Good meat packaging is essential especially if you want to retain freshness of meat. Normally it includes everything from different process like slaughtering, processing and packaging of animals. This would be distributed in retailers such as supermarkets and grocery. Usually meats, which are coming from farms, include flesh of pigs, cows, lambs and others. However, as you know, chicken, ducks and fish are not considered as meat. Meat packing is an industry that should be inspected by government because this is a place where most disease comes from. This should adhere to the cleanliness standard set by the government. Each state has its own policy.
Sanitation of packing is necessary because meat can carry diseases. Due to unsanitary conditions meats can be infected. If consumers eat meat with infections, they would most likely acquire certain disease. This could be fatal. Since meat is coming from dead animals, it should be kept cold so that it could not be spoiled. This is the reason why freezing is very crucial in the meat industry. Commercial distribution of meat started in 1874. It started in England to United States. Packing plants in the olden days are cooled with ice since electric refrigeration was not yet invented. After a few years, refrigerator was invented and it makes meat transportation a lot easier.
There meat packing plants that specialize on certain meat or products. There are some meat packers that pack, process and distribute organic kind of meats. Organic ones come from animals but they are not given by antibiotics or hormones that could improve their quality. There are companies the deal with frozen meats only and other are just exclusive meat packers. There are many issues surrounding the meat packaging industry. It includes issue of sanitation and cleanliness. There some companies that don’t adhere to the standards set by government. There are times when companies are accused of animal cruelty of bad practices of slaughtering.
Recently, there are diseases like mad cow diseases that occur in meat plants. There some complaints coming from workers of meat processing company. This includes workers becoming burned and they lose their fingers in the process of packaging meat. In some countries, government licensing, employment and inspection standards are not adequate enough to protect the consumers. The government is responding by monitoring and inspecting procedures.
Holiday entertaining is in full swing and party-goers have a festive opportunity to reconnect with family and friends. As giving a bottle of wine is a popular hostess gift, this is a timely subject. Taking it a step further, it is appropriate to recommend wines from merchants who have a giving nature and actively support not-for-profit organizations in our community.
Wines as hostess gifts
Wine continues to grow in popularity in this country and is now produced in all 50 states, giving this beverage universal appeal. Wine can be one of the simple pleasures in life that you share with family and friends. Its popularity makes it an ideal hostess gift and it can be an expression of your friendship. Here are several tips for selecting wine as a hostess gift:
Bring a wine that complements the menu.
If a wine lover is hosting, bring their favorite varietal.
If the host is a new acquaintance, bring a bottle you enjoy and use this as an ice breaker.
Champagne/sparklers are always festive.
Canadian ice wines are trendy and attractively packaged.
Wine merchants
When we opened up My Chef Catering in Naperville 21 years ago, we knew we were joining a progressive, vibrant community. While our assumptions were accurate, we also learned that Naperville and the surrounding communities have the most incredible spirit of volunteerism of any place we have ever lived (we know this view is shared by many people).
