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[10/20/2006, 11:51]

Four cheeses and a White

Sainsburys Taste the Difference Sancerre 2004 £8.54 has a round, fruity, open nose with a touch of minerality and a clean freshness. The good, underlying fruit with its tantalising honeycomb edges was somewhat hidden by the very high acidity on the palate. So I thought perhaps what it needed was some cheese to round it out...

First up Organic Wensleydale. This crumbly white is more texture than flavour but did fill out the wine and brought forward the fruit -peachy aromatics. The lightness of the almost cottage cheese texture really complemented the delicacy of the wine. There was a hint of a salty tang too.

Then Woolsery, http://www.woolserycheese.co.uk , this is a medium hard goat's cheese from Dorset and is so tasty. It was the best in combination with the wine too. The slightly salty creaminess perfectly cut the acidity of the wine down to size. The cheese had a decent level of acidity to it as well. It was grassy and had a goaty note but was not overly pungent. Great stuff.

Next up Vintage Gouda, the label didn't give a year or age though - perhaps this is cheese parlance that someone can enlightenment me about? This had a wonderful flavour, nutty, earthy, hay aromas, very fruity in fact. It is a dense and creamy cheese which cancelled out the acidity in the wine altogether and made it seem almost flabby! Not quite right together.

Finally Doux de Montagne, very like a Spanish Manchego with its subtle flavour and rubbery texture. It tasted slightly soured too but in a good way. The wine overwhelmed this cheese though and it had very little impact when tasted together.



[10/02/2007, 03:27]

2006 Muga Roija Blanco

2006 Muga Roija Blanco $12.99 Wine label said: Nothing much… it’s barrel fermented and imported by Jorge Ordonez. Whoopdeedoo. Vineyard66 says: As I am still researching Spanish wines, I’ve noticed that my good friend Bill from California has been spouting off about Muga Roija. Of course, he was speaking about the red wines the area is famous for. I [...]
[10/22/2008, 17:12]

The Alps

Alreadybar and wine racks available as a super limited lp (we may still have a few left), now finally available on cd, the latest from Bay Area new-kraut-folk-age combo Alps, which finds the band sounding more high fidelity than ever, and more kraut than folk, which in both cases suits them big time.
For those new to Alps, a rundown of several members should help give you an idea of where their sound is coming from: our very own Scott Hewicker (Troll), Alexis Georgopoulos (Arp, formerly of Tussle) and Jefre Cantu (Tarentel, Colophon, J.C. Ledesma). But Alps is definitely more than the sum of its parts, their sound is quite varied, expansive, even epic at times, but simultaneously, they manage to craft a sound simple and solid, based as much on rhythm and texture as on song and melody.
bar and wine racksOn past releases, Alps were a much more ramshackle concern, which at the time was definitely a big part of their sound, and thus set them firmly amongst the lo-fi cd-r drone folks scene, their sound a sort of ghostly Appalachia, mixed with longform drone music, muddy muted ambience, minimal soundscaping and plenty of lo-fi buzz and hiss much of the record mired in a corrosive murk, that only added to their dark dronelike vibe. The move to Type Records, coincides, perhaps not coincidentally, with a sonic shift, where once was abstract and low fidelity, is now rhythmic, and propulsive, looped and repetitive, and most importantly, glistening and glimmering, the sound crystal clear, and this time the dreaminess doesn't come from poor recording, it comes from the compositions, and the arrangements, and a super nice sounding recording courtesy of Phil Manley of the Champs and Trans Am. The core members of Alps also have a keen interest in new age music. Not the Deep Breakfast sort of schlock that most seem to equate with the genre, but instead more the sort of inner space, dreamy drift of Tangerine Dream, Deuter, Steve Hillage and the like. And those sounds are all over III as well.bar and wine racks
The opener is a gorgeous looped soundscape of repetitive guitar figures, and glistening chimes, almost like a dreamfolk Steve Reich, bits of Appalachia, big buzzing synths, strummed zithers, a gorgeous melancholy melody played out over the course of five and a half minutes. The second track finds the band getting their kraut on, channeling Neu! Or Agitation Free but through a much more washed out and weary space rock, like Hawkwind gone new age. Distant drifting vocals, all manner of layered buzz, distorted guitars buried in the mix, space-y FX, very tranquil and mesmerizing. The follow up "Cloud One" finds Alps revisiting their folk roots, taking strummed acoustic guitars, and simple piano, and draping them over a woozy melody and a super spare abstract rhythm. "Trem Fantasma" is a barely there whisper of spaced out dronemusic, Gloriously wreathed in musical mystery, drifting piano, fragmented guitars, some soft sixties 'ladada' vocals, another dreamy drifter that threatens to spirit the listener away to some sun dappled green grassed knoll. "Labyrinths" is another new age / bar and wine rackskrautrock meander, washed out and shimmery, the drums the only thing keeping the rest of the song from just floating away, playful melodies, that sound like Perry and Kingsley rendered in shades of grey. The next few tracks are more abstract, sounds swooping in and out, rhythms, if there are any, buried beneath soft layers of sound, everything hushed and minimal, until album closer, "Into The Breeze", which sounds just like the title would have you imagine, breezy, soft focus, the drums, simple and stripped down, shimmering steel string guitar, that ever present piano, the melody wistful, the production hazy and a little woozy, effects swirling in the background, the drums gradually becoming more and more tripped out, before fading out completely, leaving just the guitar and the piano to drift heavenward, through a field of soft shimmer and the glistening afterglow of the sounds that came before.
The more we listen to III, the more obvious the new age-isms become, which is not a bad thing at all, it wraps the proceedings, no matter how krautrocky or folky or droney, in a sweet swirl of moonlit dreaminess, turning each song into its own sort of otherworldly mesmer.
.Info stolen from; [ Aquarius Records ]

