TagCloud:
Wine Ebooks:
| | 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.
| | | |
| | 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.
| | | |
| | 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.
| | | |
Blogs & Sites:
 Tecnorati
|
|
| [01/01/1970, 02:00] | Vino! Reviews (01/07): Ronn Wiegand Recommends Domestic U.S. Budget Wines | | | Tapped out after the holidays? This month some quality wines, none over $20 a bottle. I know you may have heard what I am about to say before, but it bears repeating: There are many more top wine values available in the marketplace than ever before. Below are some of them, for their respective types and price points. | | | |
| [05/10/2008, 05:45] | Book Review: Red, White, and Drunk All Over by Natalie MacLean | |  Review by Jessica Yadegaran
Do readers really care about active yeasts and secondary fermentation? Or do they long to understand wine's seductions, and its otherworldly sense of place? Do they care about a region's production, or would they rather hear how a glass of juice resembles a curvy redhead, and why it makes them feel the way it does? You know, drunk. This is among Natalie MacLean's first points in Red, White, and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass. A descendent of Celtic alcohol-lovers and livers, MacLean, a sommelier, writes first and foremost from a sensual place, dispelling many commonly held myths about wine writers: she doesn't spit a whole lot, and she loves the buzz just as much as she loves obsessing over the grape. The book is entertaining, informative and ideally suited for someone who has a working knowledge of wine. From her first visits to Domaine de la Romanee-Conti and Domaine Leflaive to her honest appraisal of biodynamics in Burgundy - she's on the fence - MacLean's observations are cerebral and spot-on, and her language both beguiling and accessible: "Some wines will always taste like a lost argument or a long embrace." The book lacks an index, but is part-travelogue, part-memoir. You learn as she learns. From Burgundy, MacLean leads us to the cellars of Champagne, winning points with readers who might not be familiar with the grande dames who have kept that region running. We meet Gerard Liger-Belair, a professor of bubby at the University of Liger-Belair before taking off for the land of Zinfandel, and MacLean's internship with Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon Vineyards. It's hard to decide if it's MacLean's colorful prose, pop wine sensibility or portraitures of winerati that make her book so readable. The latter is definitely the case when it comes to Grahm, who, through MacLean's eyes, comes across very much like one of the wild-eyed Ralph Steadman drawings that grace his bottles. In other words, spot-on. The book quiets down a bit when MacLean gets practical. She pulls a nine to five at two wine stores - The Jug Shop in San Francisco and Discovery Wines in New York City - and even does sommelier duty at Le Baccara in Quebec (yes, she drips). She shows you how to throw a tasting party. She takes on Georg Riedel and Robert Parker and devotes too much of the book's denouement, sacrificing her flow, in my opinion, to wine auction number-crunching, but makes up for it by ending on a lavish dinner with Jay McInerney, the 1980s cocaine-novelist-turned wine writer, who tells her: "Wine makes me more thoughtful. I always want to taste the next thing so it slows me down; I pace myself. Wine saved me from rehab." And MacLean saved us from another predictable wine book.
 Natalie MacLean, Red, White, and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass, Bloomsbury 2007, $10.17 (Paperback).
Jessica Yadegaran is a wine writer for the Bay Area News Group and wine educator. Read her blog at www.ibabuzz.com/corkheads or visit her Web site at theswirlgirl.com.
| | | |
| [03/25/2008, 11:57] | Many Wine Consumers 'Overwhelmed' | | | Tina Caputo (winesandvines.com) writes: 
St. Helena, Calif. -- As wine consumption in the United States reached an all-time high in 2007, wine producers celebrated the long-awaited arrival of a "wine culture" in America. But according to an 18-month study commissioned by Constellation Wines U.S., a large segment of the consumer population is still "overwhelmed" by wine. The results of "Home & Habits," the second phase of Constellation's "Project Genome" study, were released March 7 at a press conference.
"Our industry needs to do more to become more customer focused," said José Fernandez, president and CEO of Constellation Wines North America.
The original 2005 study of 3,500 wine drinkers was one of the largest consumer research projects ever conducted by the wine industry. The new study examined the purchases of 10,000 premium-wine consumers--defined as those who purchased wine priced at $5 and higher--over an 18-month period. While the first Project Genome study asked online survey participants to recall their wine purchases during the last 30 days, the Home & Habits study tracked the actual purchases of Nielsen Co.'s Homescan® consumer purchase panel, which employs in-home bar code scanners and surveys to map consumer buying behavior across a demographically balanced sampling.
