Wednesday 31 December 2014
Judd?s Hill Winery is a good place to start your wine tour
Why Judd’s Hill Winery is a good place to start your wine tour in the Napa Valley Judd’s Hill winery in the Napa Valley is a very good place to start exploring the Napa Valley. Many tourists miss this winery because it is very near the start of the Silverado Trail at the southern end […]
The post Judd’s Hill Winery is a good place to start your wine tour appeared first on Wine Country Getaways.
Source: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/judds-hill-winery-good-place-start-wine-tour/
Telegraph Hill Luxury Robes
If you are looking for a special gift for pretty much anyone, look n further than one of the luxury robes offered by Telegraph Hill. The robe I chose was the Chocolate Seersucker. It is made of 100% miccrofiber, and may be one of the most comfortable garments I have come across. The microfiber was […]
The post Telegraph Hill Luxury Robes appeared first on Vagablond.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vagablond/ysSN/~3/8rAsIb854UY/
Field Notes from a Wine Life ? Media Edition
Odds and ends from a life lived through the prism of the wine glass…
Rex Pickett
If you’re not reading Rex Pickett’s (author of Sideways and Vertical) blog, you are officially remiss.
Pickett is a gifted writer who cranks out perfectly incubated long-form posts with turns of phrase that are both wry and rich, offering insight into the machinations of publishing, film and stage that few culture vultures grasp.
Pickett recently wrote an extensive (3900 word) post on the reasons why a film sequel to Sideways (directed by Alexander Payne) would not be made from Vertical, Pickett’s book sequel. In doing so, Pickett offered a discursive meditation on Payne’s artistic pathos and the factors that may be playing into Vertical’s stall on the way to celluloid.
Unfortunately, Pickett removed the post after re-publishing a second version that deleted much of the armchair psychologist rumination he originally channeled from Payne’s psyche. An email inquiry to Pickett on why he removed the post (in either iteration) has gone unanswered.
If I were a muckraker, I would publish the post because Pickett’s deletion of the post from his site did not delete the post from RSS feed readers like Bloglines or Google Reader. But, I’m not a muckraker…
Hopefully, Pickett will revisit the topic in a manner that is less confessional and more elucidation because it was worth the extended read time. Until then you can read the other posts on his site and gain tremendous insight into the vicissitudes of the publishing process, what the afterglow is like after capturing the cultural zeitgeist and how he’s helping bring Sideways to the theatre with a stage version.
It’s definitely recommended reading.
A Discovery of Witches
While we’re on the topic of books and authors (and with Halloween around the corner), a reinforcing mention goes to Deb Harkness of Good Wine Under $20. Earlier this year a little book she wrote called, “A Discovery of Witches” was published and immediately shot up the best sellers lists. The movie rights were acquired this summer by Warner Bros, likely securing Harkness’ financial future in the process.
While I read fiction infrequently (the last fiction book being Vertical by Rex Pickett), those that I know who can tell the difference between kindling and a classic call A Discovery of Witches “mad genius.”
Any conversation about a wine blogger doing good should begin with Deb Harkness who is now dabbling in rarified air. Pick up her book if you haven’t yet.
Bargain Wine Books
There’s little doubt, in the prolonged US economic malaise we’re experiencing, that “value wine” and “bargain wine” are hot topics. Heck, an entire channel of business has been defined with “Flash” wine sale sites. Given that, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that a couple of wine books would be published with this specific focus.
What is a surprise is that the books are authored by wine writers with real chops engaged in offering a deeper narrative than the slapdash compendiums of wine lists that has passed muster in years gone by.
Just in time for the holidays, Natalie MacLean has Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines publishing on November 1st and George Taber, a wine writer on a tear with his fourth book in six years, has A Toast to Bargain Wines: How Innovators, Iconoclasts, and Winemaking Revolutionaries Are Changing the Way the World Drinks publishing on November 15th.
An Idea worth Duplicating?
Celebrity deaths come in threes and new wine ideas come in twos.
