Source: http://la.eater.com/2015/6/22/8816857/sonoritas-prime-tacos-sawtelle-opening
Monday 22 June 2015
What Makes A Wine ?Authentic??
As is often the case, Steve Heimoff has posted a “think piece” on his blog today. And judging by the relatively few comments at the time I write this most readers are just doing that; thinking. His post is on authenticity in wine and how difficult and subjective it is to define. In the end, […]
What Makes A Wine “Authentic”? originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/LUPCVX73PUs/
Twelfth Night: New Zealand Wine with Massachusetts Roots
That's the decision Boston-based Vela Wines principals Max Risman, Arie Dahan, and Beth Ann Dahan were faced with a few years ago as they scoured the globe for a location. The eventually decided on New Zealand. On the twelfth day of a visit to the Central Otago region they found their mark and that night as they looked up at the stars the Twelfth Night name was born.
They now produce Pinot Noir, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand under the Twelfth Night label, with distribution occurring mostly in Massachusetts at this point. All things considered they felt Central Otago was the best place to start a winery. After meeting with Max and hearing about the region I'm inclined to think they knew what they were doing.
While I was taking WSET courses one of my absolute favorite wines we tasted was a Central Otago Pinot Noir. For me, it's most closely aligned with Oregon Pinot Noir in style, but falls more towards California in the flavor spectrum than most Oregon Pinots. That being the case, New Zealand Pinot Noir can be a real source of value.
Especially these wines from Twelfth Night which land at appealing price points and present a compeling quality:price ratio values.
I received a couple bottles to get to know them better. Here are my tasting notes...
2012 Twelfth Night Central Otago Pinot Noir
1,000 Cases Produced
14% Alcohol
$22 Retail
Rated 89 points by Wine Spectator
Medium bodied visually with vibrant ruby shades. Baked cranberries, citrus peel, and distinctive white pepper aromatics. These notes convey on the palate with just a tiny hint of effervescence on the palate that distracts a bit from an otherwise outstanding wine.
88/100 WWP: Very Good
2013 Twelfth Night Central Otago Riesling
400 Cases Produced
12.2 % Alcohol
$18
Rated 87 points by Wine Spectator
Light golden with grey tinges visually. Classic Riesling markings on the nose with appealing citrus notes. Lively on the palate and finishes clean. Free of off notes. Nice stuff.
86/100 WWP: Very Good
Get to know Vela wines better if you're attending the Boston Wine Expo this weekend. Their winemaker will be on hand describing how Central Otago is the Burgundy of the Southern Hemisphere. I hear they'll be offering some tasty discount codes as well.
Definitely check for their wines at retail especially if you're in the Boston area. Here are some listings on Wine-Searcher.
On the web: http://velawines.com
On Twitter: @VelaWines
Sunday 21 June 2015
?Germany produces some of the best dry white wine in the world frequently sold at very affordable prices?
Good weekend reading from Will Lyons. via WSJ “Germany produces some of the best dry white wine in the world frequently sold at very affordable prices” originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
“Germany produces some of the best dry white wine in the world frequently sold at very affordable prices” originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Sparkling White Wine Rose Alex. Vall. Vyds Andrew Murray Arrowood
A ?Zinful? Experience
Last Saturday I was lucky to be able to attend the Zinfandel Festival at Fort Mason in San Francisco. ZAP, The Association of Zinfandel Advocates & Producers celebrates Zinfandel America?s Heritage Grape and is dedicated to preserving the history of Zinfandel through the Heritage Vineyard at UC Davis. It is the largest single varietal tasting [...]
Field Notes from a Wine Life ? Cover Story Edition
Odds and ends from a life lived through the prism of the wine glass…
The Wine Spectator Affect
When I received my November 15th issue of Wine Spectator on October 11th, featuring a cover shot of Tim Mondavi and an feature article on him and his estate winery Continuum, I captured some online research reference points so I could have a baseline to measure the effect that a flattering Wine Spectator cover story might have on a winery in the digital age.
Using Wine-Searcher, CellarTracker and Google Keywords search data to track various data points, the results, while not directly linked to conclusions, do indicate a small bump in interest as a result of the cover piece.