Nielsen measured consumer attitudes and purchase behavior within multiple purchase channels, including warehouse clubs, supermarkets, mass merchandisers, drug stores, liquor stores and wine shops. The scan data were supplemented with online interviews to classify consumers by Project Genome consumer segments identified in Constellation's original study: Enthusiasts, Image Seekers, Savvy Shoppers, Traditionalists, Satisfied Sippers and Overwhelmed.
» Full Story Tags: melgab, wine, survey, consumer, united states, south-africa, South Africa | | WorldWine Tags: melgab, wine, survey, consumer, united states, south-africa, South Africa, | | | |
| [04/30/2008, 03:00] | European wine reform approved | | | The European Commission will adopt the legislation in order to bring the reform into force by August 1 2008. | | | |
| [11/12/2007, 06:12] | It's Not Big It's Large | | The adjective 'big' as it relates to wine often carries a slightly negative connotation. Well, if not a overtly negative, then at least, fairly rough. A big red wine is more often lauded for its power than its beauty. Perhaps those big wines that also maintain an air of nuance should be referred to as 'large' or 'grand'.  When it comes to large, grand wines, one of the world's up and coming regions is Canada's Okanagan Valley in BC. In fact, one of Canada's biggest wine-glomerates, VinCor, has partnered with a band in Bordeaux (Groupe Taillan) to develop grand Bordeaux-style winery. Osoyoos Larose produces complex, character-full grand/large wine. The 2004 Petales d'Osoyoos (~$27) may be a 2nd label wine, but it's also lovely and grand. Petales is largely blackberry, earthy spice and plum preserves. If you happen to live near the 49th Parallel, matriculate over the border and grab this wine for turkey day. At a minimum, try it before the Loonie laps the Greenback on the exchange front and the wine costs you as much as a 'first label' vino.
If you're still having difficulty wrapping your brain around the whole Big v. Large concept, let Lyle teach you. His band is most definitely large rather than big. Listen here.
Update: Read a Canuck Wino perspective on big wine here. 
| | | |
| [03/17/2008, 23:32] | Wine Tasting: Bordeaux 2005 | | | Jack and Joanne taste more than 40 of the better Bordeaux wines from the heralded 2005 vintage. | | | |
| [01/01/1970, 02:00] | Slow Food | |  Take your time, think a lot, pour yourself a glass and enjoy a dose of slow food cooking by our very own superchef Toby Puttock. "Slow food to me is the whole deal; a morning's work just to eat lunch, shopping for the vital ingredient, long preparation times, perhaps a glass of wine and a chat whilst preparing the mise en place. Most importantly a whole lot of love goes into the making of the meal. With this, I consulted one of my best mates' Cordell Khoury, who also happens to be my partner in the kitchen at Termini. He suggested we make a day of it at his family's beach house. We packed up the car and hit the coast for an extensive cook'n'chat session. And this was the result. Three dishes, six hours of preparation, eating, drinking, going off, all peppered with a heap of fun. Enjoy." Risotto Milanese  This risotto is the signature risotto of Milan (hence the name). The main ingredient is saffron which belongs to the lily family and grows only to about 15cm high. True saffron, has purple flowers. The first reference to saffron cultivation dates back to 2300 BC. Its origins are most probably Greece or Asia Minor where forms of the spice are known in the wild state. What you need
(serves four) 350g of vialone nano rice
15g of onion
900g of stock
50g of white wine
1g of saffron
80g of butter
50g of parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper What to do
In a large and low casserole pot, saute the onion in a little butter. When the onion starts to become transparent, add the rice, stirring constantly, until it too starts to become transparent. At this stage moisten with the sauvignon and boiling stock until the rice is covered. When necessary add some stock. After around 10 minutes (when the rice is al dente) remove the pot from the heat and stir in the parmesan, butter and season to taste. At this stage I always put a lid on the pot, which causes the rice to swell up with the steam trapped inside the pot. Serve immediately. If you really want to get authentic, ask your butcher for some bone marrow. About 10 minutes before the rice is ready place the marrow on a metal tray and into the oven, where it'll turn brown. At this stage the marrow should pop out from the bone. Now just place the marrow on top of the finished risotto and serve. Pork Shoulder, Porcini and Lemon Farce with Chateau Potatoes This is a mish-mash of different dishes I've learnt in my different cooking experiences. The pork is a variation of a dish I once made in London at the River Cafe, the potatoes I learnt at school during my training and the sauce is the result of the whole dish. It's a classic roast -- Sunday lunch style. What you need
(serves four) 1kg of pork shoulder
20 slices of copa (or prosciutto)
250g of dried porcini (fresh if available, but then you will need closer to 400g)
1 lemon
1 bunch of thyme
100g of prosciutto fat
2 cloves of garlic
2 medium potatoes What to do