Links;
The Alps - III
The Alps @ MySpace
Type
[ Aquarius Records ]


[10/18/2008, 06:53]

2007 Onix Priorat

This is a %50 percent Garnacha %50 Carinena
 Right of the bat I got and abnormal amount of chocolate and I have to say I liked it!
 I also get a bit of Jerky, and lots of cherry and plums( I think more plum)
 its got a bit of strong alcohol on the nose, it quite yummy, and runs in around $20 a bottle, I would say its is well worth it.
[02/18/2008, 02:20]

Inside a Wine Scam

Ever get one of those annoying scam emails asking you to accept stolen credit card numbers and send your product overseas? Who are these scam artists? Who are their victims? Can they be stopped? Dover Canyon Winery has just published a five-part series of articles called Inside a Wine Scam. The series has resulted in FBI subpoenas for the operators accepting money transfers at a remote location in Oklahoma. In a surprising twist, the 'front man' for the scam may herself be a victim of 'work from home' fraud.
[10/08/2008, 19:58]

Still alive and kicking?

bar and wine racks

Image by Thomas Hawk via Flickr

As a fugitive of the cubicle nation I’ve learned a few interesting things.  Some about myself and some about actually jumping ship and really trying to get things going.  In fact, I don’t have much time today but this blog is an important part of my life and I don’t want it to go dark for too long.

So its about three months since I was officially “jumped” and the main thing I’ve learned is this - have your shit together, ducks in a row, and get ready because having little visibility into where the money is going to come from is a scary thing.  Don’t let all these entrepreneurs tell you “oh yeah, just do it; shit or get off the pot; blah blah blah”.  All crap.  There is NOTHING impulsive about jumping ship and going it alone.

