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Lago - l?unica azienda di design al mondo che gestisce un Corporate Blog Nicola Zago ha cominciato ad esplorare il mondo del web 2.0 con una tesi sui blog aziendali e si č messo subito a fare sul serio progettando e realizzando per Lago il primo e fino a pochi mesi fa l?unico Corporate Blog al mondo di un?azienda di design. Lago produce mobili di design; la contaminazione tra arte e impresa č unita alla ricerca per uno sviluppo sostenibile. Alcuni progetti come il letto ?Fluttua? o il sistema ?36e8? o ancora la libreria ?Tangram?, sono diventati vere e proprie
Anheuser-Busch Inc., the U.S. division of the nation's largest brewer, said Wednesday, May 14, 2008, in a signed a letter of intent that it is terminating its U.S. importing rights to the Grolsch beer brands.
Miller Brewing Co. of Milwaukee will become the exclusive importer of the Grolsch beer brands under a tentative agreement that would transfer the U.S. import rights from its main domestic rival Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc.
It's been a long-time ritual of mine. Like so many customary habits that become simple routines, whenever I buy a new wine, I open a bottle that same night. It doesn't much matter if the winemaker warns not to touch it for four weeks or for four months.
I find myself about to debunk a product who?s claim I do not altogether doubt. The Eisch Glaskultur company of Germany has released a line of stemmed crystal that they claim ?aerates beverages within minutes.? Their packaging states ?A wine poured into a Breathable Glass for just 2 to 4 minutes will show signs of aeration equivalent to the same wine that has been decanted and aerated for 1 to 2 hours.?
Since I am on the record for saying that ?breathing? is a wine myth, I can hardly fault a product that claims to do nothing, and succeeds. Of course the implication that they are using to sell glassware is that this stem will improve your wine tasting experience. This is what I set out to test.
Let me start by clarifying my positing on wine breathing. I have conducted various experiments over the years and the results have not done much to make me a believer. I am not saying that there is no difference from a wine that is decanted for an hour or two from a recently opened bottle, I am just not sure the difference is either significant, or difficult to reproduce with a few good swirls in a glass.
The premise is that allowing a wine to breath opens it up. It has a very poetic sound to it, except that wine does not respire so much as exhale. Wine vents volatile compounds into the air. The whole glass swirling thing is about releasing these compounds to make them easier to detect.
To say that a sitting wine improves is to say that these volatile compounds were in present in too great a number to begin with. This is certainly true with some wines that have off odors or excessive volatility, and in those rare cases I highly recommend a forceable decanting (so the wine literally chugs out of the bottle and splashes violently into the decanter).
If the wine was sound to begin with, it by definition was not excessively volatile. Vinegar is wine with way too much volatility, as an extreme example. Few modern wines you open will be vinegar-like. Some other off odors, such as the wet rotten leaf smell of a wine that has undergone malo-lactic fermentation in a bottle, may be reduced by decanting. A wine that went through MLF in a bottle will usually be slightly sparkling as well.
The experiments I have conducted include opening a bottle and tasting it blind against another bottle of the same wine which had been opened and or decanted some time before. The decanted wine may well have a different aroma and taste, but after a few minutes of swirling either wine, the differences balance out.
For the Breathable Glass (BG) I created a simple experiment. So simple that I concede that I do not have definitive proof of my hypothesis. On the other hand, it is simple enough that anyone can try it.
I put the same wine in the BG and another tall, well shaped glass and let them sit for four minutes without touching them. I then poured both wines into identical tasting glasses and tasted them blind. I did the same test again, only this time I swirled each of the wines reasonably evenly for 2 minutes before switching glasses and tasting.
In neither case did the wine from the BG exhibit any significant aromas or flavors that varied from the wine which had been poured into the regular glass. Therefore I can state unequivocally that I did not find anything remarkable or impressive.
My wording here is deliberate since Ronn Weigand who is one of the few combination Master Sommeliers and Masters of Wine is quoted right on the packaging as saying ?I was especially impressed - Remarkable!?
The test I conducted were designed to be easily verified by my peers, and as always I urge them to do so. What I didn?t do is almost as important as what I did.
I did not test a wine that had been in the BG for 4 minutes against the same wine that had been in a decanter for two hours, as per the claim on the package. I did not run a spectroscopic analysis to determine if the crystal makeup of the glasses was richer in oxygen, the mechanism cited for the claim. I didn?t do many things, but I did what I did, and I didn?t find a difference.
