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White House serves a pricey Napa Valley wine, CNN tries to stir up some controversy Late last week CNN ran a story detailing the menu (food and drink) that was on tap for a White House dinner to kick-off the G-20 summit. As world leaders assembled to discuss the global economic situation, CNN reported they were due to enjoy a Shafer Vineyards Cabernet ?Hillside Select? 2003, which can cost up to $500 per bottle. CNN took the angle that consuming such a pricey wine wasn?t appropriate given the current economic situation and was quite ironic considering the dinner itself was t
$300 A Bottle of Wine At G20- HELPED THEM DISCUSS THE NWO! A Bottle of Wine At G20- HELPED THEM DISCUSS THE NWO! As G-20 leaders met in Washington this weekend while the economic world burns, they sipped Shafer Hillside Select 2003, a $250 Napa cab (find this wine). This raised the hackles of bloggers at CNN (perhaps because they could only findAmong the wines: ... Health 0
White House Wine 19, 2008 History and Wine | Tags: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chateau Montelena, Napa, Shaefer, White House | This controversy was pretty much dead in the water as soon as it hit the internet, but what I find interesting about President Bush serving a $500 bottle of wine to his G20 guests, is not how expensive the wine is, but how much better he could have done than the Schaefer 2003 Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon. I understand that they have to stick to American wines at the White Hous
5 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon wines - BLIND! - Episode #581 Gary Vaynerchuk tries 5 wines blind and sees which tickle his palate, as we continue the Napa Cabernet theme this week! Having trouble viewing this video? Try the Quicktime version. Wines tasted in this episode: 2004 Beringer Napa Cabernet SauvignonNapa Cabernet 2005 Barnett Cabernet Sauvignon Spring MountainNapa Cabernet 2004 Steltzner Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Barrel SelectNapa Cabernet 2005 Newton Unfiltered Cabernet SauvignonNapa Cabernet 2005 Cliff Lede
Wine: Lindemans - Shiraz Cabernet at dinner I came across a set of wines from Lindemans, Australia that are on promotion at Outback restaurant. The one I tried was their Premier Selection: Shiraz Cabernet 2007, selling for HKD220.00/bottle or HKD58.00/glass. This wine has a dark plum colour. A medium bodied palate that leads with an initial burst of sweet berry fruit, [...] ... This is a content summary only. Visit my blog for full details, other content, and more!
Good times for Israel wines times for Israel wines November 19th, 2008 Having followed Israel wines for many years I knew this day would come. Having worked at Israeli wineries I was sure that others would eventually acknowledge the high quality of up-and-coming Israeli wines. Having chosen a career in Israeli wines I have PRAYED for universal acceptance of Israeli wines. Ladies and gentlemen, Israeli wines have arrived! In all seriousness I know that it will take a while, but the past 12 months have brought a
Another Napa Valley Cabernet Wine - Episode #580 Gary Vaynerchuk tries a Cabernet from Napa and sees what he thinks of it! Having trouble viewing this video? Try the Quicktime version. Comments on this episode(140) Leave a comment ? ? Another vote for 2005 Provenance - had at Ruth?s Chris steakhouse?? by lumpyatst ?QOTD: 2005 Provenance Rutherford ($30) is the best Napa Cab I?ve tried?? by Brian Barrick View all 140 ? Wines tasted in this episode: 2005 Volta Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Links mentioned in today?s episode. If
Vino Clos Apalta de Viña Casa Lapostolle, Primer Lugar Mundial El vino Clos Apalta 2005, de Casa Lapostolle, superó a bodegas de todo el globo, entre ellas a varios château franceses. Para el gremio local, es también un triunfo para la cepa insignia de Chile: el carmenère. Un título mundial es el que alcanzó la viña Casa Lapostolle. Ese día la revista Wine Spectator, la más importante de EE.UU. y con gran influencia internacional, reveló que el primer lugar del ranking de los 100 mejores vinos del año (elaborado desde 1988 y donde se cataron a ciegas
2006 Cameron Hughes Lot 73 91 points Sauvignon, Chalk Hill, $16 This is a classically styled Cab; rich fruit, balanced tannins; Black plum, black currant, pipe tobacco and chocolate fill out a rich palate of flavors. Well integrated fruit with notes of burnt vanilla and leather flesh out on a long, smooth finish, drink now thru 2014. ...
