Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2012/07/daily-dish-gets-a-new-address.html
Stags\\\' Leap Santa Barbara Shafer Shafer Firebreak Sinskey
Sunday, 30 June 2013
Napa Valley Charbono Resurgence
No, this is not the name of a new chic restaurant or B&B in the Napa Valley. It is a grape that at one time was highly reveled in the Napa Valley. It was famously made by the Inglenook winery … Continue reading
The post Napa Valley Charbono Resurgence appeared first on Napa Valley Wine Blog.
Source: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/napablog/napa-valley-charbono/
Field Notes from a Wine Life ? Story Edition
Odds and ends from a life lived through the prism of the wine glass…
Words aren’t enough
I give to thee…the worst wine ad of all-time and that’s without delving into the ponderous name of the wine or, why, inexplicably, the back of the laptop in the photo has a big sticker for Ass Kisser ales…
…In the main visual, three people are huddled around the boss giving him “Ass Kisser” wine…Isn’t the point of being a brown-noser to do it subtly? Who randomly gifts their boss right before their employee review?
Even if you view this ad as schlocky hipster irony, it’s still bad and makes you wonder if the advertising sales guy at Wine Enthusiast couldn’t do a solid for his client and suggest creative that, well, actually makes sense.
Or, maybe being horrible was the plan – like a movie that becomes a cult hit a decade hence…so bad that it becomes a lofty ideal for bad, enjoying a following because of its campy nature.
Bad Week for Eric Asimov?
On both Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, Eric Asimov, the New York Times chief wine critic was taken to task for different reasons by Matt Kramer at Winespectator.com and Steve Heimoff at his blog of the same name.
This is interesting because wine writers of a certain stature very carefully call their shots amongst their peers.
Normally the shots are fired up (Parker) or down (bloggers), but usually never sideways amongst writers in the same strata.
To watch Asimov, as seemingly decent of a guy as you’ll find, called onto the rug by two notable wine writers, to me, speaks to something much bigger.
With Parker stepping aside and Antonio Galloni receiving glancing admiration for hitting a stand-up triple by dint of his current position at the Wine Advocate, at the same time that the wheat and chaff are separating with wine bloggers, somebody has to step into the fray as a public foil for other wine writers to target.
Unwittingly, it might be Asimov for reasons entirely opposite of Parker’s hegemony. Asimov’s palate for wine seems food-friendly and balanced; he takes an egalitarian approach to wine for the people without pretense and he doesn’t score wines.
In other words, Asimov is bizarro Superman to Parker’s swashbuckling empiricism and, perhaps, even a greater danger to the Ivory Tower of legacy wine media than the mere jealousy that passed for poking at Parker.
Just a thought…
It’s all about the story
The wine business has always been excellent at storytelling. Virtually every winery has their origin story and that of their dirt down pat, even if not very compelling.
So, it is with interest that I’ve been watching Facebook’s recent changes keeping in mind that founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has emphasized emotional resonance, narrative and storytelling – factors that extend well beyond consumers using Facebook to “Tell the story of their life,” as Zuckerberg noted. This will be inclusive of the brands that use Facebook for engagement, as well.
I was further intrigued after reading parallel news reports that Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), is singing the same song.
He notes in an article in Advertising Age, “Technology innovations are irrelevant to the future of advertising and marketing unless a more fundamental activity is understood, honored and advanced: the craft of storytelling.”
A quick Google search for “Mark Zuckerberg F8 Keynote” and “Randall Rothenberg MIXX Keynote” will yield a number of stories all occurring in September. There’s no question about Facebook’s influence and the IAB is the thought-leader for digital advertising. Between the two of them, they present an imposing shadow of influence on digital marketing.
If I were a winery with an understanding that digital marketing is a tsunami of change that is important, I might start revisiting my winery story for some fine-tuning…
Two books that I recommend to bone-up on the elements of good business storytelling are: The Story Factor and Made to Stick.
On Sweet Wines
In an article this week from the San Francisco Chronicle called “Beginner drinkers get a crush on sweet red wines,” E.&J. Gallo VP of Marketing, Stephanie Gallo, noted: “There is a major shift going on in the U.S. wine drinking culture. First, we noticed that regional sweet red blends were doing particularly well in Indiana, Texas and North Carolina. Second, our consumers were asking if we produced a sweet red wine after tasting our Moscato at events.”
Good Grape readers had the scoop on this months ago when I wrote:
How Sweet it is – The Growing Sweet Wine Trend in early October, 2010
And
Move over Moscato and Make Way for Sweet Reds in February of this year
Just saying…
Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/field_notes_from_a_wine_life_story_edition/
2007 Pomerol
In this post you'll find an overview of the ratings of the 2007 Medoc 2. Grand Cru Class�. We have gathered all ratings from Robert Parker, Decanter and Wine Spectator.
