Source: http://la.eater.com/archives/2012/03/07/bravo_announces_cast_for_around_the_world_in_80_plates.php
Friday, 9 March 2012
2007 Pomerol
In this post you'll find an overview of the ratings of the 2007 Medoc 2. Grand Cru Classé. We have gathered all ratings from Robert Parker, Decanter and Wine Spectator.
Have breathalyzer, will travel
If you’re thinking of doing the rounds at en primeur in Bordeaux, or domaine hopping in Burgundy, forget the corkscrew: the one essential thing you’ll need if you’re behind the wheel is a breathalyzer. New legislation goes into effect in July (though enforcement with a $23 fine for not having one won’t begin until November) [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/1Y-tf_yh8yE/
TasteCamp East:Bloggers Arrive in the Finger Lakes
This is one of my favorite times of the year. I’m fortunate enough to be included on the list of wine bloggers and writers who get asked to attend TasteCamp East, organized by Lenn Thompson and Evan Dawson at The New York Cork Report. Last year, Long Island Wine Country hosted our group and although [...]
Source: http://familylovewine.wordpress.com/2010/05/06/tastecamp-eastbloggers-arrive-in-the-finger-lakes/
2012 Boston Wine Expo: More Affordable if You Buy Early
I've gotten a few emails from people asking about discount codes so I asked the folks who run the Expo if I could have some to share. They said they've lowered prices for the Expo this year - especially for early purchases. Here's the pricing for the 2012 Expo:
- Nightly Vintner Dinners
- Three Days of Seminars (as opposed to just Saturday and Sunday)
- NECN TV Diner Platinum Plate Gala Friday Evening
- Chefs' Grand Benefit Dinner Saturday Evening
- Barrel Sampling Room for the Trade Saturday and Sunday
Check out these options if you're in the trade, a potential exhibitor, or the media.
Further Reading:
- Winemakers Impress at the 2011 Boston Wine Expo
- Inside the Grand Cru Lounge at the 2011 Boston Wine Expo
Groupon: 50% Off at Wine.com
Update: This deal has expired.
Groupon is offering 50% off at online retailer Wine.com. They say the offer runs through Friday but quantities are limited and we've seen these sell out in the past.
After a wave of similar offers earlier in the year, Wine.com seems to be making the rounds again with these offers. Living Social ran a $40 for $80 a couple weeks ago.
This time it's $25 for $50 -or- $40 for $80 through Groupon. I'd recommend going for the $40 for $80 because the voucher can't be used towards shipping and as a percentage of the total order less value is eroded with the $40 for $80. If you've previously purchased their Steward Ship package (similar to Amazon Prime - free shipping on all orders for a year) it can be used in conjunction with vouchers like this one. They sometimes offer that for $25 and include a 6 month subscription to Wine Spectator so there is a certain amount of stacking that can be done here. But you have to be crafty.
One other catch - they say it doesn't work for alcohol orders shipped to MA. If you can get past that, you'll notice the prices at Wine.com aren't exactly the greatest. But their markup doesn't seem to be uniform. Take for example the 2009 Caymus Special Selection. They've got it for $99. With a $40 voucher it would be $60 plus shipping for that bottle which is a about $40 less than I see it for anywhere else in the country.
Click here to check out the offer
Question of the Day: Any angles you've found to get the maximum value out of these Wine.com social coupons?
After a wave of similar offers earlier in the year, Wine.com seems to be making the rounds again with these offers. Living Social ran a $40 for $80 a couple weeks ago.
This time it's $25 for $50 -or- $40 for $80 through Groupon. I'd recommend going for the $40 for $80 because the voucher can't be used towards shipping and as a percentage of the total order less value is eroded with the $40 for $80. If you've previously purchased their Steward Ship package (similar to Amazon Prime - free shipping on all orders for a year) it can be used in conjunction with vouchers like this one. They sometimes offer that for $25 and include a 6 month subscription to Wine Spectator so there is a certain amount of stacking that can be done here. But you have to be crafty.
One other catch - they say it doesn't work for alcohol orders shipped to MA. If you can get past that, you'll notice the prices at Wine.com aren't exactly the greatest. But their markup doesn't seem to be uniform. Take for example the 2009 Caymus Special Selection. They've got it for $99. With a $40 voucher it would be $60 plus shipping for that bottle which is a about $40 less than I see it for anywhere else in the country.