For example, Wine-Searcher data indicates that the average bottle price, an indicator of supply and demand, rose $2 month over month, from $149 a bottle to $151 a bottle.
In addition, the Wine-Searcher search rank (always a month behind) indicates that Continuum was the 1360th most popular search in September. By Friday, November 11th the Continuum search rank had increased to 471st for the month of October. (See the top 100 searches for October here).
Likewise, interest at CellarTracker increased, as well. The number of bottles in inventory from October 11th to November 11th increased by 177 bottles, likely no small coincidence.
Finally, Google searches increased fivefold from an average of 210 monthly searches to approximately 1000 monthly searches.
What does this all mean? Good question. The truth is, a Wine Spectator cover appears to have moved the needle a bit, and while the easy route is to take a righteous Eeyore approach to mainstream media and its blunted impact in the Aughts, as contrasted to what a Spectator cover feature or glowing words from Parker meant just a decade ago, I believe a more tangible takeaway is to realize that these sorts of cover stories don’t happen in a vacuum and that Wine Spectator cover and feature was likely a result of weeks, months or even years’ worth of effort from a PR professional.
In an attention-deficit, social media-impacted, offline/online hybrid world of information consumption with mobile and tablets proliferating, in order to break through to (and ultimately assist) the consumer, the value of the PR professional, an oft neglected part of the marketing hierarchy, in reaching out and facilitating the telling of a winery’s story seems to be more important than ever.
It’s not about press releases, it’s about people supporting and telling the winery story, repeatedly, as a professional function – that leads to media notice, and that leads to 14 cases of wine being sold and inventoried at CellarTracker in a 30-day period of time. It’s perhaps obvious, but not adhered to.
Wine Labels
To me, a wine bottle is a blank canvas that can either inspire in its creativity or repel in its insipidness. While I have a reasonably conservative approach to the kinds of wine I want to drink relative to technological intervention, I am unabashedly progressive when it comes to the kind of wine labels that appeal to me. In support of my interest with wine packaging, I keep an eye on The Dieline wine blog to see what’s happening in wine label design (another example from The Coolist here) and I also pay attention to the burgeoning field of wine label design contests.
What say you about progressive labels? Like ‘em? Loathe them? I placed a poll to the right.
Below is a slide show of winners from the recent International Wine Label Design competition.
Reconciling the Contradiction
I will lobby the nominating committee of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences on behalf of anybody who can help me understand how it is that in the span of a week I can see multiple research reports (here and here) on a revived sense of fiscal austerity by consumers yet other reports (here and here) indicate that wine above $20 is the fastest growing segment this year.
These two clearly don’t jive with each other, yet I’m witless to understand why wine is “trading up.” Help!
Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/field_notes_from_a_wine_life_cover_story_edition/
10 Wines to Buy Now at Deep Discount from Wine.com
Turns out the deal I mentioned recently from Wine.com is even better than I thought. Hit the comments on this post to see exactly what I'm talking about. I intentionally don't want to spell it out too clearly for fear of killing the deal.
Update: 4/17/2015 Orders now need to total $100+ to get $30 off. Still a decent deal but not nearly as exciting. We'll see if orders are fulfilled...
Update: 4/17/2015 Orders now need to total $100+ to get $30 off. Still a decent deal but not nearly as exciting. We'll see if orders are fulfilled...
This presents an amazing opportunity to get some great wines at mind bogglingly good prices.
I always like to look at a deal from the perspective of what I really want then work my way back from there to see how to get the best price possible for what I want.
The hot categories I'm shopping for right now are 2012 Oregon Pinot Noir and 2010 Brunello. Since it's spring I'm shopping for ros�s and Sauvignon Blanc. And for daily drinkers I'm always in the market for juicy Spanish reds.