If you’re part of the cubicle nation you’ve most likely gotten extremely good at your job and that gives you confidence to “give it a try”.  Recognize this - while you may be a genius in your field, you do NOT know everything you should to go it alone.  Go into it with your eyes open and allow yourself to “know what you don’t know”.  Business development, marketing, networking, tech services, administrative assistant, bookkeeper, customer support, legal secretary, etc…

Its not that you CAN’T do all this stuff, but just know that you’ll need to plan some time where you don’t have money (or assume you don’t) figure out how you’ll pull that off - assuming no income - and then when you’re OK with that you can go for it.  Because what will happen is things will take longer then you think and you need to make sure you’re not rushed into bad decisions for your business just because of the uneasy feeling that “no visibility” gives you.  In fact, you want to figure out everything I mentioned in the previous paragraph as a way to give yourself visibility into your business and the more visibility you have the better you’ll feel about the jump.

Next - you can’t get away from politics.  Now granted, there are no office politics unless you want to count arguments over why the dogs haven’t been walked in a week and the potential of withholding of certain marital obligations as politics.  But the politics that I’m talking about are around meeting new people, making a name for yourself, and building your business.  I’m not big on politics and generally as a consultant, even early in building the business, I tell it like it is, turn down business that while I’m perfectly capable of doing the work, it doesn’t add to my “portfolio” if you will.  Its a tricky thing breaking into new markets and its clear that there are “circles” everywhere you go.  I’ve always known that and I’ve been ready for it.  But its more important to understand that going into it then I would’ve thought before making the leap.  So I think its important to communicate that out - You are not getting away from politics by escaping from the cubicle nation; you are just dealing with a different type of politics.  So “how to gain friends and influence people” is still an important skill!!

OK, I have to run but I think I’ll be doing more and more around communicating my Cubicle Nation Fugitive experiences as they seem to be coming fast and furious and they are actually interesting as I learn from this.

Cheers!

bar and wine racks
bar and wine racks
bar and wine racks
[06/02/2008, 14:45]

June 2, 2008. Burgundy tasting of the year (probably)

Sometimes, we just don't know how good we have it. May 28th was such a day. An incredible lineup of wines. If that wasn't enough Alan Meadows aka the Burghound was present to talk us through these wines. I will not bore you with individual tasting notes but just suffice to say that there were some great wines - it's just that side by side you begin to split hairs.
  • Chambertin and Musigny are definitely a cut above Grand Echezeaux. Just more complex. This statement is probably heresy to some and completely obvious to others. Can't win.
  • Comte de Vogue Musigny is variable and I'm not sure it's quite all there. Something to mull over given the high prices.
  • On the other hand the 1990 Musigny is a butterfly finally coming out of it's 18 year cocoon. This will need another 7-10 years? - but it's a knockout.
  • Armand Rosseau Chambertin. Amazing wine, year after year.
  • Best white of the night '99 CM. Some people liked the '90 but to me that shouldn't be what a CM is about - a little too much flabbiness not enough acidity and minerality. The '96 was a close second - perhaps an off bottle but tonight at least the '99 won on the nose.
  • Best red of the night was '90 Rosseau Chambertin. On the other hand I think in due time the '90 Musigny will be incredible and possibly better.
Here is the list:

bar and wine racks
[11/10/2007, 20:36]

Tikve? Alexandria Riesling

bar and wine racksThis wine is characterized by a yellow-green colour, a fresh citrusy aroma with hints of honey and a complex flowery aftertaste. It’s a semi-dry riesling, dryer than the Slovenian rieslings (such as Laski Riesling for example), but sweeter than those found in Serbia. It is a nice wine to accompany a lighter meal.

This is one of the wines available in Belgrade restaurants in 0.2l bottles, so if you’re a driver among non-wine drinkers (meaning you can’t order a whole bottle of some fine wine) it’s a good chance you’ll be in a position to try it. Do so.

Rating: 6/10
Price: 250 RSD (3.5 euro)

Technorati Tags: , ,

WorldWine Tags: Macedonia Wine, Wine, Tikves,
[07/17/2008, 19:10]

I am officially happy?

