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Archive for the ‘Drinks’ Category

There are only three types of grapes that can be used in the production of champagne.These three varieties are : Pinot Noir,Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay.Pinot Noir is the wine growers nightmare,but the drinkers paradise.Pinot Noir is extremely sensitive to rot and disease.A very difficult grape to cultivate and all contact with the grapes skin must be avoided to ensure a white champagne.Pinot Noir grapes of the highest class can only be found growing in Burgundy and the region of Champagne.It is used to give backbone and structure to champagne.

Pinot Meunier is the grape that the majority of champagne houses use and dominates the regions of Aisne and Seine-et-Marne.The Pinot Meunier grape is a very hardy grape and is the only variety that ripens in very cold years.It is also less sensitive to spring frost and gives a 10-15% higher yield per vine than the Pinot Noir.Producers praise Pinot Meunier for its fruity qualities and wines from this grape mature quickly.Pure blanc de noirs from Pinot Meunier are unusual and are rarely good for no more than ten years.

Chardonnay is probably the worlds finest grape.Today Chardonnay is a fashionable grape which is harvested more and more in France.The greatest increase has taken place in Champagne.The grape allows itself to be formed to perfection in various climates and soils.The Chadonnay vine does however waste energy in producing leaves instead of using it to ripen the grapes.This however is combated by hard pruning and planting the vines very close together.On the whole the grape is very easy to cultivate with just one problem being its sensitivity to frost.

There are seven steps in the process of making Champagne..

1–The vineyard:The vine farmers work goes on all year round.He must prune,fertilise and spray the crop protecting against viruses,parasites and spring frosts.The average age of a vine is 15 years,with a vine reaching its peak at 30 years.

2–The harvest:In any wine region the harvest is the highlight of any given year.The harvest festival is a colourful occasion.The harvesting usually begins in the middle of September.

3–The pressing:The press house is located as near as possible to the vineyard as its essential that the grapes are whole and in their best condition when they reach the press house.In 1992 the legally set volumes for each pressing were set at 2550 litres from 4000 kilos of grapes.

4–Fermentation:When the grape juice has been taken to the fermenting vats it immediately begins to ferment,due to the yeasts originally in the grapes skin.Selected yeast cultures are also added.

5–Blending:When the wine has finished fermenting during the winter it is racked twice,separating the wine from the yeast sediment that builds up.In march blending begins with the cellar master-chef de caves-blending the wines with each other to produce the best possible champagne.

6–Second fermentation:When the blending has been completed in giant tanks more sugar and yeast is added and then the wine is bottled and sealed temporarily.

7–Disgorging:After the second fermentation has completed the bottlenecks are frozen at -28c half freezing the sediment,which is shot out of the bottle by a machine with a sharp mechanical movement.The lost wine is then replaced with new wine and some sugar.The bottle is then fitted with the cork and the bottle of champagne has been made.

PARENTS!

If you love your kids, choose not to drink alcohol By Eva Fry

CHOOSE NOT TO DRINK ALCOHOL FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF YOUR KIDS!

AN INTELLIGENT CHOICE! A WISE DECISION!

Why would a parent, who may enjoy drinking alcohol, choose not to drink?

They know tragic consequences may be in their children’s future, if they drink alcohol and their children follow their example.

Good parents refuse to encourage, enable or model alcohol that could potentially kill their child. They know a double standard does not work! Telling your child not to drink alcohol, when you are drinking, doesn’t work! Responsible parents are aware that drunk driving, alcoholism, future drug use, are a small part of what can happen after a child takes it’s first drink. Parents who really love their children are willing to give up something they may enjoy themselves for the health and safety of their children.

I believe mothers have the greatest responsibility to their children in this area, because they set the tone of the home! For responsible parents, it is not a big sacrifice to make the choice not to drink alcohol.

