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Pennsylvania is one of those states that controls the distribution of alcoholic beverages by operating state-run stores, so one wouldn't really expect it to be a hotbed of wine-distribution innovation.
However, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is looking into the possibility of operating wine-dispensing kiosks at up to 100 locations around the state, and is soliciting bids from contractors to operate them. The machines would hold about 500 bottles, and dispense a dozen different selections. Users would have to register to make purchases with the machines, which would take credit, debit or PLCB gift cards. The kiosks would incorporate security identification measures such as fingerprints or biometric readings.
Of course, it would be no surprise to assert that Argentina has come a considerably long way over the last decade in terms of the depth that its wine producers are capable of achieving.The manner in which this process has and continues to take place, however, has less to do with the factors that used to be paramount (foreign buyouts) and more with the industry exporting a different image of itself altogether.This phenomenon alongside other compelling developments in recent times have precipitated what I believe to be a pivotal changing of the guard when it comes to the style of Argentine wines that American consumers are welcoming more and more.
Artisan-made Argentine wine producers are no longer lost in the wilderness, playing second fiddle in terms of international exports, to say, the larger, industrial-style producers or Mendoza wine operations funded with foreign money.Argentina?s bout with hyperinflation in the early 1980?s, the kind that made my family sell their business and book it towards the United States, as well as the government?s mismanagement of the World Bank and IMF-instigated crises of the 1990?s were devastating for the export aspirations of Argentine families with a winemaking tradition.Like many American fruit farmers getting undercut and essentially obliterated by Dole, Sunkist and the like, the nature of wine production during times of turbulence in Argentina has made it difficult for these producers to stay afloat; and so, like vultures, the 1980?s and 1990?s saw foreign capital descend upon Mendoza in the form of large multinational drinks corporations and others who scooped up the winemaking patrimony of many financially pressed families.
For quite some time now, these types of wine operations have made drinking the wine of my native country while abroad in the US a sadly confusing affair to say the least.Here I was, drinking these wines which had labels reading ?Mendoza? or ?Cuyo,? so they were certifiably real, but made in styles which weren?t even in the ballpark as far as what I knew I liked to drink.Did Argentine wines change, and thus, Argentine tastes, or was something being kept from those of us who live in North America?Some very successful investors and qualified winemakers from highly prestigious European wineries became involved with their pet projects in Mendoza, but to me, something just did not sit right.I felt a bit heartbroken that as a wine lover, the wines of my native country available for export reflected something I didn?t like?far from it in fact, something I couldn?t even relate to in any meaningful way.
Those darker days, however, seem to be coming to an end as the tide of taste gradually begins to favor Argentine winemakers that provide innovation, quality, exceptional value, and at last, the types of wines that bring a little piece of home back to my dinner table.I feel that a newly found sense of openness and curiosity in the American wine consumer is taking hold.From the wider availability of all sorts of Argentine wines I?ve noticed to the stimulating conversations I?ve had with people here about Argentina?s winemaking heritage and how it is increasingly reflected?things are moving in a direction I am liking more and more.Someone, however, from the point of view of imports to the US, has to be at the forefront of this revolution.For my next post, I?ll be presenting my interview with a major player in building long-term relationships with artisan Mendoza producers and in turn, striving to make authentically Argentine wines more of a staple than an oddity in the US market.
This year 9,358 wines were judged from 35 different countries, by 400 judges. The judges came from 19 different countries and included 33 Masters of Wine. 260 Gold medals were awarded, 1,129 wines won Silver medals and 1,839 wines won Bronze medals.
The top 3 medal winning nations remain the same as last year ? France, Australia and Italy. France scooped the most medals with a total tally of 635. English wines continue to show improved form with 21 medals in 2007 up from 16 last year.
I'd like to point you readers to an interesting post by Clark Smith, at his GrapeCrafter blog, about Natural Winemaking (yes, capitalized) and the role of yeasts in the winemaking process.
