Tt Salon

Sugar - Healthy Choices Shopping Guide

Before you buy Sugar and Sweets the next time - consider some interesting and healthy alternatives: Well, we have all heard time and again: Sugar is hazardous to your Health! But we are addicted to chocolates, pastries, ice creams and so on – so much, that we put Sugar in almost anything, from soups to salads to potato chips. This Guide shows you intelligent sweet alternatives that do not add to your weight and do not have adverse health effects!

We have all heard that Americans consume huge amounts of sugar, over 150 pounds per person and year. Well, these numbers appear to be inflated, in fact the April 2007 updated USDA release states the average daily sugar consumption in the US currently is “only” 30 teaspoons per person each day, not including synthetic sweeteners and honey. However, even these lower numbers are staggering: each American consumes over 20% of daily food calories from refined Sugars – empty calories with no nutritional value!

The functional and multi-functional engineered Sweeteners
A group non-sugar carbohydrates, manufactured, reduced-calorie, sugar-free sweeteners is now gaining momentum in the world of differentiated food and beverage producers and find their way into store shelves. You may never see the term Polyols on ingredients labels, even when several ones of the groups are present, but when a label reads “sugar alcohols” - Polyols are meant, when a label reads “sugar free” look for the listing and amounts of Polyols. Polyols or sugar alcohols are neither sugars nor alcohols. Instead, they are a group of low-digestible carbohydrates.

Erythritol
has only been commercially produced since 1990 and added to foods and beverages to provide sweetness, as well as to enhance taste and texture. In Japan Erythritol has been approved as a food in 1990 and it received GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status by the FDA in 2001, it also approved in the EU. Erythritol is a white crystalline powder that is odorless, with a clean sweet taste that is similar to sucrose. It is approximately 70% as sweet as sucrose and flows easily due to its non-hygroscopic character. Like other polyols, erythritol does not promote tooth decay and is safe for people with diabetes. However, erythritol’s caloric value of 0.2 calories per gram and high digestive tolerance distinguishes it from other polyols. It has approximately 7 to 13% the calories of other polyols and 5% the calories of sucrose. Because erythritol is rapidly absorbed in the small intestine and rapidly eliminated by the body within 24 hours, laxative side effects sometimes associated with excessive polyol consumption are unlikely when consuming erythritol containing foods.

HSH (hydrogenated starch hydrolysates),
including hydrogenated glucose syrups, maltitol syrups, and sorbitol syrups, are a family of products found in a wide variety of foods. HSH are produced by the partial hydrolysis of corn, wheat or potato starch and subsequent hydrogenation of the hydrolysate at high temperature under pressure. While some products in the HSH group have been approved in many countries including the EU and Japan, GRAS statuses is still pending, but with ADM Company as main proponent, expect HSH to appear on many ingredients labels rather soon.

Isomalt
has been known since 1960, it is made from Sucrose (table sugar) and it looks and feels like sugar. Isomalt enhances flavor transfer in foods. It dissolves more slowly in the mouth so that candies with isomalt have a longer lasting taste. Its sensory properties make isomalt an excellent ingredient hard candies, toffees, chewing gum, chocolates, baked goods, nutritional supplements, cough drops and throat lozenges. In Europe, Isomalt has been used since the early 1980s and is currently used in a variety of products in the US where it still awaits GRAS status – once obtained, expect Isomalt to become a household term. Isomalt absorbs very little water. Therefore, products made with it tend not to become sticky. Since the products do not absorb moisture, they have a longer shelf life. Isomalt does not promote tooth decay, has a very low blood glucose effect (low glycemic response), has an effect like dietary fiber in the gut and has only half of the caloric value of sucrose.

Lactitol
is known since 1920 but only used in foods for 25 years. It is a disaccharide polyol (sugar alcohol), derived from lactose, looks like sugar and tastes like sugar but has only 40% of its sweetness. Therefore don’t expect to find Lactitol as the sole sweetener on a food label; it is often present in foods in combination with chemical sweeteners Aspartame, Sucralose, etc. It is used as a sugar substitute because it has better solubility and handling in processing that reduces costs and extends shelf life. Lactitol has been shown in a clinical study to increase bowel movement frequency in the elderly.

Maltitol
is made by the hydrogenation of maltose whose raw ingredient is cereal starch which is converted to sugar by the process of malting. The starch may be from wheat, rice, barley or other grains, and is very similar in taste to table sugar with only 90% of its sweetness and about half of its calories. Maltose has been known and used in China since the 2nd century BC. Maltitol is approved in the EU since 1985 and many other countries and is awaiting GRAS status in the US. The sweetener will be mainly found in sugar free chocolate products. Maltitol has a prebiotic effect and some people experience unpleasant gas and bloating, when taken in high quantities as when Maltitol is used in soft drinks.

Mannitol (E421)
is naturally occurring in abundance, particularly in exudates from trees, and in marine algae and fresh mushrooms. It is an isomer of sorbitol and is industrially produced by the hydrogenation of specialty glucose syrups. Mannitol is a polyol mainly known for its properties to not absorb moisture. This makes it uniquely suitable as a dusting powder for chewing gum to prevent the gum from sticking to manufacturing equipment and wrappers. In chocolate flavored coatings of ice cream bars and confectionary it is an industry favorite because of its high melting point and pleasant taste with only 40% of the calories of sugar. Mannitol is a polyol that comes with regulatory warnings for limitation of daily intake for low digestible carbohydrate. This means that excessive consumption can result in a laxative effect, for two reasons. First, because the sugar alcohols are not completely absorbed, they hold on to a lot of water in the bowel. This causes diarrhea. Another consequence is that when undigested carbohydrates reach the colon they have a prebiotic effect - resulting in unpleasant gas, and bloating.

Sorbitol (E420)
occurs naturally in a wide variety of fruits and berries. In its industrially produced form of hydrogenated glucose, it has been present in processed foods, pharma and cosmetics products for fifty years. Its unique feature is the function as moisture stabilizer in baked goods, confectionary and chocolate – read: longer shelf life! Sorbitol is about 60% as sweet as sugar and has 60% of its calories. Sorbitol comes with the same regulatory warnings as Mannitol.

Xilitol (E967)
is naturally occurring in fruits and vegetables and is also produced in the human body during metabolism. This polyol that has been known for over 100 years and been produced commercially from trees as sweetener for nearly fifty years. It is as sweet as table sugar with 30% less calories and a pleasant taste. Xilitols rise to fame is due to its property to reduce dental caries. Thus it is widely used in dental and oral health products, but also in pharmaceuticals and children’s nutritional supplements. While all Polyols are not acted upon by bacteria in the mouth, and therefore do NOT cause tooth decay, Xylitol actually INHIBITS oral bacteria, and is often used in sugarless mints and chewing gum for this reason.

Dextrose and Polydextrose
have similarities with Polyols, such as their sweet taste and their ability to act as sugar substitutes (70% the sweetness of sugar), but as their endings in –ose suggests, these are sugars. Dextrose is a synthetic monosaccharide derived from corn starch and is about 95% glucose. It is used as a carrier in water soluble medications, but latest studies have shown Dextrose to be an Athletes performance booster, outperforming Ribose (widely used as a body builder supplement). Dextrose contains no fructose or lactose and is available as an inexpensive dietary supplement. Polydextrose is synthesized from Dextrose with added Sorbitol and citric acid and can replace sugar and fat and is often used as bulking agent in products designed for weight or blood sugar control. It may appear on food labels as E1200. Polydextrose acts in the body like fibers with no laxative effect. It has only 25% of the calories of sugar. You can find it in Lindt and other chocolates.