The Breathable Glass line is fine crystal with a good feel to it, and at $20 a stem it is not outrageously priced. I got mine at Bed Bath & Beyond, and it is because it is being marketed to the main stream instead of to wine geeks that I felt compelled to try it.
My advice is to save your money and buy one of the $4 stems right next to it on the shelf, unless you like the feel of the glass and it is in your budget. Just don?t expect miracles.
Oh, and the title of the blog is indeed a nod to Robert Lynn Asprin?s entertaining Myth-Adventures series. I know a few of you were dying to ask.
In this final part of this series, I would like to introduce readers to an extremely small winery which pays serious attention to their vines. Himmelsfeld vineyard began in 1991 when owner Elizabeth(Beth) Eggars decided to try something else besides nursing. Nestled on a gentle hill in Upper Moutere, the 10.5ha property has about 1.5ha dedicated to growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and SauvignonBlanc (roughly equal split). The rest of the land is still home to an apple orchard and many sheep!
Total production for all wines is roughly about 600+ cases so odds are you will not see this too often overseas. In fact, don't think we saw it in shops while in New Zealand either.
Of the many wineries visited - Beth struck me as one who puts emphasis on the Vineyard first and wine making second. She is adamant that "great wines are made in the vineyard", something which I hear echoed in the most zealous ( and coincidentally top notch) Burgundy producers. Her vineyard is the first one I have seen in New Zealand which does not "irrigate" - yes you heard it right - no irrigation. It was deemed that a deeper vine root system was preferable over "immediate results" and irrigation did not encourage this.
2002 HimmelsfeldMoutere Chardonnay Hints of citrus fruits and what is the beginning of some secondary aromas coming from the oak. Defintely French oak and probably not new oak either. Not as tight in terms of acidity which I suspect means it should be consumed within 3-5 years. 90 points.
2002 HimmelsfeldMoutere Cabernet Already achieving some secondary aromas, black and red fruits, not an inky black monster by any measures & soft smooth tannins. The core of the mid palate however shows some lightness in density indicating perhaps rain - grape bloat? Other than that a very nice wine but do not expect this to get much better and should be consumed within 3 perhaps 5 years. 90 points.
2003 HimmelsfeldMouter Noble Chardonnay Of the wines offered for tasting this is probably the got me excited the most. I am thinking this is comparable to top level Alsace SGN's but it also has that acidity which lifts the whole thing up. Defintely something I would be very curious to try again in 10-15 years - think this will be a knockout. 96+ points
Continuing in the vein of my first regional wine and food review of the Napa Valley, I will now travel south down the Central Valley to another loved wine region, Carmel Valley [WL]. Carmel Valley sits due Southeast from the beautiful and famous hamlet, Carmel-by-the-Sea, and is overlapped by the ...
The Story Wines are a boutique producer based in Melbourne and a predominantly Shiraz vineyard in the Grampians region. From what I can gather the 2005 “Orphan” Shiraz is their second commercial release under the label.
Slightly off blood red in colour, this shiraz smells like damp English hedgerow berries, dark chocolate and a hint of raspberry jam. Medium bodied yet full in flavour with fleshy blackberry, blueberry and plum up front, some pepper and spices, a soft and supple texture and integrated chalky tannins on a savoury finish.
In essence this Shiraz is a reminder that I need to drink more wine from our Mexican friends south of the border. It is seriously moreish and very reasonably priced at online retailers Squashedgrape and Boccaccio.
Score: 91/100 Price: $20 Closure: Screwcap Alcohol: 14.5% Other Opinions:The Story Wines, Winorama Would I buy this wine? Yes, very good value for money
Thank you to the judges Andrew at Spittoon, Susan at Food Blogga and food photographer Lou Manna. From all the fabulous photos you contributed to LiveSTRONG With A Taste Of Yellow they selected Helene at Tartelette as the winner. Congratulations Helene you will be receiving a copy of Lou's book Digital Food Photography. Thank you to Lou and his Publishing Company for their kind donation.
Bright citrus flavors--tangerine, Meyer lemon and lime--are effusive and fruity, with a hint of rose water, juicy acidity and a long, lingering finish. Drink now. 20,000 cases made.