Here are two 90+ point rated 2012 Oregon Pinot Noirs for around $30:
2012 Adelsheim Pinot Noir
2012 Ponzi Tavola Pinot Noir
2010 Brunello is hot. Casanova di Neri is a favorite and Felsina Rancia (not actually Bruenllo) is terrific as well. 95+ ratings from various sources on these fantastic producers:
2010 Casanova di Neri Brunello
2010 Felsina Rancia
For ros� you might want to try the Jolie-Pitt Miraval. I had it the other night and thought it was a little thin. I probably won't buy this vintage again. I bet this one from Borsao is much more to my liking and less than half as much:
2014 Miraval Rose
2014 Borsao Rosado
Sauvignon Blanc hits the spot for me this time of year, and one of my favorites in a long time is this one from Presqu'ile. Fantastic. And Honig Sauvignon Blanc is always delicious. Love it.
2013 Presqu'ile Sauvignon Blanc
2013 Honig Sauvignon Blanc
Spain continues to be my go-to source for value and these two are sure-fire winners. The Castano Solanera got 94 points from Parker (which is a little overblown, but still - it's good wine). And Juan Gil is, well, no post here is complete without mentioning Juan Gil. Not the greatest price in the world, but consider the discount.
2012 Castano Solanera
2012 Juan Gil Monastrell
Remember, read the comments in this post. And review the finer details of the deal in this post to maximize the savings.
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/
Stags\\\' Leap Santa Barbara Shafer Shafer Firebreak Sinskey
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!
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/X91mZiin3SE/
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/
Protected: The Zinfandel Festival 2012: A new AVA to be reckoned with
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Source: http://www.beyondnapavalley.com/blog/the-zinfandel-festival-2012-a-new-ava-to-be-reckoned-with/
Field Notes from a Wine Life ? Autumnal Equinox Edition
Odds and ends from a life lived through the prism of the wine glass…
The Power of Intent in Biodynamic Wine
I wrote a heady post in September about Biodynamic wine. The story is too complicated to summarize here (link to post), but one of the things that I touched on (and that interests me on an ongoing basis) is the notion of “intent” in the vineyard particularly as it relates to viticultural quality and Biodynamic preparations.
They say that you can taste “love” in a food dish, so, while not scientifically quantifiable (at least not yet), it stands to reason that extra attention and loving preparation with BioD preps. might have a positive benefit on the vines and subsequently the wines.
This notion of intent isn’t my idea; I culled it from Voodoo Vintners, Katherine Cole’s Biodynamic-related book published earlier this year (she has a different supposition about ‘intent’ than I do). A passage from the book notes, “The belief is that the preparations aren’t merely herbal treatments for plants; they’re carriers of the farmers’ intentions, which have been swirled into them through the powerful act of stirring. While it isn’t a requirement for Demeter certification, intention is that little bit of witchcraft that separates the most committed practitioners from the unbelievers.”
My point in September and my point now is that “intent” isn’t witchcraft, its science – science that is still emerging and not completely understood.
To that end, I read an incredible, eye-opening, mind-bending article in the current issue of Time magazine about a new technology device called the BodyWave. An iPod sized device, the BodyWave is based on electroencephalography (EEG), the study of how brain activity excites neurons to emit brain waves that travel the central nervous system and can be measured.
So, here’s the thing. Not only can this BodyWave device measure the fluctuations in the brain’s electrical activity, but when connected to a computer it can perform functions based on brain waves.
It’s a holy crap moment to realize that by focusing brain activity somebody can shut off a valve in a nuclear power plant, via computer, with the power of their mind, as elaborated on in the article.
The full Time magazine article is subscriber-protected (darn publishers that try to run a business…), but the intro. to the article is available here.
I’m a liberal arts guy, as far removed from science as one can get by education, vocation and lifelong learning interest, but I do have the ability to suspend my disbelief and it seems likely to me that in 10 years’ time the Biodynamic conversation is going to be around an entirely different set of conversational conditions than the current ‘bunkum vs. belief’ precept that we have now.
On Knowledge
I’ve never reconciled the “demystify” vs. “knowledge frees you” debate as it relates to wine. Many will say that wine is needlessly overcomplicated for the average consumer and the arcane aspects act as a barrier to entry.
Well, sometimes you find defining wisdom in the unlikeliest places.
Scott Adams, the creator of the cartoon Dilbert, noted in a blog post recently what I’ve thought, but have never been able to say quite so eloquently.
