Wine

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    Wine Library TV

  • What Wine Pairs with Chicken Nuggets – Episode #762

    tv@winelibrary.com (Winelibrary TV)
    3 Nov 2009 | 1:40 pm
    Gary Vaynerchuk tastes two wines to pair with the ultimate airport fast food while on his book signing tour. Having trouble viewing this video? Try the Quicktime version. Comments on this episode(189) Leave a comment › “Awesome show idea. I love the random guy coming up to you in this epis…” by Steak Monster “@Grapevine thanks for the props, glad you liked my camerawork. I do c…” by mattsito View all 189 › Wines tasted in this episode: 2006 Angoves Red Belly Black Chardonnay 2006 little Boomey Shiraz Links mentioned in todays episode. The…

  • Canadian Wine from a Hotel in Toronto – Episode #761

    tv@winelibrary.com (Winelibrary TV)
    30 Oct 2009 | 1:24 pm
    Gary Vaynerchuk tastes a Canadian wine from the mini bar of his hotel. Having trouble viewing this video? Try the Quicktime version. Comments on this episode(320) Leave a comment › “I really loved visiting Vancouver a few years back. Great city vibe, g…” by MRPysnik “I was born in Toronto and love the city. I am actually thinking about …” by Sean McCann View all 320 › Wines tasted in this episode: 2007 Cave Spring Cabernet / Merlot Links mentioned in todays episode. The “Crush It!” Book Tour Cave Springs Winery

  • Expanding Palates with Portuguese Wines – Episode #760

    tv@winelibrary.com (Winelibrary TV)
    28 Oct 2009 | 1:20 pm
    Gary Vaynerchuk tastes 3 Portuguese wines with the crowd at Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival in September. Having trouble viewing this video? Try the Quicktime version. Comments on this episode(138) Leave a comment › “Gary Found your show about a year ago and really enjoy it, very g…” by Dennis Frans “My favourite disney character is Mickey Mouse, c’mon who doesn’t like …” by Richard Arblaster View all 138 › Wines tasted in this episode: 2006 Quinta Do CabrizDao 2006 Monte Da Cal RedAlentejo 2007 Quinta Do Castro Douro Links…

  • Future of Wine Tasting – Episode #759

    tv@winelibrary.com (Winelibrary TV)
    26 Oct 2009 | 2:52 pm
    While in London for the Future of Web Apps conference, Gary takes time out to tape a show with a fan, Steve Leighton. Having trouble viewing this video? Try the Quicktime version. Comments on this episode(160) Leave a comment › “Awesome episode. It’s great having a guest on the show that is so pas…” by Justin Stewart “Love it! Cabo welcomes GV for your Visit.We’ll have Glasses Cheers T…” by Cabo Wine Club View all 160 › Wines tasted in this episode: 2008 Lorca Torrontes 2007 Gran Opalo Blend 2007 Gibbston Valley Pinot Noir Links…

  • 2002 Champagne Tasting – Episode #758

    tv@winelibrary.com (Winelibrary TV)
    23 Oct 2009 | 1:07 pm
    Gary Vaynerchuk tastes two different Champagnes from the incredible 2002 vintage. Having trouble viewing this video? Try the Quicktime version. Comments on this episode(144) Leave a comment › “In the last year or two I’ve really developed a taste for Champagne an…” by Bill from Wine For Newbies “I love all the bubbles… but my favourite lately is Gloria Ferrer Bla…” by alisha View all 144 › Wines tasted in this episode: 2002 Legras Brut Champagne Presidence VvFrench Brut Vintage 2002 Pehu Simonet BrutFrench Brut Vintage Links…
 
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    GrapeRadio – Wine Talk Show

  • In Search of Bacchus – Part 1

    GrapeRadio Bunch
    2 Nov 2009 | 10:04 am
    George M. Taber is author of the “Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the historic 1976 Paris Tasting,” a book chronicling the famous tasting where American wines bested the French in a blind competition. George has also authored “To Cork or Not to Cork: Tradition, Romance, Science, and the Battle for the Wine Bottle,” a book dealing with the most controversial topic among wine producers the world over: how to seal a bottle of wine. Without taking a position himself, George also relates in detail the histories of various closures and the pluses and minuses of each type. The…

  • In Search of Bacchus – Part 2

    GrapeRadio Bunch
    2 Nov 2009 | 10:04 am
    In part 2, we talk more with George about his newest book “In Search of Bacchus: Wanderings in the Wonderful World of Wine Tourism,” which cover his visits to such wine regions as: Margaret River, Australia; Central Otago, New Zealand; Rioja, Spain; Douro Valley, Portugal; Tuscany, Italy; Bordeaux, France; Rhine/Mosel, Germany; and Kakheti, Georgia. Plus, we hear from George about Napa Valley’s current popularity. Click Below to Play the Show: Part 2 Show #251 B (46:13 min 33MB)

  • The Napa Road Show – Part 1

    GrapeRadio Bunch
    27 Oct 2009 | 10:07 am
    It’s always a pleasure to visit Northern California’s Wine Country. There’s so much to see and do – as well as taste and smell. With this in mind, we were quite pleased to accompany a small group recently, and head up to Napa and Sonoma to visit to with some familiar wineries; plus, we were able to make some new friends along the way. Join us as we visit with Mary Rocca and Eric Grigsby of Rocca Family Winery, as well as their winemaker, Paul Colantuoni. We’ll also visit with John Komes and Sean Garvey to see what’s happening at Flora Springs, and then talk with Todd Graff…

  • The Napa Road Show – Part 2

    GrapeRadio Bunch
    26 Oct 2009 | 10:38 pm
    In part 2, we sit down with Randy Lynch and Rob Hunter to hear more about Bennett lane Winery in the Calistoga area of Napa Valley. Then, we’ll head west up over the Mayacamas Mountains to Sonoma County and visit with winemaker George Bursick at J Vineyards and Winery. And finally, we talk with Kimberly Pfendler and her winemaker Greg Bjornstad about bringing their efforts to fruition at Pfendler Vineyard in the famed Petaluma Gap. Click Below to Play the Show: Part 2 Show #250 B (49:35 min 36MB)

  • 2009 World of Pinot Noir

    GrapeRadio Bunch
    22 Oct 2009 | 8:57 am
    Welcome to our video podcast: 2009 World of Pinot Noir – Video Show #77. Right Click Here to Download File and iPhone users – Click here to View Video The World of Pinot event, held annually in Shell Beach, California, celebrates all the best things about the “heartbreak grape.” From France’s Burgundy region to shores of the New World and even the Southern Hemisphere, Pinot Noir is everything to its legion of fans. Join us as we get a snapshot of the event, its tastings and seminars, and talk with several winemakers to get their take on some of our most burning questions. We…
 
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    Vinography: A Wine Blog

  • Vinography Images: Fresh Fruit

    6 Nov 2009 | 9:11 pm
    Fresh Fruit I love the color in this image, and the bright wetness of the fruit and its motion into the destemmer. This fruit is alive and just waiting to be tasted. This is the top end of the destemmer, on the bottom end, each of these fat little blueberries will roll down the sorting table to be picked at by expert eyes and hands, ensuring that the fruit that is finally crushed (or dumped whole) into the fermenters is as pristine as possible. -- Alder Yarrow INSTRUCTIONS: Download this image by right-clicking on the image and selecting "save link as" or "save target as" and then select the…

  • The Great Wine Writer Migration of 2008-2009?

    5 Nov 2009 | 9:39 pm
    Something unusual is happening in the world of wine writing. While not surprising given the disastrous conditions in the market for those who want to make a living writing about wine, this phenomenon prompts some reflection. In short: I'm beginning to notice folks who have heretofore made their living as journalists, wine writers, or wine critics are now taking jobs as PR and communication pros in the wine industry. Two moves that recently caught my eye were Lettie Teague's appointment as Director of Communications at the Italian Wine Merchant [she's since moved back to journalism - see…

  • NV Henri Billiot "Cuvee Laetitia" Grand Cru Brut Champagne, Ambonnay, France

    4 Nov 2009 | 9:03 pm
    It seems that this week has me on a sparkling wine kick, and I see no reason to stop. As I often say (to myself and others who bother to listen): it took me a while to get here, but now I realize that we are all drinking far too little Champagne. These days, the whole world isn't drinking much Champagne, which is why the industry is in a bit of a crisis -- at least the really big players are. But this is not the wine of a big player. To say that Serge Billiot runs a small winery would be severely understating the case. This family-run winery in the tiny town of Ambonnay produces a mere 3750…

  • Farmer Fizz: Tasting the Terry Theise Champagne Portfolio

    3 Nov 2009 | 10:23 pm
    Ask most people to name a good Champagne, and most will likely stall after a couple of well known names like "Cristal" or "Dom Perignon." Like many industries, the world of Champagne (and at this point I'm not talking about sparkling wine in general, but literally the stuff from the Champagne region of France) is represented in the minds of many and the world media by a few mega-brands whose very identities have come to stand for Champagne, and who often literally eclipse many others with their popularity. By some estimates, however, there are more than 3500 producers within the bounds of the…

  • 2002 Ferrari "Perlé" Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine, Trentino, Italy

    31 Oct 2009 | 11:37 pm
    Who knows what it is, exactly, about sparkling wine that entices us so. But go to any wine region around the world, and you're bound to find someone making sparkling wine there (for better or worse). Most, even the best contenders, have a hard time holding a candle to the benchmarks of Champagne. There are a select few regions and producers outside of France, however, that manage to make sparkling wines that are truly exceptional. Two of them (at least) are in Italy, and this is the story of one of them. At the turn of the 20th century, Champagne was definitely the center of the universe for…
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    Fermentation: The Daily Wine Blog

  • Fraud & Terroir

    Tom Wark
    5 Nov 2009 | 10:28 am
    With the report out of Oregon late last month that the Geological Society of America poo pooed the notion that the "Minerally" taste in a wine has anything to do with the minerals in the soils that the wine's grapes were grown, we are once again reminded that the notion of "Terroir" may just be the a fraudulent, if not romantic, idea that marketers and PR types like me like to flog in front of the buying public.But isn't it really one of the most compelling ideas you can imagine: The wine in your glass that comes from a small, ancient vineyard in Tuscany gives you…

  • Getting It The Old Fashioned Way

    Tom Wark
    3 Nov 2009 | 6:52 am
    It shouldn't be too difficult to send back a glass or a bottle of wine that your server delivered to your table. After all, if you are worried about what your server will think just keep in mind they are not responsible for the production of the wine so it's not likely they'll take offense.But what about when you send back a mixed drink, a cocktail, because you don't like the way it was made and therefore is not what you ordered—even though the bartender heard you loud and clear? In this case the person who sat the drink in front of you is exactly the person who produced it.

  • The Choices We Make

    Tom Wark
    30 Oct 2009 | 8:56 am
    Most people understand the cost of smoking. These costs tend most often to be measured in years taken off a smokers life. For reasons I think you can understand, I prefer not to think of the costs of my 20+ years of smoking in these terms.However, there are ways to appreciate the cost of smoking that not only I but my wine loving readers CAN appreciate: The financial outlay.Let's assume I'm cheap and buy a pack and a half of cigarettes on a daily basis costing $4.00 per pack (and that is cheap her in California). This makes my annual outlay for smoking at $2,190.00. That number may or…

  • The Wheels Fell Off The Wagon in Saint Helena

    Tom Wark
    29 Oct 2009 | 11:07 am
    The city of Saint Helena in the middle of Napa Valley wants to prohibit tasting rooms in its city limits from tasting and selling any wines that do not carry the "Napa Valley" appellation or a Napa Valley sub-appellation on the label.What I can't figure out is why the Saint Helena City Council doesn't just go all the way and prohibit the sale or tasting of any wines that don't cary the "Saint Helena" sub appellation on the bottle. With the approval of this new regulation, the Saint Helena City Council seems to want to appear as parochial and silly as they…

  • Why Are America's Wine Wholesalers Giggling?

    Tom Wark
    28 Oct 2009 | 12:11 pm
    “We have a system set up in this country for distribution (of wine) that is designed to create accountability and responsibility. Amazon to their credit tried to abide by the laws that created accountability. When they found out they were unable to do so in a cost effective way, then they had to at some point bail out. The larger issue is if Amazon and its resources couldn’t do it legally, obviously these other companies aren’t doing it legally and taking advantage of the lack of state enforcement.”Craig Wolf, CEO, Wine & Spirits Wholesalers AssociationMr. Wolf should be…
 
 
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    Serious About Wine

  • Goats Trail Wine

    Mike Carter
    6 Nov 2009 | 3:53 pm
    “Goats Trail is a bright and contemporary new Californian wine named after goats that roam the farm. Apparently the wine goes well with the meat.” Designed by STRANGER & STRANGER | Country: United Kingdom Source :: Lovely Package Share This

  • Surrau Winery

    Mike Carter
    5 Nov 2009 | 3:45 pm
    “The labels are designed to convey an individual idea of each wine, but at the same time they can be seen to form part of a broader range of products. Clab Comunicazione has overseen and perfected the entire corporate image of the new Surrau winery, making sure that the style of the labels is consistent with global company communication. The graphic form of all the labels is based on the concept of the territorial identity of these wines as products of Sardinia. Like the logo, the labels too express the idea of the sea, the earth, and the sun of Gallura. And it is the special…

  • Minimalist Wine Rack

    Mike Carter
    5 Nov 2009 | 6:29 am
    The Felt Wine Rack is a perfect example of the return simple materials as designers and consumers alike warm to the aesthetic, environmental and economic benefits of products made from natural elements. Source :: www.psfk.com Share This

  • Hillbillie Wines Rebranding

    Mike Carter
    27 Oct 2009 | 4:13 pm
    The Australian design agency Public Creative was engaged by Hillbille to rebrand the entire company’s communications and packaging. The agency developed a packaging design for the Hillbillie’s premium wine called “2005 Hillbille Signature “James Brittain” Shiraz Viognier“. Source :: www.popsop.com Share This

  • Unanime Wines

    Mike Carter
    26 Oct 2009 | 4:19 pm
    The Argentine design studio SURe Brandesign has created a visual style and packaging design for a premium wine brand Unanime produced by Santa Ana Unanime Company. The blend combines 60% of Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% of Malbec and 15% of Cabernet Franc from the 2005 vintage. It was aged for 20 months in French oak barrels and then left for maturation within 10 years. The creative idea was to design a personal label with distinctive details and excellent quality in hand. In order to achieve this visual quality effect different techniques were used, such as the silkscreen printing, embossing,…
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    The Wine Collector

  • New access to mainland Chinese wine market from Hong Kong

    Steve Bachmann
    4 Nov 2009 | 3:17 am
    At the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong International Wine Fair today, John Tsang, Financial Secretary (on right in photo), announced an important step towards streamlining access to the Mainland Chinese wine market: "I am pleased to tell you that we have just reached agreement with the Mainland Customs to provide customs facilitation measures for wine exported from Hong Kong to the Mainland. We are also discussing with their food safety department, the Administration of Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, to see if we can introduce even further measures." At a later session,…

  • The ultimate book of luxury wine cellars

    Steve Bachmann
    25 Oct 2009 | 5:31 pm
    I don't review many books on this blog but Living with Wine by Samantha Nestor was too tantalizing to pass up.  What wine collector wouldn't want a voyeuristic photographic tour of some of the most luxurious, tasteful, "high design" wine cellars in the U.S.?  After all, how could you possibly design a better one than your friends if you don't have sufficient examples to stimulate how high to set your standards?"Wow" cellars Living with Wine showcases 30 cellars in 256 pages including associated tasting rooms, storage areas, and some perspective from…

  • Marketplace: Wineries' alternative to Amazon

    Steve Bachmann
    23 Oct 2009 | 4:42 pm
    This afternoon's announcement (see Wine Business story) by Amazon that it is killing its wine program came as a bit of a surprise given the hard work put into the initiative over the past several years.  But, as anyone operating a wine retailing business knows, the regulatory landscape is an absolute minefield that in this case has felled the leader in ecommerce.  Frankly, I personally welcomed Amazon's planned entry into the business as it would have ultimately led to more wine drinkers, many of which would develop into future purchasers of the fine wine Vinfolio…

  • China's ongoing impact on the fine wine market

    Steve Bachmann
    22 Oct 2009 | 12:11 pm
    Are you already paying higher prices for fine wine in the U.S because of demand from Hong Kong and mainland China?  Absolutely.  And if you're a first growth Bordeaux drinker, don't expect relief any time soon.Consider the following:Virtually all major auction houses have gone from zero Hong Kong auctions (as of March 2008) to having a high percentage of their global sales being achieved in Hong Kong since then (when the import duty was cut to zero).  In total, by the end of this month, there will have been 19 wine auctions held in Hong Kong since the duty cut. Almost…

  • Fine wine prices surge in September auctions

    Steve Bachmann
    21 Oct 2009 | 10:29 am
    WinePrices.com's wine price indexes were up strongly in September after the normal summer slow period in global wine auction activity. The top three most actively traded fine wine indexes were up 9%-12% in September and 33%-44% year to date. Every index has double digit YTD gains and the most active indexes are within reach of turning in positive year-on-year returns.  See below for a table of some key stats and the full summary results page for all nine indexes (and archives from prior months).  
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    EveryJoe » Drinks

  • It’s Getting Hot (Toddy) in Here

    Brittany Dow
    29 Oct 2009 | 2:22 pm
    What are you doing for Halloween? Are you going to be sitting on your porch in that zombie costume (that your girl hates) waiting to scare the neighborhood kids? Are you throwing a party that is bound to have scantily clad witches, nurses, and go go dancers? Or are you planning to t.p. your bosses house? Either way each scenario involves cold temperatures. What better way to stay warm then with some festive cocktails. The babes at your party will be more then pleased because we all know booty shorts aren’t exactly fall attire. Image Credit: istockphoto Below are some recipes intended to…

  • Agwa de Bolivia but without the Cocaine

    Amy Tucker
    28 Oct 2009 | 7:45 pm
    I like “weird” spirits. The stuff that most people have never heard of and the stuff that’s maybe a bit hard to find at the corner liquor store is my cup of…well…booze. When I say weird, I don’t mean that in a bad way; I mean it in the nicest way possible. Maybe I should say “different” or “off the beaten path” but weird just seems to work the best. Agwa de Bolivia is a liquor made of coca leaves and in my book, that makes it a “weird” liquor. Before you go searching for a bottle of the green stuff to get high on cocaine,…

  • Root

    Amy Tucker
    23 Oct 2009 | 8:01 pm
    Twitter is a wonderful thing and if you’re not on Twitter, then what are you waiting for? Some will tell you that no one wants to hear about what you’re having for lunch, and while that might be true, you also have an entire world of people and companies to connect with and I think that makes for a pretty awesome thing. Today, a friend of mine on Twitter sent me a link to this new spirit that he had heard of: Root. Go and read Trey Popp’s article. It’s a good one and I’ll wait here. But come back, OK? I’ll miss you! Alrighty. I am no lover of root beer but…

  • Rafaga Recipe

    Amy Tucker
    18 Oct 2009 | 7:00 pm
    A quick word of caution about this drink: this drink involves FIRE. The kind of fire that will BURN you. [Is there any other kind?] My suggestion to you is to try this recipe at your own risk and have a fire extinguisher around just to be on the safe side. Good luck. Rafaga Ingredients: 1/2 oz Dos Lunas Reposado Tequila 1/2 oz Green Mint-Flavored Liqueur 1/2 oz Italian Anise-Flavored Liqueur Directions: These directions are reproduced here exactly as they were emailed to me by Dos Lunas since I don’t want to go monkeying around with something that could really hurt you. The traditional…

  • Port-A-Pint: Put a Pint in Your Pocket

    Amy Tucker
    15 Oct 2009 | 5:46 pm
    Have you ever gone to a party only to find that all of the party cups ran out just before you made your way to the keg? Of course, you could always resort to the tried and true keg stand, but if you’re wearing a skirt…well…that’s probably not such a great idea. Trust me. Now, to your cupless hands’ rescue comes Port-A-Pint which promises to make sure that you always have a cup handy for your favorite frosty beverage. How has no one thought of this before?! Image|Neatorama Post from: EveryJoe Port-A-Pint: Put a Pint in Your Pocket
 
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    Food & Wine: Articles

  • Chicago

    6 Nov 2009 | 1:13 pm
    Restaurants Lula Café For 10 years, this funky local favorite has been a leader in Chicago's artisanal, Slow Food movement: Pastas are hand-cut, the pantry is full of house-preserved berries and house-pickled vegetables and nearly every farmer within 100 miles plays a part in creating dishes. Brunch is arguably the best in town, anchored by a vegetable strata (dish of layered ingredients) that changes weekly. We loved: House-smoked duck breast with grilled apples and honey. L20 …

  • Working with Celery Root

    2 Nov 2009 | 9:14 am
    1. Quarter the root On a work surface, using a heavy chef's knife, cut the ungainly celery root in half and then into quarters or even smaller pieces so it's easy to handle. 2. Peel the pieces Using a paring knife, peel the pieces of celery root down to the creamy white flesh. You want to remove all the rough, brownish skin and rootlets. 3. Julienne the flesh Using a mandoline or a box grater, cut the peeled celery root pieces into fine julienne strips. Transfer the julienne to a …

  • Tips for Making a Puff-Pastry Shell

    2 Nov 2009 | 8:53 am
    Fold In the Edges To create the sides for the tart shell, fold in the chilled dough neatly, then press it firmly to seal. The sides will puff up when baked, creating a rim to hold in the filling. Trim Off the Folds To ensure that the rim rises nicely, use a very sharp knife or pastry cutter and firm pressure to trim the edges slightly. If the layers twist as they're cut, the rim won't rise evenly. Prick the Bottom To prevent the bottom of the tart shell from rising, prick it all over …

  • Pairing of the Day

    2 Nov 2009 | 8:23 am
    November 6, 2009 — Cornish Hens with Plum-and-Leek Stuffing and Celery Root Pairing: A Rhône red. Try the 2003 Chateau Redortier Gigondas or 2008 Domaine la Garrigue Côtes-du-Rhône Cuvée Romaine. November 5, 2009 — Spaghetti Squash Salad with Pine Nuts and Tarragon Pairing: A Vinho Verde. Try the 2008 Quinta da Aveleda or 2009 Gazela. November 4, 2009 — Pan-Seared Black Sea Bass with Endives and Grapes Pairing: A minerally white or a light-bodied red. …

  • Recipe of the Day

    30 Oct 2009 | 3:26 pm
    Sign up for the Dish, F&W's free twice-weekly newsletter, for our 2009 weekly meal planner. E-mail: November Week: November 21-28, 2009 --> Friday— Turkey Breast with Ginger-Scallion Sauce EF46D232-FF94-4B67-A6FCD2F4A8ECADCF --> Thursday— Herb-Roasted Turkey with Maple Gravy 50B5A5A1-15E4-4175-B311C7FCDACD9240 --> Wednesday— Cavatelli with Spicy Winter Squash 2CE730F0-202D-4BFF-928F73A0125EB3F5 --> Tuesday— Spinach and Pepper-Jack Pizza …
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    Intoxicating Prose

  • Spirited Marriages at Simpson’s

    Douglas Blyde
    5 Nov 2009 | 1:30 am
    I TWIRLED through Europe’s second ever revolving door into dapper institution, ‘Simpson’s In The Strand’ this afternoon. Established in 1828 on the site of the Fountain Inn - home to literary association, the ‘Kit Kat Club’ - its chequerboard floors, tiles and knight motifs nod to a past when patrons could enjoy coffee, cigars and rapt games of chess in tall, discreet booths for nine-pence a

  • Wedding Posset

    Douglas Blyde
    30 Oct 2009 | 3:00 am
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  • Drinking in Autumn

    Douglas Blyde
    27 Oct 2009 | 4:26 am
    For opinion on wine merchant, Berry, Bros. & Rudd's Autumn Tasting, please venture HERE.

  • My Table, Tweeted

    Douglas Blyde
    26 Oct 2009 | 4:37 am
    Is it possible to engage readers with a restaurant review of 140 characters or fewer? Here is my attempt for Beauberry House, 1 Gallery Rd., Dulwich. SE21: 'Beauberry House: gen. tidy req'd; odd camel cage odour; St. E '85 =£45; kitchen calibrated (veal fillet & t. tatin on £21/3cs striking)'

  • Cutting Colourful Cloth in a Drab Economy

    Douglas Blyde
    22 Oct 2009 | 7:14 am
    Read my latest review of Hotel Missoni: HERE
 
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    El Bloggo Torcido - Twisted Oak Winery

  • Astro (rubber) chicken!

    El Jefe
    5 Nov 2009 | 10:02 am
    No, the rubber chicken didn't go for a ride this time, but getting to see a big launch like this is always cool! Twisted Few member Steve Mertesdorf took these photos in French Guiana at the rollout and launch of a communications satellite he's been working on. Here's some info on the NSS-12 satellite, which will cover Europe, Africa, the Middle East, India and other parts of Asia. (Hopefully that coverage will at least include Futurama reruns!)Thanks Steve!ps: Join the Twisted Few! See and download the full gallery on posterous Posted via email from twisted oak winery

  • It's like a major award!

    El Jefe
    4 Nov 2009 | 3:46 pm
    sent from El Jefe's small annoying device Posted via email from twisted oak winery

  • Case maze anyone?

    El Jefe
    3 Nov 2009 | 3:06 pm
    When the pallet you need right now is behind all of the pallets you don't!sent from El Jefe's small annoying device Posted via email from twisted oak winery

  • I'm telling you, we got color!

    El Jefe
    3 Nov 2009 | 12:23 pm
    Behind Twisted Oak Murphys tasting room.sent from El Jefe's small annoying device Posted via email from twisted oak winery

  • New button!

    El Jefe
    2 Nov 2009 | 3:31 pm
    sent from El Jefe's small annoying device Posted via email from twisted oak winery
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    The Pour

  • Vintage Baseball

    By Eric Asimov
    5 Nov 2009 | 10:12 am
    Some baseball announcers are like fine wine, others are like plonk.

  • Gemischter Satz

    By Eric Asimov
    3 Nov 2009 | 11:53 am
    In my column in Wednesday's newspaper, I've written about some gorgeous Austrian wines that are newly available in the United States. What makes these wines so unusual? They come from vineyards within the city limits of Vienna.

  • The Mystery of Marketing

    By Eric Asimov
    30 Oct 2009 | 6:47 am
    Diageo's Wily Jack makes a mystery out of wine marketing.

  • A Plea for Peaceful Coexistence

    By Eric Asimov
    27 Oct 2009 | 10:01 am
    Beer lovers, wine lovers, can't we all just get along?

  • Ripeness Isn't All

    By Eric Asimov
    20 Oct 2009 | 10:58 am
    More American winemakers are creating less full-bodied flavors.
 
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    Blisstree » Recipes

  • Homemade Candy Corn

    Heather R.
    29 Oct 2009 | 11:08 am
    I never really would have thought you could make your own candy corn at home until one of my family members sent me a link with instructions. She knows how much I love candy corn so being able to make my own at home might be trouble! Your candy corns won’t look the same as the ones you buy at the store, and they do taste a little different (the store bought are usually flavored with honey) but that’s ok — you’ll still impress your family, kids and friends when you present them with these! Homemade Candy Corn from suite101 2-1/2 cups of powdered sugar 1/3 cup nonfat…

  • Homemade Donuts

    Heather R.
    28 Oct 2009 | 8:29 am
    I don’t know why, but we always have donuts with our chili for Halloween dinner. I can’t figure out how a sweet pastry was paired up with a bowl of hot chili, especially since the kids leave for trick or treating not long after anyway! Though ours were always store-bought when I was growing up, I think this year I’m going to make my own. That way I can also have some fun with the glaze or sugar by adding some orange or black food coloring for the kids to dip the donuts into. If you don’t feel like going to the trouble of waiting for dough to rise but still want…

  • Unique Looking Serving Bowls From MoMA

    Dexie Wharton
    28 Oct 2009 | 7:57 am
    Babyboop sounds like a strange name for a bowl, doesn’t it? Well that’s exactly the name of this divided-pod looking bowl with 4 compartments. Babyboop Bowl is an elegant looking stainless bowl perfect for casual cocktail parties with a few friends on a Friday night or during weekends. The bubble-like section could hold finger snacks like nuts, wrapped candies and such. The size opf Babyboop bowl is approximately 12w x 8d x 1.5″h. You can find it at MoMA store for $100 for non-members and $80 for members. If you’re looking for handmade porcelain serving bowls, check…

  • Take-Out Antipasto

    Dexie Wharton
    27 Oct 2009 | 6:02 pm
    Last Friday, which is usually our take-out pizza day, the Husband came home with a box of pizza, wings, garlic bread and a plate of antipasto. That last one was a surprise. It has been a while since I’ve actually started a meal of pizza and wings with antipasto. Antipasto is a serving of different kinds of cured meats, olives, peppers, marinated vegetables, and cheeses. Sometimes there are also anchovies, and toasted bread. The are other additions which really depends how authentic the restaurant or the person serving it wants it to be. Antipasto is a plate of goodness that…

  • Overnight Oatmeal

    Heather R.
    27 Oct 2009 | 9:43 am
    One of my favorite ways to take care of breakfast for my family is to have it either prepped and ready to go by morning, or to have it completely done by morning. I especially like things like cinnamon rolls that can hang out in the fridge overnight before being put in the oven first thing in the morning, and I love doing oatmeal in my slow cooker during the night as well. The most important thing to keep in mind when you’re leaving the slow cooker on when you’re sleeping is to make sure there is absolutely nothing around it that’s flammable. When I had a smaller slow cooker…
 
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    JancisRobinson.com

  • Dealing in chefs (Nick on food)

    6 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    David Nicholls, the Food and Beverage Director for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (seen here on the right of Gary Rhodes, Sean Hill and Rick Stein), arrived for lunch at London’s Fino restaurant, looking distinctly uncomfortable, although we have known each other for the past 20 years. He.

  • A South African hobby horse (Free for all)

    6 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    See my recent tasting notes on Great new South Africans . Wine without geography is not unthinkable but in 99% of cases it is unexciting. Wine is one of the few things we can buy for a few pounds or dollars whose label has long told us exactly which spot on the globe produced it. Just as.

  • Women sweep the MW board (Free for all)

    5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    At its annual reception and awards ceremony at Vintners' Hall last Wednesday evening (after a tasting of 2005 bordeaux on which Julia will be reporting next week), eight Masters of Wine (MWs) were formally welcomed into membership of the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW). The following received.

  • Unpredictable Majestic (Tasting articles)

    5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    According to one store manager I spoke to at Majestic's autumn tasting in London, Majestic's reduction of minimum purchase from 12 to six bottles is bringing in more customers but creating more work (more transactions, lower average spend per transaction). It's great news for consumers, though it.