We’ve seen this duplicative market entry in recent years with winery reservation systems CellarPass and VinoVisit and now we’re seeing it with quasi-wine search engines.
WineMatch and VinoMatch are both in the early stages of launch purporting to help a consumer match their likes with wines they might enjoy.
Meh. The problem with these sites isn’t that consumers don’t need help finding a wine they like, the problem is that most wine consumers don’t understand what kind of wine they like. Yes, it’s the tannins that dry the back of the mouth and its residual sugar that makes that K-J so delectable…
By the time consumers figure out their likes and dislikes graduating beyond the “go-to,” they don’t care about having somebody help them “match” their wines to their tastes because they’re on their own adventure.
It’s just my opinion, but these sites face looooong odds of finding consumer success and short of the slick willy seduction that happens with some wineries who haven’t been bitten and as such aren’t twice shy, they won’t find *any* success. But, I’ve been wrong before, at least once.
Pictures and Pithiness
While we’re on the topic of online wine services, I’m not sure whether I should be happy or aghast that I’ve been a habitué of the online wine scene for long enough to see a derivative – it’s like watching a remake of the movie Footloose when I was saw the original in the theatre.
There’s a new wine site called TasteJive that takes the concept of a wine blog called Chateau Petrogasm, popular in 2007 and 2008, to new heights.
Around the premise that a picture is worth a thousand words even if that picture has nothing to do with wine, they have created a site that provides nothing but visual metaphors with a 140 character description for finding wines you might like.
I loved the idea of Chateau Petrogasm, I like the idea of a perfectly crafted 140 character slug, but I’m very uncertain about the community aspect of TasteJive—the users who control the uploading of pictures and descriptions.
As noted mid-20th century photographer Diane Arbus said, “A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know.”
Not exactly a recipe for success in bumping into a wine.
Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/field_notes_from_a_wine_life_media_edition/
A Life in Wine: Stu and Charles Smith, Smith-Madrone
A Life in Wine: Stu and Charles Smith, Smith-Madrone originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
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Meet Roy Welland who is selling $15 million of wine
Roy Welland is a big-time collector. It’s well known that his collection served as the core of the restaurant CRU, which he owned. But it’s not well known that his collection also helped out Alinea when they first opened. That’s one of the many interesting tidbits I learned when I talked to Welland before the […]
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On Self-Actualizing Wine Interest, Purple Pages, the Kindle Fire and Gutenberg
While it has been cited that we’re living in a “Golden Age” of wine writing, what is interesting to me these days is NOT the subject of wine writing.
My interest is in a broader understanding of the consumption of the wine writer’s output – self-identified wine interest by consumers who are seeking out wine information. This is a seismic shift more important than the vagaries of who writes what, where, when and for how much.
Something much bigger and amorphous is at work.
It used to be that people self-identified by their job or some other affiliation that produced recognition from others, a status-marker of sorts—“I work for IBM, I have two kids and we’re Protestant.”
However, nowadays, people, principally online (which is moving center stage in our life), are self-identifying by their personal interests which, often times, diverges greatly from their profession and their family situation.
Look at Twitter profiles or a body of status updates from somebody on Facebook. People are no longer duotone and defined by work and family. They’re multi-layered and complex and defined by their interests. The modern day self-description goes something like this: “Passionate about wine and travel. I build furniture, follow the San Francisco Giants, and work in a non-profit by day. I also volunteer to ensure clean water for sub-Saharan Africans. Dad to two wonderful kids”
In diamond-cutting terms, it’s more Peruzzi than table cut and it seems we’re all on a journey to be the most interesting man person in the world.
This kaleidoscopic advancement in sense-of-self is a very important development because, on an individual level, we tend to project externally how we see ourselves in the mirror. By stating publicly online that we’re a wine enthusiast, a foodie, a jazz lover, who does dog rescue and loves college football with a fascination for all things digital, it’s like writing down a goal. A goal written down means something to most people and people are likely to actuate their activities around it, even if aspirationally.
