Source: http://www.wine4freaks.com/33/2007-medoc-5-grand-cru-classe/
Tuesday, 31 March 2015
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.
A Wine for Tonight: 2013 Cune Monopole Rioja Blanco
Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won?t break your budget and is widely available? If so, you might want to check out the 2013 Cune Monopole Rioja Blanco from the Rioja Alta appellation in Spain. Our selection criteria include: A very good Quality rating […]
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/
Whitehall Lane Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc Riesling Chenin Blanc
Social Media Quick Tip: Introduce Your Twitter Team
As you know, social media engagement is all about personal touches.� Remember this when thinking through your social media presence, including Twitter.� As much as possible, introduce and humanize your Twitter team.� Here are a couple of great examples of� brands who have added special touches to their Twitter strategies, going beyond a standard Twitter […]
Source: https://familylovewine.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/social-media-quick-tip-introduce-your-twitter-team/
More Red Wings and Red Rh�nes 2015
Following up on the 6 wines I reported on earlier this week, here?s the Rh�ne-down on the rest of what we?ve been enjoying lately, starting with our house red. (Click images to enlarge.) 2012 Domaine Sainte Anne Rouge C�tes du Rh�ne, 14.5% alc., $12.99: We?ve been fans of this producer for some time now; we [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/7bBVSTjSsEw/more-red-wings-and-red-rhones-2015
Opus One Wine Dinner at Del Frisco's Boston
Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak in Boston is offering a five-course dinner featuring the wines of Opus One on Thursday February 5th at 6:30 pm.
Del Frisco's is fantastic dining experiernce (review) and Opus One produces Bordeaux blends at the very highest level in Napa Valley.
I visited Opus One in 2010. Opus One was founded as a collaboration between Baron Phillipe de Rothschild and the Robert Mondavi family. The wines remain strong today thanks to the leadership of winemaker Michael Silacci. It was on this visit that I got a sense, for the first time, of the broad range of responsibilties a winemaker has. At least at Opus One - he calls the shots and sets the tone for the entire operation.
 |
| Opus One winemaker Michael Silacci in the Opus One vineyards |
The winery is without a doubt a must-see destination. There's a sense of upscale tranquility that surrounds every bit of the place. The drive up, the architecture, the serenity of it, the cellars, the tasting rooms. Truly amazing.
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| Opus One winery, designed by architect Scott Johnson of Johnson, Fain & Pereira |
Opus One produces around 25,000 cases of their flagship wine that sells for around $250 a bottle. At the gravity-fed winery each berry is sorted and analyzed with digital photography to ensure consistent quality. Some wineries rent these. Opus One owns theirs.
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| Grapes are individually analyzed with digital photography to ensure consistent quality |
The cellars at Opus One are immaculate and form a half-circle around tasting rooms enclosed in glass. Tasting the wines while looking out at future vintages is an amazing experience.
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| The cellars at Opus One |
This dinner at Del Frisco's is sure to provide the best taste of what Opus One is all about you can find on the east coast.
Passed
Scallop Mousse ?Cone?, Caviar Sprinkles,
Brussels Sprout Basket of Mini Pommes Frites
Baron-Rothschild Sparkling Rose NV
I
Butter Poached Lobster Ravioli, Tarragon, and Pear Infused Cream
Oakville Fume Blanc, Robert Mondavi 2011
II
Local Stuffed Quail, Charred Ramps,
Chanterelle Blackberry and Brie Gastrique
Overture NV
III
Intermezzo of Pate,
Pickled Vegetables, Bourbon Jam, Toast Points
Opus One 2010
IV
Bone-In New York Strip, Cajun Crispy Onions, Au Gratin Potatoes,
Bone Marrow and Opus Demi
Opus One 2005
V
Flight of Untraditional House Made Ice Cream
Chateau Coutet, Baron-Rothschild
Flight of Untraditional House Made Ice Cream
Chateau Coutet, Baron-Rothschild
$250 Per person plus tax & gratuity
Call for reservations: (617) 951-1368
Limited seating.
More info:
Sparkling White Wine Rose Alex. Vall. Vyds Andrew Murray Arrowood
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 [...]