Clark spent some time recently at a wine industry event where panelists and the audience discussed the definition of what Natural Winemaking actually is. It comes as no surprise to me that the group couldn't achieve consensus around a concept that remains, as far as I am concerned, a broken metaphor (vinegar is natural, wine requires technological intervention).
One particular sticking point arose out of a discussion surrounding the use of commercial yeasts. Many proponents of Natural Winemaking, including those that practice Biodynamic winemaking eschew commercial yeasts in favor of the yeasts that are found on and around the grapes, citing their role in the concept of terroir. Some do not.
Smith, in particular, seems to favor commercial yeasts for all the reasons that winemakers usually do: they prevent stuck fermentations, they allow the winemaker more choices in how, where, and at what temperature the fermentation process takes place, and finally they avoid the sometimes nasty odors and flavors that can be byproducts of some natural yeasts.
Smith goes on to make quite an interesting argument, however. He alleges that those concerned with the expression of terroir are actually better served by commercial yeasts than by so called "wild yeast" or "native yeast" fermentations. By virtue of eliminating or reducing the aromas and flavors that are merely byproducts of the yeast itself, Smith argues, the terroir is more likely to shine through. The implication being that native yeasts actually obscure terroir more than they create it.
I'm entirely ambivalent about commercial yeasts in winemaking. I've had phenomenal wines made both ways. Frankly, most of the time I (and I would venture, most wine lovers) don't know what kind of yeasts were used in the wine I'm drinking. I recognize that 50 years ago, there were no commercial yeasts on the market, but I also accept that there were an awful lot of wines full of Brettanomyces and other uglies that made for unpleasant drinking.
What do you think? Yeast as terroir or yeast as tool?
Another Moronic Convergence set for our place tonight: tonight's showdown is Monastrell/Mourvedre. So far, I think we have to Spanish, two Californian, and one French.
Our brains work in mysterious ways. Ever since I got my Fusebox wine blending kit from Crushpad Wine, all I think of when I think of the beautiful box of wine designed to create a custom blending experience is the notoriously sexual and metaphorical “The Who” song, Squeezebox. This, all told, is somewhat apt because if the Fusebox were not an inanimate object, I would want to make love to it.
I had the opportunity to join Indianapolis wine blogging pal Mark of winecanine.com and Renee, the doyenne of the Indianapolis food blogging scene from her outpost at Feed Me / Drink Me, along with a few other notables, including a wine distributor, on Saturday night. Couched in conviviality was the desire to put the Fusebox to work.
If you are interested in the Cliffs Notes version, I will simply say this—the Fusebox is incredibly well executed and an absolute smash for a party. At $120 bucks, it is well worth the money. In addition, the wine, six bottles of 375 ml blending varieties, is very, very good individually, let along as the sum of the parts. On top of that, the wine distributor in attendance wanted to distribute the Fusebox and Mark from winecanine.com, who works part-time at the best wine shop in Central Indiana, said the storeowner thought he could move an easy 150 units at the holidays. The Fusebox has my unequivocal Good Grape endorsement.
If that is not enough, Alder from Vinography is represented in the Fusebox with his Wine Aroma cards. It felt like a karmic match with the wine blogger representation. Though, as a sidebar, I will admit that I chuckled to myself at the end of the night, much drunken wine later, when I read “peeling willow bark” as a scent component on the wine aroma card from Alder. Ahem … note to Alder: stay away from your wife’s high-end, wacky-scented body lotion, my friend.
What transcends the Fusebox from the merely interesting to the compelling is both the organization and the quality of the wine. It is primarily comprised of six 375 ml bottles of blending wine including Cabernet Sauvignon (two bottles), Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc that top to bottom are of excellent quality.
The kit also contains a mystery wine for some palate testing and all of the accouterments necessary to blend to your heart’s content—graduated cylinder, pipettes (mini wine-thief’s) and some schwag like a corkscrew and some evaluation cards, etc.