We have also found that the business community recognizes its responsibility to give back to the community. While this is a vast topic with countless acts of humanitarianism, I will focus on several (wine) merchants who actively give back to local not-for-profit organizations. Here are some examples of companies with a mission to make a difference:
Binny’s conducts wine tastings and designates tasting fees as a fundraiser for not-for-profits. In early December, they hold their annual Champagne Gala to benefit Little Friends. They also hold tastings to benefit The Naperville Area Humane Society. Their holiday hostess gift suggestions with suggested retail prices include:
Gloria Ferrer California Brut Sparkler (90 pts. Wine Spectator) $16
Graham’s Six Grapes (Ruby) Port Wine $19
Jackson-Triggs Canadian Ice Wine (89 pts. Wine Spectator) $20
Costco donates product to not-for-profits to help with fundraisers and feeding people in need. Some of the organizations that support include the United Way, NCO, the Children’s Miracle Network and Loaves & Fishes. Their holiday hostess gift suggestions with suggested retail prices include:
Dr. Loosen Beerenauslese (BA) Riesling Gift Box $16
Warres 10 year Tawny Port (90 pts. Wine Spectator) $20
Trader Joe’s donates food to not-for-profit organizations including Loaves & Fishes, DuPage PADS and the Power Connection in Bolingbrook. Their recommendations with suggested retail prices are:
Martellozo Prosecco Italian Sparkler $7
Trader Joe’s Reserve California Cabernet Sauvignon $10
Whole Foods donates food to not-for-profits including Naperville CARES, District 203 and Loaves & Fishes. As an example, to help promote the sale of Loaves & Fishes’ new community cookbook titled “Culinary Comforts,” Whole Foods recently donated food to four area restaurant chefs who prepared their recipes featured in the cookbook. The restaurants then sampled their dishes at the Whole Foods store in Naperville. Holiday hostess gift suggestions with suggested retail prices include:
So if you’re looking for wine as a hostess gift this holiday season, give one of these wines a try and at the same time, support a merchant that supports our community. It’s a win-win to give back to those that give. Happy holidays everyone!
Bill Garlough is a Level 1 Master Sommelier and an owner of My Chef Catering in Naperville, IL, the winner of the U.S. Chamber’s 2007 Small Business of the Year award. Bill can be reached at or bgarlough@mychef.com
Hillebrand Winery is one of the primer wineries in the Niagara on the Lake region and they have been known for producing the best ice wine around the globe. There constant experimentation with Wine Tastings and the urge to create a wine that would set a new level in the wine making industry gave birth to Trius in 1989. Trius is a blend of selected best Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes. The wine gained great popularity and became a part of every festival, Wine Clubs, Wine Tours, and Wine Tasting competitions. It was two years later that it was internationally acclaimed and got the trophy for the best red wine in the world at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London, UK.With time Trius has evolved as a brand in itself and now you can find a huge variety in Trius Ice-Wine which includes Trius Red, Trius Grand Red, Trius Cabernet Franc, Trius White, Trius Chardonnay Barrel-Fermented VQA, Trius Chardonnay Unoaked, Trius Riesling Dry, and Trius Brut. The ice wine is truly one of the rich, elegant wines in the Niagara-On-The-Lake.It has won several awards and accolades in various festivals for the richness in its taste and the high quality standards that have been used for the making of this precious liquid. The bottle of Trius reflects the opulence of the rich liquid that it carries and,its unique taste exhibits the skill of winemaker.
Recently, the head winemaker of Hillebrand J L Groulx has launched a complete Trius line to fulfill the rising demand of the ice wine across the world. The winemakers at Hillebrand are constantly experimenting with the taste to give you the best ice-wine delicacies. The proportions of grape varieties in the red Trius change according to the vintage. In 1998 the proportions were Cabernet Sauvignon 63 %, Cabernet Franc 22%, Merlot 15 %; in 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon 60 %, Cabernet Franc 23 % and Merlot 17 %; in 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon 52 %, Cabernet franc 35 % and Merlot 13 %; and 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon 50 %, Cabernet Franc 47 % and Merlot 3 %.
Trius have been on top of the charts of every Niagara-On-The-Lake festival, Wine Clubs, Wine Tours, and Wine Tasting competitions for its exclusive taste and savor. It has got tremendous commendation on both the domestic and international stage. Plan a magical wine tour of Niagara-on-the-lake, and visit Hillebrand winery, the wine making pioneers. Taste some of their award winning wines and their specialty Trius. Hillebrand is known for offering the best of best icewine in the area. For more information on icewines, browse through www.hillebrand.com.
Many wines can look back on a long history, since they come from might look centuries old vineyards, which employs over many generations with the wine, or they have been pressed from grapes that were already known to the Romans and Greeks in ancient times. These are just two points, the wine and history combine.
There are other points of contact, for example, if a winery is completely dedicated to the traditional production and works like his ancestors before 100 years and more. This is also a point of connection between wine and history.