Monday, 30 March 2015
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.
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?A glass of wine a day will not harm your baby and may actually be good for a child?s development, researchers have found?
As with anything you eat or drink, moderation and common sense, not prohibition, often makes the most sense. via The Telegraph “A glass of wine a day will not harm your baby and may actually be good for a child?s development, researchers have found” originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
“A glass of wine a day will not harm your baby and may actually be good for a child?s development, researchers have found” originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
St. Clement Staglin Stag\\\'s Leap Stags\\\' Leap Santa Barbara
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/
Wine Blogging Wednesday #70: 2009 Bodega Bernabeleva Camino de Navaherreros Garnacha
Gabriella and Ryan’s post inspiring wine bloggers to get creative and seek out a unique Spanish wine or one from an unheard of region for the comeback edition of New York Cork Report Executive Editor Lenn Thompson’s Wine Blogging Wednesday, fueled my determination to get my hands on a bottle or two that would expand […]
Source: https://familylovewine.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/wine-blogging-wednesday-70/
Champagne Sparkling White Wine Rose Alex. Vall. Vyds Andrew Murray
?For me, as my cellar can attest to, there is no more consistently delicious and over-performing wine in Beaujolais?
Beaujolais is�arguably�the best value in red wine right now and Lyle has an excellent list here to back up this claim. via�Rockss and Fruit “For me, as my cellar can attest to, there is no more consistently delicious and over-performing wine in Beaujolais” originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
“For me, as my cellar can attest to, there is no more consistently delicious and over-performing wine in Beaujolais” originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/zan4RAbNIVg/the-top-10-beaujolais-according-to-me.html
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/
Burg surge: wine auctions 2014
Wine auctions around the world ticked higher in 2014. But auction hammers were coming down the fastest in the US, which surged 26 percent according to data aggregated by Wine Spectator. They report that global wine auctions halted two years of declines to grow at a 4.5% rate to $352 million; the US accounted for […]
The post Burg surge: wine auctions 2014 appeared first on Dr Vino's wine blog.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/nDqd30FTD48/
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/
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 [...]
Sunday, 29 March 2015
Happy 7th Birthday to Wine Peeps!
Today marks seven years since we started sharing our wine adventures with you here on Wine Peeps. What an exciting seven years it has been! We have written 1,269 posts and tasted over 6,500 wines. We have had the pleasure to meet so many wonderful people in the wine industry as well as fellow wine […]
Happy 7th Birthday to 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/ToAVHsEIyVo/
2012 El Nido Clio for $33.33/btl fully loaded [MA only]
Newton-MA based Marty's Fine Wines is offering the newly released 2012 El Nido Clio for $200 for a 6-pack. In-store pickup and local delivery are free and they can ship to other MA addresses for a fee.
With no tax and potentially free shipping this is a tremendous buy on a tremendous wine year in and year out. Read more on why this is one of my favorites. If you like bold fruit-forward Napa Cab, but you haven't tried Clio you owe it to yourself to seek some out and try it.
Saturday, 28 March 2015
The Steve Jobs Of Wine: Winemaker Paul Hobbs
Short but�insightful�interview. via Forbes The Steve Jobs Of Wine: Winemaker Paul Hobbs originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
The Steve Jobs Of Wine: Winemaker Paul Hobbs originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
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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/
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! Best wishes for a happy, healthy, prosperous, and wine-filled 2015! Happy New Year! was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.
Happy New Year! 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/O714Adkl6TU/
How Wine Became Modern: Design + Wine 1976 to Now; an SF MOMA Exhibit
The wine world can basically be compartmentalized into two worlds: The New World & The Old World. The Old World is France, and basically any other country within a trebuchet’s throw of France. Wines have been ratified by treaties, classified by region and not varietal, and are poured in chatea�s beckoning you with long dusty [...]
Competition Winners Announced
The winners of the 70th annual Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition were announced today and the list is an impressive one! A box wine, a Scotch whisky, repeat winners (Armida Winery and baseball legend Tommy Lasorda) and so much more! Take a look at the winners here then check out the buzz on [...]
