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[11/21/2008, 07:56]

TV Ads Contribute to Childhood Obesity, Economists Say

Children?s weight gain is linked to the frequency of fast food advertisements on television, according to a new study.



[11/22/2008, 02:38]

City Room: Rolling Out the Beaujolais Nouveau

The latest batches arrived by sea, and sometimes in plastic bottles, as French distributors sought to cut costs for the annual marketing tradition.

[04/04/2007, 14:32]

Berry Bros. & Rudd start podcasking

Old but innovative, the London based wine merchant Berry Bros. & Rudd have started a regular series of podcasts which can either be accessed from their site or subscribed to through iTunes.

According to the company, the ‘podcasks’ provide the latest updates on wine news, en primeur releases and wine events as well as featuring exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the world of fine wine.

[12/23/2007, 02:21]

December 22, 2007. Christmas time is here

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It's hard to believe that a year has almost gone by and Christmas Time is here. In getting into the holiday rhythm, I went looking for some music only to find most of it unsatisfying (surprise, surprise). There are exceptions, and here I think is one of them.

December 1965, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" was aired and became an instant standard. Most people will remember the Charles Schultz cartoon along with the catchy tunes. Upon listening to the recent 2006 re-master of this album by Fantasy records, I was amazed. This is so much better than coming out of a 14 inch mono TV. Arranged & composed by Vince Guaraldi, there is an underlying quality of happiness and cheer to the music. Perhaps it brings back happy memories of my childhood but I think it is intrinsic to the music. Guaraldi to me, has the lyrical qualities of Bill Evans together with the rhythm and swing of a Dave Brubeck - it is a shame he died of a heart attack at an age of 47 between sets at a jazz club. Thought I would share this one with you, the album code is FCD-30066-2 in case some of you are interested.

Merry Christmas, good health, peace on earth and may joy come over the world.
[08/11/2006, 05:59]

Hook and Ladder - The Tillerman White

The best kinds of cheap wines are the kinds that have a rich story behind them. Well, The Tillerman White wine brought to you by the Hook & Ladder Winery certainly fits the bill. At first glance this wine label made no sense to me… Hook & Ladder? The Tillerman? After doing some research, I feel enlightened knowing the origins of this fine cheap wine, so I’ll share:

The owner of the family-run Hook & Ladder, Cecil De Loach used to be a firefighter! “Hook and Ladder” is just another name for a firetruck. And The Tillerman is guy who drives the back end of a firetruck. A firefighter and a wine-maker! What a life!

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I sampled several bottles of The Tillerman White, and I am glad I did. Not being a fan of white blends with a lot of oak, I enjoyed everything about this wine. The peach/apricot aroma was the most prominent feature of this wine as it approached my nose. The wine was very dry, tasty, had an awesome finish. Just a perfect all-around table wine. For about 16 bucks or less, this Sonoma County wine is a steal. If you see it in your supermarket, snatch it up! I look forward to trying some of their many other varietals. This same vineyard, the Russian River Valley produces Chardonay, Gewurztraminer, White Zin, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and the “Third Alarm” Reserve Chardonnay. Oh, how I would love to visit the vineyard one day.

Rating: 9/10 - Excellent!
The only reason I’m not giving it 10 is because I promised my readers “cheap wines less than 15 dollars” and this wine retails for 16. Look around though, I’m sure you can find a good deal! Even if you can’t, it is worth the extra dollar.

Extra Info: Hook & Ladder - Founded in 2004
2027 Olivet Road
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
phone: 707-546-5712

pH: 3.3
Acidity: .73
Alcohol: 13.8%
Winemaker: Cecil De Loach
Cases Produced: 2,400

[07/06/2008, 01:36]

Drink, store, or pour out?

My girlfriend discovered some wines in a family member's apartment.  The condition of the wines...are questionable, I suspect most of them are vinegar, but thought I would run them by the fine people in this comm.