People from all over the world in all cultures have always enjoyed wine with their meals, for fun, and for relaxation.
In this way, preserve traditions and create it in most cases very special wines that differ markedly from the mass-produced wines, and promises a much more enjoyable. As with most products you consume, the more tiem and energy and care that are put into the product, the better it tastes.
Another factor is the region where a wine comes from, because in some wine-growing regions of the world are already being cultivated for hundreds of years, vines and produced wine. In these regions have generally started with the Greeks, Romans, or wine.
Another area are the medieval monasteries, some of which still operate today, this wine and market it successfully. Thus, a monastery wine is automatically subject to history, even if he himself has been pressed and packaged recently. Wine has been around for many centuries, and it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere soon.
Next time you host a party, get a . They’re easy to setup and take down, and work great. Find out more at
By seeing you here gives me the impression that you have been drinking whiskey for even once in your life, but has not gone too far in knowing what this drink can give you. Let me introduce you to the world of whiskey and help yourself to be informed.
Say whiskey and mean “water of life”. This drink may look too alcoholic but, yes, this means the water of life dating back to 1400′s which originally came from Scotland. Since then whiskey has become popular from all over the world. Whiskey manufacturers have gone a lot of hard work in order to bring out the best taste it can have for the universal market, and that includes you.
Bring a whiskey and make any simple occasion a memorable one. Newlyweds drink this together to mean a lasting relationship, friendships starts, parties intensifies and gifts become grand with whiskey. Got problems with those silly bite sensation while drinking them? Get rid of those by pairing them with ice cubes. Do you know that this tandem, otherwise known as “Whiskey on the Rocks”, are famous on bars and restaurants? People have this on top of their alcoholic drink list.
Whiskey manufacturers help you not to get bored by offering a large variety of whiskey drinks available for you. Much larger offerings, the better for both the consumers and the business minded people. Among the popular are the Scottish Whiskey, Jack Daniels, and Wild Turkey. Scottish Whiskey is the most popular followed by Jack Daniels in the United States. Speaking of Jack Daniels, have you ever imagined a whiskey with Coke? Jack Daniels with Coke forms a great mix and is popular in the different bars and restaurants in US and from all over the globe.
Whiskey is one of the best selling form of hard liquor, you will never get lost of finding one. ABC stores are the best source of whiskey drinks in the US, while any local department stores and grocery offer them in California, and perhaps from all over the world.
Whiskey is for everyone! Great for parties, for your health and for any given day. With the wonders that it can give, whiskey is the perfect drink for you!
Christmas is near! As you add your favorite wine in your Christmas dinner table, find out more about the different information regarding your favorite liquors in this website: Let’s CHEERS to that!
Not sure what you’re doing for New Years? Who cares! It’s all about what you drink on New Year’s Eve. Here is a list of five fabulous alcoholic drinks for your 2010 New Years Celebration.
Lime Margaritas: This classic Mexican drink is perfect for any New Year’s Celebration. Bud don’t even bother with the Margarita mix, use fresh limes for the best flavor possible.
Waborita: This drink is simply a fun twist on an old classic. It’s made with fresh limes and is also flavored with cointreau and premium Cabo-Wabo tequila.
Tequila Twist: Of course tequila and citrus are the ultimate mix. Try these shots served with a frosted shot glass and make sure its rimmed with sugar and garnished with strawberries. A few of these twists will definitely twirl you off your .
Tequila Fuego: This literally translates to Tequila on Fire! This super spicy shot will wake you up and seriously energize your taste buds. You should prepare it with Tabasco sauce or Tapatia and a jalapeno for that extra bing.
Sangrita: If you happen to get your hands on a super-premium bottle of tequila, you might just choose to enjoy it by the sip rather than mixing it. Make up a dashing batch of sangrita and use it as a sipper in between tequila shots.
This New Year’s Eve go wild with these super poignant, super tasty alcoholic drinks. Let your taste buds keep you up all night and give your mouth some kick. All of these mixes will have you dancing on bar stools and well, falling off . Play it safe and always party hard with a designated driver on hand.