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 Sommelier Roger Dagorn, Binny's Fine Wine Buyer Barbara Hermann, and author Leslie Sbrocco. I had hoped to attend their tasting last month in Los Angeles, but was felled by such a bad cold that I couldn't taste or smell anything--not ideal for sampling Bordeaux.
Thankfully, the list is still up on the web so I wanted to let you all know that it's a well-rounded list of dry whites, reds, and roses, as well as sweet dessert wines. Though I didn't get a chance to taste my way through the whole list, the inclusion of wines from Chateau Lamothe de Haux, Chateau Andron Blanquet, and Chateau L'Embrun all inspired confidence. None of these names will be terribly familiar to you, because they are produced by smaller producers who are vastly overshadowed by the big Bordeaux names. But they were selected for the list because they were excellent representatives of Bordeaux for the price.
So if you want to try some Bordeaux, but are not prepared to pay premium prices, this list could help you to find more affordable options that will still deliver great taste and classic varietal flavors.
Bandol, Provence, France. Mourvedre (80%). 15% alcohol. Cork. Approx $A50.
Bold and warming, it's not hard to imagine where such a wine could come from. Bandol faces the Mediterranean and the south and is baked by sun (over 3000 hours per year).
Captivating and in rude health, this is a delightful and disarming wine. It smells of raisin, cassis, smallgoods (liver sausage) and aniseed. As others have pointed out, this is hedonistic, full and direct. Lovely and plush, inviting and rich, but in time there is structure, firmness and muscle.
Excellent. 93. Now - 2014+
Post script: I sometimes wonder if my tasting notes provide enough context. Periodically, I'll include links to some wines that I think are similar - either in genetics (sibling) or taste profile (cousins).
Celebrated ZinFest artist Vince McIndoe will once again be on site to sign commemorative posters and Commemorative ZinFest Wine.
Who is the beautiful red-haired woman in the seductive blue dress? Who is the artist that painted the striking 2008 commemorative ZinFest Poster? The artist is Canadian Vince McIndoe, and the woman is a French-Canadian whose father is rumored to be the mayor of Bordeaux.
To celebrate this year?s ZinFest, the event committee decided to commission a commemorative poster capturing the spirit of Lodi?s premier wine event. With the assistance of local design firm Six West Design, the committee reviewed the works of dozens of artists, but were particularly taken by the bold colorful artwork of Vince McIndoe.
Retief Goosen has started his own brand of wine, called Fine Wines by the Goose. The farm, interestingly enough called Ganzekraal is located in the Upper Langkloof, not far from Goosen's house in George. Winemaker Morne Jonker is very positive about the brand, with the flagship wine 'The Expression' being a 50% Shiraz - 50% Cabernet blend retailing for about R270 a bottle, with only 1 000 cases of the wine currently on the market.
Jonker describes the Expression as ?an elegant wine, well-balanced wine?.
?Our acids are high ? we don't over-tannin our wines with wood tannins ? and we use 20% new barrels, 80% second, third and fourth fills which gives it that nice classical feel. The wine, in fact, tastes older than what it is.?
Having been produced in the Langkloof ? a cool climate wine region where the average temperature is 17 degrees ? the ripening process is prolonged, resulting in smaller, more concentrated berries.
The Expression is distributed by NMK and Global Brands, and stocked by Caroline Fine Wines at the Cape Town Waterfront.
Brendan Barratt, a good friend of mine and the Assistant Editor of Compleat Golfer magazine(www.compleatgolfer.co.za) caught up with 'The Goose' at the recent SAA Open in Pearl Valley and asked him about his new range of wines.
How did you get into winemaking? Were you always interested in wine?
Well you know, I sort of really got into wine let's say 15 years ago, drinking wine with my wife ? she always liked the Chardonays, so I started drinking it and then I became more interested while travelling around the world. You just about eat in a restaurant every night when you play around the world so I just became interested in ordering different wines off the menu and started really getting interested in all the different flavours. About two years ago I said to a good friend of mine, Werner (Roux ? of Lagoon Bay Golf Estate), Let's get into the wine. And he said, 'Well, I know this guy who makes very good wines, just across the mountain here in George'. So we went to go see Morne (Jonker), and Morne was very interested in getting involved, and that's how we started the brand. So far it's been going fairly well and we have only really been running it now since May last year, and we know the wine is good.
How involved are you in terms of hand-on winemaking?
