Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2012/07/test-kitchen-video-tip-choosing-a-bread-wash.html
Monday, 31 December 2012
I have seen the future of artisan wine, and it comes in a can
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/4sUTVA9ewao/
Champagne Jacquesson
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/lBkymVG6l_c/
A Little Competition Never Hurts!
20% Off $250 at Blanchards: Six Wines to Buy Now
Here are six wines I thought were nice deals for one reason or another:
- 2010 St. Cosme Gigondas Valbelle $62.99 ($50.39 after 20% off)
The regular St. Cosme Gigondas (95WS/$41) got all the attention, but this one was rated 97 points. Nationwide low price here. Buy buy buy! - 2007 Le Vieux Donjon $64.99 ($51.99 after 20% off)
Still some great 2007 CdPs around, and this is one of my favorites. - Anthill Farms
Ample availability even for their single vineyard Pinots makes me refrain from buying their wines mailing list. Check out their 2010 Anderson Valley bottling for $37.99 before discount to get a feel for their style. - 2009 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel $32.99 ($26.39 after 20% off)
If there was a "quality never goes out of style" winery for me, it's Ridge. Or maybe it's more like "nobody ever got fired for ordering Ridge". Hard to beat this wine south of $30. - 2009 Shafer Relentless $74.99 ($59.99 after 20% off)
The 2008 vintage of this wine (96 points/$60) was recently named Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year. It was released quite a while ago and is very difficult to find. The 2009 was just rated 95 points and is still available. They have only a few bottles left so act quick especially on this one. - 2009 Benton Lane Oregon Pinot Noir $22.99 ($18.39 after 20% off)
An Oregon Pinot Noir recommendation here on the WWP? You've got that right! I've been on a roll with 2009s from Oregon lately and I've enjoyed Benton Lane south of $20 in the past. Grab this one as a filler.
Visit their website at http://blanchardsliquor.com to browse their inventory and place an order.
Don't live in MA? Here's an offer from Wine Library with wider geographical applicability.
The deals have been coming fast and furious this CyberMonday. Follow me on Twitter for more wine deals: @RobertDwyer
Question of the Day: What are some of the better deals you see at Blanchards right now?
Alan Kerr?s Vintage?s October 13th Release ? Tasting Notes
I have seen the future of artisan wine, and it comes in a can
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/4sUTVA9ewao/
Spectator Surprises (almost) Everyone with Shocking Pick
It certainly hits the metrics we've been looking for (95+ points, < $100, 1,000+ cases produced) so why was it surprising? Why didn't we see this coming? I think there are several reasons...
First, Wine Spectator has now chosen a wine from California the last 3 years. Last year was the Kosta Browne Pinot Noir (Sonoma) and the year before that was the Saxum James Berry (Paso). Taking it further, the prior winner was also domestic - the Columbia Crest Reserve Cab. Taking it even further the year before that was the Chilean Clos Apalta. This makes it 5 straight years of new world wines. I think a lot of us thought it was time for an old world wine to win, and with the great vintages from France rated this year the timing seemed right. Further, there's been some speculation that Spectator likes to spread the task of writing up the wine of the year around their senior editors. Poor James Laube had to do the write-up once again! Oh well, I guess he gets bragging rights that he's selected the Wine of the Year 3 years in a row.
Second, I think a lot of suspect that they're going to choose a wine from a region whose story they want to tell. For wines released this year, that story seemed almost certain to be from 2010 Rhone. Or 2009 Bordeaux. But what story is there to tell from 2008 in Napa for a somewhat quirky blend like the Relentless? Not much. It seems to be a play towards telling a story from a specific winery rather than a category.
Finally, Spectator just rang the bell a couple years ago for a California Syrah blend with the Saxum James Berry nod. That wine is a Grenache/Mourvedre/Syrah to the Relentless' Syrah/Petite Sirah but still -- it seems strange to have another wine so similar to the Saxum just 2 years later.