There are several exercises for the perfect six pack abs, however, which one is the best? Well, the perfect ab exercise would have to burn belly fat and work the all the abdominal muscles, this includes the obliques.
So what is the perfect ab exercise?
The perfect six pack ab exercise is the bicycle crunch, sometimes call a crisscross crunch or turnover crunch. What makes this the best is the fact that it works all the abdominal muscles in one exercise as well as helps to burn belly fat so that they look better.
How to perform the bicycle crunch?
To perform the bicycle crunch is easy. You will need to lay on your back, on a flat hard surface (don’t do this on a bed or couch, because there will be less resistance, so it won’t be as effective). Bend you knees out into the L shape. Then you want to place your hands behind you head (don’t use your hands to jerk on your head).
To perform the motion, you need to bring your right elbow to your left knee (at the same time you should be bringing back the left knee to meet your right elbow). Then you should go back to the starting position. You should then do the opposite and bring your left elbow to your right knee and at the same time bring your right knee back to meet your left elbow. Just keep repeating this movement.
You want to aim to perform as many of these repetitions as possible. Just remember not to jerk your head and keep the movements of the exercise smooth and fluid. This is without a doubt the perfect ab exercise, however do it as much as you can won’t get you six pack abs. There is more to getting six pack abs than just exercises…
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On November 3, 2004, only 36 hours after stepping off a plane from Los Angeles to Buenos Aires, Daniel Karlin met the girl he was going to marry. They just got married in July.
In the interim, Karlin, with the help of his wife Lourdes, started Anuva Wines, a company that sources, imports, distributes and markets boutique wines from Argentina for the U.S. market. The original impetus for the business came from a simple observation that tourists to Argentina fell in love with Malbec and Torrontés—the quintessentially Argentine varieties—just like Karlin did when he arrived. The problem was that they had virtually no way of getting more of these rare gems in the U.S.
Karlin created a wine club to ship specially selected wines from Argentina directly to American tourists who had visited Argentina. They could then enjoy these different collections of wines—all hand selected by Karlin and a panel of wine experts and all from Argentina—in their homes after returning from their trips. Anuva Wines now ships these exclusive wines to 34 states in collections featuring limited productions of the classics Malbec and Torrontés and also unique varieties like Bonarda and Tannat. Setting up this home delivery service, however, wasn’t as simple as Karlin thought it would be.
“We spent a lot of money on lawyers to be able to understand how to ship wine to people,” Karlin says with a smile. The alcoholic beverage industry in the U.S. is highly regulated. In addition to Anuva’s shipping service to clients and wine club members across the U.S., they have the only wine-tasting service for tourists in Buenos Aires. Anuva also offers in-home wine tastings in select cities in the U.S. Karlin grins again when he talks about his discovery of Julian Cavagnaro’s Viña María vineyard. Cavagnaro’s great grandfather immigrated to Mendoza from Italy and settled their ancestral land in 1891. Now Julian, the namesake, makes a little-known yet award-winning, 4000-bottle production, single-vineyard Malbec called Cavagnaro Reserva. “I shared it with some retailers in New York and Los Angeles. They all guessed that the retail price to be double what we sell it for,” Karlin remarks.
Because of its success with brands like Cavagnaro, Anuva is now branching into the wholesale side of the business where they see even more upsides. “Since the financial crisis, we realized that price points are everything and that’s where Argentina wins,” says Karlin.
With a lower average cost per liter than any other major wine-producing country in the world, Argentina is growing by leaps and bounds. Not only have they increased their market share of imported wines by 400% over the last 10 years, surpassing Chile to become the number 4 imported wine by country (behind France, Italy and Australia), but they were the only country besides Chile to grow in both dollar value and in volume when comparing the data of 1st Semester 2009 to 1st Semester 2008. Argentina’s imports to the U.S. grew over 30% in both volume and dollar value. The only other country to come close to those values was Chile, while every other country’s imports to the U.S. have fallen dramatically. France is down 27% in value and 11% in volume, Italy 20% and 7%, Australia 5% in value, and Spain, South Africa, New Zealand and other minor regions are all down as well. Interestingly, the overall wine market continues to grow in the U.S. for the 15th consecutive year in addition to the fact that imported wines as a segment are also growing.