Click here to check out the offer
Question of the Day: Any angles you've found to get the maximum value out of these Wine.com social coupons?
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/h5o6UtMrJOw/groupon-50-off-at-winecom.html
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!
1 picture might not be enough in today’s fast paced world
A picture is worth a 1000 words, or so the saying goes. Personally, I’m starting to think this idea is outdated in today’s world and even more so in relation to the photos you post online. Today, with every gadget and gizmo in your pocket having the capability to snap a photo, upload it and [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/5euxIogGNVA/
Challenging Wine Pairing: Beef Lettuce Wraps
Recently, I came across a recipe for beef lettuce wraps with wowee sauce. This sounded delicious and seemed like a great prospect for one of our challenging wine pairings. Seasoned ground beef topped with shredded carrots and sliced water chestnuts garnished with wowee sauce was fabulous wrapped in the Boston lettuce leaves. Wowee sauce is [...]
Challenging Wine Pairing: Beef Lettuce Wraps 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/hdkHTLpyTGA/
Thursday, 8 March 2012
Academy of Wine Communications-FLX: February Meeting this Thursday, 2/25/10
Update: February meeting canceled due to winter storm warning for the region. We’re working on setting up our next meeting for Thursday, 3/18/10. Watch here for more details. February’s meeting of the Finger Lakes Chapter of the Academy of Wine Communications will be held on Thursday, February 25, 2010 at Three Brothers Wineries & Estates [...]
Source: http://familylovewine.wordpress.com/2010/02/22/awc-meeting-this-thursday-22510/
This Is Your Brain On Wine
When it comes to wine appreciation, so little, perhaps nothing, is set in stone. This is true for the simple reason that no two brains are alike. The brain, that focal point for interpreting and translating what flows over our...
Michael Mondavi really gets wine blogging
While searching for something else this week I came across this random video of an Italian blogger who did a short video interview with Michael Mondavi. Mr. Mondavi’s answer to a simple question about wine bloggers shows he really gets how we fit into the wine conversation. The best part is the last 10 seconds [...]
Michael Mondavi really gets wine blogging originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/b6jgbhuqev0/
Monticello Vineyards experiments with wine flavored cheese
At a Wine & Cheese festival in Carlsbad, Monticello Vineyard’s Stephen Corley approached them and indicated the winery might be interested in combining the Monticello wines with their Gouda cheeses. Monticello sent a case of their wines containing three varietals: Estate grown Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Continue reading
1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic auctioned for $30-$40 million
There are many people from the affluent class who love to add vintage cars to their list of rare collectibles. The Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic is the most expensive vintage car which was auctioned at an amount between $30 and $40 million. This is not at all a surprising amount for this exclusive vintage car [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vagablond/ysSN/~3/k-_R67qE6Zc/
Vintry Wines – a swanky addition to a winey part of NYC
So if a sleek wine shop opened in the arcade under the new Goldman Sachs building, you’d expect it to have oversized bottles of first growths and Napa cabs, right? Well, Vintry Wine and Spirits has plenty of trophy bottles, but it also has some reasonably priced and very drinkable ones. Nestled among the magnums [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/5alVD5orp_Q/
My Wine Bucket List—Expanded
Over the past several years, I have shared with you my bucket list of wines and then an update of it, as I have tasted several of the wines. In coming months and years, I’ll update it again as I add to my bucket list and enjoy tasting more of the wines on the list. [...]
My Wine Bucket List—Expanded 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/Qfn0B-uMDzA/
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
WBW 73: My Wine Spark
I first found out about Wine Blogging Wednesday in late February of 2005 when Andrew from Spittoon sent me an email inviting me to participate in WBW 7. Back then the wine blogging world was a small group of sites and we frequently commented on each others posts and traded emails. I was intrigued with [...]
WBW 73: My Wine Spark originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/RGHKERhK5fM/
There's Something About Pinot
I love Pinot Noir events primarily because I love Pinot Noir. There is something about the Pinot producer too that sets them apart from other winemakers. There is an arrogance I like. Maybe it comes from them working with one...
Great Wine Content Found in a Sea of Information
One of the defining aspects of on-line wine content today is that it has become increasingly difficult to track what is available on the Internet, whether you are a consumer or a member of the trade. This is as much...
