Wine Used to Make Cocktails

If you are at all familiar with the latest trends in hip cocktails then you will know that wine and champagne cocktails are all the rage.

 

One could write an entire book about wines and still barely brush the entire subject, but only a few wines are used to make authentic cocktails. Below is a list of the most common kinds of alcohols that are technically classified as wines that are used to create classic mixed drinks.

 

Champagne

While the term Champagne is sometimes casually used to describe any form of sparkling rotgut, it is only supposed to refer to the sparkling wine that comes from the Champagne region of France.  Champagne was invented by a monk by the name of Dom Perignon.

 

Lillet

Lillet is a French aperitif produced in Bordeaux, and comes in either red or white (although the white version is the more common). It is fortified with Armagnac, herbs, fruit, and Bordeaux wine.

 

Port

Port is a rich fortified wine, meaning that additional alcohol has been added to what might otherwise be a normal wine. There are several kinds of Port available on the market.

 

Vintage Port is aged for at least two years in a barrel and stays in the bottle for at least ten years.

LBV or Late Bottle Vintage Port is aged for between four to six years in oak casks/.

Ruby Port is a rich red in color and is not aged.

 

Tawny Port is amber in color and aged from a month to six months before it is bottled for consumption.

 

Sherry

A proper sherry can only be produced in a region near Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. It is made almost exclusively from the Palomino Fino grape.

 

Dry (French) and Sweet (Italian) Vermouth

Vermouth is a fortified wine aperitif, flavored with herbs, spices, barks, and flowers. There are various brands of vermouth produced in both Italy and France, and the flavors can be added through infusion, maceration, or distillation. The name “Vermouth” itself derives from the German “Wermut” (Wormwood, which kills parasites in the digestive track, is an ingredient in Vermouth).

The original version of Vermouth is Italian what we call Sweet Vermouth. Eventually the French (dry/white, as opposed to sweet/red) version of Vermouth came into existence so recipes would differentiate between the two by specifying “Italian Vermouth” or “French Vermouth”. In order to keep it straight in your mind just ember that Red Vermouth is sweet and that white vermouth is always dry.

 

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Awesome Vitamin A Restores Hair Color

If you have sparse hair, dandruff problems or your hair does not seem as think the experts are saying that it might be due to a lack of Vitamin A.  This is particularly true of women who are still smoking and are younger.  Women who are overweight or have insulin resistance also don’t absorb enough Vitamin A and the result of this shows in the texture and the thickness of the hair and also the health of scalp.

 

Does your hair suddenly seem a bit dry and brittle.  Is it losing its color too?   Having enough vitamin A in your diet is crucial as it is necessary for the production of sebum, the oily substance that is produced by the sebaceous glands that helps to keep your scalp at the proper moisture levels.  It also helps your body produce the compounds it needs to prevent hair from losing its pigment and going gray or white.  So before you get out the hair dye consider taking Vitamin A instead.

 

A surplus of sebum creates a scalp clogged with oil. If you do not have enough then a dry flaking scalp is the result. Both situations indicate an imbalance that could be remedied by taking more Vitamin A.  Blocked follicles cause hair to die and an overproduction of sebum due to a lack of vitamins causes issues.

 

Vitamin A hair supplements are very easy to come by at your local drug store and work most effectively if you can take them it in the ACE form, which means that you are taking Vitamins A, C and E all at once.  You can find some formulas that contain biotin and extra iron, which are also helpful for hair that is looking listless for nutritional reasons.

 

Whenever possible you should try and get your hair vitamins from food and only resort to supplements if you really feel your body is not absorbing the nutrients properly. Foods that are rich in vitamin A include sweet potatoes, carrots, peaches, melon, oranges and mangoes. In fact, any time you feel that you are short on Vitamin A, eat a fruit or vegetable that is colored orange.

 

The liquid formulas work best because your body absorbs the Vitamin A immediately. Pill forms are less effective as they have binders and fillers that make it hard for someone to absorb the vitamins fully. You can also get a formula that combines A, C and E that increases the effect of all three vitamins.

 

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