Well I am not there actually picking the grapes! That's for sure, but I am drinking it! But I have been on the farm a few times and we have invested a lot into the farm to upgrade and plant some more grapes. I was quite involved in the selection of the actual bottle itself and the labelling, they were pretty much my idea.
You're following in the footsteps of some fine winemaking golfers, Ernie, Arnie...
Well yeah, just about every second golfer now has a wine farm, isn't it? We are obviously big drinkers! But it's more of an interest than really a business thing and if it does happen to make it, it's great ? and so far it is doing well. And we know we've got a good brand.
Do have have any particular wine preferences?
I love this combination that Morne has made, the Cabernet-Shiraz and the Sauvignon Blanc we are bottling in February, so my wife is more of the white wine drinker. I like both, purely depending on what I am eating and how I feel.
In terms of marketing the brand, can we expect to see 'Goose Wines' on your shirt sleeve any time soon?
Well, I have Grey Goose, which is unfortunately a French-American vodka, but that's something I will definitely start looking at, doing some sort of branding somewhere on my golf bag. At the moment we have been doing quite a bit of marketing and we were at the wine show in London a few months ago, so we are slowly building up our customers. We are doing well, we are exporting a little bit to England, Ireland, Singapore and China. We are looking forward to the East, once we get China then it is going to be our biggest market for exporting.
To contact Morne - call : 082 653 6800 ; e-mail : morne@thegoosewines.com or for more information log onto www.thegoosewines.com
(Thanks must go to Brendan for providing The Cru with this exclusive interview with "The Goose" - let's hope we see him win another 'Major' soon!)
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.
And apparently, Yulia is the Upset Queen. She's adept at bringing $7 bottles that end up winning blind tastings. Either that or we all have cheap tastes... not quite sure.
So last night was the Mourvedre/Monastrell showdown. And honestly, it was pretty disappointing. We blind tasted 5 wines and none of them were particularly stellar. As per my normal accuracy, I guessed 3 out of 5. I knew we had 2 cheap Spanish, 1 pricier Spanish, Cline's Ancient Vines, and Thomas Coyne. I did not know the vintage of any of them.
Wine #1: Blackberry/blueberry nose, with a touch of herbs. A bit of funk wafting through. Tight tannins. Thin fruit, but very ripe. Smoke on the finish. I guessed it was a cheap Spanish from 05. I gave it 2.5 out of 4 stars.
Wine #2: Smells exactly like sweet boysenberry pancake syrup from IHOP. Blast of fruit on the opening palate and then... nothing. Kind of gross, really. I guessed another cheap Spanish from 05. I gave it 1 star.
Wine #3: Much lighter in color (the previous two were densely purple-red). White chocolate and sweet cinnamon on the nose with blackberry/raspberry fruit. Same fruit on palate with spicy-herbal finish (sage, thyme, cinnamon). Lingering cocoa. I guessed a CA from 05, and I figured it was Cline. I gave it 2.75 stars.
Wine #4: Ripe blackberry, some astrigency on the nose - kinda like band-aids. Also lighter in color than the first two, more red than purply. Cassis fruit, smoke and lots of herbs. Lingering tea. I guessed a CA from 03 or 04 based on color and herbality. I guessed it as Thomas Coyne and gave it 3.25 stars.
Wine #5: Smelled just like... dish soap? Seriously. Or cheap rose perfume. Sweet raspberry also present. On the palate, pretty tasty mulberry fruit with mint and thyme. I guessed it as the pricier Spanish and placed it as an 05. I gave it 3 stars.
So, it turned out that:
#1- Cambra's 03 Uno! Shit, we all got that one wrong. And quite frankly, it is NOT worth the price.
#2- Chonchelo 06 - Cheap Spanish, indeed. We just poured this straight down the sink.
#3- Cline 05 Ancient Vines Mourvedre - Got it right, but it's not as good as I recall. Much lighter and much leaner on herbs.
#4- Thomas Coyne 04 Mourvedre - Pretty good stuff. I'd feel ok about recommending this.
#5- Finca Luzon Verde 06 Monastrell- And with that, Yulia's cheap Spanish trumps us all. This is a great bargain.
Wine2.0 Facebook group. Its definitely an association that has potential but I wonder if the FB group that was created for the purpose of perpetuating Wine2.0 hasn’t done a disservice to the movement itself.
