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
This may sound odd, but there is a link between packaging innovation and the increasing focus on biodynamics and ‘natural wine’, it just isn’t a simple one. I am not suggesting that natural wine producers are better served choosing tetrapacks, paper bottles or aluminium cans for their wines (although they might), but sometimes the simplest [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/4sUTVA9ewao/
Champagne Jacquesson
A pair standout champagnes I tasted this fall were from Jacquesson, a small house in Dizy run by the brothers Jean-Herv� and Laurent Chiquet (brothers of Gaston). Jacquesson has a number of interesting things going on as they drive toward distinction. First, they are making only one wine that is a blend of sites, their [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/lBkymVG6l_c/
A Little Competition Never Hurts!
That’s right – it’s time. The Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition begins tomorrow. Nearly 100 international judges, more than 3,000 international wines. Who will take the gold? Keep coming back to find out more information about the 3-day event and watch for judges to be blogging and twittering in between judging!
20% Off $250 at Blanchards: Six Wines to Buy Now
Blanchards Wine & Spirits is offering 10% off $100 orders with code CYBER10 -or- 20% off $250 with code CYBER20. Discount applies only to non-sale items (prices end in "9"). Full offer details here.
Here are six wines I thought were nice deals for one reason or another:
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?
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
It has been a while since I was able to shoot back to London and scribe a few thoughts on Vintages next release, but I did it. A few nice wines out there and I hope you find the notes to be useful.� Wines of Australia are the feature of the Oct 13th release. 149914 [...]
I have seen the future of artisan wine, and it comes in a can
This may sound odd, but there is a link between packaging innovation and the increasing focus on biodynamics and ‘natural wine’, it just isn’t a simple one. I am not suggesting that natural wine producers are better served choosing tetrapacks, paper bottles or aluminium cans for their wines (although they might), but sometimes the simplest [...]
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
Question(s) of the Day: What do you think of Spectator's Shafer Relentless pick? Have you seen it around at retail? If so, let us know in the comments!
Sustainability by the wine trade
Everyone uses the term ‘sustainability’ these days, but what it means to everyone can vary enormously. From simple carbon reducing measures, such as using lighter glass bottles and renewable energy, through changes to vineyard practice including organics, and even wholesale regional programmes, the term covers many issues and different levels of commitment. When the issue [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/3FXnf5izCjI/
Whitehall Lane Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc Riesling Chenin Blanc
Challenging Wine Pairing: Fajitas a la Baya
Fajitas are a popular Mexican dish and a Wine Peeps? favorite. Years ago in Texas, we stumbled upon a delicious fajita preparation at a local restaurant that we absolutely love. Fajitas a la Baya (or berry) is fajitas that have been marinated in wine along with other typical Mexican spices. The flavor it gives the [...]
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
Question(s) of the Day: What do you think of Spectator's Shafer Relentless pick? Have you seen it around at retail? If so, let us know in the comments!
Sunday 30 December 2012
Alan Kerr?s Vintage?s October 27th Release ? Tasting Notes
2009, another vintage of the century in Bordeaux, is the October 27th?s feature release. For the most part, what I tasted I liked and I believe the hype is justified. Please read on. 966473 CH�TEAU DE CRUZEAU 2009 Pessac-L�ognan $27.95 Very tight wine, only showing teasing whiffs of dried fruit, plum and balsa. A smoky [...]
Merry Christmas from your Wine Peeps
?But the angel said to them, ?Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby [...]
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
So I'm driving back running some errands last weekend (a visit to Guitar Center and Home Depot in case you were wondering) and I see an illuminated OPEN sign in the window of Metro West Wines. I'd heard about this business popping up in Natick just over the Wellesley line on Route 9 on The Swellesley Report but I hadn't noticed they'd opened for business yet.
So I pop in and have a conversation with the two guys behind the operation - Fred McIntyre and Paul Lavallee. They've set up Metro West Wines as a DBA (doing business as) of Nine East Wine Emporium which they share a building with. If you've traveled east on Route 9 entering Wellesley you've seen Nine East's "25% 2+ Cases" sign. They're one of several retailers that have set up shop right on the Wellesley border to offer ready access to alcohol for Wellesley residents. Although Wellesley restaurants are allowed to sell alcohol with meals liquor stores aren't allowed in Wellesley.
This limitation, along with an interest in providing the convenience of fast delivery to Wellesley and Weston is the main thrust of Metro West's value proposition. Currently, they're asking for a $50 minimum order and charge a $15 delivery fee. They deliver wine, beer, and spirits to Wellesley and Weston within an hour.
I spent about a half an hour or so talking with Fred and Paul. They're enthusiastic, motivated guys. They come from a tech background and paired with Nine East's assortment of products they've got some nice things to offer. By law Metro West's pricing must be exactly in line with Nine East's.
