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| | The Complete Grape Growers Guide. |  | | A Complete Guide For Growing Grapes. Converts Very Well At A Reasonable Price! Growing Grapes And Making Wine Is A Very Popular Topic Right Now.
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| | Fool-Proof Wine Values. | | | Learn How To Easily Find Wines Of $50 Quality For $10 Or Less. Impress Friends With Your Expanded Wine Knowledge. Eliminate Your Dependence On Wine Salespeople. And Take The Hassle Out Of Buying Wine.
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| | Making Wine From Home. | | | A Fun And Very Informative Book On Home Wine Making. The De Facto Standard For All Home Wine Enthusiasts With Recipes, Advice And Tricks.
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| [01/01/1970, 02:00] | Snorkel Michigan | | | Welcome to the new Wine X interactive digital format. By using multimedia, we can deliver a deeper, more enriched travel experience for those with DSL, Broadband or faster connections. If you have dial-up or a slower connection, we?ve streamlined the images for a faster download time. For those with DSL, Broadband or faster, please read the directions at the beginning of the article before starting. If followed, you?ll not only be rewarded with a totally new online experience, you?ll have a lot of fun participating as well. YOUR INTERNET CONNECTION For DSL, Broadband or faster connections click here. For Dial-Up and slower connections click here. |
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| [06/28/2007, 20:23] | What We CAN Do! by Lynn Ogryzlo | | | Prince Edward County (PEC), the most-talked about new wine region in Ontario, may be scoffed at as being too intemperate for vines to survive there, but wineries like Norm Hardie, the Grange, Rosehall Run and Long Dog are changing the... | | | |
| [08/31/2006, 21:00] | New World vs. Old World | |  I'm in the mood for a throw-down. No more of this namby-pamby dancing around the ring.
A couple of weeks ago, I got slammed on the ropes for a comment I made about a post on Vinography. The winos over there are apparently pretty fond of their New World wines because, when I suggested that Old World wines might be suffering in the global marketplace because of what is simply an archaic (or nonexistent?) approach to marketing, damn. You'd have thought I said something about their mother.
"Absurd!" they said. "Wine that tastes like fruit, not boxes of cigars and pencil lead, appeals to US consumers," they proclaimed.
Hmmm.
I'm a U.S. consumer, and I'm a pretty even-handed gal. I like New World wines; I like Old World wines. I was trying to make a point about what I considered to be the glaring difference in the marketplace. I was trying to make that point independent of taste, because I tend to believe there's a place out there for both styles of wine.
But then I started to think about it, and I've decided, even-handed is for wusses.
I'm picking sides, and do you know why? It's not about technical quality. There are New World and Old World wines of technical brilliance. It's not about image. Image is surface; popularity comes and goes.
No, this is a matter of taste, and I'm coming down on the side of the Old World.
This is my battle cry for wines that taste like cigar boxes and dirt, seashells and truffles; for wines that taste like a location; for being able to tell the difference between chadonnays made 30 miles apart; for a wine that has structure without having an alcohol content of 15 percent; for a wine that isn't obvious; for a wine that doesn't cater to a soda-pop palate; for a wine that actually pairs well with food; for a wine that goes for elegance over brawn; for a wine that doesn't give it up on the first date - one that I've got to work for, one that tastes better the next day, one that could sit on the shelf and evolve for a couple of years, one with a little mystery.
Categories: wine, Old World, New World, flavor | | WorldWine Tags: wine, Old World, New World, flavor, | | | |
| [04/18/2008, 11:50] | Château Tonnelles, 2004, Fronsac, France | |  More banging on from me about how we should look to the independent merchant for the more interesting wines - small producers, interesting flavours, unknown grapes etc etc but such purchases do not have to be the idiosyncratic, often you just need something decent and mainstream but still retaining that small producer mentality...  Wine Tasting Note: Château Les Tonnelles, 2004, Fronsac, France.