What I have found in the past is that FB groups are simply glorified bulletin boards. A community needs interactivity, networking opportunities, offline events, party hats, balloons…ok, maybe not party hats and balloons but you get my drift.
So, on day 2 of my reign (or is it 3?) here is what I find - the group is still active (there are still people joining), but it won’t be for long. What I also find is this - the group needs a purpose. Here are some suggestions:
* Create a standard for wine entries that facilitates eCommerce
* Become a resource for wine companies to learn about web technologies
* Create a venue to review new companies and award the best company with funding or business or both
I’m completely open. There is alot of potential there. I guess a basic tenet of the group will be to promote and evangelize the use of Web2.0+ technologies throughout the wine industry.
Whether you're envisioning open-air fields of grapevines or the intimate mystique of a wine cellar, there's something thoroughly romantic about a vineyard wedding. via Today's 6
Jack tasted wines from a dozen Italian wineries imported by Empson USA. The wines from Conterno Fantina, Bellavista, Bongiovanni and Ca Rome impressed him the most.
It was like a freaky safari. There we were, winemaker Neil Collins and me, stalking chickens running loose on the property. No, not for dinner. Collins wanted to show me the benefits of using the feathery flock in the vineyard.
I expected them to scatter. But as we got closer they paid no attention to us. They were too busy chomping away at the green stuff planted between the vineyard rows: gourmet grasses, wild flowers and their favorite treat - the spiky Yellow Star Thistle.
Collins explained the idea behind using chickens is based on the concept of biodiversity. The chickens eat the natural material, process it, then put it back as a rich type of, well, specialized manure. Eventually the manure and cover crops are softly tilled into the ground and serve as a natural soil fertilizer. In springtime, packed with powerful nutrients, the mixture acts like a sort of alarm clock, waking the vines and energizing them from their dormant winter snooze.
Believe it or not, the chickens are an upgrade to how vineyard farming has been done for the past 50 years. Since World War II, most growers have gone the easy route - purchasing synthetic chemical fertilizers packaged in commercialized plastic bags. But things are changing now as more natural, eco-friendly farming techniques have come back in style.
"For quality wine, grapes should be an expression of the soil and the vineyards where they?re grown," Collins says. "Using synthetic chemicals means there?s something missing from the wine as far as authenticity or natural personality is concerned."
Certified as organic in January 2003, Tablas Creek Vineyards is a member of a new wave of premium U.S. wine producers recognizing the benefits of using old-fashioned farming methods. The concept is simple: work closely with nature instead of against it.
What Does Organic Mean?
By definition, organic agriculture refers to fruit, vegetable and other food products cultivated without the use of toxic pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers. Like a touch of TLC from Mother Nature, the main goal is to build healthy soil and healthy plants, and to protect the surrounding environment and workers in the most natural way possible.
Over the past decade, more than 15,000 vineyard acres in the U.S. have been farmed organically, an amazing increase from only 200 acres in 1989. California is a hotspot for this movement. There are nearly 7,000 acres of certified vineyards planted by 113 producers in the state. Many others do it without applying for certification. "No compromise!" is the shared bravado.
For a vineyard to become certified, the land must be farmed for three years without the use of chemicals. The vineyard is inspected twice within that period by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), the state?s regulatory certification organization. Monitoring is yearly after certification.
Gettin? Down With Nature
Okay, let?s set things straight. The general problem with synthetic chemicals is that they eat the natural nutrients and minerals in the soil. Conversely, the organic approach adds natural resiliency to the soil, thus strengthening the plants.
To make this happen, organic soils are nourished with a variety of natural ingredients, like cover crops, manure and powerful compost made with recycled materials such as pomace (grape skins), straw and other landscape debris. The idea is to have as much commotion - otherwise known as energy from microorganisms - moving around in the soil as possible. Near the vineyards, flowers, herbs, vegetables and fruit trees are planted to create additional activity that?ll benefit the native flora and fauna. In other words, it?s all about raw material, baby!
John Williams, winemaker at Frog?s Leap Wine Cellars in Napa Valley, is a true believer in the power of organic farming. All vineyards comprising the Frog Farm property have been certified organic since 1999.
Williams offers this analogy, which addresses use of conventional chemicals as a "quick fix" in the old days: "It?s like if your kids are on a soda and candy bar diet: response is impressive, sustainability is not. Our goal is to make sure that our soil has a balanced diet at all times. Financially and as far as quality is concerned, it?s a very viable situation."