Friday, 27 March 2015
Good Grape Goes on Hiatus
“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans” said a very wise John Lennon and that’s exactly what has happened with me. My life has kept apace, even as I’ve made plans to be a respected wine writer.
By most standards, 2011 has been a very good year. I was a three-time finalist in the Wine Blog Awards, earning notice in the Best Overall Wine Blog, Best Industry Blog and Best Writing categories. I started contributing a wine column to Forbes.com. This site was named the 2nd most influential blog (and most influential wine blog) out of 4,000 blogs in a 2011 Wine, Beer and Spirits study by eCairn, a software company specializing in community and influencer marketing. I was a panelist at Vino2011 in New York City, I won a scholarship to the Wine Writer’s Symposium in Napa Valley, and I turned down enough worldwide wine trip offers to fill a two-month calendar.
Yet, wine writing has exacted a toll. I approach anything I do with a zeal and fervor that ensures me the success that I want and I’ve treated my wine writing as a full-time second job, to go alongside the job that I already have that requires 50 + hours a week.
Balance isn’t something that I’ve ever been very good at—possessed of an unassuming mien, a Midwestern work ethic, and a mental make-up whereby I cast myself as the underdog means that I am continually trying to prove something to myself, often times at the expense of real, true priorities.
Even more challenging is the fact that my standards for myself have been raised even as I’ve honed my writing chops. Instead of figuring out a system to find time shortcuts, the amount of time it takes for me to write has become more deliberate and expansive while my interest in writing has become more professional in nature – less blogging and more credible journalism requiring more work to exceed the bar that I’ve set for myself.
The net result of this, after full-time job plus wine writing, is the rest of my life has received scant attention for nearly seven years and I’ve created a nearly untenable situation for myself, a set of internal expectations that I can’t live up to, requiring a time commitment that I can’t manage.
However, most importantly, the expectations and time commitments that I have assigned to my wine writing isn’t fair to the other people in my life – notably, my incredibly supportive wife, Lindsay. She has been a saint the past six years, my blogging encompassing nearly the entire duration of our 6.5 year marriage. But, she is long overdue a husband that takes the trash out without prompting!
I’ll be around the Internets – commenting on wine blogs, doing the Twitter thing, staying connected on Facebook and I’ll probably start engaging more actively on CellarTracker and on the WineBerserkers message board, but I’m taking a hiatus from wine writing to recalibrate, shifting my time to the things that are the most important to me: Family and career.
Jeff
Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/good_grape_goes_on_hiatus/
No 8 on Wine Spectator's Top 100: 2012 Brewer-Clifton Sta Rita Hills Pinot Noir
The category and metrics are right up my alley: A California Pinot Noir with a proven track record. 94 WS/$40/1,226 Cases Produced.
All of Spectator's Top 100 wines are worth considering, but the Top 10 in particular are very thoughtfully selected. They always seem to have that elusive confluence of quality and broad appreciation given the vetting process Spectator employs.
And given that the winemakers behind each of the Top 10 wines is invited to New York each fall for the Spectator Wine Experience they seem to think about whether they'd, y'know, like to have the folks behind the wine "over to their house" so to speak.
Spectator's landing page for this wine captures its essence very nicely. Check out the video where James Laube describes why they selected it.
Greg Brewer is the winemaker. He's also winemaker at Melville so you may already be familiar with his style even if you haven't yet tasted Brewer-Clifton. Wines under both labels showed very well for me at this blind tasting of 2009 Pinot Noirs.
Here are my notes:
2012 Brewer-Clifton Sta Rita Hills Pinot Noir
$40
14.5% Alcohol
1,226 Cases Produced
This wine leaps from the glass with gorgeous, pure aromatics. At first they're fresh and primary. With time, ripe stem inclusion becomes evident and adds complexity. Translucent vibrant ruby color. Sweet cherries and pipe tobacco on the palate. The mouth feel reveals medium-full viscosity. Really quite spectacular and worthy of inclusion in the WS Top 10.