  • Italy's 2009 vintage - and fire sale (Inside information)

    5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    The Assoenologi, Italy’s association of oenologists, has officially declared the 2009 vintage ‘very good’, a positive assessment in an otherwise less than glorious picture overall. Volume is down by 4% in comparison with 2008 (44.5 m hl against 46.3 the previous year), which surely is a good.
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    Grapes and Grains

  • Ciders: How do you Like them Apples?

    David Flaherty
    6 Nov 2009 | 2:08 pm
    Autumn is the bite of a harvest apple. Christina Petrowsky All hail the glorious apple.  Man’s relationship with this versatile and forbidden fruit goes back thousands of years.  Today, there are over 55 million tons of apples produced worldwide each year…now that’s some serious fanaticism. I was tasked to bring in 6-8 new ciders for our restaurant and wine bar…shit, I thought, I know nothing about ciders.  In fact, I’d only drank the horrible stuff in England and NOT had good experiences.  But I went to work, and was stoked at what I found.  This is some serious…

  • The Great Porter and Pilsner Showdown

    David Flaherty
    31 Oct 2009 | 9:49 pm
    Sometimes you gotta do your homework.  And when it comes to beer drinking, this ain’t homework you’ll go into kicking and screaming. In an attempt to further my beer education, I caught a ride to Brooklyn’s Bierkraft and began grabbing single bottles of anything that looked unfamiliar or whispered my name in a sweet Irish brogue as I walked by it on the shelf (”Psst, O’Flaherty, you wee bastard, pick me…free me from my shelfish prison…”).  I ended up with mostly an array of bizarre Belgian, Italian and French beauties. But I also focused on…

  • David & Goliath: Rock Art Brewery vs Monster

    David Flaherty
    17 Oct 2009 | 12:41 pm
    Owning a microbrewery is a labor of love.  Often times, the genesis is a mad homebrewer’s hobby growing so big that their basement, kitchen, garage and children’s closets become so clogged with gear that they HAVE to go pro. This is what happened to Matt and Renee Nadeau who are about to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Rock Art Brewery.  But now they’re being attacked. (Personally, as a homebrewer living in a tiny one- bedroom apartment in Queens, it has certainly been a challenge and I can tell you that one corner of our bedroom is so overloaded with hoses, brushes,…

  • A Taste of: Badger Blandford Fly

    David Flaherty
    14 Oct 2009 | 5:08 am
    English Pale Ale, Blandford Fly, Badger Brewery, Hall and Woodhouse, Dorset, England (5.2% Alc) In the small, sleepy town of Blandford Forum in southern England, a tiny predator lurks at the banks of the River Stour. Rumors abound as to its actual size; some claim it is mere millimeters, while others claim it is the size of a pterodactyl.  But all can agree on on one thing:  the bite from the Blandford Fly is vicious, leading to fever and swelling.  The cure?  Beer, of course. Local, Nick Malden (whom I met while scuba diving in Costa Rica where we were both honeymooning), tells this…

  • A Taste Of: Kanonkop CWG, 1997

    David Flaherty
    10 Oct 2009 | 1:44 pm
    Cabernet Sauvignon, Cape Winemakers Guild, Kanonkop, 1997, Stellenbosch (14% Alc) What if Yoda made wine?  And what if instead of focusing on intergalactic peace, the Jedis gathered to taste through barrels of Pinotage and hammer out the intricacies of pruning and soil characteristics? And what if after hours of intense debate, they chose their favorite wine from that year’s vintage to represent them all? Well, it does happen…and once a year.  But its not in Tatooine where you’d suspect, but in the land of South Africa.  I present to you: the Cape Winemakers Guild. Once a…
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    My Wine Education

  • Featured Cincinnati Wine Events: Nov 7 - 13

    Michelle
    6 Nov 2009 | 5:29 am
    There are some nice events coming up this week. The retailers are gearing up for the holidays. Around the first week of December, watch for some blow-out tasting events. In the meantime, check out what's coming up over the next week. 20 Brix is having an anniversary party all week, peppered with drink and menu specials and special events. Additionally, the week finishes off with the Jungle Jim's International Wine Festival on both Friday, Nov 13 and Saturday, Nov 14. Also on Nov 14 (but not listed because I only list through Friday), is the Taste of the World at the Aquarium. Get your tickets…

  • Eat for the Cause TODAY: KLP Scholarship Fund and Max & Ermas

    Michelle
    4 Nov 2009 | 5:18 am
    As many of you know, I'm working to raise money for a scholarship fund in memory of my little sister. Krystal, at the age of 21, passed away unexpectedly from an undiagnosed congenital heart defect two years ago. We want to put together a scholarship for educations majors at Thomas More College - just like Krystal. There is an easy (easy easy easy!) way you can help!  Max & Erma's is donating 20% of all purchases from their Crestview Hills location on Thursday today. That's great, right? There's a catch. In order for your purchase to qualify, you MUST bring this flyer with you. But…

  • Wine Humor

    Michelle
    3 Nov 2009 | 1:01 pm
    Doug Pike, a cartoonist, contacted me today. He's offered me the use of three of his comics on the blog. This is, I'm sure, a cheerful ploy to get us all to buy his new book of wine cartoons. However, these cartoons made me laugh, and well, I love comics and cartoons. I'll post the other two over the next couple of weeks, but here is my favorite: Cheers!

  • Mad Men Mondays: A Little Cocoa for Comfort

    Michelle
    2 Nov 2009 | 5:49 am
    Last night's Mad Men was amazingly depressing. Not only did it bring back memories, for me, of how I reacted to 9/11, it was just plain sad. And could someone please explain to me why, despite the fact that he is a jerk and, at most, an anti-hero, I still want everything to turn out all right for Don Draper? What did they have to drink last night? Well, there was "red wine," which isn't helpful. There was a return to champagne coupes for the wedding toast. There were nameless mixed drinks, made by a cast that is extremely skillful at hiding the bottle label from me. But I'm settling on the…

  • Featured Cincinnati Wine Events: Oct 31 - Nov 6

    Michelle
    30 Oct 2009 | 5:24 am
    It's a low-key week for wine events. Maybe the retailers are just giving you a chance to recover from a Saturday night Halloween! There are too many Halloween events for me to cover. For a full list of Halloween events, check out Metromix, where they're compiling compiling a list of the hottest parties in town. Remember, all the recurring events, those dependable weekly tastings, are displayed on our calendar. The one-time events are after the jump. For information on what's going on in Dayton, you can refer to Mark's blog at Uncorked. Local Wine Tasting Event Calendar Friday Interactive Wine…
 
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    Wilf's Wine Press

  • Are You Passionate About Wine...?

    Wilf G.K
    5 Nov 2009 | 10:03 am
    A new book, 'Living with Wine' by Samantha Nestor is eye candy for anyone with a passion for wine. It could easily have been titled 'Living with the Passion for Wine'. Samantha Nestor is well qualified to write a book such as this. She is the special projects editor at Metropolitan Home magazine and regularly appears on television and radio shows. I am an amateur photographer and love to see great photographs. The pictures in this book by Andrew French are stunning. I was equally pleased to see Alice Feiring's name on the cover. She is definitely one of my favorite wine personalities and has…

  • Those Tiny Tasty Bubbles in your Wine........

    Wilf G.K
    20 Oct 2009 | 4:16 pm
    .....tickling your taste buds on your tongue. When I first read that Champagne bubbles improve flavour in a Decanter news report I was intrigued but baffled when I read this sentence. " ..discovered that many aromatic compounds were more likely to be present in the bubbles than in the wine itself". If they were not in the wine in the first place then how would they suddenly appear in the Champagne bubbles? But the following article in RSC made a little bit more sense. So just how many of these precious little bubbles in a bottle of Champagne will bring us those delightful flavours? A…

  • Low Cost Wines, Media, Scandalous...lets get it straight!

    Wilf G.K
    24 Sep 2009 | 8:38 pm
    It must have been a slow day around the National Post office. Lets see how can we blow this one up to grab some attention. California couple buys a bottle of "BC" wine and discovers it is California wine. Add the word "scandalous" and you have a story. It worked because the story was copied and repeated many times. I have a problem with this kind of reporting. First of all buyer beware. Do read the label! There is a market for inexpensive wines and the big three wine producers mentioned in the article are there to supply you with what you are prepared to pay for your wine. Secondly, this has…

  • A New Kind of Wine Doctor !

    Wilf G.K
    15 Sep 2009 | 1:23 pm
    Should a doctor recommend wine for your health? There is an overwhelming amount of evidence that drinking wine, particularly red wine may be beneficial to your health and well being and yet doctors are loath to recommend a glass of wine (or two) to their patients. Their common concern has been their fear of the possibility of turning you into an alcoholic. This seems rather an unfounded fear. If you have it in your genes to become an alcoholic,you don't need your doctors blessing to become one. So I was pleased to see one enterprising doctor do a little smart marketing. I congratulate him for…

  • What Kind of Wine Are You?

    Wilf G.K
    28 Aug 2009 | 11:11 am
    It never ceases to amaze me the amount of money that is wasted on frivolous research. While half the world is starving to death researchers are telling us what kind of personality you have based on the type of wine you prefer. And marketers just love it. You will be debonair, smooth and smart when you eat our pretzels or any other product they want to promote on TV. OK, they tell us that it will allow them to figure out why the Western world has so many obese people and solve the problem. I think not. Ah, but trust those Texas tasters to figure it out. The wine division of the Texas…
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    Catavino

  • Harvesting the Priorat: Fermentation I – Maceration Techniques

    Raymondo
    4 Nov 2009 | 9:31 am
    A friend of ours Raymond Magourty (Raymondo) is working the 2009 harvest in Priorat, Catalunya for Celler Mas Doix, a prestigious wine producer located in the villlage of Poboleda whose Parker Points have elevated it in popularity. With his background in wine education, and ambition to learn more about the practicalities of wine-making, the winery employed him as ‘bodeguero’ during the harvest. Raymondo will continue chiming in for the remainder of the harvest! You can also read about his experience at the start of the harvest, visiting local wine festivals, the uncommon debate of…

  • II Annual European Wine Bloggers Conference Extraordinarily Brief Update

    Gabriella
    2 Nov 2009 | 11:17 am
    I am currently writing this from my VIP Grand Lisboa hotel room using every single ounce of energy I have left to get word out that all is well. As many of you already know, Ryan and I have spent the last 5 days in Lisbon hosting the II Annual European Wine Bloggers Conference, and to say it was a success would be an understatement, it was INCREDIBLE. And to give you a sense of what people are saying, take a peek at the following: Event Manager of the VIP Grand Lisboa, “I thoroughly enjoyed your group this past weekend. They were considerate, passionate, interesting and willing to share…

  • Palo Cortado, a Different Kind of Sherry

    justin
    29 Oct 2009 | 2:13 am
    The WSET Diploma fortified wine exam was nailed down earlier this year. The next exam is sparkling wines so I have been sticking to the bubbly stuff since then. Not much else has made it through my front door, so just for a change, I thought I’d have a copa of sherry tonight. Something slightly unusual, a Palo Cortado. You might be wondering what a Palo Cortado is: Sherries are aged in one of two ways, oxidatively or biologically (read Catavino’s Sherry 101 to find out more about the different ageing methods). Some sherries start off ageing biologically and are then deliberately…

  • Most Intriquing Restaurants in Valencia: Embrace Your Traditional and Eclectic Self

    John
    28 Oct 2009 | 2:15 am
    The talk was of me writing about “the best places to eat in the city of Valencia”, and I immediately felt slightly inadequate. Valencia does have its swanky Michelin-starred restaurants – Ca’Sento, Torrijos, La Sucursal and Alejandro del Toro last time I looked. I have eaten at three of them, and the food was undoubtedly excellent. The one I have yet to try is in fact Ca’Sento, nearest to where I live. I’ve been unnerved by the post-modern cladding added as a façade to give concrete expression to its progression from family-run diner to temple of gastronomy, and rather…

  • Day Trips From Lisbon by Train & Bus: How to Explore Wineries and Quaint Seaside Villages

    Gabriella
    27 Oct 2009 | 1:36 am
    You’ve now explored Lisbon, but you’re itching to get out of the city. Then may I suggest exploring one of the numerous routes Lisbon’s train and regional bus system have to offer. You can find ample information about the Portuguese train system called, Comboios de Portugal (CP), or take a look at the regional bus lines at the Transportes Sul do Tejo (TST) website. Both will give you several choices of places to visit during your stay; however, as there are several destinations that might be unattractive to visitors, and/or are not very accessible by public transport once there,…
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    One Wine Per Week

  • Keep Those Foods Fresh

    MonkuWino
    20 Oct 2009 | 9:01 pm
    Well folks, my post today isn't really about wine but it's about a wine accessory that you can use as an economical tool to keep your foods fresh, as well as your wine!Most of you are probably familiar with the Vacu Vin, the device that is designed to keep the remainder portion of wine in the bottle fresh by pumping out the air and then sealing the bottle with a rubber stopper. There's a lot of

  • Not a Pinot

    MonkuWino
    3 Oct 2009 | 9:42 pm
    Hey I am back but only briefly! I've been drinking wines consistently since my last post ages ago but have just been too lazy to write about them.I felt I needed to do this short review as a public service, though. I bought a bottle of 2006 Cherry Hill Pinot Noir Papillon from Trader Joe's a few weeks ago. It's an Oregon wine.Pouring it in the glass, it doesn't look like a Pinot Noir. It is too

  • Hello I'm Here For a Moment!

    MonkuWino
    9 Jun 2009 | 9:23 pm
    I'm making one of my now infrequent appearances just to wave at you and let you know I am still here and enjoying a glass of wine as always even though I am not writing to tell you about it.But today I am.. I just feel like writing, and luckily it is about an enjoyable bottle I have been drinking over the past four nights. Tonight is the last 6 oz, sigh.The wine is (was) the 2004 Murgatroyd from

  • Living Off My Rep'

    MonkuWino
    19 May 2009 | 4:31 pm
    As is obvious from a quick scan of my site, I hardly do any sort of updating here. I still have a glass of wine per night (which equates to 7/4 wine per week since each glass is 1/4 of a bottle) but I haven't felt particularly motivated to do any wine-related writing. In fact I have not felt motivated whatsoever to write about things wine-ish.I haven't gone surfing around wine-related sites

  • Flu

    MonkuWino
    2 May 2009 | 6:00 am
    Sorry that I haven't posted in a while, but I came down with a case of the Wine Flu.Joe Biden didn't make things any better, flapping his jaws on national television telling everyone not to drink wine in any enclosed area, and that people shouldn't even take wine to school with them. Obama and his cohorts had to move quickly to do their damage control on him before the angry winemaker's lobby
 
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    Dr Vino's wine blog

  • Box vs bottle blind

    Dr. Vino
    6 Nov 2009 | 8:48 am
    Does a wine from a box taste any different from the same wine in a bottle? I recently led a tasting and we were able to put this question to the test. I poured the Domaine Grand Veneur, Cotes du Rhone, reserve, 2007 from a bottle (retail: $14) and a three-liter box ($45) and served them blind. (search for this wine) The assembled group couldn’t really discern between the two wines. While everyone agreed that the wine was a good value, some people preferred one over the other but the reasoning was all over the map. Although this sounds like a non-finding, it is interesting that neither…

  • Needy drunkard reveals uncorking technique sans corkscrew [video]

    Dr. Vino
    5 Nov 2009 | 11:57 am
    You know you’ve been there: on the street, desperate for another bottle, being filmed by your friends and without a corkscrew. Okay, maybe not on the street or desperate as with this guy in the video, but definitely without a corkscrew! Here’s a technique that Khrushchev would likely endorse the next time that situation arises! My only question: do you decant before serving? (Thanks, Richard!) Related: “Forget the saber: try opening champagne with champagne! [video]“

  • Just for the tech of it: SD26 wine list goes digital

    Dr. Vino
    5 Nov 2009 | 7:42 am
    The digital wave sweeping over the print world has found an unlikely target: the restaurant wine list. I stopped by SD26 on a recent weeknight and things were hopping. The restaurant, opened on Madison Square in September to the tune of $7 million, boasts a wine bar in the front. Tony May, who previously owned the traditional San Domenico, told the New York Times that with SD26 “We aim for the cutting edge.” Thus behold the 24 bottles in Enomatic, self-service dispensers. And no matter where you are in the large space, the wine list only comes in one form…

  • Why do American elementary schools equate wine and pot?

    Dr. Vino
    3 Nov 2009 | 8:58 am
    Last week, our first-grade son brought a pamphlet home from public school equating wine and pot. On one page, entitled “Drugs are trouble,” wine, beer, marijuana and cigarettes are graphically depicted in a cage making cat calls at children. Wine, marijuana; they’re both drugs! On the flip side, at least they differentiate between wine and illegal drugs–all while introducing the topics of crack and cocaine! I can see it now: “Sonny, come help daddy pick out a nice wine for tonight’s dinner. Should we have a ‘47 Cheval Blanc or a ‘61 Lafite?

  • Ringer wines

    Dr. Vino
    2 Nov 2009 | 9:53 am
    Tasting wines blind may not always be the right way to judge wines. But it is invariably fascinating. I contributed a short piece to Forbes.com about wines that could serve as “ringers” in a blind tasting. Have you ever organized a blind tasting at home (or professionally) and thrown in a “ringer”? Or if you haven’t, which wine would you put in which lineup as a ringer in a future tasting?
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    NAPA VALLEY WINE RADIO

  • Goosecross: Wine Trivia du Jour

    Nancy
    6 Nov 2009 | 11:52 am
    Which of the following is the least likely technique for making sweet wine?           a.  Letting the grapes rot b.  Drying the grapes c.  Adding sugar d.  Adding alcohol Whaddaya think (keeping in mind that truth is stranger than fiction, in this case)  ;-)  Find out in our Wine Trivia Challenge!  Go ahead, ace it  

  • Goosecross: Pumping Over the Cap

    Nancy
    5 Nov 2009 | 11:16 am
    Click here to view the embedded video. We continue with winemaking at Goosecross Cellars in the Napa Valley, two minutes at at time.  The “cap” has risen, we’ve added the yeast, and now it’s time to begin “pump overs”.  The cap refers to the layer of  skins that rise to the top during red-wine fermentation.  Enjoy! More videos

  • Goosecross: Starting the Fermentation

    Nancy
    30 Oct 2009 | 11:28 am
    Wonder how we get the fermentation started?  In this 2-minute video Goosecross Winemaker, Geoff Gorsuch, inoculates the Syrah (mixes and adds the yeast) to begin fermentation.  Enjoy!  Click here to view the embedded video.

  • Goosecross: Harvest Ends with a Bang!

    Nancy
    29 Oct 2009 | 10:08 am
    Well – things took a rather dramatic turn after our last update! Shoulda known better than to brag about the great weather  Mother Nature reminded us, once again, who’s in charge and she did it in spades.  A mere four days after that post we got three+ inches of torrential rainfall in 24 hours here in Yountville. My rain gage at home in St. Helena showed over five inches. SHOCKING!  WE DON’T ALLOW RAIN DURING HARVEST!! What’s the beef? A little sprinkle is nothing to worry about. But, big-time rain causes rot and dilution – some varieties are more…

  • Goosecross Fun Fact: The Olive Harvest!

    Nancy
    26 Oct 2009 | 2:48 pm
    As the Napa Valley wine harvest winds down, the olives are preparing to grab center stage!  November is prime time for the olive harvest and in this 2-minute Fun Fact our good friend, Diane DeFilipi of Let’s Go Cook Italian, will tell you about some very fun goings on in the valley to celebrate!  Cheers!
 
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    NAPA VALLEY WINE RADIO BLOG

  • NVWR® 93 – Italian Food of the Renaissance

    David
    20 Oct 2009 | 12:01 am
    In this episode I had a chance to sit down with our friend and Italian Connection, Diane De Filipi of “Let’s Go Cook Italian“, to talk about the Italian food of the Renaissance. She’ll tell us about the Renaissance cooking class and meal that’s featured in her wonderful culinary excursions to Italy and the foods of the day for peasant and king. Relax and listen as Diane takes us back in time.

  • NVWR® 92 – Wine Blending: When and Why?

    David
    29 Sep 2009 | 12:01 am
    There are so many ways to look at blending when it comes to wine – blending the varieties, different vineyards, locations, and barrel lots – it goes on and on. In this episode, Winemakers Geoff Gorsuch and Jeff Booth talk about the endless possibilities with Nancy Hawks Miller, our Director of Education. There are so many ways to look at blending wine – blending the varieties, different vineyards, locations, and barrel lots – it goes on and on. In this episode, Winemakers Geoff Gorsuch and Jeff Booth talk about the endless possibilities with Nancy Hawks Miller, our…

  • NVWR® 91 – Sherry Page Visits the Fatted Calf

    David
    8 Sep 2009 | 12:00 am
    This episode is likely to give you a severe craving for sausage, bacon, salami or a good steak. Our great friend, Sherry Page of Culinary Getaways learns some amazing things about the world of artisanal charcuterie from Taylor Boetticher, founder and co-owner of the Fatted Calf in Napa. Enjoy!

  • NVWR® 90 – History of Wine Words

    David
    18 Aug 2009 | 12:00 am
    Did you know that the word “gourmet” referred to a lover of wine long before it had anything to do with food? Or that the word “libation” originally meant an offering to the gods? If you love wine and you love words, this episode is for you! In this phone interview, etymologist Charles Hodgson, the author of History of Wine Words, tells Nancy Hawks Miller, our Director of Education, about the origins of some of the words and about writing this fun and fascinating book!

  • NVWR® 89 – Long Meadow Ranch

    David
    28 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am
    In this episode, our good friend Sherry Page of Culinary Getaways visits Long Meadow Ranch, a beautiful place that takes a holistic approach to farming by producing organic fruits and vegetables, olive oil, grass-fed beef, wine and even fresh eggs. It was a windy day at the ranch, so please bear with us as you hear some rustling along with the birdsong and the hum of the tractor. Cheers!
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    New York Cork Report

  • New York Cork Report Tasting Table November 6, 2009

    LENNDEVOURS
    6 Nov 2009 | 1:35 pm
    By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Some quick-hit reviews from the New York Cork Report Tasting Table over the last week or two.Dr. Konstantin Frank 2007 Pinot Noir ($20): Toasty vanilla, cherry, plum and dried leaf earthiness a nice, aromatic nose. Medium body, black cherry and plum, oak, leather, vanilla and spice. Low acid and low tannin. Soft, earthy on medium finish. Rating:  (2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good) Macari Vineyards 2005 Estate Merlot ($19): Leaf tobacco, red cherry and mulberry, with nice herbal component and a surprising amount of black pepper on the nose.

  • Spring Lake Winery at Varallo Vineyards: Betting the Farm on Late Harvest Wines

    LENNDEVOURS
    6 Nov 2009 | 8:16 am
    By Julia Burke, Niagara Escarpment CorrespondentRiesling (in some form) shows up on nearly every wine list on the Niagara Wine Trail – after all, it is New York’s signature white grape. But for Spring Lake Winery, located just east of Lockport, riesling isn’t just a standby white grape. It’s the only variety planted on their eight acres.  The Varallo family, owners of Spring Lake, have been making wine for three generations, but it was only a few years ago that they decided to try their hands at growing grapes. After researching the land and consulting with Finger Lakes and…

  • He'Brew Jewbelation Bar Mitzvah

    Kevin Burns
    6 Nov 2009 | 7:24 am
    By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist Shmaltz Brewing Company is one of the more interesting breweries in the country. The Jewish-themed company is based in California, but the beer is brewed in Saratoga, New York, so it's technically a New York beer.The brewery produces two lines of beer, the He'Brew line and the Coney Island Craft Lager line. The He'Brew line consists of Jewish-themed beers such as Messiah Bold and Genesis Ale, while the Coney Island Lager line consists of strong lagers whose names and labels feature members of the world famous Coney…

  • Billsboro Winery 2007 Pinot Noir

    LENNDEVOURS
    5 Nov 2009 | 10:51 am
    By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-ChiefDon't let Vinny Aliperti, co-owner and winemaker at Billsboro Winery, fool you with his humble, laid back personality. He makes serious wines, both at Billsboro and at his 'day job' as winemaker at Atwater Estate Vineyards. Maybe its that laid-back personality that somehow keeps him and his wines just under the radar, but his are wines worth drinking and keeping an eye on.Of the half dozen 2007 Finger Lakes pinot noirs that I tasted recently, none showed a balance of fruit, oak, tannin and acid the that his Billsboro Winery 2007 Pinot Noir ($22)…

  • Technological Innovations at Red Tail Ridge

    Jason Feulner
    5 Nov 2009 | 7:06 am
    By Jason Feulner, Finger Lakes Correspondent Standing in Red Tail Ridge Winery's new facility recently, it occurred to me: The entire geothermal machine area looks like something out of a Star Wars movie. Can it get any cooler (or hotter) than that? I stopped by Red Tail Ridge on Seneca Lake the other day with the primary goal of getting a harvest report. I was also excited about the winery's new production facility, which I assumed would have some interesting features. The facility and its winemaking innovations blew my mind. While I knew that owners Mike Schnelle and Nancy Irelan…
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    Chez Ray Winemaking

  • Pressing the 2009 Mendocino Zinfandel

    jorray
    1 Nov 2009 | 2:17 pm
    After three weeks of cold (approx 62 degrees F) fermentation, today I pressed the 2009 Mendocino Zinfandel which was acquired as fresh grapes.Yield was approximately 9 gallons from four crates of grapes.

  • *** Chez Ray Zinfandel, 2004, Lodi, CA - Wine Review

    jorray
    28 Oct 2009 | 7:15 pm
    By way of background: The Chez Ray Zinfandel, 2004, was made from Lodi grapes, fermented warm, with a combination of French and American oak.In the glass: Medium to deep red.On the nose: Fruity, lightly smoky, wet red cherry.On the palate: Smooth, red fruit in the middle of your mouth. Like a gob of blackberry that has all the tartness removed. Kinda nice in that respect. Balance of the flavors include a general even sweetness, tiny bits of acids crawl up into your cheeks.And the finish: Sweet acids slowly fade away, and with them any hints of fruit.In summary: Pleasant, though not intense…

  • *** Chez Ray 2005 Late Harvest White Blend - Review

    jorray
    23 Oct 2009 | 4:33 pm
    The 2005 Chez Ray Late Harvest Blend consists of Pinot Gris and Chardonnay, late harvested, acquired from Brehm Vineyards from vineyards in the Columbia Gorge area of Washington State (coded 05LHUM and LH57). They were fermented with Cote des Blancs yeast, and aged with a small toasted oak sleeve.In the glass, this shows as light yellow with gold highlights. Aromas are metallic and oily - you've just stepped into my mechanics garage on a night when he's spinning disco tunes! On the palate, a bright sweet middle starfruit is the first note. It is followed by acids that drive the sweetness up…

  • ** Chez Ray Pinot Noir (P4), 2004, Lodi, CA

    jorray
    20 Oct 2009 | 3:46 pm
    By way of background: The Chez Ray Pinot Noir, 2004, was made from Lodi grapes, fermented warm, with a combination of French and American oak.In the glass: Deep pink-red with a brickish cast.On the nose: Overcooked, almost baked, red berry fruits. A bit of motor oil with the overcooked stew. Nothing to write home about (except maybe to say, "Get me outa here!").On the palate: Far more presentable on the palate. Sweet red fruits on the mid-palate, not cloying, but fresh. Just a touch of vegetable in there too. Firm, lightly acid, sweet and still rich, a touch of tannin move in after the acids…

  • 2009 Mendocino Zinfandel Arrives

    jorray
    11 Oct 2009 | 8:03 am
    This weekend, four crates of zinfandel grapes arrived from Lucchesi Vineyard from Potter Valley in Mendocino County, CA. They come from older vines on St. George root stock. They look to be in great shape, and are delicious fresh. They will comprise the Chez Ray Mendocino Zinfandel, 2009, vintage. Similar to the Lanza merlot, I will ferment in separate batches with different yeast in each, accordingly:Lalvin ICV-D254Mendocino Zinfandel (ZM9A)Lalvin ICV-D80Mendocino Zinfandel (ZM9B)Lalvin BM45Mendocino Zinfandel (ZM9C)
 
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    Spirit of Wine

  • ***+ $ Ave Malbec Premium, 2007, Mendoza, Argentina - Wine Review and Rating

    jorray
    6 Nov 2009 | 3:29 pm
    By way of background: Ave Malbec hails from the well-regarded area of Mendoza, Argentina, popularly-speaking the malbec capital of the world. It has been developed by Alberto Antonini in an Italian tradition at the Perdriel Estate. The 2007 vintage is finished at 14.2% alcohol.In the glass: Ave Malbec is deep purple magenta in the glass, opaque to within an eighth-inch of the edge of the glass.On the nose: Deep, buoyant, liquored aromas, pumping creamy purple grape-sicle notes straight up into your nostrils. Fat oak framing.On the palate: Two elements hit first: an acid twang at the sides of…

  • *** $ Walnut Crest Merlot, 2008, Valle Rapel, Chile - Wine Review and Rating

    jorray
    5 Nov 2009 | 3:54 pm
    By way of background: Walnut Crest Merlot is part of the value-priced Walnut Crest line of wines from the producer Vinedos Emiliana of Chile. The grapes are from the Emiliana Vineyards in the Valle Rapel region.In the glass: Walnut Crest Merlot is medium deep dusty red throughout.On the nose: A big, bold, billowy aroma, sporting sweet bursting purple helium balloons, bursting red currants and ripe raspberries, and wafts of alcohol. Nothing if not potent!On the palate: A surprisingly delicate, smooth front fruit is the first note, bringing ripe red cherries to the front of your tongue. That is…

  • *** $ Jean-Luc Colombo Les Abeilles Cotes du Rhone, 2007, Cornas, Rhone, France - Wine Review and Rating

    jorray
    3 Nov 2009 | 3:31 pm
    By way of background: Jean-Luc Colombo Les Abeilles Cotes du Rhone, 2007, is from the increasingly-well-known Cornas-based winemaker and negociant, Jean-Luc Colombo. He is known for producing traditional French grapes with a bit more "new world" flair. "Les Abeilles" - meaning "bees" in French - is a blend of souther Rhone red grapes from quarter-century old vines. This year's blend is 50% grenache, 30% syrah and 20% mourvedre - what is often called a "CdR", a "Rhone blend" or sometimes "GSM".In the glass: Les Abeilles is deep magenta red in the glass. It moves to opaque only about a…

  • **** $ 2004 Finnegan's Lake "Fin" Cabernet Sauvignon, CA - Wine Review and Rating

    jorray
    2 Nov 2009 | 3:08 pm
    Original Review April 2007:This California-sourced cabernet is produced by Sherbrooke Cellars. Sherbrooke Cellars itself is an importer and distributor based in Scarsdale, New York.Sherbrooke Cellars represents over 20 estates. These span locations from Italy, France, Argentina, New Zealand tothe United States.Now, let's move on to the wine itself... To the eye, Finnegan's Lake Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004, is a classic, mahogany red. When swirled for air, deep, velvety shoe-polish aromas come bursting out of the glass, a bit reminiscent of the nose from Mollydooker's The Boxer - which was 100%…

  • Your Best Wine Values for Thanksgiving

    jorray
    1 Nov 2009 | 3:45 pm
    When thinking about the wines you'd like to choose for Thanksgiving dinner, there are a few conflicting thoughts. First, unlike the simplicity of pairing a clean white wine with fish dinner, or a muscular red with steak, you're often dealing with turkey as a focus. And turkey - sort of like salmon - falls in that gustatory category somewhere smack between fish and steak. Not the easiest wine place to be.Then, add to that, the fact that, if you're thinking about good VALUE wines to use for Thanksgiving, that you may well have guests to consider too. And, with guests, you likely are not hunting…
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    The Cork Board

  • Cork Bits: ideas for your Napa Valley weekend

    Oliver J
    5 Nov 2009 | 3:32 pm
    The month of November is chugging right along and before you know it, Thanksgiving will be upon us. In the meantime, there’s no shortage of events taking place in the valley this weekend. Here are a few worth checking out. Saturday, November 7th From 11:30am – 3:30pm Hewitt Vineyard will host a barrel tasting event that will allow you to sample the 2008 vintage, enjoy a pre-release tasting of the winery’s 2007s and check out a couple library selections. For $50 per person (wine club members are free for two), you’ll also be treated to ‘hearty’ appetizers…

  • Mumm Napa Winery to kick-off photography and lecture series starting 11/7

    TrevR
    3 Nov 2009 | 9:11 am
    Those of you regular readers will know we’re big photography fans, which is one of the reasons we’re excited about an upcoming series of photo exhibits that will take place at Mumm Napa Winery in Rutherford. Starting this Saturday, November 7th, from 10:30am – 11:30am, sparkling wine producer Mumm Napa will host a series of photo exhibits and lectures called, “Changing Earth: Photographer’s Call to Action” in conjunction with Ansel Adams and Blue Earth. The series will include photos from renowned photographers who document the reality of earth’s environmental…

  • Happy Halloween

    TrevR
    31 Oct 2009 | 9:02 am
    The final day of October is upon us, Happy Halloween all! Halloween Napa Valley-style: A jack-o-lantern shines in Oakville TechTags Plugin [ Napa | Napa Valley | wine | winery | Napa Halloween ] Share and Enjoy:

  • Cork Bits: ideas for your Napa Valley weekend

    Oliver J
    29 Oct 2009 | 8:39 pm
    The end of the week (and month) are nearly here. That can only mean one thing. Your weekly round-up of upcoming Napa Valley events, this one with a special Halloween focus, is here as well. Saturday, October 31st At 10am the 18th Annual AIDS Walk Napa Valley will take place on he grounds of the California Veterans Home in Yountville (starting at the Lincoln Theater). The walk will have the theme “Costumes for a Cure!” and there will be “treats” throughout the walk for the kids and kids at heart. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Care Network at Queen of the…

  • 2009 Napa Valley harvest: it’s a wrap

    TrevR
    28 Oct 2009 | 1:44 pm
    Our mid-week harvest update is here. Things have calmed down dramatically in most of the vineyards, with the majority of fruit already picked (or being picked as we write) and in the winery. Here’s the latest (and likely the last) formal update of the season from Smith-Madrone, Piña Napa Valley and Swanson Vineyards… Smith-Madrone Managing partner Stuart Smith provided a quick update from Spring Mountain, where activity is slowly winding down… Most of the wineries are taking advantage of the beautiful warm fall weather to finish harvesting this week, leaving only a very few…
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    Celebrate Wine

  • The Spanish Wines of Toro

    29 Oct 2009 | 7:51 pm
    © Rivard Mercury News had a feature recently on the growing popularity of wines from Spain's historic Toro region. Vines have been planted in Toro, about 100 miles northwest of Madrid, for hundreds of years and winemaking has been documented since the 1st century B.C. But the region was recognized as a Denominación de Origen only in 1987. The primary grape is a local version of tempranillo known as tinta de Toro, and many small, impossibly gnarled bush vines are quite old — some 100 years ...