As I noted, the thing that makes this kit sing is the quality of the wine and the fact that it works. With the ingenious recipe cards, you can custom blend your own wines adding a dash of this and a dash of that and it is a true aid in helping to understand how components add different qualities. We all know that Petite Verdot and Cab Franc are frequent blending partners, but if you have a bit of Cab and you add in the Petite Verdot and the Cab Franc it brings the whole picture together for your palate.
The other masterstroke of this kit is the recipe cards they include. They offer blending suggestions to mimic a 2002 Joseph Phelps Insignia, 1996 Lafite Rothschild, 2000 Chateau Margaux, and a 1997 Opus One, amongst other things.
Those at our party all took turns creating blends from the recipe cards and sharing. It’s vicariously thrilling to put a blend together and imagine for a moment that it may approximate a wine that retails for $2000 +
If I had to give one recommendation for the kit, it would be to include tasting notes for the marquee wines on the recipe cards so users of the kit could subsequently take some of their own notes on the created blend with a baseline. I kind of want a little more context to why my blend is supposed to equate to a very premiere wine, but, in the end, that is just a quibble.
Next time, I am going to buy a kit to do on my own blending, at home, as a self-study aid, you will want to, as well. The Fusebox is fantastic for a party, but probably equally as valuable, in a different light, as a way to hone your palate chops in a more intimate setting. In fact, I hope and fully expect Crushpad to change it up every year to keep customers coming back and trying different things.
Either way, using the Fusebox in a crowd or in your kitchen with your significant other, it’s a smash hit. Make sure to turn on “The Who” and croon with me, “Come on and tease me like you do, I’m so in love with you, Mama’s got a Fusebox …”
PAUMANOK CHENIN BLANC from Long Island got a nice plug by New York Times wine writer Eric Asimov on his wine blog (The Pour). He noted that there aren?t many good American chenin blancs, but Paumanok?s ?stands out as delicious on almost any scale you choose?it has weight and presence without being heavy or big?a combination of lemon, apples and honey, yet was thoroughly dry with a refreshing acidity?.
Yes, that was basically the point of this quick weekend post.Over the past week I made the best attempt I could at finding all six single-variety wines that the South African producers released, and have only achieved partial success (3/6).Though not so entirely happy with one of the whites (sadly the only one I could track down), I return to the reds to find a very interesting Shiraz.
A small clarification about how I view value wines though.Obviously, the MAN Shiraz is no Crozes-Hermitages, but that simply isn?t the objective with a value selection recommendation.It doesn?t make it better than say, a Northern Rhône Syrah that usually sells for more.Value selections like this one are unusually interesting for the price point.That shortsighted all-or-nothing approach people have the tendency to apply to so many things in life seems absurdly inappropriate even with wine.I thought about that today when I read the latest post over at The Pour, which somewhat deals with a new book on wine reminiscent of that 20/20 segment from 2005 which relegates the value of art and art criticism (good parallel with wine) to that of upper-brow contempt for the masses.How many certifiable idiots have you overheard in a hotel lobby asking trite questions that more or less resemble ?which one?s the best, Flemish art or Florentine art?The inanity of an exchange like this swiftly reveals the poverty of knowledge, or perhaps more crucial to the matter, lack of genuine appreciation which the participants must have for art.
As someone who seriously studies literature and has a couple of degrees to back that up, I have always cringed at those book club type questions where two writers from completely different perspectives and time periods are given the old CNN Crossfire treatment, ?George Sand or Danielle Steele??On a whole, more people would likely prefer Steele, who no doubt is an accomplished writer; her work could thus be considered better, right?No, no and no.As with artists or writers, let?s please leave wine out of that sort of thing.
At any rate, this Coastal Region Shiraz is all about straightforward flavors and food-accompanying functionality.I thought it a bit complex for the price point, with nice plum, berry, spice and smoke.Balance wasn?t too far off, with medium acidity, high body, medium-high tannin and solid fruit which stood up to the vegetal and spice flavors for three days after opening.An added bonus, considering most sub-$10 reds, was that the oak presence was never overwhelming.I?ll certainly consider the MAN Syrah and Pinotage again when looking for value-priced accompaniments to grilled meats and those ostrich burgers I have come to enjoy recently.