@BVWines protecting minors from the existence of wine, since Nov 18th 2012
View the story “@BVWines protecting minors from the existence of wine, since Nov 18th 2012″ on Storify]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/RnCM5AMpGnE/
Nicolas Joly on appellations, life forces and electromagnetic fields
“The concept of taste linked to a certain place has been totally destroyed by technology,” Nicolas Joly told a standing-room-only audience yesterday. Joly, author of two books on Biodynamic winegrape cultivation, owns the Coulée de Serrant in the Loire where he is “nature’s assistant” (according to his business card.) Back in New York for another [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/55mqtr-FxJs/
Nicolas Joly on appellations, life forces and electromagnetic fields
“The concept of taste linked to a certain place has been totally destroyed by technology,” Nicolas Joly told a standing-room-only audience yesterday. Joly, author of two books on Biodynamic winegrape cultivation, owns the Coulée de Serrant in the Loire where he is “nature’s assistant” (according to his business card.) Back in New York for another [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/55mqtr-FxJs/
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
The tools for wine tasting success
In a MASSIVE oversimplification, animated largely by its dichotomous elegance, I suggest that there are two different approaches to wine tasting & sharing the experience. It isn’t really about palate as I believe that pretty much anyone can taste wines. It isn’t background and upbringing, although experience over time does help. In fact, I believe that [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/gIFNiVdPEic/
The Literary Future of Wine (Coming Soon)
Every now and again I like to take account of what wine books will be coming our way in the next few months. It's a way of glimpsing what I'll be thinking about in the near term where wine is...
Chateauneufs, Geezers and More
In the spirit of the early days of Gang of Pour, we offer this report on yet another episode of wretched excess with our longtime partner-in-crime, Alan Kerr, aka Canadian Zinfan. Do we really go back to 1997 with this renegade Brit?! We do, and we have the reports to prove it! The occasion was [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/hYPPmFoZ1Ok/chateauneufs-geezers
Wine Word of the Week: Corked
This week’s Wine Word of the Week is corked. Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine: Corked is the pejorative tasting term for a wine spoiled by a cork stopper contaminated with cork taint. This is one of the most serious wine faults as in most cases it irrevocably imbues the wine [...]
Wine Word of the Week: Corked 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/kLNWhEOW-lo/
Monday, 5 March 2012
Enjoy the Oceanic atmosphere at the steakhouse at 21 Oceanfront Restaurant
A grand elegance reflects from the century old McFaden Building where the spectacular 21 Oceanfront Restaurant is located, which is one of the best dining areas in Newport Beach. This is one of the favourite eateries for many meat lovers because this gastronomic enclave is famous for its delicious preparations of fresh seafood and solid [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vagablond/ysSN/~3/wMMIK_lxIIw/
Wine Adventures in Yountville
Sometimes you just need a quick getaway to cure the doldrums of the winter months. And that is what we just did with a one-night getaway to Yountville in the Napa Valley. Continue reading
Source: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/napablog/wine-adventures-in-yountville/
Value Alert: 2007 Atlas Peak Napa Cab
There is an ocean of wine looking to get our attention at any given moment. After a while the names start to blur together. Avalon. Geyser Peak. Atlas Peak. Without knowing any better I start to assume they'll all be servicable but otherwise non-descript juicy red wines. But this one was special.
Atlas Peak is all about producing wine from mountainside sites in Napa Valley: Howell Mountain, Mount Veeder, and Spring Mountain. They produce bottlings from each of these sites in the $60 range. The Napa Valley wine retails for $38.
Here are my thoughts on their 2007 Napa Cab. I think it could do really well in a blind tasting with wines costing up to $60.
2007 Atlas Peak Napa Valley Cabernet
$38 Release Price
14.5% Alcohol
$19.99 at the Wine Cellar of Stoneham
What a beautifully balanced, flavorful, and enjoyable Napa Cab. Very aromatic right upon opening. On the nose I get dried blackberries, supporting savory notes and a little perfume in the background. Mouth-filling with slightly sweet chalky tannins and a milk chocolate after taste. Good grip, a touch of a acid, and nice length. An impressive accomplishment at or around $20. If you like Honig Cab (which I do) I think you'll like this too.
92/100 WWP: Outstanding
Next Steps:
- Buy the wine from The Wine Cellar of Stoneham
- Read other opinions on CellarTracker
- Compare Prices at Wine-Searcher
- Visit the Winery Website
Last minute holiday gift ideas for wine lovers
From what I am reading, this week will make or break the year for retailers. So I don’t think it’s too late to post some gift ideas for wine lovers. We are a difficult bunch to buy for with the most obvious gift — wine — somewhat intimidating for our friends and family to gift. [...]