  • Schwarzenegger Signs Bill to Liberalize California Wine Laws

    24 Oct 2009 | 2:38 pm
    © Donnaphoto Decanter.com is reporting on a change in California's wine laws that will allow wineries more freedom to market their products directly to the local public.Sponsored by the Wine Institute, the law will allow winemakers to sell their wines in licensed venues away from the winery. The bill will also allow customers to take home unfinished bottles. The change is highly significant for local winemakers, as more and more wineries are opening tasting rooms and winery-owned bars, particularly in cities. The new law, which goes ...

  • Seen that? - Woman Becomes Her Own Winery

    20 Oct 2009 | 6:18 pm
    Woman Becomes Her Own Winery at Celebrate Wine I can't tell you how many times I've fantasized about having my own winery. I've envisioned myself walking through my vineyard selecting the perfect grapes for my perfect wine. One woman is now living my ...

  • THe Portuguese Wine Revolution

    11 Oct 2009 | 9:25 am

  • Washington State's Wine Industry

    6 Oct 2009 | 7:58 pm
    Washington State has a much more complex set of wine regions than most consumers realize. Some 30 varieties of wine get pressed, fermented and bottled in the state. There are over 30,000 acres of vineyards in the state. There are over 600 wineries. Washington wine can be traced back to Italian immigrants in who began vineyards in the Walla Walla region of the state in the 1850's. But it was a century later that wine production really took off in the state. Now Washington ranks second ...
 
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    domaine547

  • Annual Hijinks: Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2009 Guessing Game

    d547
    16 Oct 2009 | 12:27 pm
    It’s nearly upon us…the countdown to the Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of the Year. For the third year in a row, I’ll be hosting a contest in which you’ll submit your guesses for the top ten that the Spectator will crown with honors. The first year, I asked you to post your guesses in [...]

  • Domaine LA Update: Chef Ludo and Krissy Stop By!

    d547
    7 Oct 2009 | 1:09 pm
    I’ll have a real blog post soon, but in the meantime I had a visit this morning from Chef Ludo Lefebvre and his better half Krissy (sorry, Ludo, no insult intended!).   According to tweets they apparently drank a stunning bottle of 2000 Chateau Pavie last night. Tonight they’ll be drinking the ‘98 Le Brun Servenay farmer [...]

  • The Doors Are Open!

    d547
    31 Aug 2009 | 3:16 pm
    I soft-opened the store this weekend, and will be here for more regular hours leading into Labor Day weekend. The shop has gotten some early press from the LA Weekly food blog “Squid Ink,” and despite the lack of signage on the building, there has been a nice flow of traffic through the doors.  Come in [...]

  • Soft Open?

    d547
    27 Aug 2009 | 9:36 pm
    Maybe on Friday, August 28th, 1-6PM. Maybe! 6801 Melrose Avenue, LA, CA 90038 I’ll delete this post if I call it off.

  • Wine Store Design Part 5: Lighting Installation

    d547
    16 Aug 2009 | 12:03 pm
    Way back when I posted a conceptual drawing of the store showing some pendant lampshades, as well as a reflected ceiling plan. Finally, the concept has been turned into reality, with the 48 custom light fixtures having been installed. Here are a few photos capturing the installation process and the finished product, along with a [...]
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    [Spittoon] Full Postings

  • Spar Gives Wine Speak Some Local Flavour

    5 Nov 2009 | 12:20 pm
    A slightly odd-ball marketing idea; a national supermarket chain implementing wine back labels in the local dialect. Nothing like demystifying the incomprehensible into the ununderstandable... or summat... The idea apparently is to find a "more palatable way of talking wine with its consumers". Spar has translated a number of its wines, adding various local dialects such as Scouse, Geordie and Scottish to its tasting notes. An example: Original translation: "A truly great Merlot which is ablaze with succulent blackcurrants and blueberries. This Merlot has legs like a thoroughbred, strong and…

  • European Wine Travel Guides Now Free To View

    4 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am
    News received during the weekends Wine Bloggers Conference in Lisbon - the Wine Travel Guides website has made its wealth of content free to view! Previously, the 50 guides to France, Italy and Spain were only available to paid annual subscribers, but now all website visitors can freely view the in-depth information to plan their own wine tours. Aimed at independent travellers who want to include a wine tour as part of their visit to Europe, the exclusive on-line guides include over 1,500 recommendations of wine producers to visit, places to stay, eat and shop, local attractions as well as…

  • Hardys Nottage Hill FreshCase

    27 Oct 2009 | 2:40 pm
    Regardless of what you think of the actual wine - Nottage Hill being one of the top selling brands in the UK and as such is rather looked down-upon - such large producers are often at the forefront of innovation and development. New Hardys Nottage Hill FreshCase is a stylish and convenient packaging innovation designed for lovers of quality wine that keeps fresh for up to six weeks after opening. Hardys Nottage Hill FreshCase is ideal for every day drinking and is a real treat. Indulge in a glass of high quality wine when you get in from work or enjoy after finner without feeling like you…

  • Video - Joe Wadsack Talks Port and Pinot Noir

    25 Oct 2009 | 6:27 am
    Received a little video this week where Joe Wadsack "talks Pinot Noir Epiphanies and how to pair hors d'oeuvres with your favourite tipple"; thought it was only nice to share... In this video, wine expert Joe Wadsack gives you tips on making the most out of Port (and not just for Christmas), the wines of the Burgundy region in France and the Douro Valley in Portugal. He'll also give advice to ensure you're trying true top-quality European foods that have the PDO official stamp. Watch Joe's video to find out how to have your own "Pinot Noir Epiphany" and the best way to serve and eat hors…

  • For Those Who Don't Tweet - Notes from the South African Mega Tasting

    19 Oct 2009 | 7:20 am
    For those who don't follow Spittoon on Twitter (via wine_scribbler) a recap on the twitter tasting notes sent during the South African Wine Mega Tasting. Held over two days last week the tasting is THE main showcase for the South African wine industry in the UK; noticed that many Europeans were also in attendance... With limited time the generic tables held the attention; sadly no selection of Blends (Jo, how about this next year?) Cape Blends or otherwise. Extra details given in brackets. Also restricted myself to the E and F price categories which equate for E to…
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    Snooth Blog

  • Sorting, Voting, and Sharing

    mark
    27 Oct 2009 | 3:22 pm
    This week we have a number of updates focussed on making Snooth more interactive and social. First off is a bit of functionality that users have been asking about for a while. When you’re browsing the prices for a wine, you can now sort the merchants by featured status, name, price and even bottle size. We’re excited to continue helping people find better prices for wine, and this should make it even easier to do just that. In 2009 Snooth spent a lot of time working with food and wine. In partnership with Epicurious.com and MyRecipes.com we were able to bring you recipe pairings…

  • Amazon quits the wine industry

    philip
    23 Oct 2009 | 4:35 pm
    Today marks a sad day for the wine industry: Amazon Wine, yet to launch, may now never see the light of day. I’m sure many retailers, wholesalers and even some wineries are breathing a collective sigh of relief at this news, for Amazon, with its history of pricing, service and operations, threatened many a wine business. For you and I, as wine consumers, this is bad news. Its also bad news for Snooth, as a company that is fighting the good fight to help demystify the arcane and convoluted world of wine. While Amazon may have ultimately become a competitor of Snooth, they stood the best…

  • Spam and Delete

    mark
    13 Oct 2009 | 4:30 pm
    Spam, spam, spam! When we first started building Snooth, there were only a few stalwarts here using the site, adding content and reviews and browsing the forum. (To be completely fair, the forum didn’t even exist back then.) Unfortunately, one of the prices of growing a community these days is fighting the war against spam. A while ago, spammers started to create accounts on the site and would message 10-20 users before abandoning their accounts. You, the users of Snooth, would have no recourse other than to write to us, and we would delete the user, but we always knew we could do…

  • Snooth’s A-Z Wine Pairings Featured on Yahoo! Front Page

    AdamL
    29 Sep 2009 | 12:00 pm
    Hand built algorithm highlighted as featured application on popular start page New York, NY (September 29, 2009) — Snooth, the world’s largest wine site, today announced that its popular A-Z Wine Pairings application will now be featured on the front page of Yahoo! Users can peruse thousands of recipes from leading publications such as Food & Wine, Cooking Light, Real Simple and Health, among others, and get automatically generated wine pairings based on each individual dish. The app highlights the most popular recipes, pairings, and wines of the day, with links to purchase the…

  • What to Expect

    mark
    23 Sep 2009 | 11:45 am
    This week we’ve got a few exciting updates on the site. The first, and highest in profile, is a new section on our wine profile pages. As I continue to grow with my knowledge of wine, I find it’s very helpful to talk to someone who is further along in their journey. It is helpful to localize what I’m experiencing to hear someone else describe what they’ve grown to know. On many of our wine profiles, you’ll now see a section that does just that. It tells you what to expect when you’re tasting the wine. I’m excited to use this to get a hint about what I…
 
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    Beyond the Bottle

  • Kung Fu Girl 2008 Riesling Washington State

    Thad W.
    5 Nov 2009 | 9:24 pm
    At $12, the Kung Fu Girl 2008 Riesling Washington State (12.5%) offers a terrific quality-to-price ratio. In the glass, this Washington riesling was a clear, light straw color, delivering notes of pineapple, citrus, honeysuckle and then a bit of Bazooka bubble gum (no kidding). In the mouth, the Kung Fu Girl riesling has a fullness to it, but not viscous or cloying. The floral, honey characteristics are first evident, followed by well-balanced, crisp acidity, and then a lasting finish that seemed to bring all of these disparate pieces back together. We enjoyed this wine on its own before…

  • Brick House 2007 Cuvee du Tonnelier Pinot Noir

    Thad W.
    5 Nov 2009 | 8:54 pm
    Plain and simple, the Brick House 2007 Cuvée du Tonnelier Pinot Noir Ribbon Ridge (13.4%) is a terrific wine. In the glass, this Oregon pinot noir was a light, cloudy ruby red offering spice, then strawberry and raspberry, followed by wet earth on the nose. In the mouth, the Brick House Cuvée du Tonnelier delivered terrific red berry fruit flavors, great acidity, and a long delicious finish. A myriad of flavors continued to be discovered as this wonderful wine evolved in the glass. We paired it with two hearty soups, a white bean chicken and a black bean chili. This...

  • Paul Gregutt makes a case for Oregon riesling

    Thad W.
    1 Nov 2009 | 8:32 pm
    In today's Pacific Northwest magazine, Paul Gregutt offers recommendations for three mixed cases of wine, one of which is comprised of rieslings from Washington and Oregon. It appears Gregutt has developed a certain fondness for Oregon riesling just as I have over the past year. Here is an excerpt from Gregutt's introduction to his mixed case of Pacific Northwest riesling: Washington has reclaimed riesling as a signature grape, but it also thrives up and down the coast. These days, I am especially fond of Oregon rieslings, which are widely available at winery tasting rooms, but not always…

  • Willamette Valley Vineyards 2007 Dry Riesling WV

    Thad W.
    1 Nov 2009 | 8:12 pm
    Full Disclosure: This wine was provided as a free sample from the producer. In the glass, the Willamette Valley Vineyards 2007 Dry Riesling Willamette Valley (11%) was a clear, light gold color, offering notes of petrol, honeysuckle, strong minerality, especially wet stone. In the mouth, the WWV riesling delivered bright acidity creating a crisp, clean texture wrapped with delicious fruit flavors leading to a pleasingly long finish. We drank this wine first on its own and then alongside a salad, which was comprised of green leaf lettuce, thinly sliced Washington honeycrisp apples, red grapes,…

  • Arcane Cellars 2008 Riesling Willamette Valley

    Thad W.
    1 Nov 2009 | 7:52 pm
    In the glass, the Arcane Cellars 2008 Riesling Wheatland Estate WV (11.5%) was a clear, light yellow straw color, delivering signature petrol as well as floral and mineral aromas to the nose. I really liked the crisp acidity combined with the off-dry finish, all surrounded by delicious fruit and mineral flavors. We enjoyed this Oregon riesling with Tuscan white bean soup, which had a nice spicy kick to it. The Arcane Cellars '08 riesling was a delicious compliment to our meal. At $15, this is a wine worth buying several bottles to enjoy with any type of spicy food or...
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    Good Wine Under $20

  • Thanksgiving Wine Under $20: My Picks for 2009

    4 Nov 2009 | 5:30 am
    It's that time of year again, when people take to their computers in search of Thanksgiving wine recommendations. (vintage Thanksgiving image from an 1894 cover of Harper's Bazaar)This is my fourth roundup of wines on GWU$20 that I think will pair beautifully with your turkey dinner--and they're all under $20. Whether you prefer sparkling, rosé , white, or red wine, I'm sure there's something here that will suit your palate and your budget. And I made sure that you could still get the wine I've listed below. We're all too busy to hunt out wine that's no longer available in the market!If you…

  • Vinho Verde--Just Because

    2 Nov 2009 | 5:30 am
    Just because it's Monday...Just because you got paid this weekend...Just because you feel like fish tacos for dinner...Just because you have some roasted cashews or almonds...Just because you're trying to stay out of your kid's candy stash...Vinho Verde.It's not profound. It's not prestigious. It's not something you see on every restaurant wine list.But it is perfect for those "just because" days when you have no plans, nothing much to celebrate, and want to drink an interesting wine anyway.Try this one on for size: the 2008 Trajarinho Vinho Verde ($9.99, domaineLA; $8-$10 elsewhere) It's…

  • Today on Serious Grape: Wine Survival Strategy for the Holidays

    1 Nov 2009 | 5:30 am
    As 12:01 AM today, it is officially that festive time of year known as "the holidays." It is a time of joy, of family celebrations, gift-giving, and--hysteria.Before you hit the panic button, go out now and get yourself a mixed case of wine so that you've got bottles on hand for emergencies that include: we have nothing in the house for dinner, two people just stopped by with pumpkin bread, and extreme mall fatigue. (photo by dumbledad)This week on Serious Grape I've got a shopping list for a mixed case of wine that will help you cope with most holiday emergencies. Head over and check it out,…

  • Gemischter Satz--It's Austrian for Delicious

    28 Oct 2009 | 5:30 am
    If you hear "Gemischter Satz" You may be tempted to say "God Bless You!"But the appropriate answer is "They're delicious, aren't they?"Gemischter Satz are special wines from Austria's capital city of Vienna. Made from a blend of white grapes that are grown together in the field, then picked and fermented at the same time, there was a point not too long ago when the mania for "single varietal" bottlings threatened this age-old tradition of Austrian field blends. Happily, the tradition was maintained, the grapes remained planted in gloriously mixed vineyards of Gruner Veltliner, Weissburgunder,…

  • The Red Wines of Calabria: Fruity, Funky, and Fabulously Affordable

    26 Oct 2009 | 5:30 am
    This month I've been getting to know the red wines of Calabria--and they've surprised me. When I mentioned Calabrian wine to most people--even Calabrians!--they scoffed at the quality of wine produced in this region of Italy. But I liked the rusty funkiness, the fruitiness, and the great value that I found in the wines I tasted. And though these wines came from southern Italy, they reminded me of French wines from Burgundy and the Beaujolais.Take the 2004 Vintripodi Arghillà ($19.99, Wine Expo) This wine, a blend of Nerello Calabrese and Alicante, has the certain funky pungency that is…
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    Family, Love, Wine Blog

  • Chris Brogan: “Ways to Be Human From a Distance”

    Melissa Dobson
    6 Nov 2009 | 9:24 am
    Photo provided by Wendy Piersall (@eMom) http://www.flickr.com/photos/wendypiersall/ / CC BY 2.0 Do you ever read a blog post and want to shout out loud, “Yes, exactly-what he just said!” while you eagerly devour each word to the finish? That’s how I felt, although I didn’t shout it aloud, when reading a post titled, “Ways to Be Human at a Distance” by Chris Brogan, Community and Social Media thought-leader and co-author of New York Times Bestseller “Trust Agents.” Like many of you, I’m challenged every day to keep in touch and up-to-speed…

  • Seneca Lake Wine Touring on a Beautiful Fall Day

    Melissa Dobson
    5 Nov 2009 | 3:51 pm
    Cynthia, Janelle and I at Red Tail Ridge Winery It’s not often that I have the opportunity to have a “girls weekend” like I used to before I met Rich, and I definitely miss my girl time.  (Don’t worry, Rich is well aware of this and was brave enough to offer not only to host my friends for the weekend, but also to drive us for our wine tour on Saturday  ) It really is a blast to get together and explore the beauty of the region along with the wines and especially to see who likes and dislikes each of the wines we taste together.  The only things I knew about my…

  • Social Media Quick Tip: Post Quality Content on Twitter

    Melissa Dobson
    19 Oct 2009 | 7:23 am
    photo courtesy of Heron Hill Winery If you’re a winery public relations and marketing person or owner who wears this hat, your head may be swirling with questions about how social interactions on platforms such as Twitter and Facebook are changing the way we “pitch” bloggers and writers and land coverage.  I know that it’s at the top of my list of things to pay attention to and I’ll continue to share what I discover with you here. This social media quick tip demonstrates a very simple example of how a local winery’s public relations person posted content…

  • Interview: Facebook’s Andrew Bosworth Talks Facebook for Wine Businesses

    Melissa Dobson
    9 Oct 2009 | 4:49 am
    Video Source: WITS YouTube Channel Here’s a video interview from the Wine Industry Technology Summit earlier this year that addresses some basics of how Facebook can help wineries differentiate their brands.  There’s also some discussion around privacy settings, content appropriate for personal profiles vs. business fan pages. Key takeaways: Emphasis on the importance of telling a story Engage with your customers It’s not enough to have a good wine product, how will you differentiate your wine? Find the stories that consumers can latch onto Your ability to communicate with…

  • Winery Visits: Rooster Hill Vineyards, Keuka Spring Vineyards

    Melissa Dobson
    6 Oct 2009 | 7:44 am
    On a recent fall weekend, Rich and I spent a couple of nights in modest digs on Keuka Lake with great friends of ours.  The house is on the Northwest side of the lake and featured access to a large deck poised above a bluff overlooking the lake.  The weather was quite chilly and windy but we bundled up and made the most of our short time there. Our friends hadn’t been to the wineries here in the Finger Lakes before and we were eager to have them experience wine tastings in a relaxed and un-rushed manner.  After a big breakfast, we headed out to our first stop and a favorite winery of…
 
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    Enobytes Wine Blog

  • October 2009 Monthly Wine Picks

    enobytes
    28 Oct 2009 | 12:01 am
    October 2009 Wine Picks 2007 James David Muscat Blanc, Central Coast, CA 2005 Dominio de Tares Mencia, Castilla y León, Spain 2007 Fulcrum Wines Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley, CA 2007 Domaine Jean Bousquet Malbec Finca Lalande, Mendoza, Argentina

  • Writers, Reviewers and Social Media

    Marc Hinton
    27 Oct 2009 | 6:32 pm
    There is an undertow reverberating through the wine blogosphere lately about the importance of the difference between wine reviewers and wine writers. I may have an opinion that illuminates a bit of the puzzle and defines the difference.  I would like to delineate the specific properties in the intellectual inventory of individuals that resemble that remark on my latest post on Wine Bytes,  my wine blog on OregonLive. Check it out for another good read and be sure to give me your two cents on the matter.

  • Saveur Magazine Lists Enobytes as “Best of the Web”

    enobytes
    21 Oct 2009 | 12:01 am
    As seasoned home cooks await for magazines like Gourmet and Bon Appetite to hit the newstands, professionals and die-hard enthusiasts’ wait (like addicts) for the next Saveur to hit their desk (and for obvious reasons). Since 1994, the magazine continuously pushes the envelope to pack every issue with the passion and expression of cutting-edge innovations, culinary styles and techniques, which measure to a quality others languish to obtain — and when a publication like Saveur Magazine names you as a “Best of the Web”, well, that’s some news worth celebrating. In…

  • Vote for your favorite Comeback

    enobytes
    5 Oct 2009 | 12:01 am
    Last week we asked our readers to give us their best comebacks to some of the wackiest wine search terms. Selecting five finalists from a list of roughly sixty comebacks was a tough job so we decided to select nine and let you decide who reigns supreme! Which comeback deserves recognition as our Senior Enophile Comeback Artist? Pick your favorite by Friday, October 9. The top five finalists will win a prize and we’ll announce the winners on Saturday. CLICK HERE TO VOTE! >>> Which comeback deserves recognition as our Senior Enophile Comeback Artist? (polls)

  • September Monthly Wine Picks

    enobytes
    29 Sep 2009 | 7:42 pm
    September 2009 Wine Picks 2006 Clif Bar Family "The Climber" Red Wine, North Coast, CA 2005 Chanson Père et Fils Chardonnay, Burgundy, France 2007 Bodegas Olivares Monastrell, Jumilla, Murcia, Spain 2005 Domini de la Cartoixa Galena Priorat, Spain
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    winehiker witiculture

  • Caroline: a dark poem for a darkling season

    winehiker
    20 Oct 2009 | 4:06 pm
    When the light of Summer fades, the heart can grow restless - and Love, like the lengthening nights of Autumn, can drift despairingly into shadows. Caroline The wind that whips The cold that bites On chilly North Dakota nights Urges me on My spirit warms As I know I’ll soon be in your arms You tease my heart You fill my mind I crave your tender love so kind Yet struggle on The driving sleet Drains me for I am incomplete I know it’s true A man it seems Had preyed upon your thoughts and dreams I knew that I Must see this man My true intentions not so grand I found him soon His eyes…

  • Links for 2009-09-09 [del.icio.us]

    10 Sep 2009 | 12:00 am
    Flickr Photo: Romp thru the Redwoods

  • Rue Saint Jacques San Francisco

    winehiker
    9 Sep 2009 | 9:22 pm
    via vids.localwineevents.com From Video Juice: Jazzy. Gustatory. Sensational. Destination. Posted via web from winehiker’s posterous

  • Flickr Photo: Romp thru the Redwoods

    winehiker
    8 Sep 2009 | 1:24 pm
    via flickr.com Happy winehikers, cavorting along a woodsy path on a late-September morning. These folks joined me last year; would you like to join me this year? If so, you’ll find all the details on my Romp through the Redwoods page. ~winehiker Posted via web from winehiker’s posterous

  • Links for 2009-09-07 [del.icio.us]

    8 Sep 2009 | 12:00 am
    A shadow draws near
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    The Cork Board

  • Cork Bits: ideas for your Napa Valley weekend

    Oliver J
    5 Nov 2009 | 3:32 pm
    The month of November is chugging right along and before you know it, Thanksgiving will be upon us. In the meantime, there’s no shortage of events taking place in the valley this weekend. Here are a few worth checking out. Saturday, November 7th From 11:30am – 3:30pm Hewitt Vineyard will host a barrel tasting event that will allow you to sample the 2008 vintage, enjoy a pre-release tasting of the winery’s 2007s and check out a couple library selections. For $50 per person (wine club members are free for two), you’ll also be treated to ‘hearty’ appetizers…

  • Mumm Napa Winery to kick-off photography and lecture series starting 11/7

    TrevR
    3 Nov 2009 | 9:11 am
    Those of you regular readers will know we’re big photography fans, which is one of the reasons we’re excited about an upcoming series of photo exhibits that will take place at Mumm Napa Winery in Rutherford. Starting this Saturday, November 7th, from 10:30am – 11:30am, sparkling wine producer Mumm Napa will host a series of photo exhibits and lectures called, “Changing Earth: Photographer’s Call to Action” in conjunction with Ansel Adams and Blue Earth. The series will include photos from renowned photographers who document the reality of earth’s environmental…

  • Happy Halloween

    TrevR
    31 Oct 2009 | 9:02 am
    The final day of October is upon us, Happy Halloween all! Halloween Napa Valley-style: A jack-o-lantern shines in Oakville TechTags Plugin [ Napa | Napa Valley | wine | winery | Napa Halloween ] Share and Enjoy:

  • Cork Bits: ideas for your Napa Valley weekend

    Oliver J
    29 Oct 2009 | 8:39 pm
    The end of the week (and month) are nearly here. That can only mean one thing. Your weekly round-up of upcoming Napa Valley events, this one with a special Halloween focus, is here as well. Saturday, October 31st At 10am the 18th Annual AIDS Walk Napa Valley will take place on he grounds of the California Veterans Home in Yountville (starting at the Lincoln Theater). The walk will have the theme “Costumes for a Cure!” and there will be “treats” throughout the walk for the kids and kids at heart. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Care Network at Queen of the…

  • 2009 Napa Valley harvest: it’s a wrap

    TrevR
    28 Oct 2009 | 1:44 pm
    Our mid-week harvest update is here. Things have calmed down dramatically in most of the vineyards, with the majority of fruit already picked (or being picked as we write) and in the winery. Here’s the latest (and likely the last) formal update of the season from Smith-Madrone, Piña Napa Valley and Swanson Vineyards… Smith-Madrone Managing partner Stuart Smith provided a quick update from Spring Mountain, where activity is slowly winding down… Most of the wineries are taking advantage of the beautiful warm fall weather to finish harvesting this week, leaving only a very few…
 
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    Confessions of a Wino

  • Exhibition Pauillac – from veg to meat

    Alastair Bathgate
    3 Nov 2009 | 2:03 pm
    At £17.50, this must one of the bargains of the whole wine world.  The catch is that you have to be a member of the Wine Society.  But don’t worry, they let anyone in these days.  You don’t need to roll up one trouser leg and hop through the door like when I joined.  No entrance exam, you don’t need to know anything about wine.  You can even have an empty bank account, as it is one of the best value (only budgies go cheap) wine retailers in the UK. With its rich history and extensive storage, frequent offers of interesting, old, and remarkably priced wines regularly…

  • Esporão Reserva 2007

    Alastair Bathgate
    2 Nov 2009 | 2:52 pm
    I’ve just returned from EWBC in Lisbon with a newfound passion for Portuguese wine.  The whites impressed me most, even though they represented a mere champagne flute to the magnum of reds on display. Esporão Reserva 2007 was a leftover bottle of tinto that found its way into my luggage by means not requiring wallet surgery – I can reveal no more than that. Having spent a weekend sucking on bitter, tannic, raspberry flavoured tea bags by the bakers’ dozen that made my cheeks feel like Marlon Brando in The Godfather, it was a strange choice to open an Alentejo red on my…

  • EWBC 2009

    Alastair Bathgate
    31 Oct 2009 | 2:24 am
    I am in Lisbon for the European Wine Bloggers Conference and there are a few missing faces from last year which is a shame.  The Italians are notable absentees, for example.  However, the event is at least twice the size of last year’s and superbly well organised by Ryan and Gabi Opaz and Robert McIntosh. If you are sad enough to want live updates you can follow me on Twitter at @tiptoptaps. If you are even sadder and want to see everyone at the conference tweeting on exactly the same event every other second, follow the hashtag #EWBC.