They are

1975 Champagne: Piper-Heildsieck

1979 Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classe: Chateau L'Angelus

1982 Dolcetto D'Alba: Giovanni Scanavino

NV Champagne Cognac: E. Remy Martins & Co.

NV  Sherry: Harvey's Bristol Cream

Any thoughts or suggestions?
[10/16/2008, 02:47]

OENOPHILES AND FOODIES CONVERGE IN MONTEREY

bouchet tango
Monterey Vintners & Growers Association Hosts World-Class Wine and Food Event
More than fifty award-winning wineries, accompanied by prestigious chefs from around the country, will gather to celebrate the world-class wines of Monterey County during the 2008 Great Wine Escape, November 7th-9th, 2008. Now in its second decade, the 2008 celebration is beckoning oenophiles and foodies from around the country.
[09/22/2008, 05:25]

India: So who is drinking what?

There is definitely wine in India, but who exactly is drinking it? I have tasted pretty much all of the local, at least grape, wine I can find, which was pretty easy, as that is a population of about three producers. I ran across fruit wines being sold up in the foothills of the Himalayans, but I didn't have a chance to try it, and I don't usually count it as wine, at least for the scope of this blog.

The most amazing thing about wine, at least this far from Delhi (I am up north in the large city of Chandigarh) is people's perceptions of it. They, at least the locals I have met, do not know exactly what wine is. They assume it is a sort of whiskey, and a high priced one at that.

When I had a chance to share wine with them they were delighted with the taste, although to be fair I started them off with a slightly sweet white. This is a beginner wine for many people, and it was well received here, and went nicely with the local foods.

People here drink whiskey, and they drink it with nibbles before a meal. Drinking wine with the dinner was not something they had ever thought of doing. In fact drinking wine at all was something they had not thought of doing.

Almost every block there is a store that sells liquor and beer, and while the signs say they have wine, none actually do. Only a few stores carry wine at all, and their selection is very small.

That is not surprising given that most of the people in India I have met have no idea what wine is. The few restaurants that have wine listed have "both kinds" red and white, and nothing more descriptive than that.

The wines made in India are not bad, but they are very expensive. In a country where a hair cut cost $1.50 a $12 bottle of wine is an investment that few consider worth the risk.

It is changing. The ultra rich are drinking the big name labels, as they always do. The middle classes are ordering Dominos pizzas in their Levi jeans over their cell phones, and sooner or later they are going to start equating wine with their lifestyles.

Once India gets a taste for wine, watch out, there is a huge potential market here, if you are very, very patient, or very, very proactive.
[07/17/2008, 13:25]

More Godello

How could I omit the two intelligent value Godello picks? I chose these two because they convey distinct interpretations of the variety, in spite of the two D.O.?s not being terribly far apart. Taste them together to see the immense differences evident in each Godello within what would amount to a short bus ride from Bierzo to Valdeorras. It?s quite hard to argue that neighboring wine regions cultivating the same variety aren?t little miracles, with this sentiment growing even more potent for the wine lover within single vineyards with many producers, though that?s another topic altogether.

Enjoy this, one of many examples of all new things Spanish that will slowly become more prevalent in the U.S. market over the coming six months or so?Godello.

Before I forget, speaking of the next wave of imports from Spain, if you haven?t been paying attention to Telmo Rodríguez in the past few years, I would try his Godello and watch this video. Aside from being a fascinating Spanish entrepreneur, he exudes passion for well-crafted, regional wines. The video is eight minutes in length, though for some reason, it winds up being 3 and change. Nevertheless, listen to Mr. Rodríguez introducing his wines on a recent visit to Toronto?s Lifford Wine Agency. In essence, he is responsible for affordable little masterpieces from various Spanish D.O.?s. His progressive outlook in terms of production methods is matched by an ability to reinvigorate production of traditional varieties in the regions where he owns vineyards. This in turn, yields intelligent value wines from various Spanish D.O.?s that much like Susana Balbo?s wines in Argentina, seem to be produced in a manner which never sacrifices regional character for novelty or the wrong type of market's tastes. What with how things are going nowadays in the wine business, what a refreshing point of view!