I admit: I was stunned by the California selection. Didn't see this one coming. The only time I had the slightest hunch there might be a California wine selected was when I was watching their Top 10 videos and James Laube (their editor for the wines of California) only made one appearance for wines 10 through 2 for the Beringer Reserve Cab selection. But I didn't expect California to take the top spot this year because there hasn't really been an extraordinary category from California rated this year.
So, it was a well-played suspenseful list from Spectator. And a well-played entry from Scott B!
There's a Wine Spectator connection with Scott B. No, he's not an editor or employee so don't get your hopes up for a scandal - the prize is his. But after noticing he was the winner I recalled he'd written a guest post for us earlier this year on Wine Spectator's Las Vegas Grand Tour. Looks like he deftly used the event to refine his selection. ;)
I do appreciate the actionable nature of this year's pick. I bought the bottle I tasted from Wine.com of all places - not exactly a boutique retailer! Availability at the time of the announcement of the 2008 Relentless was limited to begin with since the wine was released and rated early in this year's cycle. And even the 2009 vintage (which I'd bet is just as good if I had to guess without having tasted the 2009) is vaporizing quickly.
Here are my tasting notes from CellarTracker on the 2008 Shafer Relentless from back in June:
For my taste, this is a gorgeous bottle of wine. A powerful, inviting nose of dried blueberries and black currant with supporting savory notes which translate seamlessly to the palate and finish. 75% Syrah/25% Petite Sirah. 15.6% alcohol. $60 release price. I can totally see my way to the favorable rating Spectator bestowed upon this one. Spectacular.Somehow I forgot to include a numerical rating. (?) What's up with that? I love scores!
My recommendation would be to remain calm if you're looking for the 2008 Relentless. It's going to be very difficult to find and it's not worth overpaying for. For my palate, it's a nice buy at $50. But north of $60 my enthusiasm tapers off. Best bet would probably be to try it at a restaurant (they tend to go through highly rated wines at a slower clip because point chasers ability to devour the wines is stymied by overall high markups and meal costs). Or perhaps at retailer who doesn't have an e-commerce site. May the best searchers win!
And if it's like the Columbia Crest Reserve - the next few vintages won't be too exorbitantly priced after a while. You can find subsequent vintages of the CC Reserve happily resting on warehouse club shelves with no buyers even in the mid to high $30s. Do you really think the 2005 vintage of that wine was magical and subsequent vintages haven't been as good?
A better strategy, if you're looking to buy wines that tend wind up on Spectator's Top 10 list ahead of time, is to find a retailer who offers them before Spectator recognizes them. My thanks to New York wine retailer Grapes the Wine Co for this sponsorship of the contest this year (a $200 Amazon.com gift card!). If you're on his mailing list you'll note that he offered a bunch of the Top 10 wines in the weeks and months preceding Spectator's list. Well, at least the ones he thinks are good. :)
The fun had to end some time. My thanks to everyone's enthusiastic participation this year. We'll do it again next year!
So that ends the fun for this year. Back to our regularly scheduled programming. I'd love it if you subscribed to the site - we've got a lot of fun things to talk about in the coming weeks. I might even motivate and crank out my own Top 25 this year.
Related Links:
- See all of this year's entries along with Wine-Searcher links
- Desperately hunt for the 2008 Relentless on Wine-Searcher
- Better availability on the 2009 Relentless if you want to try it
Sustainability by the wine trade
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/3FXnf5izCjI/
Whitehall Lane Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc Riesling Chenin Blanc
Challenging Wine Pairing: Fajitas a la Baya
Challenging Wine Pairing: Fajitas a la Baya was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WinePeeps/~3/l3K_lGZIQpM/
Whitehall Lane Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc Riesling Chenin Blanc
Spectator Surprises (almost) Everyone with Shocking Pick
It certainly hits the metrics we've been looking for (95+ points, < $100, 1,000+ cases produced) so why was it surprising? Why didn't we see this coming? I think there are several reasons...