Agave Nectar / Syrup:
A natural low calorie plant-based sweetener from Mexico that is 75% stronger than sugar, sweeter and slightly thinner than honey but less viscous and is considered to be the lowest on the glycemic index scale of all sugar substitutes. Agave Nectar comes from the same Blue Agave plant (agave tequilana, agave azul) that is the core of Mexico’s National drink: the famed, distilled Tequila. Agave is one of the newest natural sugar alternatives; it has only been developed in the 1990’s. Sixty five percent of Agave syrup can be used instead of 100% sugar and the liquids in a recipe should be reduced by the amount of Agave nectar. Agave syrup dissolves easily, tastes good and enhances the flavors of anything it sweetens. It has a long shelf life of about three years, is minimally processed and refined, it acts as moisture retainer and humidifying agent in foods, thereby improving shelf life of foods. It is easy to use and does not crystallize or harden. Look for organic products with no additives. Agave Nectar is not a “whole food”, it is fractionated and processed. similar to Maple Syrup, Agave Nectar is boiled down to concentrate the sweetness and in the process many of the nutrients in the whole plant are lost. Also, the Agave Nectar is apparently often diluted with HFCS for cost reasons, which renders the product useless. But there are only a few producers and all from the Tequila region, so identify a reliable source offering unadulterated 100% pure Agave Nectar. There is one source claiming to sell “raw” organic Agave Syrup, however there is no legal labeling definition of “raw” and if the product has been heated above 118º F or 44º C, it is not raw anymore.

Barley Malt
is a very complex, pleasant tasting sweetener. Unlike refined sugar that is over 99 percent sucrose, Barley Malt Syrup is approximately 76.13 percent maltose, 15.81 percent glucose, 6.3 percent sucrose, 2.04 percent fructose and the remainder is lactose. It has 14 grams of carbohydrate and 8 grams of sugar per serving. Barley Malt is about half as sweet as refined sugar and has a consistency and flavor similar to that of molasses, although much milder. It is available as syrup and powders, the powders are extremely sensitive to moisture and in presence of steam it turns into candy very quickly. When choosing barley malt syrup, verify that it is traditionally malted. For cost cutting reasons, a lot of barley malt is instead made with pharmaceutical, genetically engineered enzymes, monosodium glutamate (MSG), gibberellic acid, and potassium bromate to speed and increase production or as processing aids. Barley Malt is a good choice for diabetics because it is digested slowly and does not disrupt the insulin levels. It is also an excellent choice for creative gourmet cooks and pastry makers that want to add distinguished flavor to sweet dishes without feeling bad about the sugar.

Bee Honey
is arguably the most well known natural sugar alternative and is mentioned early in the Bible 61 times and in the Qur’an many times. Everyone knows that Honey is produced by Bees from the nectar of flowers and is an amber colored viscous sweet liquid. But when it comes to selecting Honey by the Label, the consumer may be overwhelmed. How does one know the composition of honey, if the Bees collected the nectar from GMO plants, or even if the Bees were fed with Sugar or HFCS? Then, was the Honey processed by ultrasound, by heat or whipped? These information are almost never found on the labels, do they matter?

It depends on the intended use of the Honey; obviously the criteria are more relaxed when Honey is merely used as a sweetener of baked foods or hot liquids, than if it is to be used as targeted nutrition or even as medicine. The basic nutritional value of Honey is unique and it contains vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, fibers, phenolic acids, flavonoids and carbohydrate in form of 38% fructose, 31% glucose, maltose, melezitose and sucrose. It has antioxidative and immune-system building properties, but processing and heat destroy many of these assets. Honey is produced everywhere where flowers grow and hence Honey from around the world is widely available in all hues and consistencies. The sweetening potential as a sugar substitute is about the same for all Honeys, although they may vary in their nutrients composition. The term “Organic” is widely found on Honey labels but is meaningless since the bee keeper has no control over where the Bees get the Nectar. “Natural” is also a term with no merit, the Bees could have been “naturally” fed with sugar syrup. All Bees Honey has natural anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties. Manuka Honey from New Zealand is said to be particularly potent in these functions, because of the hydrogen-peroxide content. However, for utilizing Honey’s antioxidative, immunity and anti-allergy capabilities, local Honey where the Bees collected Nectar from local plants should be used. Honey is a good source of energy with a much lower glycemic index than sugar. Honey is also sweeter than sugar. Raw, unheated, unfiltered Honey has the highest nutrient content, including all the enzymes. Supermarket Honey is processed for a clear, uniform appearance and delayed granulation, but most heat sensitive nutrients are dead. Processed Honey labels are usually void of processing information, but the less the processing the more forthcoming is the declaration. So if a label just mentions “pure honey” – it is highly processed. Some products mention the dominant flower, such as “clover honey”, but that doesn’t mean that the Bees were not also fed sugar or HFCS.

Blackstrap Molasses
Blackstrap molasses is a sweetener that is actually nutritious. Unlike refined white sugar and corn syrup, which are stripped of virtually all nutrients except simple carbohydrates, or artificial sweeteners like saccharine or aspartame, which not only provide no useful nutrients but have been shown to cause health problems, In addition to providing quickly assimilated carbohydrates, BSM is an excellent source of bioavailable iron and can increase energy by helping to replenish iron stores. Iron from BSM is superior to iron from red meat, as it provides more iron per calorie and is completely fat free. In addition, BSM is rich in calcium, an essential mineral to up-regulate pH levels, while white table sugar contributes to acidifying the body. Blackstrap Molasses is also one of the very rare food sources of copper and it yields potassium, magnesium and manganese. When BSM is used as sweetener in lieu of sugar the benefits are double: while sugar depletes the minerals in the body, BSM feeds these minerals to the consumer. For all its benefits, Blackstrap Molasses is not a “whole food”, it is heavily cooked and cooking destroys the vitamins and enzymes. Those vitamins and minerals that survive the heat process are up to thirty times more concentrated than in cane juice. It is still an excellent alternative to sugar for sweetening foods. It has a rather distinct bittersweet somewhat liquorish flavor and this limits BSM’s applications, so it does not go well for sweetening beverages. The sugar composition is about 33% sucrose, 17.5% Levulose and Dextrose and the remainder is water and organic matter. Select a Blackstrap Molasses that is unsulphured since not only does it not contain this processing chemical to which some people are sensitive, but it has a cleaner and more clarified taste. Avoid sulphured Molasses but unsulphured Molasses is usable and is sweeter and lighter and has a not so strong flavor. This is also called Sweet Molasses or Barbados Molasses. Blackstrap molasses made from organic sugar cane is also available in some markets. There are other types of Molasses used in different parts of the world; very common are Carob Molasses, Pomegranate Molasses, Sorghum Molasses, and there is also sugar beet molasses.

Brown Rice Syrup
consists of brown rice amount of other liquids. You can also find this product as a dried powder. Brown Rice Syrup is about 40% less sweet than white table sugar. Brown rice syrup metabolizes slowly but does have calories and carbohydrates, diabetics should use it with caution. The final product is roughly 50% soluble complex carbohydrates, 45% maltose, and 3% glucose. Thus It is a “time-release” energy source. The glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream right away, the maltose digests over one and a half hours, and the complex carbohydrates burn over two to three hours. Thus, there is no sugar peak and sugar blues with this product and it is healthy for cholesterol leveling. Brown rice syrup is considered to be one of the healthiest sweeteners, since it is containing a lot of nutrients and it is produced from a whole food source and is made up of the simple sugars. Although it comes from a whole food source, substantial destruction of nutrients takes place in the process involving heat. Unlike Date Sugar, Brown Rice Syrup dissolves completely in liquids and is an ideal sweetener for beverages and its mild flavor opens up a plethora of other uses.that has been ground, cooked and mixed with enzymes that change the starch into maltose. Sometimes it is mixed with Barley Malt before cooking. Brown rice syrup taste moderately sweet, buttery to nutty and can be quite delicious.