FishEye Merlot caught my eye at the supermarket yesterday when trying to find a good cheap wine to pair with my pasta and chicken dinner.
Nice and fruity, I think the strongest aroma was plum. This wine was a good match to my dinner, and a good value for $5.89. I’d like to try their Cab one of these days.
In my old age I’ve really been turning the dial on skeptical cynicism. To that end, nothing rankles me more than more government. Well, at least more government where it shouldn’t be. Saving people from themselves, yes. Helping those that need help, yes. Ensuring children can maximize their potential, yes. State-run liquor stores, no.
The upshot is that the Governor of the state, Ed Rendell, told the head of the PCLB, PJ Stapleton, to, “Run this place like a business, not a government bureaucracy.”
Gee, I can’t imagine anything as government-like as a $3.6M dollar contract with a branding firm. Now that I think about it, it’s awfully corporate, as well.
I want to say: guys, I’ll take a consulting fee of 10% on that $3.6M and save you the balance. With the savings, the PCLB can do one of two things--either drive to New York City with a bunch of MBA students who need a capstone project and go to every retailer in the city. Subsequently steal ideas from all that is good. Alternatively, head to Costco, the largest wine retailer in the country, and study how to sell high-volume low qty. sku’s to an adoring public.
There, I just saved them a bunch of money. I’ll wait for my check to arrive.
I've been a member of this group for awhile, but haven't posted much. I've ended up doing my senior project for a possible internet wine recommendation service, and would appreciate it if you could take the survey. It's not personally identifable, and it should be pretty quick to take.
2005 Domaine Louis Boillot et Fils, Gevrey-Chambertin Medium-plus colour with plenty of purple at the rim. High tones of violets over blackberry fruit and faint earth. In the mouth it’s got reasonable concentration but lovely flavours of black cherry jam edged with faint oak toast. Fine balance and a subtly penetrating length. [...]
The always erudite Eric Felten bemoans the Mimosa, “the official semi-alcoholic drink of brunch” as “an ordeal.” True enough because of OJ from a carton and cheap, off-dry bubbly. Then he spells out his recipe for success with the drink: freshly squeezed orange juice and good dry champagne.
In my limited cocktail making, I have come to learn that the fresher and better the ingredients, the better the cocktail. But I’ve also learned that there really aren’t that many great wine cocktails. While I agree in principal with Eric’s suggestion for the Mimosa makeover (though his suggestion of Veuve Clicquot is hardly the driest champagne around in these days of brut zero), I can’t bring myself to put OJ in my Bollinger (his second, and much better, champagne suggestion). If I have a fresh OJ and a glass of fine champange I’d rather enjoy them separately and never the twain shall meet. For me, it’s a nice dry cava or prosecco that is the best way to go with the fresh OJ in a Mimosa.
What do you say? Is the Mimosa where you’d put your Bollinger?
An Argentine glacier moves back There is in danger the productive region that Argentina and Chile share
A glacier of Argentina, the Upsala, in the southern province of Santa Cruz, moved back almost 13,5 kilometres between 1928 and last year, according to analysis of organizations that study the environment. In 20 years there would be serious problems for the production.
For graficar the process of deterioration of the mass of ice, a photo took from the same place of the one that was taken an image of the glacier in 1928. To simple sight is observed that most of the ice already is not.
The scientists who study the phenomenon of the melting it attribute to the increase of the temperature average of the planet, due to the use of fossil fuels as the petrol and other derivatives of the petrol.
The organizations environmentalists claim Argentina and Chile that political decisions take, since the melting does not affect only the Upsala, but all the big glaciers of the south of the continent.
Also they demand that countries like The United States and Russia, they sign and put into practice Kyoto's Protocol, which almost 120 countries resolved in 1997 to reduce the emission of the gases that raise the temperature of the planet.