First, Wine Spectator has now chosen a wine from California the last 3 years. Last year was the Kosta Browne Pinot Noir (Sonoma) and the year before that was the Saxum James Berry (Paso). Taking it further, the prior winner was also domestic - the Columbia Crest Reserve Cab. Taking it even further the year before that was the Chilean Clos Apalta. This makes it 5 straight years of new world wines. I think a lot of us thought it was time for an old world wine to win, and with the great vintages from France rated this year the timing seemed right. Further, there's been some speculation that Spectator likes to spread the task of writing up the wine of the year around their senior editors. Poor James Laube had to do the write-up once again! Oh well, I guess he gets bragging rights that he's selected the Wine of the Year 3 years in a row.
Second, I think a lot of suspect that they're going to choose a wine from a region whose story they want to tell. For wines released this year, that story seemed almost certain to be from 2010 Rhone. Or 2009 Bordeaux. But what story is there to tell from 2008 in Napa for a somewhat quirky blend like the Relentless? Not much. It seems to be a play towards telling a story from a specific winery rather than a category.
Finally, Spectator just rang the bell a couple years ago for a California Syrah blend with the Saxum James Berry nod. That wine is a Grenache/Mourvedre/Syrah to the Relentless' Syrah/Petite Sirah but still -- it seems strange to have another wine so similar to the Saxum just 2 years later.
I admit: I was stunned by the California selection. Didn't see this one coming. The only time I had the slightest hunch there might be a California wine selected was when I was watching their Top 10 videos and James Laube (their editor for the wines of California) only made one appearance for wines 10 through 2 for the Beringer Reserve Cab selection. But I didn't expect California to take the top spot this year because there hasn't really been an extraordinary category from California rated this year.
So, it was a well-played suspenseful list from Spectator. And a well-played entry from Scott B!
There's a Wine Spectator connection with Scott B. No, he's not an editor or employee so don't get your hopes up for a scandal - the prize is his. But after noticing he was the winner I recalled he'd written a guest post for us earlier this year on Wine Spectator's Las Vegas Grand Tour. Looks like he deftly used the event to refine his selection. ;)
I do appreciate the actionable nature of this year's pick. I bought the bottle I tasted from Wine.com of all places - not exactly a boutique retailer! Availability at the time of the announcement of the 2008 Relentless was limited to begin with since the wine was released and rated early in this year's cycle. And even the 2009 vintage (which I'd bet is just as good if I had to guess without having tasted the 2009) is vaporizing quickly.
Here are my tasting notes from CellarTracker on the 2008 Shafer Relentless from back in June:
For my taste, this is a gorgeous bottle of wine. A powerful, inviting nose of dried blueberries and black currant with supporting savory notes which translate seamlessly to the palate and finish. 75% Syrah/25% Petite Sirah. 15.6% alcohol. $60 release price. I can totally see my way to the favorable rating Spectator bestowed upon this one. Spectacular.Somehow I forgot to include a numerical rating. (?) What's up with that? I love scores!
My recommendation would be to remain calm if you're looking for the 2008 Relentless. It's going to be very difficult to find and it's not worth overpaying for. For my palate, it's a nice buy at $50. But north of $60 my enthusiasm tapers off. Best bet would probably be to try it at a restaurant (they tend to go through highly rated wines at a slower clip because point chasers ability to devour the wines is stymied by overall high markups and meal costs). Or perhaps at retailer who doesn't have an e-commerce site. May the best searchers win!
And if it's like the Columbia Crest Reserve - the next few vintages won't be too exorbitantly priced after a while. You can find subsequent vintages of the CC Reserve happily resting on warehouse club shelves with no buyers even in the mid to high $30s. Do you really think the 2005 vintage of that wine was magical and subsequent vintages haven't been as good?
A better strategy, if you're looking to buy wines that tend wind up on Spectator's Top 10 list ahead of time, is to find a retailer who offers them before Spectator recognizes them. My thanks to New York wine retailer Grapes the Wine Co for this sponsorship of the contest this year (a $200 Amazon.com gift card!). If you're on his mailing list you'll note that he offered a bunch of the Top 10 wines in the weeks and months preceding Spectator's list. Well, at least the ones he thinks are good. :)
The fun had to end some time. My thanks to everyone's enthusiastic participation this year. We'll do it again next year!