This is a very subtle point and I hope I’m conveying it faithfully: Societally, we’re changing how we view ourselves, we are stating how we view ourselves and consequently we’re more likely to pursue knowledge around those interests because we’ve put it out there.
In Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, we’re all self-actualizing.
So, when it comes to wine writing, while I’m very happy for Alder Yarrow’s assignment in writing a monthly column for Jancis Robinson’s Purple Pages, I also tend to look at it within a much broader context because there will be more Alder Yarrow Horatio Alger-like stories in the years to come.
More to the point however, and within a bigger picture, what Alder writes now and in the future on his own site or at Jancis’ site is likely going to be viewed by an increasingly larger audience who, based on the aforementioned self-actualization, have become more inclined to seek a wide-range of information that supports a myriad of personal interests, including wine.
This online growth in information-seeking is, indeed, a very good thing particularly for the wine business who is caught up in a focus on Gen. Y, when the more important point is that there is a mass of people of all ages who have increasingly ready access to information online that allows them to easily pierce the veil of wine. And, the implications for that for shouldn’t be understated because the view of the wine world is likely to be altered to be much more inclusive of all types of viewpoints – think the streets of New York instead of Pottery Barn.
The Kindle Fire tablet by Amazon.com may represent the next step in this evolution, driving the potentiality of mass on-the-move content delivery. No, it’s not as important as the printing press or any other God Complex hyperbole that is assigned to Steve Jobs, but it’s an important step forward nonetheless.
Where laptop computers are functional machines designed to execute work, and tablets (like the iPad) are a lightweight, portable device that act as a multi-functional hybrid between a smartphone and a laptop, here comes the Kindle Fire which is a device designed almost exclusively for content consumption, all kinds of content – blogs, digital magazines, digital books, videos, music, etc.
The Kindle Fire, to me, is a device that enhances the trend we’re seeing in the increased complexity of how we define ourselves because here’s a device that lets users pursue content around their interests anytime, anywhere and it’s reasonably affordable at $199, at least half the cost of other tablets on the market.
For example purposes, let’s say I have an interest in German Riesling, but I don’t really want to buy another paper-based book because I already have a stack of 14 books at my bedside that I haven’t read (or, perhaps, I don’t buy that many books, period). Likewise, it isn’t convenient for me to read a book on my laptop because, well, that’s not really a form factor that works for me because I’m already hunched over my laptop for 12 hours a day. In addition, I don’t want to print out a 150 page pdf because that’s paper I have to carry around. Previously, with all of the aforementioned caveats, I would have let a deep dive into knowing more about German Riesling be a fleeting thought—an opportunity that would lay fallow.
Ah, but the Kindle Fire will let me consume this German Riesling content in a nice, portable, convenient, lightweight manner that is designed to do expressly that. I’m now looking forward to pouring through Terry Theise’s 2011 German Riesling catalog and reading part II of Mosel Fine Wines 2010 vintage report.
All of this distills down to an essential takeaway: When Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press with movable type, the tangible output was the ability to have ready access to print books. However, the bigger impact was the spread of knowledge which led to the Renaissance period which inalterably changed the culture of the world.
That’s where I think we’re at now, particularly with wine and the spread of information. The conversation can be about who is writing and where they come from, but the conversation with far greater impact is what the end game is for this mass adoption of personal nuance lived out loud.
In simpler terms, the wine writer, like Descartes in the Renaissance era, had a great, lasting influence, but the Renaissance period was much bigger than Descartes.
The key for the wine business in this seismic shift in wine affiliation and the pursuit of information thereof is to decide whether they want to support the status quo and perpetuate business as usual or open themselves to all kinds of thought.
Wine writers already are and so are the consumers seeking out this information.