Saturday, 29 June 2013
The Real Reason Wine Bloggers Are Not Relevant To Advertisers
Almost all of us don’t treat blogging as a business. And those few who do find building a community around a wine blog very, very difficult. Without hundreds of thousands of pageviews a month, advertising on blogs of any topic is not a viable business. Source: Typepad Via: FERMENTATION There are are a grand total [...]
The Real Reason Wine Bloggers Are Not Relevant To Advertisers originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/XmEQn_LBewI/
Five tips to escape Napa Valley crowds this Weekend
Follow these five very simple ideas to help you escape the crowds in the Napa Valley that will flock the tasting rooms this coming weekend. Most folks are going to be locked into Highway 29 from the town of Napa and into St. Helena. That is where most of the action is located in terms of tasting rooms, lodging and eateries. Continue reading
The post Five tips to escape Napa Valley crowds this Weekend appeared first on Napa Valley Wine Blog.
Source: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/napablog/escape-napa-valley-crowds/
Whitehall Lane Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc Riesling Chenin Blanc
Let?s Get Fizzacle!
Sure, bubbly is boss on New Years and even at celebrations like birthdays and anniversaries, but why not add its charming sparkle to silly-sweet St. Valentine?s Day? I can?t think of a lustier toast ? except for maybe Bedrock?s ravishing Ode to Lulu ros�, or a sinful zinfandel, or ?. Here?s my go-to list: NV [...]
Source: http://www.beyondnapavalley.com/blog/lets-get-fizzacle/
Charlie Trotter sued over alleged fake wine
Charlie Trotter has been sued for selling a fake wine. In the complaint, Bekim and Ilir Frrokaj allege that they contacted Trotter about purchasing a magnum of 1945 Domaine de la Roman�e Conti from the restaurant’s cellar (the restaurant closed last August). They allege that Trotter told them to book a table at the restaurant [...]
The post Charlie Trotter sued over alleged fake wine appeared first on Dr Vino's wine blog.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/deNZ3EV4lNk/
2007 St. Emilion Grand Cru Class�
In this post you'll find an overview of the ratings of the 2007 St. Emilion Grand Cru Class� wines. We have gathered all ratings from Robert Parker, Decanter and Wine Spectator.
Source: http://www.wine4freaks.com/36/2007-st-emilion-grand-cru-classe/
The urge to splurge: Zalto Universal stemware
I can tell that Father’s Day is rapidly approaching: my email box is full of pitches about wine suitable for the occasion. Wait, isn’t pretty much any wine suitable? Well, as I’ve written before, all wines are enhanced by good stemware. The titanium-infused line of “impact-resistant” stemware from Schott-Zwiesel have their virtues. At about $10 [...]
The post The urge to splurge: Zalto Universal stemware appeared first on Dr Vino's wine blog.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/IHl2II8SDBA/
Friday, 28 June 2013
TasteCamp East: Voracious Wine Bloggers Taste Throughout the Finger�Lakes
This past weekend, I was among a group of wine bloggers who participated in the 2nd TasteCamp East, this year in the Finger Lakes.� The local wine industry is the inspiration for this blog and my business as I’ve mentioned to you before.� I had nothing to do with the selection of our region as [...]
Gift Baskets
It seems that every year the gift basket business gets bigger and bigger. From corporate gift baskets to those of us who simply don’t know exactly what to buy for our loved one’s…..gift baskets offer a real alternative and the industry is growing as a result. While I can appreciate that every business (like every [...]
Haydn?s Review of the Hard Row to Hoe Shameless Hussy Sangiovese Dry Rose
Winery: Hard Row to Hoe Appellation: Lake Chelan AVA (just established last year!) Price: $22 Haydn gives this wine: 90pts You can buy this wine: Hard Row to Hoe’s website At least for me, when it comes to summertime, the rose wine jumps right up to the top. Along with those crisp whites (hello New [...]
SOMM, the movie
Wine is splashing on the silver screen: today, the documentary SOMM opens in New York and on iTunes. It’s difficult to successfully capture wine on TV or movies. The medium is limited since viewers are not able to smell or taste. Further, the characters on camera risk sounding like the stereotypical wine doofus. Miles from [...]
The post SOMM, the movie appeared first on Dr Vino's wine blog.
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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!
Public Service Announcement: Passwords Protect All of Us
Hacked. All files lost. Computer hard drive wiped. Phone dead. Twitter account hijacked. Think it couldn’t happen? Think again. Listening to the frightening details�on this podcast�about being hacked�that made me realize every niche community needs to hear a few basic facts on passwords. In a world where we all are supposed to remember details for [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/hcWq5-W4iDU/
Five Fun Things to Do in the Napa Valley in June
Don't just have a great time in the Napa Valley, have a phenomenal time! We suggest these five fun things to do in the Napa Valley in June. Enjoy! Continue reading
The post Five Fun Things to Do in the Napa Valley in June appeared first on Napa Valley Wine Blog.