Educated Guess!!..Interview with Marc Albrecht of Roots Run Deep Winery Marc Albrecht started Yountville based Roots Run Deep winery in 2005 to make wines that well...keeps you guessing!! No!! The fact of the matter is we all make educated guesses when we buy wines; What is it going to taste lik? Is it worth the price? is it the right vintage? and so on.. so Marc made his affordable ($20) Napa Cabernet Sauvignon wine with the great label: Educated Guess!! For more information visit www.rootrunsdeep.com Walid Romaya Prince of Wine www.princeofwine.com
Napa Cabernet and Chocolate - Episode #579 Gary Vaynerchuk welcomes Suzanne Phifer Pavitt to the Thunder Show for some Cabernet and chocolate. Having trouble viewing this video? Try the Quicktime version. Comments on this episode(97) Leave a comment ? ?I love the Gossip Girl ref., I like Dan?s charachter better than Chuck?? by AMM3RD ?Don?t get too caught up in the fact she didn?t get the % of oak right?.? by apj_bobswineguy View all 97 ? Wines tasted in this episode: 2005 Phifer Pavitt Date Night 2006 Phifer Pavitt Dat
Wellington Vineyards "The Duke" 2006 Sonoma Valley Red Wine Vineyards is a small, family operation along Dunbar Rd. in Glen Ellen. Their vineyard estate tasting room is a fun visit on a stretch of Dunbar Rd. and Arnold Dr. that also includes Mayo, Loxton, and Eric Ross, among other enjoyable tasting rooms. They bottle over 20 current releases, from Rhone white varietals to red and white ports and almost everything in between, and offer complimentary tastings of up to five wines at the tasting room. "The Duke" is their highly anticipated value-
Voyager Estate Cabernet Merlot 1998 River, Western Australia. 14%. Cabernet sauvignon, Merlot. Cork. Source: cellar (approx $A30 on release). A dusty nose with earth, menthol, eucalyptus and prune. . . Without too much imagination there is also the scent of a well used saddle. Quite firm and granular in the mouth, with a sour juicy edge and creamy, slightly adhesive tannins. Enjoyable but even in middle age, this is still slightly awkward and abrasive. Very good. 90. Now - 2013. technorati tags: wine, australian wineht
Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 of fruit. Typically Californian ? with big flavors (red fruit, cherries, spicy) and big oak. I perceived an almost vanilla/maple sugar quality in the background. No hard edges, fairly round in the mouth ? tannins are there but are not getting in the way. Filed under: Cabernet Sauvignon, Wine
The Healthy Effects of Red Wine Over the past ten years there have been numerous studies on the healthy effects of red wine, which we?ve heard snipets about on the news or read about in the paper. My clients sometimes ask me about it, so I?ve looked into it. My own research has determined that there are three particular types of wine that produce those positive benefits. They are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Syrah and Pinot Noir, in that order. The benefits include: reducing ?bad? LDL cholesterol, increasing ?good? HD
Let them drink Charles Shaw! get the feeling some people have no perspective? Ever get the sense that some journalists get a little shrill in their pursuit of sensationalism (and, in the process, get a little sloppy with facts and too generous with opinion or fail to see how they interject their biases into the story)? Apparently, that is the case [...]