Los vinos:

2007 Pilgrim Godello Bierzo D.O.


This wine is clean, pale straw and unassuming at first sight. The nose is vibrant, driven by wild flowers, citrus, treefruit and stone minerality. Complex mouthfeel, with a crisp, racy shot of acidity (pink grapefruit), alongside rich treefruit and distinctive mineral notes.

This wine is produced by Viñedos Agribergidum in Bierzo, located at the westernmost outpost of León bordering Galicia. The Godello vines are an average of 40 years old, with the variety purposely farmed to very low yields.

Imported by Beacon Wine Company.

2005 Gaba do Xil Godello Valdeorras D.O.


A really nice pale gold in the glass. The nose is clean and pronounced, with perfumey floral element, lush green pear, peaches, honeydew melon and touch of sweet spice. Complex but never overwhelming medium-bodied white with great balance of ripe fruit flavors and medium citrus acidity. Love the soft spice undertones that follow the lovely fruit into the aftertaste.

Imported by Tempranillo, Inc.
[09/24/2008, 10:15]

Aglianico: An Italian Name Worth Practicing

Eric Asimov (nytimes.com) writes:

ALL right, class, summer vacation is long gone and school is well under way, but I?m forced to interrupt our curriculum for a quick review session.
 
Why is this? Because it?s come to my attention that a crucial word in the lexicon of Italian wines has fallen by the wayside.
 
That word is aglianico, which, just to be clear, is pronounced ah-lee-YAHN-ee-koh, and which is the name of the leading red grape of southern Italy.
 
Yet the entire category of aglianico wines seems to pass unnoticed by most people, which is a shame because they have so much pleasure to offer.
 
...
 
For years, the aglianico torch was largely carried by two producers, Mastroberardino in Campania, best known for its Radici from the Taurasi zone, and Paternoster in Basilicata, which has long made exemplary aglianicos from the volcanic soils of Mount Vulture (pronounced VOOL-too-reh). Now, dozens of producers export their wines to the United States. Sadly, we couldn?t find wines from some of the top producers, like Paternoster, Antonio Caggiano and Galardi, which makes Terra di Lavoro, as close as an aglianico wine comes to cult status.

» Full Story

Mastroberardino

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Aglianico
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Radici Taurasi Riserva DOCG

Tags: , , , , , ,

bouchet tango bouchet tango
WorldWine Tags: melgab, wine, aglianico, campania, italy, south-africa, South Africa,
[11/30/2007, 00:02]

Are you old school or new world?

If you were to sit down to your last dinner and were offered one last bottle of wine from anywhere in the world - what would that wine be and why?

Additionally - if two sommeliers, namely Robert Parker and Hugh Johnson, approached your table to offer you advice - who's suggestions would you take most to heart?

I'd go with Johnson and signal Parker away from my table :)

Cru Master
[11/11/2008, 14:30]

The Wines of Tuscany

oTuscany is probably the Italian wine region that is best known among American drinkers. Hundreds of raffia-covered fiascos (you know what I'm talking about--the bottles that you use for candle holders when the wine is all gone) have entered hundreds of homes all over the country. (picture by dottorpeni)

But there's more to Tuscan wine than just Chianti. For the last two months of 2008 I'll be focusing on the wines from this region. Why two months? There's just too much good wine to spend only one month exploring.

oTuscany is a region that is known for more than wine, of course. Home to the great poet Dante, its also the region where Pisa's "leaning tower" is located. Pisa is not the only town in the region with stunning architecture, as any visitor to Florence, San Gimignano, or Siena knows. Rolling hills, groves of olive trees, fields of sunflowers and vines, and old houses dot the landscape as well, making Tuscany a feast for the eyes as well as the tastebuds. (photo by vigour)