While sustainable farming practices have quickly caught on with many grape growers, controlling pesky weeds remains a main obstacle that keeps many from taking the organic plunge. As a result, most grape growers still rely on annihilating the green material with toxic products.
Organic producers, however, have found ways of getting around this. Techniques include mulching vineyard rows to suppress weeds; using the pyrotechnical alternative ("fire, fire!" as Beavis once said) to burn them with propane torches; or employing small tractors with soft rubber bumpers to cut the weeds without harming the vines.
Another difficult matter has been the ongoing battle with insects that can cause serious vine damage. However, instead of using harmful conventional sprays, organic converts focus on creating unique insectaries that feature a variety of flowers, shrubs and trees. The idea is to attract beneficial insects that?ll eat the problematic vine pests.
Mendocino and Beyond
The birthplace of this organic wine movement was California?s Mendocino County. Today, more than 3,000 acres of grapes grown in the county are farmed organically.
Charlie Barra, whose family owns the Barra and Girasole brands of organic wine, has been working with grapes in Redwood Valley since he was just nine years old. "Most of us were farming organically for as long as I can remember," said Barra, 78. "We couldn?t afford chemicals back then, and we still don?t need them today. There just wasn?t a name to call this practice until the last 25 years."
While Redwood Valley?s Frey Vineyards was one of the first to have certified vineyards in the U.S., it was the more recognizable brand - Fetzer Vineyards - that ultimately became the prototype for sustainable agriculture in the mid-1980s. In 1989, Fetzer began its eco-friendly commitment by converting 1,600 vineyard acres to organic.
Natural Flavors
Until recently, the concept of organic wines left a sour impression on critics and consumers. Most of this was due to bad winemaking or bottling techniques. But thanks to new, innovative farming methods, including reducing the amount of water used, minimizing crop load and hand harvesting, as well as new technology used in the winemaking process, the overall quality of wines - both organic and conventional - have improved significantly in the past decade. As a result, the lingering hippy cliche or "stigma" commonly associated with organic wines has started to fade, being replaced instead with images of more racy, premium style wine.
Moon Mountain Vineyards, located on the rugged Mayacamas mountain range overlooking Sonoma Valley, began its conversion to organic farming techniques in 1998. Winemaker Randall Watkins has been impressed with how much more concentrated the fruit flavors have become since chemicals are no longer used. "The vineyard now speaks for itself," Watkins says.
Granted, there are many producers like Moon Mountain that grow grapes organically but are very discreet about it, meaning they don?t say much about it on their labels. Those that do feature it fall into two general categories: "Organic Wine," for wines that contain no added sulfites; or "Made with Organic Grapes," for wines that contain a small percentage of sulfites.*
Signs of such producers? success are evident in the marketplace. For example, Whole Foods, Cost Plus and specialty wine shops now feature organic wine sections on their shelves that cater to a growing number of environmentally conscious consumers.
Want to know more? Read Nudist Camp Part II in the next issue.
* Sulfites are natural by-products of fermentation. It?s impossible to have no sulfites in wine. However, winemakers can choose not to add sulfur (which eventually turns into sulfites) to their wines during the winemaking process, thus minimizing the amount of sulfites in the finished product.
Eco-Friendly Ladybugs
Lolonis Winery, located in Mendocino?s Redwood Valley, farms 250 acres of organic vineyards, including a large number of old, gnarly vine plantings of zinfandel, petite sirah and carignane. The saving graces on the property have been ladybugs.
Each year, Lolonis purchases millions of these little critters and releases them in the vineyards to combat harmful pests. "We?re looking for consistent quality and not variability," says Philip Lolonis, a third-generation member of the Greek family that planted the original vines in the 1950s. "We?ve harnessed the power of the ladybug to help us get there. They?re not only cute, but very effective!"
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
Tecnorati
Anheuser-Busch Inc., the U.S. division of the nation's largest brewer, said Wednesday, May 14, 2008, in a signed a letter of intent that it is terminating its U.S. importing rights to the Grolsch beer brands.
The Story Wines are a boutique producer based in Melbourne and a predominantly Shiraz vineyard in the Grampians region. From what I can gather the 2005 “Orphan” Shiraz is their second commercial release under the label.
What Does Organic Mean? 