I?M 2006 Rose - Ros? Wine Wine by I?M from Napa Valley, California. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon This Rose is made in the Saignee style. Saignee is a process which not only lends itself to the production of the Rose wine, but also enhances the quality and richness of a red wine. Cabernet Sauvignon is the last grape to be harvested, as it matures the latest. Due to the nature of the grape, the bottling and release of this wine is later than most Roses. I?M Rose is a dry wine with good structure, acidity, and an enjoyable
Best in class in Wine and Spirit 2008 Nuevamente Casillero del Diablo es reconocido por la calidad de sus vinos por el concurso Internacional Wine an Spirit Competition efectuada en Londres durante agosto de este año. En esa oportunidad sobresalieron tres de las cepas Cosecha Histórica de Casillero del Diablo como los Mejores de su Calse: Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon 2007: Best in Class Silver Casillero del Diablo Carmenere 2007: Best in Class Silver Casillero del Diablo Merlot 2007: Best in Class Silver Internat
Cadence Winery: Striving to hit the right note Last Saturday, Dad (John) and I attended a tasting for Cadence Winery at the McCarthy & Schiering wine shop in Seattle?s Ravenna neighborhood. Winemaker Ben Smith was on hand pouring his wines, talking about them, and sharing pictures of his Cara Mia Vineyard on Red Mountain. Ben and his wife Gaye McNutt founded Cadence Winery in 1998. Their winery, open by appointment only, is located in Seattle, Washington. They produce red Bordeaux-style blends from Red Mountain fruit. Ben and Gaye purc
Friday night we had some company coming. Dominique made a fabulous cheese plate complete with two camemberts - Old Chatham Sheepherding Company and Real Amazing Food Company, and a Sprout Creek Eden, a semi-hard cheese which is wonderful. There were assorted rustic breads - walnut, raisin loaf and traditional sourdough. We decided on Cascade Mountain Winery Coueur De Lion
Cascade Mountain was founded in the spring of 1972 by the Wetmore family who pioneered the production of premium table wines on the eastern side of the Hudson River. Bill, along with his wife Margaret and their three children Charles, Michael and Joan, planted the vineyard in 1972, built the winery in 1977, and opened the restaurant in 1985.
Today, Cascade Mountain is a thriving business which features a full line of award-winning table wines and a highly rated restaurant. Customers come from all over the world to enjoy a few pleasant hours on top of the Berkshire foothills accompanied by some of the best food and wine to be found in the Hudson River Valley.
George Cafiero is the manager now at the winery. He's one of the hardest working guys in the Hudson Valley. He's a ubiqitous presence at farm markets an festivals from the Hudson Valley to the Finger Lakes.
This wine is a light-bodied, beautifully colored red. It's made in the Beaujolais style with soft, rounded berry flavors accented by peppery Cabernet Sauvignon to produce a velvet smooth finish. Great quality for the price. It's $14 per bottle. Great for Thanksgiving.
Tuscany 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.
Tuscany 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 Sauvignon 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.
With 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.
After daylight savings ends, my thoughts turn increasingly to red wine. Once I set the clocks back, it gets dark faster than I expect. I start cooking dinner. The heat comes on. I wonder "is there a red wine in the house?"
And then there are the winter foods that start sounding just perfect right about now: beef stew, chicken chile, and soups made with late fall vegetables.
If this sounds like you right now, I've got a red that will knock your socks off and have you praising the wine gods. It's from Chile, which (like Argentina) produces some excellent value wines. This one is no exception, and it's made by Veramonte, the winery that also makes exceptionally good value Sauvignon Blancs.
The 2005 Veramonte Primus represents the best of what Chile has to offer to people seeking great value and great taste. This excellent QPR red wine drinks like a wine that's two or three times the cost. It's big, bold,a n balanced. Made from a mixture of 51% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 17% Carmenere, the first thing that will strike you if you get your own bottle is the beautiful, dark plum color. Then you will be bowled over by heady aromas of plum, blackberry, spice, and plum blossom. I loved the way that the promise of the aromas was delivered in the flavors, which echoed the smells beautifully--although the plummy notes did take center stage. The wine had rich, satiny texture that seemed more opulent than a wine with an under $20 pricetag deserved--but I'm certainly not complaining. Well-integrated tannins and a taste that reminded me of the spicy smell of my mom's cedar chest rounded out this nicely made, well-balanced wine. It's drinking very well now, but if you find some for a good price I think you might want to buy a couple of bottles and put them away for drinking between now and the end of 2009.
I received my bottle as a sample, but you should be able to find bottles of this wine all over the US for between $14 and $26. And they bottled some in 375 ml bottles, as well, which are retailing for $7-$14.