  • Rouquette sur Mer 2007 La Clape

    Alastair Bathgate
    27 Oct 2009 | 11:29 am
    Sounding a tad venereal, La Clape came to me via a “South by South West” mixed case from the Wine Society.  Like all retailers who think we are firmly in a W shaped recession (as I do), the Wine Society is looking for wines at the cheaper end of the spectrum on the grounds that people are much more likely to drink cheaper than drink less. In the UK, we are currently cushioned by a low purchase tax (VAT) rate and super low interest rates.  I took a mortgage out on my flat in 2007 (last of the summer booms) at a capped rate of 0.6 over base.  That means that since then, my actual…

  • Bangkok House, Restaurant Row, NYC

    Alastair Bathgate
    20 Oct 2009 | 12:42 pm
    An open top “Tommy the tourist” bus in New York is indisputably the best place to learn about New York culture.  Well, if you believe the tour guides (and assuming that you tip them enough).  I learnt that if you want to eat cheaply in NYC there are two options:  McDonalds, or Restaurant Row on W46th St between 8th and 9th. Bangkok House is not McDonalds, but it certainly isn’t expensive either. Let’s start with the wine.  Hogue Johannisberg Riesling, 2007, Washington. White honey, lychees and a touch of peach. Slightly sweet and a perfect match for Thai food. …
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    Smells Like Grape

  • Bring Back Summer

    16 Oct 2009 | 7:00 pm
    I heard there is already snow on the ground not thirty miles from here! *gag* I'm not ready for another long winter. With luck, I think we can still squeeze out a few days of New England autumny goodness before winter sets in. Enter Truro Vineyards Reserve Chardonnay.We probably wouldn't have been able to procure this bottle from the 2007 vintage if it hadn't been a sample since Truro has been sold out for some time. I do wish we could have gone in person last summer to sample the wines and I'm sure we will some day. I think wine always tastes better at the winery, and I don't mean that in…

  • A good Pinot under $10? Hellz ya.

    5 Oct 2009 | 6:12 pm
    That's right folks, this is the best Pinot Noir under $10 that I can remember having. Of course it's French (the best source for food-friendly Pinot IMHO), and also of course a Vin de Pays. This is seriously good fall food wine: Dynamite with beef stew or butternut squash lasagna. Not sure if you can tell from the picture, but the bottle is empty...yeah so...don't really have much in the way of tasting notes for you other than that it tastes like Pinot: Nice bright fruit on the attack with lots of subtle beef-stew-complimenting cocoa and spice in a mellow yet undulating finish. We never buy…

  • $10 Tuesday: Go-to Garnacha

    3 Aug 2009 | 3:54 pm
    Here is another damn fine under ten dollar wine from Bodegas Borsao (Campo de Borja D.O.). We paid $8 but, I've seen it for as low as six and change.The 2007 vintage is all about the blackberry: A hint of tobacco and stewed cinnamon stick and blackberry, blackberry, blackberry. It's super fruity but still shows best when paired with bold spicy dishes with lots of garlic. Great pizza wine!This is my new favorite go-to eight dollar red!

  • The Spirit of Cape Ann, Ryan and Wood Distillieries

    27 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am
    My good friend Joey is the driving force behind the community blog Good Morning Gloucester. Joey has a lot of love for Gloucester and the small businesses of Cape Ann and is quick to promote others. Recently, he did a series of interviews at Ryan and Wood, Inc. Distilleries. The interviews give you a sense of how a distillery is set up, the fermentation process, and how the stills work. I hope you enjoy these.Part IPart IIPart IIIPart IV

  • A Quest to Quench: Beer vs. Wine

    26 Jul 2009 | 11:03 am
    Enduring Wine/Beer Stereotypes:Wine = swirl; sip; savorBeer = gulp; knock back; downNot having any Sapporo or the like in the house this afternoon to pair with our seared tuna on soba with dashi broth and seaweed salad, we opted to open a bottle of white. Oops, the ignominious discovery is made that we have only two chilled bottles to choose from: A kick-ass value Chenin Blanc or an Italian Riesling. So, wanting to reserve the Chenin for more serious consideration, I opened the Riesling.This was one of those wines where, upon initial sampling, one's first thought is that this 56 degree wine…
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    wineconversation.com

  • European Wine Bloggers Conference review

    robert
    4 Nov 2009 | 4:23 pm
    EWBC Petrol Art It is too early to really be able to take it all in, but I am back from Lisbon and the European Wine Bloggers Conference (EWBC) 2009. The conference this year was about 3 times the size of last year’s event, with around 120 bloggers and a great number of producers and other wine businesses there to support the event and promote their wines. That is a big change in a year, and makes me wonder about next year. I have so many things in my head that writing one post seemed incredibly hard, so I thought I’d kick it off with a brief summary and a few notes of thanks to…

  • Off to Lisbon for #EWBC

    robert
    28 Oct 2009 | 4:35 pm
    Yes, you will see that ‘code’ a lot over the next few days. #EWBC is the twitter tag for all content related to the European Wine Bloggers Conference which takes place this weekend in Lisbon. If you need to know more about it at this stage, head over to the European Wine Bloggers site. I will be up at 4am, in a tax before 5am and flying at around 7am, so I doubt I’ll be fully functioning tomorrow, but hope to be better rested for the event kicking off on Friday. However, you can still reach me on twitter (@thirstforwine) and via email (thirstforwine AT Google’s Mail…

  • The Wine Show Merry-go-round

    robert
    23 Oct 2009 | 3:37 am
    It is a really busy time, and a great time to taste wine. Today, and for this weekend, I will be at The Wine Show in the Business Design Centre in London showing off some of the wines I represent in the UK on the Wines from Spain stand (come over to say hello), but also speaking to other exhibitors about what they are doing to reach wine consumers, and about their innovations. Then it is the turn of the European Wine Bloggers’ Conference taking place in Lisbon from the 30th of October to the 1st of November 2009. There are already 117 confirmed participant bloggers from across Europe…

  • Honest about being Craggy

    robert
    20 Oct 2009 | 2:45 am
    I was lucky enough to be invited to a tasting of prestige wines held at the marvellous Corrigans restaurant (I was too busy enjoying the food to remember to take any photos, sorry). Craggy Range Tasting The occasion was a tasting of recent vintages of Craggy Range, one of the exponents of really top class wines from unique terroirs from the new world, in this case New Zealand. Whilst many wine drinkers might think that the concept of single vineyard, terroir-driven wines might be the preserve of the ‘old’ world, this is really not the case. I am seeing more and more of this style…

  • Are you a wine gamer?

    robert
    19 Oct 2009 | 2:15 am
    I found out, through twitter, about a new wine related game in the style of Sim City called “Wine Tycoon” Wine Tycoon claims you can: Create the vineyard of your dreams in 10 of the most important wine regions of France. Commanding operations from your very own French chateau, build your winery, plant and tend your vines through all four seasons of the year, and hire staff to harvest and process your grapes. That part sounds like it could be interesting if it adds a business dimension (who knows, it might train a generation of French winemakers to think about the value of…
 
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    Vino Sense

  • A Gadget To Age Your Wine Quickly

    Roberto Viernes
    4 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am
    During a wine tasting, one of my guests asked me about the equipment that supposedly ages the wine for you in a short period of time. You know, that little hot plate-looking device that you can program to age your wine quickly. It claims to age your wine for a number of years in a matter of minutes. He asked me if I thought that they worked.

  • Unmasking A Wine’s True Character

    Roberto Viernes
    28 Oct 2009 | 3:00 am
    It’s Halloween time. Do you have your costume figured out? Are you going to be a ghoul or a fool, a fairy or furry? For many, it’s fun to dress up and be something or someone else for a night. Some let go of their inhibitions (in good and bad ways). Costuming can be fun and outrageous, and even spooky.

  • The Unglamorous Side Of A Sommelier

    Roberto Viernes
    21 Oct 2009 | 3:00 am
    Have you hugged your sommelier today? Sommeliers are those rare (especially in Hawaii) stewards who put together the wine program and serve you the wines in a restaurant. These ladies and gentlemen have to be quite passionate about wine because, as a sommelier in a restaurant (and I speak from experience), you are not the highest-paid person.

  • Wines To Match Your Many Moods

    Roberto Viernes
    14 Oct 2009 | 3:00 am
    I often ask people what they like to drink. Many say it depends on what they are eating. OK, that’s a good thing. Some say it depends on who they are with. That’s OK too. (I wonder what they serve their in-laws?)

  • The ‘Others’ Offer Great Food Pairings

    Roberto Viernes
    7 Oct 2009 | 3:00 am
    C&K sing, “I am the other man, yes I am the other man.” Sometimes I think I am the “other” man, too - no, not in the sense of relationships, but my drinking habits.
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    Woot Wine! - One Week, One Wine

  • French Salt Trio Collection with Glass Tray - $29.99

    5 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm
    Bringing secret family shame to light, one spice at a timeHey, Dad. NO, NO, don’t tell Mom I’m calling. It’s best if she doesn’t know. We need to talk, just you and I.You know how we get together every Thursday night and have dinner? No, we’re not canceling. We really do look forward to seeing you guys every week. It’s something else. You know how the dog has been getting a little rounder lately? That’s my fault. Well, mine and Carol’s fault, really. We’ve been feeding him under the table a lot and… Look, I’m just going to come right out and say it, Pop. Mom’s cooking…

  • Meridian Red - Four Pack

    3 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm
    Some Velvet Morning Like some forgotten Lee Hazlewood/Nancy Sinatra album, this two pack of wine is a union of flavors you thought would never meet. Leather and lace. Crimson and clover. The cross and the switchblade. Some things just seem like they’ll never fit each other, but then, as though by magic, do. That’s what we learned from these two very special limited edition Meridian wines. You never know what beautiful surprise might come from an unexpected place. Located in Paso Robles, halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, Meridian has built a reputation producing a quality, yet…

  • St. Supery Vineyards Élu - Three Pack

    1 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm
    It’s A Wine Élu OutbreakBe Prepa-RedEvery time we turn on the TV, all we hear about is pandemics, financial collapse, and how apparently in 2016 all our favorite tourist attractions are going to get flooded, earthquaked, or tidal waved. (Wait, tidal woven? Whatever.) It’s hard to figure out how to just go about your life when you never know if this is the day you’re going to get an aircraft carrier dropped on you. It turns out you don’t even have to be near the ocean for that to happen; we’ve seen the footage. What, are we supposed to fill sandbags? Buy Euros? Clean out the Y2K…

  • Marley Coffee 5 Pack with Ziggy Marley CD

    29 Oct 2009 | 10:00 pm
    Brew Up, Stand Up“Sir, please step out of the vehicle and look in the trunk, here. You mind telling me what’s in all these bags?”“The ones with the Rasta lions printed on them? That’s just some itally-grown organic coffee from Marley Coffee, the company founded by Bob Marley’s son Rohan Marley and Shane Whittle to continue Bob Marley’s legacy with ethically-grown, great-tasting coffee.” “Coffee? You sure that’s all?” “I’d brew you a cup and let you see for yourself, if I hadn’t left my percolator in my other jacket. I wish I could, too, because this Mystic Morning…

  • Cypress Grove Fresh Chevre - 6 Pack Sampler

    28 Oct 2009 | 12:32 pm
    And We Don’t Eat Tin Cans, EitherHi, everybody. I’m a goat. And I’m here to plead for an end to the unkind and sometimes vicious stereotypes that you hold about my peop- uh, I mean, my fellow goats.I just don’t see what we ever did to provoke this abuse. We chew our cud and pay our taxes like any other barnyard animal. But when you need some unholy beast to embody Satan, suddenly it’s our hooves trampling the souls of the damned. We goats certainly don’t have a barnyard monopoly on pungent aromatics, but you never hear somebody described as “stinking like a horse.” When some…
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    1 Wine Dude

  • Weekly Twitter Wine Mini-Reviews Round-up for 2009-11-07

    1WineDude
    7 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    07 Scloss Reinhartshausen Fountain Blue Riesling (Rheingau): ABCs of the region – Austere, Balanced, & Critical mass of apricot goodness # 07 Scloss Reinhartshausen Old Vines Riesling (Rheingau): Victorian-statue austere. White peach & pineapple demand that u kiss their rings! # 07 Schloss Reinhartshausen Erbach Erstes Gewachs Riesling (Rheingau): Peach, tropical fruit & enough booze to rock your T-Day turkey feast. # 07 Schloss Reinhartshausen Erbacher Marcobrunn Auslese (Rheingau): Drop dried apricots in a vat of local honey. Now, serve it in heaven. # 06 Josh Cellars…

  • Change Agents: More Wines You (Probably) Can’t Have

    1WineDude
    5 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    Today, we’re going to talk about more wines that you (probably) can’t get your wine-lovin’ hands on.  And I know that you want to hear about them, because you told me so. I’m going to start by saying that I wasn’t totally blown away by these wines (received as samples), but I love, love the concept behind them.  I also love that their website includes streaming reggae music, and liberal use of the word “surfeit .”  But, as will come as no surprise to frequent 1WineDude.com readers, I digress… The first, and the more impressive, of the wines hails from the sandy loam…

  • CNBC.com’s Wines For the Holidays

    1WineDude
    4 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    CNBC.com has updated their annual expert recommendations on wines for the holidays – and this year, there are a few interesting parties among the panel of wine smarties contributing their wine picks for your 2009 fourth quarter celebratory dining table. Like me, for instance. I know what you’re thinking.  How the hell did YOU get on the same list as Jancis Robinson?!?? I had the same reaction, my friends! I’m in great, great company on this one, with quite a few fellow bloggers gracing the CNBC.com lineup, most of whom I’m happy and proud to call friends of the Dude: Paul Mabray…

  • Carmenere: The Great Lost Grape of Bordeaux Gets A Troubled Chilean Makeover

    1WineDude
    2 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    This week just might mark a seminal event in my personal wine journey.  Either that, or a huge, disappointing wine bust served up on a bed of bell pepper and pine needles. On November 4th, I’ll be taking part with a small group of bloggers in an on-line tasting event with Wines of Chile, the theme of which is “Discover Carmenere: The Lost Grape.”  Why is this a boom-or-bust wine moment for me?  Because I have what I would call a troubled relationship with Carmenere. Of course, I love the idea of this grape, the story of Carmenere – it’s the stuff of which wine legends are made.

  • Weekly Twitter Wine Mini-Reviews Round-up for 2009-10-31

    1WineDude
    31 Oct 2009 | 1:00 am
    07 Agur Kessem (Judean Hills): Dark red fruits abound in this kosher Bord'x belnd, but the PV comes off harsher than the dessert sands. # 07 Leitz Dragonstone Riesling (Rheingau): Big on fruit, flowers & RS, low in alcohol. Is this really from the Rheingau? Could've fooled me. # 05 Chaddsford Due Rossi (PA): A game of hide and seek. As in, you want to seek out the bright red fruit, but it's hiding behind some smoke. # 08 Chaddsford Proprietor's Reserve Red (PA): Could be aptly renamed 'Strawberry Fields Forever'. Except that they'd probably get sued… # 08…
 
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    BerlinKitchen

  • Pumpkinsoup

    7 Nov 2009 | 2:59 am
    1kg Hokkaido-Pumpkin350g carrots1l vegetable/chicken brothfresh ginger5-7 crushed allspice100g creamscallopsPreparation/Zubereitung1kg Hokkaido Kürbis350g Karotten1l Gemüse/Hühner Brühefrischer Ingwer5-7 Piment100g SahneJakobsmuscheln

  • Keller Niersteiner Pettenthal

    6 Nov 2009 | 1:23 am
    Neue KELLER Parzelle Niersteiner „Pettenthal“New KELLER parcel Niersteiner „Pettenthal“ (Photo: Jesper Hartmann)

  • 1992 Jos. Christoffel jr. Auslese

    5 Nov 2009 | 12:31 am
    Tankstelle läßt grüßen! Herrliche Petrol-Noten und immer noch so frisch&lebendig am Gaumen. Ach, das kann nur Riesling. Klassiche Würze vom Schiefer, dazu noch saftige kandierte Früchte und ein phänomenaler Trinkfluss. Eine zweite Flasche sollte auf jeden Fall bereitstehen. Und was für eine Leichtigkeit des Seins mit 7,5%. BRAVOBottled petrol-station. Lovely petrol notes and such fresh&vivid on the palate. No doubt, Riesling is the Queen. Classic spice from the slate, lush candied fruits and offers a sensational drinking pleasure. No doubt, a second bottle should be within…

  • Keller Morstein 09

    4 Nov 2009 | 6:36 am
    Trauben von Keller „Morstein“ 09 mit 109-232° im edelsüssen Bereich und 95-99° im GG Bereich (Photo: Jesper Hartmann)

  • Keller Abtserde 09

    3 Nov 2009 | 11:51 am
    Keller „Abtserde“ 09 vor ein paar Tagen(Photo Miran Kegel)Hier eine größere Version
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    Good Grape: A Wine Manifesto

  • Bubbly and the Essential Truth

    jlefevere@gmail.com
    6 Nov 2009 | 8:38 am
    Last week I wrote a post about Champagne – specifically the strident protection of the sanctity of place in regards to what is called, “Champagne.” In good form, the comments from that post exceeded the length of the post by a measure of 3:1 with some interesting thoughts about why “Champagne” should only come from the Champagne region of France. To be honest, it’s not a subject that I’ve spent a lot of time studying.  I don’t drink much Champagne (or sparkling wine for that matter) and I’ve never had a sparkler (Champagne or…

  • The Rodney Strong Single Vineyard Program

    jlefevere@gmail.com
    3 Nov 2009 | 7:49 am
    In the second year of the single vineyard designate program from Rodney Strong I’ve learned something very important:  these wines (two released so far, with a third on the way), while provocative with a come-hither look, are far too young to drink now and are much better on the second day; they’re kind of like, you know, if Nabokov made a batch of Chili. In fact, the ’06 Rockaway, as beguiling as the ‘05, if not slightly more pensive, is smartly being released to market in February ‘10, allowing for some bottle age and integration.  Upon my opening, it…

  • What I Haven’t Learned from Wine, I Learned Moving Furniture

    jlefevere@gmail.com
    2 Nov 2009 | 5:56 am
    I am one of those people that believes life lessons and wisdom can be earned from every sip (and bottle) of wine. However, before I gained a global perspective through the wine glass, I learned the workingman’s perspective through the beer mug. For two summers in college, circa 1993 and 1994, I moved furniture for a Mayflower affiliate in Mishawaka, IN.  At that time it was a well-paying summer job—$7.00 an hr with the occasional cash job earning $10 an hour when a driver came in from out of town. Those were the salad days. The college students that worked during the summers…

  • News, Notes and Dusty Bottle Items

    jlefevere@gmail.com
    31 Oct 2009 | 9:53 am
    Odds and ends from a life lived through the prism of the wine glass … What the heck is a Vook? I read an article about a hybrid video/book concept called a “Vook.”  One of the first examples of this utilization is “Crush it” by Gary Vaynerchuk, a seemingly natural fit. This video/text application with non-fiction books is pregnant, and, in my opinion, the combination of bringing alive words with visuals is particularly potent for the world of wine – not just books, or so-called “Vooks,” but general winery storytelling. While it’s…

  • An Insider’s View of the Wine World

    jlefevere@gmail.com
    29 Oct 2009 | 10:16 am
    Despite journalistic reporting and consumer understanding of many of our business industries, attributable to the rise in business news over the course of the last 30 years, the wine business largely maintains an impenetrable veil of “lifestyle” information for consumers; content that is absent insight into the whys and wherefores. Sure, the business of the wine business bleeds into the mainstream wine press occasionally, mostly around wine shipping laws, but consistent inside-out reporting is rarely seen.  Heck, even the wine column in BusinessWeek magazine betrays the…
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    Pinotblogger: the Capozzi Winery blog

  • Stop Saying “Trading Down”. It Makes You Sound Like A Tool.

    Josh Hermsmeyer
    6 Nov 2009 | 2:01 pm
    After reading the latest issue of Practical Winery & Vineyard and seeing the term “trading down” misused by an un-named CEO no less than three times in one paragraph, I wanted to gouge my eyes out with my Dixon Ticonderoga 1388. Stop using it. Just stop. Saying that consumers are “trading down” right now betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of what the entire “Trading Up” phenomena actually was. Silverstein, Fiske and Butman deserve better! Here is the authors’ own definition of the term (emphasis mine): “consumers who selectively trade…

  • Über Wine Review #2 – Surprised By Excellence

    Josh Hermsmeyer
    3 Nov 2009 | 4:40 pm
    My second review starts with the following words: A gorgeous dry white that was so aromatic and balanced that I thought it was an excellent example of Gewurtztraminer from Alsace, one of my favorite wine regions. Was I right? Click here to find out.

  • It’s Time For A Real Wine Advocate – Part 2

    Josh Hermsmeyer
    3 Nov 2009 | 3:56 pm
    In my first lengthy missive on wine criticism, I went over the various flaws I see in the current system. In this post I’m going to outline a system that I believe takes the best of what has come before, and adds to it in innovative ways to create what I think is a more complete wine review. One, as I mentioned before, I’m certain that no one will ever use. The Über Wine Review System! Points The 100 point system is an elegant summation of a complex review process. Folks that don’t care, or that don’t have time for a lengthly review, can check a score and understand…

  • It’s Time For A Real Wine Advocate – Part 1

    Josh Hermsmeyer
    21 Oct 2009 | 9:35 pm
    There is a better way to review wine. It’s costly, time consuming and potentially embarrassing. No one will ever use it. Except me. I’ve always felt that wine reviews were lacking. Not because I’m sensitive to criticism, and not just because of the power of Parker or anything similar. What has always bothered me is that most reviewers take what I believe to be an indefensible stance when it comes to wine criticism. It starts like this: 1. Wine can be objectively reviewed, and good wine is good wine. Therefore my review, and score, is a valid critique of said wine. Then, when…

  • VIDEO: Ask the Pinotblogger #2 – Am I Monogamous?

    Josh Hermsmeyer
    5 Oct 2009 | 8:44 pm
    Funky intro and outro music by indie band Binaerpilot, Destroy the Popollution. Used with permission.
 
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    Aristide - Blog di viaggio nel vino

  • Formato Magnum per i "vinini"?

    aristideblog@mac.com (Giampiero Nadali alias Aristide)
    6 Nov 2009 | 12:41 am
    Capita di leggere un pezzo di Camillo Langone sulla Barbera frizzante di Braida di Giacomo Bologna. Parla de la Monella, una delle "creature" di Giacomo Bologna, "...l'uomo che a fine Novecento conferì dignità a un vino snobbato". Chiudendo l'articolo, Langone...

  • Anteprima Novello, la speranza è un cavallo

    aristideblog@mac.com (Giampiero Nadali alias Aristide)
    4 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am
    Siete interessati all’ippica? Sarete a Verona il prossimo week-end per la rassegna fieristica di Fieracavalli? Non buttate il biglietto. Vi darà diritto ad accedere all’Anteprima Novello (5 e 6 novembre). Non restano molte alternative agli organizzatori di Veronafiere/Vinitaly: considerato il...

  • Vignaioli-Vignerons a Fornovo: la madre, un poco trasandata, di tutte le rassegne sul vino natural-bio

    aristideblog@mac.com (Giampiero Nadali alias Aristide)
    3 Nov 2009 | 1:25 pm
    Impossibilitato a raggiungere Fornovo di Taro per la rassegna "Vini di Vignaioli / Vins des Vignerons", approfitto della disponibilità di Luciano Ramella per ospitare qui un suo contributo sulla sua visita a Fornovo. Che la manifestazione di Fornovo fosse un...

  • Novello 2009, categoria agonizzante?

    aristideblog@mac.com (Giampiero Nadali alias Aristide)
    28 Oct 2009 | 12:51 am
    Sta per debuttare il Novello 2009. Dal 5 al 6 novembre si terrà a Verona Anteprima Novello, rassegna gestita dall'organizzazione di Veronafiere e del Vinitaly. Quest'anno cade il ventesimo anniversario della legge del 1989 che ne regola il disciplinare. E...

  • Flash: Manifesto per la piacevolezza dei vini da bere (i vinini)

    aristideblog@mac.com (Giampiero Nadali alias Aristide)
    26 Oct 2009 | 2:49 am
    Angelo Peretti, [blog: InternetGourmet], è il coniatore riconosciuto dell'espressione "vinino". Ovvero, vino da bere. Sì, semplicemente da bere. Sia ben chiaro: il "vinino" non è certo in contrapposizione al "vinone" ("vini concentrati, tannici ed alcolici"). Nè Angelo, nè sicuramente Aristide,...
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    Wine Weekly

  • Pink Glasses for Breast Cancer

    vinojoe
    27 Oct 2009 | 6:51 pm
    There are still a few days left in October, which is also “Breast Cancer Awareness Month”. That means you still have a good (and humanitarian) reason to treat yourself to a set of Riedel Pink “O” Glasses, a limited-edition line that was originally introduced in October 2006. The original Riedel Pink “O” Glass was a Champagne flute sans the stem, and Riedel continued with the tradition by introducing a new pink glass every October. Now they’ve added a Pink CrescendO, which is a Chardonnay/Viognier glass (but don’t let that stop you from using it…

  • The Top Seven Wine Bloggers (not really)

    vinojoe
    23 Sep 2009 | 5:53 am
    No, Vino Joe did not make the list. Rumor has it that I finished 8th. According to Kansas City Wine Examiner Dennis Schaefer, WineOpinions released the list of the top seven wine bloggers according to the wine trade as: 1. Eric Asimov, N.Y. Times, The Pour 23% 2. Eric Orange, Local Wine Events 21% 3. Steve Tanzer, International Wine Cellar 15% 4. Jancis Robinson (tie), Jancis Robinson 13% 4. Alder Yarrow (tie), Vinography 13% 6. Tyler Colman, Dr. Vino 12% 7. Gary Vaynerchuk, Wine Library TV 9% Again this was a survey of wine trade — meaning, the professional drinkers — and this…

  • Red Wine Review: Oxford Landing GSM

    vinojoe
    22 Sep 2009 | 6:54 am
    Oxford Landing Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre 2006 · The “Rhone Rangers” are gaining fame for growing traditional Rhone Valley varietals in California. However, there are winegrowers “down under” doing the same thing in Australia. This is one example. Though Shiraz is well-known as a wine from Australia, you may not be as familiar seeing the other two grapes from that continent. Grenache is more commonly seen as a varietal wine from France, and Mourvedre is another French grape used almost exclusively as a blending agent. On its own, Mourvedre (a.k.a.

  • Red Wine Review: Concannon Syrah

    vinojoe
    18 Sep 2009 | 9:26 am
    Concannon Syrah 2005 · Livermore Valley For whatever reason, I’ve always associated Concannon with Petite Sirah — perhaps because they were the first California winery to varietally label the grape back in 1964. And their Petite Sirah generally rocks. So it was with a little hesitation, overcome by curiosity, that I plucked this bottle from the shelf. For those unaware, Petite Sirah and Syrah are completely different grapes. Syrah rootstalks were imported from other parts of the world (probably France), while Petite Sirah (which is neither small nor Syrah) is thought to be…

  • Red Wine Review: Septima Malbec

    vinojoe
    16 Sep 2009 | 8:03 am
    Septima Malbec 2007 · Uco Valley, Argentina Argentine Malbec is one of those grapes that can produce extremely rich, dense, complex red wines, but can also be made into simple, fruity, easy quaffers — not unlike California Zinfandel. This particular Malbec is on the soft side, and comes from the Uco Valley of Argentina. It runs about twelve bucks in most retail shops. Tasting Notes: Septima Malbec 2007 Open nose of black plummy fruit, earth, herb, menthol, and something that reminds me of band-aids. In the mouth there is ample black fruit — plum, black raspberry, and…
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    jamie goode's wine blog

  • More from South Africa: the day in pictures

    Jamie
    6 Nov 2009 | 1:28 pm
    Some pictures from a truly exciting day spent in Tulbagh, Paardeberg and Paarl.Eben Sadie, who makes some of South Africa's very best red and white wines.Bush-vine Carignan at Vonderling, PaardebergFlowering Cabernet Sauvignon, VonderlingA Nomblot concrete egg next to a barrel, Tulbagh Mountain Vineyards (TMV)Worm compost, TMV (and Rebecca the winegrower's hands)The view at TMVChris and Andrea Mullineux, Mullineux wines, Riebecke, SwartlandPaul Nicholls of TMV with his bush-vine MourvedreLa Capra, an exciting new brand from Charles Back's Fairview, Paarl

  • Day 3 in South Africa - Franschoek, mostly

    Jamie
    5 Nov 2009 | 8:16 am
    Had a great day today, even though for most of it the rain was lashing down in vast sheets. We began with another larger producer, continuing yesterday's theme: DGB, hosted at Boschendal. They have a range of brands, including Douglas Green, Bellingham, Franschoek Cellar, Boschendal and from 2010, Brampton will be all theirs. Highlight? The Bellingham Bernard Series wines, including (shock) an elegant, pure Pinotage. Pictured are winemakers Thinus and Lizelle.Then it was off to lunch with Mark Kent of Boekenhoutskloof and Gottfried Mocka of Chamonix, at the wonderful Reubens. Mark and…

  • South Africa, day 2

    Jamie
    4 Nov 2009 | 9:20 am
    First chance to report from the road. Arrived late on Tuesday and spent the afternoon with some wine scientists at Stellenbosch University, before heading out to Durbanville for a dinner at Ntida with some of the top producers in this small but appealing wine region. It was great fun, and I liked the wines. I stayed overnight at River Manor in Stellenbosch (pictured above), and then met up with the two other journos on the trip at Flagstone, where Bruce Jack told us all about his journey with Constellation (the drinks giant who bought him out a couple of years ago). Today was focusing on the…

  • A new netbook

    Jamie
    3 Nov 2009 | 12:49 pm
    I've just replaced my beloved Asus Eeepc with a new netbook. The Asus developed some technical problems, and so I bought a little Samsung (here). It's very like the Eeepc, except that it runs XP rather than Linux, is slightly larger, and has a larger screen. My fingers like the larger keyboard, and my eyes like the larger screen. But it's not as convenient (the Asus was such a good size, and started up really, really fast) and feels less robust (it's very plastic-y).The big benefit is the six cell battery, which gives 6 hours' + battery life. Result.It's amazing that you can get computers…

  • Some airline lounge wines

    Jamie
    2 Nov 2009 | 11:56 am
    I was supposed to be flying premium economy tonight, but I've happily been upgraded, so now I get to use the T5 BA lounge (I think it's the north one I'm in). So a chance to taste some wines and relax a bit before a flight that will be made immeasurably more comfortable by those lovely BA lie-flat beds. First up, Cline Cool Climate Syrah 2006 Sonoma Coast. A bit more warm climate by taste: rich, sweet, a bit cedary, hints of tar. Lots of sweet, spicy plummy fruit. A bit rich and woody for my tastes, so 84/100. Next, Ben Glaetzer Wallace Shiraz Cabernet 2006 Barossa. Very sweet, rich, warm and…
 
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    Weincasting™

  • Muryan [Polmassick Vineyard]

    Charles B.
    30 Oct 2009 | 9:26 am
    Ok, die Voraussetzungen sind nicht die besten. Der Wein kommt aus Cornwall. Das kennen die meisten Deutschen von den - sogenannten - Romanen von Rosamunde Pilcher. Das Etikett sieht aus, wie aus dem Copyshop. Der Name des Weins lautet aus der cornischen Sprache übersetzt ‘Ameise’. Dazu gibt es keine Jahrgangsangabe. Doch von mir die Info, dass es sich um einen Müller-Thurgau handelt. Aber ich kenne Weine aus Cornwall die durchaus nicht schlecht sind, also geben wir der ‘Ameise’ eine Chance. Und tatsächlich, ein schöner, leichter und süffiger Thurgau. Natürlich…

  • WC Lektüre vom 15.10.09

    Charles B.
    15 Oct 2009 | 4:32 am
    Das System Deutsche Weinkönigin aus den frühen 50ern muss dringend entstaubt werden und sich aus der volkstümlichen Schunkel-Umklammerung befreien. So ähnlich sieht das auch six-to-nine. Aber bitte keinen deutschen Jungwinzerinnen-Kalender. Das Ablichten in Reizwäsche sollte weiterhin mittelprächtig talentierten C-Promis überlassen werden. Eine Alternative um das Konzept Weinkönigin breiteren Schichten zugänglich zu machen, kommt aus Berlin-Kreuzberg. Denn gibt es jetzt auch dort eine Weinkönigin: Stefan Bolz aus Wedding. Mal sehen, wie sich die Gute bei der nächsten Wahl zur…

  • Anonyme Köche. Online goes Print.