Available from Bordeaux-Undiscovered [more] for £7.99 (normally £11.99).
Very French (for which read Bordeaux) in style and structure - the aroma has a lovely fruity edge that needs a little teasing (swirl/decant) to really reveal itself - don't forget that aroma offers so much to the overall enjoyment of wine - is that blackcurrant, blackberry, leaves, undergrowth?
The Bordeaux Undiscovered website states that this 'drinks well on it's own' but I disagree - it's a classic French food wine - unless you enjoy hearty tannins - and in that regard is highly recommended with a simple roasted game bird. In this case it is stuffed with herby sausage and served with a potato-parsley-garlic mash and a broad bean puree (the latter left over from the Pappardelle with Broad Beans and Rocket dish). The wine is 100% Merlot. Alcohol 13.5%.
Scribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]
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| [03/03/2007, 10:54] | Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 | |  I have been drinking quite a lot of 1996 Penfolds 407 recently and maybe that colours my impression of this wine, but I drank it young and loved it, and now I like it even better. An outstanding wine with plenty of years to go. I don’t taste wines blind generally and I don’t care to. I even read other people’s tasting notes before reviewing but I still manage to form my own opinion. I could give you a dozen reasons for not tasting blind and I am sure advocates of blind tasting could give me a dozen reasons why I should! Be that as it may I’ll stick to my guns for now. ‘That’s me in the corner.That’s me in the spotlight…I thought that I heard you laughing.’ I already know I am out of step with many on this wine but so be it.
Full red purple. Aromas of blackcurrant pastille, licorice, tobacco, dried herbs, mint and delicate spicy cedar vanilla oak. On the palate medium to full bodied with blackcurrant, tobacco, star anise, coffee and some gamey earthy flavours. Tight and compact with firm fine grained tannins and clean fresh acidity. Finishes dry and long with blackcurrant and tobacco flavours. A brilliant wine, one for the long haul, and one I am most certainly going to purchase for the cellar. | | | |
| [04/13/2008, 06:38] | 2004 MAN Vintners Shiraz also solid at less than $10 | |  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. | | | |
| [01/01/1970, 02:00] | Receiving Good Gift | |  Is it just my ungratefulness or does everybody find it excruciatingly frustrating to receive expensive and useless things when there's a long list of basic necessities that they, well, need? With the season of giving quickly approaching, it's the perfect time to lure your friends and family out of their familiar patterns and into the giving of spirits. But, to lead these gift horses to water, one must first identify the reasons why well-intentioned people give lame presents: 1 They don't know what you like.
2 They were in a hurry, and couldn't find what you like.
3 They think plaid cartegan sweaters are always in fashion.
4 They're under the mistaken impression that you're difficult to buy for.
5 They saw something similar in your place and assumed you liked whatever it is. (A classic case of compounding misfortune perpetuated by a sense of obligation to display other useless gifts you've been given).