Raw Sugar
is what most consumers believe they are using when referring to “brown sugar”. This also called Natural Brown Sugar is not or only partially refined sugar cane and still contains some nutrients of the original plant and thus far superior to white table sugar. Since it has a more pungent taste than white sugar and may overwhelm subtle flavors such as tea and that limits the use of raw sugar in a world of bland tasting, one-food fit’s-all products.

Date Honey / Sugar / Nectar
is probably the least processed natural sugar alternative. The date is a food of high nutritional value. It provides natural sugar in the form of 41% glucose and 28% fructose. In addition it contains fiber and protein, Iron and vitamins – just every nutrient from the natural fruit. This sugar - has about the same sweetness as white table sugar - is ready for immediate absorption and is, therefore, infinitely superior to cane sugar. Yes it is sweet like sugar but it’s all natural and digestible just like dates. It adds unique flavor to foods and is ideal for breakfast cereals, baked goods, desserts and even in salad dressings. However it does not dissolve well in drinks and is not a great choice for a beverage sweetener. Date Honey or Nectar is available as syrup and Date Sugar in dry grains, granules or powder. Look for a 100% natural, organic, unpasteurized, unsterilized product that still contains all the nutrients of the fruit.

FOS (fructooligosaccharides) and Inulin
is an indigestible sugar, it triggers no spikes in blood sugar levels the way sucrose and glucose do. It is about 40 to 60 percent as sweet as sugar, yet not absorbed and has minimal caloric value. Since it is indigestible by our bodies, it gets transported to the large intestine where it feeds microbes and promotes fermentation, essentially serving as fertilizer for the bacteria in your colon. Certain lactobacillus species of bacteria have been shown to preferentially ferment Inulin/FOS. For this reason, it is being promoted as a supplement to feed the good bacteria in our guts. FOS is naturally found in low quantities in many types of foods such as asparagus, garlic, Jerusalem Artichokes, chicory root, leek, bananas and some 36,000 others and technically is a soluble fiber. However, to obtain just a quarter teaspoon of FOS from the diet, you would have to consume 13 bananas.16 tomatoes or 16 onions. Chicory roots have one of the highest amounts of FOS of any plant, and most natural FOS is commercially derived from water-extraction of the roots. A naturally sweet, indigestible sugar derived from chicory roots, FOS is more than just a natural, zero calorie and low-glycemic sweetener: It is claimed to be one of the most powerful prebiotics that was researched in the last decade. The subject of over 100 clinical studies, FOS is one of the best-documented natural nutrients for improving the healthy balance of bacteria in intestines and stimulating the growth of the beneficial bifidobacteria - also called “friendly flora” - that reside in the colon. How important to good health is this so-called “friendly flora” that populates our intestines? They are literally our front-line defense against invading disease-causing organisms, combating premature aging caused by the toxin-producing bacteria and fungi that reside in our intestines. Some animal studies suggest that Inulin and FOS may prevent colon cancer. So much for natural occurring FOS. The absolutely perfect no-calorie sugar that promotes regularity – if it sounds too good to be true – it probably is. Critics contend that FOS may indeed promote the growth of certain lactobacillus bacteria, which may change the colonic ecosystem in favor of some bacteria, but what other potentially harmful bacteria are we feeding as well? There are typical side effects that will vary depending on one’s level of tolerance. The list of known side effects include: intestinal gas, bloating, cramps, abdominal pain, and diarrhea for doses over 5-10 grams, and some people are also allergic to the product. While the origin of FOS is a plant, so is sugar (beet and sugar cane) which is converted into one of the unhealthiest refined chemical. Thus, we should not use a highly refined and concentrated chemical and the constant use of single strains of bacteria may lead to imbalance of good intestinal bacteria. As the industrially made FOS permeates our food supply, the list of side effects is expected to grow. The FDA has classified FOS and Inulin as food ingredients, rather than food additives and they must be listed on the ingredient labels.

Fructose
is like Sucanat widely available as sugar alternative. It is a processed simple sugar from fruit juice concentrate, but it can also be nothing more than dehydrated HFCS. It is not a viable alternative to sugar.

Luo Han Guo
is a fruit grown in southern China, it is collected as a round green fruit that turns brown upon drying. A process for making a useful sweetener from luohanguo was patented in 1995 by Procter and Gamble Company. As described in the patent application, the fruit itself, though sweet, has too many additional flavors that would make it unsuitable for widespread use as a sweetener, so P&G developed a method for processing it to eliminate the undesired flavors. In the P&G process, the fresh fruit is picked before ripening and allowed to complete its ripening during storage so that processing begins with the just-ripe fruit. The peel and seeds are then removed, and the mashed fruit becomes the basis of a concentrated fruit juice or puree that can be used in food manufacturing. Luo Han Guo is also used in Chinese Medicine for treating heat stroke, cough, throat inflammation and diabetes although its use has only developed in the 20th century.
This sweetener is available in the West as processed extracts, tea, powder and granules. Luo Han Guo is a good suger alternative for sweetening teas and other beverages.

Maple Syrup / Sugar
is the distilled and dehydrated sap of the maple tree. It is mainly sucrose with a high mineral content and has a distinct mild flavor. The liquid syrup is available in different grades and colors, cheap versions may be fakes made with HFCS and added flavors. Also, although from a plant source, Maple Syrup is not a “whole food” with all its enzymes and nutrients of the plant source, it is high heat treated processed food. Nevertheless, 100% pure Maple Syrup is still considered a natural food.

Stevia
is probably the most neutral tasting, universal natural sugar substitute in existence; it goes everywhere where sugar goes a fact that has been known in South America since pre-Colombian times. The Japanese spearheaded a high number of scientific and clinical studies and millions of Japanese have been using Stevia as their major sugar substitute for 40 years with no reported harmful effects. Stevioside, a natural extract of the Stevia leaf that is 300 times sweeter than sugar, has become even more popular, especially in Japan and Korea. But Stevia is more than just a natural low-calorie, low glycemic, and super sweet supplement. Unlike nutrient-empty synthetic sugar substitutes, Stevia is loaded with vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, niacin, riboflavin, zinc, chromium, and selenium. .Stevia is also one of the oldest, safest, and most highly esteemed South American herbs known, with a centuries-long history of safe use. Japan banned the importing of synthetic sweeteners in the 1960’s; the Japanese National Institute of Health began researching both Stevia and Stevioside as possible natural replacements. This prompted a series of high-quality studies to examine both the safety and stability of Stevia leaf extract and Stevioside (the super sweet glycoside derived from Stevia) in order to determine their suitability for sweetening commercial foods. All of the studies found that Stevioside had no negative impact on any physical function after an extensive series of tests were conducted. The only side effect noted was a decrease in body weight (Okumura et al., 1978; Lee et al., 1979). How to use Stevia The purest form of Stevia is Fresh Leaves: 8-12% Glycosides, 5-8% Steviosides, 1-2% Rebaudioside A. There are Dried Leaves and cut leaves for Tea and powdered leaves which are 10-15 times sweeter than sugar. These do not dissolve in cooking or tea. Then there are powdered extracts: Steviosides, 40-95% Glycosides and Rebaudioside A. These products are generally 200-300 times sweeter than sugar. The higher the content of Rebaudioside A, the better is the product. There are also clear and dark Liquid Extracts of powdered leaves suspended in water, alcohol or glycerin. Avoid the white Stevia powder and Stevia liquid drops as they have been highly processed. Stevia is heat stable and does not brake down like saccharine and aspartame and can be used for cooking and baking, but it does not caramelize like sugar. It is important to note what sweetening potency the product has, which can range from 10-300 times, as excessive use may yield some bitter taste or aftertaste. Stevia sweetened foods allow the body to regulate the blood sugar levels naturally and it is a wonderful way to satisfy cravings for sweets with impunity.