Social Media Quick Tip: Tag Your Favorite Wine Brands on Facebook
Academy of Wine Communications:Twitter Basics Immersion for Wineries
Tuesday 30 December 2014
The Steve Jobs Of Wine: Winemaker Paul Hobbs
The Steve Jobs Of Wine: Winemaker Paul Hobbs originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/RLsXsgc_9wI/
A Wine for Tonight: 2013 Dry Creek Vineyard Dry Chenin Blanc
A Wine for Tonight: 2013 Dry Creek Vineyard Dry Chenin Blanc 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/rb6DstjzD4s/
Review of the 3Divas White Wine Blend from Montemaggiore winery
Source: http://www.beyondnapavalley.com/blog/review-of-the-3divas-white-blend-from-montemaggiore-winery/
Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Pinot Noir Syrah or Shiraz Zinfandel
Bear market for Russian wine imports
Sanctions and the declining price of oil have slowed Russia’s economy, which is forecast to fall into recession next year. (A real bear market–rimshot.) And, in a nasty triple whammy, the ruble has declined precipitously as well, which is forcing up the price of imports. Consider the case of Apple, which just boosted the price […]
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Five Fun Things to Do in Winter in the Napa Valley
December and January are certainly the quietest times in the Napa Valley. Fewer tourists come at this time of the year, so everything is much less crowded. Yes, we do have rainy days in these two months, but more than likely there will many sunny and crisp days to enjoy the greatest wine region in the world. Here are five fun things to do in Winter in the Napa Valley.
The post Five Fun Things to Do in Winter in the Napa Valley appeared first on Wine Country Getaways.
Source: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/five-fun-things-to-do-in-winter-napa-valley/
Sonoma Valley in Winter
Sonoma Valley in Winter The Sonoma Valley, like most of California, is getting a very good dose of rain. Much more is needed. In between storms, there are many nice days to travel to the Sonoma Valley. The good thing is that, if you are in San Francisco or Oakland, it is usually less than […]
The post Sonoma Valley in Winter appeared first on Wine Country Getaways.
Source: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/sonoma-valley-winter/
Fermenting egg revisited
Concrete�fermenting egg revisited We spotted these concrete�fermenting eggs in the cellars of the Quintessa Winery in the Rutherford AVA of the Napa Valley. This is not the first time we have seen these fermenting and aging cement eggs in California wineries. We have seen them at the Andis Winery in the Sierra Foothills and the […]
The post Fermenting egg revisited appeared first on Wine Country Getaways.
Source: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/fermenting-egg-revisited/
Monday 29 December 2014
Trader Joe's Dishes up Amazing $14.99 California Pinot Noir Value
We were on vacation, the kids were at Camp Dolphin [great deal - 2 hours of childcare for 2 entrees!] and nobody was driving so I felt confident we could collectively polish off a third bottle. I had a look a the list and, wanting to go with something that would readily enjoyable by all I ordered a 2012 Laetetia Estate Pinot Noir.
See also: Four Seasons Orlando Review
Especially since the wine was featured as part of a resort-wide Food & Wine Festival selection I was fairly certain it would be a solid play. However, unfortunately, the wine took forever to show up. Evidently they didn't have any in-house and they needed to fetch it from another restaurant.
By the time it arrived at the table we were almost entirely done with our meal. In restaurant wine service gaffes this ranks pretty high on the list of no-nos. No wine with the entire entree course? For shame!
Oh well. When the bottle arrived I declined it since we were done eating and avoided the typical resort restaurant mark-up on the bottle. I think they offer it for around $75.
I'd mostly forgotten about the wine (heck I can't even pronounce the producer) until I saw it today at Trader Joe's in Framingham for $14.99. $15 vs. $75 in-restaurant certainly seemed like favorable terms. And I figured if the sommeliers at the Dolphin/Swan felt it good enough to feature it would be a solid bottle of wine. And it is.
Here are my thoughts...
2012 Laetitia Estate Pinot Noir Arroyo Grande
$25 Release Price
$14.99 at Trader Joe's
13.9% Alcohol
Brilliant translucent ruby red. Medium bodied. Nose of sweet cherries and an appealing hint of dusty briar patch. Satisfying plush fruit flavors on the palate with a round disposition and silky tannic structure. Totally legit California Pinot Noir. Very very good.