Last minute holiday gift ideas for wine lovers originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/i7Eie-0IpsY/
Engage or Get Out – Don’t waste your time with Social Media
So you have a Facebook page? Great! And a twitter account? Bravo! Even posted a couple of photos, maybe uploaded a video? Good for you. What?? You say you even have a blog? You’ve posted an article or two and have comments enabled? Wow, great job! You’re on your way. Now just stick in there [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/ZDp26wYakG4/
WBW 73: My Wine Spark
I first found out about Wine Blogging Wednesday in late February of 2005 when Andrew from Spittoon sent me an email inviting me to participate in WBW 7. Back then the wine blogging world was a small group of sites and we frequently commented on each others posts and traded emails. I was intrigued with [...]
WBW 73: My Wine Spark originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/RGHKERhK5fM/
Sunday, 4 March 2012
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 [...]
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 [...]
DRC auction, guilty, Messi wine, scouting, charity – sipped & spit
SPIT: bottles of DRC SIPPED: the power of the internet; credit card return policies? Don Cornwell, a collector and attorney, posted an impressively detailed assessment of lots that went under the hammer at a London auction last night. Spectrum and Vanquish, the auctioneers, did withdraw some lots but continued to sell others despite statements from [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/Rn_3wos90MA/
Wine Magazines and the Next Big Thing
An article Sunday in the Boston Herald on the demise of Quarterly Review of Wine after 35 years of publishing its thickish, glossy, well-edited magazine brought to light a couple of issues that fascinate me. First, in the article publisher...
The Literary Future of Wine (Coming Soon)
Every now and again I like to take account of what wine books will be coming our way in the next few months. It's a way of glimpsing what I'll be thinking about in the near term where wine is...
Saturday, 3 March 2012
Napa Valley Trip Planner – Plan and Map your trip to the Napa Valley
The Map displays 150 wineries in the Napa Valley. There are some 400 brick and mortar wineries in the Napa Valley and we have whittled that number down to the wineries that we think offer the most to travelers to the Napa Valley. We may have missed a few good wineries, so if you think you have a winery to recommend for our database, please let us know. Continue reading
Krug Clos d’Ambonnay, the first new wine from Krug
The ultimate name in the world of luxury champagne brands comes from the small rural area of Ambonnay where Pinot Noir, the best variety of grapes are produced in a small vineyard of 0.685 hectares to produce Krug Clos d’Ambonnay. After Rose, this is the first new wine produced by Krug in these 25 years [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vagablond/ysSN/~3/PeLa5vL9LyQ/
Value Alert: 2007 Atlas Peak Napa Cab
There is an ocean of wine looking to get our attention at any given moment. After a while the names start to blur together. Avalon. Geyser Peak. Atlas Peak. Without knowing any better I start to assume they'll all be servicable but otherwise non-descript juicy red wines. But this one was special.
Atlas Peak is all about producing wine from mountainside sites in Napa Valley: Howell Mountain, Mount Veeder, and Spring Mountain. They produce bottlings from each of these sites in the $60 range. The Napa Valley wine retails for $38.
Here are my thoughts on their 2007 Napa Cab. I think it could do really well in a blind tasting with wines costing up to $60.
2007 Atlas Peak Napa Valley Cabernet
$38 Release Price
14.5% Alcohol
$19.99 at the Wine Cellar of Stoneham
What a beautifully balanced, flavorful, and enjoyable Napa Cab. Very aromatic right upon opening. On the nose I get dried blackberries, supporting savory notes and a little perfume in the background. Mouth-filling with slightly sweet chalky tannins and a milk chocolate after taste. Good grip, a touch of a acid, and nice length. An impressive accomplishment at or around $20. If you like Honig Cab (which I do) I think you'll like this too.
92/100 WWP: Outstanding
Next Steps:
- Buy the wine from The Wine Cellar of Stoneham
- Read other opinions on CellarTracker
- Compare Prices at Wine-Searcher
- Visit the Winery Website
Last minute holiday gift ideas for wine lovers
From what I am reading, this week will make or break the year for retailers. So I don’t think it’s too late to post some gift ideas for wine lovers. We are a difficult bunch to buy for with the most obvious gift — wine — somewhat intimidating for our friends and family to gift. [...]
