Recommended iPhone App - AG Wines,

When I bought my first iPhone about two years ago, I immediately tried to search for wine related applications.  Unfortunately, I didn’t find any good applications.  In fact, many of the applications at that time seems to be written by someone who knows very little about wines.  Actually, some programs even have quite a lot of incorrect information.  However, this seems to have improved quite a lot recently.  In addition to several applications I recommended before such as  Wine Spectator Vintage Chart, Food and Wine and Slow Wine 2011, I would like to recommend AG Wines this time.

AG Wines is a very informative wine application.  For example, when describing grape varieties, it not only explain the character of each grape variety, it also detailed the difference of the grape variety in different region.  When explaining Pinot Noir, it has entries on Pinot Noir in Chile, Argentina, France, USA and Pinot Noir.  The application also provides recommendation on what are the wines that reader should try.   Below is the entry on France’s Pinot Noir.

Pinot noir is the quintessential red grape variety of Burgundy and this is where it achieves its greatest expression. The pinot noir is known for being a particularly challenging grape variety, temperamental, highly sensitive to both overproduction (high yields) and temperature (as achieving optimal ripeness is challenging). Stylistically, pinot noir-based wines are all about finesse. Given its relatively thin skins, pinot noir typically yields lighter colored, lighter bodied, lower tannin wines. Flavors favor the red fruit side of the spectrum (think strawberries, cherries, and raspberries); other elements of the flavor profile include coffee, gentle spice, game, and earth.

It’s rarely found in vineyards in the South of France – they are usually too hot, Limoux AOC is an exception, and also the Haute Vallée de l’Orb. It makes it into the blend of local sparkling whites (with mauzac, chenin blanc, and chardonnay) to give them a more Champagne character. In the vineyards of theYonne (Northern Burgundy), the flavours tend to be light, fresh and delicate. Finally, in the Loire Valley, pinot noir comprises only a small portion of overall production, but quality is high and the wines are expressive.

In addition to information on grape variety, the application also has very detailed information on different wine regions.  Other than information on big wine regions such as Loire Valley, it has detailed information on smaller wine appellations.  For example, in Loire Valley, detailed information is provided for Anjou, Bonnezeaux, Bourgueil, Cheverny, Chinon, Coteaux du Layon, Menetou-Salon, Pouilly-Fume, Reuilly, Sancerre, Saumur, Touraine and Vouvray.

For the price of US$3.99, I think this application is offering very good value.  Unfortunately, it still didn’t cover all the important wine regions in the world yet.  Regions such as Burgundy and Champagne are still missing.  Hope it will have updates very soon to have wider coverage.  Below is the entry on Loire Valley for your reference.

The Loire River Valley, with its cooler temperatures and mineral-heavy soils, offers some of France’s most impressive wines. The best part is that this region is still largely overlooked by the wine drinking public; as a result, Loire Valley wines are tremendous values.

The Loire consists of five sub-regions (running from west to east) — Nantais, Anjou, Saumur, Touraine, and Central Vineyards; the region’s mineral-rich soils are key to the complexity displayed by its wines.

The Loire is home to many fruity, friendly, yet complex ‘bistro style’ red wines based on the cabernet franc grape variety. For the best, look to the Chinon, Samur-Champigny, Bourgueil, and St Nicolas de Bourgueil AOCs.

If you are white wine lover, however, you are in for a special Buy Cytotec Online Pharmacy No Prescription Needed experience; this is where the Loire really hits its stride. The region is a veritable treasure of excellent whites:

• The ever-so-subtle and mineral-driven muscadets from the Nantais sub-region, the perfect pairing for shellfish.

• The Loire’s sauvignon blanc-based wines are the model for the rest of the winemaking world. The best are from the Central Vineyards sub-region: Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé AOCs.

• The best of them all, however, are those based on the chenin blanc, which must be tasted to be believed; there are no better than those from the Anjou and Touraine sub-regions: Coteaux du Layon (half-sweet to sweet wines), Vouvray (off-sweet to half-sweet wines), and Savennières (dry wines) AOCs.

The Loire Valley is a region whose special wines are certainly worth exploring. Enjoy!

The most important missing information for this application is that it didn’t have any information on producers.  Having said so, this is one of the most informative wine applications Buy zoloft online I found on iPhone up to now.