So that ends the fun for this year. Back to our regularly scheduled programming. I'd love it if you subscribed to the site - we've got a lot of fun things to talk about in the coming weeks. I might even motivate and crank out my own Top 25 this year.
Related Links:
- See all of this year's entries along with Wine-Searcher links
- Desperately hunt for the 2008 Relentless on Wine-Searcher
- Better availability on the 2009 Relentless if you want to try it
Sunday, 30 December 2012
Alan Kerr?s Vintage?s October 27th Release ? Tasting Notes
Merry Christmas from your Wine Peeps
Merry Christmas from your Wine Peeps was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WinePeeps/~3/jSy961jXYec/
Pinot Blanc Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Pinot Noir Syrah or Shiraz
New Service Offers Fast Wine Delivery to Wellesley and Weston
TMiW 2 ? The Tastes They Are A-Changin?
TMiW 2 – The Tastes They Are A-Changin’ originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/iEGpZ5My1aY/
Sparkling White Wine Rose Alex. Vall. Vyds Andrew Murray Arrowood
Groupon: 6 Bottles of Cameron Hughes Wines for $59 Shipped
Groupon is offering 6 assorted bottles (all white -or- all red) of Cameron Hughes wines for $59 including shipping. Choose from one of these two options:
$59 for a Cameron Hughes red-wine bundle ($99.99 list price)
- Two bottles of 2009 Lake County syrah (Lot 224)
- Two bottles of 2009 Napa cabernet (Lot 257)
- Two bottles of 2010 Mendoza, Argentina malbec (ot 258)
- Two bottles of 2009 Santa Barbara County pinot grigio (Lot 264)
- Two bottles of 2010 Atlas Peak chardonnay (Lot 324)
- Two bottles of 2010 Russian River sauvignon blanc (Lot 270)
They cannot ship to: AL, AK, AR, DE, HI, KY, MA, MS, MT, ND, OK, PA, SD, UT, Canada or Puerto Rico.
Massachusetts friends: Here's a deal you can take advantage of
Winners of the Louis Roederer Wine Writing Awards 2012
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/zPEZ9O7k8nE/
Winners of the Louis Roederer Wine Writing Awards 2012
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/zPEZ9O7k8nE/
St. Clement Staglin Stag\\\'s Leap Stags\\\' Leap Santa Barbara
$20 for $40 at Wine Enthusiast
Shipping tends to be pricey from Wine Enthusiast, but I don't see that the cost of shipping is explicitly excluded from this offer. It's unclear to me whether one would be able to stack this voucher with other offers, but I thought to mention this offer if you've been eyeing wine accessories from Wine Enthusiast.
Limit 1 per purchaser, up to 1 additional as gifts ? Limit 1 per person per order ? Valid only for online purchases ? Entire value must be used in a single visit ? Not valid at WineExpress.com, or for the purchases of eCards and Toast of the Town tickets
Offer ends November 12th, 2012.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/wu5OReq66iU/20-for-40-at-wine-enthusiast.html
Blogging can?t die
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/1q83xbmmM_0/
Saturday, 29 December 2012
Columbia Crest Winery: New Vintages of Old Favorites
Columbia Crest Winery: New Vintages of Old Favorites was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WinePeeps/~3/-OC-xs9En2A/
Review of Chelan Ridge 2009 Chardonnay
Source: http://www.beyondnapavalley.com/blog/review-of-chelan-ridge-winery/
Follow My Wine Reviews on Pinterest
Follow My Wine Reviews on Pinterest originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/8_sv68XT8FU/
Tablas Creek Talley Whitehall Lane Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc
2007 Sauternes & Barsac
Sauternes & Barsac
Decanter
Wine Advocate
WineSpectator
Price
Chateau d’Yquem
***** 19
96 - 98
97 - 100
Chateau Guiraud
**** 17,5
92 - 94
91 - 94
Chateau La Tour Blanche
**** 18
86 - 88
90 - 93
Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey
**** 18
91 - 93
91 - 94
Chateau de Rayne-Vigneau
***** 19
91 - 93
92 - 95
Chateau [...]
