Cheers and clinking glasses.

What is the origin of cheers and clinking glasses? Ask The Wine Ladies.

Dear Wine Ladies,

At a recent pub gathering a few friends and I we were in a particularly celebratory mood and proceeded to clink our glasses and boisterously announce “cheers” every chance we got. I was just wondering how this custom got started? Why do we say cheers when we clink our glasses and can we only participate with an alcoholic drink?

Robin, Detroit Michigan

Ask The Wine Ladies

Ask The Wine Ladies- Please submit your questions to info@thewineladies.com

Dear Robin,

Great questions! There are a couple of theories out there as to why we clink and cheer. The most interesting of which dates back to ancient times and protecting ones self from the possibility of an untimely death by poison. The custom began with a host pouring some of his guests wine into his own drinking vessel. Then drinking it first to prove that the drink was safe. This then evolved into clanking the vessels together. Quite assertively, so that a little of each drink would spill into the others. This practice of course proving that all could be trusted. One other explanation we’ve come across states that the clanking of the glasses was meant to drive away any evil spirits.

The word cheer actually comes from the Latin word for face and was used to describe facial expressions, whether “cheer-ful” or not. In the early 18th century it came to signify happiness and eventually became a gesture of best wishes, celebration and camaraderie.

As to restrictions on participation, although any records we could find point to wine and/or beer being the beverage with which to cheer, we say anything goes! Cheers! Prost! Salut! Na zdravje or Skal from around the world!

The Wine Ladies

TUNE INTO THE WINE LADIES RADIO SHOW NOW

Episode #9.

Happy #ChampagneDay! Celebrate the unique sparkling wine that only comes from Champagne @TheWineLadies.

TUNE INTO THE WINE LADIES RADIO SHOW NOW

Ken Chase, a.k.a Kenny Cabernet

Kenny Cabernet’s Expert Tips: Drought or Drown—Which Threatens Vineyards Most? Ask Oenologist Kenny!

World renown lecturer, viticulturist and oenologist Kenny Cabernet just back from Australia explains how the drought down under is affecting their grapes, and how our record breaking rain is affecting ours! it ain’t grape! I mean great!!!

Last week  we learned how the two extreme weather patterns impact the wine business.

How about all this rain? “Not good” says Kenny Cabernet. Too much rain will make the grape swell. The must is diluted and the all important ratio of skin to must is too great for red wines. The sugars and flavours can become compromised, less concentrated. Without the bathing of the sun on the grapes, they have little chance to become sweeter, to concentrate the extract. And we can’t forget about the possibility of various strains of mould affecting the grapes, having them rot from too much moisture. In heavy rains the skin can break leaving it prone to mould and infection. “If we don’t get a lot of warmth and sunshine for the balance of August and September the 08 vintage will be a tough one. The winemakers will have to focus on harvesting the best fruit.

Australia's wine regions threatened by drought.

Australia’s wine regions threatened by drought.

What about on the other side of the world? What’s going on?

Australia is suffering badly from a string of very dry years, the river beds are cracking from the continuous drought with little or no water in some cases available to irrigate. The reservoirs of water are depleted and where to go for moisture when there is no rainfall and no reserve? The concentration of the sugars are out of whack compared to the levels of acidity. You need both to produce well balanced wines. Too much sugar can translate into very high alcohol levels; this coupled with a lack of acidity can lead to flabby wines.

“There are some regions though,” Kenny says “that are blessed at higher altitudes that experience less water problems”. Lets hope for a dry spell here and a long awaited and much needed massive rainfall for our friends, the Aussies!

World renown lecturer, viticulturist and oenologist Kenny Cabernet

World renown lecturer, viticulturist and oenologist Kenny Cabernet

Radio Show update for August 12th, 2008. Crazy Canuck barbecue kingpin, Ted Reader.

Celebrity Chef Ted Reader on The Wine Ladies radios show 2008, 1050 CHUM.

Celebrity Chef Ted Reader on The Wine Ladies radios show 2008, 1050 CHUM.

1050 CHUM every Saturday morning at 10:00a.m., set that dial to connect with The Wine Ladies radio show. If you love to barbeque, love burgers and would like to be entertained be sure to join us this Saturday.  As we welcome television personality, barbeque guru Ted Reader as our guest. Affectionately known as the “crazy Canuck barbeque kingpin”. Ted will show us, with a little flair, how to take the simple cheeseburger to new heights with mouth watering recipes. And don’t forget to log onto www.wineandcheeseburger.ca to enter the contest and have a chance to win a fabulous Wine and Cheeseburger Party, plus barbeque package valued at $1,500!

Wine Cellar Aroma

Dear Wine Ladies,

My husband is quite proud of his wine cellar, which currently holds about 200 bottles, half of its capacity. Lately he’s been complaining about the cellar smelling like mould.

We’re guessing that is not a desirable aroma to have emanating from one’s wine cellar and are wondering where do we go from here? How did the mould get there? Any suggestions?

