskey might like the idea of this collage. For myself, I don't mind occasionally having an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan. I have been bartending, as a side job, for weddings, banquets, or special events. Working as a side bartender, you could come up with some ideas to use as a mixed media artist. I came up with the idea of this bourbon collage that I titled "Bourbon at Its Best". This bourbon collage was put together with canvas board, decoupage, glue gun, fiskars scissors, acrylic paints, paper images, and red beads. It was an idea that came during the pandemic while I was not bartending due to lockdown. It is not a difficult project and the idea made me think back to some of my family members who like to drink bourbon whiskey on occasion.
By Carrie Bertschy5 years ago in Proof
How Moonshine is Made
Moonshine is a type of homemade alcohol that is made and sold in secrecy, often through illegal distribution. The term ¨moonshine” comes from the British verb moonshining, which refers to any job done in the late-night hours. Of course, this term applies perfectly to those responsible for making this highly concentrated alcohol, as they had to still illegal whisky out of sight from authorities. During the Colonial era of America, people would discreetly deliver illegal alcohol by concealing it in their tall riding boots, an action which earned the distributors the nickname bootleggers. People who operated illegal alcohol businesses and stills used the name moonshiners in order to conceal their shady deeds from the authorities. In the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, moonshiners figured out a way to conceal alcohol in racing cars in order to deliver them through the night. They would manually increase the horsepower of their vehicles in order to drive faster through the night and keep ahead of the police. This created a culture of car lovers in the United States, which ultimately manifested in the popular NASCAR races -- in fact, one of the racers in the first NASCAR race also used his car to deliver bootlegged alcohol.
By Jamie Lammers5 years ago in Proof
