Wine Bucket

	Oster 4208 Inspire Electric Wine Opener with Wine Chiller List Price: $34.99 Sale Price: $15.99 Average Rating:
	Electric Wine Opener, cordless operation, rechargeable base, foil cutter, thermal wine center. Easily opens up to 30 bottles fully charged with the touch of a button! Cordless operation with recharging base included for convenience and mobility...

	Ravi Solution Instant Wine Chiller List Price: $39.95 Sale Price: $39.90 Average Rating:
	Pour perfectly chilled wine instantly. Bring out the best in your wine by serving it at just the right temperature without ice buckets or special refrigeration. Simply store the Ravi Instant Wine Refresher in your freezer for at least six hours, then attach it to your wine bottle...

	Oggi Lustre Stainless Steel Ice Bucket List Price: $40.00 Sale Price: $38.79 Average Rating:
	Stainless steel double wall ice bucket with tongs. 3 qt. Capacity.

	Garden Works Mini Chill Mate Wine Cooler Bucket Yellow Sale Price: $16.95
	This nylon bucket is desined for 2 uses. Line with ice to keep cool becerages ready or pull out the insert and you have a lightweight but waterproof bucket. Folds down to 1 and 3/4 inches.

	Cooper Cooler Tailgate Rapid Beverage & Wine Chiller List Price: $100.91 Sale Price: $83.45
	Chills wine anywhere in record time! Chills beverages 90 times faster than a refrigerator. Now it's even more portable with an included 12 volt adapter. Take the Cooper Cooler Tailgate anywhere and everywhere...

	Garden Works Mini Chill Mate Wine Cooler Bucket Blue Sale Price: $16.95
	As with other products from Garden works this is durable and mutifunctional.

	12 Wine Bottle in Ice Bucket Candle Party Favor Sale Price: $17.49
	LOOKS LIKE THE REAL THING 4 1/2" WINE BOTTLE IN BUCKET OF ICE CANDLE GIVE THESE GREAT PARTY FAVORS AT ANY PARTY ANNIVERSARY,WEDDING AND EVEN FAMILY GATHERINGS EACH CANDLE COMES IN A CLEAR PLASTIC BOX UNIT INCLUDES 12 PARTY FAVORS

	CK Relief Red Hopkins Short Bottle List Price: $74.25 Sale Price: $44.59
	Relief red Hopkins small bottle, designed by Carolyn Kinder.

	12 Gallon Plastic Fermenter with Lid for Wine Making Sale Price: $27.50
	Food grade poly primary fermenter with lid and carrying handles - Much better size for a 100 pound batch of grapes

	Congratulations and Cheers To You! Caviar Gourmet Food Gift Basket with Ice Bucket Sale Price: $49.99
	Express your Congratulations and Cheers in gourmet style with this elegant ice bucket filled with premium gourmet fare. Celebrate with fine Capalin Caviar, Wine Cheese Spread, Wine and Cheese Biscuits, Italian Chocolate Espresso Cake, rich Chocolate Fudge, Angelinas Sweet Butter Cookies and Sparkling Apple Cider to toast the occasion...

	Rechargeable Electronic Ice Bucket List Price: $39.99 Sale Price: $17.99
	* Electronic ice bucket * Cools 2 Wine bottles or 6 Cans of soda from room temperature to 50??F in a few minutes * Fully portable, can be used in the backyard for parties, etc. * 20 Minute timer with auto shut-off * Revolving ice and water to optimize cooling * Double wall construction preventing excess condensation * Includes rechargeable batteries and AC/DC Adapter

	Bumble bee wine cooler/handled pot Sale Price: Too low to display
	A charming bumble bee design. Durable. A fun addition to any kitchen.

	Danby 35 Bottle wine cooler - Model DWC357BLP Wine Cooler List Price: $335.06 Average Rating:
	The Danby Designer free-standing wine cooler is an economical and convenient way to cool and store wine. This model offers a generous 35 bottle capacity and includes interior display light to show off your collection...

	11 Piece Auto Interior Gift Set - Cherry - 2 Bottom Seat Covers, 2 Top Seat Covers, 2 Headrest Covers, 2 Seat Belt Shoulder Pads, 1 Steering Wheel Cover, 1 Bottom Bench Seat Cover, 1 Top Bench Seat Cover List Price: $54.98 Sale Price: $39.98
	Love the sweet fruity cherry sensation? Bring the brightness of cherries to your car with the Cherry Auto Interior Gift Set! The Cherry Auto Interior Gift Set includes 1 steering wheel cover, 2 bucket seat covers (2 top and 2 bottom), 1 bench seat cover (1 top and 1 bottom), and 2 seat belt shoulder pads...

Wine Cellar Wine Glass Charms (Set of 6) $24.95 Always know 'whose glass is whose' with these wine cellar-themed charms! Set of 6 cast metal charms are finished in antique silver and dangle from 3 strands of glass-faceted beads. Magnetic closures make sure the these mini-medallions stay secure around the base of each guests' wine glass. Set of 6 charms includes a wine bottle corkscrew grapes wine glass chiller bucket and cheese wedge.

Nice Ice Wine Chiller Mold $24.95 Create a custom ice bucket! Serve white wine vodka or champagne in a cooler frozen in time! Fill the Nice Ice Mold with water and fruit (or other freezables) then freeze to create a dramatic bottle holder centerpiece. Also great for spirits dessert wines shrimp cocktail caviar or anything that tastes best when served on ice. The metal base stays on to catch the water as it melts so theres no mess. Sold individually. Size: 6-1/2'H x 7-1/2'W x 6-1/2'D Plastic mold made to look like stainless steel.