Indeed, you are what you learn. You don’t have to know much about wine to drink it, but it sure makes it that much more enjoyable if you lean into the door…
Thanksgiving Wine Recommendation
Thanksgiving is the wine world’s national holiday. I get that. It’s my favorite holiday, too. But, the attendant wine pairing articles are exhausting. Does it really matter what you drink with Thanksgiving dinner? Nope. If it did, somebody, anybody would care that I’ll be having Sparkling Rose, German Riesling and New Zealand Pinot, but, really, nobody cares. At the end of the day, the below picture encapsulates what really matters when picking a wine for Thanksgiving (Hint: Focus on the food).
It Was a Good Week for Lot18
My eyes bugged out like a virgin at a nudist camp when I saw that Lot18 secured $30M in additional funding. That money coupled with clarification from the California Alcohol Beverage Control (CA ABC) on some wonkiness in legalities, means the first week of November 2011 will go down as a watershed moment for Lot18.
Perhaps equally interesting to me is a passage noting, “Radical Transparency” in an email sent to Lot18 members from Lot18 (ostensibly founder Phillip James). The email noted:
As Lot18 moves into its second year of existence, our goal is to ensure that, with more money in the bank and compliance questions behind us, Lot18 can continue to deliver on its responsibilities to our suppliers and to our members alike. We must hold ourselves accountable to ensure we maintain trust with everyone who produces and consumes goods offered by Lot18.
We do this through a policy called Radical Transparency, which simply involves sharing more than was once considered wise. We believe in this because it drives our focus and ensures that all of our employees and our members feel that they have a role in shaping our future. Together we can create a service that will not only help you find great value, but also encourage you to spread the word to friends and family so that they may also share in the delight.
We’re all aware of “transparency” as an online buzzword the last several years. It’s a word that has been co-opted, commoditized and rendered meaningless, as well. It seems, transparency is really code word for faux sincerity and empathy and that makes adding the modifier of “Radical” to transparency all the more interesting.
These days, every new business success story comes with hagiographic mythologizing and I wouldn’t be surprised if, in this area, “Radical Transparency” is where Lot18 stakes their claim. After all, culture and customer service is already taken by Zappos.
Yet, radical transparency isn’t a new concept either. If you’re interested in seeing how a hedge fund called Bridgewater Associates (founded by Ray Dalio) has codified a brutally honest feedback loop see this profile piece from New York magazine and Dalio’s 123 page “Principles” document (worth the read).
Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/field_notes_from_a_wine_life_autumnal_equinox_edition/
Saturday 20 June 2015
Four North American Rieslings
Following up on two recent Riesling reports (here and here), we decided to expand our focus on the variety beyond our home state and try some from other regions in North America. Yes, there is one Michigan wine reviewed here, but there are also selections from Riesling hotbeds Washington and Ontario?s Niagara Peninsula, and one [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/klQrQsPDS4Y/four-north-american-rieslings
St. Clement Staglin Stag\\\'s Leap Stags\\\' Leap Santa Barbara
Wired Tests Wine Preservation Systems, Picks Correct Winner
Private Preserve has been my choice for years. via Wired Wired Tests Wine Preservation Systems, Picks Correct Winner originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Wired Tests Wine Preservation Systems, Picks Correct Winner originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/jdtpv_fazm4/wine-preserve
Sparkling White Wine Rose Alex. Vall. Vyds Andrew Murray Arrowood
Total Wine Coming to Massachusetts
I don't know how this slipped by me until now, but national wine retailer Total Wine is set to open in Natick, Massachusetts this year:
Total Wine & More plans to open a store at Cloverleaf Mall, taking over the existing 7,000-square-foot Cloverleaf Wine and Spirits and adjacent Golfers Warehouse space.
If you're not familiar with Total Wine, their stores are huge with tons of wines at all price points. Rather than having sections for regions or varieties they have entire grocery store-sized aisles devoted to, for example, domestic Pinot Noir.
Their entry here is notable for its potential to change the landscape of the Massachusetts wine industry. Once dominated by dusty-bottled old package stores, I think we're seeing a shift in two directions: High volume retailers and specialty boutique retailers.