“We think we’re in the right business at the right time,” says Karlin. “Malbec and tourism to Argentina are very popular right now but we need that trend to continue.”
So why isn’t everyone jumping on this business? Karlin says barriers to market entry include proficiency in Spanish, the cultural gap, wineries without websites, wineries with websites but with incorrect contact information, corruption and dishonesty, stolen domestic shipments in Argentina, poor understanding of label regulations, brettanomyces (a bacteria found in older wineries creating a “barnyard” aroma and flavor—a big problem for some Argentine wineries) contamination, the ins and outs of international shipping of controlled substances and U.S. import law and logistics issues.
“Our learning curve was steep and treacherous and we made a lot of mistakes,” Karlin says, listing such setbacks as delayed shipments, extra costs, interactions with customs officials, and complicated paperwork. Only now, after three years of operation, does he feel ready for his expansion into wholesale. “We’re getting better with age.”
Dan Karlin is the founder of Anuva Vinos in Buenos Aires.
In today’s market, despite these times of crisis, there is a lot of money looking for a safe home. Given low global interest rates, depressed stock markets, and collapsing property values, fine wine is undoubtedly an interesting investment, and as the top “New World” (Chile, Argentina, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand) wines continue to improve and compete with the previously dominant Bordeaux and Burgundy wines, there are an ever-increasing range of options. As with any investment, one needs to be aware of the risks and possible traps and take qualified counsel. So here are some basic guidelines to wine investing, some rules that anyone thinking of investing in fine wine should pay close attention to:
· Don’t invest more than you can afford to lose – prices do go down as well as up, so wine should represent only a small part of a balanced investment portfolio. “Irrational Exuberance” is not confined to stock, currency, bond, and property markets. For instance, following the exceptional Bordeaux vintage of 2005, there followed an ordinary 2006, and a downright mediocre 2007. However, carried away with the ´05´s success and rocketing yields, plenty of amateur investors got their fingers burnt paying over-the-odds for both the ´05´s and the mediocre later vintages.
· Shop around for the best prices. Sounds obvious, but plenty of investors fail to heed this advice and lose out as a result.
· If you are buying through a specialist investment company, take a good look at their historical returns, and be clear about commissions (fixed or percentage) charged. Also be aware that the best prices are generally offered “en primeur”, basically the wine is sold in advance about 2 years before being bottled – however, a wine that scores top points en primeur, may flatter only to deceive as it later evolves in barrel and bottle, so there is a certain risk attached.
· Store your wines in the appropriate conditions, and know the wine’s “service history” before purchasing. Even the top Bordeaux from the best vintages (such as 1982) will turn to vinegar if inappropriately stored.
· If you’re buying exclusively for a capital return, it’s recommendable to have a significant part of one’s wine portfolio in Bordeaux from the top years. Buy wine from the best years/vintages – this is of especial importance with Bordeaux and Burgundy, which varies massively in quality from year to year – mainly due to the vagaries of climate in the top “Old World” winemaking regions. In the New World (Australia, Chile, Argentina etc) there is generally less qualitative difference between vintages, although this is not to say that all are the same and the wines will evolve equally year-to-year – there is still a risk of pre-harvest rain and, principally, hail, that can wipe out an entire producer’s vintage as well as human factors.
· Wine doesn’t generally attract capital gains tax as it is considered a perishable good – though it is worth checking with your relevant local authorities.