6 They have trailer park taste. In order to get what you want, one must first condition the givers. This is easier than it may seem because givers are usually eager to please -- they just don't always have the good sense to recognize the glaring solution to their gift-giving dilemma. Here's how to help them help you: 1 Keep a running list of things you want or need. Think of the things you would buy yourself if you found a twenty, fifty or a hundred dollar bill on the ground. Every once in a while you luck out and get asked what you'd like. Be prepared, and be specific. There's no such thing as too specific -- size, store and even stock numbers help reduce guesswork. 2 Become unabashedly obsessed with a particular store (i.e., Williams Sonoma, Ikea, etc.), then endear yourself to someone on the sales staff so you can discretely exchange gifts without a receipt. 3 Develop a reputation (or perpetuate the myth) of being an aficionado or collector of something that's relatively easy to find. Wine and food lovers are already one step ahead of the game. You can never have too much fine wine or extra virgin olive oil, or too many cookbooks. Prominently display your cache, or create a shrine from the empty bottles to act as a constant reminder to potential gift givers. And once again, be specific about your tastes (e.g., Bordeaux from the St. Emillion region). If the giver is a militant teetotaler, embrace another collectible. Just be careful not to be perceived as fanatical about something that is too general (i.e., golf or cows) or you may open up a Pandora's box of useless novelty gifts. As part of the conditioning process, be expressive when receiving gifts you like (think: The Price Is Right), and restate your appreciation like a mantra each time you speak to the giver -- "I made a salad dressing last night with your olive oil, and it rocked my world." After you graduate from this simple three-step program, you'll discover you can always get what you want. In fact, you just might find that you get a lot of it. Be sure, however, to let me know when you have too much Burgundy wine. |
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| [04/30/2008, 10:43] | so | | | Just SO… The functional elegance of this rarefied speak is uniquely captured in one of its most inconspicuous words: “so.” This isn’t “so” the intensifier (”so expensive”); it’s not the “so” that joins two clauses. This is the “so” that introduces a sentence, as in “So as we can see, modified Newtonian dynamics cannot account for [...] | | | |
| [05/07/2008, 10:22] | 2005 Joseph Drouhin Chablis | |  As part of my desire to enjoy better white wines, here's the 2005 Joseph Drouhin Chablis from the Chablis region of France near Burgundy. Around $20.
A nose that is slightly reminiscent of buttered popcorn, but not overly so. Overall a very bright, sunny wine, with flavors of crisp pears and green apples, with a touch of citrus on the finish.
I served this with another preparation of whole rainbow trout roasted in aluminum foil, this time with red bell peppers and pineapple. The touch of sweetness and caramelized sugars was quite nice. In the past I've used chayote squash and other ingredients, but the pineapple is a great pairing. | | | |
| [05/11/2008, 14:19] | Maryland Festival - Wine in the Woods | | 
May 17 & 18, 2008 from Noon-6pm
Located in Columbia,Maryland at Symphony Woods.
It?s their 16th Year! Celebrate the charm and character of an event that has aged to perfection! Sample Maryland's finest wines from a souvenir glass; make food purchases from an abundance of high quality, distinctive restaurants and caterers; sharpen your palette by attending wine education seminars; enjoy exceptional works offered by invited artists and craftspersons; and revel in continuous live entertainment on the jazz and main stages. Ask about the designated driver program.
Volunteers are needed; please call 410-313-4624. Advance purchase admission: A wristband will be mailed with your receipt; take your wristband to the gate for admission. Online registration requires an approved online account. To purchase admission for more than one person, change the quantity and update the cart. Advance purchase ends Wed., May 7. Walk-in purchase only May 8, 9 and 12-16.
On-line ticket sales begin March 6, 2008. On-line ticket sales end Wed., May 7th to ensure that tickets are received before the event.
Advance (walk-in) ticket sales begin March 6, 2008 at these locations, and end Friday, May 16th.
General Admission Gate Price is $25.
Advance tickets & Designated Drivers $20. | | | |
| [01/10/2008, 09:24] | Celebrating the New Year with Sparkling Wines | | New Year?s and bubbles always seem to go together perfectly, and this season was no exception. So with a lazy Saturday between Christmas and New Year Eve, it was hardly a surprise to find sparkling wines featured at every in-house tasting on our re-stocking the liquor cabinet route. How could we refuse?
We?re both fans of Spanish Cavas for their ability to combine great taste with solid pricing, and the Lavit Brut Rosado we sampled first was no exception. Light  strawberry in colour, this sparkler was summer in a glass ? raspberries, strawberries, and just a hint of peach. Even though it was slightly over chilled for this tasting we instantly agreed it would be one to that would help solve the ?what actually goes with turkey dinner? dilemma. Good for pre-dinner sipping too.