Source: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/napablog/five-fun-things-to-do-in-the-napa-valley-in-june/
EWBC12 ? Tech Tools
Every year at the EWBC, I conduct a workshop on tech tools that you may, or may not, be familiar with. Some are right off the innovation line, while others, have been around for awhile but need a reintroduction as to how they’ve grown or changed. I try to make it as jam packed as [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/RyyhE1zSp1A/
Electric Guitar Auctioned Off at Millions To Help Asia Program
?Blackie,? Eric Clapton?s favorite mid-career modified Strat was previously the most expensive guitar that dethroned by the latest most expensive electric guitar in the world. At an auction in Doha, Qatar, a guitar that was signed by several rock musicians to benefit a tsunami charity, ?Reach out to Asia? was sold. A year ago, the [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vagablond/ysSN/~3/ATa0DbGzIqY/
Thursday, 27 June 2013
Win Tickets to ZAP?s 2011 Grand Zinfandel Tasting at Fort Mason!
You heard correctly. Beyond Napa Valley is giving away 4 tickets to ZAP’s Grand Zinfandel Tasting at Fort Mason. All you have to do is write a Zinfandel-inspired Haiku. Click the link below for all of the details. We hope to see you at the Grand tasting in January. Win Tickets to ZAP’s 2011 Grand [...]
Source: http://www.beyondnapavalley.com/blog/win-tickets-to-zaps-2011-grand-zinfandel-tasting-at-fort-mason/
TasteCamp East:Bloggers Arrive in the Finger Lakes
This is one of my favorite times of the year.� I’m fortunate enough to be included on the list of wine bloggers and writers who get asked to attend TasteCamp East, organized by Lenn Thompson and Evan Dawson at The New York Cork Report. Last year, Long Island Wine Country hosted our group and although [...]
Source: http://familylovewine.wordpress.com/2010/05/06/tastecamp-eastbloggers-arrive-in-the-finger-lakes/
Gift Baskets
It seems that every year the gift basket business gets bigger and bigger. From corporate gift baskets to those of us who simply don’t know exactly what to buy for our loved one’s…..gift baskets offer a real alternative and the industry is growing as a result. While I can appreciate that every business (like every [...]
The Texas Viticulture Certificate Program
The Texas Viticulture Certificate Program Texas Tech University and Texas A&M AgriLife extension just pushed a email today and is now accepting applications for the Viticulture program starting this fall semester. This is your chance to get the education tools to get you started and not only grow and learn yourself but your vineyards […]
Source: http://thegrapesaroundtexas.com/2013/05/31/the-texas-viticulture-certificate-program/
The top twelve wine heists
News appeared today that thieves broke into Chateau d’Yquem and stole 380 (half) bottles of the famed sweet wine. The wine theft was valued at $166,000. Sadly, wine heists have become more common of late. Where does the d’Yquem debacle rank in the top twelve? 12. Boston, wine shop, July 2009: one bottle of 1945 [...]
The post The top twelve wine heists appeared first on Dr Vino's wine blog.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/Q7Q6dF1Kj3U/
Rockin? at Wine & Cars
Everyone had a great time at Wine & Cars Under the Stars last weekend. Don’t believe me? Check out the video: The evening was a great success, netting nearly $50,000 for the foundations at Fairplex and their programs. If you missed Wine & Cars, you can taste the award-winning wines of the Los Angeles International [...]
Wednesday, 26 June 2013
Haydn?s take on the Lake Chelan AVA
Question: What do you get if you combine the Rhone region of France, with Spain, Germany and the California regions of Dry Creek & Paso Robles? Answer: I have no idea. And that’s the case with Lake Chelan’s wines. It’s still too young to tell what varietal will be king of the region. However that’s [...]
Source: http://www.beyondnapavalley.com/blog/haydns-take-on-the-lake-chelan-ava/
Stags\\\' Leap Santa Barbara Shafer Shafer Firebreak Sinskey
Napa Valley: Calling all electric vehicles to our tasting room
To our knowledge these are the wineries in the Napa Valley that currently have electric vehicle charging stations available for their tasting room guests. Continue reading
The post Napa Valley: Calling all electric vehicles to our tasting room appeared first on Napa Valley Wine Blog.