94/100 WWP: Oustanding
QPR-wise (though not necessarily stylistically) this wine reminds me of the 2008 Paul Hobbs RRV Pinot Noir. Great price point given the quality, and a wine that would be hard to over-purchase.
I'd highly recommend tracking some down while you still can (the Top 10 wines seem to disappear rapidly). I'm also inclined to check out other 2012 bottlings from Brewer-Clifton and Melville as well. Although 2012 was a tough vintage for California Pinot Noir overall quality winemakers like Brewer were able to produce tremendous wines.
Wine.com has the 2011 and 2012 Melville Pinot Noirs in stock in MA for $29.99 and $39.99 (affiliate links):
Massachusetts friends: I see this retailer has it for $44.99 and eligible for 20% as part of a mixed case purchase (add some affordable filler wines) and free shipping on $100+ orders.
Find it on Wine-Searcher
Learn more at http://brewerclifton.com
Follow @BrewerClifton on Twitter
Question of the Day: Have you had any of the Brewer-Clifton or Melville 2012s? If so what did you think?
Mumm: Bubbly from France and Napa
The Mumm family founded the G.H. Mumm champagne house in 1827. In 1876, as a tribute to some of their most prestigious clients, G.H. Mumm decorated a few of their bottles with a crossed red silk ribbon as a reference to the Legion of Honour. Today, G.H. Mumm is the leading champagne brand in France […]
Mumm: Bubbly from France and Napa 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/i9R3CWsprOw/
Australian Wine: The Once and Future King?
You’ve never heard of Campbell Mattinson: He’s a young, urbane Australian wine wordsmith who forsakes the academically erudite and plaintive wine writing style of legends past for a muscular writing style that is jocularly loose yet incisive, showing every bit of the wunderkind talent of his global English-language contemporaries, Jamie Goode and Neal Martin.
Likewise, you probably haven’t heard of Mattison’s *new* wine book, Thin Skins: Why the French Hate Australian Wine first published in Australia in 2007 and now just released in America.
Seemingly stillborn upon its October publishing date in the states and updated with a scant epilogue where the author notes, “The headiness described in the early passages of this book is now long gone,” the book formerly offered in situ context on the boom and looming bust of the Australian wine landscape and is now something of an ipso facto think piece on the manifested reality.
With recency in absentia as one negative checkmark, Thin Skins as a body of work brooks no favors for itself either. Even when first published four years ago, it represented a compendium of articles and profile pieces, individually quite good, but collectively never quite transcending its constituent parts, especially one that supports the premise of the title. And, unlike its subject matter, time has not aged the book into cohesion.
Worse still, brought to the U.S. market by publisher Sterling Epicure, the book is likely supported with little more than the gas it takes a truck to drive a meager allotment of books to an Amazon.com warehouse and the dwindling number of Barnes & Nobles that still populate the landscape, a veritable line item in an editors’ fourth quarter publishing spreadsheet under the header, “wine.”
Thin Skins seems destined for a hastened half-life and quick retreat to the remainder bin at Half-Price Books…it’s an ignoble fate heaped upon by my damnation.
But, I’ve feinted purposefully, misdirecting by caveat because, despite everything I’ve mentioned having some inherent truth(including the author being very talented), Thin Skins is a wildly entertaining book that delivers on providing a teasing glimpse into a distinctly Aussie viewpoint on the factors that led to the Australian wine boom (Parker points, market forces, greed and drought) and in so doing the author makes three key points worth repeating:
1) The Aussie wine industry, save for its Gallo-like equivalents, is NOT happy about their country’s production being viewed globally as syrupy supermarket plonk
2) Our U.S. perception IS NOT reality regarding Australian wine; their wine industry has an abundance of refined, terroir-based wines from small vintners
3) The Aussie wine business will rise again on the international scene (in an entirely different form).
One key takeaway for me from the book is that Australia is remarkably similar to the U.S.
In the U.S., some reports indicate that 90% of the wine sold is “corporate” wine, the kind found at supermarkets across the country. However, what IS different is that 90% of our national conversation about wine focuses on the 10% of the wine production that ISN’T in the supermarket i.e. everything non-corporate – the boutique, artisan and interesting.