Sucanat
is originally dehydrated sugar cane juice and can be bought in dry form just like sugar. In theory, Sucanat has some nutrients, white sugar has none, but often what is sold as Sucanat is nothing more than adulterated brown sugar. It is processed at temperatures higher than 118º F or 44º C and thus can’t be considered raw.

Turbanado
is a variation of Brown Sugar featuring larger crystals, with no additional value.

Avoid:
Brown Sugar is healthier – right? It once was and still would be - but is not! Today’s commercially available brown sugar is the common fully refined white sugar with some 3-7% molasses added to color it brown. Since white sugar has no nutritional value, all nutrients claimed to be in brown sugar are from molasses.
Always avoid Products with these Ingredients like the plague
Aspartame (E951) NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful -
Sucralose (E955) Splenda -
Acesulfame Potassium (E950) or ace-K Sunnet, Sweet-One -
Neotame, NutraSweet -
Saccharin (E954)
HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup).
You may want to read about these synthetic sweeteners and why you must avoid them by downloading the original article with all links and references at: http://www.vitalityconcepts.com/v2/index.html
Meet the Author: http://www.vitalityconcepts.com/ HRG@D4VC.com

Heinz R Gisel is a Personal Nutritional Concepts and Medical Devices Innovator, based in San Diego and Tokyo. He is the Founder of Vitality Concepts Corporation and Doctors 4 Vitality Clinics, LLC. He developed a a clinical, non-invasive analysis system that can detect disease before any symptoms occur, without radiation. He believes that Nutrients belong into food and beverages and not capsules and pills and he has patents pending on such nutritional concepts.

By Heinz Gisel

• Comments Off

Cigar Shop - Cigar Shop Online

Cigar Shop - A cigar is a tightly rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco, one end of which is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the smoker’s mouth through the other end.
The English word cigar is from the Spanish word cigarro, which in turn derives from the Mayan word for tobacco, siyar. (See entry at the Spanish Royal Academy’s online dictionary.
Cigars are composed of three types of tobacco leaves, whose variations determine smoking and flavor characteristics:

Wrappers
A cigar’s outermost leaves, or wrapper, come from the widest part of the plant. The wrapper determines much of the cigar’s character and flavor, and as such its color is often used to describe the cigar as a whole. Colors are designated as follows, from lightest to darkest:
Double Claro – very light, slightly greenish (also called Candela, American Market Selection or jade); achieved by picking leaves before maturity and drying quickly; often grown in Connecticut

Claro – light tan or yellowish. Indicative of shade-grown tobacco.
Natural – light brown to brown; generally sun-grown.
Colorado Claro – mid-brown; particularly associated with tobacco grown in the Dominican Republic or in Cuba
Colorado – reddish-brown (also called Rosado)
Colorado Maduro – dark brown; particularly associated with Honduras or Cuba-grown tobacco
Maduro – dark brown to very dark brown
Oscuro – a.k.a. “Double Maduro”, black, often oily in appearance; tend to be grown in Cuba, Nicaragua, Brazil, Mexico, or Connecticut
Some manufacturers use an alternate designation:
American Market Selection (AMS) – synonymous with Double Claro
English Market Selection (EMS) – can refer to any color stronger than Double Claro but milder than Maduro
Spanish Market Selection (SMS) – either of the two darkest colors, Maduro and Oscuro

It is often thought, mistakenly, that the darker the wrapper, the fuller the flavor. In fact it is the blend of the filler which dictates the flavour. If anything, dark wrappers add a touch of sweetness and light ones a hint of dryness to the taste.

Fillers
The majority of a cigar is made up of fillers, wrapped-up bunches of leaves in its interior. Fillers of various strengths are usually blended to produce unique cigar flavors. The more oils present in the tobacco leaf, the stronger (less dry) the filler. Types range from the minimally-flavored Volado taken from the bottom of the plant, through the light-flavored (dry) Seco taken from the middle of the plant, and on to the strong Ligero from the upper leaves exposed to the most sunlight. Large-gauge cigars have a greater capacity to contain filler, and thus have greater potential to provide a full body and/or complex flavor. When used, Ligero is always folded into the middle of the filler because it burns slowly.
Fillers can be either long or short; long filler uses whole leaves and is of a better quality, while short filler, also called “mixed,” uses chopped up leaves as well as stems and other bits. Recently some manufacturers have created what they term “medium filler” cigars. They do not use whole leaves but part of the leaves. The quality is usually much better than short filler cigars because the leaves are not chopped up and there are no stems and bits in the filler. Short filler cigars are easy to identify when smoked since they often burn hotter and the smoker will be spitting out bits and pieces from the smoking end. Long filled cigars of high quality should burn evenly and consistently. Also available is a filler called “Sandwich” (sometimes “Cuban Sandwich”) which is a method of rolling a cigar using both long and short filler and using long outer leaf to sandwich the short in between.

Binders
Binders are elastic leaves used to hold together the bunches of fillers.

Cigars are commonly categorized by the size and shape of the cigar, which together are known as a vitola.
The size of a cigar is measured by two dimensions: its ring gauge (its diameter in sixty-fourths of an inch) and its length (in inches). For example, most non-Cuban robustos have a ring gauge of approximately 50 and a length of approximately 5 inches. Robustos which are of Cuban origin always have a ring gauge of 50 and a length of 4 7/8 inches.[citation needed]

See also Factory Name.
The most common shape is the parejo, which has a cylindrical body, straight sides, one end open, and a round cap on the other end which is either snipped off, sliced perpendicularly (a V-cut), or punched through before smoking.
Parejos are designated by the following terms:

Coronas
Rothschilds (4 1/2″ x 50) after the Rothschild family
Robusto (4 7/8″ x 50)
Hermosos No. 4 (5″ x 48)
Mareva/Petit Corona (5 1/8″ x 42)
Corona (5 1/2″ x 42)
Corona Gorda (5 5/8″ x 46)
Toro (6″ x 50)
Corona Grande (6 1/8″ x 42)
Cervantes/Lonsdale (6 1/2″ x 42), named for Hugh Cecil Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale
Dalia (6 3/4″ x 43)
Julieta, also known as Churchill (7″ x 47), named for Winston Churchill
Prominente/Double Corona (7 5/8″ x 49)
Presidente (8″ x 50)
Gran Corona (”A”) (9 1/4″ x 47)
Panatelas – longer and generally thinner than Coronas
Small Panatela (5″ x 33)
Carlota (5 5/8″ x 35)
Short Panatela (5″ x 38)
Slim Panatela (6″ x 34)
Panatela (6″ x 38)
Deliciados/Laguito No. 1 (7 1/4″ x 38)

Irregularly-shaped cigars are known as figurados and are sometimes considered of higher quality because they are more difficult to make.
Historically, especially during the 19th century, figurados were the most popular shapes, however, by the 1930s, they had fallen out of fashion and all but disappeared. They have, however, recently received a small resurgence in popularity, and there are currently many brands(manufacturers) that produce figurados alongside the simpler parejos. The Cuban cigar brand Cuaba only has figurados in their range.