The Sigura Viudas Brut Reserva that was next up is pretty much one of our standard stocker for its flexible nature and crisp taste. It?s also, according to Ian Farmiloe, the International Cellars rep pouring, BC?s largest selling Cava. Good for parties ? especially potluck where anything is likely to show up. ?So, is this one,  like ? you know ? real champagne?? To his credit, Ian managed to keep a semi-serious expression on his face as he explained the intricacies of the Champagne region to the rather portly lady wearing a combination of tartan plaid, plenty of zestful holiday bling, and sturdy black walking boots. We weren?t quite so diplomatic and had to suddenly develop an interest in the Italian wine section several rows over.
However, we did pop back for the Reserva Heredad. Perfect for when we want a bit more of a treat for less than $35, this Grand Reserve Cava has plenty of lemon-lime acidity and always makes a reliable, refreshing pour.
For a complete change of pace, we also  checked out two offerings from Gray Monk?s Odyssey series. Even our Scottish wanna-be would probably have hesitated to inquire about the authenticity of this ?Champagne.? Neither of us got the yeasty nose that we would have expected after being left for 16 months on the yeast, although there was plenty of big time buttery texture from the Chardonnay. We settled for this one as an
aperitif. The Rosé Brut had pleasing strawberry notes but didn?t hit either one of us as a ?rush out and buy? item. At $27 each, we took a pass on both these BC wines and headed back for a few more of the Cavas? with just a short detour through Champagne for some of ?the real stuff.?
THE WINES:
Lavit Brut Rosado
Winery: Sigura Viudas
Grapes: 80% Trepat, 10% Monastrell, 10% Garnacha
Price: $17
Brut Reserva
Winery: Sigura Viudas
Grapes: 50% Macabeo, 35% Parellada, 15% Xarel-lo
Price: $16
Reserva Heredad
Winery: Sigura Viudas
Grapes: 67% Macabeo, 33% Parellada
Price: $32
Odyssey White Brut
Winery: Gray Monk
Grapes: Riesling and Chardonnay
Price: $27
Odyssey Rosé Brut
Winery: Gray Monk
Grapes: Gamay Noir, Pinot Meunier
Price: $27 | | | |
| [05/05/2008, 12:00] | Champagne Taittinger: A Walk Through the Cellars | | Welcome to our video podcast of the A Walk Through the Cellars - Taittinger - Video Show #31. Click the Image Below to Play the Video: Click Here to Download File The roots of Taittinger date back to 1734, when Champagne merchant Jacques Fourneaux established his company. The business prospered through the 19th century, ultimately Fourneaux-Forest merged with the Taittinger family, who retained control. Join us as we accompany Cellarmaster Loic Dupont through the famous Taittinger cellars, located in Reims on the site of Gallo-Roman chalk mines dug during the 4th century, and enlarged in the 13th century by the Saint Nicaise Abbey monks to provide storage for the Champagne wines which they traded in. Remains of the Abbey, which was destroyed during the French Revolution, are still visible today throughout the tunnels, in an excellent state of preservation. | | | |
| [01/01/1970, 02:00] | "Wine, Food, and Eagles" | | Sun Feb 20th, 2005, Sandy Hook
Join us for eagle watching at the Shepaug Dam along the Housatonic River, wine tasting and hot chocolate at the Winery, and a 3 course lunch with wine at the Inn at Newtown. | | | |
| [04/30/2008, 19:50] | Ack! I?ve Been Meme?ed | | | OK, I don’t usually answer these things, but since it’s from Uncle Stan (Hieronomous of Appellation Beer), I’ll bite. The premise: Share things about yourself that others may not know by picking four categories and providing four answers per category (the master list). I just took Stan’s categories, because you all probably know way too much [...] | | | |
| [06/13/2007, 08:47] | Double blind dinner of a lifetime | | | …Big Boy style Rob had been planning this event seemingly all his life, and twelve very fortunate guests were invited to the private room at Cru one innocent Spring evening for this once-in-a-lifetime event, making me the resident Chesire Cat. For those of you that might not know or forget, double-blind means you do not know [...] | | | |
| [04/18/2006, 07:22] | | | Russia it prevents wine entrance of Chile and Argentina.