Enjoy the change in seasons. Get some red wine, snuggle with the one you love, and catch up on your movies and TV now that the election is over. Long winter nights can be a good thing, after all.
Morris Zwick began his winemaking career small, learning the trade as a home winemaker, building his craft slowly through a mix of reading and interaction with other winemakers. With a background in chemical engineering, he improved his craft over twelve years before deciding to open his own winery, Terrapin Station, which is named after Maryland?s state reptile.
Before deciding to open a commercial winery, however, he began as a grape grower, planting his seven acres of vines in 2003. Today he grows several varieties, such as Traminette, Cayuga, Cabernet Franc and Vidal. He enjoys experimenting with new types of grapes such as St. Vincent, of which he is currently the only Maryland grape grower.
The most noticeable thing that sets his winery apart from other state wineries is the containers in which he sells his wine. He decided to try something new to the state of Maryland and began selling the state?s first quality boxed wine.
?They started out as a preventative measure against corked wine, but as I experimented with the design I realized all the advantages of boxed wines,? says Zwick. ?They are much lighter than traditional wine bottles, are easy to pour for a single serving and are much easier to recycle.? In addition to all of these benefits, Terrapin Station Winery donates $1 from each purchase to help the diamondback terrapin, an endangered animal native to the Chesapeake Bay.
His greatest challenge has been overcoming the stereotype that boxed wines are poor quality, but says companies like Black Box Wines and Banrock Station have begun to push the idea of quality boxed wine.
?I think what Morris is doing is innovative and fun and he is really helping to pioneer the way for new winemaking techniques in Maryland?s growing wine industry.? says Mark Emon from St. Michaels Winery.
Go to their website and see it all for yourself: http://www.terrapinstationwinery.com
Maryland's wine and commercial grape industry members gathered on November 3, 2008 to celebrate the Maryland Wineries Association's 25th Anniversary, and to honor special guests.
Nearly 100 winery proprietors, commercial grape growers and guests enjoyed dinner, tasting each others' wines and talking about the progress the industry has made over the last 25 years.
Many of the founding members of the Wineries Association were on-hand to discuss the challenges they faced during the formative years of the industry. The industry's newcomers were treated to tastings from library wines from wineries present and past?including early bottlings of Catoctin Winery and Byrd Vineyards.
MWA Executive Director Kevin Atticks presented "Friend of the Industry" awards to four individuals and "The Gnarled Vine Award" to a couple who has had a major impact in the Maryland wine/grape industry.
MWA "Friend of the Industry" recipients Steve McHenry, Maryland Agricultural & Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO): For developing vineyard installation and winery/vineyard equipment loans; for funding important industry projects.
Jack Steinmetz, Kent County Economic Development: For encouraging the growth of the industry in Kent Co. For developing loan fund for county growers; for spearheading and organizing the development of a Vineyard Management Company study and workshops.
Hudson Cattell and Linda Jones McKee: For their service to the industry in the creation of Wine East Magazine and for their abundant enthusiasm for East Coast wine, and their faith in our ability to compete in the global wine market.
"The Gnarled Vine Award" Presented to Jack & Emily Johnston, Copernica Vineyard This Gnarled Vine award honors a couple? a couple who has been at a driving force in developing our industry over the last 25 years. Although they are self-proclaimed ?behind the scenes? people, these two very individual people have been vital to the growth of the Maryland Wine Industry.
Together they grow about six acres of the state?s most acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. As eternal leaders in the Maryland Grape Growers Association, he manages and she edits the MGGA?s Grapevine quarterly newsletter.
They have been cornerstones of the wine appreciation movement, founding the Carroll County Chapter of the American Wine Society in 1980. They have managed the wine education program at the Maryland Wine Festival since its very beginning in 1984. The recipients of the Gnarled Vine award are Emily and Jack Johnston of Copernica Vineyard.
Woodhall Wine Cellars proprietor Al Copp raised a toast to MWA and to the wine and grape industry offering support for the industry's accomplishments and looking forward to many more years of prosperous growth.
Barossa, South Australia. Shiraz (75%), Cabernet sauvignon (25%). Approx $A50.