Figurados include the following:
Torpedo - Like a parejo except that the cap is pointed.
Pyramid - Has a broad foot and evenly narrows to a pointed cap.
Perfecto - Narrow at both ends and bulged in the middle.
Presidente/Diadema - shaped like a parejo but considered a figurado because of its enormous size and occasional closed foot akin to a perfecto.
Culebras - Three long, pointed cigars braided together.
Tuscanian - The typical Italian cigar, created in the early nineteenth century when Kentucky tobacco was hybridized with local varieties and used to create a long, tough, slim cigar thicker in the middle and tapered at the ends, with a very strong aroma. It is also known as a cheroot, which is the largest selling cigar shape in the United States.
Arturo Fuente, a large cigar manufacturer based in the Dominican Republic, has also manufactured figurados in exotic shapes ranging from chili peppers to baseball bats and American footballs. They are highly collectible and extremely expensive, when publicly available. In practice, the terms Torpedo and Pyramid are often used interchangeably, even among very knowledgeable cigar smokers. Min Ron Nee, the Hong Kong-based cigar expert whose work “An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Post-Revolution Havana Cigars” is considered to be the definitive work on cigars and cigar terms, defines Torpedo as “cigar slang.” Nee thinks the majority is right (because slang is defined by majority usage) and torpedoes are pyramids by another name, saying:
In the old days, torpedo could mean a perfecto or a pyramid shape cigar. After the Cuban Revolution the meaning leans toward the pyramid rather than the perfecto. Some cigar authorities insist that the correct meaning of a torpedo should be referring to a perfecto and not a pyramid. The majority of people who use torpedo to mean pyramid have got it wrong. I find it rather funny that a slang word can be incorrectly misunderstood by the majority.

Virtually all cigar aficionados enjoy the practice because of the rich and varied flavours one observes when smoking, although some eschew the connoisseurial qualities in favour of other factors. For those drawn by taste, each brand and type of cigar carries different qualities of taste. The wrapper does not, as is commonly thought, dictate the flavour of the cigar. However, darker wrappers tend to produce a sweetness, while lighter wrappers usually have a drier taste to them. Flavours of cigars whether mild, medium, or full bodied are not indicators of quality. Like all kinds of flavors they are highly personal.
Unlike cigarettes, cigars taste very little of smoke, and usually very much of tobacco with nuances of other tastes. Some cigar enthusiasts use a vocabulary similar to that of wine-tasters to describe the overtones and undertones observed while smoking a cigar. A fine cigar can have virtually no taste of smoke whatsoever.
Some of the more common flavours one observes while smoking a cigar include:

Spice
Cocoa / chocolate
Peat / moss / earth
Coffee
Nut
Wood
Berry
Honey
Many different things affect the scent of cigar smoke: quality of the cigar, added flavours, tobacco type, cigar age, cigar humidity, production method (handmade vs. machine-made) and more.
cigar shop has the best comparison shopping information on Cigars and cheap cigarettes. The most current and reliable information about cigars store that is free and available to all cigar smokers. The latest news about discount cigars and answers to many cigar questions. Cigar reviews, recommendations and guides for helping new cigar smokers select, purchase, and enjoy cigars. Free advice about cuban cigars, cigar humidors, cutters, accessories and more.

By James Milis : http://cigar.cigarrettes-online.com

• Comments Off

F1 Greatest Drivers

Its hard to decide who was the F1 greatest drivers because the era of their dominance doesn’t coincide with all the other F1 greats. However we can say that F1 greats have to prove themselves to earn that title. Whether getting the most win of his career, poles, wet weather prowes or just transcending the limits of your car. These are the traits and characteristic that F1 greats should possess. So who are the greats? Well these drivers were certainly the best drivers when they were racing:

Michael Schumacher: He owns all the records in the book and by far the favourite of the new generation of formula one drivers. His F1 career started with Jordan team which was a backmarker. Nevertheless he quickly moved to Benneton and started to rack up some podium finishes and victories.

In 1993 he proved to the critics that he is well match for Ayrton Senna in some races, and ended up third in the drivers title in the end of the season. The following season he won the championship albeit with a controversy, (Schumacher ramming Hill’s Williams) then 1995 he dominated completely with the Renault supplying the engines for Benneton. Despite his 2 world titles, he decided that he wants try this taste of success with another team. So he quickly moved to Ferrari which at the time was in doldrums; moreover, It took 4 years of wait to get another world championship. Finally in 2000 - 2004 he and his Ferrari team decimated the competition. Schumachers success came from his own motivation, intelligence, work ethic, dedication and determination. These qualities propelled him to win races more than any F1 drivers in the history.

Juan Manuel Fangio: Highly regarded as the maestro, a truly fitting name for a man with such a great talent. Unlike the new generation of Formula 1 cars these days that have traction control, launch control, carbon fiber monocoque and ground shattering down force. In the olden days it was extremely difficult and dangerous to race because Formula 1 cars were not safe at all and it drives like a truck. Fangio was at his best when he was at his forties, defying his aging body and just racing to the fullest is something worth applauding. The most memorable race was at Nurburgring in 1957 in his Maserati. His mechanics ruined his pit stop, and he was a full minute behind the leaders when he emerged from the pits. Victory looked slim but his subsequently fast lap times utterly demolish the gap and by the time he finished, he was ahead of the race leader. This epic victory is just a exemplification of his talent and bravery. This race led him to attain his fifth and final title which was a spectacular way to end a illustrious career.

Alain Prost: Prost nicknamed, ” the professor” because of his way of driving. On normal circumstances he will drive conservatively and rather carefully. Yet, his style of driving didn’t diminish his greatness, moreover, he was also fast in race day. Only Prost’s genuine pace and mind power can match the menacing Senna. Prost won world championship titles in 1985 and 1986, 1989, 1993 but these titles didn’t come to him by luck. He had to fight the best racing drivers at the time. Drivers such as: Niki Lauda, Keke Rosberg, Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell, and Senna whom he had the most feud with. Only Schumacher and Fangio won more titles than Prost yet, this does not justify the fact that he is not as good as Schumacher. Because Prost always had someone capable of depriving him for the world title.

Ayrton Senna: Some say that he is the greatest driver of all time, but that’s just an opinion. Senna was bestowed with an incredible amount of talent and charisma. Even in his first season in Formula 1 he was already proving to be more competitive than any of the backmarkers. For instance in 1984 driving for Toleman in Monaco Grand Prix, it was a nightmare for most of the drivers because of the torrential downpour. The rain didnt affect Senna at all, this actual gave him a chance to prove even in a inferior car, he can score points. The next season with Lotus, he proved that he was the talent worth to be reckoned. Having poles in most occasion and in some races, winning it. He was arguably the fastest man in one lap stint. He had such an incredible amount of precision coupled with an astounding speed and control. The prodigy drives the car as if it was his own body connected to the car itself. His one lap supremacy was vindicated when he amassed an 65 pole position in 162 Grand Prix. He also was the supreme master of wet weather racing. He won many races in the raining condition; furtheremore, the most notable display of his wet weather driving prowess was in 1993 European GP at Donnington. He could only muster 5th place on the grid due to his cars limitations. The Williams and the Bennetons had more horsepower than Senna’s Mclaren. Depites this defiency, he defied the cars limitation and transcended its cababilities. He won that race with grace and undeniably the greatest drive of his career.

These were the drivers worthy to be called the greats and also for future Formula 1 drivers to emulate.

Jacobson has a wealth of knowledge about automobiles and also a f1 fanatic. He partakes in many auto crossing and tracks days; furthermore, he is a medical assistant at a large hospital firm. His passion for racing was magnified throughout the years and hoping to make it out in professional level. In the mean time medicine pays and racing is still a hobby.

By Mack Jacobson

• Comments Off

Online Business On A Shoestring

If you want to start an online business but you have very little capital to invest up front, then there are several options available to you. This article looks at online businesses you can start on a tight budget or with no investment.

1. Set Up Your Own Web Site
It is not so expensive to set up your own online publication in the form of a web site. In fact you can now obtain good web hosting packages for as low as five dollars per month. Set up a regular web site or, if you prefer, you could position it more as an ezine or a blog.
The key is to build a popular publication with a regular following of readers. Then all you need to do is learn to turn that traffic into revenue through advertising, subscriptions, and sales of your own products and services.

2. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate programs are one of the most popular ways for companies to market their products and services online. A company offers a product or service. As an affiliate you sign up to promote the product. Your task is to send a stream of visitors to the company’s web site. You do this using a customized link that allows the company to identify which affiliate referred the visitor. Whenever a visitor sent by you buys a product, you earn a commission.
Many affiliates promote affiliate products by placing advertisements at pay-per-click search engines. However, if you are on a tight budget you can use other methods such as promoting them on your own web pages or writing articles relating to the product. If you do not yet have your own web site, get one for a few dollars per month or set up a free blog at Blogger.com.