Source: http://www.wine4freaks.com/41/2007-sauternes-barsac/
Viognier Theme for WBW78
Viognier Theme for WBW78 originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/SaN6i1INvI8/
Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc Riesling Chenin Blanc Pinot Grigio
Finding Wine Spectator's Top 10 by Seeking out Dusty-Bottled Retailers Off the Grid
Some might call the pursuit of the Top 10 wines to be a fool's errand. I disagree. In choosing their Top 10 wines, their senior editors get together and taste a bunch of candidates wines and come to a consensus on the Top 10. This is different than how they normally taste whereby a single editor determine's a wine's rating. So you've got a lot of respected palates agreeing on the top wines, so as long as you don't pay a premium for the Top 10 wines you're getting some of the better values in wine today.
But how do you find them? You've got to act fast and, I think, you've got to employ unconventional techniques. You've got to look where deal hounds aren't looking.
A friend tipped me off that a retailer about 20 miles away had the #7 Shea Willamette Valley Pinot Noir for $44.99 before 15% off a case. $38.29. I wonder how he found it because the retailer does have an e-commerce site, but it's not listed on wine-searcher. Making matters worse for this wine, Shea supplies grapes for a lot of other producers so listings for other wines make it hard to perform a precise string match.
They did indeed have a listing on their site for 11 bottles of 2009 Shea Pinot Noir, but during the course of the week the listing changed to the 2010. Vintage variation being a real thing in Oregon I thought it was a mistake that was corrected after they got a lot of calls about the 2009. But they also had a listing for the 2009 Anderson's Conn Valley Reserve for the impossibly-low price of $23.99. I had to go down there and see what was going on.
So I get there and wouldn't you know it, there's 11 bottles of 2009 Shea Pinot Noir on the shelves for $44.99! I load up a basket and start eyeing other bottles to round out my case. The 2009 Anderson's Conn Valley was, sure enough, a listing for another wine - the Prologue. Good thing I didn't order a case for delivery and then have to get into an ugly discussion about returning it (including shipping costs).
Then I spotted a stack of 2009 Beringer Knight's Valley Cab for $21.99/btl before discount (not the reserve, but still a 91 point WS wine). High volume retailers are on to the 2010s by now so it was great to see the 2009 still for sale. Again Wine-Searcher doesn't turn this one up, but it's because the wrong vintage is listed on their site. They list the 2006 but it's the 2009 they've got stacks of!
I asked the wine director there what the heck was going on with the inconsistencies between the store and the website. He says he runs the bricks and mortar wine business and someone else runs the website.
So I'm thinking I may be on to something. Even for a retailer with an e-commerce site there's all kinds of hidden gems popping up because of inconsistent vintages being listed. Imagine the gems that might be out there for retailers without e-commerce sites. Heck, without websites! The way to find these wines is to look in wine shops off the beaten path. Off the grid. Away from Wine-Searcher types like myself.
Of course, just as I say this I happened to find a bottle of 2008 Shafer Relentless via Wine-Searcher at a nearby MA retailer for $35.99. A $60 release price wine, it was correctly listed as being Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year. But also, incorrectly, from France. (?) After some quick back and forth with the retailer we discovered quite a mix-up of SKUs. They actually had the 2009 Relentless (not the 2008) but it was $74.99. The $35.99 listing was for a bottle of 2008 St. Cosme Gigondas (hence the part about the Relentless being from France). Crazy stuff.
I don't get mad about mix-ups like these at this point. I actually find it interesting. So long as I don't get into a sticky situation where a jerky retailer ships me the wrong stuff then get contentious about rectifying the situation.
One strategy this makes me consider: Use Wine-Searcher to find retailers who list availability of back vintages who might not have updated to newer vintages yet. Then pick up the phone and call them. You never know what a retailer has, and neither do they it seems, until you have it in your hands.