Serious investors might be interested in subscribing to www.liv-ex.com, the London International Vintners Exchange, which tracks the value of the top internationally traded wines, and through which a large amount vintage wine is traded. A disproportionate amount is vintage Bordeaux – of the top 10 traded wines on Liv-ex in 2008, nine were Bordeaux (of which the top 5 were the ever present Bordeaux West Bank 1st Growths, Latour, Lafite-Rothschild, Latour, Margaux, and Haut-Brion, followed by Petrus, Cheval Blanc, La Mision Haut-Brion, and Carruades de Lafite. In tenth place came the sole Burgundy, the super-exclusive and massively limited production Domaine de la Romanee Conti.
The most widely traded new world wines include the Penfold’s Grange, from Australia and the Opus 1 inspired by the late Robert Mondavi in Napa, California. Amongst the Latin American wineries, pride of place goes to Catena, Achával Ferrer, and Viña Cobos from Argentina (with a nod to Weinert for their excellent although not widely traded 1977 Malbec), and Lapostolle and Almaviva from CONCHAyTORO in Chile. My personal favourites are the Vina Cobos wines made by Paul Hobbs (of Hobbs winery fame in California) which will evolve brilliantly and at some stage may achieve 100 point-scores, with corresponding increase in resale value, likewise the top single-vineyard Achávals and Catenas, which are already competing with top-end Bordeaux in terms of quality, though this is yet to reflect itself as demand in the international wine market.
Historic investment returns from Argentine and Chilean vintages are almost impossible to present, as Latin American wineries have only in the past 15 years started to seriously compete with their European competitors, following wave upon wave of investment (in technology and foreign and local expertise) from the mid 1990’s to date. In the case of Bordeaux there are records going back centuries, with consistent proof of the special ageing properties and development of these wines – which to a large degree explains the active market for these wines that has developed over time. Based on a combination of vertical tastings going back decades, one can accurately chart the likely future evolution of the top Bordeaux and Burgundies.
With these new wines coming from the New World their future evolution, although likely to be similar, is also partly a matter of “wait and see”, and reflected as such in the illiquidity of these wines in the resale market relative to Bordeaux. On the other hand, opportunities galore exist to pick up some of the world’s top wines at knock-down prices – though to invest more than one is willing to lose doesn’t make sense, this is likely to represent a paradigm-shift in the wine world of the future, as well as a great buying (and drinking) opportunity for true wine lovers.
Nigel Tollerman is a professional sommelier and wine consultant based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. As well as running his website, he works on tasting panels for local publications and actively consults to a number of wineries and foreign investors.
The holidays are a time for giving, love, family and of course, drinking, carousing and losing all your money at the family . Here are a few great, festive holiday drink ideas to keep the joyful spirit, and spirits, flowing.
Cranberry Punch
This simple holiday drink recipe is a big hit for those who don’t want an overly alcoholic taste in their drinks. To make this great festive berry drink all you have to do is mix 2 cans of frozen or fresh cranberry juice with a can of orange juice, a few splashes of ginger ale or lemon juice, a splash of your choice of a clear alcohol like gin or vodka, and a flourish of fresh cranberries or orange slices on top and you are done.
Hot Mulled Wine
This is an amazing drink that all of your guests will compliment you for. Perfect for the holidays or sitting in front of the fire, this hot mulled wine recipe will add some festive joy to your holiday. The recipe for this is 2 liters of a decent burgundy wine mixed with a cut and peeled tangerine, 16 to 20 cloves, 3 or 4 cinnamon sticks and a half cup of liquid honey. Once you have those all mixed in a large pot let it simmer on low heat for a few hours. The aroma of your mulled wine will fill your room and soon enough you’ll be enjoying it.
Drunk on Christmas
This appropriately named drink is a fun concoction that you can make to really spice up the holiday party and keep the good times rolling. Over ice, mix 3 oz of melon liqueur with 2 oz of an Irish whiskey topped with 1 oz of apple schnapps and 4 oz of sour mix. Stir and strain into your tumblers, garnish with cherries and you’ve got the perfect holiday drink to get you drunk on Christmas.
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