3. Article Marketing
On the Internet good content is always hard to come by. For this reason one of the best free online business opportunities is to write articles that webmasters can use on their web sites, in return for showing an “About the Author” resource box at the end of the article. That paragraph about the author includes a live link to the author’s web site.
That resource box can be used to build your own business without costing you anything. You can use it to rapidly build traffic to your new web site, or you can funnel article traffic to landing pages that promote popular affiliate products.

4. Freelance Writing
If you don’t want to have your own web site or online publication, you can still start an online business, for example as a freelance writer. Freelance writers are paid to write many types of documents, from articles for magazines and newspapers through to business sales letters, instruction manuals and even greeting cards.
These are a few ideas for starting an online business on a shoestring. There are many more ways to work on the Internet and they are not all expensive to get started.

Daniel Moro has been successfully building online businesses for ten years. Download your free report, ‘10 Remarkably Effective Traffic Building Techniques’ today at http://www.DanielMoro.com

By Daniel Moro

• Comments Off

Download Free PC Satellite TV Software

Did you know that you can watch free PC satellite TV without buying any additional components ? No need for a TV tuner card. No extra hardware requirements just download free PC satellite TV.
There are all kinds of websites on the internet that offer you streaming video day and night. Sites like YouTube or Google Video offer you plenty of entertainment value for free and movie distributors also like to distribute their trailers. But when you download free PC satellite TV software you suddenly have a whole lot more options.

All it takes is for you to download a small piece of software and you can watch more than 3000 different satellite channels from around the world, all from the comfort of your PC.
There’s no need to pay hundreds of dollars every month so that you can enjoy satellite TV. Some company’s can charge a small one time fee that allows you to then download free PC Satellite TV software. Okay it’s not quite free that way but it’s darn close and it sure a lot cheaper than any other options you have.

Before you download free PC Satellite TV you might want to consider upgrading your internet connection to cable or DSL because watching television on your computer requires high bandwidth for god viewing. If you’d rather watch your television shows on a larger screen just use an S-video cable to connect your computer and TV.
So if you want to download free PC satellite TV to your computer you are not alone. Who wants to pay those ridiculously expensive satellite bills when there is no need?

There are some television networks that are very unhappy with the ability to download free PC satellite TV because it’s really cutting into their profits and there is nothing they can do. The loophole being used is legal. It may not always be that way but it is right now, so why not take advantage of it.
You can put yourself through a lot of hassle by investing in that big satellite dish and receiver, installing it, setting it up, and going through the programming and whatever else you need. But in just a few minutes you can download free PC satellite TV software to your computer and be watching your favorite shows in just minutes. The software will do all the work for you.

Still not sure what the advantages are if you download free PC satellite TV software ? Here’s a quick list.
You get to choose from hundreds of television channels from countries around the world including Australia, Canada, US, and Italy.
You can enjoy all the sports and movies you want, giving your with over 3000 channels to choose from.

You get all of this from the comfort of your own living room with no fees to pay.
————————————————————-

Isn’t it time you tried to download free PC satellite TV software and see what it really has to offer?

By Morten Hansen

About The Author
Morten Hansen has been working with Satellite TV for several years and is mainly writing about subjects, that make it easier to use Satellite TV. For more details about Satellite TV visit our website www.SatelliteTvTips4you.com

• Comments Off

Direct TV Satellite Internet

The way we watch television was redefined by satellite cable, and the way we connect to the world wide web has been changed by Direct TV satellite internet system.
Now you have a lot more viewing options. Now you have hundreds of channels which include movies, sports shows, general programming, sitcoms, variety shows, parenting shows, cooking shows, and crafts shows from around the globe. And let’s not forget about the Direct TV satellite internet service.

Not so long ago we were content with our local cable service but it’s a changing world, and those who sign up for Direct TV satellite internet service and television never regret the decision. In fact it’s providing high-speed internet to those who would never have it other wise.
When you sign up for Direct TV satellite internet service and satellite cable, you will get a satellite dish antenna and a transceiver. If you are already a cable subscriber and you just want to add the internet, you will not need a new dish, just ask Direct TV to active your Internet account. You may need to pay an additional fee.

Today’s internet speeds vary from 50 to 150 Kbps to upload material and 1200 Kbps, to download. Even though these speeds vary greatly, most internet users only download material so you probably won’t notice it.
Direct TV satellite internet service is expensive but it is also a reliable, way that people in rural areas can get a high-speed Internet connection. In fact this is the type of internet connection that is used in the Antarctic research missions. The scientists in these regions use satellite technology to beam information to the home labs. Without this Satellite network, these scientists would have no contact with the outside world.

Direct TV satellite internet service users report a bandwidth from 10 to 15 Kbps at worst with the Average speed being around 100, and the fastest speed reaching 50 KB for ordinary files. You can get these higher speeds if there are fewer people online.
The science behind Direct TV satellite internet service is fascinating. Each time we use it, the information makes two round trips between the earth’s surface and transponders, which are orbiting 22,300 miles above the equator. The data travels at an incredible 0.48 second.

However, weather issues like major storms can affect the signal. You may also get spotty connections and transmissions if a solar flare is occurring. It is most common in mid-March and late September, when the sun and the satellite are in alignment, for a few minutes each day.
Satellites don’t just circle the planet, they are changing the face pf the world that we live in. The technology is being used a round the world by many people. It allows for the sharing of information.
Satellites are creating a global village where websites are easily accessible developing our next-door neighbor image online from sometimes thousands of miles away. Now that’s certainly a dish worth raving about! Are you ready for your Direct TV satellite internet service ?

By Morten Hansen

About The Author
Morten Hansen has been working with Satellite TV for several years and is mainly writing about subjects, that make it easier to use Satellite TV. For more details about Satellite TV visit our website www.SatelliteTvTips4you.com

• Comments Off

Eliminate Acne With New Skin Treatment Products

Among all the skin problems, acne is one that affect all ages. How many times you wished for that radiant, clear skin without the fear of nasty rashes?

One of the most common skin diseases that can affect any age group is acne. If you do not receive proper treatment, acne can get out of hand especially if you neglect it initially. Severe spread of acne may result on parts of the body as a result of neglecting it over a period of time. Thus getting a skin treatment and using quality skin treatment products related to acne is effective in suppressing an outbreak.

Another question that might crop up in your mind would be which acne skin treatment product to use from the innumerable products that are on the shelves in the market?
Certain acne skin treatment products contain antibiotic medicines which may suppress the growth of acne. They are prescribed by the dermatologists and doctors keeping the severity of acne in mind. These specific treatment products are used to reduce acne in sever cases and contain tetracycline, erythromycin, minocycline and various other generic salts and can be taken as oral treatment products.
Many other natural based treatment products can also be used for effective skin treatment. There are many other gels, creams and face washes available that have herbal, natural ingredients which also help reduce signs of acne and are available at health and drug stores. Some natural skin products may contain turmeric (curcumin), sandalwood and neem.

However, before purchasing any skin treatment products, keep in mind a few things that will help you get a proper treatment:
•Always use skin treatment product which get absorbed in the skin quickly for effective treatment.
•Natural skin care or treatment products that have a herbal base can aid your acne treatment faster and not cause scarring also.
•Check all ingredients before you put it in your cart or buy. Go in for products which are mild enough to suit all ages and are safe on pregnant women also.
•Ingredients should be natural and chemical free while the acne cream should have a balanced formulation to get maximum benefit and hypoallergenic.
•Use skin treatment products that lessen the acne problems and see if there are any reactions, if there are any negative side effects then immediately stop the treatment or application of the cream.