Lid & Tongs for Portable Screw-Top Bottle Chiller $6.95 Convert your Portable Screw-Top Bottle Chiller into an ice bucket. To keep ice cold use the screw-top lid with arc handle which makes it easy to carry. Chills for hours and the tongs make it easy to serve ice.

World Cuisine 41501-20 Aluminum Wine Bucket $51.87 aluminum wine bucket dia 8 1/4 dimensions: 7 7/8 in. h

Johnson-Rose Corporation Stainless Steel Wine Bucket $31.65 *Wine accessory features 18-8 stainless steel *Bucket has a 1 bottle capacity *8-quart, flat bottom design

Paderno World Cuisine 41558-00 Wine Bucket Holder $51.87 steel chromed wine bucket holder this clever holder clamps onto either side of a table or flat surface and has a large loop in which to place the wine bucket. the height from the lip of the loop to the bottom edge of the bucket is 7+.dia 8" x h 7 7/8"

Thousands hit Taste of Charlotte to sample dozens of restaurants
The 12th Annual Taste of Charlotte is underway this weekend and it will feature food from 30 of the best restaurants and eateries throughout the Charlotte area.

Wine Tasting Room Etiquette

Many small, boutique wineries are family-run businesses. Chances are quite good that you will meet one of the winery's family members while visiting a winery. When visiting a wine tasting room consider yourself a guest. The owners and staff are proud of their facility and wines. They want everyone to enjoy their visit. Expectations in tasting rooms are different than at wine festivals or in busy bars. After visiting 125 wineries in the last nine months and talking with numerous wine hosts and visitors, we have created a selection of ideas to keep in mind when visiting a winery and vineyard.

The atmosphere in a winery tasting room is one of a subtle sophistication. While shorts and athletic shoes are acceptable so are semi-dress clothes. Do not arrive at the winery chewing gum. Gum will distort the taste of wine. Heavy perfume and aftershave will also not permit you or others near you to taste the wine effectively. Sense of taste is highly influenced by the sense of smell. Loud outside voices are not appropriate. Conversational tones are perfect and fit in well with talking about the wines you taste and meeting others who have common interests.

Tasting rooms can be crowded on weekends. Weekdays are generally slower and wine hosts have more time to talk about the wines you taste. In either case, if the tasting room is busy, do not elbow your way to the tasting bar. On busy days, some wineries will set up tasting tables or bars outside the tasting room. Give yourself plenty of time at a winery. Relax and enjoy the wine tasting and the ambiance of the tasting room. If the tasting counter is busy, consider stepping back to discuss wine with other like-minded people. This gives others room to step up for a tasting. Many wineries have gift selections to browse while tasting wines. Take your time tasting and browse the displays.

The tasting representative pours the tastings in a particular order based upon the style of wine. If you choose not to drink a particular wine that's fine. Gently cover your wine glass with your fingers to indicate you do not want to taste a wine. It is so much more subtle than declaring, "I don't like that wine." Not all wine drinkers like all wines and wine hosts understand. Visitors do not need to announce to everyone that they dislike a particular wine.

Another major faux pas is to pick up a bottle and pour your own tasting. Allow your wine consultant to pour the wine. Many wineries will offer to sell you a glass of wine if you would like more. If you ask to taste a wine for a second time, it is a common courtesy to buy a bottle of the wine.

What should you do with the wine in your glass you have tasted? If you do not want to drink or taste the rest of the wine in your glass, you can pour it into a spit bucket. It is perfectly acceptable. In addition, it is a good idea to spit your wine into the bucket. Even though tastings are small, they do add up after a number of tastings. If you are unsure about spitting, practice at home. A frequently heard suggestion is to practice in the shower.

Do you think wineries are being stingy when they set out tiny crackers or tiny bites of cheese? Remember this is not your lunch. The purpose of the crackers, dips or cheese is to cleanse the palate and to help one decide how the wine pairs with food. Some wineries have restaurants, so if you want lunch visit the restaurant.

Do you want to enjoy a picnic lunch? Many wineries encourage visitors to bring a picnic lunch. Frequently picnic or patio tables are available. Ask in advance if it is okay to bring a picnic lunch and where to picnic on the grounds. Do not bring wine from another winery or any other kind of alcohol. Laws restrict wineries and many wineries are not permitted to have any other alcoholic beverage on their premises. Besides, if you were going to someone's home for dinner, it would be tasteless to bring your own entrée. Staff and visitors always appreciate good manners.

If you have the opportunity to visit a vineyard, do not pick the grapes. If you would like to taste a wine grape at harvest time, be sure to ask a staff member. One winery we visited this summer mentioned how they don't mind visitors walking through the vineyards and taking pictures, but one day a visitor walked out of the vineyard with several bunches of grapes to ask what they were. It did not dawn on him until an owner reminded him that the grapes would have made wine. The visitor tried to give them to the owner who replied, "They aren't good now. They aren't ready for making wine."

The best motto to follow in a winery or vineyard would be the National Parks motto, "Take only pictures and leave only footprints." When you visit a winery, if you like the wine and want to buy it that is great, but you do not need to purchase a bottle of wine. Do not buy a bottle of wine unless you like it. Participating in a winery tasting room can be delightful for everyone.

About the Author

Kathy Sullivan is a freelance writer who writes for
Wine Trail Traveler
. She enjoys learning about wine and wineries and bringing this knowledge to her readers.