Here is a message I recieved after finishing my talks on social media

Hey Joel. I heard you speak at Inertia’s event. I really like your point about moving from technology to sociology. You’re a great speaker. And you didn’t call anyone a “douche-bag” which - although strangely endearing when Gary V says it, probably didn’t go over too well with the “old guard” wine insiders…

Im just getting into all the social networking stuff after really just putting it off to long. You and Gary inspired me to do that!

That’s just cool…mission accomplished…

T
T
T
[12/09/2007, 18:18]

Musk and Candy

One of my accounts handed me this wine review, written up by a former employee. "She wasn't all there..." they noted, and went on to say she'd find reviews online and cut and paste without actually reading them. This little gem was up for quite a while until horrified customers noted that they wouldn't buy the wine because the description was so off-putting. I, however, find it to be brilliant and would love to partake in the Ecstatic Singing Mantra whenever it transpires. So I searched for wine reviews of Jest Red online, and apparently, most of this review appeared on A Little Vino Would Be Keeno. Which is clearly now my favorite site. Ever.

"Blended from seven noble grape varietals, the nose is deeply perfumed with wild dewberries, Himalayan breeding musk, and horehound candy, while the flavors, so titillating they may only be disclosed in the Ecstatic Singing Mantra. Pair with beef, pork, pasta with red sauce, cheese or chocolate, or go wild and have it with pizza, burgers or even burritos!"

I'm not quite sure which is the best part of that - is it the Himalayan breeding musk or the pairings? It's sublime on so many levels.

[10/30/2008, 14:41]

Seppelt Chalambar Shiraz 2003

TBendigo and Grampians, Victoria, Australia. Shiraz. 14%. Screwcap. Source: cellar, approx $A20 on release.

Thankfully I have two bottles left. These were bought at a time when my patience was greater and until tonight they have remained undisturbed and untested*.

Vibrant and deep purple, this is hedonistic and satisfying. Blue and blackberry with a note of bay leaf and malt. Succulent, raisin filled and chocolate stained. The concentration and spectrum of flavours is pleasing and notable, though importantly there is a sour, juicy edge to add emphasis and line.

Very good - excellent.
93.
Now - 2018.

* At least I thought they had been untested. . . Looking at my list of wines, I now see that I tried a bottle in January 2007, when I was on holidays. . .

technorati tags: , ,
WorldWine Tags: wine, australian wine, shiraz,
[09/27/2007, 23:56]

Definitive Wine Guide

If you need to educate yourself on the finer qualities of our fermented friend, check out this Wine Guide Video. You will discover all you need to know about foreign wine.

Speaking of "Fermented Friends", don't say I didn't warn you!
[09/26/2008, 15:25]

??? - The 12 disciples so far

?????


For those who have been following the ongoing Japanese Manga Series you know what I'm talking about. Well, I was a bit frustrated trying to find a convenient place to keep track of the "12 disciples" appearing in the series ( 5 have shown themselves so far) - s0 hear it is. Will update this as they appear. In the meantime here you go!

1. 2001 - George Roumier Chambolle Musigny Amoureuses 
2. 1999 - Chateau Palmer 
3. 2000 - Domaine Pegau Cuvee de Capo
4. 1994 - Chateau Lafleur
5. 2000 - Michell Colin Deleger - Chevalier Montrachet



[03/31/2008, 13:39]

Santino Zin

We have the habit of dropping into our local discount grocery outlet and going through all of the many marked down wines they carry. We buy 6 plus various varietals and brands at a time and put them out at our weekly family gathering for all to try. We have all been very impressed with Santino 'old vine' Zin. I went back and bought all the bottles they had left! Happy to find your site.

[11/11/2008, 04:58]

Lafayette Reneau Riesling - Simply Awesome

h

At the recent Albany event at the Desmond, I had a chance to meet Chris Reno of Chateau Lafayette Reneau. I chatted with him for a while, and tasted some of the exciting new varietals. Always a personal favorite, I wanted to try their riesling.

The riesling did not disappoint. It had a wonderful nose and an excellent balance between fruit and acid. Still one of my favorite rieslings.

h

They also had an exquisite dry rieslign as well. Absolutely fabulous!