89/100 WWP: Very Good
CellarTracker
Find it on Wine-Searcher
We can all use some enjoyable daily drinkers at a more affordable price point. And this one, for me, fits the bill. Compared to nationwide averages this one is being offered at a terrific price point at Massachusetts Trader Joe's. Consider tossing a couple of these [at least!] in your cart next time you're at TJ's.
12 Great Wine Values for Gifting Available Now at Empire Wine
For one family in particular I just wanted to get them a tasty case of red wine. And especially since they live in New York, Empire Wine came to mind. Their inventory was fresh in my mind after stopping in for a visit to their Albany store front on the way back from Cooperstown with our boys last month.
I was thinking if there was a Wine Deal Hall of Fame, Empire Wine would be a first ballot shoe in. They just consistently carry great wines at great prices, ship quickly, and get it done.
I perused their site and put together what I think is a nice mixed case of reds. Here's what I bought...
What to Buy
Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva 2010
Along with Rancia this was one of my two favoites while tasting at Fontalloro this summer. It's pure class but it needs time to show well. Lay this down for a while and enjoy it with a meal. Read more...
Educated Guess Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
I don't think I've ever specifically highlighted this wine here on the blog but I do pick it up regularly when I find it under $20 and I'm looking for a rich yet affordable Napa Cab. I like the label and it's just a joy to drink. Empire tends to run the price pretty lean on this one in particular so I think it's a nice add.
Laetitia Pinot Noir 2012
They had this for $14.99 at Trader Joe's in Framingham last month. I mentioned it to a friend and he noticed they'd been cleared out of it. WWP effect? ;) They've still got the 2012 at Empire, with a slightly higher price, and they've reloaded at TJ's with the 2013. Haven't tried it yet. Read more...
Orin Swift Locations 'E-2' Spanish Red Blend 2012
A rich and juicy red that's a crowd-pleasing no brainer to pop open and enjoy. Read more...
Belle Glos 'Meiomi' Pinot Noir 2013
Winemaker Joe Wagner is reliably delivering vintage after vintage with this ubiquitous fruit-forward California Pinot Noir. The Wagner Family is behind Caymus and other well-regarded wine brands. Read more...
14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
I've never had this wine that I recall but a very good friend with a sharp palate has a theory about finding a certain kind of value wines: Attend high end functions at places like the Ritz and the Four Seasons and see what they're pouring. He says you'll see 14 Hands being poured a lot. They don't want to tarnish their brand by pouring junk and they want a nice looking label that pleases the well-heeled crowd. I like the approach. Give it a whirl!
Columbia Crest 'H3' Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
I've long been a fan of Columbia Crest, and their H3 lineup hits a real value sweet spot. With their 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon raking in a 92 Spectator rating this seems to be a high point for the label. I've had it. I like it. I'm buying a lot of it. Makes a great gift for colleagues and friends. Super solid ~$10 Cab? We could use more of those. Read more...
Bodegas Borsao Garnacha Tres Picos 2012
I first tasted this at The Capital Grille and have since grown to love pretty much everything Borsao does. They're adjacently responsible for the Alto Moncayo wines and it's sometimes hard to immediately discern which wines they're responsible for. Besides Tres Picos another to check out is Monte Oton. Every one of these wines are reliable mind-bending values.
Ramsay Pinot Noir 2013
A reader asked earlier this year what I'd recommend for a sub-$10 Pinot Noir for a wedding pour. This wine doesn't quite hit that price point but it does delivery significantly more enjoyment than it costs. Read more...
Columbia Crest 'Grand Estates' Merlot 2012
This is an old favorite I've rarely gone wrong with. The 2003 bottling was one of the first wines I went out and bought a case of after reading a 90+ point review in Spectator and loving the first bottle I bought of it. If you're looking for a reliably delicous sub-$10 wine remember Columbia Crest Grand Estates.
Bonus Wine!