A study was done on the brains of young people and the finding was that young brains do not fully develop until they are age twenty-five. Young people need the adults in their life to be good examples. They need parents to direct them and help them make good decisions. The sad fact is that many parents are bad examples and by the time a young person figures life out, they are following the same path as their parents.

If you are questioning this idea of parents abstaining, think of this! How would you feel if your child died in an alcoholic stupor because they just wanted to be like you? If you don’t want them to drink alcohol, you must not drink yourself!!!!!!!

There is a movement gaining great popularity today, similar to the anti smoking campaign, which had great success. This movement is called “Reducing Underage Drinking”. It is the result of Congress requesting the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine to review the evidence on various programs aimed at underage drinking and to recommend a strategy to reduce and prevent it.

The conclusion of the study is simply: Alcohol use by young people is dangerous, not only because of the risks associated with acute impairment, but also because of the threat to their long-term development and well-being.

I recently attended a national conference for this movement and was impressed with all the enthusiasm and excitement generated in teaching our young people not to drink alcohol, until they are twenty-one years old. Organizations from all over the United States gathered to share what they know and their successes. Great strides are being made and young people are really being educated in the dangers of drinking alcohol.

I am very thankful for all that is being done and commend all involved for their dedication and desire to save our young people.

Unfortunately, my only complaint is the lack of an abstinence message in their campaign. They are not making it loud and clear, to young people, that they have the choice not to drink alcohol at all, whatever their age. They are not being taught, “Abstinence is the better choice!” They are only teaching young people not to drink alcohol until they are twenty-one years old. They must believe something magical happens when they attain the age of twenty-one. If they only choose to drink then, there will be no consequences.

Why do I believe abstinence a better choice?

Once again from the study: 1/3 of youth traffic fatalities involve alcohol. Underage alcohol use is also associated with violence, suicide, educational failure, and other problem behaviors. All of these problems are magnified by early onset of teen drinking: the younger the drinker, the worse the problem. Moreover, frequent heavy drinking by young adolescents can lead to mild brain damage. A young person who begins drinking as a young teen is four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than some one who waits until adulthood to use alcohol. Almost 14 million Americans abuse alcohol or have developed alcoholism.

My argument for encouraging parents to choose not to drink alcohol is personal, but is backed up by the study. It says that the patterns and consequences of youthful drinking are closely related to the overall extent and patterns of drinking in the society, and they are affected by the same factors that affect the patterns of adult consumption. From this standpoint, it is possible that the most effective way to reduce the extent and adverse consequences of youthful drinking would be to reduce the extent and consequences of adult drinking. It is clear, however that Congress intended for the committee to focus on youth drinking, rather than developing a strategy targeting adult drinking. This is what the committee has done.

The study can be read at www.national-academies.org (Reducing Underage Drinking)

The study recognizes that the best way to help our young people to choose not to drink alcohol is to teach adults not to drink alcohol! It worked with tobacco and I believe it can work with alcohol too! Unfortunately that is not yet their focus.

Why do I think parents should choose not to drink alcohol?

1. Modeling or example is the best teacher.

2. A double standard doesn’t work.

3. Telling a child they should not drink until they are twenty-one is a temporary and potentially devastating solution which teaches them that drinking alcohol is ok. What happens, when they become twenty-one, and they choose to drink and end up destroying their life anyway? The first drink can be the beginning of alcoholism. Fifty percent of those who have alcoholics in their family can become alcoholic. It can also lead to a DUI, at any age, as well as all of the other violent crimes committed while people are drunk.

4. Why teaching our kids to only drink in moderation is a bad choice! Because moderation teaches, “It’s ok to drink alcohol.” There is no safety in teaching moderation. The only safety is in teaching abstinence. Besides, if you are trying to save your kids from the damage alcohol can do and you drink in moderation you are supporting the alcohol industry by giving them money for their products. Aren’t you enabling the alcohol industry to continue their mission to make money, so they can continue to destroy our kids, and families?