    Charles B.
    7 Oct 2009 | 12:05 pm
    Muss man ein Blog als Buch herausgeben? Nö. Will man oft auch gar nicht haben. Eine Menge Blogs haben sowieso nichts besseres zu tun, als die Welt mit möglichst vielen Informationen zu beglücken, die eine Halbwertszeit von einigen Tagen haben. Wenn überhaupt. Glücklicherweise gibt es in diesem Tümpel an Belanglosigkeiten einige Inseln der Glückseligkeit. Nicht viele, aber immerhin. Die Anonymen Köche sind eine davon. Auch wenn ich schon mal erklärt habe, dass ich kein besonderer Freund von Koch… Rezept… Foodblogs bin, das Blog von Claudio tanzt gemeinsam mit einigen…

  • Die Weinpartei. Die Weinpartei?

    Charles B.
    30 Sep 2009 | 4:13 am
    Kaum ist die Bundestagswahl vorbei, sollen wir schon wieder eine neue, offensichtlich monothematische Partei bekommen. Die Weinpartei oder DIE WEINPARTEI als ‘einzige echte Interessenvertreterin von Winzern, Weinhändlern und echten Weinfreunden’. Na, denn. Obwohl ‘Die Repräsentation des Weines darf zukünftig nicht mehr Volksmusikdarstellern jedweiliger Couleur überlassen werden’ klingt ja schon mal gar nicht so übel… Copyright © 2005-2009 Weincasting.com This feed is for personal, non-commercial use only.

  • Weinfest in Radebeul.

    Charles B.
    18 Sep 2009 | 12:33 pm
    Beim Weinfest in Radebeul gibt es an diesem Wochenende, im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen Weinfesten, tatsächlich gute Weine (Klaus Zimmerling, Karl Friedrich Aust, Martin Schwarz…) plus sinnvollen und sinnlosen Schnickschnack. Das Ganze ist aber leider nur zu ertragen, wenn man einen Fetisch für klaustrophobische Enge unter fremden Menschen hat. Copyright © 2005-2009 Weincasting.com This feed is for personal, non-commercial use only.
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    Brooklynguy's Wine and Food Blog

  • Action Required - Please Take the Corked Wine Etiquette Poll on the left.

    6 Nov 2009 | 7:42 am
    I'm looking for your feedback on corked wine etiquette:You and several other guests are at some one's house for dinner. The host serves a wine that is corked. What do you do? Please use the poll on the left sidebar to give your answer. Poll closes on Wednesday of next week. I'll tell you why I'm asking after that. If you think I omitted something in the poll responses, please let me know in the comments.Thanks!

  • Friday Night Bubbles - 2002 Diebolt-Vallois

    5 Nov 2009 | 6:40 pm
    Last night, after a night of many a Poulsard with friends (more on that soon), I wanted to open a bottle of good Champagne to close out the evening. But what to open? My companions included a guy who until recently worked at Michael Skurnik wines, so nothing from Terry Theise. A woman who works at Chambers Street Wines, so nothing that they sell. And a prominent Sommelier at a great NYC restaurant, so nothing off his list. I decided to open a bottle of 2002 Diebolt-Vallois Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs, $65, imported by Petit Pois Corp. Turns out that the Sommelier has the 1997 on his list.

  • More from the Dressner Tasting

    3 Nov 2009 | 7:45 pm
    More thoughts and notes from the recent Dressner Portfolio Tasting:The 2007 Domaine de la Pépière Granite de Clisson is here. I thought it was very tasty, although somewhat reserved in its expression. To be fair, this is not a wine that I can understand at a big tasting. It will be more expensive than the 2005 was, about $23, and I will happily buy it.I loved the "entry-level" 2008 Muscadets by Luneau Papin, particularly the 2008 Luneau-Papin Clos des Allées, about $15. This typically racy and stony wine showed a bit more concentration and richness than I am used to, but in a good way.

  • Tales from the Dressner Portfolio Tasting

    1 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pm
    It was more like a festival - think Cannes, Burning Man, or Fashion Week, perhaps the G8 Summit. People came from all over the world to participate. Deals were struck, friends and enemies gained, and the powerful giant that is Louis/Dressner Selections showed the world that there is no such thing as a recession when it comes to the world of fine wine. At least two heads of state showed up - President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi and Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada enjoyed light conversation while tasting through the Clos Roche Blanche wines. P-Diddy made an appearance, as did Martha…

  • An Apology, and a Few Other Things Too

    29 Oct 2009 | 8:00 am
    I'm Sorry:I did a careless and irresponsible thing, and I want to say that I'm sorry. The Yankees were dominated in the first game of the world series last night. The other team's pitcher was brilliant, the Yanks' bullpen has become a liability, and they were simply outclassed. But none of this would have happened had I made a better beverage choice. I went to the same friend's house where I watched game 1 of the division series versus the Angels, when I brought beer. I had no beer to bring, so I brought wine. I figured that Bordeaux and California wines seemed to give the Yanks the lift they…
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    ~ Through The Walla Walla Grape Vine™ ~

  • Fall Release Weekend in Walla Walla!

    Catie
    5 Nov 2009 | 3:02 pm
    It’s time for Fall Release in Walla Walla and what does this mean? Well, the truth of the matter is every first weekend in November, Christophe Baron of Cayuse Vineyards opens his doors to all of his fans who are on “the list” to pick up their “futures.” It also means it's a great time for the other wineries to show and shine! And what does this mean for the rest of us who are on the main Cayuse waiting list or on the chain of waiting lists to get on the waiting lists? (Hmmmph, I lost my place on the list in the “divorce” – phhhhtttt!) It means there are plenty of other great…

  • Game On! 8-Bit Vintners

    Catie
    3 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pm
    When it comes to gaming I plead ignorance, but I wasn’t always. In the early 80’s I polished my skills on Ms. Pacman. I was in a situation of "if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em." At the time, my young step-son and his friends were very much into arcades and when we took the kids out for pizza after a football game, they became glued to the video games.Mike James, self-proclaimed gaming geek and owner/winemaker of 8-Bit Vintners realized while gamers were busy slaying dragons and saving princesses, these heroes with square box weapons needed their own wine. I could hardly wait to try…

  • Which Walla Walla Washington Wine for the Wicked Witches?

    Catie
    29 Oct 2009 | 8:30 pm
    I love scary stories, don’t you? Hold onto your seats because this is the scariest Halloween story you will ever hear.Once upon a time in a little town called Walla Walla there were a coven of four witches by the names of Grand Cru-ella, Claretta, Uvaggio, and Mog. All Hallows Eve was just around the corner, so they decided to plan a soiree to celebrate. Of course, if you are a witch you don’t need to hire a caterer or a sommelier to handle such a grand party, because all you have to do is wrinkle your nose or cast a spell and voila - dinner and wine is served! But their wine spells still…

  • WBC-or-Bust: Road to Walla Walla

    Catie
    29 Oct 2009 | 9:56 am
    In conjunction with the third annual North American Wine Bloggers Conference (WBC), WineCHATr.com will provide 12 citizen wine writers the opportunity to catch a ride across Washington wine country. WineCHATr.com is an online community for the growing wine industry, where both popular wine bloggers and businesses come together to connect and share information on wine.In eight months, hundreds of wine bloggers will converge on Walla Walla for the WBC to sip, sample and see what the Washington wine industry has to offer—while sharing their experiences online. The three-day event—taking…

  • A Myriad of Merlots

    Catie
    27 Oct 2009 | 8:00 pm
    I do love them and held true to them even when they were knocked “sideways” by Miles Raymond, the moody self-sabotaging wine aficionado character from the movie Sideways. I stayed faithful and never wavered when a group of writing peers from northern California skewered and flamed me for drinking a wine they felt was merely worthy of blending. Was it my fault they couldn’t get past their own wimpy California Merlots and not realizing that all Merlots were not created equal? Should I have felt guilty for having world class Merlots from the State of Washington all around me and so easily…
 
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    Box Wines

  • Twitter Wine?

    Roger
    15 Oct 2009 | 7:25 pm
    Has Twitter jumped the shark before it has earned a penny of revenue? It seems the social network has diversified into the wine biz, albeit for charitable purposes. The new venture, Fledgling Wine, is chronicled by Maya Baratz, SFoodie blogger, in Twitter is Launching Its Own ‘Fledgling’ Wine Label. Dogpatch-based Crushpad — a place that allows amateur vinophiles to make and sell their own wine, brand and label included — has more than a little in common with Silicon Valley. The business philosophy behind both calls for investing in the product and customer experience,…

  • Palo Alto Reserve 2008

    Roger
    12 Sep 2009 | 6:21 am
    Price: $10 Maker: Vina Palo Alto Ltda., Santiago, Chile Varietal: Red Blend - Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Syrah Packaging: 750 ml bottle, natural cork Alcohol: 13.5% Our Rating: 8.8 out of 10 Palo Alto Reserve 2008 is a Chilean red blend. The Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Syrah grapes are all grown in the Maule River valley region. The flavor of this wine featured unusually intense berry flavors, along with oak and black pepper. The finish was long and peppery. The rather strong tannins gave the wine a sharp edge at the outset, but letting it breathe for a while rounded things out.

  • Lost Angel Mischief Red Wine 2006

    Roger
    2 Jul 2009 | 6:06 am
    Price: $12 Maker: Eos Estate Winery (Sapphire Brands), Paso Robles, California Varietal: Red Blend - 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Petite Sirah, 18% Sangiovese Packaging: 750 ml bottle, artificial cork Alcohol: 13.5% Our Rating: 8.9 out of 10 Lost Angel Mischief Red Wine 2006 was a real surprise. A red blend with a funky name costing a little over ten bucks didn’t create much in the way of anticipation. The first surprise was a slightly floral note in the nose, in addition to the expected berry and spice notes. The second surprise was the overall enjoyability of this wine. On the palate,…

  • Twin Vines JM Fonseca Vinho Verde 2008

    Roger
    30 Jun 2009 | 7:52 pm
    Price: $7 Maker: Jose Maria da Fonseca Vinhos, Azeita-Setubal, Portugal Varietal: Vinho Verde - White Packaging: 750 ml bottle, screw cap Alcohol: 10.0% Our Rating: 8.1 out of 10 Despite its name, which translates as “green wine,” Twin Vines JM Fonseca Vinho Verde 2008 is a very pale straw color. The “green” refers to its youthful nature rather than its color, and the wine does indeed come across as young. In the glass, it appears to be slightly sparkling, although one barely notices the minimal bubbly character when drinking. It has a green apple flavor, and a slight…

  • No Two Pound Chuck for UK?

    Roger
    16 Mar 2009 | 3:10 pm
    Very inexpensive wines could be taxed out of existence in the UK, if proposed changes to alcohol taxation are implemented. Chief Medical Officer Liam Donaldson wants to cut down on binge drinking in the UK, which he feels has reached epidemic proportions. His report said the new pricing strategy would set a minimum price of 4.50 pounds ($6.30) for a bottle of wine; a minimum of 14 pounds ($19.70) for a bottle of whiskey, and a base price of 6 pounds ($8.50) for a six-pack of beer. From Cheap booze blamed for British binge drinking While no doubt there is some price elasticity for alcohol…
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    Sour Grapes

  • If Jamie Oliver and Gary Vaynerchuk had lovechildren, in Australia…

    Lar
    4 Nov 2009 | 1:07 pm
    …they’d look and behave like this pair from Qwoff (but dudes, where’s the RSS feed at?).

  • Centra does fine wines

    Lar
    4 Nov 2009 | 11:58 am
    Wine morketing experts the world over are busy little bees figuring out how to get us to trade up to the next price point towards an aspirational fine wine nirvana. However, Centra (equivalent to 7 Eleven for my many many US readers) have used the interpretation of the Irish exasperated female expression “I’m fine, okaaaayy” to describe their range in a bid to get more trade from WSET Diploma students.

  • John Wilson’s Favourite Australian Wines, 24th November, Fallon & Byrne

    Lar
    3 Nov 2009 | 3:59 pm
    John McDonnell of Wine Australia is hosting a consumer wine event with John Wilson, wine writer for the Irish Times on Tuesday 24th November in Fallon & Byrne in Dublin. During the summer John Wilson was given the enviable task of drawing up his selection of favourite Australian wines. The task wasn’t to draw up a list of Australia’s finest wines, but as John says, “My first criteria for choosing these wines was very simple; would I be happy to share a bottle of any of them with my friends? The answer had to be yes. The list is certainly not a definitive gathering of the…

  • Twitter to launch wine brand

    Lar
    23 Oct 2009 | 1:53 am
    Missed this on Mashable last week, but social media platform, Twitter, is launching their own social wine for a good cause. The good cause is Room to Read, a San Francisco-based non-profit whose aim is to improve literacy rates in some of the world’s poorest countries. Fledgling Wine The project is called Fledgling Wine and you can read the full story and buy the wine (US only) over on fledglingwine.com At the moment, there are two wines, a Pinot Noir and a Chardonnay, retailing at $20 a pop but they’re not yet bottled – they’re en primeur or “futures”. The…

  • Wine of the week: Eternum Viti 2007, Toro (Bodegas Albanico)

    Lar
    22 Oct 2009 | 11:11 pm
    The Eternum Viti, a red from the Toro region (near enough to Ribera del Duero). Old vines The Eternum Viti is made from vines with an average age of over 50 years (the older, the less grapes are produced, the more concentrated the flavours). Tinta de Toro: It’s Tempranillo, Jim, but not as we know it The grape variety is “Tinta de Toro”, what they call Tempranillo in these parts. Nothing like a Rioja Tempranillo, though, this one is much, much bigger. Oak barrels The wine is aged in a mix of new and used French and American oak for 10 months, giving it vanilla, leather and…
 
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    LISSON

  • tour de maison du vin naissant

    Iris Rutz-Rudel
    4 Nov 2009 | 4:44 am
    ce n'est pas tout, de se pâmer dans les éloges des vins des millésimes précédents, même si cela console des déceptions de la récolte. Pendant ce temps, c'est le vin nouveau, qui demande notre attention et nous remplit d'espoir. Il y a un peut plus d'un mois, c'était encore du jus de raisin [...]

  • ma modestie en pâti...

    Iris Rutz-Rudel
    26 Oct 2009 | 3:19 am
    mais cela fait bien chaud dans mon coeur de vigneronne... de lire tant d'éloges sur mes vins après la visite de Luc Bettoni et Yannik Poirier sur le blog de Yannik. Je les avais déjà savouré pendant la dégustation à la cave, parce que je n'avais pas l'impression, que leurs commentaires sur [...]

  • et pendant que la cuve fini sa fermentation...

    Iris Rutz-Rudel
    21 Oct 2009 | 10:59 am
    oui, même si la récolte nous n'as pas laissé dans la joie à cause des importants dégâts par les animaux sauvages, nous avons quand même eu le travail habituel de vinification - à petite échelle, mais qui se déroule comme chaque année, documenté depuis le début de ce blog il y a plus que 4 ans [...]

  • un rêve Canadien

    Iris Rutz-Rudel
    5 Oct 2009 | 2:33 am
    Même si les vendanges 2009 à Lisson ne nous ont pas donné tout le plaisir habituel de ce moment tant attendu de l'année vigneronne, il y a aussi eu des moments de joie partagée et de plaisir. Plaisir, parce que le dernier jour dans le Mourvèdre tant attendu derrière la maison, il était quand [...]

  • en attendant le miracle

    Iris Rutz-Rudel
    25 Sep 2009 | 6:50 am
    un petit proverbe du nord de l’Afrique, trouvé sur le blog du vigneron agité - grâce à Olif: Mourvedre 20 septembre 2009 « Ne baisses jamais les bras, dès fois que le miracle attendu n’arrive juste après !! »
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    Lyke 2 Drink

  • CNN Vital Signs Features Pints for Prostates

    Rick Lyke
    29 Oct 2009 | 10:51 am
    During the Livestrong Global Cancer Summit in Dublin, I had the chance to sit down with Dr. Sanjay Gupta to talk about Pints for Prostates and how we use the universal language of beer to reach men with an important health message. CNN also sent a crew to Colorado for the Denver Rare Beer Tasting and Great American Beer Festival. The interview started airing internationally today. You can check it out here:

  • Tuesday Tasting: Prager 2004 Royal Escort Port

    Rick Lyke
    27 Oct 2009 | 5:50 pm
    Tuesday Tasting is a regular feature of Lyke2Drink that explores some of the best beers, wines and spirits on the market. This week we head to Napa Valley to sip a great port.A few months back a couple of bottles arrived at my door from Prager Winery & Port Works in California. I have to admit that I don't regularly drink port and, in the heat of the North Carolina summer, I decided to place the bottles in a wine rack and wait for cooler weather. The time has come to crack open one of the bottles.Prager 2004 Royal Escort Port is a dark ruby red 19 percent alcohol by volume wine that is made…

  • Beer Tap TV Covers Denver Rare Beer Tasting

    Rick Lyke
    27 Oct 2009 | 9:20 am
    Erik Boles and the fine people at Beer Tap TV have posted an interview they did at the inaugural Denver Rare Beer Tasting last month. Check out this video to see how they are helping the Pints for Prostates campaign reach men through the universal language of beer.

  • Is Cheap Whisky a Scottish Birthright?

    Rick Lyke
    25 Oct 2009 | 11:56 am
    Living in Scotland means that you can get a decent bottle of Scotch at your local supermarket for under $12. That may all change because of a Scottish government plans to combat binge drinking and it has distillers upset.A plan would set minimum per drink charges for alcohol sold in supermarkets. That would mean that supermarket-brand Scotch would increase in price to $18 a bottle, effectively raising the price to what some branded Scotch labels sell for at retail.Whyte and Mackay, a 160-year-old distiller, says the new minimum pricing plan would have a major impact on its volume. Distillers…

  • Rock Art Brewing Should Send Flowers to Monster's Lawyers

    Rick Lyke
    14 Oct 2009 | 6:42 pm
    Be honest. How many of you had heard of Rock Art Brewery in tiny Morrisville, Vermont at this time last week?This small brewery was plodding along like many of the craft brewers in this country. Making some pretty good beers, building a loyal following of beer geeks and fighting for shelf space against companies that can afford to run ads during weekend football games.Then some lawyers from Hansen Beverage Co., which markets Monster Energy Drinks, decided to come to the rescue. You see Rock Art has been selling a brew called The Vermonster for the last couple of years. Hansen says that could…
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    Wannabe Wino Wine Blog

  • Convicts in the House

    Sonadora
    6 Nov 2009 | 5:23 am
    My dad gave me a subscription to a wine of the month club several months ago. I think this is the last bottle from that subscription. I have a story to write for Palate Press coming up about my experiences with wine clubs, big box, winery direct, and other, so that’s a story for another day. Suffice it to say that my club shipments from winery direct clubs are much preferred.  Tonight we tried the 2008 Convict’s Reward Cabernet Sauvignon. Yes. You read that right. 2008. It clocked in at 14% alcohol by volume, had a real cork closure, comes from South Eastern Australia, and I…

  • I Drink While Making Thanksgiving Dinner

    Sonadora
    5 Nov 2009 | 5:16 am
    *Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from the PR folks for Wines of Germany. Rieslings have been gracing the pages of ye olde wine blog with much more frequency in the last year due to the Wines of Germany folks sending me quarterly shipments of new releases. Riesling was my first real wine love, though admittedly the sweeter side of Riesling. Over the years I’ve grown to very much appreciate the dry refined side of Riesling.  We pulled the 2007 Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Scharzhofberger Riesling Spatlese from the last 2 bottle shipment to try the other night.  Even my mom…

  • Wine With A Cause V

    Sonadora
    4 Nov 2009 | 4:40 am
    *Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from Agent for Change Wines. Last year around the holiday season I brought you a series of 4 posts on wines with a cause.  That is, wines whose producers donate part or all of their profits to charity.  I’m happy to start up this series again this year, and hope that in the coming months I will have several more wines to share with you.  Our first wine with a cause for 2009 comes from Agent for Change Wines.  Agent for Change Wines donate 50% of profits to community based organizations that care for the uninsured and underinsured.  If…

  • It’s a Meritage

    Sonadora
    3 Nov 2009 | 4:30 am
    *Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from Branford Wine & Spirits. Sterling Vintner’s Collection holds a special place in my heart…we served the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Sauvignon Blanc at our wedding. Budget constraints and the ability of our venue to secure anything from their distributor (that’s a rant for another day…I handed them a list of 10 white and 10 reds that were NOT very obscure wines and they couldn’t get any of them!!) led us to Sterling Vintner’s which I have always found to be an easy, varietally correct, inexpensive crowd…

  • Two Seas

    Sonadora
    2 Nov 2009 | 6:31 am
    When we opened this I thought that we had consumed an earlier vintage of the same bottle. I distinctly remembered the “Entre Deux Mers.” But I went back and looked through the blog, and while we had a bottle with the same title, it wasn’t from the same winery.  Tonight’s bottle was the 2008 Chateau Grand Rousseau Entre Deux Mers.  It arrived in a shipment from a wine of the month club that I got as a gift, had a pressed cork, clocked in at 12.5% alcohol by volume, and I think it retails for somewhere around $10-$13.  This bottle was the best of the wine of the month…
 
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    Wino sapien

  • Frankland Estate Isolation Ridge Riesling 2009

    Edward
    5 Nov 2009 | 5:26 am
    Frankland River, Great Southern, Western Australia. Riesling. 12%. Screwcap. Approx $A30.One of my pleasures is seeing my children read. They are voracious and inquisitive. I've been keeping my son company by reading the Harry Potter series. I thought I'd enjoy the books, but did not count on staying up to 2am each night, enthralled and amused.And now, Harry, let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.A terrific wine. The obligatory lemon juice and lime zest is joined by a suggestion of tropical fruit. Mineral and textured in the mouth, I thought there was…

  • Wynns Black Label 1996

    Edward
    3 Nov 2009 | 4:30 am
    Coonawarra, South Australia. Cabernet sauvignon. 13% alcohol. Cork. Approx $A25 on release.I have wine all over my house. Most stored in ideal conditions (temperature controlled cabinet), but some bottles contend with more fickle circumstances. This bottle has seen several Summers of suboptimal cellaring, having been relegated to my drink soon collection (five years ago), where it was then forgotten. . .25th November 2007. Fully mature. Rosewood, polish, ginger, and a flourish of ripe blackcurrant. 1996 was a cooler than average, though sunny vintage, but even so I was surprised by the…

  • Dandelion Vineyards Eden Valley Riesling 2009

    Edward
    1 Nov 2009 | 5:49 am
    Eden Valley, South Australia. Riesling. 12%. Screwcap. Approx $A25A beautiful package. A wishing clock on the front and a screwcap adorned with parachuting seeds, while on the back, there is a transparent leaf, shiny and palpable, I thought it was dried patch of glue at first. . .The liquid itself seems quite separate from any other Eden Valley riesling I have tried. Distinctive in its scent and taste, it is clear and pure. It smells of rose petal, talc and slate, there is only the slightest hint of citrus and lime. In the mouth it is like a ballerina - bright, floral and light, a lovely…

  • Innocent Bystander Moscato 2009

    Edward
    31 Oct 2009 | 5:26 am
    Victoria, Australia. Muscat (Gordo and Black). 5.5%. Crown seal. Approx $A14.This gets 10/10 for fun. The colour is suitably vibrant and the scent is a combination of rose petals, raspberry jelly and grapes. Tart, zippy and beautiful in its simplicity and refreshment. It seems slimmer and drier than the last one I tried.http://feeds.feedburner.com/WinoSapien Support Wino sapien and click here for the original context

  • Brookland Valley Reserve Cabernet sauvignon 2001

    Edward
    29 Oct 2009 | 5:20 am
    Margaret River, Western Australia. Cabernet sauvignon. 14.5%. Cork. Source: Cellar.A beautiful wine, bold and pure. Black. Cassis scented with a note eucalyptus and cedar. Later on, a trace of earth, soy sauce and ground ginger. Big and soft to begin, there is sweetness and concentration together with a sense of envelopment and expansion.Very good - excelent.94.Now - 2019.http://feeds.feedburner.com/WinoSapien Support Wino sapien and click here for the original context
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    Vinos Chilenos de Chile

  • Acto académico de reconocimiento al profesor Alejandro Hernández

    pelado
    26 Oct 2009 | 9:54 pm
    Podrian Uds. ayudarnos a difundir la siguiente invitación entre sus asociados, proveedores y empresas colaboradoras?: Luis Barrales, Decano de la Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal de la Universidad Católica de Chile y Tania Zaviezo, Directora del Departamento de Fruticultura y Enología, tienen el agrado de invitar a Ud., al acto académico de reconocimiento al [...]

  • XII Congreso Latinoamericano de Viticultura y Enología, en Noviembre, en Uruguay

    pelado
    26 Oct 2009 | 12:35 am
    Los días 11, 12 y 13 de Noviembre de 2009 se realizará en Montevideo, Uruguay, el XII CONGRESO LATINOAMERICANO DE VITICULTURA Y ENOLOGÍA, organizado por la Asociación de Enólogos del Uruguay, bajo el patrocinio de la Organización Internacional de la Viña y el Vino (OIV). Teniendo como eje las temáticas: VITICULTURA Y ENOLOGIA, COMERCIO EXTERIOR Y MARKETING DE VINOS, connotados [...]

  • Exportaciones de pisco chileno crecen el primer trimestre

    pelado
    29 May 2009 | 2:17 am
    Los envíos chilenos superan en más de 4% a los de sus competidores peruanos, quebrando así la tendencia de 2008. Un auspicioso comienzo de año vive el sector pisquero nacional: las exportaciones crecieron 171% comparadas con los primeros tres meses de 2008, alcanzando los US$ 228.500, según ProChile. De paso, los envíos nacionales superan a los peruanos [...]

  • Jornada de Capacitación en Gestión Ambiental y Producción Limpia Vitivinícola

    pelado
    15 May 2009 | 5:47 pm
    Enviado por: Carolina Díaz Con el objeto de reforzar el conocimiento en relación a la gestión ambiental y producción limpia de empresarios y profesionales ligados al sector vitivinícola, el programa de CORFO, Colchagua Tierra Premium en conjunto con la Corporación Chilena del Vino (CCV) y el Consejo Regional de Producción Limpia (CPL), realizarán una jornada el [...]

  • Crisis en la industria del Vino

    pelado
    11 May 2009 | 2:54 am
    Cada economía a escala tiene sus propias variables específicas, pero lo que ya comienza a pasar en Europa en la industria del vino, dará la clave de lo que en definitiva se produzca en Chile y Argentina. El consumo y los precios del vino caen en los principales mercados de todo el mundo y el [...]
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    On the Wine Trail in Italy

  • "We'll get on it right away and 'get back' to you"

    Alfonso Cevola
    5 Nov 2009 | 5:15 am
    From the " they keep lobbing softballs like this at me, I just had to hit it" department.In my inbox I get these kinds of notes all the time. Seeing as I am not very busy this time of the year I wonder if I should pursue this inquiry. Read on, I do not make these things up.Good morning Sir, MadamWe are an estate situated in _________________, Fattoria di ________ in _______.We produce the following products:_________________________ (white wine) docg: 5 months in french barriques, middle toast, fine-grained, first and second passage in wood._________________________ (white wine) riserva…

  • One Last Night Under the Moonlight

    Alfonso Cevola
    3 Nov 2009 | 10:34 pm
    Farewell, my little Mexican PepperleafUnder the full moon I walked outside to spend one last moment with her. All summer she spent with me, content to lounge around the pool and this little isola, swaying to the symphony of the sounds that flung about. Occasionally the flock of parrots would screech by, looking for anything that reminded them of their tropical home. She did, and they would fly low as they would try to comfort each other in this land of the Norteños. I tried to spend as much time with her as I could, but it wasn’t enough. Last night, under the full moon, we said…

  • On Any Given Sunday: A Three-Tier Crusaders Gamebook

    Alfonso Cevola
    1 Nov 2009 | 7:48 pm
    Oh yeah, it’s like, Sunday in the Fall. Meet the Press, Football, World Series, all kinds of diversions. What it is for us three-tier crusaders, though, is one down, two to go. The traditional O-N-D (October-November-December) holiday season is 1/3 over. And we’ve got miles to go before we sleep. All across the country, the wholesalers, retailers and their customers are gearing up for a season of festive cheer. To the three-tier machine, it’s just one big party, festooned with real pirates. Arghh!I called my 95 year old mom tonight when I got home at 6PM. It was dark here, but in…

  • Trick or Treat – The archetypal Italian wine press release

    Alfonso Cevola
    31 Oct 2009 | 12:32 pm
    From the "I couldn't make this up" department._______________ launches _______________!___________is the name of the latest vinous creation from historic ________ wine producer, _____________, based in ________ , Italy. The wine was first launched in ______, is classed as a ______ and made as a fascinating blend of ________, ________ and ______.Owner of the company, _________ ________ explains the name. “In _______ dialect,” he says _______ means “_______” or ‘_______ ________’, the bit on an estate that’s the most protected and most loved.” Or in other words, what the French…

  • Paralyzed in Paradise

    Alfonso Cevola
    30 Oct 2009 | 4:08 am
    El sueño del Día de los Muertos “Italy is falling apart from within and they cannot even see it.” I dreamt that I awoke in my bed at 4:00 AM, as the parrots outside were screeching from the bitter wind and cold that was driving them insane. At 8:30 there would be a meeting I had to be at, and the month was finishing up disappointingly. “There is too much wine. It is too expensive. It has too much wood and Merlot and Syrah in it. And every time another email from Cinderella wine shows up in the inbox there’s another Super Tuscan for $20 that the wineries had been asking $80-90-100, a…
 
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    Budget Vino

  • The perfect budget beverage to bring to a Sunday brunch- Cava and OJ

    Dorian Kendal
    28 Oct 2009 | 6:01 pm
    This past Sunday, my friend Melissa invited me to join her and some friends at a nearby park for an ad hoc brunch. It was pretty last minute, but I was hungry, and it was so darn nice outside. I should have stayed home and worked, but I convinced myself that a few hours away from my laptop wasn't going to hurt me in the long run. Completely unprepared, I ran to the nearby Safeway, where I pondered what I should bring with me to the park. I walked the aisles a few times, struggling to make a decision. Then, as I was about to give up, I passed the alcohol section. Suddenly it hit me- Mimosas.