Buy many bottles in time for the holidays.
[08/10/2008, 22:20]

The Fox Barn?s Harvest White

h
Since moving to Pensacola Beach from Michigan, I have been longing for a great, cheap, rich Michigan wine. Well, Harvest White from the Fox Barn Winery fits the bill!

This semi-dry white has all the characteristics of the wine I loved so much from Michigan. Spicy, fruity and “snappy”, this wine was a perfect companion on this hot, humid Florida night while we enjoyed some Bands on the Beach.

Since moving to Florida, I’ve really become aware to how good I had it in Michigan. You couldn’t drive an hour in any direction before hitting a winery, and I do miss being able to do just that. Many of the gas stations down here in Pensacola sell all the generic cheap wines: Yellow Tail, Beringer, etc, but you’re not likely to find anything from a local vineyard.

My friend (the one that graciously brought me this wine down all the way from Shelby, MI) mentioned that the tasting room at The Fox Barn Winery was just recently opened, and was a lot of fun to visit. According to their website, it looks as though they have nice little produce market as well.

I am definitely going to check this place out the next time I’m in Michigan, and I would recommend anyone traveling near Shelby to stop in as well.

You can also check out Fox Barn’s website, or their blog.

Rating: 9/10 - Great!
Price: Not sure, since it was a gift, but I think my friend mentioned it was less than 10 dollars.
Winery Info:
The Fox Barn Winery
Paw Paw, Michigan
Phone: 231-861-8050

[10/06/2008, 19:31]

What ? more punchdowns?

It’s sweatin’ time here again. We brought in the rest of our Pinot Noir last week, and processed about 35 tons in 3 days. We got through that, certainly, but then the monster that rears it’s head as a result is a *@!#-load of punchdowns….needless to say, I’m not very popular around here at the moment.
h

Maybe we should go back to doing it the old-fashioned way as it seems like it might’ve been more fun than modern times….at least the old-timers could drink some wine and hike up their skirts while mixing-up their fermenting must!

h

[10/25/2008, 08:09]

Oct 25, Rare varietal wines

Rare varietal wines made in Australia by a handful of pioneering growers
[11/18/2007, 13:34]

UnScrew This

The much-promised, overly hyped Riesling Review has now arrived (brought to you by Mylanta)

Jill, Yulia, P-Cat, and myself (Jay) converged at Boozer Headquarters (my place) last Wednesday for the Riesling blind tasting. P-Cat's writing a column for a local newspaper and needed to taste through a bunch so we decided to make it A Thing. We each got a bottle from a different geographic locale, figuring the areas that needed representation were Germany, Alsace, Austria, New York, and Australia (don't blame me for the last one, ok?)

AND, since we live the malt liquor lifestyle, we tasted them blind, each bottle wrapped lovingly in two layers of plastic bags. Ghetto super star, that is what we are.

Here are my rather lame notes:

Wine #1: Apricot, honeysuckle, rose petals on the nose; palate is lime, tangerine - stones, touch of cream, but thin.

Wine #2: SULPHER! Yikes, burned my nose hairs. V pale in glass. Diesel, swampy nose. Palate of bitter green orange, lemon zest, pink grapefruit. Long finish due to acidity.

Wine #3: Light, aromatic greens - fresh, sweet grass, white flowers, honeydew. Melon-apricot palate with stone minerality and balanced acidity. Yum.

Wine #4: Diesel, wet stones. Sweet apricot, honey.

Wine #5: Swamp water. Grape-lemon pucker candy. Sour Patch kids. Yuck. We no like.

Results:

1: Paul Blanck 05 from Alsace (score 1 for me!)

2: Grosset 05 from Australia (upset of the CENTURY, folks!)

3: Domaine Wachau 06 from Austria (amazing value - our favorite, hands down, at only $12.99)

4: Fritz Haag 05 Kabinett from Germany (which we all guessed because of the residual - oops, sorry, forgot it was supposed to be a dry Riesling tasting..)