Last minute holiday gift ideas for wine lovers originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/i7Eie-0IpsY/
Field Notes from a Wine Life – Power Structure Edition
Odds and ends from a life lived through the prism of the wine glass…
Naked Wine and Occupy Wall Street
It’s not hard to notice the parallels between the natural wine movement and Occupy Wall Street - both are valid causes sorely lacking coherence and a rallying point that would move them from fringe head-scratcher to mainstream momentum.
• Natural wine is about purity of wine expression—shepherding grapes grown without chemicals to the bottle with as little human manipulation as possible, representing the place where they came from in the process.
• Occupy Wall Street is about re-calibrating the world’s best economic system – capitalism—to preserve the middle-class, the labor force that has allowed the U.S. to create the most productive economy in the world.
Neither movement represents fringe radicalism as some would have you believe. I look at both as being valid inflection points and, at their core, about keeping a balance between big and small, allowing every man and woman an equal opportunity at pursuing success around their particular truth.
What reasonable person would deny the validity of either if not clouded by confusion?
One idea well-conceived and well-communicated can change the world, but, unfortunately, both the natural wine movement and Occupy Wall Street are prevaricating from their essential truth, rendering them both toothless and feckless.
No need to crib from Che Guevara, but appealing to base logic and the common denominator would do both movements some good.
Just one man’s opinion…
On the Aussies, Redux
A few weeks back, I noted how the Australian wine industry was poised for a rebound in public perception due in part to two things happening in concert – public backlash to Yellow Tail wine, what I call the, “Derision Decision,” and an unspoken coalition of influencers recognizing Australia’s artisanal wine production – the antithesis of Yellow Tail. I cited recent sympathetic mentions from Jay McInerney in the Wall Street Journal and Dan Berger, wine writing’s current patriarch, as proof points.
You can add to the list of sympathetic mentions about artisanal Australia with recent mentions from Jancis Robinson and James Suckling.
Don’t sleep on Australia. It’s making a comeback slowly, but surely in public perception.
Tim Mondavi and Wine Spectator
Thomas Matthews, the Executive Editor for Wine Spectator magazine (WS), has commented on my site a few times. Each of these instances has been to protect or project Wine Spectator around its editorial goals.
Good on Thomas for not being afraid to get in the ring. Certainly, WS takes its fair share of shots from the wine chatterati, mostly with grace and aplomb.
Lest I cast myself as anything but objective, I should note that James Laube’s article on Tim Mondavi and Continuum in the current issue of WS (November 15th issue) is everything right about what mainstream wine media can offer wine consumers that online wine writing (mostly) doesn’t –long-form, depth, first-person access and an effort that takes weeks and not hours.
Laube’s piece is excellent - well-written and balanced; acknowledgement thereof is in order.
Besides the Wine
Jordan winery has two wines – a Cabernet and Chardonnay, but they really have a triumvirate in terms of things to buy. Jordan focuses on food and wine as being partners at the table and, to that end, any purchase from Jordan should also include their olive oil. Wow!
The Jordan olive oil makes Trader Joe’s EVOO seem like Two Buck Chuck, comparatively speaking. A little whole wheat Barilla pasta, some homemade pesto using the Jordan olive oil and some artisan bread in five minutes a day and you’re assuredly living the good life. The rub is I wouldn’t pour the round Jordan Chard with the pesto, probably a Sauvignon Blanc, but don’t let that dissuade you from picking up their olive oil – it’s good stuff.
Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/field_notes_from_a_wine_life_power_structure_edition/
The Top 10 Wines of 2010
I’m officially declaring 2010 the year of the rosé. Yes, I know that many wineries have been producing stellar rosés for years, but I felt that this year was the tipping point where the public started to get behind the … Continue reading
Source: http://www.beyondnapavalley.com/blog/the-top-10-wines-of-2010/
iTunes Now Includes All Podcast Episodes
This podcast predates iTunes so when it started only a portion of my shows appeared on the feed. After I posted my latest podcast I decided it made sense to consolidate all the shows into the iTunes feed with all future podcasts published in mp3 format. Down the feed to Winecast 33 are enhanced AAC [...]
iTunes Now Includes All Podcast Episodes originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/aa6lH_SXTNY/
Where are the thirst-quenching domestic reds?