  • VIDEO ALERT!!- "$10 (or less) wine"

    Dorian Kendal
    17 Sep 2009 | 6:28 pm
    Its been a couple weeks, and the Commonwealth Club finally posted the "$10 (or less) Wine" panel discussion on YouTube. Give it a watch if you have some time. It's pretty enjoyable if I do say so myself. Definitely let me know what you think. It was my first panel so don't be overly critical. :)

  • Panel Summary- article in SF Examiner

    Dorian Kendal
    13 Sep 2009 | 5:34 pm
    I was hoping to have a link to the Commonwealth Club panel to share, but it's yet to be loaded onto You Tube. The minute I the Club sends it too me, I'll make sure to post it. Overall, the panel was great fun. I'm curious to see what you all think.In the meantime, here's a link to an article written about the event. Quick point about the article- it should have read "under $10." Not sure where the author came up with $12.Enjoy.Back to wine reviews this week....

  • Budget Vino selected to join Commonwealth Club panel on $10 and under wines!

    Dorian Kendal
    18 Aug 2009 | 3:16 pm
    I am really excited to announce that we have been selected to join a panel discussing $10 and under wines at the Commonwealth Club on August 26th. The panel discussion will be recorded and syndicated on NPR and other stations countrywide. This is a pretty big deal for us as The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The club was founded in 1903, and has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Erin Brockovich in 2001. Along the way, Martin Luther King, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and…

  • Insatiable by name, but not by taste

    Dorian Kendal
    4 Aug 2009 | 12:19 pm
    A couple weeks ago, I was tasked with selecting some budget wines for a Minnesota style hot dish party. I knew there would be some serious cheese and meat, so some heavier wines were definitely in order. I was in a serious rush, so I ran to the Safeway grocery store a block away. While there, this random woman started talking with me about wine selections. At first, I had no idea what her motivation was, but then realized that she was a Safeway employee, responsible for helping shoppers in the wine aisle.  She asked if I had ever tried a wine called "Insatiable." Supposedly, at only $6.50,…
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    Write for Wine

  • Knockin’ at Heaven’s Cave

    WordPress
    1 Nov 2009 | 8:31 pm
    Whenever we visit Heaven’s Cave Cellars in Prosser, I start singing Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” because the wines are to die for. Yes, I know that sounds cheesy but seriously, Heaven’s Cave 2007 Two Degrees Barbera  is the best we have tasted in a long, long time. Besides, the grapes were grown in Horse Heaven Hills, after all. Unlike its light-bodied Italian counterparts, this 100% Barbera is a warm, earthy, medium-bodied and well-balanced wine that is also rich and smooth. Heaven’s Cave Barbera is good enough to drink on its own,…

  • Optimum Wine from Fidelitas

    WordPress
    28 Oct 2009 | 5:56 pm
    We try to visit new tasting rooms on every trip to Washington wine country and last month, the Bordeaux blends at Fidelitas were calling my name. Yes, we had tasted and appreciated Charlie Hoppes’ hand-crafted fine wines at numerous events in the Seattle area over the last couple of years. But it was the first time we stopped at the tasting room on Red Mountain. We had a wonderful time. The staff was friendly, the wines most definitely worth writing about, and the location – well, it’s Red Mountain! It was one of those hot September days, so the 2008 Jaguar Pinot Gris…

  • Attention Wine Bloggers: WBC-or-Bust

    WordPress
    26 Oct 2009 | 4:48 pm
    There’s very exciting news today from WineCHATr about a great contest for wine bloggers who are attending the North American Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla in 2010. And I (aka Write for Wine ) am honored to be a contest judge! So please read and share the information below: blog about it, tweet about it, and most importantly – sign up with WineCHATr and start blogging about the fine wines of Washington state! Announcement: WBC-or-BUST: ROAD TO WALLA WALLA In conjunction with the third annual North American Wine Bloggers Conference, WineCHATr.com is offering 12 citizen…

  • Cellared in Canada, eh?

    WordPress
    25 Oct 2009 | 11:06 am
    The wine industry in Canada has changed a lot since I moved from Vancouver in 1997. And life has been so busy in the Washington state wine industry that I haven’t kept as close an eye on my old stomping grounds. That changed recently with the considerable media attention given to the labelling “Cellared in Canada” (CIC). The recent grapes-of-wrath controversy began on Aug. 17 in a blog post called The Canadian Con by influential British wine writer Jancis Robinson. She noted that the term “Cellared in Canada” – in small print on the back label of a bottle…

  • Cab Classic, Sips N Shoes & More

    WordPress
    19 Oct 2009 | 10:19 am
    David LeClaire puts on some awesome wine events in the northwest – we’ve attended too many to count and always have such a good time. That’s why I want to tell you about a few events he has planned for the next few weeks, so you can put them on your calendar! We’ve always enjoyed Sexy Syrah at Salty’s, so we know we’ll have fun at a similar event, The Cabernet Classic, on Oct. 28 at Shilshole Bay Beach Club — a Grand Tasting of an amazing array Cabernets and Cab-based blends. If you love Cab, like we do, we hope to see you there! So many wonderful…
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    Appellation Feiring

  • Chauvet, Neauport and Natural Wines

    Eleven PM, Ten Bells, wondering where vigneron Thierry Puzelat was, oh, probably out there in Brooklyn getting a black eye or something, while I was drinking K, the gorgeous Marsanne from Dard et Ribo, which Guilhaume Gerard and Cory Cartwright graciously, generously, oiled me with. I didn't catch the vintage but would have to be 2008, though tasted more like the kick ass 2007, decanted. The night was just rolling, I was chatting, and Charnay-based, ever thinking vigneron Eric Texier ran over to me and urgently asked, 'What's the guys name!" Eric last year in France. Eric, give me a clue!' I…

  • An Amphora Intermission: Beaujo to the rescue!

    Needed to clear out some bottles. Charles Krug 2006 Merlot Heron Hill 2007 Blaufrankisch Mud House 2008 Pinot Noir (NZ, central otaga) No one comes to this site to see these wines slammed, so I won't. The only bottle I felt sorry for was the poor American Oak drenched Heron Hill. I believe in the Fingerlakes and want someone other than SIlver Thread and Wiemer to get it right. Come on guys! The terroir is there for the taking! Do something! So obviously something had to be done. Regnie Sans Souffre to the rescue. I've been a fan of the regular cuvee of this producer, one of the few Biodynamic…

  • Amphora/Anfora Wines

    Amphora at Domaine Viret, a wine absent from the Levi Dalton/Convivo anfora tasting last night. I don't like to travel out of the shtettle, but for Levi Dalton ( a long drink of vitovska comes to mind), and the food at Convivio (how is it that this resto never disappoints?) When I found out he was giving encore to his spectacular Summer Orange tasting of wines made in amphora--I shouted, save me a seat. Amphora. Anfora The curvaceous containers are the hottest thing since the Nomblot egg. Like Biodynamics, winemakers are experimenting. Even Nicolas Joly is rumored to be experimenting, though,…

  • Why The Jura Matters

    The first time I had a wine from the Jura that I was aware of? It was about a decade ago at Acquavit. I was there for dinner and saw this wine....Puffeney Vin Jaune. I had no idea what to expect but I had heard buzz about the producer. I was in the mood for white, or what the hell, yellow. I ordered it. The sommelier, without raising an eyebrow, decorked, poured. I knew it wasn't bad but it certainly wasn't what I had in mind and it certainly wasn't a wine to have with dinner. Ronny and I suffered through the difficult, band-aid aromas and flavors, finally making it to the cheese course when…

  • Back To Jura: Bindernagel

    Born in Bavaria, trained as an architecture in Toulouse, Ludwig Binderangel got the wine bug, attended the viticole in Beaune. Wanted land in Burgundy. Was attacked by sticker shock. Could afford the Jura, a wine region that looks like bone fragments, less than an hour away from Dijon. Found 1.5 hectares, a mere thimble full near Arlay.one town over from Etoile. He now commutes to Paris for the architecture that supports his Bindernagle Boondoggle, and placements of his wines in bar a vin and stores such as Vin Insolite near Oberkampf, andthere you go. He had never even tasted Jura…
 
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    The Wine Cask Blog

  • Book Review: In Search of Bacchus, by George Tabor (NW)

    6 Nov 2009 | 5:23 am
    Disclosure: This book was sent complimentary to The Wine Cask Blog from Scribner in exchange for a review.Wine sits at the intersection of geography, history, culture, and cuisine. George Tabor understands this. In his exploration of a dozen wine regions throughout the world, not only does he explore the wines but he explores the very essense of what makes these places special. His writing takes on a whimsical feel as he blends in his own travel memoir to each section of the book. This helps connect the reader to these magical places as he sets out to understand how these places approach wine…

  • Guigal Cotes Du Rhone 2007 wine review by (PB)

    4 Nov 2009 | 2:21 pm
    Very pale gold with a wonderful bouquet of powdery tropical fruit that reminds me of a nice Chenin Blanc with sweet spices rising.Palate--This white is an off dry with steely minerality and a nice acid foundation. Lemons, mandarin orange, bitters, finish with a hint of creme brulee. A tasty white quoff at $15 so raise a glass.--A Review from The Wine Cask Blog. Creative Commons: Attribution - ShareAlike 2.5 applies

  • Patrick Lesec "Beaumes De Venise" 2004 wine review by (PB)

    1 Nov 2009 | 1:42 pm
    Showing age with moderate bricking on the rim bouquet has pleasant notes of stewed fruit with cherry under layer revealing what it was in its youth. The rising aromas are beautiful with vegetal hints but fruity cherry and pipe tobacco notes.Palate--Peppery cherry fruit on a slightly hot base but interesting with stewed minerally veggies finishing with more lingering fruity pepper.I saw this on a closeout and had to grab it if only because this was one of the very first wines of my enophilic endeavors some 33 years ago. I paid about $9 for this in Brookline, Ma. and am glad I grabbed it. Raise…

  • Sean Minor "4B" Pinot Noir Napa Valley Carneros 2007 wine review by (PB)

    31 Oct 2009 | 9:43 am
    This wine was sent to the WCB without charge, for review.Crystalline garnet color that almost shimmers in the glass; Gently spiced Pinot aromas are pleasant with light cocoa, and strawberry being prominent.Palate--Minerally first impression with edgy acidity and almost candied, strawberry and raspberry notes. It delights to the end with a milk chocolate finish and chocolate covered cherries.The reference point on this wine is $17. This is a classy if simple Pinot Noir and for the price, a nice gift for someone cutting their teeth on wine exploration. I haven't seen these wine in my neck of…

  • Pepperwood Grove Old Vine Zinfandel 2005 wine review by (PB)

    31 Oct 2009 | 9:34 am
    My wife grabbed this off the shelf of a local grocery store one evening when she wanted something to drink and I was not at home. She paid a whopping $7 for it. Pepperwood Grove is produced by the Sebastiani family; wine makers with a long and outstanding reputation.This inexpensive wine has some depth of color with Zinfandel aromas. (Before you say, "Duh..." varietals at this price point do not often taste like what they are made from!) But this one actaully has some rustic berry notes in the bouquet. Surprising!Palate--lacks structure, seems a bit flat and my first impression was to "pass"…
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    Zinfully Delicious

  • music test

    PreppyDude
    27 Oct 2009 | 1:02 am
    -file:///Users/Duane/Desktop/09%20Rush%20Over.m4a Posted via email from preppydude's posterous

  • It's Just Dinner

    PreppyDude
    11 Sep 2009 | 5:08 pm
    Spinach, Polenta & Summer Veggies w/ Spicy Pork

  • Dayton Foodie News

    PreppyDude
    25 Aug 2009 | 7:50 pm
    The Last Clambake of the Season              Tuesday August 25th thru Saturday Ausgust 29thClambake Whole Main LobsterLittle Neck Clams, Shrimp, MusselsRed Potatoes, Sweet Onions, Corn on the Cob$39.50We recommend reservations so that we may prepare to serve our guests at the highest level. Help us help you. Please call Josef or Brian or you can make them on line at www.laubergedayton.com Posted via email from preppydude's posterous

  • A slimmer me, just a few short years ago

    PreppyDude
    23 Aug 2009 | 12:55 pm
    Thanks *Shele* for the flash back photo. Does six years count as way back? Posted via email from preppydude's posterous

  • Dayton Foodie News of the Week

    PreppyDude
    20 Aug 2009 | 6:25 pm
    Along with our excitement in announcing our new Executive Chef Jared WhalenL’Auberge is proud to announce the arrival of our new Sous Chef Hilary Ambrose Jr.Mr. Ambrose brings to L'Auberge fantastic continental experience. He apprenticed at the 5 star Carlisle Bay Hotel and Resort in Antigua. He then apprenticed under Executive Chef Stanley Wong at the Famed Spice Market of Jean Georges in New York City. Hilary worked for the Eclipse Restaurant Group in Hong Kong and  most recently moved to Dayton Ohio and to L'Auberge from Macau where he worked for the Eclipse Restaurant…
 
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    Santa Cruz Mountains & Santa Clara Valley Wines

  • A first look at 2009

    Dave
    4 Nov 2009 | 9:13 pm
    The Chaine d'Or winery is maybe 30 minutes from where I work, so when Paul Romero told me he'd be bringing in the last of his grapes I took a long lunch break to go up and see. By the time I arrived the heavy work was done and it was down to what may be the most important part of winemaking - cleaning up. Jerry was hosing down everything in sight (including the dog) while Stef was doing punch downs on the Syrah and estate Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as lab tests on the latest delivery.Much of the wine is now through primary fermentation and is in the barrel undergoing the secondary…

  • Two new releases from Cinnabar (and one older one)

    Dave
    27 Oct 2009 | 9:22 pm
    This review marks a milestone for the blog; it's the first time that a winery has contacted me to submit wines for review.The first wine is Cinnabar 'Lot 310 Philosophers stone'As I've noted before, non-vintage wines and wines with a 'California' appellation can be something of a hard sell. The Philosopher Stone is such a wine; it's a blend of 67% 2006 Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley and Sonoma Valley, and 33% 2004 Teroldego from the Mistral Vineyard in the San Ysidro District.I decanted and served it immediately. In the glass it had a clear, deep garnet colour. The nose jumped out with black…

  • Loma Fire update

    Dave
    27 Oct 2009 | 7:33 am
    CalFire reports that the fire is just 485 acres, down from earlier estimates, and is currently at 75% containment, with full containment expected today (October 27th).Over 1700 personnel are fighting the blaze. There have been 4 reported injuries and three outbuildings or trailers destroyed. All road closures and evacuations have now been lifted.

  • Updated: Loma Fire

    Dave
    25 Oct 2009 | 9:38 am
    The Loma Fire has grown to 800+ acres. A couple of outbuildings have been destroyed and around 160 are threatened. Containment is reported at 20%. It appears to be in an area south east of Muns Vineyard and Loma Prieta; there are a few domestic vineyards around there but no wineries. No word on the cause as yet. More info may be available on the CDF websiteReport of the fire on Mercury News. At least one fire fighter has been injured in the blaze.Search for real time updates on Twitter using the hashtag #LomaFire

  • 2004 Ahlgren 'Bates Ranch' Merlot

    Dave
    17 Oct 2009 | 3:38 pm
    Despite the 16.2% alcohol, there's very little heat apparent. Instead the nose is rather floral, with notes of brambles and coffee.On the palate there's lots of sweet fruit and soft tannins. There's decent acidity too and a lightly spicy finish. A nice wine, but a little on the ripe side for my taste. 88
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    Stefania Wine

  • There is No "Normal" This Time of Year

    Stefania
    3 Nov 2009 | 6:24 pm
    A "Normal" day isn't possible this time of year. Just when you think things are wrapping up, another crush.I was supposed to finish up shipping orders this week, but instead we rushed off to rent a U-haul pick-up truck this morning then headed right to the winery to prep for crush tomorrow. The winery is 45 minutes north of home, the vineyard we are picking up grapes from is 30 minutes south of home. So...all the way up to the winery for prep, then all the way back down the valley to drop off bins. Makes for a long day, especially with the time change...seems like it gets dark around 3pm.I…

  • Chaine d' Or Cabernet Harvest

    Paul Romero
    27 Oct 2009 | 6:59 am
    We still have grapes to come in from Martin Ranch but this was our last pick up the year. Sunday morning we got started at 7:30 on the 1+ acre of Cabernet Sauvignon at Chaine d'Or. Cabernet grapes have tough skins so they made it through the two rain storms just fine. In fact some shrivel I was starting to see before the rain actually went away after the rain.We had a small but highly experienced crew. There were just nine of us total, but everyone was a veteran of many picks. We actually were done picking and had all the bins washed by 11:15. Red grapes are easier to see in the canopy and…

  • Back to work.

    Paul Romero
    26 Oct 2009 | 7:07 am
    Vacations never last long :)We had continued the daily routine of punch downs and checks on the fermenting wine with Millie and Jerry doing the assistant winemaker duties while we were away. Saturday we were back at it again.This year we bought 1 1/2 tons of Santa Cruz Mountains Syrah from Ian Brand. I worked with Ian while he was at Big Basin Vineyards and he manages this 17 year old vineyard. We'll see how the fruit turns out this year. It may go into the Haut Tubee or if it turns out well I'll bottle it on its own.This is all the area we have to process fruit. Millie, Jerry, Ysidro and I…

  • Some Random Photo's from New Orleans.

    Paul Romero
    25 Oct 2009 | 3:45 pm
    We had a fantastic trip. Thursday the 16th when we arrived was very hot and humid, but the other days where great. The 17th was our anniversary and the 19th was my birthday. We came back on the 20th.For everyone who thinks I never leave the French Quarter, I took this waiting for the street car in the Garden district after visiting Magazine Street and walking the Garden District a bit.Our friends Ingrid, Amber, Bill and Yukari came along this time for the trip. We rented a small condo At Dauphine and Orleans in the heart of the quarter. It was a perfect location. The condo was a converted…

  • Terms from Stefania's Post

    Paul Romero
    12 Oct 2009 | 8:29 am
    These are some terms we use from time to time. For winemaking veterans they are familiar but I we though it would be worth going through a few of them:punch downs - During fermentation of red wine the solids in the vat (grapes and clusters) get pushed to the top of the liquid by the CO2 created during fermentation. In order to keep that 'cap' from drying out we take a tool and 'punch down' the cap back into the liquid 1-3 times per day. Since the color and flavor is also in the solids and the alcohol in the juice helps extract these, it also helps with flavors.taking readings - we check…
 
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    Wise Acres Winery

  • 2009 Syrah Fermentation Chart [DRY!]

    gardner
    12 Oct 2009 | 9:19 am

  • Crushing Syrah 10/4/09

    gardner
    28 Sep 2009 | 1:30 pm
    We will be crushing Syrah this Sunday, October 4. Hopefully around noon or 1:00. I will tweet/post from the road Sunday with a better time estimate. Come on by for wine and wet fun. Kids get to foot stomp!

  • Cleared out malware

    gardner
    18 Aug 2009 | 3:56 pm
    I think I found the malicious code and removed it from two postings. Hooray!

  • 2009 Syrah?

    gardner
    16 Aug 2009 | 5:51 pm
    I think so. Can’t count on the PMR Pinot. What do y’all think?

  • Damn Hackers

    gardner
    30 Jul 2009 | 6:47 pm
    Sorry for the malware warning, if you see this then it has been taken care of.
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    Organic Wine Journal

  • International Organic Wine Awards

    Adam Morganstern
    5 Nov 2009 | 8:06 am
    First MUNDUSvini BioFach International Organic Wine Award • Powerful partners: world’s leading exhibition cooperates with MUNDUSvini/Meininger Verlag • Deadline: 21 November 2009 • Tasting from 7–9 December 2009 in Neustadt on the Wine Road The wine segment at the World Organic Trade Fair gets another highlight in 2010 when BioFach and MUNDUSvini/Meininger Verlag organize the first MUNDUSvini BioFach International Organic Wine Award. The organic wine world has presented its products in the day-lit hall 4A at BioFach since 2008 and the new wine award will make it even more…

  • Daily Beast – How Wine Became Like Fast Food

    Adam Morganstern
    5 Nov 2009 | 7:58 am
    Keith Wallace at the Daily Beast has an interesting article about how the top 30 wine brands in the United States aren’t from what we would traditionally consider a true “winery.” While the piece does not deal with the organic side of the issue, it does illuminate how successful the industry is at creating a romantic image of winemaking that doesn’t always exist. Read the article here.

  • Organic Wine Is Crisis Proof

    Adam Morganstern
    5 Nov 2009 | 7:20 am
    Good news from our friends at BioFach 2010. Organic wine is still doing well internationally despite the economic downturns. Germany is predicting a 10% increase in organic wine sales and Austrian organic wines are riding an increased demand from markets overseas, including Japan. French organic wine is “booming,” according to Kai Schamar, partner of VivoLoVin. And in Spain, 90% of the organic wines are being exported. Read the full report here.

  • Antonio Bravo from Emiliana Winery

    Amy Atwood
    5 Nov 2009 | 6:07 am
    I had the pleasure of meeting winemaker Antonio Bravo from Emiliana Winery today. There is quite a bit of online chatter about organic and biodynamic wines but I especially relish the opportunity to discuss these wines with the person who actually makes them. Antonio made vast amounts of conventional wines for huge wine companies like Kendall Jackson in the past.Now he makes smaller quantities of certified organic and biodynamic wines for Emiliana. He started out with some healthy skepticism for biodynamic wine making but became a believer when he saw the grape quality. Not to mention the…

  • Odeon Gets It Right

    Jonathan Russo
    28 Oct 2009 | 9:13 am
    I love this restaurant. One of Keith McNally’s first successes, it’s been a fixture in New York’s Tribeca for 29 years. I lived four blocks away from 1975-1985 during a wild and crazy time in New York so it’s a real trip down memory lane just to step in the place. Odeon is now owned by Keith’s ex-wife Lynn, and she seems to have the joint still jumping. It was all there: the lighting, the ambiance, and the downtown vibe. We stepped in for dinner the other night and had to wait at the bar as the crowds kept flowing in. Shown to a table and given the wine list, I am pleased to…
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    Jancis Robinson

  • Dealing in chefs (Nick on food)

    6 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    David Nicholls, the Food and Beverage Director for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (seen here on the right of Gary Rhodes, Sean Hill and Rick Stein), arrived for lunch at London’s Fino restaurant, looking distinctly uncomfortable, although we have known each other for the past 20 years. He.

  • A South African hobby horse (Free for all)

    6 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    See my recent tasting notes on Great new South Africans . Wine without geography is not unthinkable but in 99% of cases it is unexciting. Wine is one of the few things we can buy for a few pounds or dollars whose label has long told us exactly which spot on the globe produced it. Just as.

  • Women sweep the MW board (Free for all)

    5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    At its annual reception and awards ceremony at Vintners' Hall last Wednesday evening (after a tasting of 2005 bordeaux on which Julia will be reporting next week), eight Masters of Wine (MWs) were formally welcomed into membership of the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW). The following received.

  • Unpredictable Majestic (Tasting articles)

    5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    According to one store manager I spoke to at Majestic's autumn tasting in London, Majestic's reduction of minimum purchase from 12 to six bottles is bringing in more customers but creating more work (more transactions, lower average spend per transaction). It's great news for consumers, though it.

  • Italy's 2009 vintage - and fire sale (Inside information)

    5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    The Assoenologi, Italy’s association of oenologists, has officially declared the 2009 vintage ‘very good’, a positive assessment in an otherwise less than glorious picture overall. Volume is down by 4% in comparison with 2008 (44.5 m hl against 46.3 the previous year), which surely is a good.
 
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    Wine Brands

  • Adegga, the technical wizard behind EWBC

    3 Nov 2009 | 1:06 am
    Since the Social Media Report by VinTank published a couple of months ago, the notoriety of adegga.com increased tremendously and got a much deserved attention. Founded in Portugal by Andre C. Ribeirinho, adegga.com is a very innovative company whose technology is well advanced.In spite of being Portuguese born, adegga.com is an international platform available in Portuguese, French, English, Spanish, Italian and Dutch. Adegga.com and its team, the two Andres and Emidio, were the technical wizards behind the EWBC: all technical problems and glitches were solved with energy and efficiency by…

  • EWBC Goes Green - Part 4

    2 Nov 2009 | 12:50 am
    Back to work and to reality after 3 days in sheer bliss working on wine and social media, meeting my virtual (but good) friends and getting to know more people.Technology people are very often environmentally conscious as they mostly try to work without paper and if they use it, recycle it. They're also aware of the environmental risks created by discarded computers' parts and technological waste. That's why I was not quite surprised when I got the pre-package of the conference sent by email by Gabriella Opaz. Under the self-explanatory title, "EWBC Supports Sustainable Living", our Dream…

  • European Wine Bloggers Conference - Part 3

    1 Nov 2009 | 1:28 am
    Saturday Oct. 31st was THE day of the EWBC conference. We actually worked hard going from one session to an other one, getting in touch with each other and working on important topics: what is a social wine brand? What is the impact of the social media on wine travel? How can wineries answer the challenging issues brought by social media? What kind of relationship can wineries and wine bloggers build? What is the future of the social media in the wine industry?Of course none of us brought a definitive answer to any of those questions. But a few ideas emerged of the lively and sometimes…

  • European Wine Bloggers Conference - Part 2

    31 Oct 2009 | 12:20 am
    Our first day of conference ended last night with a grand buffet and the pouring of the wines of the Douro Boys. But before we were rewarded by such a feast, we had to work hard through two tastings.Both tastings were a real initiation to Spanish and Portuguese wines. Esteban Cabezas, Marketing Director of the Wine Academy of Spain, conducted a fascinating tasting of the fortified, dessert and natural sweet wines from Spain and Portugal usually featured during the Vinoble Fair (Salon de los Vinos Nobles) held in Jerez from May 30 to June 2, 2010. Esteban made a brilliant presentation of the…

  • European Wine Bloggers Conference - Day 1

    30 Oct 2009 | 6:42 am
    I just arrived at the European Wine Bloggers Conference in Lisbon. The conference started yesterday with the live tasting of Cortes de Cima and I'm really sorry I missed the experience.But the fun began as soon as I stepped in the beautiful VIP Grand Hotel in Lisbon (5* - nothing less). I met Gabriella Opaz from Catavino who told me a conference by Ryan and Andre from Adegga was starting. I ran to my room, threw my bag in the closet and went back down. Ryan and Andre were lecturing wineries owners about launching a blog. Very interesting topic that generated a lot of questions from the…
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    McDuff's Food & Wine Trail

  • NorCal 2009, Day Six: Urban Winemaking at Dashe Cellars

    David McDuff
    5 Nov 2009 | 7:45 am
    Ask any hundred people what they consider the heartland of California wine country and Napa will no doubt top the list, followed closely by Sonoma. Ask the same group – and this implies the participants have at least some basic familiarity with the subject matter – about California’s new frontier and I’d hazard a guess that Santa Barbara or Paso Robles, maybe the Santa Rita Hills, would come out ahead. Yet more and more, some of the most compelling wines being produced in California today are coming from winemakers based within the urban landscape of the San Francisco Bay Area.The…

  • I Ate the Yankees

    David McDuff
    3 Nov 2009 | 5:30 pm
    [The stage is set: a cloudy fall afternoon on the Lower East Side of Manhattan; it's Devil's Night Friday. In the background, faint strains of Brit Punk can be heard filtering through the street noise.]"What exactly is a Yankees doughnut," I asked."Glazed with blueberry pinstripes, of course," came the answer. Ah yes, of course.... Then, “Where are you guys from?”“My friends are from San Fran; I’m from Philly.”They still sold me the doughnut, but only after throwing in some raspberries.The doughnut was pretty enough but I refused to take its picture. I'm sure the bakers at the…

  • A Post-Halloween Sun Ra Triptych

    David McDuff
    2 Nov 2009 | 4:50 am
    I predict a few jumps in the blogland timeline over the next few days. For now, think of it as space travel à la the Sun Ra Arkestra, which continues to thrive on the universal energy of music in Mr. Ra’s memory. Under the leadership of longtime member Marshall Allen, the Sun Ra Arkestra kicked off Saturday night’s first performance of “Anti-Jazz: The New Thing Revisited,” a four-part series being cross-promoted by Ars Nova Workshop and International House Philadelphia that continues through next spring. It’s hard to think of a show more appropriate for Halloween night. Funkadelic,…

  • Jo Pithon's 2005 Savennières "La Croix Picot"

    David McDuff
    29 Oct 2009 | 9:00 am
    Though I didn’t realize it at the time I purchased it, Jo Pithon’s 2005 Savennières represents a near end-point in the modern viticultural history of the Anjou. It’s the penultimate vintage ever to be bottled under Pithon’s own label and under his own autonomic control.In 2005, a 95% stake in Domaine Jo Pithon was purchased from its financially strapped owner by Philip Fournier, founder of the telecommunications concern, Afone, which is based in Angers. Subsequently, Monsieur Fournier also purchased the Château de Chamboreau from its previous owner, Pierre Soulez, in 1996. The two…

  • Five for Friday, Including Passing References to QPR and the Tyranny of the Tasting Note

    David McDuff
    23 Oct 2009 | 8:30 am
    For today, just a few notes and pics from a recent Friday get together. It had been too long, so I hope you’ll pardon my indulgences.Rioja Gran Reserva “Viña Tondonia” Rosado, R. Lopez de Heredia 1998$25. 12.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: USA Wine Imports, New York, NY.Drinking like your most comfortable pair of shoes feels, that pair you just can’t bring yourself to part with – soft, supportive, something you’d be happy to wear (or drink as the case may be) all day and just about every day. Showing medium, fully matured acidity, penetrating yet not at all forceful. Say what you…
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    gottannins.com

  • Review - 2006 Buena Vista - Pinot Noir - Carneros

    3 Nov 2009 | 10:33 am
     We enjoyed a bottle of 2006 Buena Vista Pinot Noir - Carneros tonight. It was paired with some risotto and steamed salmon served with some onions and tomatoes. The Carneros region tends to be great for growing Pinot Noir because of the moderate temperature caused by the fog.     Buena Vista's 2006 version has a bit of black cherry on the nose, the finish is fairly pronounced, and the wine is not very tannic.  We purchased the bottle at Von's in San Diego and would recommend it with lighter fare. It will run  you approximately $25. In a rather odd note, the notes…

  • Don Reha, Winemaker, Orfila Vineyards, San Diego, CA

    4 Aug 2009 | 7:35 am
      Don Reha joined the Orfila Vineyards in 2009 after Leon Santoro passed away in January of this year. He has grown up in the wine industry with experience on his childhood family vineyards in Ukiah, CA (Mendocino County). As a winemaker his career started at Fetzer Vineyards in Redwood Valley and studied at UC Davis focusing on Enology and Fermentation Sciences.  Gottannins is happy to provide you with some of his insight. Enjoy! What was the first memory you have of wine?   When my Great Uncle, Joseppi Lorenzi, would give us kids a small “Cheez-Whiz” glass of half wine…

  • Buying Basics - Story by Shoestring Magazine

    3 Jun 2009 | 12:04 pm
     Melissa Massello, founder of Shoestring Magazine, recently spoke with us on our thoughts for her story "Bargain Booze Buying Basics."    Along with Craig and John from one of our favorite stores, BinEnds Wine in Boston, Noah from Crushpad, and Adam Levin from Snooth, we provided thoughts on topics such as wine clubs and helping relax state-to-state shipping laws.   The article can be found here: http://www.shoestringmag.com/eat-drink/eat-drink-bargain-booze-buying-basics Please feel free to leave your comments there. Enjoy. 