Yet, when it comes to Australian wine, we don’t continue our conversation about the small and beautiful. Instead of talking about the superlative, we view their entire country production through the lens of the insipid, the Yellowtail and other critters that cost $6.99 at Safeway.
American wine consumers would be rightfully indignant if the world viewed our wines not as we do, a rich tapestry, but as industrialized plonk from the San Joaquin Valley.
This is where Australian wine is at today—a ‘perception is reality’ mistake of colossal proportions.
While offering an abundance of stories from small producers along the way, Mattison suggests that while it may take time, with Australia having 162 years of winemaking history, the day will come, sooner rather than later, when Australian wine forsakes its near-term reputation and is viewed on the world stage as a wine producing country that can proudly stand next to its New World peers.
I wrote recently that I’ve noticed a slow change in tenor from American influencers regarding Aussie wine, they’re becoming more sympathetic, they’re starting to speak less dismissively and more optimistically and holistically about Australian wine, discussing the merits and great diversity in the land of Oz.
Recent Symphony IRI sales data bears this out as well. According to a Shanken NewsDaily report from this week, Australian wine in the $15 - $19.99 category rose 23% in September. In addition, growth is coming from varietals not named Shiraz (see also syrupy supermarket plonk). Instead, Semillon, Riesling and Pinot Noir are showing growth.
Still, it’s not the land of milk and honey here in the states for Aussie wine, as it once was. Overall sales are down by volume and dollars, but as Mattinson alludes the correction in the U.S. market isn’t going to be pretty, but it will be healthy and it’s quite possible that Australia will decrease in overall volume and dollar sales from persistent decline at the low-end for years to come as the high-end grows, but not at a rate to replace what was lost.
The net sum of that doesn’t balance a spreadsheet, but it does balance mindshare.
Pick-up Thin Skins if you want to get turned on to a great wine writer while also enjoying a greater understanding of Australian wine – where it has been and where it’s going—perhaps not as a future King, but definitely not in its current role as court jester.
Campbell Mattinson’s Wine Site: The Wine Front
Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/australian_wine_the_once_and_future_king/
No 26 on WS's Top 100: 2011 Emeritus Hallberg Ranch Pinot Noir
The wine immediately jumped out at me not only for its favorable metrics (93 WS/$42/11,100 cases produced) but for the Hallberg Vineyard fruit source.
The first time I tasted a wine with the Hallberg name on the label was at this Gary Farrell wine dinner at Blue Ginger in Wellesley. I tasted a bunch of great wines that night but the Gary Farrell Hallberg Pinot blew me away.
A few months later while on vacation in Michigan my cousin brought along a bottle to share at our family cottage. Wouldn't you know it was again a Gary Farrell Hallberg Pinot and it was once again absolutely spectacular.
Then earlier this year I was tasting at Radio-Coteau. I first discovered the greatness of Radio-Coteau's Pinot Noirs in the form of the 2006 Radio-Coteau La Neblina Pinot Noir. That wine was so amazingly pure and clear of any off notes I was astounded. I've enjoyed many subsequent vintages of RC La Neblina since but it wasn't until talking with winemaker Eric Sussman that I discovered the fruit source for the wine: Hallberg Ranch.
So when I spotted the 2011 Emeritus Hallberg Pinot on the Wine Spectator Top 100 list I did some searching and found this awesome vintage Wine Library TV appearance from Emeritus founder Brice Jones where we come to find out he was behind Sonoma-Cutrer before launching Emeritus.
I found the 2011 Emeritus Hallberg Pinot at a local retailer via Wine-Searcher and placed an order, picked it up today, and cracked it open tonight.
2011 Emeritus Hallberg Ranch Pinot Noir
11,100 Cases Produce
13.8% Alcohol
Textbook California Pinot Noir with layers of classic aromatics and complexity. Baked cranberries, strawberries, orange oil, and brambly fruit. Silky complexion. Wonderfully pure.
92/100 WWP: Oustanding
I'd highly recommend tracking some of this down if you an find it and I'd have little hesitation accepting vintage substitution. I've got a feeling these guys know what they're doing.