Unrestrained and seductive, this is like liquid velvet. It smells of inky dark chocolate and berries and in the mouth the concentration and swooning beauty continues. The acidity is bright and the tannins complete. This tastes so good, it must be bad for you. . .
The wrong Acorn has been in the news lately. The tiny Sonoma winery called Acorn was news to me as I tasted the wines for the first time at the first (annual we hope) Wine Bloggers Conference held in Santa Rosa last weekend. Betsy and Bill Nachbaur’s Acorn Winery is very good news indeed.
In a California wine world dominated by squeaky clean, but personality-free wines, the wines of Acorn are packed with personality. Producing wines exclusively from their estate vineyard in the Russian River they once again challenge conventional wisdom on so called “warm” climate varieties. In the cool Russian River Valley, which is known for its pinot noir, the Acorn Vineyard is planted with syrah, zinfandel, sangiovese, petite sirah and other varieties that aren’t usually associated with pinot territory. It seems zinfandel and syrah like a little fog too.
Acorn is doing some things that seem cutting edge in the new world, but actually go back to the very first wines. They are co-fermenting field blends instead of picking and fermenting each variety separately. There is no doubt that varieties that are co-fermented together have different characteristics than a wine made from those same varieties made separately then blended. The chemistry that takes place during co-fermentation is just different.
For example, their 2005 Heritage Vines Zinfandel (1005 cases) is 78% zinfandel, 10% alicante bouschet, 10% petite syrah and the remaining 2% includes carignane, trousseau, sangiovese, petit bouschet, negrette, syrah, muscat noir, cinsault and grenache. All of these varieties were harvested and fermented together. The wine is rich, but with a firm backbone of tannin and acid and loaded with layers of flavors and aromas like coffee, chocolate, porcini and deep ripe blackberries. The 2005 Sangiovese (1022 cases) is easily one of the most interesting New World examples of this variety I’ve tasted. Produced from 98% sangiovese (7 different clones), 1 % canaiolo and 1% mammolo, which is a blend I wish more Tuscan wineries would use instead of overwhelming their sangiovese with the strong varietal character of cabernet sauvignon. This is a decidedly robust, California style wine, but like their Zinfandel it has the zesty backbone to carry the heft. It is interesting to note that while these wines come from an Acorn they are blessedly not over-oaked. They are also not overpriced running around $30 a bottle.
All of the Acorn wines have just the right touch of what I call a rustic character. While being very well made they have just a bit of wildness or sauvage, as the French call it. Rustic does not mean brett or other wine faults, but means that the character of the varieties and vineyard really show through in the wine and are not polished away leaving only artificially gleaming simple fruit flavors. With this edge of wildness, the wines of Acorn are not only delicious, but interesting, which is just the way I like them.
Acorn may be small, but they’re making some mighty fine wines.
I came back from the first Wine Bloggers Conference in Sonoma this weekend and there was one thing I knew for sure: I didn't want to drink any California wine. I needed a change. I caught up on my mail and read the backed up blog posts in my RSS reader and inspiration hit: I was going to drink an Argentinian Malbec.
This inspiration stemmed from two of the people I met at the conference (though I've known them via the blogosphere and Twitter for some time now): David from the blog Vinomadic, and Philip James from the wine finder and keeper site Snooth. David lived in Argentina for a time (and always gives me good suggestions on what to drink), and Snooth just had a tasting dedicated to value Malbecs. I enjoyed talking to both of them this weekend, and that was enough to send me scurrying to the cellar in pursuit of an Argentinian Malbec.
The wine that I pulled out was the 2006 Finca Las Moras Malbec Reserva (sample; suggested retail for this new release is $12; you may find it or other recent vintages near you for between $7 and $12) This wine was a simple pleasure from start to finish, because it was made in an apologetically New World fruit-forward style, but with some sensitivity and restraint. Malbec is often described as fitting somewhere between Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in the flavor spectrum, but what I always think of is plums--lots and lots of plums. The 2006 Finca Las Moras Malbec Reserva did indeed have prominent aromas of plum, leather, and vanilla. These aromas were echoed in the flavors of plum and spice, and there was also a nice meaty note that gave the wine some depth of complexity. Very good QPR for this wine brought into the US by Joshua Tree Imports, who are known for their good value brands such as Razor's Edge and Fetish.