With each retailer now capable of acquiring more licenses, the arrival of more national retailers (like Wegmans and Total Wine), and winery direct shipping set to occur this year - Massachusetts bears little resemblance to itself of 10 years ago. Let's see if we can do something about out of state retailer shipments here next.
This first Total Wine store will be an interesting location to watch. I'd imagine they've got plans to open stores at points north and south as well. We'll see how this first opening goes.
Question of the Day: Are you looking forward to shopping at Total Wine?
China?s vineyard area vaults past France
More acres of grapes are now in China than France. The total vineyard area in China is 1.97 million acres (799,000 hectares) according to new stats presented yesterday in Paris by the OIV, the International Office of Vine and Wine. Although vineyard area includes grapes for both winemaking (what we’re interested in) and table grapes […]
The post China’s vineyard area vaults past France appeared first on Dr Vino's wine blog.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/huonJAeq_c4/
White Wine Champagne Sparkling White Wine Rose Alex. Vall. Vyds
15% Off at Liquid Discount with Exclusive Code WWP15: What to Buy Now
- 10% off $199+ orders WWP10
- 15% off $299+ orders WWP15
Combined with reasonable shipping costs (especially when you ship a round 12 bottle case) and quick fulfillment, it's worth having a look through their inventory to see if you can find great values in the categories interesting to you.
A category that's had my attention lately is 2012 Oregon Pinot Noir. I'm normally more of a California guy when it comes to Pinot Noir but the '12 Pinot Noir vintage was disappointing in California and Oregon knocked it out of the park. The 2012 Oregons I've tasted avoid the things I usually don't like about Oregon Pinot Noir: Green stemmy notes and twangy flavor profiles. Instead the better ones I've tasted are plush and offer brilliant, focused, effortless power.
Specifically I'd look to the ever-reliable 2012 Elk Cove Pinot Noir, the 2012 Maison l'Envoye, and this 2012 Purple Hands - all of which garnered terrific rating from Spectator.
Spain continues to deliver for me, and it's always worth checking whether you might be able to catch Alto Moncayo or Clio at a great price with a coupon code like this. The 2012 Clio is $39.95 so after 15% off that's $33.95. It always feels like I'm cheating the wine game when I enjoy a bottle of Clio south of $35. So good. Every time.
It's always good to have some daily drinkers to round things out, and Spain excels here. Juan Gil at $13.95 is always terrific (you'd be amazed how such an affordable wine gets better and better after a night or three on the counter under stopper, especially in this 2012). I've never had this 94 point (WA) $13.95 wine but I like the metrics (even if Parker's scores are a bit inflated). And this E-2 is a juicy crowd pleaser if there ever was one.
If you were interested in trying #6 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 list they've got half and full bottles of the 2010 Castello di Ama Chianti Classico San Lorenzo Gran Selezione. I haven't cracked a bottle of this yet but I'm looking forward to trying it.
So that's what jumps out at me. If you're in the Westchester County area check out their store front in the Ridge Hill Mall.
Coupon code is value through January 15, 2015.
Note: I've gotten a few questions recently regarding whether out of state retailers can ship to Massachusetts now. They cannot. Although out of state wineries are now able to submit applications for direct shipment to Massachusetts consumers, and FedEx/UPS are gearing up to fulfill, retailers were unfortunately not included in the 2014 Massachusetts law changes that will allow winery direct shipments for the first time.
Whether things will loosen up for covert retail shipping remains to be seen, but out of state retailers including WWP supporter Liquid Discount still can't ship to Massachusetts.
Question of the Day: What are some of the best wines you see for taking advantage of this 15% off code?
Wired Tests Wine Preservation Systems, Picks Correct Winner
Private Preserve has been my choice for years. via Wired Wired Tests Wine Preservation Systems, Picks Correct Winner originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Wired Tests Wine Preservation Systems, Picks Correct Winner originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/jdtpv_fazm4/wine-preserve
Friday 19 June 2015
The Morgan ? Dublin, Ireland
Quite simply if you are going to Dublin and want to stay in the trendiest area, you need not look further than conveniently hip Morgan Hotel. The Morgan Hotel is one half of the Fitzpatrick Lifestyle Hotels set up in 2001 by Paul Fitzpatrick to create a portfolio of design focused boutique hotels. I found […]
The post The Morgan – Dublin, Ireland appeared first on Vagablond.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vagablond/ysSN/~3/y6iRQJJUN5o/
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!