Juan Gil Silver Label 2012
Somehow I forgot to add this ever-reliable QPR king. I opened a bottle of this 4 nights ago, and enjoyed a pour from it over the course of several nights. I only sealed it with a simple $1.99 stopper and it got better and better each night. It's surprising that such an affordable wine behaves this way but it bodes well for its quality. Back up the truck at the prices Empire dishes this one out.
Question of the Day: What are some of your favorite wine shops for gifting? What are some of your favorite wines to give as gifts this holiday season?
I hope you have a terrific holiday season. Cheers!
Napa Valley Rain Water
The Napa Valley needs water! California needs water! This is a�welcome sight in the Napa Valley wine country. Recent rains have dumped several inches of water on Napa Valley vineyards and elsewhere in California. Some of this vital rainwater is captured and directed into wells for use later in the vineyard growing season. Later this […]
The post Napa Valley Rain Water appeared first on Wine Country Getaways.
Source: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/napa-valley-rain-water/
Stags\\\' Leap Santa Barbara Shafer Shafer Firebreak Sinskey
Wine Blogging Wednesday #70: 2009 Bodega Bernabeleva Camino de Navaherreros Garnacha
Source: https://familylovewine.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/wine-blogging-wednesday-70/
Rockin? at Wine & Cars
Wine Tasting Dinner: Sauvignon Blanc from Around the World
Wine Tasting Dinner: Sauvignon Blanc from Around the World 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/nx9gJo2FTTU/
A Wine for Tonight: 2013 Cune Monopole Rioja Blanco
A Wine for Tonight: 2013 Cune Monopole Rioja Blanco 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/YS1WZrYVX0M/
Value Alert: 2012 Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet 92 WS/$15
Some time back a reader sent me a link to a retirement speech from NASA Astronaut Michael Collins. At the end of the speech he says that these days he spends his spare time "worrying about the stock market" and "searching for a really good bottle of cabernet under ten dollars."
A lot of people will tell you it's impossible to find a compelling bottle of wine for $10. Don't even waste your time. And a lot of people would say the same after tasting the 2012 Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet Sauvignon. It's overly oaked. Too rich. Manipulated. Whatever.
I've enjoyed wines from Columbia Crest over the years a great deal. I remember the first time I went out and bought a case of wine based on a Wine Spectator rating. It was for a Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot Harvey Steiman rated 90 points. You could find it for like $7. I bought a bottle and loved it. I then went back to Marty's in Newton and bought a case. I felt like such a mega deal hound!
More recently Columbia Crest has introduced this H3 tier of wines above their Grand Estates offering. It's been a reliably nice buy for me as well - consistently in the 87-90 point range. The H3 bottling has a release price of $15 but you can find it for as little as $9.99.
Today, Wine Spectator released (subscription required) a 92-point rating for the 2012 Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet Sauvignon. That's an insane QPR for a very popular category.
A really good bottle of Cabernet for under $10? Could be.
If you're sleuthing around for this wine online be aware that a lot of retailers will list this without a vintage due to its massive 160,000 case production.
Subscribe to Wine Spectator
Search for it on Wine-Searcher
Buy it on Wine.com
Question of the Day: Have you tried this wine or prior vintages of Columbia Crest H3? What did you think?
Coming Soon: Cliff Lede Wine Dinner at Del Frisco's Boston
Related Reading:
Cliff Lede Vineyards? finest wines perfectly paired with delicious seasonal dishes in five course dinner
WHAT: Del Frisco?s Double Eagle Steak House, one of Boston?s premiere steakhouse destinations know for it?s juicy, prime steaks, exquisite wines and exceptional service, invites guest to explore the bold and flavorful wines of Napa Valley winery, Cliff Lede Vineyards. Cliff Lede General Manager, Lee Abraham will be onsite to meet with guests.
Guests will enjoy a five-course seasonal dinner perfectly paired with a selection of the vineyard?s finest wines.
To make a reservation, please call (617) 951-1368. For more information, please
visit www.delfriscos.com.
WHEN: Wednesday, September 17th - 6:30 p.m.