And the grapes of Tuscany are just as diverse as the countryside where they're planted. There's Sangiovese, of course, but there's also rarer indigenous varieties like Toroldega, Vernaccia, and Canaiolo. And Tuscan vineyards have their fare share of international grapes in them like Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, and Cabernet Sauvignon, too. Merlot and Cabernet oSauvignon are often blended with Sangiovese in the powerful red wines known as Super Tuscans that earn high scores from the wine magazines and command high prices in the wine shops. (photo by rayced)

Great wine demands great food, and as anyone who has been to Tuscany knows--these people can cook. Whether you're looking for a simple pasta dish with sauce made from butter and sage, a hearty soup thickened with bread and beans, grilled beef cooked to perfection as they do in Florence, or the small cookies made for dunking in your coffee or wine called cantucci, you can find a dish to suit you from among the region's traditional recipes. These dishes are perfect for winter temperatures and feeding large crowds at the holidays. Many of them are also either quick to prepare, or cook at low temperatures in the pot or oven so they are ideal for entertaining.

oWith so much to love about Tuscan food and wine, it seemed like the right moment to slow down and enjoy the end of the this year's wine journey through Italy. Those of you who have been following the series know that there are still regions I've not yet reached. So we'll pick up where we left off in January 2009 and continue to drink the wines from the remaining regions of Italy all through next year. (photo by davidanthonyporter)

I'll be back periodically over the next several weeks with tasting notes and food pairings for Tuscan wines. Yes, Chianti will be among them. So, too, will be Tuscan whites and a wine made with indigenous varieties. And the Tuscan wine theme will spill over into Serious Grape on Fridays as well, where I'll talk about Super Tuscans and compare the different levels of Chianti from the regular bottles to Chianti Classico and reserve wines. As always, I hope you will join in and share your Tuscan wine recommendations and experiences.
o o o o o o o
o
[12/08/2008, 14:26]

Indianapolis health food pioneer dies

oBob Landman, owner of the venerable Good Earth Natural Foods in Broad Ripple, died of a heart attack on December 6. He was 61 had just turned 62.

Good Earth, which was founded in 1971 by several North Central High School graduates, attracted Landman?s interest when he visited the store to buy a bottle of avocado shampoo in 1972. A year later he bought a 50 percent stake in the business, and the year after that he quit his job as an inspector for the Marion County Health Department to work at the store full-time.

Landman?s two partners, Brett and Kevin Kimberlin, left the business ? Kevin to attend Harvard, Brett to serve a 51-year prison sentence (he was paroled in 15 years) after being convicted of a series of bombings in Speedway ? and by 1979 he was the sole owner of the store.

Over the years, Good Earth has gone from being a specialty store on the fringes of the grocery industry to a respected local mainstay in what is now the fastest-growing segment of the retail food market. Even as larger competitors such as Wild Oats (now Whole Foods), Fresh Market and Trader Joe?s set up shop and mainstream groceries like Marsh and even Wal-Mart expanded their offerings of organically-produced goods, Landman?s store has continued to thrive. The store does very little advertising, and earns the loyalty of its customers simply by providing low prices and excellent customer service from its knowledgeable employees, some of whom have worked there for decades.

?The normal marketing ploy in the grocery business ? is to charge full retail on everything except a handful of loss leaders in the hopes that people will come in the store and buy everything. It?s not a game I care to get into,? Landman said in a 1999 interview with the Indianapolis Business Journal. ?Advertising is very expensive and it?s somewhat deceptive. Our marketing strategy has always been to just offer the best possible prices on everything all the time.?

Marketing strategy aside, in no small part people have continued to be loyal to Good Earth (or feel guilty when they shop elsewhere) just because they liked Bob. He was one of the nicest guys you could ever hope to meet ?smart, friendly, generous and funny ? and he will be missed.