  • Justin's 2007 Orphan Finds a Home

    14 May 2009 | 12:56 pm
    There are wines that you expect to be bad, and there are wines you expect to be good.  Often times an expensive wine, that you expect to be good shocks you with its lack of texture, balance or finish.  However, every once in a while a wine that you don't expect too much from, comes along and makes you smile and tell your friends. Justin's 2007 Orphan is that wine.   The one we bought (we actually bought four of them) was $13.99 from Vintage Wines on Miramar Road in San Diego.  Justin's 2007 Orphan has a screw cap, basic bottle and label design.  The price and bottle…

  • I feel like Pinot tonight! - Tasting Pinot Noir - Horizontal Wine Tasting - 2006 West Coast

    8 May 2009 | 7:04 am
    Don't have any plans tonight?  How about a horizontal wine tasting.  Tonight the San Diego group is conducting a horizontal tasting of 2006 Pinot Noir from the West Coast. A Horizontal Tasting involves wines that all come from the same vintage. You decide the vintage and you determine if you are going to place any other limitations on the wines involved.  In our case we will be focusing on the West Coast of the US and sampling wines from Oregon, the Russian River Valley, Santa Cruz Mountains, Carneros, and Santa Barbara. Check Back for the bottles we tasted and winners. …
 
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    Vinix: latest wine tastings

  • Almabruna - Viognier

    6 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm
    I Campetti, Ribolla, Italia Quando ho sentito la prima volta la definizione di "vino da meditazione" ho immaginato un uomo ed un calice di rosso davanti ad un camino, musica jazz o classica di sottofondo e un libro di Coelho. Ma la "bontà" vera riesce a superare ogni immaginazione, così sono rimasta davvero sorpresa quando ho degustato questo Viognier: h.19 al wine-restaurant "Rosso e Vino" di Grosseto, gremito all'ora dell'aperitivo. Non l'ho scelto questo vino, me lo sono trovato in mano su consiglio di Nicola, il manager del locale e l'ho portato alle labbra distrattamente, reduce da una…

  • grappa di zibibbo

    5 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm
    distillerie Brunello, , Italia TASTING PANEL composto da 9 persone 7 appassionati e 2 distillatori. A naso il profumo è intenso , ricco di sfaccettature, etereo Non rispecchia totalmente le ottime qualità olfattive al momento dell'assaggio, a nostro parere è un po troppo spigolosa e dolce. Siamo consapevoli anche del fatto che distillare uve come lo Zibbo non è semplice vista la sua alcolicità soprattutto in distillerie artigianali come quella dei fratelli Brunello.

  • Friuli Cabernet Sauvignon

    4 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm
    Azienda Agricola Beltrame, Bagnaria Arsia, Italia Un vino con una bella limpidezza e un bel colore rubino intenso! Al naso è abbastanza intenso con la classica nota erbacea e di peperone del cabernet ma non fastidiosa, inoltre una nota fruttata di ciliegia e prugna e per concludere un tocco di mineralità. In bocca è subito d'impatto, una spiccata freschezza è un buon tannino che va via elegantemente.E' abbastanza morbido e avvolgente con una discreta persistenza. Potrà stare tranquillamente ancora qualche anno a riposare.

  • Chianti Carminio

    3 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm
    Fattoria Casalbosco, Santomato, Italia Il colore è intenso rosso rubino. Al naso si sente frutta rossa come fragola e ciliegia, che in fondo porta un pò di spezie. Un vino con buono persistenza nella bocca, un vino che anche è complesso e fresco. Si abbina bene con una bella Bistecca Fiorentina. Vedi anche loro sito: http://www.fattoriacasalbosco.com/

  • Bianco di Frasse

    2 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm
    Terreno Azienda Agricola, Greve in Chianti, Italia Il vino è secco, fresco con abbastanza gusto di limone. Profumo di erba e fiore si sente al naso, ma gentile e poco intenso. Si abbina bene con pesce non troppo grasso o affumicato, carne bianco e frutta verdura. Loro sito è www.terreno.se
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    Got Tannins?

  • Review - 2006 Buena Vista - Pinot Noir - Carneros

    3 Nov 2009 | 10:33 am
     We enjoyed a bottle of 2006 Buena Vista Pinot Noir - Carneros tonight. It was paired with some risotto and steamed salmon served with some onions and tomatoes. The Carneros region tends to be great for growing Pinot Noir because of the moderate temperature caused by the fog.     Buena Vista's 2006 version has a bit of black cherry on the nose, the finish is fairly pronounced, and the wine is not very tannic.  We purchased the bottle at Von's in San Diego and would recommend it with lighter fare. It will run  you approximately $25. In a rather odd note, the notes…

  • Don Reha, Winemaker, Orfila Vineyards, San Diego, CA

    4 Aug 2009 | 7:35 am
      Don Reha joined the Orfila Vineyards in 2009 after Leon Santoro passed away in January of this year. He has grown up in the wine industry with experience on his childhood family vineyards in Ukiah, CA (Mendocino County). As a winemaker his career started at Fetzer Vineyards in Redwood Valley and studied at UC Davis focusing on Enology and Fermentation Sciences.  Gottannins is happy to provide you with some of his insight. Enjoy! What was the first memory you have of wine?   When my Great Uncle, Joseppi Lorenzi, would give us kids a small “Cheez-Whiz” glass of half wine…

  • Buying Basics - Story by Shoestring Magazine

    3 Jun 2009 | 12:04 pm
     Melissa Massello, founder of Shoestring Magazine, recently spoke with us on our thoughts for her story "Bargain Booze Buying Basics."    Along with Craig and John from one of our favorite stores, BinEnds Wine in Boston, Noah from Crushpad, and Adam Levin from Snooth, we provided thoughts on topics such as wine clubs and helping relax state-to-state shipping laws.   The article can be found here: http://www.shoestringmag.com/eat-drink/eat-drink-bargain-booze-buying-basics Please feel free to leave your comments there. Enjoy. 

  • Justin's 2007 Orphan Finds a Home

    14 May 2009 | 12:56 pm
    There are wines that you expect to be bad, and there are wines you expect to be good.  Often times an expensive wine, that you expect to be good shocks you with its lack of texture, balance or finish.  However, every once in a while a wine that you don't expect too much from, comes along and makes you smile and tell your friends. Justin's 2007 Orphan is that wine.   The one we bought (we actually bought four of them) was $13.99 from Vintage Wines on Miramar Road in San Diego.  Justin's 2007 Orphan has a screw cap, basic bottle and label design.  The price and bottle…

  • I feel like Pinot tonight! - Tasting Pinot Noir - Horizontal Wine Tasting - 2006 West Coast

    8 May 2009 | 7:04 am
    Don't have any plans tonight?  How about a horizontal wine tasting.  Tonight the San Diego group is conducting a horizontal tasting of 2006 Pinot Noir from the West Coast. A Horizontal Tasting involves wines that all come from the same vintage. You decide the vintage and you determine if you are going to place any other limitations on the wines involved.  In our case we will be focusing on the West Coast of the US and sampling wines from Oregon, the Russian River Valley, Santa Cruz Mountains, Carneros, and Santa Barbara. Check Back for the bottles we tasted and winners. …
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    CheapWineRatings.com

  • Layer Cake Malbec

    Being as into wine as I am, I get into a lot of conversations about wine and I've noticed that there are a few names that come up time and time again.  One of those names is Layer Cake, and that's particularly related to their Shiraz.  I meet people everywhere ...

  • Gascón Malbec

    It seems that in all the wine shops I visit, Don Miguel Gascón is the Malbec that I see everywhere.  Perhaps that's because it's distributed by wine powerhouse, EJ Gallo.  It's named after the original founder of the winery, who moved from Spain to Argentina in 1880 and began building ...

  • Tercos Malbec

    Tercos is a relatively young wine brand, but the men behind it have a long family history in the wine business.  The winery is owned and operated by Pedro and Patricio Santos, sons of Argentine winemaker Ricardo Santos.  Ricardo founded the Norton winery in the 1970's and in more recent ...

  • Trapiche Broquel Malbec

    As I continue this series on Malbec I'm struck by the fact that it seems like it's just been within the past ten years that most of us in the US started to notice Argentine wines, and the rise of Malbec seems to be at the crux of that.  But ...

  • Santa Julia Organica Malbec

    While there are several characteristics to wine that I enjoy discussing and writing about in reviews, my quest ultimately boils down to two critical measures: 1) Is it good? And 2) Is it affordable?  The sweet spot is when a wine does well in both measures.  But when it comes ...
 
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    Rockss and Fruit

  • A long rambling post on the Dressner Tasting, Ten Bells, and other things of importance to 546 people (Part 1 and I promise there will be a Part 2)

    Lyle Fass
    4 Nov 2009 | 3:29 pm
    So Dressner had a two day tasting event of which I only made it to one day because the party at Ten Bells, with VLM, Guillhaume Gerard, Cory Cartwright, Eric Texier, SFJoe, Alice F., Pameladevi, Devlon and whoever else I am forgetting was too much for me. I am getting old and cannot drink that much wine. Cannot do it. But I had a blast. Here are some ramblings from the Dressner tasting.I tasted a lot but got palate fatigue a bit earlier than I normally do. So take these for what it's worth.PepiereThe '08 Gras Mouton was good but not great. I am not loving this new wine at all. It just seems…

  • Halloween Rieslings

    Lyle Fass
    30 Oct 2009 | 3:39 pm
    Had a great dinner at the Peking Duck House with Tom Reddick earlier in the week and we drank some killer Rieslings. We started off with the 2004 Emrich-Schonleber Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen Grosses Gewachs and this wine was singing. My second bottle in three months. Lovely nose of white flowers, intense minerality, some petrol and some lime zest. The palate was rich, but rich in texture and minerality as fruit is second here as the terroir is beautifully expressive. I always get loads of minerality from Frühlingsplätzchen while Halenberg always seems a bit more rich in fruit but still…

  • A Muskateller for the ages

    Lyle Fass
    26 Oct 2009 | 4:23 pm
    Sometimes when you are in the wine biz you get attached to certain wines. Not trophy wines or even famous wines, but just certain wines get you. The wine I am talking about is the 2005 Rebholz Muskateller Spatlese which has to be one of the most exciting wines I tasted all year. I have had it many times before. At the estate, at the initial '05 tasting and also one bottle at Crush when I was buying there. It was such and interesting wine in flavor, palate and especially mouthfeel and mouth placement. I never thought I'd see it again until a little birdy dropped off a couple glasses the other…

  • Big L- Put It On

    Lyle Fass
    22 Oct 2009 | 11:34 am
    What else needs to be said. Just a smoking lyricist. He rhymes in like triplets. So unique. Love the hook but this song is all about the lyrics. My raps steady slammin, I keep a heavy cannonIts a new sherriff in town, and it aint reggie hammondPeace to my peoples, the children of the corn

  • 2005 Gonon St. Joseph

    Lyle Fass
    16 Oct 2009 | 2:50 pm
    Boring title I know but a wine that was far from boring. Actually thrilling stuff. Opened and was immediately tight as a drum. No fruit, all tannins and acidity and tiny peek-a-boo of fruit on the finish. I've had this wine many times before and I know it always needs 1.5 to 2 hours to show itself. So forgot about for a while and then poured more at the 2 hour mark. What a wine! A soaring nose of flowers, beef, olives, raspberry coulis and some slight reduction. The palate of this wine is big, brawny and still tannic but there is oh so much fruit. The darker berry kind with some gamey and…
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    Wine Biz Radio

  • Between The Storms

    randy
    6 Nov 2009 | 2:30 pm
    Kaz and Randy find themselves alone in the studio! What do they talk about? Randy recounts his drop-in visit to Cellars of Sonoma and details some of his findings, and Kaz rattles on about grapes, football, current events, and fielding questions from the online peanut gallery! Cellars of Sonoma [link] Share This

  • Merlovin’ The Danes

    randy
    30 Oct 2009 | 3:30 pm
    It’s “guest-tastic” this week, as Kaz and Randy have Bart Hansen of Dane Cellars along to talk about making wine for a certain Disney-type person. Then they welcome Rudy McClain, creator of the movie Merlove, to talk about the movie as well as the downtrodden variety in general. Randy also lets everyone know that the show needs help! Dane Cellars [link] Merlove [link] Wine Biz Radio needs help! [link] Share This

  • Our #1 Fan

    randy
    23 Oct 2009 | 3:30 pm
    Thea Dwelle (our #1 fan!) joins Kaz and Randy to talk about many of the current events in the wine industry. Did you know that Gloria Ferrer must be Scottish? Also, Randy does a first look at a new video game that lets you run a winery in France. He also starts talking up his next book review! It’s a work-in-progress episode! Thea’s blog [link] Wine Tycoon [link] Share This

  • Best In Show, With Guns

    Wine Biz Radio
    16 Oct 2009 | 3:30 pm
    Kaz and Randy get hijacked! Well, not exactly. But they do learn a lot about English Springer Spaniels, perhaps more than any sane person would want to learn in 20 minutes. Best of all, it does actually get a wine tie-in! They also announce the winner of the dog naming contest, the Randall Grahm book giveaway, and of course the next installment of Hardy Wallace, Murphy-Goode Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent! Share This

  • The Giveaway Show

    Wine Biz Radio
    9 Oct 2009 | 3:30 pm
    We’re giving it all away!! Well, okay, we’re not really doing that, but we are going to give a couple listeners some really nifty stuff! Kaz and Randy give some initial ideas for finding a wine-related name for a listener’s dog! Randall Grahm talks with your favorite hosts to discuss his new book, Been Doon So Long! Paul Mabray idles in the live chat while they quickly review his recent Palate Press article (Part 1 and Part 2) rating of wine-related iPhone apps! It’s all that and more! For a chance to win some of Kaz’s wine, you need to do the following: Comment…
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    Discover Wine from Israel - HaKerem: The Israeli Wine Blog

  • Tel Aviv Wine Festival

    Avi
    2 Nov 2009 | 10:49 am
    I’ve previously blogged about the Jerusalem Wine Festival but I haven’t yet had a chance to attend the Tel Aviv Wine Festival which is held at the Tel Aviv Eretz Yisrael Museum, near Tel Aviv University. Unfortunately, I didn’t bring my camera and my cell phone had one indicator left, so I didn’t want to waste the battery by taking pics. Tel Aviv’s wine festival differs in two main ways: it features less kosher wine and it doesn’t only feature Israeli wine. I had a very interesting Francis Ford Coppolla Zinfandel, but that’s not why you came here!

  • Israel’s World Class Dessert Wines

    Avi
    30 Oct 2009 | 1:41 am
    Unfortunately most Israelis associate sweet wines with Kiddush and religious ritual, and therefore the very word ‘sweet’ has connotations of a cheap and nasty wine. Something which is to be avoided, at all costs. However some of the world’s most sought after and expensive wines are sweet, pudding wines. An Eiswein or Trockenbeerenauslese from Germany, Icewine from Canada or Sauternes from Bordeaux are sweet, but it would be a tragedy if a wine lover never experiences them because of a prejudice against sweet wines. The Eastern Mediterranean is famous as being home to some of the…

  • Yarden at the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival

    Avi
    25 Oct 2009 | 1:41 pm
    Israeli wine has gone global. Yarden, Inc., the American importer of Golan Heights Winery (Yarden, Gamla, Golan) and Galil Mountain Winery, was at the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival Incidentally, I discovered this via Yarden’s inactive Twitter account (I am on Twitter @hakerem)

  • Israel’s Forgotten Brandies

    Avi
    23 Oct 2009 | 11:08 am
    Twenty years ago there was a large market for Israeli brandies. Stock 84 and Brandy 777 were big domestic brands. In the 1990’s Carmel & Tishbi brandies won major international recognition at the very highest possible level. Yet high domestic taxes and the fact that brandy just drifted out of fashion, have contributed to an ongoing decline in Israeli brandy, which has continued until today. This is sad because Israeli brandies are good and deserve better. The new brown spirits of choice for Israelis are Scottish or Irish whiskies, but the major boom in sales has been in vodka. The major…

  • Wine Tasting at Tel Aviv’s Eretz Yisrael Museum – Thursday is Last Day

    Avi
    21 Oct 2009 | 3:15 pm
    From Daniel Rogov’s forum: Wine and Gourmet Magazine will be holding its 12th wine tasting event at Museum haAretz in Tel Aviv on Wednesday and Thursday, 21 and 22 October. A small change this year, for whereas in the past the event featured only Israeli wines, this time imported wines will also be offered for tasting. A list has not yet been made available of wineries or importers participating but when that follows, I shall post additionally.The event will be open on both days from 18:00-23:00 and admission to the event, including a wine glass that will be provided will be NIS 57.
 
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    The Tasting Note

  • #204 Wine list for McDonalds

    4 Nov 2009 | 2:34 pm
    I used to be a big believer in social mobility, but it would appear that it is getting more and more difficult for people of disadvantaged backgrounds to climb the professional ladder.  Days where the Alan Sugars of the world could start with nothing and become a multimillionaire are, it would appear, gone and there doesn't seem to be any signs that this will change soon.  There have even been reports of three generations of the same family living in the same house due to the ever increasing cost of living, which is actually taking us back a hundred years rather than forward.So if…

  • #203 Wine Web Watch... Hong Kong Winery

    3 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am
    Oooh, the environmental lobby would have a field day with the carbon emissions of lugging all the grapes to Hong Kong, just to say you have made the wine there! Why not just ship wine from America or Australia and put another label on it?8th Estate WineryPost this...

  • #202 The good, the bad and the surprising - October

    30 Oct 2009 | 4:45 pm
    Every month I'll be sharing with you the best, the worst and the most surprising wine I've tried.  So for October...The Good: 2007 Graham's Vintage Port (Portugal)Ok, so I know it won't be available for another 18 months, but this is a seriously good port.  Remarkably fresh on the nose, but with a palate full of leather, wood and alcohol, means that this is wine to put away for a quarter of a century.  Order your case now. The Bad: 2008 Wickham Vintage Selection Dry (England)I should be supporting the English winemakers.  It is a local product, there is the whole…

  • #201 Wine Gang Live - Blog Spot Winners

    28 Oct 2009 | 8:08 am
    Nothing like a little self congratulatory blog post I think!  There has been a competition with The Wine Gang and Robert McIntosh's Wine Conversation for bloggers to feature their blog at The Wine Gang's Christmas Fair next week.Entrants had to write a column entitiled Buy smarter and drink better wines, and my article was one of those selected to go down to London and promote their blog, and wine blogging in general.Unfortunately, I'm unable to go (Champagne tasting commitments!) but I'd like to congratulate all the other winners and hope that things go well for them.The Winners…

  • Post #200 The Greatest Food & Drink Pairing - By Nicola Holmes

    27 Oct 2009 | 6:24 pm
    The Great Yorkshire pub.  A place where old men went to have a pint or four after a long shift down the pit, smoke a Woodbine and bet on whippets.  It isn’t the place that one would assume would be the setting for a great food and drink pairing, but it eclipses anything that any wine region can challenge it with.  Before going home to his wife, the working man needed some food to soak up a bit of the alcohol, and so the crisp became a compulsory product in any bar.  Nowadays, not only have the mines closed but the traditional pub is becoming a rarer thing.  So, to…
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    Israeli Wine Direct

  • 13Celsius in Houston Carries Wine from Israel

    Richard
    4 Nov 2009 | 9:13 pm
    I know I’m always talking about how much I love Texas, and Houston in particular. Well there’s more good news out of that great state. The fun hipster wine bar 13Celsius (get a brie grilled cheese with house-made mustard, pickles and chips on the side when you go) now carries 4 wines from our portfolio. Please ask about these wines the next time you are there! Flam Classico Tulip Mostly Shiraz Tulip White Tulip Pelter Chardonnay Tweet This Post

  • Why Do Texas and Israel Seem to Click?

    Richard
    1 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am
    Here is a picture of our table during the recent Houston Cellar Classic (we had 5 wines there!) hosted by The Tasting Room in Houston who now carries five of the wines I import from Israel. I have recently been telling people (and it’s true!) Israel and Texas share the Same Hot Latitude and the Same Hot Attitude I love people from Texas. LOVE ‘ em. I’m excited about all the progress we have made in that great state placing Israeli wines. I don’t quite have explained the deep connection I feel between the energy of what I’m trying to do and the energy of the cool…

  • Israeli Wines Take Stage in Houston

    Richard
    27 Oct 2009 | 7:52 pm
    I received the following email from Jim Veal, Israel’s Director of Trade and Investment Promotion in Houston, late last week. He gave me his permission to re-print an unedited version of his email here for you. Jim was kind enough to pour our wines at the Houston Cellar Classic this past week and he has been instrumental in introducing Texans to great wines from Israel, the birthplace of wine. Richard, I believe the events tonight and tomorrow will be incredible. Tonight, your wines will be served in a Reserve Tasting along with such greats as  B.V. George LaTour Cabernet, Milis, Far…

  • A Taste of Israeli Wines at Lelabar Wine Bar in NYC

    Richard
    18 Oct 2009 | 5:42 pm
    My two favorite wine bars in New York are Terroir and Lelabar. Period. We have wines from our Israeli portfolio in both of them. And on November 8 at 4pm, Lelabar is hosting a Guided Wine Tasting with 6 wines from our portfolio for $60 – all paired with food. Andrew Hotis is a great guy and the wine director there. He’ll be leading the tasting! I hope you will RSVP and plan to attend if you are in the area! Either call Lelabar at 212-206-0594 or email Andrew to reserve a spot at andrew@lelabar.com Here’s a review of Lelabar from earlier this year by my pal Erika Strum on her…

  • Israeli Wine in The Houston Cellar Classic

    Richard
    17 Oct 2009 | 8:37 pm
    So excited to tell you that 5 (!!) of the wines I import from Israel are being poured at The Houston Cellar Classic – Houston’s week-long food & wine festival hosted by The Tasting Room from October 18 – 25. Here are the wines they will be pouring: Pelter Sauv Blanc 2008 Pelter Trio 2007 Flam Classico 2006 Tzora Giv’At Hachalukim 2006 Tzora Neve Ilan 2006 You know I love Houston. And now if you live there you can find serious Israeli juice in The Tasting Room during the Classic and afterwards! Stay tuned for more Israeli wine placements in Houston, as well! Tweet…
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    Lisa Shea's WineIntro

  • Wine Cork Trivet Instructions

    7 Nov 2009 | 3:49 am
    Sometimes step by step instructions complete with photos really help you get through a project. Here are my step by step instructions for making your own wine cork trivet! The perfect use for all those corks that are stacking up. Wine Cork Trivet Instructions

  • Conundrum

    28 Oct 2009 | 4:43 pm
    I'm drinking another bottle of Conundrum, I just want to say again how much I enjoy this. I know it's $30 which is not cheap. But it's "comfort wine" to me, so delicious, full of fruity flavors. I suppose I should mention I have a sweet tooth so people who like really dry wines might not enjoy this :)

  • Baco Pinot Noir Gran Reserva 2007

    26 Oct 2009 | 4:21 pm
    Baco Pinot Noir Gran Reserva 2007 - $14, Chile - very nice for the price, smoky, earthy, cherry, raspberry. Not too heavy.
 
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    365daysofwine.com

  • Wine, Women & Respect: The Nuances of Marketing Wine to Women, at the Boston Wine School

    22 Oct 2009 | 7:10 am
    Full disclosure: I know Doris Hamner. She makes me laugh, she is my friend. We drink wine together. I like Doris Hamner.So when Jonathon Alsop of the Boston Wine School kindly extended an invitation to the tasting event that Doris was hosting last night, I accepted eagerly. The event was called Wine, Women & Respect and, knowing Doris’ background (in wine and as a PhD in sociology), I was keen to hear her thoughts on a subject that I think about often too.I keep a file of notes and ideas related to wine in general that catch my eye and that one day may lead to articles or stories or…

  • 15 Walnut Bistro and Cape Ann Restaurant Week: What’s New on the North Shore

    21 Oct 2009 | 10:46 am
    [This article ran in today’s Gloucester Daily Times.]The thing about 15 Walnut – a local bistro that opened earlier this month in Hamilton – is that it is another restaurant by Chef Jeff Cala. This hardly counts as a strike against it. Cala’s restaurant concepts include the eponymous Cala’s in Manchester, Latitude 43 and Alchemy in Gloucester, and Hale Street Tavern & Oyster Bar in Beverly Farms, all of which enjoy a local following and nearly automatic consideration when residents of any of those towns think about where they’ll go to eat out, either for lunch or dinner or…

  • Wine that’s Good for Your Heart, in More Ways Than One: Rose and Red for Ribbons at Morton’s

    19 Oct 2009 | 8:00 pm
    By Julia TimakhovichFood and wine have always had a potent human power—to unite. Through gathering at meal times and clinking glasses, we come together as family, culture, and community. We communicate with each other. We share experiences about the world around us, discuss politics, show love, make history. And sometimes we fight for a cause.
October is dedicated to fighting for a cure for breast cancer. Morton’s steakhouse of Boston, in partnership with Ruby Wines, hosted a dinner and silent auction tonight to benefit the Susan Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and raise funds for the…

  • Red White Boston’s Contest for Tickets to BU’s Anniversary Celebration, and Some of The More Imaginative Responses...

    14 Oct 2009 | 7:22 am
    The Contest:In 50 words or less, explain why you should win two tickets to the sold-out 20th anniversary celebration of Boston University’s Culinary Program, to be held on Wednesday, October 28.The Responses (or some of the more imaginative of them…) are here:Oh I should be so crazy to think I could win
An evening imbibing, while chances are slim
I do love my wine and my pockets are empty
Have mercy on me and from cost please exempt me!* * * * *For three years at B.U did I dwell
And to be honest, it was culinary hell
For all that tuition
The meal plans were perdition
Send me…

  • Letter from the Vineyard: Harvesting Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at Turtle Creek, Lincoln

    13 Oct 2009 | 6:45 am
    Last September I photographed the harvest at Malk Family Vineyards in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley. It was very early morning, the hired workers were an all-male crew of expert pickers, they were picking only Cabernet Sauvignon, each carried their own tool of a sharper-than-razor miniature scythe which they used at an alarmingly fast pace to slice the bunches from the stem and drop them immediately and whole to the lugs (or bins) at their feet.Last Sunday, at Turtle Creek vineyards in Concord and Lincoln, it was a very different story.Our “crew” were primarily volunteers, men…
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    Imbibe New York

  • Hospices de Beaune Tasting at Christie’s

    Sistah-K
    3 Nov 2009 | 6:46 am
    Last Wednesday, Christie’s opened their their Board Room doors for a tasting of 17 wines from the Hospices de Beaune, preceding the official auction that Christie’s has officiated since 2005. Taking place on the third Sunday of each November, since 1859, the Hospices de Beaune hosts this auction to benefit the charities of Hôtel Dieu.  For Burgundy aficionados [...]

  • Beaujolais and Butternut Mac & Cheese

    Sistah-K
    27 Oct 2009 | 11:09 am
    This month’s installment of Experiments in the Vegetarian Kitchen, written for Snooth, is all about Beaujolais and Butternut Mac & Cheese.  Check here for wine reviews and recipes.  Cheers!

  • Domaine Wine Bar

    Sistah-K
    26 Oct 2009 | 6:57 am
    Situated between a liquor store and a sports bar, Domaine Wine Bar sits just outside the 7-train, one stop into Queen.   But, as we ascended the station stairs, gazing up at the aluminum siding, we weren’t quite sure to think; and then Ellen remembered, she’d been here before, after we’d spent the 4th of [...]

  • Sud de France Festival at divine bar

    Sistah-K
    20 Oct 2009 | 3:19 pm
    Accepting an invite, I attended an event named “Do the French Give the Best O.R.G.S.M?”, sponsored by the NYC Festival Sud de France at divine bar, last week.  Meant to compare the G.S.M’s (blends of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre) of Southern France with those of the “Rest of the World,” it was an event without [...]

  • California WineWorks–The Press

    Sistah-K
    16 Oct 2009 | 12:23 pm
    On Wednesday, Suzanne invited me to California WineWorks, in Ramsey, New Jersey, to partake in the pressing of her group’s Cabernet Franc.  Just one week prior, they’d gone to crush the grapes, which came from Napa, their fist step towards making and bottling their own barrel of wine.  Under the guidance of Craig and Clara [...]
 