Place the dried porcini in a bowl covered with warm water. With a sharp knife, butterfly the shoulder of pork. Dice the whole lemon and prosciutto fat into small pieces and blitz along with 150g of the porcini. This should give you a creamy consistency. Using a palette knife smear this farce or stuffing over one side of the pork. Season well. Lay out your copa (or prosciutto) in a large adjoining square and place the filled pork in the centre. Roll the pork in the copa so that it's totally encased. With some butcher's string truss the wrapped pork so that the copa doesn't fall off during cooking. Seal the encased pork in a frying pan with a little oil and then place on a baking tray covered with foil and cook in a pre-heated oven on 200 degrees celsius for around 40 minutes. Meanwhile peel and slice each potato lengthways into four pieces. With a small knife turn each potato so it has seven sides and looks like a barrel. Place in a small pot with cold water and bring to the boil. Test if they're cooked by sticking a small knife in them and once they are, brown the potatoes in frying pan with a little butter. When the pork is ready, remove the string and slice about one centimetre thick. Serve immediately with the potatoes, the excess porcini and a little of the porcini juice. Bread and Butter Pudding Never underestimate the old bread and butter pudding. This dish is a regular at Termini, although Cordell always replaces the bread with croissant. It's addictive, simple and the perfect way to really bloat yourself after a huge meal. What you need
(serves four) 2 croissants
2 T of sultanas
Strawberry jam
Creme anglaise
50g of butter and extra for greasing the moulds What to do
Gently break the croissant in half and spread it with butter and strawberry jam. Butter a couple of souffle moulds and break the croissant into pieces that will fit into the moulds. Layer a piece of croissant with a sprinkling of sultanas. Repeat this process until the moulds are full. Finally, pour the creme anglaise over the top. Place the filled moulds on to a baking tray and into the oven at 200 degrees celsius until the tops are browned. Run a small knife around the outside of the moulds to remove the puddings. Serve in a bowl with more warm creme anglaise, or my favourite, vanilla ice-cream. For a dose of Toby in the kitchen, book yourself a seat at Termini in Fitzroy Street in St Kilda, 03-9537-3465. |
| | | |
| [12/20/2005, 19:09] | FishEye Merlot 2003 | | | 
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. Also, be sure to check out the Fisheye Winery website. Lots of fun! 
Rating: 7/10
Price: $5.89
Winery Info:
Fisheye Winery
Ripon, CA | | | |
| [11/07/2006, 00:00] | Mongrain Glass Fancy Wine Glasses | | Mongrain Glass makes beautiful and fancy wine glasses. James Mongrain is the artist behind this beauty. The thing that impresses me most about James Mongrain is that he has worked with Dale Chihuly since the late 1990?s. Dale Chihuly is a world class glass artist. I looked through the Mongrain Glass website at the pictures of fancy wine glasses. The white glass goblets were magnificent, as were the chartreuse and yellow. I looked further at the Solid Series and there were more fancy wine glasses in blue, pink and the prettiest black glass I?ve ever seen. James Mongrain and Mongrain Glass have so many fancy wine glasses for sale. It is important to keep in mind that each of the pieces is handmade and one-of-a-kind. If you want to order any of the Mongrain Glass fancy wine glasses, you need to e-mail or call with your order. Mongrain Glass has a series of fancy wine glasses called the Creature Series. These are so beautiful. The stems of the fancy wine glasses are creatures like swans and sea horses. There is one design in particular, that has a frosted look to it. There are even dainty flowers around the base of these fancy wine glasses. The Modern Venetians line of Mongrain Glass fancy wine glasses are very sophisticated in appearance. The glass detail work brings lace to mind because of its intricacy. I would have a very hard time trying to choose which line of Morain Glass fancy wine glasses I wanted. I actually like them all. In addition to fancy wine glasses, Morain Glass makes commissioned pieces of art. Some of the pieces pictured in the gallery on their website were very large. There are no prices listed on this website, but these look like they cost many thousands of dollars. Fancy wine glasses really do seem to be a small part of what Morain Glass does in their studio. I found a picture of a piece of art entitle Vortex. Vortex is described as a 7-foot stainless-steel slice of sensuality. The foundation of this piece of art is set in steel and a collection of glass forms illuminate neon light from within. The union of glass and steel in this piece of art is somewhat of a contrast, both in form and idea. Glass and steel are two distinct elements that have been joined so intimately it?s as if they are one. | | | |
| [05/11/2008, 14:47] | Merlot Made From Hamptons Vineyard for $100 Beats Saint-Emilion | | 
Merlot Made From Hamptons Vineyard for $100 Beats Saint-Emilion
By Gillian Wee
URL: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601093&sid=a4UjlGU.8GKw&refer=home
May 9 (Bloomberg) -- After making wine since 1992 surrounded by the mansions of the Hamptons, Roman Roth got the ingredients for the ideal vintage last summer: steady sunshine and little rain.