These organizations that study the environment demonstrated besides the fact that in some zones of the mountain chain of the Andes, in the frontier zone between Chile and Argentina, also the volume of the glaciers is diminishing. According to experts of the United Nations, if measurements are not taken to reduce the global warming, the glaciers will disappear in 20 years, which will provoke big problems for the productive activities.
Source: Simbolo. Net (# 52) Buenos Aires - Argentina
Benmarl makes one of my favorite wines - a Reserve Baco Noir which is turning heads and is a scarce commodity because it sells out every year. Here's an interview with one of the best young winemakers today.
I do not know Kristop Brown well. But I know of him. He is young, but well educated, and hungry for more knowledge.
Kristop Brown has rock star good looks, a soft spoken voice, and confident but unobtrusive personality, and a great way with people. Oh yeah, and he makes great wine. The current heart throb of Hudson Valley winemaking, it is easy to see why people are drawn to the quiet but charismatic winemaker from Benmarl. He certainly mirrors the zen of the current age, Brown seems to evince a love and enthusiasm for wine and winemaking, but also seems to possess a sense of self, not taking himself too seriously.
?I worked at Millbrook Winery for one year,? said Brown. ?I became interested in wine at Millbrook where I was able to taste wine from Millbrook as well as the other estates owned by John Dyson in Tuscany and the Russian River Valley. This opened my eyes to the world of wine.?
?I went to Rutgers University and studied forestry,? he said, admitting that wine was not yet a trade he had at first considered seriously.
?I've been at Benmarl since the [first week] in January 2004,? says Brown. ?I learned to make wine apprenticing under Eric Miller, former winemaker at Benmarl [and son of owner Mark Miller], and owner and winemaker at Chaddsford winery (Pennsylvania). I took Organic chem. I and II at SUNY Ulster to help me understand wine better.? He added, ?I am also in school part time with the goal of getting a degree in Chemistry.?
Benmarl is known for its Baco Noir, and in recent years Brown has helped raise the hybrid from a local favorite to a wine other winemakers are talking about. Many other wineries had pulled their Baco Noir vines, not able to make a go of it with the somewhat obscure hybrid. But Brown?s newest incarnation of this grape reminds one of a fine Rhone or a Washington state red. It?s big, fruity, but dry and elegant. And the new package and label have helped make the transformation complete. This wine is a true treasure.
I asked Kristop about the vines at Benmarl. ?The average age of a Baco vine on the property is 25 years old with the oldest at 50 years. These older vines give great character and low yields. Also Baco should be planted in steep rocky soils overlooking a body of water, which is exactly us. Aging in a mixture of new and used French oak is an essential part of Benmarl's Baco program. We age Baco for at most 8 months. I feel the youthful fruit of Baco shows best and should be consumed in the first 1-5 years of its life. Lastly the high acidity must be dealt with and this to me is the biggest challenge in making the wine. Blending a small amount of low acid wine like Foch works, de-acidifying may work (but sometimes leaves a "hole" in the wine), and leaving a dash of residual sugar are all techniques I have used.?
?90% of the producing vines are Baco with the rest split between Marchel Foch, Leon Millot, Noiret and there is a dash of Chambourcin, Aurora, and Villard Noir?We are currently cultivating young Traminette vines on the property and making plans for restoring much of the overgrown terracing to replant. This of course will take many years to complete. ?
I asked him if he enjoyed making Baco Noir. ?I do enjoy making Baco the most because I am starting to know the variety a little better having worked with it for four and a half vintages. I am able to tend the vines and make the wine which I think allows for maximum control of the outcome. I also enjoy making crisp whites with slow, cool fermentations like Traminette and Riesling. The intensity of aromatic fruit that is created is intoxicating.?
What is his favorite part of the process? ?My favorite part of winemaking believe it or not is working in the vineyard. This is where the wine is made. I finally understand the French philosophy on the vigneron which means "winegrower.?