So, get the best health benefit through the use of correct skin treatment products and you can also get that radiant skin.
The Skin Care Business is John Mendes area of expertise. He provides quality skin treatment products for many years.

By John Mendes

• Comments Off

I Love French Wine and Food - A Midi Merlot

If you are in the mood for fine French wine and food, you should consider the Languedoc-Roussillon region of south central France. Who knows you may find a bargain, and I hope that you’ll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local red Merlot. Languedoc-Roussillon is the largest of France’s eleven wine-growing regions and ranks number fourth in the vineyard acreage. This area, which includes the Midi, had been known for generating immense amounts of rather dubious table wine called vin ordinaire. Recently, thanks in part to flying Australian wine makers, the region has started to produce a lot of fine wine.

Like Alsace, and unlike most other regions of France, many Languedoc-Roussillon wines, such as the one reviewed below, are identified by their constituent grape variety on the label.
This lovely region has a varied terrain. For example, Languedoc is mostly flat; in contrast Roussillon is hilly. Several areas take advantage of their unique combination of microclimate and soil (terroir) to produce one or more local AOC (Appellation d’Origine Controle) wines. You can expect to pay more for these wines than for their generic cousins. Sooner or later we will review at least one of these wines in our series. Languedoc-Roussillon has almost 50 AOC wine appellations; red, white, rosé, sparkling, and sweet. This diversity is not surprising given that the region grows over 30 grape varieties including Merlot, the single most important grape variety in Bordeaux.

Perpignan, settled first in Roman times, was founded over a millennium ago. It was the capital of Roussillon. Unlike most of the other cities and towns mentioned in this series, Perpignan rose up against French rule. Even though it lost the battle, France ceded it to Spain for several decades. You won’t have to look far to see Spanish influence. Salvador Dali, arguably one of Spain’s greatest modern artists, called its train station the center of the universe and said that he got his best ideas sitting in its waiting room. So it’s no surprise that a monument honoring Dali hangs above the station.

Other sites to see include the historic downtown near the docks of the Basse River, the fortified Palais des Rois de Majorca (Palace of the Kings of Majorca), Le Castillet a former prison, and the Cathedrale St-Jean (Cathedral of St. John the Baptist). Sad to say you can no longer visit the city walls; they were torn down more than a century ago to let a growing city expand.

The Mediterranean fishing village of Collioure is a major tourist attraction especially during the summer months. To a large extent it was made famous by Henri Matisse and other Fauve painters of times gone by. You’ll be happy to know that the view hasn’t changed much. It’s hardly surprising that this little village, population under three thousand, is a favorite of artists. Make sure to see the old port, the Seventeenth Century Notre-Dame-des-Anges (Our Lady of the Angels) Church and the Thirteenth Century Château Royal (Royal Castle) once the summer home of the kings of Majorca.

Before reviewing the Languedoc-Roussillon wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Roque Anchois (Anchovies with Tomato, Spices, Vinegar, and Olive Oil). For your second course savor Tagine de Lotte (Monkfish Stew). And as dessert indulge yourself with Crème Catalan (Crème brûlée with Orange Flower and Aniseed).
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Domaine des Aspes Merlot 2003 13% about $14
Let’s start by quoting the marketing materials. An attractive Merlot from the warm 2003 vintage. The aromas suggest ripe plum, blackberry and a hint of tar. It is dry, quite rich and supple with a long, balanced finish. Match barbecued steak.

My first meal was take out. It consisted of chicken breast with the skin on, potato salad, and a somewhat spicy tomato, red pepper, and garlic salad. No, I didn’t buy this last salad in the Midi. My first sip of this wine was excellent: It was quite round and rich with some tobacco and plenty of dark fruit. You know the old story about never getting a second chance to make a first impression. No need. I think that the Merlot’s length and level of complexity kept it from competing in a totally different price range. I wasted a bit by trying it with a quite unorthodox partner, fresh pineapple. No surprise, the two didn’t mesh.

The next meal consisted of a stove-top home cooked chicken breast with a somewhat spicy tomato sauce, accompanied by white rice and green beans. As previously this wine was quite powerful tasting of tobacco and dark fruit.
Of course I did want to try this wine with red meat. I went for hamburgers and the fixings. Once again it was a success. The Merlot was long and round and clearly presented the taste of tobacco. Let me remind you that I am not now and have never really been a smoker. I don’t go looking for a tobacco taste but I do like it in a wine, if not overdone. In all cases I was pleased with its tobacco taste. The wine seemed a bit chewy and very pleasant. The last sips were quite enjoyable after the meal was over.

My first cheese pairing was with a goat’s milk cheese, a Palet de Chevre from the Poitou Charentes region of central-western France. This cheese resembled a Camembert more than a goat’s milk cheese. While this wine was less forward than when accompanying the meals, I’d call it subtle rather than flat. I got the taste of plums. The second cheese was a Swiss Gruyere. The wine was intense; the wine’s fruit and the Gruyere’s nuttiness went well together.

I usually restrict these tastings to imported cheese but I found a real favorite of mine, a local Asiago that I prefer to its Italian cousin and, frankly, to almost any cheese that I have eaten in quite a while. The wine remained powerful and fruity with a good level of acidity. I sort of like black plums, but I don’t think that I ever found them this good before. Final verdict. Can you guess? Will the next bottle be as good? I’ll follow my instincts and the marketing notes and try it with barbecued steak.

——

Over the years Levi Reiss has written ten Internet and computer books, sometimes with a co-author. Between you and me, he would rather drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches computer classes at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his Italian wine website at www.theitalianwineconnection.com .Visit his Italian travel website at www.travelitalytravel.com .

Author: Levi Reiss

• Comments Off

I Love German Wine and Food - A Rheinhessen Dornfelder

If you are in the mood for fine German wine and food, why not consider the Rheinhessen region of southwestern Germany. You may even find a bargain, and I do believe that you’ll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local red Dornfelder. Rheinhessen is a relatively small area, sometimes called the land of the thousand hills, nestled between the Rhine and the Nahe Rivers. It already was known for its wines in the days of Charlemagne.

To some extent it is famous or infamous for Liebfraumilch, to be reviewed in another article in this series. It is the German region with both the largest area planted in wine grapes and the highest wine production. Rheinhessen is responsible for more than one quarter of the German wine acreage and wine production. It is also produces the highest percentage of generally low quality table wine, coming in at almost 12%. More than 60% of Rheinhessen wine is middle quality QbA wine, and a bit more than 25% is higher quality QmP wine. About seven of eight bottles contain white wine, but the percentage of red wine is increasing. The most widely grown varieties are the German hybrid Mueller-Thurgau and Silvaner. The usually higher quality Riesling represents about 10% of the total production. Dornfelder is the most widely planted red grape variety. The marketing materials, quoted below, present one viewpoint of this German-bred grape.

Mainz has a population of about eighty thousand. It is one of the centers of the German wine trade. It is the capital of Rheinland-Pfalz, the only German state government that has a wine minister. The city is built on the site of a two thousand year-old Roman citadel. Here two thousand years is nothing; a local museum contains three hundred thousand year-old artifacts. In season the Marktplatz (Market) and H�fchen (Little Courtyard) buzz with farmers selling their wares on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday. Check the exact dates for the annual Sektfest (Sparkling Wine Festival) held in late May or early June and then Johannisnacht, another wine festival several weeks later.

Other sites to see include the Dom (Cathedral of St. Martin and St. Stephan) which broke ground shortly prior to the turn of the first millennium. Because of seven fires most of the Cathedral is newer, dating from the Eleventh to the Thirteenth Centuries. The cloisters contain a museum of religious artifacts. Right near by is the Gutenberg Museum. Other local museums are devoted to the Middle Ages, Roman warships, art, plants, animals, and fossils. If all this touring makes you thirsty for more than knowledge visit the Kupferberg Sektkellerei (sparkling wine cellars), the deepest on earth. There are several concert halls, theaters, night clubs, and wine bars. Not far from the city are the Mainz Sand Dunes, a tiny area home to plants and animals rarely seen in Western Europe.