Source: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/napablog/ev-charging-stations/
A Life in Wine: Stu and Charles Smith, Smith-Madrone
The Smith Brothers are living legends in Napa Valley. This great interview tells their story. via Hawk Wakawaka Wine Reviews A Life in Wine: Stu and Charles Smith, Smith-Madrone originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
A Life in Wine: Stu and Charles Smith, Smith-Madrone originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/nAKzbE3qYKs/
Event Report: Francis Ford Coppola Winery at Ruth's Chris Boston
The Coppola lineup features no less than 10 brands, and that doesn't even include the Napa-based Rubicon/Inglenook winery they also own. Here's the run-down of brands within the Coppola portfolio with the wines we'd tasted in bold:
- Sofia
- Diamond Collection
- Votre Sante
- Director's Cut
- FC Reserve
- Archimedes
- Eleanor
- Director's
- Rosso & Bianco
- Su Yuen
This Ruth's Chris location is situated within the old Boston City Hall. I'm pretty sure I'd heard the story of where the peculiar "Ruth's Chris" name came from, but I appreciated being reminded that it came about when Ruth Fertel purchased the Chris Steak House in New Orleans in 1965. That popular location burnt down so Fertel chose to open a new location nearby. Because she was only licensed to use the name "Chris Steak House" at the original location, she named the new restaurant Ruth's Chris Steak House.
Today there are more than 120 Ruth's Chris Steak Houses, making it one of the largest fine dining entities in the United States.
I've been to a handful of their other locations so when we walked through the door I immediately recognized the enticing aromas of their signature steaks served on piping hot plates sizzling with butter. The event was held in a subterranean portion of the restaurant which overall looked to be very nicely built out, successfully blending Boston charm with comfortable modern elbow room standards.
On to the wines...
On to the wines...
2011 Sofia Blanc de Blancs
The evening started out with the 2011 Sofia Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine served with hand-passed hors d'oeuvres of Seared Ahi on Crisp Cucumber and Tomato Bruschetta Crostini.
The Sofia line-up consists of a Riesling, a Ros�, and this Blanc de Blancs which is 86% Pinot Blanc, 12% Muscat, and 2% Riesling. It weighs in at 11.5% alcohol and retails for $19.
The wine is made in a slightly off-dry style and I thought it offered appealing fruit characteristics of perfectly ripe pears and apples with the effervescence providing a nice lift without getting in the way of enjoyment.
Like many of the wines we'd try, the Sofia Blanc de Blancs is distinctively packaged, in this case within a pink cellophane wrapper.
This was the first of two wines we'd taste from their Diamond collection. A trend at California wine dinners seems to be describing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as Burgundian. Folks asked what that meant and winemaker Corey Beck said it meant a focus on lower alcohol, higher acidity, and moderate oak influence.
Though the alcohol was moderate (13.5%) wine didn't seem particularly Burgundian to me, but if you like your Chardonnay with a creamy texture and a cr�me br�l�e finish this one's got it.
The Chardonnay was paired with a Chilled Shellfish salad with tiger shrimp, lumped crab meat, spring greens, and white balsamic vinaigrette.
The Diamond Chardonnay carries a $16 retail price. You'll find it on sale for $11 or $12 a bottle at retailers.
This was my favorite wine of the night. I've been talking a lot about getting back to basics and seeking out affordable, enjoyable weeknight wines and this is one I consider meeting that description.
It was a soft, plush wine with sufficient California Pinot markings (strawberries, supporting herbal notes, etc) that it felt like legit Pinot. It also featured just a touch of baking spice warmth yet bright fruit kept it feeling fresh.
It paired very enjoyably with a Wild Mushroom Risotto featuring cremini mushrooms, fresh thyme, and Romano cheese. Fantastic comfort pairing.
The best part? The Pinot retails for just $14, meaning you'll be able to find it at retail for just over $10 (search for it using Wine-Searcher) or for $8 by the glass in restaurants. I hear they sell tons of it at The Cottage in Wellesley and I believe it's poured at Ruth's Chris as well.
This is the Coppola wine you've probably seen most frequently in wine shops, including Costco if I'm not mistaken. The bottle is wrapped in gold netting to signify it's one of their signature wines.
The winery website is quite good - it includes a video showing how to open one of these bottles while retaining the netting. They're big on presentation: "It's all entertainment," says Francis Ford Coppola.
The Claret is mostly Cabernet-driven wine (79%) but labeled as a Claret to denote the inclusion of other Bordeaux varieties.
The wine retails for $21, though discounters seem to drive it down in the $12 range.
That's a favorable price point to be paired with an 8 oz Filet & Lobster Tail Rockefeller (stuffed with creamy spinach and Romano cheese)!
If you've never been to a Ruth's Chris, their signature move is delivering steaks to your table on very hot plates sizzling with butter. I wondered how they'd pull that off in this setting with 20+ people being simultaneously served in the room.