``It was a dream year,'' said Roth, 42, the German-born winemaker at Wolffer Estate Vineyard in Sagaponack on Long Island's South Fork, about 100 miles (161 kilometers) east of New York City. ``The growing conditions were close to perfect. You knew when you started picking grapes. So we made really ripe, great lush wines.''
Roth's most expensive product, a 2004 Premier Cru -- or first growth -- Merlot sells for $100 a bottle at his tasting room, which is preparing for its peak period from Memorial Day, the May 26 U.S. holiday marking the start of the summer season, to October.
The 2007 vintage follows one in 2005 praised by Wine Spectator magazine Executive Editor Thomas Matthews. They show that Long Island's boutique winemakers can compete with U.S. West Coast and European producers, Roth said.
``I think 2007 is going to be the exciting year,'' said Gary Vaynerchuk, 32, who runs Wine Library, a retailer in Springfield, New Jersey, and hosts a Web TV show on winelibrarytv.com. ``Weather has everything to do with everything when it has to do with wine.''
While New York is the country's third-largest wine-and-grape producer behind California and Washington, two-thirds of the harvest is turned into grape juice, said Jessica Chittenden, a spokeswoman for the state agriculture department. Long Island's vineyards produce only 1.19 million gallons of wine, worth about $100 million annually, equivalent to 0.2 percent of California's output, said Steve Bate, 49, executive director of the Long Island Wine Council.
3,000 Acres
Long Island's first vineyard was started with 17 acres (6.9 hectares) in 1973 by Louisa and Alec Hargrave. Sixty vineyards, many former potato fields, now cover about 3,000 acres. They benefit from growing conditions similar to the Bordeaux region, Bate said. Long Island's largest winery is the family-run Pindar Vineyards, sitting on almost 550 acres.
What sets Long Island wines apart from California offerings is how well they pair with food, said Jim Trezise, 61, president of the New York Wine and Grape Foundation. Grapes grown in New York's cooler climate produce vintages that are light and acidic, he said.
The island, known for its white beaches, relies on summer visitors who buy wine where it's made.
`Attractive Region'
``They are such an attractive region for tourism that they're able to sell a large percentage of production from the wineries,'' said Matthews, 54, whose favorites include offerings from Wolffer, Pellegrini Winery and Bedell Cellars, owned by Michael Lynne, a former head of Time Warner Inc.'s New Line Cinema. ``That has allowed them to flourish without being forced to compete on retail shelves and restaurant wine lists with wines around the world.''
Read the rest of the story at:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601093&sid=a4UjlGU.8GKw&refer=home | | | |
| [04/05/2008, 18:44] | Pleasant Surprise from South Africa at $5.99: MAN Vintners Pinotage 2005 | |  MAN, out of Stellenbosch, produces my quick intelligent value weekender vino. I?ve always fallen easily for a wine with an underlying story. You can read all about the guys here, since I won?t pull off the usual wine blogger thing and claim that I?m writing original content that was subsequently re-hashed from producer?s websites. Oh and yes, I publish boring tasting notes which are only meant as a rough guide/tool for people to assess how much they?d probably like the wine?so deal with it and try the wines for yourself. At any rate, the MAN 2005 Pinotage, sourced from Perdeberg Hills (Coastal), is a very pleasant surprise. I remember being in London last year, trying many of the paltry £4,99 South African wines available in major supermarkets. Small clarification?I?ve had very nice supermarket selections there, though I wasn?t lucky enough to stumble upon wines like these?unexpectedly balanced and satisfying for the price-point ($5.99). If you must buy a wine this inexpensive, you?d always hope for a comparable standard. Unlike some of the other cheaper reds which gratuitously used terms such as ?barrel-aged? on the back-labels, MAN openly discloses their use of oak staves for maturing part of the wine, in addition to fining and filtering. As I mentioned before, you can read the technical sheets on their website. Now, for the sake of consistency, if I can just get my hands on the other wines in their line?wouldn?t it be something if the other varieties were quaffable at $5.99? Visual/Aromatic Profile: Medium ruby with translucent edges in the glass. The nose is clean, with pronounced intensity of the predominant red fruit (red cherry & plum), soft earth, spice and minerality. Texture and Finish: Dry, with medium acidity, medium tannin and high body. Bold plum and red cherry sweetness are accompanied by pepper, spice and stony minerality. The spices, minerality and soft earth lead into the interesting medium finish. | | | |
| [11/22/2007, 00:01] | Planta?e Vranac Reserve 1998 | |  This is a premium Montenegrin red wine made from the indigenous Vranac grape. The Reserve is produced from particulary good years, in small quantities, aged in barrels for several years. It is also aged in bottles for one year before being released to the market.