Dale

Read more

Aqua Star’s Celebrity Chef Darryl

Aqua Star’s Celebrity Chef Darryl offers his tips on the art of Cedar Planks on the BBQ

Read more

Steen

Can you tell me about the grape steen from South Africa? Ask The Wine Ladies

Steen

Steen

Dear Wine Ladies,

Up until now I’d never had the opportunity to taste any wines from South Africa but had a delicious white wine recently made from a grape that I believe was called “steen”.

This grape is new to me as well. What can you tell me about it? Is it a new wine or just not very popular? Some-one recommended we try a wine called Lammershok that is suppose to now be available, saying it was made with this grape but we are unable to find it.

Allison

Ask The Wine Ladies

Ask The Wine Ladies- Please submit your questions to info@thewineladies.com

Dear Allison,

Steen is actually the name of the most planted white grape variety in South Africa, which is more commonly known as Chenin Blanc. The wine you are referring to which comes from the winery Lammershoek, is labelled Chenin Blanc Barrique 2007 and is currently available at the LCBO for $18.95. This is a full bodied wine, at 14.5% alc., is barrel fermented in French oak and is very rich – it has notes of spice and honey with a long finish. The grapes were hand picked from forty year old vines, and the yield was kept to a minimum resulting in a complex wine which is well worth the price.

Chenin Blanc, or Steen has the ability to make some wonderful wines in a broad range of styles. At one end of the spectrum, it is capable of producing some of the longest living sweet wines while at the other it is sometimes used for table wines (mostly in South Africa) and even for the base wine for fortified wines and spirits. It does have a natural high acidity which serves it well in hotter climates, often producing lively wines with good fruit and with a flavour reminiscent of honey. Steen, or Chenin Blanc is also called Pineau or Pineau de la Loire in its native region, the Loire, located in the northwestern part of France.

Iron Chef America Cat Cora

Sante’s finale the 10th on the 10th. Iron Chef America Cat Cora from New York!

Wow! What great fun emceeing Sante’s finale the 10th on the 10th with guest star, Iron Chef America Cat Cora from New York!

Hazelton Lanes proved to be the ideal venue to close the fabulous week long wine festival, Sante. Several hundred patrons of the vine and of haute cuisine! not to mention haute couture, attended the evening, sipping on fine wines and savoring the delectables of Cat Cora, of Iron Chef America fame, as well as many a Toronto star chef including Greg Coulliard of the Spice Room and Manyata Cafe.

1050 CHUM, guest Chef Darrel Fletcher, ChefD TV.

Celebrity Chef Darryl Fletcher, back with us by popular demand! Radio Show update for July 22, 2008

Join The Wine Ladies on 1050 CHUM every Saturday morning at 10:00a.m., set that dial to connect with The Wine Ladies radio show. Check here for next week’s guests.

1050 CHUM Call in radio show, with featured guests every week. Saturday mornings, 10:00am -11:00am. The lines are burning up with lost of "ask The Wine Ladies" questions. Georgia has the answers to be sure!

1050 CHUM Call in radio show, with featured guests every week. Saturday mornings, 10:00am -11:00am. The lines are burning up with lost of “ask The Wine Ladies” questions. Georgia has the answers to be sure!

Lobster, crab, cedar planking and more, make it mouth watering, simple and delicious with tips from Celebrity Chef Darryl Fletcher, back with us by popular demand! Get ready for easy entertaining, with the long weekend approaching, Executive Chef Darryl, of Aqua Star has got the perfect menu plan for you! Denise Whitter, Founder of New Beginnings, will also join us to fill everyone in on the up-coming Prosperity Ball, an event to help the underprivileged. We’ll be there as hosts and auctioneers!

Denise Whitter Executive Director- New Beginnings Support Program

Visit The New Beginnings Program for more details.

BBQ

How much alcohol do I need per person for my BBQ? Ask The Wine Ladies.

Alcohol Consumption Standard Unit

Alcohol Consumption Standard Unit

Dear Wine Ladies,

We’re throwing a party in the next couple of weeks to celebrate the completion, finally, of our backyard patio including a built-in barbeque and kitchen! It’s been quite a while since we’ve entertained and are unsure as to how much alcohol or wine to buy; is there some kind of formula to figure out how much we will need? Merci.

Giselle

Ask The Wine Ladies

Ask The Wine Ladies- Please submit your questions to info@thewineladies.com

Dear Giselle,

Awesome, sound like you’ve got quite the venue for a party! Yes, when it comes to purchasing the wine and/or other alcoholic beverages for any event or party there is a rule of thumb. Basically you should count on one drink per person per hour. Usually in the beginning of the party guests will tend to drink a little faster and as time goes by the consumption will slow down. In the case of wine, a five ounce pour is considered one drink, for beer, a twelve ounce glass and approximately a 1.5 ounce shot for spirits. Be sure to always have plenty of water available as well as a small selection of non alcoholic options.