Winemaker Corey Beck quickly sensed it was time to stop talking when the sounds and smells of the sizzling steaks entered the room! The restaurant did a fantastic job presenting the entrees concurrently.
Dessert - a fantastic flourless chocolate cake with fresh berries - was paired with the Director's Cut Cab which was a nice step up from the Claret. The Director's Cut was denser than the Claret which I appreciated.
Beck described the mindset of Director's Cut being analogous to a filmmaker deciding what he wants to keep in the final picture. In producing Director's Cut, Beck gets to decide which lots and barrels work best together when creating the final blend.
It's produced from grapes from Sonoma's Alexander Valley and is a nice value at $29 retail, and available for less if you look around.
It was very enjoyable tasting these wines in the context of the food at Ruth's Chris. The Voltre Sant� Pinot Noir is one in particular I'll gladly buy it next time I see it available at retail. The Director's Cut Cab was a nice wine, and I hear they make a Director's Cut Pinot Noir I'd also be interested in buying.
The Coppola empire of endeavors is impressive. Filmmaking, wine, resorts... The list is long. Many celebrities get into winemaking as a side hobby that loses money. But in the case of Coppola's wine brands they actually kick off money that's in turn used to create independent films. Fascinating guy. I think I'll have to go back and re-watch The Godfather.
For more information, visit:
2011 Diamond Chardonnay
Though the alcohol was moderate (13.5%) wine didn't seem particularly Burgundian to me, but if you like your Chardonnay with a creamy texture and a cr�me br�l�e finish this one's got it.
The Chardonnay was paired with a Chilled Shellfish salad with tiger shrimp, lumped crab meat, spring greens, and white balsamic vinaigrette.
The Diamond Chardonnay carries a $16 retail price. You'll find it on sale for $11 or $12 a bottle at retailers.
2011 Votre Sant� Pinot Noir
It was a soft, plush wine with sufficient California Pinot markings (strawberries, supporting herbal notes, etc) that it felt like legit Pinot. It also featured just a touch of baking spice warmth yet bright fruit kept it feeling fresh.
It paired very enjoyably with a Wild Mushroom Risotto featuring cremini mushrooms, fresh thyme, and Romano cheese. Fantastic comfort pairing.
The best part? The Pinot retails for just $14, meaning you'll be able to find it at retail for just over $10 (search for it using Wine-Searcher) or for $8 by the glass in restaurants. I hear they sell tons of it at The Cottage in Wellesley and I believe it's poured at Ruth's Chris as well.
2011 Diamond Claret
The winery website is quite good - it includes a video showing how to open one of these bottles while retaining the netting. They're big on presentation: "It's all entertainment," says Francis Ford Coppola.
The Claret is mostly Cabernet-driven wine (79%) but labeled as a Claret to denote the inclusion of other Bordeaux varieties.
The wine retails for $21, though discounters seem to drive it down in the $12 range.
If you've never been to a Ruth's Chris, their signature move is delivering steaks to your table on very hot plates sizzling with butter. I wondered how they'd pull that off in this setting with 20+ people being simultaneously served in the room.
Winemaker Corey Beck quickly sensed it was time to stop talking when the sounds and smells of the sizzling steaks entered the room! The restaurant did a fantastic job presenting the entrees concurrently.
2010 Director's Cut Cabernet
Beck described the mindset of Director's Cut being analogous to a filmmaker deciding what he wants to keep in the final picture. In producing Director's Cut, Beck gets to decide which lots and barrels work best together when creating the final blend.
It's produced from grapes from Sonoma's Alexander Valley and is a nice value at $29 retail, and available for less if you look around.
Conclusions and Recommendations
The Coppola empire of endeavors is impressive. Filmmaking, wine, resorts... The list is long. Many celebrities get into winemaking as a side hobby that loses money. But in the case of Coppola's wine brands they actually kick off money that's in turn used to create independent films. Fascinating guy. I think I'll have to go back and re-watch The Godfather.
For more information, visit:
- http://franciscoppolawinery.com -and-
- http://ruthschris.com for more information.
Related Reading
- An in-depth review of The Capital Grille Boston
- A first look at Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse
Question of the Day: Have you tried the Coppola wines? If so, what did you think?
Champagne Sparkling White Wine Rose Alex. Vall. Vyds Andrew Murray
The Vintner Group acquires Martin Scott Wines
Consolidation strikes the Empire State: The Vintner Group, the Virginia-based distributor, is acquiring Martin Scott Wines, a distributor based in Lake Success, NY. Founded in 1990 by Martin Gold and Scott Gerber, Martin Scott Wines has grown to have a thick “book,” distributing wines from about 450 wineries, ranging from Domaine de la Roman�e Conti, [...]