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    ShipCompliant: Wine Shipping Blog

  • Wisconsin County and Stadium Local Taxes

    Jeff Carroll - VP of Compliance, ShipCompliant
    2 Nov 2009 | 10:59 am
    All businesses registered with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue received a notice (see below) that county and stadium taxes must be remitted beginning October 1st, 2009. Wineries shipping into Wisconsin are subject to this change. For all orders that were taken after October 1st and shipped to Wisconsin residents, wine shippers must remit the appropriate county and stadium taxes. When filing the Wisconsin sales and use tax return, form ST-12, Schedule CT should be used to report these additional local taxes. The first sales and use tax return with local taxes is due for monthly filers in…

  • Amazon’s Exit From Wine Business Shouldn’t Hurt Wineries’ Online Sales

    Jeff Carroll - VP of Compliance, ShipCompliant
    23 Oct 2009 | 2:40 pm
    The much-anticipated entrance of Amazon.com into the wine industry has come to an end before it ever got off the ground. The prospect of Amazon’s wine site sent a wave of excitement throughout the industry as small and medium sized domestic brands with limited distribution saw an opportunity to get exposure through Amazon’s enormous book of active customers. For foreign brands, the opportunity seemed even more attractive since imported brands don’t have the same rights to ship wine directly to consumers as U.S.-produced brands do. The Amazon program, in theory, would have…

  • Up in the Air

    R. Corbin Houchins, Beverage Industry Counsel
    20 Oct 2009 | 9:25 am
    On September 30, a federal district judge in a New Mexico suit brought by US Airways to free it from state regulation of beverage service ruled that the 21st Amendment prevents the federal government from preempting state regulation of alcoholic beverage service aboard federally regulated carriers. The decision leaves New Mexico regulators free to treat airliners in their airspace as if they were local taverns with respect to licensing, server training and over-service. Although the case does not deal directly with wine distribution, it is a significant addition to the “weak Granholm”…

  • Maine Direct Shipping Permit Applications Available

    Annie Bones, State Relations - Wine Institute
    12 Oct 2009 | 10:30 am
    The direct shipping applications for Maine are now available on the Wine Institute website. The direct shipping permit allows wineries to ship up to 12 nine liter cases of wine to a recipient’s address each year. The Department of Public Safety, Liquor Licensing and Inspection Division has confirmed that there are no prohibited shipping areas at this time. The annual permit fee is $200 plus an additional $100 filing fee. Applicants will have to register with Maine Revenue Services to pay sales and use taxes before submitting their permit application. Maine Revenue Services will send…

  • Montana: No Federal Onsite Shipments, Please

    Sarah Werner - ShipCompliant Research Team
    6 Oct 2009 | 3:17 pm
    The Montana Dept. of Revenue, Liquor Control Division recently confirmed that consumers in Montana are prohibited from receiving direct wine shipments under the Federal Onsite provision (sec. 11022 of Public Law 107-273). Montana law only allows consumers with a connoisseur’s license to receive direct wine shipments. However, the common carriers, FedEx and UPS, have NOT approved Montana for shipment of direct-to-consumer sales, because Montana law requires a consumer to obtain a license to receive such direct shipments. Share This
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    Wine Questers Blog

  • Satori Cellars – a Gilroy treat

    Jim Preston
    31 Oct 2009 | 2:45 pm
    Little Satori Cellars is a new winery north-east of Gilroy in the southern Santa Clara Valley.  They are only open the 3rd weekend of the month now but intend to be open on all weekends starting in July 2010.  Please visit their WineQuesters.com profile for much more information. We were driving along a back road after [...]

  • Cameron Hughes wines – great wines & prices

    Jim Preston
    28 Oct 2009 | 12:29 pm
    Cameron Hughes isn’t a winery and doesn’t have a tasting room.  Cameron is a real guy in San Francisco who buys premium already made wine, bottles and labels it, and sells it mostly through Costco and Safeway. Yep, vintners around California have already made the wine but need to pawn off some for a variety of [...]

  • Holly’s Hill, El Dorado wine region

    Jim Preston
    8 Sep 2009 | 1:02 pm
    This past weekend we finished off a bottle of Holly’s Hill Vineyards El Dorado 06 estate Grenache.  Medium body with an earthy Pinot-like nose and a fine lasting finish.  It has just a light hint of sweetness but is not a sweet wine at all. Nice and dry. So what’s the story about a visit to [...]

  • Sailing with Wairau River wines

    Jim Preston
    26 Aug 2009 | 12:36 pm
    The name Wairau River probably indicates to most readers that this is not California wine. OK, the next hint is that Wairau is Maori for “many waters”. By now you geography geniuses are getting it. Terlato Wines International sent me their New Zealand Wairau River Wines brand 08 Sauvignon Blanc and 06 Pinot [...]

  • Napa Valley Marriott is a tasting room?

    Jim Preston
    26 Aug 2009 | 10:40 am
    Napa Valley Marriott guests are invited to a complementary tasting in the afternoons most days.  The wines are from quality vintners in the Napa Valley, many of them very small operations, and the pouring is done by the vintners or their staff. Most of the wineries seem to be by appointment only types so this is [...]
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    sandihurst wine

  • Aotearoa...

    4 Nov 2009 | 12:13 pm
    New music release from Kiwi band Minuit. Great new Kiwi image-filled video for their new single 'Aotearoa'. In case you didnt know, Aotearoa is the Maori name for New Zealand!

  • Spring Celebration at Sandihurst...

    4 Nov 2009 | 11:50 am
    A warm Sunday afternoon...lounging on the lawn at the Winery, glass of wine in hand, listening to a little live Jazz....sounds ideal. And it was, last Sunday when a couple of hundred people came out to the Winery for our second annual Spring Celebration event. A relaxed day where people could sample the wines of Sandihurst. Local restaurant Langdale provided the food, local artists exhibited their works and there were specially priced 6-bottle cases available in support of The Westpac Rescue Helicopter Trust. The weather was superb and a great day was had by all.

  • How low can you go?...

    2 Nov 2009 | 12:23 pm
    I was very surprised to read a blog post over on http://wineeconomist.com/ about a cheap store called Grocery Outlet. Their mission, it seems, is to source and provide known brands at well below normal retail price. Which is fine of course. And they sell wine too, great. But the later half of the post is devoted to three New Zealand wines, all of them outrageously cheap. .Understandable is the Babich wine, a 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, which is no doubt a large volume lower tiered label that looks to deal with the large 2008 vintage surplus. Whats shocking are the other two wines, an Isabel…

  • Unlocking the Wine Vault..

    1 Nov 2009 | 1:44 am
    He doesnt wear a hat or sport a moustache but thats just an extra feather in the cap of the excellent Jayson Bryant from The Wine Vault. Not only does he run his wine store in Grey Lynn, Auckland, but Jayson has been at the forefront of wine promotion in New Zealand through the Internet with his blog and WineVaultTV program and social media sites like Twitter (he is @thewinevault).You can also catch him on the Radio Wammo show on Kiwi FM. In the clip above he talks a little about Sandihurst and reviews our Central Otago Pinot Noir 2007. We also love Jayson who reviewed our 2006 Canterbury…

  • Whats he like?

    28 Oct 2009 | 7:28 pm
    And what was he thinking ? Celebrity sommelier and all round pukka bloke, Matt Skinner has just released his new book 'The Juice 2010'. Subtitled 'the coolest guide to the hottest wines' with the ringing endorsement on the front cover by mate Jamie Oliver claiming 'I have learned more about wine from Matt than anyone else'. .All good and well until it emerges that some of the New Zealand wines he has reviewed were not even in the bottle at the time the book was released. So he has not in fact even tasted them!
 
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    Robert Francis Wine Blog

  • Wine Fairs Off the Starboard Bow !!

    admin
    5 Nov 2009 | 2:48 am
     Quick reminder that there are a couple of wine fairs happening in the next week or so. Galwegians – The Cases Wine Warehouse Wine Fair is on tonight the 5th November – Further Details Click here The Good Wine Show in Cork with Bubble Brothers, Curiouswines and Karwig Wines is on next weekend in the peoples republic of Cork – Click here Hope to see you at both !

  • Full Media Round Up – Saturday 31st October 2009

    admin
    2 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am
    Irish Times – John Wilson Cullen Kevin John Chardonnay 2006, Margaret River, Western Australia, 13.5%, €49.99  Expensive, but this is the best Chardonnay I have tasted this year. Fans of white Burgundy, used to shelling out this sort of money for their Pulignys and Meursaults, should have no problem paying a similar sum for this wine. It is superb, with rich, creamy, complex fruit, perfectly judged spicy oak, cut through with zesty notes of lime, and a finish that lingers beautifully. Stockists: 64 Wines, Glasthule; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock; Fallon & Byrne, Dublin 2 Domaine…

  • Video Blog #50 – Lamarca Prosecco from Karwig Wines. A tasty little bugger !!

    admin
    30 Oct 2009 | 2:30 am
    Click here to view the embedded video. Hurrah – I made it to 50 ! In the first of my wine series with Karwig Wines I tasted a Prosecco from Lamarca. Let see how it gets on and see you next time on robertfranciswine.ie

  • The Lizard Merlot VDP 2007 – Clever Logo = Clever Wine ?

    admin
    28 Oct 2009 | 2:31 am
    The Lizard Merlot VDP 20007 Critter wines have been around for a number of years now – this is where the vineyards put a cute animal on the bottle to help you remember it the next time. Yellow tail, Mad Fish and pretty much another animal have in some way been used on a bottle label. Roberta, my wife, would be the first to admit that she cannot remember names on a bottle of wine. But she will recall if there was an animal or distinctive logo on it – proof that the logic works I suppose. So lets see how the latest critter wine to cross the tasting table here at robertfranciswine…

  • Video Blog #49– Torbreck GSM [O'Briens Wine Series Pt 4]

    admin
    23 Oct 2009 | 2:30 am
    Click here to view the embedded video. In the final part of my Wine series with O’Briens Wines I taste the GSM from Torbreck. This wine retails for €19.99 – Hailing from a hugely successful vineyard in the Barossa Valley I was really interested to taste this wine. Lets see how this wine gets on ! Check it out and see you next time on robertfranciswine.ie
 
 
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    Wine For Newbies

  • Wine Vidcast 4: Two German Rieslings

    William Wilson
    1 Nov 2009 | 11:58 am
    German wines are wonderful, but the entire topic can be, well, hard to learn. The ancient looking wine labels, hard-to-pronounce German names (hard for some of us, anyway), and words like “kabinett” or “trockenbeerenauslese” can send the faint-of-heart running toward a bottle of Chardonnay. If this is you, it’s time to screw your courage to your sticking place and learn about German Rieslings. In this video, we take the entire subject and break it down into small morsels, and then focus on just two of the many styles. If you learn them one or two at a time,…

  • Wine For Newbies–behind Wine Library TV, ahead of Martha Stewart

    William Wilson
    28 Oct 2009 | 7:13 pm
    We all know that Gary Vaynerchuk’s Wine Library TV is the 800-lb gorilla when it comes to wine blogs and podcasts. Heck, he even gets to do his show from Epcot at the Food and Wine Festival. So, it was with great satisfaction (and a hint of giddiness) that I happened to see the “most popular podcasts” in the iTunes Arts/Food directory. There’s Wine For Newbies 2.0, ranked number five, with Wine Library TV ranked number three. And ahead of Martha Stewart’s podcast. Speaking of Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival, I’m going to be there from November 4…

  • Dump your Champagne flute

    William Wilson
    25 Oct 2009 | 1:10 pm
    For decades, maybe even centuries, the Champagne flute has been touted as the best way to enjoy Champagne. Fortunately, this way of thinking may be on the way out. Dr. Vino has a post about comparing Champagne served in a flute with Champagne served in a white wine glass, among other topics. It’s refreshing to see this issue raised, and I find hope in the fact that one of France’s major Champagne houses, Charles Heidsieck, is pushing the idea of changing to a standard wine glass. Of course, this all begs the idea of whether wine glasses really do make a difference. The answer is a…

  • Wine shipping laws–the battle continues

    William Wilson
    19 Oct 2009 | 4:37 am
    Longtime readers know that I’m a proponent of “freeing the grapes.” Indiana, among other states, has some ridiculous wine shipping restrictions that make it impossible for me to join various wine clubs. I can’t even order wines that I can’t get in my local area. Although I haven’t tried, I suspect that it’s easier for me to buy a gun over the Internet than to buy wine online. Two articles on this topic came to my attention over the weekend. The first, from Palate Press, talks about the silliness in general. It’s a must read. The second (also a…

  • Wine Vidcast 3: Meritage wines and aging red wines

    William Wilson
    18 Oct 2009 | 6:15 am
    A bottle of 1999 wine from Washington State offers up some good lessons on aging your red wines and what a “meritage” is (plus how to properly pronounce it!). Enjoy!
 
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    Sommelier India - India's only wine magazine

  • HKTDC International Wine & Spirits Fair

    5 Nov 2009 | 4:07 am
    The second Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC)'s International Wine & Spirits Fair is well under way. There are 520 exhibitors from 34 countries and regions. The exhibitor total has more than doubled from the inaugural Fair which took place last year. France is the 'partner country' for this year's fair and many of the activities and tastings organized have a strong 'French' theme to them. Sommelier India correspondent Harshal Shah reports from Hong Kong.

  • Sommelier India Issue 6 of 2009 on the stands!

    4 Nov 2009 | 6:48 pm
    Don't miss the latest issue of Sommelier India. As a test case and special preview for our subscribers and readers around the world we are publishing the last edition of the year online. Tell us what you think of this new publishing format. With articles like The Changing Styles of Wine (Jancis Robinson), Going Sweet on Asia (Harshal Shah), What's a Medal Worth? (David Cobbold) and Gourmets of India, Rejoice! (Ruma Singh), this is an issue you won't want to miss. You can also subscribe to the print edition and receive it in the post.

  • Which wine with Chinese cuisine?

    4 Nov 2009 | 2:35 pm
    The second edition of the International Congress of Chinese Cuisine & Wine (ICCCW) organized by Ch'ng Poh Tiong, well-known wine writer and publisher of Asia's second oldest wine publication, "The Wine Review" (since 1991) and the world's first "Chinese Bordeaux Guide" (since 2000), was a great success. The inaugural ICCCW took place last year in Beijing at the Shangri-la China World Hotel. This year it was held in Singapore between 19 and 21 October 2009. Reva Singh reports.

  • Viva Espana! Bangalore enjoys Spanish cuisine and wine

    3 Nov 2009 | 6:21 am
    The flavour last week at Bangalore's fine dining restaurant and tapas bar, Caperberry, was distinctly Spanish - even more than usual. No wonder, as the evening of Thursday, 29th October saw the launch of week-long food and wine festivities in the form of the Spanish Food Festival in association with Torres Wines at the restaurant, reports Ruma Singh from Bangalore.

  • Don't miss the SIWC Gala Dinner

    3 Nov 2009 | 5:23 am
    The Sommelier India Wine Competition First Annual Gala Dinner will be held on November 20th, 2009 at the ITC Grand Central, Parel, Mumbai. Be there as the winners of the 2009 competition are revealed. Book now to confirm your place by emailing info@siwc.in. Special thanks to our sponsors Kingfisher Airlines, Grape to Glass (Riedel), AutoHanger (Mercedes Benz), Cadbury and Vacu Vin.
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    grapeinabottle

  • planning the perfect Halloween party

    Rob
    30 Oct 2009 | 9:07 am
    In today’s post I will reveal my wine list for this weekends Halloween party.  What better way to enjoy giving out candy to the neighborhood children than to have a wine tasting at your Halloween party. For this spooktacular wine tasting event we will be sampling Vampire Cabernet, Black Cat Syrah, Evil Chardonnay, Evil Cabernet, Valley of Moon Zinfandel, and Ghost Pines Cabernet.  If you choose to serve these same Ghoulish Wines please feel free to share your tasting notes.  I will give a full tasting report after this Halloween wine tasting event.

  • Preparing for your Hallowen party? Here is a great start.

    Rob
    28 Oct 2009 | 7:58 am
    I thought these bobbling skull wine stoppers would be a great beginning to plan the perfect Halloween party. You can’t just serve ghoulish punch, of course you will need wine and I will discuss which wines I will be serving in part 2.

  • commemorating the moment with martellotto cabernet sauvignon

    Rob
    26 Oct 2009 | 12:50 pm
    It’s the moment I’ve been waiting for. No, not the birth of our new baby.  (Although, yes, that too was highly anticipated in our house.) My first postpartum glass of wine. It had to be big and bold.  I didn’t want a flavor that would taper into wimpy; I wanted something that would swirl around my mouth, and warm it into a “Thank God I’m not pregnant” smile. My glass of 2006 Martellotto Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles perfectly fit the bill.  Full of smoky oak and a healthy alcohol content (13.5%), this bottle tasted even better after 24 hours of being…

  • 4 Oct 2009 | 4:43 pm

    Rob
    4 Oct 2009 | 4:43 pm
    I tried a great shiraz this week from Shoo Fly Wines. This Australian shiraz brimming with spicy dark fruit flavors produces a bold and delicious drink. With pepper and and earthy mint undertones this is a great wine to enjoy with friends while sharing a pizza during the football season. At $14 USD this wine is definitely worth trying.

  • Red Diamond Shiraz Shines at my Bar-b-que

    Rob
    16 Aug 2009 | 6:50 am
    Image of Red Diamond via Snooth As our daughter celebrates her third birthday and enjoys hamburgers, hot dogs, and cake, the adults at the party enjoyed a nice bottle of Red Diamond Shiraz. This medium bodied peppery wine was perfect with its raspberry jam and honey finish mingled with spicy floral undertones. For under $10 there will be plenty of bottles to go around.
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    Grape Wall of China

  • Beijing Hilton Food & Wine Experience: Win tickets, overnight stay

    - By Jim Boyce The only thing better than spending seven hours sampling from among hundreds of wines – as well as chocolate, coffee, beer, and more – at the Beijing Hilton Food & Wine Experience would be to then stumble, stagger, crawl – what have you – up to a room afterward. Alack and alas, that [...]

  • Sommelier stuff: Tutorials, wine challenge to be held at Food & Hotel China

    Asia Wine Institute head Tommy Lam will lead three tutorials during the Food and Hotel China 2009 trade show slated for November 18 to 20 in Shanghai: November 19 (3–4.30): PM: How to become certified by the Court of Master Sommeliers November 20 (10–11.30 AM): An introduction to basic sommelier skills November 20 (1–2:30 PM): How to increase [...]

  • Wine tasting in China: Carrefour fall wine fair in Beijing

    By Jim Boyce A last-minute reminder that the Shuangjing Carrefour store holds its fall wine fair from 6 PM to midnight with hundreds of bottles to sample. Most of them are entry-level and this offers a chance to find and stock up on “house” wine, especially as most products have a 20 percent discount. Tip: BYOG. At [...]

  • China’s best wines? Grace Vineyard, Silver Heights tasting this Friday in Beijing

    By Jim Boyce China is a major wine producer and a growing wine consumer, but the average wine sold under domestic labels is disappointing. As noted here, this is due to everything from the pursuit of high-yield harvests to the use of unripe grapes to the blending of local and bulk imported wine to an emphasis [...]

  • Open job interviews in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore: Dinex Group seeks managers, chefs, sommeliers

    By Jim Boyce The Dinex Group, which represents the restaurants of Daniel Boulud in New York, Vancouver, and Beijing (Maison Boulud), among other places, is seeking managers, sommeliers, and head, sous, and pastry chefs. Dinex will hold “open call” interviews over the next week in Asia. The interviews kick off on October 27 and 28 in [...]
 
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    Anything Wine

  • On the Monticello Wine Trail with Pollak Vineyards

    vcuspoon
    3 Nov 2009 | 5:10 am
    A week or so ago I wrote about my visit to Blenheim Vineyards with Frank and Dezel. On the same trip we visited one of my Virginia favorites, Pollak Vineyards, and met up with friend and winemaker/GM Jake Busching. On this visit, we also had the opportunity to taste and visit with Dave Pollak, the owner of the winery. I have written about Pollak several times in the past and on the tasting menu there weren’t too many new wines since our visit back in May. We did get to sit down and taste some new releases though and a couple that I had not tasted before. The wines… 2008 Viognier…

  • From Poop to Juice

    vcuspoon
    2 Nov 2009 | 7:55 am
    We sat in a van surrounded by large piles of poop, food waste and fish heads, while seagulls circled hungrily above. While some may see a garbage dump, others see a nutrient-rich (and highly coveted) compost pile and a key ingredient to fine wine production. We have visited many wineries and vineyards over the years, though we have never encountered such a monstrous pile of poop as that which resides on the Macari Vineyard site on the North Fork of Long Island, NY. (Don’t worry, this is nowhere near the tasting room!) As we rode around the vineyard property (all 500+ acres; 220 under…

  • Harvest Images from Shinn Vineyards

    vcuspoon
    29 Oct 2009 | 5:46 am
    Crushing and pressing Chardonnay grapes at Shinn Vineyards.

  • A Sparkling House in Long Island?

    vcuspoon
    29 Oct 2009 | 5:27 am
    Yes it’s true there is a sparkling house on the North Fork of Long Island. Not that making sparkling on the North Fork is odd, there are actually a lot of good Method Champenoise sparklers being made on the island. The fact that they employ a sparkling only model is the odd/brave part. We visited Sparkling Pointe about 4 hours after they opened there doors this past Sunday and were greeted by a sparkling white facility complete with a VIP room with bubble chandeliers and an elevator (it was required for code). The idea of a sparkling only winery isn’t new, many reside in…

  • Visiting Blenheim Vineyards

    vcuspoon
    22 Oct 2009 | 11:19 am
    View from the tasting room I spent Sunday and Monday touring around Virginia Wine Country with Dezel Quillen of My Vine Spot and Frank Morgan of Drink What U Like, meeting with wine makers and vineyard managers, exploring what was in bottle as well as the newly pressed ‘09 vintage. You know it’s awesome when you meet wine makers who inspire you. The ones that truly craft wine they believe to be great, and have a palpable love for the grape, both on the vine and in the bottle. I met a few such wine makers this weekend touring the Monticello wine trail, some of whom I met before,…
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    A Good Time With Wine» A Good Time With wine

  • Lets taste James David Cellars 2005 Central Coast Syrah

    Matt.mmwine
    4 Nov 2009 | 12:15 am
    James David 2005 Central Coast Syrah I absolutely love the tremendous amount of variety and diversity there is in the wine world. I love how the same grape, grown in the same area, perhaps even at neighboring vineyards, can taste so different.  The influence of the methods the winemaker uses to ferment and age the wine as well as the care and growing conditions the vineyard manager employs can change your perception of a varietal magically. I haven’t reviewed many Syrahs on the blog, and the ones I did review previously really didn’t trip my trigger, so to speak. It was,…

  • Is Dr Loosen Erdener Treppchen Spatlese Riesling your Thanksgiving white wine?

    Matt.mmwine
    2 Nov 2009 | 12:13 am
    Dr Loosen Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese 2007 With October just finished, and people already planning their 2010 Oktoberfest parties, I thought it would be a great time to review a German Riesling. If you haven’t had a Riesling before, or only have had Rieslings from California or Washington, I recommend you find and enjoy a German one soon. There are many great Riesling producers in the Mosel region of Germany, or Mosel-Saar-Ruwer as it was previously named. I’ve reviewed this wine’s cousin before, another Riesling from the same producer, but this one is a bit more…

  • Rudera Chenin Blanc – Delicious doesn’t do it justice

    Matt.mmwine
    27 Oct 2009 | 12:28 am
    Ready to taste Rudera Chenin Blanc 2007 The sign of a good bottle of wine is when it’s finished, you are sad that it’s  gone, and lament that you did not sip slower to make it last longer. Tonight’s wine, a Chenin Blanc, was exactly that bottle. I found myself rationing my sips, and secretly wanting to pour a tad less for Robin, so I had more for myself. Though I’ve had quite a few different wines made from Chenin Blanc grapes, I haven’t reviewed one on the blog. So, we were both in for a treat when I opened a bottle of Rudera 2007 Chenin Blanc this evening.

  • Epcot Food and Wine Festival 2009 – Not so epic

    Matt.mmwine
    26 Oct 2009 | 12:36 am
    Matt at Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2009 We always have a good time at the Disney parks, whether with the kids, or with our adult friends. Robin & I decided it was time for an “Adult Weekend”, and planned a trip to the Epcot Food and Wine festival with our good friends Tom and Scottt. As Florida residents, the discounts available to us make it a quick and usually relatively inexpensive weekend getaway. We were all very excited to try some different wines as well as interesting food creations, and just have a Magical day. We arrived on Disney property Friday evening and made…

  • Red Wine From Navarra Spain – Marco Real – Garnacha

    Matt.mmwine
    23 Oct 2009 | 12:30 am
    Video Wine Review of Marco Real Garnacha I’ve had a hard time writing this wine review for several reasons. My opinion of this wine disagrees with both Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate reviews. Now, I don’t mean to suggest that WA and WS are the end-all-be-all of wine information, but it causes me to pause and reflect on the wine. I often hesitate to recommend a wine that isn’t varietally correct, because I know some wine geek out there will blast me for it. However, Robin’s opinion of this wine was identical to mine, so without further ado, lets talk about Marco Real…
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    Caveman Wines: Wine PR, Wine Public Relations, Wine Marketing

  • Napa, wine prices, and the economy

    Michael Wangbickler
    2 Nov 2009 | 9:25 pm
    On a recent visit to Haber Family Vineyards on Howell Mountain in Napa Valley, Ron Haber brought up a recent comment I had posted on Duane Pemberton’s WineFoot.com. The comment was in response to Duane’s question on why Napa wine are so expensive. Duane’s assertion is that Napa wineries “overcharge” for their wines. While I understand the perception that Napa wines are expensive, there are reasons. Here was my response: There are additional factors that can affect the price of the wines. In fact, just about everything is more expensive in Napa. They have highly…

  • What we need… is a blog!

    Michael Wangbickler
    19 Oct 2009 | 4:38 pm
    I’ve heard this phrase countless times from wineries interested in exploring the world of social media marketing. The truth is, however, that not every winery needs or should have a blog. Before starting a winery blog, here are a few things you might want to keep in mind: What are your goals? Why do you want a blog? What will it be about? Do you have a clear understanding of the benefits of having one? Your blog will be doomed to failure if you don’t have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish. Set down a plan of action and follow it. It doesn’t have to be complicated,…

  • There’s wine from the Midwest, doncha know?

    Michael Wangbickler
    15 Oct 2009 | 9:41 pm
    Map courtesy of http://iguide.travelQuick! Name the first American Viticultural Area (AVA) established in the United States. Napa? Nope. It was Augusta, as in Augusta, MISSOURI. WTF? Yep. Recognized on June 20, 1980 by the then Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), now the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), the Augusta AVA has the distinction of being the first. The oldest operating winery in the U.S.? Sonoma? Wrong again. That honor belongs to Brotherhood Winery in New York. My point? Not only do they make wine outside of California, but in certain areas they’ve…

  • Bio-dynomite!

    Michael Wangbickler
    13 Oct 2009 | 3:14 pm
    A little over a week ago, Benziger Family Winery hosted a blogger event at their estate. A dozen bloggers were in attendance as the folks at Benziger rolled out the dog-and-pony show. And what a show it was. Benziger Family Winery was established as an 85-acre family estate in Glen Ellen, California. That’s in Sonoma Valley, for those that don’t know. The family made it’s fortune on the Glen Ellen wine brand, which it sold to Heublein in 1993. But, they kept their family estate in Glen Ellen and continued to make wine under the Benziger label. Long before that though, the…

  • Why you need Cruvee

    Michael Wangbickler
    8 Oct 2009 | 9:48 am
    Yesterday, Cruvee announced a new suite of features. I’ve been using Cruvee for the better part of a year now, and am very pleased with this recent development. In case you don’t know, Cruvee is a business intelligence platform for monitoring and managing social media mentions specifically about wine. The new features greatly enhance the already useful service Cruvee offers and give wine companies the solution they need to better asses who is talking about their brands and what they are saying. The new features include, among others, unlimited search results, unlimited users, and…
 
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    American Winery Blog

  • Email Marketing: Holiday Tips

    Erica Sharp
    27 Oct 2009 | 10:18 am
    The holidays are nearly upon us, and you know what that means… Smoking hot holiday deals! Boxed sets! Mixed case specials! Stocking Stuffers! Tasting events! Email is a wonderful way to spread the word about what you have going on at your winery this holiday season. Just a few tips to maximize your holiday email campaigns: 1. Use a compelling subject line. The average inbox is loaded with spammy email offers and the last thing you want is for your beautifully designed holiday email to get overlooked or worse yet, end up in the trashcan! Lead with a special offer – “Save 25% on holiday…

  • Winery Spotlight: Airfield Estates

    Stacy Buchanan
    13 Oct 2009 | 11:06 am
    When you hear stories of wineries’ and their estate vineyards’ origins, there always seems to be a common thread – a history that led to the winery’s creation. Sometimes it centers around families that immigrated from elsewhere, or perhaps it’s a family tradition in farming that lead to grape growing. Much like their name denotes, Airfield Estates has a unique and distinct story which is grounded in the history of aviation in Prosser, WA. Founder H. Lloyd Miller leased the land, located primarily in south-eastern Washington, to the Olympic Air Transport Company…

  • Lindi’s favorite Pot Roast Recipe

    Lindi Kauer
    5 Oct 2009 | 3:49 pm
    It’s fall.  The weather is getting cooler and and you are starting to layer your clothing again.  In my mind, now is the perfect time for some comfort food.  Although this recipe takes a bit of time, I am sure you could probably chuck all the ingredients into a slow cooker on low and leave for work in the morning, to come home to a delicious meal that night.  This is one of my favorite recipes because it puts a tiny spin on a timeless classic. Ingredients 4 TBS Olive Oil 4-5 lb bottom round roast 1⁄2 large sweet onion, diced 2 small shallot, diced 6 cloves of garlic – some…

  • Take your fun with champagne seriously

    Stacy Buchanan
    29 Sep 2009 | 11:01 am
    Champagne has always been a horse of a different color in the wine world. Besides the fact that champagne is only made in the aptly named Champagne region of France (if produced elsewhere it’s simply sparkling wine, with a few exceptions), I’ve always found the cork fascinating as well. As naive as it might sound, I just recently learned that the mushroom-shaped cork for champagne bottles actually starts out as a normal cork; it isn’t until the bottling process that the normal corked is mushroomified. Crazy! Like the many different varietals of wine in existence, champagne…

  • Email Marketing: Getting Started

    Erica Sharp
    23 Sep 2009 | 11:11 am
    Wineries: today I want to talk to you about a little thing called email marketing. If you are already utilizing email as a tool to communicate winery news, sales and specials with your regulars and wine club members, YOU ROCK! If you are not using this valuable tool, then it is time to crawl out from under that rock and get started. Email marketing is an inexpensive, powerful way to keep people interested in your winery goings on and drive sales. And it is NOT hard to get started. Step one: If you are not already capturing email addresses on your website and in your tasting room, this is the…