Bob?s calling will be 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, December 10 at Leppert Mortuary, 740 East 86th Street. Services follow at 10 a.m. the next day at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, which is on the northeast corner of 42nd Street and Central Avenue.
[07/18/2006, 15:19]

o
Michel Rolland, the most influential enologist of the world :
" 75 % of the Chilean wines is green "

The most important and polemic flying winemaker of the world does not agree with the commentary of the Chilean critics who say that the wines are falling down in a style "On I mature". In sole right, it conversed with "Revista del Campo" of his acid vision of the enology and of the specializing journalism.

Read more this article in spanish




[11/21/2008, 09:37]

Recipes for Health: Baby Salad Greens With Sweet Potato Croutons and Stilton

Sweet potatoes contrast beautifully here with the pungent Stilton in this salad.

[11/20/2008, 07:45]

Thailand: Winemaking in the Tropics - Alcidini Winery

Some of my favorite Syrah/Shiraz I tasted in Thailand came from a winery that is not yet a winery. Produced in a well maintained, temperature controlled room not much bigger than a large walk-in closet, these wines were carefully handcrafted with low tech, off the shelf equipment that wasn't even really made for wine making.

Such is the ingenuity of Supot Krijpipudh, the one man tour de force of what someday will become Alcidini Winery. At 20 acres of mostly Shiraz, with a few rows of Muscat Blau thrown in, the vineyards are not huge, but they are thriving under the careful scrutiny of one of the most innovative wine personalities I have ever met.

Supot is an engineer, and his penchant for experimentation shows not only in his superb wines, but in his careful attention to detail in the vineyard. His vines were the only ones I saw that use the Lyre system of trellising in Thailand. A system advocated by Richard Smart, the Australian who revolutionized vineyard management.

Geneva Double Curtain (GDC) is a more common system, and Supot has not abandoned it either. Instead he is using GDC on the bottom half of his vines. This odd combination of trellising is due to one of his more unusual experiments. Supot is hoping to grow two grape varieties on the same trunk. Shiraz on the top, Muscat on the bottom.

The thinking is that with the potential for two harvests a year in tropical Thailand, but greater quality from limiting the vines to one fruiting, he can have the best of both worlds. The Shiraz will do its thing on the top, and then six months later Muscat will be harvested from the bottom.

Time will tell if this works out, but I am intrigued to say the least. If he manages to make it come to pass there may be a quiet revolution in vineyard management from this tiny corner of Thailand. If not, well Supot is only having fun and isn't committing many resources to the project.

Alcidini has only produced enough wine for a few friends and family, albeit very loyal ones that bought out his entire 1500 bottle run last year. This year he is looking at a more commercial output of 5,500 bottles which while still tiny, puts him in line with many others in the boutique winery class. He will continue to ramp up over the next few years.

It may be decades before you get an opportunity to visit the winery, which for now is just that tiny shed and a house with a view that is still under construction. In the future if you happen to get a chance to get a hold of one of the Alcidini Wines, go out of your way to try it.
[11/20/2008, 20:00]

Ten Wines For The Thanksgiving Table

The holiday isn't the time to pair food and drink. It's to relax and enjoy whatever sips you like.
[11/06/2006, 21:59]

Wine Coolers: What?s so great about flavored malt liquor anyway?

Itching to try the latest flavor rage in wine coolers? It came to my attention recently that many people don?t know that wine coolers are simply flavored malt liquor. It surprises me even more that that info itself doesn?t seem to mean much to many people. What?s wrong with pina colada flavored malt liquor wine coolers? Well, nothing, unless you want to drink more than one or two. If you?re anything like me, more than one or two wine coolers will leave you with hangover symptoms later on that day or the next.

If you really want a strawberry daiquiri or pina colada, why not just buy the fixings to make those mixed drinks? Of course if you?re on a budget it?s probably better to just buy the wine coolers. But if you?re planning a big party or otherwise have a bigger drink budget, I strongly suggest making your own mixed drinks rather than buy a huge lot of wine coolers. Malt liquor is notorious for producing headaches and all the other hangover symptoms.