Wine online: What a fun and chaotic circus.
Wine Spectator is set to release their Top 100 list today (in addition to their reveal last week of the Top 10). They have free site access through November 27th, 2012 so check it out.
Question of the Day: What tips and tricks have you found work well for tracking down hot wines like these?
Good News Spreads Fast
Friday, 28 December 2012
Wine Tasting Dinner: Tawny Port
Wine Tasting Dinner: Tawny Port was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WinePeeps/~3/stVPDcIgzF4/
Michael Mondavi really gets wine blogging
Michael Mondavi really gets wine blogging originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/b6jgbhuqev0/
On the Cornerstone
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/vqr62UXMxxs/on-the-cornerstone
The buyer of The Wine Advocate?s connection to wine retail
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/ZKNIOivBYWY/
Stag\\\'s Leap Stags\\\' Leap Santa Barbara Shafer Shafer Firebreak
The Rabbit and its ilk
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/kyziGPtXGhs/
A Little Competition Never Hurts!
Source: http://blogs.fairplex.com/blog/wine/?p=60
Tablas Creek Talley Whitehall Lane Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc
Thursday, 27 December 2012
Where to stay in the Napa Valley
We always like to stay within walking distance of fine restaurants and shopping. We like to enjoy our wine with dinner so we either walk or take a cab. We don?t drink and drive. The centers of the towns of Napa, Yountville, and Calistoga are giving the traveler many choices for lodging within a short distance of many restaurants. Continue reading →
The post Where to stay in the Napa Valley appeared first on Napa Valley Wine Blog.
Source: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/napablog/where-to-stay-in-the-napa-valley/
Stags\\\' Leap Santa Barbara Shafer Shafer Firebreak Sinskey
Drinking with William Shatner, dancing with the stars: wine bling of the day
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/-U-r2GhBs2M/
Stags\\\' Leap Santa Barbara Shafer Shafer Firebreak Sinskey
Wine Blogging Wednesday #70: 2009 Bodega Bernabeleva Camino de Navaherreros Garnacha
Source: http://familylovewine.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/wine-blogging-wednesday-70/
Old World vs. New World in More Ways than just the Wine
In the increasingly close quarters of our global village, Europe is responsible for bringing at least three different substantive and prodigious professional wine journals to market over the last several years. Each is written by a ‘Who’s Who’ of wine experts. Meanwhile, stateside, the U.S. has experienced an explosion of pithiness with amateur wine writers writing online.
This juxtaposition becomes relevant after reading a recent post titled, “Are wine blogs going tabloid” by professional wine critic and writer Steve Heimoff. In his brief post, with a decidedly American point of view, Heimoff summarizes his thoughts with the rhetorical query, “Why do certain bloggers revert to sensationalist stories that don’t, in the long run, matter?”
Good question. The easy conclusion suggests that controversy and hyperbolically bombastic articles lead to attention and traffic.
Certainly, two recent books that I’ve been reading bear out this discouraging notion: Newsjacking: How to Inject Your Ideas into a Breaking News Story and Generate Tons of Media Coverage and Celebrity, Inc.
Both books cover similar ground in examining how brands can subvert the 24-hour news cycle for business benefit and how the 24-hour news cycle has been subverted by celebrities using easy technology while leading our news culture into tabloidesque territory.
When considered with Heimoff’s point, it is an easy deduction to suggest that 1 + 1 does in fact equal 2 – the sensational does sell and, by proxy, online amateur wine writers are a reflection of our larger media culture.
However, in suggesting this, there is at least one bigger contextual point being missed as well as a caveat. First, it’s an exclusive view that doesn’t take in the totality of the global wine media village and second, while sensationalism may sell, the lascivious isn’t always what’s shared.
No, it seems our schadenfreude and more primal instincts are kept private, while our shock and awe comes to the fore, at least according to one study.
The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania recently examined the most emailed articles on the New York Times web site in March of this year (link initiates a PDF download), looking for the triggers for what causes somebody to share an article, what makes one thing more viral than another?