I'm adding Emeritus to my list of producers to visit. Brice seems like an amazing personality and the wines speak volumes for themselves.
Find it on Wine-Searcher
Follow @EmeritusWines on Twitter
Question of the Day: Have you had Emeritus Pinot Noir before/ If so, what did you think? If not, how about wines sources from Hallberg Ranch?
Red Wings and Red Rh�nes 2015
We?re always on the lookout for red Rh�nes we haven?t tried before, and our explorations often take us back to Ferndale?s Western Market, where our buddy Jarred Gild has a knack for coming up with out-of-the-way selections that, more often than not, are most enjoyable with not only Red Wings hockey, but with good food [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/FgTXXbKW-vM/red-wings-and-red-rhones-2015
Thursday, 26 March 2015
WBW 76: Barossa Boomerang
Not too long ago I drank quite a bit of Australian wine, particularly Shiraz. Given that this grape, also known as Syrah, expresses greatness in the Barossa Valley I could not pass an opportunity to revisit this region for this months’ Wine Blogging Wednesday. Our host, Adam from Wine Zag, proposed we look for any […]
WBW 76: Barossa Boomerang originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/FS8LnHLmfVk/
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/
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
Two Well-priced Loire Cabernet Francs
As a wine producing region, France?s Loire Valley flies under the radar of a lot of North American wine drinkers. I?m willing to bet that most would not recognize the names of any of the Loire appellations, with the possible exception of Sancerre, and many wouldn?t not know that region is located in the far [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/rkaHXLD4eg4/two-well-priced-loire-cabernet-francs
A Wine for Tonight: 2013 Cune Monopole Rioja Blanco
Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won?t break your budget and is widely available? If so, you might want to check out the 2013 Cune Monopole Rioja Blanco from the Rioja Alta appellation in Spain. Our selection criteria include: A very good Quality rating […]
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/
Happy 7th Birthday to Wine Peeps!
Today marks seven years since we started sharing our wine adventures with you here on Wine Peeps. What an exciting seven years it has been! We have written 1,269 posts and tasted over 6,500 wines. We have had the pleasure to meet so many wonderful people in the wine industry as well as fellow wine […]
Happy 7th Birthday to 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/ToAVHsEIyVo/
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/
Monte Carlo ? Find Your Dream Home
Expensive real estate is the thing that tops the list of the luxury items like gadgets, food and clothing. According to a recent survey by the Global Property Guide, the most expensive real estate market in the world is Monte Carlo. Named as ?Mount Charles? after Prince Charles III of Monaco, Monte Carlo is a […]
The post Monte Carlo – Find Your Dream Home appeared first on Vagablond.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vagablond/ysSN/~3/2NbbfP8ciYU/
Thank You From the Bottom of My Heart
I’m sitting here in my new home office with a fresh perspective and a touch of the misties, as in misty-eyes.� Rich and I have been moved into the place for just over a month and it has made a huge difference in how we feel about things.� I now recognize that we were both […]
Source: https://familylovewine.wordpress.com/2010/08/13/thank-you-from-the-bottom-of-my-heart/
Pinot Blanc Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Pinot Noir Syrah or Shiraz
Wednesday, 25 March 2015
The Lifestyle of An A-List Wine Critic
A-List wine critics are the celebrities of the wine geek but we don’t get a chance to learn much about them. Just Google for interviews of Robert Parker or James Laube and you will see very little outside of promotional stuff. But Antonio Galloni of The Wine Advocate seems to be more open and has […]
The Lifestyle of An A-List Wine Critic originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/r0JKYBK5oFQ/
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/
Long Shadows Vintners: 2011 Sequel Syrah [Wow! Alert]
Founded by Washington wine pioneer Allen Shoup, Long Shadows Vintners is a collection of ultra-premium wineries comprised of internationally acclaimed winemakers from the major wine regions of the world. Each winemaker is a partner in a unique winery dedicated to producing a single Columbia Valley wine representing a ?best of type? that reflects the winemaker’s […]
Long Shadows Vintners: 2011 Sequel Syrah [Wow! Alert] 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/OfGvo9lUZ5c/
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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