I love lamb with Malbec, and so we had this with Lamb Chops and a tomato-and-potato gratin. If you are vegetarian, I highly recommend making the gratin, and having it with some meaty grilled portabello mushrooms instead of the lamb. Whether you go with meat or a meatless option, you'll find that the meaty, leathery aromas and flavors will get drawn out by the grilled food and the beautiful plum fruit will be a nice complement to the earthy potatoes and sweet tomatoes.
Thanks to David and Philip for helping me get inspired about wine all over again. See you next year at the Wine Bloggers Conference!
This Aussie (McClaren Vale) is an unexpected blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot and Merlot presenting with a dark cherry pigmentation with bright red fruit aromas.
Steely palate with good structure, red fruit and a juicy core that is easy to drink and just a nice, fruity wine that is well made. I noted "Buy more" and $10, why not?
Yes, I?m still here! Posting has taken a back seat to life and real deadlines lately (hi, Jim! hi, Eric!), but the resumption of a more regular pattern is on the horizon.
In the meantime, nibble on these tidbits:
The Center for Food Integrity reports that 60 percent of consumers are more concerned about food prices than they were a year ago. And the sales growth of private-label organically-produced foods is slowing, according to a recent study by the Nielsen Co.
Sales of craft beers continues to romp along at a double-digit pace, but a shortage of hops is almost certain to start pushing prices up. On the other hand, MillerCoors LLC has pulled the plug on Zima. In the unlikely event that you?re a fan of that particular beverage, existing stocks should be on shelves through December.
According to a recent story in Advertising Age (registration required), advances in product packaging technology have made it possible to offer animated product labels. Before too long, motion-activated store displays and even individual products may be audibly clamoring for your attention.
A panel of tasters assembled by the Dallas Morning News has sampled Wal-Mart?s $3 wines and pronounced them palatable. The non-vintage Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio and Merlot are made by The Wine Group, which also produces wines under the Franzia, Concannon, Glen Ellen, Mogen David and Corbett Canyon labels, among others. Wal-Mart?s wine is sold under the Oak Leaf label ? not nearly as imaginative as some of the tongue-in-cheek suggested names.
Welcome to the 5th Edition of the Wine Book Club, the online book club for wine lovers who also like to read. I'm the host for this month's event, and for my theme I was inspired by the season. What better way to celebrate September and October than to read a book written by a genuine PhD (September is back to school month) about wine and politics (we are in the midst of an election)? This idea was even more appealing given that the author may be better known to those of you who read wine blogs as Dr. Vino, the award-winning wine blogger.
Colman's book compares the way that politics has shaped wine culture in France and America. One of the most striking things about the story he tells here is that, along with politics, there are two other "P"s that have played an equally active a role in determining what you drink: phylloxera, the louse that destroyed grape vines all over the world in the 1870s; and Robert Parker, the critic who began telling us what we should drink in the 1970s. Phylloxera, it turns out, led to such a collapse in the worldwide wine business that it opened the door to greater governmental control and intervention as people sought to limit fraud, graft, corruption, and lost income. And Parker helped people to wade through seas of indifferent wine with misleading labels at a time when Americans were still drinking like it was Prohibition and they'd rather mainline the hard stuff than drink a glass of wine with dinner. The ripples he sent out from his one-man business in Monkton, Maryland in the 1970s now threaten to engulf us in wave after wave of homogeneous wine made to please Parker's influential palate.
I consider myself reasonably knowledgeable about wine history, but I was surprised again and again by the nuggets of historical lore and sharp analysis that Colman includes here. Lately, I've been wondering why we don't buy wine in bulk here in the US like they do virtually everywhere else in the world. Turns out it's due to a combination of Prohibiton (and the resulting patchwork of legislation) and something called the Office of Price Administration that was established in World War II. Until then, wine was shipped in tanker trucks and on the rails to 1500 bottling facilities studded all over the country. And thus the enormous carbon footprint of wine began!