5: Red Newt Cellars 06 Reserve from NY State (surprising only in that is sucked so badly for the money - tasting like bad NYState wine, so I guessed this one immedately...)

It was interesting too in that every wine except the Red Newt was screw cap. Go figure.

Still not a huge fan of Riesling, especially since I tasted all these the night before some serious food poisoning that had me leaving pieces of myself roadside throughout the state for the next two days and I can't help but link the two incedents.

Screwed indeed.

[09/20/2008, 11:00]

Three Days in the Rhine River Valley - Day 3

h

GrapeRadio Host Brian Clark spends three days in Germany’s Rhine River Valley. This media/press trip was sponsored by the German Wine Institute and the European Union for its Destination Riesling program.

Join him as he travels to some of the most popular wine destinations in the Rheinhessen, Nahe and the Rheingau Regions.

Day Three Itinerary: (The Rheingau Region)

Domdechant Werner’sches Weingut -
(Hosted by Dr Franz Werner Michel): www.domdechantwerner.com
Weingut Künstler (Hosted Günter Künstler): www.www.weingut-kuenstler.de
Weingut Josef Leitz (Hosted by Josef Leitz): www.leitz-wein.de
Schloss Reinhartshausen (Hosted by Walter Bibo): www.schloss-reinhartshausen.de

For more info on:

German Wine Institute: www.deutscheweine.de
Wines of Germany: www.germanwineusa.com

Click Below to Play the Show:

Show #214
(24:28 min 13MB)
[11/20/2006, 11:28]

Dink while you drink

hMarking the first anniversary of the 24 hour drinking licence laws, a 'rescue remedy' called Dink has been released.

It is supposed to mitigate the ill-effects of binge-drinking with ingredients that mop up free radicals produced by the liver when it is processing alcohol. It is also cheap and readily available.

It is being marketed to "people who like to get merry". Presumably because they feel it is unwise to market it to people who like to get smashed out of their skulls every Friday night and throw up partially digested burgers on street corners. I think we know who it is actually aimed at.

I must admit that my first thought was "great idea", sounds so useful. But while I'm no Catholic I do think the pain of hang-overs is justly deserved and should reflect any excess. The sparkle generated by a few drinks with friends too easily degenerates into boorishness  and incapacity beyond a certain point. There are very few elegant drunks.

And aren't we supposed to be cutting down binge drinking, as a society? We need a cultural shift that comes collectively - social evolution if you like, of the kind we've seen with smoking, drink driving and wearing seat belts.

Most Friday-nighters, though by no means all, are young people with their whole lives ahead of them and of course there is a natural protective urge to want them to stay healthy. The price that many of them pay for their excesses can be heart-breaking. Blaming them as being responsible for their own actions is ridiculous if the message they absorb is that getting really drunk and doing stupid things is clever and/or funny.

And now we are giving them the tools to avoid hangovers. I like drinking and sometimes I drink more than I should, but I also know that my body hates it when I do. It's a natural defense mechanism to show us our limits and should not be overlooked as a preventative.

If we no longer have any medical consequences we will push our bodies over the limit as a matter of course. But often the real trauma of binge drinking is the wider physical and emotional damage caused by violence, bravado, promiscuity or recklessness . Can we  develop a pill for that too?   

[10/15/2008, 19:38]

2008 Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition

The 4th Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition invited 800 Eastern wineries from Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New...

[04/29/2008, 23:10]

Restaurant Review: Cyrus in Healdsburg, CA

h
We return to Cyrus after a couple of years and have a truly great meal. Prices are up but our recent experience definitely justified the Michelin two stars. The food sets the highest mark in Sonoma county, but we'd still like to see more focus on local purveyors. If elaborate dining is what you seek in Sonoma, Cyrus is the perfect destination for indulgence.