The more you know Mr. Brown, the more you want to know. He was originally born in Sharon, Connecticut, in June of 1975. He is married to Jade, and they have an 11-month-old baby, Ruby. "I used to fly fish and go camping with Jade before the baby, but would like to return to it when Ruby is older. I also have two cats (Stanlely and Stella)."
Did he want to be a winemaker when he was younger? Hardly. ?I don't think I ever really thought about that when I was little. Maybe a professional fisherman or something.?
I asked him to name a few of his favorite East Coast wines, but this is a truncated list, including Dr. Franks Rkatsitelli, Millbrook Tocai Friulano, Whitecliff's Awosting White, Bedell Cellars? Taste Red, Glenora's Cabernet Franc.
Asked what wine region he would most like to visit, he replied, ?I would like to visit the Loire Valley to see how they produce Cabernet Franc, which I feel might make a good vinifera varietal for our property.?
The last in a trio from Barossa producers Scorpiiion is their 2006 GSM, which is comprised of 45% Grenache, 42% Shiraz and 13% Mataro, all of which is sourced from the Barossa Valley.
Vibrant ripe plum and blackberry aromas are entwined with lurking chocolate and vanilla. On the palate I found intense flavours of fleshy dark fruits, a velvety mouthfeel and a little drying tannin on the finish. Its full bodied, fruit forward and very gluggable.
After having the chance to taste three different wines produced by Scorpiiion, I can definitely see the fruit driven but balanced style they are aiming for across the range. The GSM represents the best bang for your buck and is a great option if you just want to buy, open and drink. Prices appear to range from $15-23, depending on your selection of retailer and the number of bottles, Squashedgrape being the cheapest at this time.
Score: 89/100 Price: $21 Closure: Screwcap Alcohol: 14.5% Other Opinions:Wine Without Wank Would I buy this wine? Although I personally lean toward more savoury styles, $17 per bottle is a great price.
Nuits St George, Burgundy, France. 13%. Cork. Half bottle. Approx $A40.
Quite similar to the last De L'Arlot I had, though with perhaps a little more softness and flesh.
Lovely initial burst of rose petal, perfume and sap, before settling into a more earthy and understated repose. Like its sibling, there is a note of ginseng, though as mentioned I thought this was more rounded and plump. The softness is evanescent and soon replaced by something more meaty and firm.
i want to punch up the grappa i'm currently storing with maybe a fruit or rind infusion. have you any experience with either creating new infusions or tasted infused grappas before? let me know.
The Battle for Wine and Love or How I Saved the World from Parkerization Author: Alice Feiring The font of the title is pleasantly wacky, and the title itself promises a dream-like escapade in which Feiring daydreams herself ?saving the world? and falling in love with a superhero winemaker. Not a bad concept. This is not a journalistic effort like other recently released wine books, To Cork or Not to Cork, The Billionaire?s Vinegar, First Big Crush, Wine and Philosophy. This is a personal essay on a personal point of view. The book is a small-format book?hardbound, 5 ½ ?...
98-100 points Parker: "The 2003 Ermitage Le Meal blanc may be the finest dry white I have ever tasted. Providing a prodigious tasting experience, it is filled with honeyed citrus, an unctuous stoniness to the fruit character, amazing body, and abundant freshness, precision, and length (the finish lasts nearly 90 seconds). A legend in the making, it is an incredible effort."
Tuscan Wine Tours offers day tours of Italy's region of Tuscany. In this video, the group visits two small wineries and enjoys a relaxing lunch al fresco, a typical tour. Take a look:
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After our recent Wine Book Club foray into Bordeaux, I thought you might be in the mood to buy some wine from the region to stash away in your cellars and closets for drinking in three to five more years.
If you are looking for some good value in Bordeaux, then you should check out the list of 100 affordable wines that was selected in a blind tasting by a jury that included Chanterelle Master Sommelie
Tecnorati
Pennsylvania is one of those states that controls the distribution of alcoholic beverages by operating state-run stores, so one wouldn't really expect it to be a hotbed of wine-distribution innovation.
The always erudite Eric Felten 
The last in a trio from Barossa producers 