The French have a wine term that doesn’t translate. No, it’s not terroir. It’s vin de soif. A wine that’s thirst-quenching is a fun drink that accompanies food or a moment but doesn’t dominate them. It’s lowish in alcohol and in price. While the concept translates, the category comes up frustratingly empty when looking for [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/6Hcjqkjp_7U/
Friday, 2 March 2012
Wine Magazines and the Next Big Thing
An article Sunday in the Boston Herald on the demise of Quarterly Review of Wine after 35 years of publishing its thickish, glossy, well-edited magazine brought to light a couple of issues that fascinate me. First, in the article publisher...
Tasting notes - Berlin Tasting
Here follows my tasting notes from The Berlin Tasting in Copenhagen.
No. 1 - 2005 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild (Bordeaux)
Dark colour with intense smell of pencil, cigar, currant and spicy wood. It’s full-bodied, rich and concentrated but also with an upfront softness. 96/100.
No. 2 - 2004 Sassicaia (Tuscany)
Not so intense in the nose - a little cherry. The [...]
No. 1 - 2005 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild (Bordeaux)
Dark colour with intense smell of pencil, cigar, currant and spicy wood. It’s full-bodied, rich and concentrated but also with an upfront softness. 96/100.
No. 2 - 2004 Sassicaia (Tuscany)
Not so intense in the nose - a little cherry. The [...]
Source: http://www.wine4freaks.com/40/tasting-notes-berlin-tasting/
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 … Continue reading
Source: http://www.beyondnapavalley.com/blog/haydns-take-on-the-lake-chelan-ava/
Wine-derful
Judges completed the first day of tasting the finest vintages the wine world has to offer at the 70th Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition. Stepping into the Millard Sheets Center for the Arts, where judging is taking place, the aroma is musky, flowery, fruity, nutty. Pretty powerful! Judges gather around round tables comparing [...]
1 picture might not be enough in today’s fast paced world
A picture is worth a 1000 words, or so the saying goes. Personally, I’m starting to think this idea is outdated in today’s world and even more so in relation to the photos you post online. Today, with every gadget and gizmo in your pocket having the capability to snap a photo, upload it and [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/5euxIogGNVA/
Six from Cornerstone – 2009 vintage
The more wines we taste from our friends at Cornerstone Cellars in the Napa and Willamette Valleys, the more we admire the great work they continue to do. Consider, if you will, the six samples from the 2009 vintage that we tried recently. Each exhibits the consistent high quality that we’ve come to expect from [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/d8IGnj2pVRs/six-from-cornerstone-2009-vintage
TMiW 1 – Looking Back, Looking Forward
This is the premier episode of This Month in Wine, a monthly discussion about what is going on within the wine world from a consumer and insider perspective. Hosts: Tim Elliott and Jeff Lefevere Topics What’s up with Good Grape? Is wine blogging on the decline? Wine Trends & Predictions for 2012 Value Replaces Cheap [...]
TMiW 1 – Looking Back, Looking Forward originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/G2HGzSDlbQM/
For blogging success, phone a friend
A couple of years ago Hardy Wallace and I got into a debate about editing blog posts. His take was that a blog should be raw, from the heart, without the refining that happens when an editor gets hold of a bloated piece of wine writing. I, on the other hand, suggested that you can [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/22rnbbon9JI/
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.
Thursday, 1 March 2012
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 [...]
Utah Liquor Law and the Immaculate Concoction
A bill under consideration in Utah would require that two of the five members of its Alcohol Beverage Control Commission must be "drinkers". This is pretty funny on its face as no other state in the Union would ever have...
Review of Chelan Ridge 2009 Chardonnay
Wine: Chelan Ridge 2009 Chardonnay Appellation: Columbia Valley (but sold in the Lake Chelan AVA area) ALC: n/a Price: $16 Haydn gives this wine: 96pts You can buy this wine: Give Chelan Ridge a call at (509) 687-4455. The website … Continue reading
Source: http://www.beyondnapavalley.com/blog/review-of-chelan-ridge-winery/
Hello world!
Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!
Ballentine Vineyards – Nice Change of Pace in the Napa Valley
Would you like to try something a little different than the usual wine-tasting fare of the Napa Valley? Try Ballentine Vineyards! It’s a little more on the old-fashioned side, with down-to-earth folks running the winery and keeping a very low profile. Continue reading
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)