There is also another common argument. It is thought; if children are taught to drink at home they will be more responsible. This may be true in some cases but in European countries where this is done, the study reports that these countries are no better off than the United States in terms of the harmful consequences of youth’s drinking. Besides underage drinking is a crime and if you encourage your child to drink alcohol you are breaking the law!

Many churches have taught moderation and are now paying a price. They have alcohol problems in their congregations. Some of them have an anti drinking campaign, themselves.

5. As parents, we need to teach our children to naturally and fully use the abilities, gifts and talents they have been blessed with and encourage them to reach their life’s purpose and potential. How can they do that if they use a temporary substance to handle their life or avoid growth? If they think they need a drink of alcohol to have fun, handle a problem or escape from a situation, they will never discover their own capabilities. They will never develop the skills needed to enjoy life to the fullest. Kids need to see adults who do fully live their lives without the crutch of alcohol. They need to understand that life is fulfilling, enjoyable and successful without alcohol.

We love our children and we want to provide for them a healthy life style, which they can enjoy, their whole life. We want to do everything we can, as parents; to be

sure they have the opportunity to fully live their lives. We want to keep them safe and in good health. ****Good parents set good examples for their kids****

That’s Life: Advice by Susan DeAngelis at http://www.thatslifeadvice.com

View the video for Binge Drinking at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtK2jvvnOAI

Jay from Maryland asks, “Is it okay to binge drink at parties?”

What can happen when you binge drink?

Binge drinking, also known as heavy episodic drinking, is the massive consumption of alcohol in a short amount of time. An average person is said to have binged, when their blood alcohol concentration reads 0.08% or more. For the blood to reach this level males consume 5 or more drinks quickly, a female 4 drinks. This is known as the 5/4 rule. Height, weight, and other factors can alter this rule. Extreme drinking has been defined as the rapid consumption of 10 or more drinks for males and 8 for females.

In the United States, although the legal drinking age is 21, most individuals are likely to binge drink in college. Studies show over half of male college students and 40% of females have participated in binge drinking in the past few weeks. Nearly one-third of freshman in college have experiences with binge drinking before returning home for the holidays. Unfortunately, excessive drinking is not limited to the over 18 crowd. It was been reported that a quarter of high school students have binged in the last month.

Some methods of binge drinking are shots, shooters, chugging, shotguns, funnels, and drinking games. In the United States, two popular games are quarters and pong, where failure to get one of these objects in a glass after bouncing it off a table leads to chugging beer or the consumption of a shot.

A common Canadian drinking game is Wizard Stick. After finishing a beer, the empty is stacked and taped underneath the current one. In New Zealand, Edward Wineyhands and Scrumpy Hands is a drinking game in which a 40 or 80 ounce can is duct taped to the hands and cannot be removed until completely consumed. The Pub Crawl first became popular in the United Kingdom where drinking establishments close by Midnight. Drinking from pub to pub, by the end of the evening, the binge drinker is crawling home. Botellon, passing a big bottle amongst a circle of friends in a public place, is common in Spain.

Regardless of the method, on the average, those who binge drink miss more classes, get lower grades, are sexually irresponsible, have been accidentally injured or date raped, and have or developed health ailments. In addiction, most alcoholics or addicts at one time were binge drinkers.

After binge drinking, a person is likely to

1) Have an argument or altercation

2) Fall or Pass out

3) Vomit, perhaps choke to death

4) Get into an automobile accident or fatality

5) Overdose (Alcohol poisoning)

During a blacked out state, urination on oneself is common. In extreme cases, however, a binge drinker’s bladder can rupture and cause septic blood poisoning.

When asked about his binge drinking experiences The Unknown Drunk replied, “I used to drink hard and fast… If I got drunk fast, I thought everyone would think I was cool. Thinking back, I just looked like a drunken idiot.”

Today, there is a movement in the United States to return the legal drinking age back 18.

“I was legally allowed to drink at 18,” the Unknown Drunk continued. “Maybe that’s why I started drinking heavy by the time I was 12.”