The post The Vintner Group acquires Martin Scott Wines appeared first on Dr Vino's wine blog.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/snkb0MWfIgA/
Bordeaux barrels, premox, and a Pomerol sale
Stephane Derenoncourt, a high-profile consulting winemaker recently told LeMonde.fr that the wine samples poured for critics and the trade at “en primeurs” received a “special preparation.” Decanter.com quotes Derenoncourt in the lemonde story ($) saying that “each parcel and put them through a special process to speed up the elevage.” Robert Parker and other critics [...]
The post Bordeaux barrels, premox, and a Pomerol sale appeared first on Dr Vino's wine blog.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/7wjnZjoSPfg/
Canonica A Cerreto Sandiavolo 2004
I just had this lovely Italian wine the other day. It's a so called SuperTuscan so its made of other grapes that the local Sangiovese. The Canonica A Cerreto Sandiavolo 2004 is made of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese. Canonica A Cerreto is located in the heart of the Chianti Classico area in the town of Castelnuovo near Sienna. They also make traditional Chianti Classico but this one is their top wine only produced in the best vintages.
Source: http://www.wine4freaks.com/46/canonica-a-cerreto-sandiavolo-2004/
Tuesday, 25 June 2013
Academy of Wine Communications-FLX: February Meeting this Thursday, 2/25/10
Update: February meeting canceled due to winter storm warning for the region.� We’re working on setting up our next meeting for Thursday, 3/18/10.� Watch here for more details. February’s meeting of the Finger Lakes Chapter of the Academy of Wine Communications will be held on Thursday, February 25, 2010 at Three Brothers Wineries & Estates [...]
Source: http://familylovewine.wordpress.com/2010/02/22/awc-meeting-this-thursday-22510/
Anchovies: impossible food-wine pairing?!?
Anchovies are polarizing: a recent poll found them to be among the three foods the are most disliked by Brits (along with oysters and liver). But then there are people like Jeremy Seysses of Domaine Dujac who recently tweeted a photo with this caption: “Christmas came early: just received over 2kg of my very favorite [...]
The post Anchovies: impossible food-wine pairing?!? appeared first on Dr Vino's wine blog.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/HpQIVcXoCTk/
Back to Basics: A Really Good $7 Red Wine
Part of the problem is I've done more buying online lately - usually in response to email offers from retailers and wineries. When buying online, I often go for wines in the $30-$50 range that retail for much more, and where shipping costs are easier to absorb.
But the result is I've got more than enough "pricier" wines and not enough daily drinkers I'd like to open. And as a result I'm popping $30+ bottles without really enjoying them as much as I should mostly because I'm not paying close enough attention to them.
So as much as I don't want to spend more money, nor add more bottles to my stash, there comes a point when it makes sense to get out there and buy some affordable and hopefully interesting wines locally.
Yesterday I swung by the Costco in Dedham, MA to pick up a few things and decided to check out the wine assortment. I know Costco isn't exactly the place to be for eclectic wine buys but hey I was there so why not check out the wine selection, right?
At this Costco the wine is sold in an attached but separate store run by KH&H Liquors. The assortment and prices are similar to what you'd find at most Massachusetts Costcos, like Waltham for example where the wine is sold by Costco "for real".
 |
| A Tweet on a bottle of wine. Don't think I've seen that before! |
As you can see from the photo, the wine had a sticker on it featuring a tweet from wine critic Robert Parker:
-buy Bodegas Borsao 2010s and 2011s-all from Campo de Borja-all under $10,which is F*@$%^@ unreal for such quality-red,white, and rose #wineI seem to recall Parker doing a special feature on the wines from importer Jorge Ordonez's portfolio last year. Much of what we hear about Robert Parker these days involves tumultuous times at The Wine Advocate so I hardly recall the last time I bought a wine based on one of his recommendations.
? Robert M Parker, Jr (@RobertMParkerJr) August 26, 2012
But I've had good experiences with other wines from Ordonez, and Borsao specifically has stood out. This one was quite a bit under $10 but the Borsao Tres Picos is closer to $15 usually. They pour Tres Picos by the glass at The Capital Grille and it's a great buy as well. And I've enjoyed the Borsao Crianza Seleccion too (though it's usually closer to $20).
I popped the 2011 Borsao Garnacha last night. I thought it was really good. It's medium to full bodied, and heavier than most other Grenache-based wines I've tried. It's aromatically pleasant and full of flavor. It improved noticeably after breathing for an hour. It was 80% as good as most of the spendier bottles I've been opening through lately. I'd rate it 88 points. For $6.99 it's a great buy.