You must not miss the excellent cheese cart... h
[10/02/2007, 23:36]

Local Events Website

If you've got a moment, check out Local Wine Events.

h

It's a great site that lists wine events for just about any state, country or region. Plus, they send out a Weekly Newsletter called The Juice which will notify you of upcoming events in your area.
[10/30/2008, 03:10]

Winemakers: Breasts' Best Friends

hIt's almost the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so I wanted to send along some links to stories I've written this October about breast-conscious winemakers whose rockin' projects support breast cancer research. Let's start with American Roots Winery, a project started in 2005 in support of Lori Ondaro, a single mom who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time. When the news hit, Lori and her family were blindsided by the news that this time the cancer had spread throughout her entire body. Lori's heroic story can be found here, at WineCountry.com, along with details on the critically-acclaimed wines her family's winery now produces, with proceeds going to support breast cancer research. (Pictured, Lori & Family.) Yay, family!

This also a terrific time to recognize the many other wineries whose programs support breast cancer. Read on for highlights of some of my top picks, which include Cleavage Creek Cellars, whose name makes good on the winery's unique geographic situation as well as its mission. Read about the rest

[10/23/2008, 06:00]

Syrah Standouts, Part II (Wine Spectator)

24 top Côte-Rôtie producers who are making some of the Northern Rhône's best Syrah ever
[10/16/2007, 23:07]

Pinot Gris - A Wonderful Grape Mutation

Pinot Gris is a grape varietal that is a mutation of the Pinot Noir grape. The Pinot Gris vine appears similar to the Pinot Noir, but it produces a grape that is coppery gray instead of the dark violet of Pinot Noir. In fact, the only certain method of differentiating the vines is by the fruit that they produce. Researchers have found that the DNA structure of Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir are virtually identical.

The Pinot Gris grape produces a delicious white wine with a rosy platinum color. This wine captures a perfect balance of acidity, fruit flavor and sweetness.
[10/20/2008, 07:16]

Wine Pics: Vintage Oregon 08

h

Barrel washing at Grand Cru

h

Pump over at Grand Cru

h

Washing bins at Soter Vineyards

h

Pinot harvest at Soter Vineyards

[06/08/2008, 00:34]

Working on the Road

As you may have noticed, Enotheque has been missing some updates for some time now. At the moment, I'm on the road at a very challenging but rewarding consulting job. The days are long and the nights seem all too short, resting only in brief moments before it's time to attend to the task at hand again.

I'll bring back some good posts with recommendations, interesting regions, values and interviews soon enough. For the time being, enjoy the other subscriptions of your Google Reader, since nobody is ever truly caught up with it anyway.

Cheers, salud, and we'll catch up soon.

Francisco
[09/12/2008, 06:57]

Robert Parker Watch Your Back

In the circles of wine lovers I travel in, many folks make a common observation about the evolving landscape of wine criticism. Namely that the era of Robert M. Parker, Jr. is coming to a close, and a new world of wine critics are emerging. I'm not sure I'd personally describe what I see happening in the wine world in quite those terms, but it's clear that Parker has been doing some succession planning in the past couple of years with many of the new additions to his staff. It's also clear that there are many new voices in the world of wine criticism, and some of them are beginning to carry serious weight.

One in particular seems to be rapidly gaining in power and influence, to the point that he is making markets for wine -- when he writes about a wine, it flies off the shelves and skyrockets in price.

His name is Shizuku Kanzaki, and he is a cartoon character.

Specifically, he is the sommelier hero of the Japanese comic book series Kami no Shizuku, or "Droplets of the Gods." Long time readers will remember that I have written about him before. But apparently he's gone from novelty to downright phenomenon. And when I say that he is gaining in power and influence, a single number may suffice to demonstrate that fact:

Number of subscribers to Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: 50,000
Estimated number of individual readers of Kami no Shizuku: 500,000

Influence on wine prices and inventories aside, the most impressive impact of this imaginary wine critic seems to me to be the fact that sommelier classes for women are "fully booked" in Japan.

How cool is that? Beats the heck out of the "Sideways Effect."

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