Mixed drinks don?t have to be all that expensive to make either. If you plan ahead a little you can decide on a few different mixed drinks to have on hand at your next party and save some money by using the same base liquor. For example, rum is a great liquor for fruity drinks. Pina coladas, daiquiris and many other drinks call for rum, so that?s a great standby as far as liquors for mixing go. And of course vodka is a good all round liquor that can make many types of less fruity drinks. So, a trip to the liquor store to purchase a bottle of vodka and a bottle of rum will yield all kinds of mixed drink options.

There are some excellent bartender and drink mixing websites out there that can help you make the most of your next mixed drinks occasion. There are even websites where you can input all the ingredients you have on hand and it will spit out a list of drinks that you can make. Webtender.com is just such a site. Go to http://www.webtender.com/cgi-bin/imbselect to input your available ingredients. Chances are you?ll be surprised to discover all the possible drink combinations using only the ingredients you have on hand.

[12/28/2008, 02:56]

Boston Wine Expo: January 24-25, Boston, MA

oWine lovers in Beantown, listen up. It won't be long now before some of you may be asking yourselves what on Earth you're doing freezing your keisters off in the depths of winter. But there is at least one reason for sticking around through January besides the New England Patriots, and that, my friends is the Boston Wine Expo.

There are very few reasons that I'd venture out to Boston in the middle of winter, but let me tell you, the Boston Wine Expo is almost enough of a reason for me to jet on out there from San Francisco. Almost, but not quite. However, if I lived anywhere within 100 miles of the Boston, I would be at the Seaport World Trade center on January 24th and 25th of 2009.

The Boston Wine Expo claims to be the largest public wine tasting event in the entire country, and looking at the partial list of folks who are planning on showing up to pour their wines, it's not hard to believe. On offer will be 450 international and domestic wineries from 13 countries pouring over 1,800 different wines. Yowza.

There are so many different options for what you can do (seminars, guided tastings, food pairings, dinners, concerts, you name it) and what sort of tickets you can buy to do them (reasonable to super expensive), I'm not even going to try to summarize what's on offer. Go check out their web site and figure it out for yourself. What I would be most interested in personally are the grand tastings where you get to taste a lot of wine, and their special Grand Cru Wine Lounge where you pay more to taste a lot of even better wine.

If you enjoy wine there's very little excuse not to go have a looksee at what is certainly the best opportunity to educate your palate that you'll get all year, let alone in the dead of winter.

The 18th Annual Boston Wine Expo
Saturday January 24 and Sunday January 25, 2009
1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Seaport World Trade Center
200 Seaport Blvd.
Boston, MA, 02210 (map)

Tickets range in price from $85 for a day of tasting to $195 for a full pass, and they get more expensive after January 17th. Buy them online in advance to save money and avoid standing on lines when you get there.

And remember my tips for making the most of these large public tastings: get a good night's sleep before hand; show up with a full stomach; wear dark clothes; drink lots of water; and for heaven's sake, SPIT !


[11/20/2008, 02:52]

Nov 20, Wine regions for alternative varietal wines

These wine regions in Australia make innovative wines from alternative grape varieties
[11/21/2008, 05:00]

The Thanksgiving Table, Part 2 (Wine Spectator)

Turkey tips and 8 California Rhône-style red wines to match
[04/16/2008, 14:31]

The Mad Crush and The Horse?s Ass

Chateau Petrogasm, I LOVE you. I want to pop several corks with you, and find myself in a compromising position in the morning. Yes, I’d even do the walk of shame for you, Chateau Petrogasm. My butt is firmly planted on the bandwagon. I’ll be your largest sycophantic follower. What in the heck is Chateau [...]
[12/13/2007, 14:33]

Bottletalk featured on BusinessWeek.com

Visit BusinessWeek.com for an interesting article on wine web sites, including Bottletalk.  There is also a slideshow walking you through seven different wine web sites, explaining how they work and who is behind them.