It reminded me of a quote from a book a wine friend gave me a few years ago entitled What to Drink with What You Eat
-it's from Master Sommelier Alpana Singh (@alpanasingh on Twitter):If you like California Cabernet Sauvignon, try Spanish wines. In Spain, they use American oak barrels. You get a lot of fruit, coconut, and dill. If I have someone ask me at the restaurant for a good Cabernet for around seventy dollars, with our mark-up, we can't do it. However, I can certainly offer them something similar in flavor and texture from Spain.
So there you have it. Definitely check out Spanish wines if, like me, you gravitate towards the flavor profile of Californian wines but would look to explore different regions with a similar style and you're seeking value. For me, they're a better play than Australia, Argentina, or Chile.
2011 Borsao Garnacha on CellarTracker (86.4 avg)
2011 Borsao Garnacha on Wine-Searcher (as low as $5.99/bottle)2011 Borsao Garnacha on CellarTracker (86.4 avg)
2011 Borsao Garnacha at Wine.com ($8.99 in MA)
Question of the Day: What region are you exploring for value right now?
The 7 Question Interview ? Chef Ed Cooney ? Merrion Hotel
We had the pleasure of dining at the Cellar, at the Merrion Hotel in Dublin last October. It was indeed one of the highlights of our trip. Our newest feature will be us turning the tables and learning a bit more about the some of our favorite chefs. Chef Cooney was kind enough to answer [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vagablond/ysSN/~3/lxUk0M0-sdY/
Time really is money, online
Still think that social networks like Twitter aren’t worth your investment of time? Read this for an example and a couple of tools that might help change your mind (disclosure; Vrazon is reseller for the second) A post by a friend, Poppy Dinsey (@poppyd) made me think about this issue today. Since I met her, [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/_g4iLqC4p4k/
Del Frisco's Boston: World of Wine Dinner Series
First up: California on Friday, March 22nd, 2013.
To give you a feel for the quality of wines poured at the events here's what's on tap for the California dinner:
Cheese plates on table
Passed Sparkling
Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc
Green chile braised pheasant enchilada, blood orange, queso fresco
Rombauer Cabernet
Applewood smoked pork belly confit, Caramelized Granny Smith grits, cardamom-sage jus.
Nickel & Nickel CC Ranch Cabernet
Australian lamb Ribeye, local goat cheese bread pudding, wild berry lamb Demi, watercress.
Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet
Prosciutto wrapped filet mignon, foie gras, russet-sweet potato gratin
Dessert, Dolce by Far Niente
Lemon cupcake with lavender meringue.
The dates for follow-on events are as follows:
June 7th ? Bordeaux
August 16th ? Burgundy
October 25th ? Northern Italy
The World of Wine Dinner Series will launch on Friday, March 22nd from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dinners cost $100 plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are required.
For more information, please call 617-345-3941 or visit www.delfriscos.com
Further Reading: First Look - Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse Boston
Phelps Pastiche Ritchie Creek Rochioli Rosenblum St. Clement
Monday, 24 June 2013
Shut the Front Door: A Vinsane, Pay-it-Forward, Drinks 4X the Price Wine Recommendation
The problem with sleuthing out good wine under $10 is the recommendations usually come with provisos like, “This is pretty good for the price,” or “This isn’t bad for the style of wine.” Rare is the time that a wine recommendation for vino under $10 is just, “This is a fantastic wine.”
Who can blame the wine recommender for their caveats and written sleights of hand when they’re left to tout the middling amongst the insipid; the redemptive within the felonious? It’s like the back-handed compliment from the parents of an axe murderer who note plaintively from the front stoop, “He has a good heart.”
Adding insult to this injury, it seems like nearly all domestic wines under $10 are manipulated to appeal to a demographic. Far too often, they are oak chipped to a formula, softened, vortexed and plumped back up into a wine beverage complete with a label that screams, “Benignly vague and blandly appealing. I am inoffensive to a large group of people.”
And, forget about pairing under $10 bottles of vino with food. Do so only if your idea of wine pairing centers on condiments with artificial coloring and HFCS, so duotone are the wine flavor profiles.
When it comes to what should be reliable international value wines, forget about it – most of them aren’t even has-beens, they never were. France and Italy – I’m talking to you. For a sawbuck, these are sad, middling, barely potable wines evocative of an athlete whose entire identity is wrapped up in jockdom, but for whom life’s fate never provided him acclaim beyond the local playground. The fact that these wines often taste like a sweaty gym sock may, in fact, be no small coincidence.
Harrumph.
What I want is what most wine consumers want: A non-spoofulated wine with quality that stands on its own—a good wine at $9.99 that is a good wine, period. No half-hearted caveats associated with it. If the wine pairs with dinner, instead of being a digestif, all the better. Tie me up, spank me and call me Shirley if this mystical and elusive under $10 wine also has any of the following characteristics: Organic, old vines, unfiltered, native yeast, judicious oak, and complexity whilst being food-friendly.