This is a dry wine, with a pleasant fruity nose. However, the impressions are far lower than it’s price. If you want to experience the Vranac variety the Montenegrin way, go for a regular Planta?e Vranac or their Vranac Pro Corde. They are much cheaper and the experience is almost the same. Wines of the Vranac variety are produced throughout the region, apart from Montenegro, you can find them in Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia and Herzegovina. Score: 7/10
Price: 15 euro (in Montenegro) Technorati Tags: Vranac, Montenegro, Montenegrin Wines, Wine | | WorldWine Tags: Vranac, Montenegro, Montenegrin Wines, Wine, | | | |
| [01/01/1970, 02:00] | Recent and Decent Cookbooks (Vol. 6.1) | |      | Marcella Says: Italian Cooking Wisdom from the Legendary Teacher?s Master Classes, with 120 of Her Irresistible New Recipes
by Marcella Hazan
(HarperCollins, $30) When the maven of Italian cooking writes another cookbook, you best pay attention. This isn?t a spaghetti and meatballs book - this is Italian cooking from Italy, with Italian ingredients and a whole lotta straightforward Italian advice from Ms. Hazan. (You did see the word ?Master? in the title, didn?t you?) Be sure to try Baked Mozzarella, Tomato, Capers and Parmesan Crostini; Fennel and Goat Cheese Salad; Veal Shanks with Lemon; and Spaghetti ?Rotolo? with Zucchini and Bacon. It?s almost like graduate school for foodies. C?mon, you know you wanna bust Iron Chef Italian on home culinary turf. So don?t cut class. Inspired by Ingredients
by Bill Telepan
(Simon & Schuster, $35) New York City chef Bill Telepan loves fresh ingredients - so much so that he dedicated an entire book to cooking (and eating) seasonally. Telepan comes across as an enthusiastic guy who must have been a farmer in a past life. (Maybe even a Master Farmer.) Recipes range from easy to complicated, but there?s something for everyone - from Pan-Fried Summer Jersey Vegetables and a delectable Pea Soup, to Chilled Shrimp with an Autumn Slaw, to Grilled Dry-Aged Rib-Eye Steak with a Red Onion Cipollata and Herbed White Beans. Head to your local farmer?s market, grab some of-the-moment veggies and get Berkeley on everyone?s ass. Off the Shelf: Cooking from the Pantry
by Donna Hay
(Morrow, $25) Reasons why we love Donna Hay: the recipes are easy, the food?s tasty, and the books are paperback (read: lightweight) yet full of pretty pictures. This Aussie chef has come out with another must-have cookbook, and the only shopping involved serves to stock the pantry. For those nights when unexpected (read: uninvited) guests drop by, rest easy that you can now step into the kitchen and whip up dishes like Stir-Fried Prawns and Noodles; Baked Chicken, Lemon and Pea Risotto; and Pasta with Buttered Broccoli. She even throws in recipes for quick sweets like a Peach and Raspberry Tart; Honey Cakes; and Raspberry Sorbet. Off the Shelf will rescue even the most novice cook from take-out menus. Barefoot in Paris: Easy French Food You Can Really Make at Home
by Ina Garten
(Clarkson Potter, $35) I love Paris? and I especially love it a la the Barefoot Contessa, otherwise known as Ina Garten. Ms. Garten manages to transform fussy French recipes into easy, do-it-at-home-in-under-one-week dishes. Her simple recipes include classics like Boeuf Bourguignon; Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic; Zucchini Vichyssoise; Loin of Pork with Green Peppercorns; and Blue Cheese Souffle. (And the Creme Brulee - ready to bake in 10 minutes, I swear - is a godsend.) Her conversational tone will ease any kitchen anxiety, and before you know it you?ve made an entire meal. Buy this book, kick off your Jimmy Choos, pour yourself a Kir Royale and browse through the glossy photos. It?s like Paris without the long flight and snooty customs officials. Feast: Food to Celebrate Life
by Nigella Lawson