COST: $195 per person + tax and gratuity
WHERE: Del Frisco?s Double Eagle Steak House, 250 Northern Avenue, Boston
Pinot Blanc Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Pinot Noir Syrah or Shiraz
Sunday 28 December 2014
10% Off at Liquid Discount with code "columbus10wwp"
Get 10% off site-wide with code: columbus10wwp
Considering using this as an opportunity to stock up on cellar defending daily drinkers -or- an early opportunity to pick up some special wines for the holidays.
I've been wanting to try the 2012 Elk Cove Pinot Noir for some time. It's always been one of my favorite Oregon Pinot Noirs and 2012 is a great vintage.
The 2012 Domaine St.-Prefert August Favier Chateauneuf du Pape is a nice play as well. At 94WS and a great track record from a fine vintage this is a winner.
Or the 2012 Bedrock Old Vine Zinfandel. People go crazy for this wine. Give it a whirl and see if you agree.
Offer expire at midnight on Columbus Day.
Reader mail: what are half bottles good for?
Question: What are half bottles good for? Answer: In the south of France, half bottles are called “bed-wetter bottles” and are frequently chosen by people who don’t want to get up too many times at night. People who choose half bottles also must sit at the kiddie table if there is one. Okay, I made […]
The post Reader mail: what are half bottles good for? appeared first on Dr Vino's wine blog.
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Coming Soon: Cliff Lede Wine Dinner at Del Frisco's Boston
Related Reading:
Cliff Lede Vineyards? finest wines perfectly paired with delicious seasonal dishes in five course dinner
WHAT: Del Frisco?s Double Eagle Steak House, one of Boston?s premiere steakhouse destinations know for it?s juicy, prime steaks, exquisite wines and exceptional service, invites guest to explore the bold and flavorful wines of Napa Valley winery, Cliff Lede Vineyards. Cliff Lede General Manager, Lee Abraham will be onsite to meet with guests.
Guests will enjoy a five-course seasonal dinner perfectly paired with a selection of the vineyard?s finest wines.
To make a reservation, please call (617) 951-1368. For more information, please
visit www.delfriscos.com.
WHEN: Wednesday, September 17th - 6:30 p.m.
COST: $195 per person + tax and gratuity
WHERE: Del Frisco?s Double Eagle Steak House, 250 Northern Avenue, Boston
Wine Blogging Wednesday #70: 2009 Bodega Bernabeleva Camino de Navaherreros Garnacha
Source: https://familylovewine.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/wine-blogging-wednesday-70/
Saturday 27 December 2014
Red Wings and a Red Rh�ne QPR All Star
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/-MlnUU_kn3c/red-wings-and-red-rhone-qpr-all-star
Rockin? at Wine & Cars
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/
20% Off Yellow Dot Sale at Yankee Spirits [MA Only]
I noticed the Yellow Dot sale on their e-commerce site while poking around Wine-Searcher looking for a great price on Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova. After being blown away by the 2006 Tenuta Nuova and then visiting them this past summer I was interested in picking up some more of that specific bottling. But I didn't want to the ~$80 release price the wine comes with.
So I was thrilled to see the 2008 Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova for just $49.98 (with no tax in Massachusetts).
As is often the case - procuring this wine becomes a tricky proposition. If you buy just one bottle the per-bottle shipping costs will wreck the QPR. If you buy too many bottles of the same wine you might not find enough occasions in the next few years to justify the financial outlay. And if you buy too many other "filler" bottles to round out the order you might end up buying more wine than you really wanted.
If you're like me you've got more wine on hand than you really need or want. Yet you find yourself lacking compelling wines at guilt-free price points you can open and enjoy and enjoy any time. So my strategy here would be to secure a bottle or two of the target bottle (for me the Tenuta Nuova) while replenishing my stock of reliable favorites and exploring a bit in a new area of interest.
The way this Yellow Dot sale works is you get 20% off qualifying bottles so long as you buy a total of 12 or more assorted bottles. Their regular 12 bottle case discount is 10%. And some items (like the Tenuta Nuova) are not eligible for further discounts. Given these parameters I'd recommend searching their website in categories of interest and putting together a mixed case based on your areas of interest.