They shared that the idea for the business came from looking around at Weston and Wellesley households who have their dry cleaning delivered, their groceries delivered, their lawns taken care of, and take-out delivered a few times a week. In Manhattan you can have practically anything delivered to your apartment quickly. They feel there's an interest in eliminating "one more stop" from people's hectic schedules and they're here to serve.
I wish them the best in this new endeavor and I'm pleased to have them on board as an advertiser here on the WWP. Hopefully for a long time.
Check 'em out:
Metro West Wines
Question of the Day: Under what circumstances would you take advantage of a service like this? Have you heard of similar services in other locales? What suggestions would you have for a business like this?
TMiW 2 ? The Tastes They Are A-Changin?
Jeff Lefevere and I return to review the top wine stories of the past month including tongue-twisting wine names, a disturbing wine manifesto, trends in wine marketing, the stellar 2009 Bordeaux vintage and much more. Hosts: Tim Elliott and Jeff Lefevere Topics If the wine is hard to pronounce, is it worth more? Has wine [...]
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
Congratulations to the many winners of the Louis Roederer Wine Writing Awards presented tonight in London. Whilst the awards that Vrazon helped to create,the Born Digital Wine Awards, recognise the growing talent of content�written specifically for online media, it is fair to say that this is not yet the mainstream of wine writing. Tonight’s categories [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/zPEZ9O7k8nE/
Winners of the Louis Roederer Wine Writing Awards 2012
Congratulations to the many winners of the Louis Roederer Wine Writing Awards presented tonight in London. Whilst the awards that Vrazon helped to create,the Born Digital Wine Awards, recognise the growing talent of content�written specifically for online media, it is fair to say that this is not yet the mainstream of wine writing. Tonight’s categories [...]
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
Living Social is offering $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.
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
Blogging can’t die. Take the original meaning of the word blog; it comes from the contraction of “web” as in the world wide web,�and “log” as in to log ideas, or journaling. Today, and forever, there will be people logging what they think about all manner of subjects that they are passionate about. I recently [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/1q83xbmmM_0/
Saturday 29 December 2012
Columbia Crest Winery: New Vintages of Old Favorites
Columbia Crest, located in Paterson, Washington, has been one of our favorite sources of value wines for many years. In 2011, Juan Munoz Oca took over as head winemaker from Ray Einberger. Einberger had been at the helm since 2002 when he took the reins from Doug Gore who had been the winemaker since Columbia [...]
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
Wine: Chelan Ridge 2009 Chardonnay Appellation: Columbia Valley (but sold in the Lake Chelan AVA area) ALC: n/a Price: $16 Haydn gives this wine: 96pts You can buy this wine: Give Chelan Ridge a call at (509) 687-4455. The website … Continue reading
Source: http://www.beyondnapavalley.com/blog/review-of-chelan-ridge-winery/
Follow My Wine Reviews on Pinterest
When I first got started on Twitter I had high hopes of posting frequent reviews there but it never really worked out. It was partially due to the 140 character limit but the transient nature of the medium ultimately kept me only reviewing wines there as part of an organized Twitter live tasting. But with [...]
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
Here you find the ratings of the 2007 Sauternes and Barsac wines from Robert Parker, Decanter and Wine Spectator:
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 [...]
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
Nice theme for summer. Join us June 20th. Source: WordPress Via: Drink What You Like I?m delighted to announce that I am hosting Wine Blogging Wednesday #78 on Wednesday, June 20th. WBW78 will mark my second time hosting this monthly virtual wine event. Our theme for this month will be a grape that is near [...]
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
Looking to find wines from Wine Spectator's Top 100 list? Especially for wines in the Top 10 I've found Wine-Searcher.com -- usually the most convenient and efficient way to find specific wines -- to be less effective than usual due to listings that lag fast changing inventory. A better approach, I think, is to seek out dusty-bottled stores off the grid and make phone calls.
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?
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
Word on the winners of the Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition is spreading like wild fire! A preview tasting for the media last week in Beverly Hills has generated a lot of buzz that we are really excited about! Take a look at some more posts: http://gastronomy-101.blogspot.com/2009/06/event-la-wine-competition-preview-and.html http://thirstyinla.com/2009/06/19/2009-la-wine-spirits-competition/ http://lablips.dailyradar.com/story/los_angeles_international_wine_and_spirits_2009/ http://www.womenwine.com/posts/journals/18487-winners-of-the-2009-la-international-wine-competition
Friday 28 December 2012
Wine Tasting Dinner: Tawny Port
Port comes from the Douro Valley in northern Portugal. While there are port-style wines made around the world, strict use of the term Port is reserved for fortified wines produced in Portugal. Most Port producers in Portugal now label their wines as ?Porto? and the bottles bear a neck label with the Instituto do Vinho [...]