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 […]
Winecast 77 ? Champagne
My first true Winecast in 5 years to celebrate the 10th anniversary of this podcast and wine blog.
Winecast 77 – Champagne originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/xqfXUcH9d0k/
Academy of Wine Communications:Twitter Basics Immersion for Wineries
Our next meeting of the Academy of Wine Communications here in the Finger Lakes will be followed by an interactive Twitter Basics Immersion for Wineries for AWC members.� The meeting and seminar will be held at Ravines Wine Cellars on Keuka Lake thanks to their offer to host us and let us utilize their wireless […]
Thursday 18 June 2015
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/
Conn Creek on the Silverado Trail
Conn Creek on Silverado Trail – Bordeaux Style Wines Conn Creek on Silverado Trail is located in the Rutherford AVA area of the Napa Valley. We stopped in at Conn Creek this past Sunday to have a look around and do some wine tasting. �A regular wine tasting is $20 for whatever is on the […]
The post Conn Creek on the Silverado Trail appeared first on Wine Country Getaways.
Source: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/conn-creek-on-the-silverado-trail/
The drought files: Calera edition
Drought has been wreaking havoc on all of California, including the wine industry. Producers have varied their responses to it, with some irrigating as much as they still can and others calling for ?dry farming.? Yesterday, Josh Jensen (right) of Calera Wine told a packed seminar at the In Pursuit of Balance tasting in New […]
The post The drought files: Calera edition appeared first on Dr Vino's wine blog.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/RLtCYYylBXo/
Champagne Sparkling White Wine Rose Alex. Vall. Vyds Andrew Murray
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/
2012 Kennedy Shah Merlot
The Woodhouse Wine Estates is a boutique winery located in Woodinville, Washington. Owners Bijal and Sinead Shah founded Woodhouse Wine Estates in 2004 along with Bijal’s uncle Tom Campbell. Winemaker Jean Claude Beck comes from several generations of French winemakers and has worked at various wineries in California and Washington. Woodhouse produces three tiers of […]
2012 Kennedy Shah Merlot 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/MJuFd2aokkI/
2007 Medoc 5. Grand Cru Class�
Here you'll find an overview of the ratings of the 2007 Medoc 4. Grand Cru Class�. We have gathered all ratings from Robert Parker, Decanter and Wine Spectator.
Source: http://www.wine4freaks.com/33/2007-medoc-5-grand-cru-classe/
First Look: Elouan Oregon Pinot Noir
First, Meiomi is now a distinct brand, separate from Belle Glos. Historically Belle Glos was the single vineyard Pinot Noir in the Wagner Family's portfolio. Meiomi was the appellation bottling within the Belle Glos brand.
But now, Meiomi is the flagship brand for a new family of wines called Copper Cane Wines & Provisions. Belle Glos remains a Wagner family brand. The Provisions in Copper Cane is swimwear and cigars.
Second, Meiomi has release a Chardonnay. I'm not a big Chardonnay guy so I didn't write about it when I tasted it recently, but it's "very good" for my taste. Wine Spectator liked it quite a bit: 90 points the first vintage of Meiomi Chardonnay they've rated. At $22 retail it's a good buy.
Third, Elouan is a new wine in the Copper Cane portfolio. It's kind of like the Meiomi of Oregon Pinot Noir. Sourced from a diverse set of vineyards it promises to deliver rich and complex wines. Elouan means "good light".
2013 Elouan Oregon Pinot Noir
$25 Retail
13.7% Alcohol
38,000 Cases Produced
The bottle shape and enclosure is identical to Meiomi and you know what? It tastes and smells strikingly similar too. Visually, the wine is "pushing it" in terms of how dark an Oregon Pinot should be, but it does present appealing radiance. On the nose and in the mouth-feel is where this is most similar to Meiomi. Hints of plum and cherry tobacco atop more typical Pinot Noir notes. The smooth yet vibrant texture is strikingly similar to Meiomi. Overall, very similar to Meiomi with a little less fruit.