I’m pretty sure I won’t have to have any dalliances in the wine S&M dungeon save for one emerging country.
Recently, I started to see glimpses of where quality, inexpensive wines might be coming from in the future when I tasted through a sampling of wines from the Navarra region of Spain. One $5 bottle of wine was so screamingly good it defied the law of reason.
And, then, I received a recommendation for Masia de Bielsa’s 2009 Garnacha, a Spanish wine from the Campo de Borja area in the Aragon region of Spain, southeast of Navarre and La Rioja. Adam Japko, a wino friend and author of Wine-Zag, and I did some horse-trading on bottles and he threw in a bottle of wine in a wine shipment to me and noted, “Curious what you think of this…”
What do I think? I think I owe you favors to last a month of Sundays for turning me onto a beauty.
Of course, wine recommendations don’t happen in a vacuum and the Masia de Bielsa 2009 Garnacha is no different even if it follows a certain circuitous Internet-borne dynamic that seems unusual even in this day and age of “brand vs. land, there are no secret wine values anymore…” online battle.
Jose Pastor is a wunderkind (30 years old) wine importer with a fast growing reputation amongst wine insiders for his portfolio of Spanish wines that are typically natural in style – producers who farm organically when possible, emphasize terroir, use ambient yeasts, filter sparingly and use minimal oak. In other words, his wines, and especially his inexpensive wine selections, are the anti-brand. Or, should I say, “They’re the antidote to brand wines.” The good stuff.
Jose’s wines won’t have an end-cap in stores with promotional materials, nor will they follow you on Twitter or ply you with faux-flattery for a “Like” on Facebook. Ditto that for Pastor playing the points scoring game. He doesn’t do it. The wines and wineries in his portfolio simply represent something good and honest and rely on smart trade buyers who know good juice when they taste it and are interested in paying that forward to consumer’s one bottle at a time.
This formula isn’t a recipe for getting rich, but it is a recipe for long-term, slow-burning growth based on a purity of vision.
When Richard Schnitzlein, a longtime wine buyer in the greater Boston area, took over the wine section at Ferns Country store in Carlisle, MA in early 2011, he started to remake the selection of wines on offer and that meant much more diversity, spreading the selection from two distributors to 14 over a seven month period.
A part of that remaking was to engage Genuine Wine Selections, a wine distributor in Massachusetts, who carries the Jose Pastor portfolio.
When Genuine Wine Selections partner Dennis Quinn showed up at Ferns in the spring with samples to taste, the ’09 Bielsa was a part of the mix.
Enamored, Schnitzlein started stocking the wine. “Initially (the Bielsa) was a hand sell, but (it) soon became a wine that people were asking for,” he noted.
Japko was turned onto the Bielsa from Schnitzlein and mentioned the Bielsa on his site in June. A September Ferns promotion dropped the price on the Bielsa from $11.99 to 9.95 and that yielded 15 cases of the Bielsa moving through the door for Ferns including a stock-up from Japko.
Within a week of receiving my bottle from Japko, I had taken to the Internet to find this wine and I bought a ½ case online from Marketview Liquor in New York state who sells it for $7.99 a bottle.
I’ve gifted a bottle to a friend at work, and, well, I’m writing extensively about this vino, too – my own pay-it-forward juju for having been tipped off to this wine.
The moral of this story? Finding a gem of a wine for $10 or under isn’t a hopeless process, but you do have to sift a lot of muck to find the gold nugget. In my opinion, you’re more likely to find a gem by keeping your ears open for word of mouth recommendations from wine-inclined friends or a local wine shop then to take to the wine aisles of your supermarket wine section playing brand roulette. Here, the internet and Wine-searcher.com is your friend, as well. In addition, Spain is a country that is producing some excellent wines across all price tiers, and my very recent and very anecdotal track record at the lower-end has been very good. And, finally, it pays to know people. It pays to know what Jose Pastor is all about, and it pays to know the Richard Schnitzlein’s and Adam Japko’s of the world who freely share where to find the good stuff, even if finding the good stuff requires an Importer in California, a wine buyer in Massachusetts, a generous friend and internet ecommerce.
2009 Bielsa Vinas Viejas Garnacha
Huge, pure nose with mulberry juice, black cherry, orange peel, earth and a meaty savory quality that gives way to an expressive palate with plum, black cherry, spice and fresh squeezed orange juice. The finish lingers with plum, pepper and earthiness. This is a varietally correct, gorgeous, natural, unfiltered wine that screams for food and would be a bargain at 4X the price. Highly recommended. At under $10 a bottle, you’d be foolhardy not to find this wine.
Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Pinot Noir Syrah or Shiraz Zinfandel
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