Colman's message is sobering, even though his book is a delight to read with its clear prose and fluid style. The bottom line is this: when money, egos, and bureaucracy collide--as they do in the wine business--it becomes almost impossible to do what is best for consumers, the environment, and the winemakers themselves. With everybody taking a cut in wine sales, from the bottle makers to the distributors to the retailers to the government, it really is astonishing that anyone bothers to make wine at all. And in case you're thinking the situation is better in France, let me assure you it isn't--it's just different.
If you enjoy Colman's blog, you are in for a treat since this book is written in the same direct, engaging style as his blog posts. The book has great graphic features (like a comparison of how politics shapes French and American wine blog labels) and informative sidebars that offer the reader opportunities to pause and consider the issues from a fresh perspective.
I highly recommend this book, especially if you find yourself wondering why you don't know what grape is in a French bottle of wine, or why it is that an American wine is labeled "Cabernet Sauvignon" when 25% of the grapes in it are Syrah. The answer to both questions is simple. Wine Politics. After reading this book, you'll never think about the relationship between the two in the same way again.
Tyler Colman's Wine Politics: How Governments, Environmentalists, Mobsters, and Critics Influence the Wines We Drink was published by the University of California Press, who sent a copy of the book to me for review. It retails for $27.50, but you can buy it on Amazon.com for $18.15.
If you are participating in this month's online club, please leave comments and/or links to your own posts below. You can also leave links at the Wine Book Club site, or on our mirror site on Shelfari.
For this week leading up to Halloween, I have a trio of spooky beverage reviews. First up is one whose name translates from the Italian as "The Beast", and the little script lower down reads Puro Sangue or "Pure Blood". Bonus points go to the classic werewolf woodcut on the label, though I can happily report that lycanthropy is not a side effect of drinking the 2005 Lachini La Bestia, a Cabernet Sauvignon from the Red Mountain AVA of Washington State. 14.9% abv, $45. And good luck finding it, because there were only 120 cases made. (This was a gift from my former boss, and thanks go out to the staff at Great Wines for picking it out.)
This is a really spectacular wine. Black currant, pepper, and cedar aromas, with a mild and smooth plum flavor and a touch of tannins on the start. One of those rich and complex wines you spend a lot of time sniffing and swirling over the course of a few hours. While I received it a few months ago, I just got around to trying it with a strip steak, asparagus in a sherry vinaigrette, and fresh pineapple. I'm anxious to try some of the other selections from Lachini, of which I've heard great things.
With all the signs that have been hovering about us lately you would have thought our collective unconscious would take the hint. But as it seems to be less collective and more unconscious, maybe this should be no surprise. The past few days in tastings and with encounters there are still people looking for that peak experience when it comes to drinking a wine. One such gent was regaling over his latest trip to Casanova di Neri, where he secured a stash of verticals of their single vineyard reds. Forget that there is a cloud over the whole of Montalcino. What was that old Jim Morrison line, ?We want the world and we want it now??
So as with everything else, it appears to be that way as well with wine. Big, bold, powerful, rich. Pre-recession fantasies craving for that in a wine which is just out of our grasp for other longings.
When was the last time you heard someone asking for a little housemaid of a wine, something inconspicuous and barely noticeable, a little fruit, no tannins, easy to forget? It just doesn't appear we are wired to recognize the unremarkable. Why is that? Take cars for example. It seems that what so many people are looking for in a wine is akin to a Hummer H2. But those vehicles are sitting on car lots piling up. Meanwhile try and find a deal on a VW Jetta TDI. Not a spectacular car in terms of styling or sex appeal. But they are hard to find.
Yesterday at a wine store I was in during a 20% off sale, most of the people were asking for wines under $15. 90% of them wanted value and then a deal on top of that. They weren?t asking for the big old Amarone that will last for 20 years. It was selling for $70 ($56 after discount). Nope, they just wanted to talk about the big old bathing beauty red, but they were slipping the housemaid wines in the carts.