To date 24 containers of Argentina and Chile wait for Russia authorization for enter that country.
The new measures implemented by Russia that originated the wine rejection of Moldavia and Georgia, also makes difficult now the import from Chile and Argentina.
The new Russian exigencies imply analyses related to the chemical elements they have not been using for many years.
In Argentina these measures were described as more tariff. This country evaluates its losses in the sum of u$s 150 per day for each container. The cost of the stopped wine would be of u$s 60 thousands.
More information in text in spanish
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| [04/23/2008, 04:34] | A Humble Critic | | Here's an interesting comment from one wine critic on wine criticism. Jancis continues to prove that she is one of the most thoughtful wine writers today. One can't miss the cult of personality that has grown around certain American wine critics whose followers often seem more concerned about the critic than wine itself. This can be seen in the fact that even the slightest criticism of such critics will generate howls of protest and comment spam against the perpetrator.
Robinson's comment, "We must always remember that we are parasites on the business of winemaking" should be in the back of every critics mind. Considering Robinson's status as one of the most influential wine writers in the world this is an striking statement that only adds to her already substantial and well earned respect within the wine trade.
Critics should be guides, not gurus.
See the Decanter article at the link below.
Jancis Robinson: critics should show more humility - decanter.com - the route to all good wine | | | |
| [01/01/1970, 02:00] | Vin de Napkin - Cat Fight | | With two proud wine writers taking a recent beating from the eRobert Parker board, I think it’s high time they call the mob mentality jackals off ... See here and here. In honor of Jancis Robinson’s recent “parasitical” wine comments and the receipt of my copy of Alice Feiring’s new book, hot off the press:  | | | |
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A magnificent Malbec! It picked up a trophy at the inaugural Wines of Argentina Awards held in Mendoza in 2007, having wowed the international panel of judges - included among them wine expert Jancis Robinson, who gave it an impressive 17 out of 20. This mulberry and spice-flavoured red wine was made by Herve Fabre, who was originally involved in the Bordeaux wine trade, before he and his wife fell in love with Argentina and moved there to establish a boutique winery. Herve's experience in producing top quality wines shines through in this tremendously rich, silky-smooth wine. Ripe blackberry and bramble aromas merge seamlessly with spicy oak and vanilla flavours. Full bodied, yet seriously smooth and warming. This 89 Parker point wine is sure to survive for many years to come. Definitely a wine to enjoy with fine food ... try it with rare roast beef or a juicy steak.
Price: 11.99 GBP
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"Wonderfully succulent, rich berry fruit with hints of spice box." (Parker). A must-have wine from this superb estate, once provider of the second wine of Cos d'Estournel. "Blackberries ... herbs ... hints of spices." (Wine Spectator)
Price: 19.15 GBP
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Enjoy six bottles of "the world's finest dry white wine" (Scotland on Sunday)
Price: 36.99 GBP
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"Sauvignon Blanc continues to go from strength to strength" says Hapers wine magazine ...
Price: 36.99 GBP
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Six bottles of Saint-Emilion 2005 " The greatest vintage in living memory"(Wine and Spirits magazine
Price: 56.99 GBP
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Enjoy the diverse flavours of "the world's finest dry white wine" (Scotland on Sunday)
Price: 69.98 GBP
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"Sauvignon Blanc continues to go from strength to strength" says Hapers wine magazine ...
Price |
The 2004 vintage of this wine received a bronze medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards last year (2006). I’ve only been able to find the 2005 vintage in Belgrade wine shops. It has an intensive and complex aroma with hints of flowers. Dominant tastes are those of melon and slightly of apricots. However, I wasn’t impressed, perhaps I expected more due to all the hype. Or perhaps there’s a significant difference in the two vintages.