Their conclusion? Positive content is more viral than negative content, but both, in general, are driven by “activation” – the notion that high arousal (emotive pleasure or outrage) drives shareable content. According to the research abstract:
Content that evokes either positive (awe) or negative (anger or anxiety) emotions characterized by activation (i.e. high arousal) is more viral. Content that evokes deactivating emotion (sadness) is less viral. These results hold (dominance) for how surprising, interesting, or practically useful content is, as well as external drivers of attention.
This brings us back to my earlier mention regarding the European wine journals that have come to market in recent years. Simply, they’re an antidote to the U.S. proclivity for the vapid.
The World of Fine Wine, the family of Fine Wine magazines based in Helsinki and Tong based in Belgium all represent an Old World counterpoint to what can be deemed as the extemporaneous and superfluous coming from the New World.
As Tong publisher Filip Verheyden notes in the Tong manifesto (link initiates a PDF download) :
We live in times of “instant” gratification. If we want to talk to someone, we pick up our mobile phone wherever we happen to be. If we want to know something, we click an internet button. We’re going at 200 km per hour.
What we seem to forget in this race against time is the trustworthiness of this quickly-acquired knowledge, and that is something we have to find out for ourselves. But who takes the time to do it?
…The articles that appear in Tong demand the reader’s attention. You can’t read them fast and put them away; you have to take the time to understand. I’d say it takes an evening to read and think about each article. These are not issues to put in the recycling bin. Even after five years or more, each will continue to convey the essence of its theme…
The World of Fine Wine and Fine Wine magazine are both similarly endowed with length and verve.
My takeaway based on the Wharton research and the stunning dichotomy between what we’re seeing in the U.S. vs. European wine content is two-fold:
1) The sometimes sensational aspect of online wine writers, especially domestically, should heed the research and focus their pot-stirring ways on matters that provoke an emotional response from readers, ideally with a positive consequence – like HR 1161 for example instead of tired, lame attempted zingers aimed at Robert Parker.
2) In addition to a legacy sensibility about the nature and style of wine, the Old World is also drawing a culturally defining line in the sand in how they view and report on wine – it’s with substance, permanence and integrity.
The conclusion is anything but. However, as the world becomes a smaller place and the U.S. and our wine media becomes a part of the world chorus, losing lead vocal, I would hate for our place in the gallery to be rendered completely voiceless based on a lack of substance which is the seeming trajectory that we’re on.
It’s just a thought…
If you’re interested in seeing an example of Tong’s long-form think pieces, you can see examples here, here and here.
Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/old_world_vs._new_world_in_more_ways_than_just_the_wine/
TMiW 2 ? The Tastes They Are A-Changin?
TMiW 2 – The Tastes They Are A-Changin’ originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/iEGpZ5My1aY/
Riesling Chenin Blanc Pinot Grigio SĆ©millon GewĆ¼rztraminer
Jones of Washington Delivers Serious Bang for Your Buck
Jones of Washington Delivers Serious Bang for Your Buck was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WinePeeps/~3/ZMd5vrPA8q8/
Tablas Creek Talley Whitehall Lane Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc
Wednesday, 26 December 2012
I have seen the future of artisan wine, and it comes in a can
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/4sUTVA9ewao/
Drops of God, Prohibition, back labels, Thai pads ? sipped & spit
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/ISCy8DFD_Lc/
Sparkling White Wine Rose Alex. Vall. Vyds Andrew Murray Arrowood
Michael Mondavi really gets wine blogging
Michael Mondavi really gets wine blogging originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/b6jgbhuqev0/
Viognier Theme for WBW78
Viognier Theme for WBW78 originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/SaN6i1INvI8/
Sustainability by the wine trade
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/3FXnf5izCjI/
November 25 ? 2012 ? Florida Jim Cowan?s 2012 Tasting Notes Archive
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/nUQeMMr7YtY/jim-cowan%e2%80%99s-2012-tasting-notes