(Hyperion, $35) Nigella, the British icon known for her sensual finger-licking television show and cleavage as much as for her culinary skills, is back with a book dedicated to holiday feasts. Impress your beloved with a dozen Love Buns or a Chocolate Raspberry Heart on Valentine?s Day, or liven up Halloween with Blood and Guts Potatoes and Ghoul-Graveyard Cake. For lesser-known holidays (like my-in-laws-are-coming-for-brunch-so-help-me-God), whip up Ms. Lawson?s tasty Banana Buttermilk Pancakes or a batch of Andy?s Fairfield Granola. New Year?s, Midnight Feast, Wedding Fest, Festival of Lights, Rosh Hashanah - they?re all here and they?re all fabulous. (There?s even a ?Meatless Feast? section for you veg-heads.) Start celebrating. Burning Man is just around the corner. |
| | | |
| [01/01/1970, 02:00] | 2000 Château Clinet | | | Tasted by wsttrade. Chocolate and berry, with mineral and cream. Full-bodied, with a wonderful velvety, caressing texture and a long, long finish. Wonderfully balanced and generous. Best Clinet I have ever tasted. Best after 2010. 2,330 cases made. -JS (96 pts.) - Tasted 5/20/2008. [FIND IT!] | | | |
| [05/19/2008, 10:28] | Clay Pots and Terroir | | | I've been checking in with winemakers in the regions of the Southern Hemisphere that I cover (Chile, Argentina and South Africa) as their harvest is wrapping up, as I want to get an early read on potential quality for the 2008 vintage. I'll file individual reports on each of these regions in the next week or so. | | | |
| [01/01/1970, 02:00] | La Rochelle Cooking Class | | Tue Mar 1st, 2005, San Jose
La Rochelle Winery – 3000 Aborn Road, San Jose, CA 95135 Cooking Class Tuesday Evening - 7:00 p.m. | | | |
| [09/13/2007, 18:46] | Your Editor Takes a Shave | | | September 14th, 2007 is the Great Canadian Head Shave organized by the Terry Fox Foundation. In order to help raise awareness and much-needed funds for cancer research, Tidings editor-in-chief, Aldo Parise has decided to do his part. He will be... | | | |
| [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 | | | |
| [05/13/2008, 03:35] | LeCheteau Vouvray Brut (NV) wine review by (PB) | | This $10 sparkling wine from Vouvray France is really very nice! Made from Chenin Blanc, it is pale straw in color with a lemony melon bouquet that is understated. It is somewhat thin on flavor but is crisply made and refreshing.
Somewhat non-descript but I tell you this is a "best buy" sparkler and worth seeking out! I'll buy more if given the chance. Raise a glass!
Note--LeCheteau is spelled properly! | | | |
| [02/03/2008, 15:10] | Good Pinots Suck Response | | http://nomerlot.com/reviews/red-wine/2008/01/30/good_pinot_noir_that_doesen_t_suck In response to : Good Pinot That Doesn't Suck: Well I agree. There are many so so Pinots out there. I expect to pay $40.00 on up for a good American Pinot noir, though there are some exceptions. Look for Gary Farrell from the Russian River area of Sonoma and from the Southern Central Coast area, try Sanford, Fiddlehead Cellars, Foley even the Hitching Post's "Cork Dancer" and their top of the line Pinot "Highliner", Foxen also makes a great Pinot noir. Look for vineyard specific Pinots also like Santa Maria's Bien Nacido vineyard. They produce grapes for Foxen, Hitching Post and quite a few other top Pinot producers in the Central Coast and in the napa Sonoma area. There are actually so many really good Pinots out there right now it's hard for me so sometime make a decision. Good luck with your hunt. That is half the fun! Michael | | | |
|
|
I have always loved the packaging on Xanadu wines. That ambiguous golden dragon that looks like a knarly old vine really appeals to me. This is a blend of 73% Margaret River and 27% Frankland River shiraz. Dragon is a recent addition to the Xanadu range. It sits above the Secession and below the Estate in the portfolio. 