For me at the moment that's new world Pinot Noir, California Sauvignon Blanc, and some favorites and continued exploration from recent travels to Spain and Italy. With that in mind here are 12 picks from their store to get you started...
2008 Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova $49.98 (no further discounts on this one)
This is the best price currently available for any vintage of Tenuta Nuova anywhere in the US on Wine-Searcher. 94 points Wine Spectator. Great stuff, great buy.
Losada ($14.99 - $19.99)
I've been on the prowl for these Spanish reds since tasting them on our flight back from Europe. The $19.99 is only eligible for 10% off but it's the one I liked. The $14.99 one is eligible for 20% off. I'd be willing to try some of both.
Honig ($14.99 - $89.99)
Honig's bread & butter is their reliably delicious and affordable Sauvignon Blanc and their terrific Napa Cab. They've got these at favorable prices as well as some more rare bottlings.
2010 Domaine Serene Evenstad $59.98 (no further discounts available)
This is the best Oregon Pinot Noir I've ever had and after it landed in Wine Spectator's Top 10 last year it's been hard to find it around.
2012 Ponzi Tavola Pinot Noir $24.99 (eligible for 20% off)
Contrary to my preference for California Pinot Noir over Oregon Pinot Noir, I've been having better luck with 2012s from Oregon. This one got 91 points for Spectator. I've enjoyed prior vintages. Good QPR here.
Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir $49.99 (eligible for 20% off)
The vintage isn't mentioned here but you know what? Doesn't matter. This is a solid bottle of wine year in and year out and I can never seem to keep it on hand.
2009 Brewer-Clifton Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir $29.99 (eligible for 20% off)
Now this is what I'm talking about. I've been really enjoying Melville and Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noirs lately and this one goes back to the 2009 vintage which was so reliably delicous. 92 Wine Advocate for this one. At 20% off that drops it down to $24/btl + ~$3 for shipping which lands it at an attractive price point for the quality.
Banshee Pinot Noir $19.99 (eligible for 20% off)
Banshee wines have been a reliable friend over the years. At $16 plus shipping this is sure to go quickly through the rotation.
Felsina Rancia $44.99 (eligible for 20% off)
I went into our visit to Fattoria di Felsina looking to see what else they had besides Fontalloro and discovered I like Rancia as much or more. And it's a bit cheaper.
Juan Gil Monastrell $13.99 (eligible for 20% off)
Since discovering this one at The Capital Grille a couple years ago then going absolutely crazy for it while visiting in person I still can't seem to keep this wine on hand. The best I've seen this for is around $12/btl. So as a filler to get to $13.99 before discounts - without having to leave the house - this is a solid addition to a mixed case.
2012 Castano Solanera $12.99 (eligible for 20% off)
94 points Wine Advocate? For $12.99? Don't be afraid to search under $15 when you're looking at Spanish wines. The QPR sets the standard for the world. The Castano family is the real deal. I love their $6.99 bottling. Although I tasted this on their property I was probably distracted by how good their entry level bottling was. I've got to go back and taste this one on my home turf.
2010 Tridente Mencia $10.99 (eligible for 20% off)
Another Spanish red from Gil Family Estates I've wanted to try. Love the QPR of these Spanish wines.
Shipping costs about $36 for a case to MA addresses (and like all MA retailers they can't ship out of state) so be sure to add $3 to each price in your head to see if it's a good deal. More affordable wines might be better to buy at a store you can drive to.
This Yankee Spirits Yellow Dot offer valid in October 2014.
If you like hearing about wine deals but don't want to spend time wading through junk check out new WWP advertiser Wine Nabber (read more). I wrote about them last year and I'm pleased to now have them as a site sponsor.
Retailers: If you're running a sale and would like me to peruse it to surface up some great deals drop me an email and I'll have a look.
Question of the Day: What are some of the best deals you see at Yankee Spirits right now?
TasteCamp East: Voracious Wine Bloggers Taste Throughout the Finger�Lakes