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
While searching for something else this week I came across this random video of an Italian blogger who did a short video interview with Michael Mondavi. Mr. Mondavi’s answer to a simple question about wine bloggers shows he really gets how we fit into the wine conversation. The best part is the last 10 seconds [...]
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
It seemed like we had hardly had time to catch our breath after posting our last feature on new wines from Cornerstone Cellars, and they were already sending us more things to try. That’s OK, we’re professionals, and we can handle it. This time, there were three selections from Cornerstone’s Oregon operation, two Pinot Noirs [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/vqr62UXMxxs/on-the-cornerstone
The buyer of The Wine Advocate?s connection to wine retail
Decanter reports that the lead buyer of a stake in the Wine Advocate still has close ties to the company he founded that does wine retail, importing and investing: his wife owns a large share and is the managing director. Soo Hoo Khoon Peng reportedly led a group of investors to buy an undisclosed stake [...]
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
William Grimes laments the fact that wine geeks are so frequently the recipients of “unwanted gifts, of gizmos and gadgets,” especially this time of year. In his sites this time are mechanical corkscrews “a baroque solution to a problem that has baffled no one for the last five centuries.” Indeed, while mechanical corkscrews may help [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/kyziGPtXGhs/
A Little Competition Never Hurts!
That’s right – it’s time. The Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition begins tomorrow. Nearly 100 international judges, more than 3,000 international wines. Who will take the gold? Keep coming back to find out more information about the 3-day event and watch for judges to be blogging and twittering in between judging!
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
Want to drink from a 12-liter bottle of Domaine Serene with William Shatner? Or get lessons from the cast of Dancing with the Stars at the Bel Air home of Ann Colgin? Or stay at a Napa vintner’s guest cottage and drive his Porsche 911 convertible around for a month? Or attend the Kentucky Derby [...]
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
Gabriella and Ryan’s post inspiring wine bloggers to get creative and seek out a unique Spanish wine or one from an unheard of region for the comeback edition of New York Cork Report Executive Editor Lenn Thompson’s Wine Blogging Wednesday, fueled my determination to get my hands on a bottle or two that would expand [...]
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?
Jeff Lefevere and I return to review the top wine stories of the past month including tongue-twisting wine names, a disturbing wine manifesto, trends in wine marketing, the stellar 2009 Bordeaux vintage and much more. Hosts: Tim Elliott and Jeff Lefevere Topics If the wine is hard to pronounce, is it worth more? Has wine [...]
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/
Jones of Washington Delivers Serious Bang for Your Buck
Jones of Washington is a small, family-owned winery located in Quincy, Washington. The Jones Family has been farming in the Columbia Basin for over 50 years. In 1997, Jack Jones started planting wine grapes in the Wahluke Slope AVA. At first, they sold their grapes to other wineries. Then, in 2001, Jack decided to start [...]
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
This may sound odd, but there is a link between packaging innovation and the increasing focus on biodynamics and ‘natural wine’, it just isn’t a simple one. I am not suggesting that natural wine producers are better served choosing tetrapacks, paper bottles or aluminium cans for their wines (although they might), but sometimes the simplest [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/4sUTVA9ewao/
Drops of God, Prohibition, back labels, Thai pads ? sipped & spit
SIPPED and SPIT: The Drops of God The latest installment of The Drops of God, the wine-drenched graphic novel from Japan, is now in English. I review it and learn that this volume will likely be the last in English. [wine-searcher.com] SIPPED: sense of place. “We’ve concluded that Tuscan-style homes would make the finest fit [...]
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
While searching for something else this week I came across this random video of an Italian blogger who did a short video interview with Michael Mondavi. Mr. Mondavi’s answer to a simple question about wine bloggers shows he really gets how we fit into the wine conversation. The best part is the last 10 seconds [...]
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
Nice theme for summer. Join us June 20th. Source: WordPress Via: Drink What You Like I?m delighted to announce that I am hosting Wine Blogging Wednesday #78 on Wednesday, June 20th. WBW78 will mark my second time hosting this monthly virtual wine event. Our theme for this month will be a grape that is near [...]
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
Everyone uses the term ‘sustainability’ these days, but what it means to everyone can vary enormously. From simple carbon reducing measures, such as using lighter glass bottles and renewable energy, through changes to vineyard practice including organics, and even wholesale regional programmes, the term covers many issues and different levels of commitment. When the issue [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/3FXnf5izCjI/
November 25 ? 2012 ? Florida Jim Cowan?s 2012 Tasting Notes Archive
The 2012 archive is presented by date the notes were compiled and submitted. Prior year?s tasting notes may be found here. November 25, 2012 2002 Dom. Michel Voarick, Corton-Renardes: Very pretty cherry, horehound, beet root aromatics that are a little sweet and a little savory but not very expansive; tastes of Corton as it is [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/nUQeMMr7YtY/jim-cowan%e2%80%99s-2012-tasting-notes
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