That same day I was invited to dinner at a ?French? restaurant of some repute. Not many of those around these parts any more. I was asked to pick the wine. Now usually there is a token wine on the list for the wine lover who just doesn't want to spring for Silver Oak or Corton. As I looked around the dining room, in an alto-borghese neighborhood, I noticed people were ordering wine as they were perusing the food menu. Odd, but not altogether unusual in a mid-western town on the Big Night Out. Cabernet was king in this room, even though the food was tempered to the tastes of a Burgundian or Loire or Rhone setting. After seven very difficult minutes the folks at my table were getting impatient with me. My inner Alice was fuming; there was nothing of interest on this wine list. Finally after some peer pressure, I ordered a (negociant) Beaune. A 2004. For $95. With some trepidation. Where was a Gigondas or a Crozes-Hermitage? Some wonderful Julienas or Chiroubles? Surely they are available; I see them on the printouts from the various distributors. Wine that would go so well with the fois gras or the duck or the veal or the scallops.
Just as the $250,000 Bentley was parked proudly in front of the establishment, so would it be expected that we would be plunking down $250 for a Caymus Special Select on our tables? After all, half the men in the room had parked their trophy wives (or goomadas) next to them in the plush velvety seats.
In these times, when so many of us are being compelled to look at some of the decisions we have made, as if we get another 10 or 15 minutes before reality sets in, we attempt to take one more shot at the titanic illusion. Subtlety is admission of defeat, bleacher seats, a used economy car. No, let?s take one more huff, one more puff, and see if we can blow our friends away with an outdated view of conspicuous consumption veiled as connoisseurship.
It?s like the captain of a luxury ship that is sinking, but he has promised to stay on board until the end. And then when everybody who can get off safely does and they are floating away in their lifeboats, while no one is noticing, on the other side of the doomed boat, a skiff is being prepared to deliver the schifo to a far and safe shore.
Tecnorati
Yes, I?m still here! Posting has taken a back seat to life and real deadlines lately (hi, Jim! hi, Eric!), but the resumption of a more regular pattern is on the horizon.
So as with everything else, it appears to be that way as well with wine. Big, bold, powerful, rich. Pre-recession fantasies craving for that in a wine which is just out of our grasp for other longings.
That same day I was invited to dinner at a ?French? restaurant of some repute. Not many of those around these parts any more. I was asked to pick the wine. Now usually there is a token wine on the list for the wine lover who just doesn't want to spring for Silver Oak or Corton. As I looked around the dining room, in an alto-borghese neighborhood, I noticed people were ordering wine as they were perusing the food menu. Odd, but not altogether unusual in a mid-western town on the Big Night Out. Cabernet was king in this room, even though the food was tempered to the tastes of a Burgundian or Loire or Rhone setting. After seven very difficult minutes the folks at my table were getting impatient with me. My inner Alice was fuming; there was nothing of interest on this wine list. Finally after some peer pressure, I ordered a (negociant) Beaune. A 2004. For $95. With some trepidation. Where was a Gigondas or a Crozes-Hermitage? Some wonderful Julienas or Chiroubles? Surely they are available; I see them on the printouts from the various distributors. Wine that would go so well with the fois gras or the duck or the veal or the scallops.
Just as the $250,000 Bentley was parked proudly in front of the establishment, so would it be expected that we would be plunking down $250 for a Caymus Special Select on our tables? After all, half the men in the room had parked their trophy wives (or goomadas) next to them in the plush velvety seats.
In these times, when so many of us are being compelled to look at some of the decisions we have made, as if we get another 10 or 15 minutes before reality sets in, we attempt to take one more shot at the titanic illusion. Subtlety is admission of defeat, bleacher seats, a used economy car. No, let?s take one more huff, one more puff, and see if we can blow our friends away with an outdated view of conspicuous consumption veiled as connoisseurship.
It?s like the captain of a luxury ship that is sinking, but he has promised to stay on board until the end. And then when everybody who can get off safely does and they are floating away in their lifeboats, while no one is noticing, on the other side of the doomed boat, a skiff is being prepared to deliver the schifo to a far and safe shore.