Before reviewing the Rheinhessen wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Zweibelkuchen (Onion Pie). For your second course enjoy Haxen und Bratkartoffeln (Pork Hocks and Home Fries). As a dessert indulge yourself with Frankfurter Kranz (Buttercream Cake).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Rappenhof Dornfelder Trocken 2004 13.0% alcohol about $15.50

Let’s start by quoting the marketing materials. Dornfelder is a cross, bred in 1956 by August Herold. In its genealogy, the grape claims every important red vine grown in Germany. Fortunately, it has inherited most of the positive attributes and very few of the negative. The wines are deeply coloured, velvety in texture with hints of floral. Slightly off-dry, this example gives good aroma replays on the palate. Serve with Wiener schnitzel. Now for the review. (By the way, I found its color more of a dark rose.)

My first pairing was with a barbecued, marinated rib steak with potato patties, potato wedges, and a commercially prepared eggplant and tomato side dish. The wine was very short with moderate fruit when imbibed with the meat and potatoes. It almost seemed to disappear in the presence of the fairly powerful eggplant dish.

The next tasting involved a cheeseless broccoli, mushroom, and zucchini quiche with mashed potatoes. The Dornfelder tasted sour and I sensed some sort of strange fruit in the background. I finished the glass with beer nuts. The wine was fairly flat but its sourness disappeared.

The final meal consisted of meatballs in a tomato sauce with rice and green beans. The wine was somewhat rounder than before but was still ever so short. I thought I was drinking an alcoholic fruit juice.

The initial cheese pairing was with a French goat cheese that really resembled a Camembert. While the wine was a bit flat it did taste lightly of black cherries. Then I went to a Swiss Gruyere. The Dornfelder became somewhat more robust but the fruit was less distinctive. I finished the bottle with a local, fairly sharp Asiago cheese that I prefer to its presumably more authentic Italian cousin. Finally a decent pairing; the wine was pleasant.

Final verdict. I didn’t plan to be reviewing two Dornfelders in such short order. But we don’t get many of them in our neck of the woods so I figured why not give it a try. I am definitely not planning on a third round before the cows come home. I fail to see why such a grape should cost more than many better grapes from German and other countries. Of course, if I had liked the wine…

——

Levi Reiss is the author or co-author of ten Internet and computer books. In his spare time he enjoys drinking fine Italian or other wine, especially when paired with the right foods and good company. He teaches various and sundry computer classes at a French-language community college in Ontario, Canada. His global wine website is www.theworldwidewine.com and his Italian food website is www.fooditalyfood.com .

Author: Levi Reiss

• Comments Off

I Love French Wine and Food - An Alsace Pinot Blanc

If you are looking for fine French wine and food, consider the Alsace region of northeastern France. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you’ll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local white Pinot Blanc wine.

Alsace ranks tenth out of the eleven French winemaking regions in terms of vineyard area. Don’t be fooled by the numbers; Alsace is a major producer of quality French wine. Its wine growing area is only about 60 miles (100 kilometers) long, and at the most a mere 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) wide nestled between the Vosges Mountains to the east and the Rhine River and Germany to the west. But this relatively tiny area is known for distinctive wines. Alsatian wine bottles are quite distinctive; tall and slim and their labels feature the grape variety, in contrast to most French wine labels. Chaptalization (adding sugar to the fermenting grape mixture) is allowed for many wine categories.

About 95% of Alsace wine is white. The major white grape varieties are Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris, and Riesling. Secondary white grape varieties include Pinot Blanc, reviewed below, Sylvaner, and Muscat. The major red grape variety is Pinot Noir, reviewed in a companion article in this series.
Colmar is an Alsatian town pretty well in the middle of the Alsatian wine villages. Go there if you don’t like rain; given its proximity to the Vosges Mountains, Colmar is the driest town in all of France. This city of about sixty-five thousand was founded in the Ninth Century. despite Colmar’s major destruction in both World Wars, there is a lot to see in its old town (Vieille Ville). Some say that it’s more interesting than Strasbourg. You really should visit both and decide for yourself. Among Colmar’s sights are the St-Martin church constructed from the Thirteenth to the Sixteenth Centuries, the Ancienne Douane (Old Customs House), and the Maison aux Arcades (Arcades House).

Since 1626 Ribeauville has been the home to Trimbach wines. In spite of its size, under five thousand, it has a bit of everything: ancient town walls, Gothic churches, storybook medieval houses, ,a town hall peppered with antiques, and a spring. The ruins of three castles are in the vicinity. And the first Sunday in September, Ribeauville hosts a major Minstrel Show.
Before reviewing the Alsatian wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Foie Gras (Goose or Duck Liver). For your second course savor Baeckeoffe (Meat and Potato Casserole). And as dessert indulge yourself with Gateau Chasseur (Almond Cake with Raspberries and Meringue).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.
Wine Reviewed Trimbach Pinot Blanc 2004 12.5% alcohol about $13.50
Let’s start by quoting the marketing materials. Tasting Note Straw colour; apple, pear fruit aromas with light biscuit and citrus tones; medium- to full-bodied with ripe peachy flavours and a clean, zesty finish. Serving Suggestion Smoked salmon, shellfish or asparagus in hollandaise sauce. Alsatian Pinot Gris is becoming increasingly fashionable, and this example illustrates why.

Honeyed fruit aromas, such as peach and pear, plus a texture of smoke and mineral seduce in this just off-dry white that’s, round, soft and quite rich. The producer recommends this as a good substitute for red wine with meat dishes such as cold cuts, roast beef or game. They also suggest pairing it with smoked chicken, fish or lobster. And now for the review.
My first meal consisted of a commercially prepared chicken breast with the skin on (increased flavor but increased calories), potato salad, and a spicy tomato, red pepper and garlic salad. The wine was refreshingly acidic and somewhat fruity. I finished with fresh pineapple. I liked this combination; the fruit flavors in the pineapple complemented those in the wine and actually seemed to intensify each other.

I then paired the Pinot Blanc with a reheated home-cooked chicken leg in a tomato-based sauce with beets and more of the above potato salad. The wine scored as in the first round, but was more assertively fruity including the taste of pears. I am not used to a Pinot Blanc wine being so present, and I like this change.
My last meal consisted of a cheeseless broccoli, mushroom, and zucchini quiche and mashed potatoes. While the wine was powerful and quite fruity, it did come up short.

The first cheese pairing involved a French goat’s milk cheese that I would have taken for a Camembert. At the first sips the cheese sort of cut off the wine. Later the results were somewhat better; the wine was fruity and moderately acidic. Then I went for a Swiss Gruyere with a lightly sharp, nutty flavor. This combination was even better; the Pinot Blanc came out nice and fruity.

I usually don’t go with a non-imported cheese when tasting wines. However, I am making an exception for a Canadian Asiago cheese that our local supermarket almost never carries. I think that this is the best cheese I have tasted in quite a while; in my opinion it clearly surpasses its Italian Asiago cousin. When I like a cheese that good, I really want to try it with wine. The result wasn’t disappointing; this excellent cheese really intensified the wine’s fruit and acidity.
Final verdict. There is no doubt in my mind, this wine is a winner. And the price is reasonable to boot.

——

Over the years Levi Reiss has written ten Internet and computer books, sometimes with a co-author. Between you and me, he would rather drink fine French, Italian, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods and the right people. He teaches various and sundry computer classes at an Ontario French-language community college. His central wine website is www.theworldwidewine.com and his Italian wine website is www.theitalianwineconnection.com.

Author: Levi Reiss

• Comments Off