[11/04/2008, 07:42]

holiday time

It’s time for a break. Back with updates from 20th November, and who knows - maybe the Autumn issue will also be out before the clock strikes December! a holiday time
[07/09/2008, 21:24]

Ponzi Vineyards Hosting July Event

One of Oregon's better-known Pinot Gris producers, Ponzi Vineyards, will be hosting a wine event this Sunday, July 13 2008. Between 5:00 and 9:00 PM, Ponzi is offering wine, music and bocci ball --- that oh-so neglected game from our Italiano ancestral roots. The event takes place at Ponzi Vineyards' main estate lawn. There is no need to RSVP, but they ask that you leave any dogs at home, so there aren't any landmines left for the bocci players!

Visit their website, www.ponziwines.com for more info.
[11/21/2008, 05:00]

Bodega Mendel Malbec Mendoza 2006 $27 (Wine Spectator)

Nicely layered with warm fig sauce, mocha, crushed raspberry and boysenberry fruit and a long, dark, spice- and espresso-tinged finish. Powerful but balanced. Should age nicely. Best from 2009 through 2012. 3,500 cases made.
[09/19/2006, 02:15]

Big Daddy Merlot 2002

Part of becoming a connoisseur of cheap wines is knowing where to look for them. I’ll share with you one of my little secret places I attempt to seek out cheap wine: the “Reduced for Quick Sale” shelf at your local supermarket. At Meijer, my local super-mega-ultra-store, this shelf is usually located in the bottle return area. Not a very pleasant place to be searching for wines, but just think of it as a treasure hunt! You may find a bounty of cheap wines that you never knew existed.

While picking over the wines yesterday, a cartoon label caught my eye: Big Daddy Vineyards Merlot. I picked up the March 2002 vintage for about 6 dollars.

Why was this reduced for quick sale? Was it worth enduring the stench of the bottle return area to bring home this wine? Yes, yes it was. It’s almost sad that this wine traveled all the way from Argentina to end up in my bottle return area.

o

Big Daddy knows how to make a good cheap wine. Believe it or not, the first attribute of this wine I picked up on was the light hint of bacon. Mmm bacon. Who doesn’t love bacon? Big Daddy loves it, that’s for sure. Look at that belly! On top of the bacon was a strong berry with a leathery taste.

If you’re looking for a full bodied cheap red wine with a lot of character, give the Big Daddy Merlot a try.

Rating: 8/10 - High score for originality
Price: 6.00
Place of purchase: Meijer
Vineyard Info:
Big Daddy Vineyards
Mendoza, Argentina
www.bigdaddyvineyards.com

[08/09/2006, 01:03]

Leelanau Cellars Autumn Harvest

o

Another summer is quickly coming to an end, and I hope everyone got a chance to visit their favorite local vineyard for a tour or a wine tasting. The highlight of my summer is always being able to visit the northern Michigan wineries. This summer, I got a chance to go up to the Leelanau Peninsula several times, and each time was memorable.

Leelanau Cellars is, by far, my favorite place to visit up north, especially because of the tasting experience. You don’t feel limited of how many wines you can taste, and the staff working the tasting room are VERY knowledgeable and friendly. I left with about 16 bottles of wine the last time I visited! If you are looking for some odd fruit wines, this is the place to go.

The wine:
I shared a bottle with my new roommates in Grand Rapids. All three of us loved it.

Matt: “Delicious with chips and dip”
Casey: “It would be a good winter wine. Surprisingly smooth!”

I enjoyed this 5 dollar bottle of wine with a thin-crust pizza and it was great. The wine was rich, and had a lot of flavor. I could taste the typical hints of cherry that most Michigan wines boast.

Summary: Great job, Leelanau Cellars! I look forward to coming back next year!
Rating: 9/10 - Excellent!
Price: 5 bucks
Winery Information: Leelanau Cellars
Leelanau Wine Cellars
12683 E. Tatch Rd
(County Rd. 626)
Omena, MI 49674
(231) 386-5201






 



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