88/100 WWP: Very Good
2013 Elouan Oregon Pinot Noir on Wine.com
Bottom Line
Given that this costs a bit more than Meiomi (and with much lower production levels, so expect street prices to be higher) I don't see myself buying as much of this as I might otherwise. It's a nice bottle of Pinot Noir for under $20, but Oregon Pinot purists maybe not (probably won't) like it. I'll be watching for this over the course of the next few vintages to see whether it develops its own personality.
I'll look to write more about Copper Cane and other new brands in their portfolio in an upcoming post.
Subscribe to the WWP for future updates...
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/sM75I6Ey5PA/first-look-elouan-pinot-noir.html
Champagne Sparkling White Wine Rose Alex. Vall. Vyds Andrew Murray
Meiomi Mania
I've been writing a lot lately about the 2013 Belle Glos Meiomi that garnered a 92 point Wine Spectator rating. At a retail price of $22, the QPR metrics are attractive. Thanks to its massive 300,000+ case production level this wine is highly available. And highly subject to retailer discounting.
The perfect storm for deal hounds!
Last week I mentioned a MA-only deal for $15.95/btl. Then I described how to get this wine for less than $14/bottle fully loaded from Wine.com. The Wine.com deal was a little involved with portals and what-not. I know from personal experience that many of you aren't interested in such complicated deals.
So I was pleased to hear from a local retailer who volunteered to step up and make it easy to get this wine at a great price.
Drop me an email if you'd like to hear about a Boston-area retailer offering this wine for $14.40 a bottle when purchases 12+ bottles.
You know a wine is buzz-worthy when even the great Garagiste (who's that?) completely abandons his wheelhouse to offer a California fruit-bomb like Meiomi. He said he's never tasted it yet received 100+ emails asking about it. He offered it at a great price, but shipping costs and/or sales tax make Garagiste pricing worse than what I've mentioned here. Why people would email Garagiste about Meiomi we'll never know...
I've cracked 2 bottles of this in the past week and it's been spot-on exactly what I'm looking for in an affordable weeknight California Pinot Noir. I've got a feeling the 6 bottles I bought last week are going to go quickly and it would be nice to have 12+ bottles of this on hand at these attractive price points.
Drop me an email or ping me on Twitter @RobertDwyer with questions or comments...
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/mBsHk53rTDw/meiomi-mania.html
Wednesday 17 June 2015
Wonk out with vineyard maps
Have you ever wanted to check out exactly where your favorite domestic wines come from? You can take a look at aerial photos (exciting–grapes!), see block-by-block vineyard maps and get tons of geek-out info about vineyards on the site everyvine.com. Seriously, you can now impress your friends with not only the precise location, grape varieties, […]
The post Wonk out with vineyard maps appeared first on Dr Vino's wine blog.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/CkbR3cexLnI/
Shutters on the Beach :: Santa Monica, CA
Simply put, Shutters on the Beach is a wonderful little oasis in the mist of Santa Monica and its beach. This hotel is in a perfect location on the Santa Monica boardwalk. The staff took care of us in a way that we felt like royalty. From the initial valet service, the checkin and our […]
The post Shutters on the Beach :: Santa Monica, CA appeared first on Vagablond.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vagablond/ysSN/~3/ABqauS277pM/
Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Pinot Noir Syrah or Shiraz Zinfandel
Four North American Rieslings
Following up on two recent Riesling reports (here and here), we decided to expand our focus on the variety beyond our home state and try some from other regions in North America. Yes, there is one Michigan wine reviewed here, but there are also selections from Riesling hotbeds Washington and Ontario?s Niagara Peninsula, and one [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/klQrQsPDS4Y/four-north-american-rieslings
WBW80: Dry Ros�
Back when I first started podcasting about wine, in late 2004, there were maybe 40 podcasts in the world. But there were even fewer wine blogs and soon I discovered the monthly tasting event called Wine Blogging Wednesday joining on its eighth outing back in early 2005. Over the years I have participated in WBW […]
WBW80: Dry Rosé originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/AGQhCma5w0w/
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