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| | The Complete Grape Growers Guide. |  | | A Complete Guide For Growing Grapes. Converts Very Well At A Reasonable Price! Growing Grapes And Making Wine Is A Very Popular Topic Right Now.
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| | Fool-Proof Wine Values. | | | Learn How To Easily Find Wines Of $50 Quality For $10 Or Less. Impress Friends With Your Expanded Wine Knowledge. Eliminate Your Dependence On Wine Salespeople. And Take The Hassle Out Of Buying Wine.
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| | Making Wine From Home. | | | A Fun And Very Informative Book On Home Wine Making. The De Facto Standard For All Home Wine Enthusiasts With Recipes, Advice And Tricks.
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[10/31/2008, 14:13]
Save the pumpkins! Alternative Jack-o-lanterns examined | |  Every year, millions of pumpkin-Americans are gouged with knives and subjected to having their innards scooped as they are crafted into Halloween Jack-o-lanterns. After their one big night, they?re eaten by squirrels, unceremoniously discarded, or splattered on the roadways. Those that escape the annual slaughter are allowed to live for another month until, if they are fortunate enough to be selected, they realize a pumpkin?s ultimate calling: being transformed into a delicious pie.
Pumpkins haven?t always played the role of Jack-o-lanterns. Long before the tradition came to North America, European Celts carved faces out of hollowed-out turnips and rutabagas and used them as lanterns to fend off malevolent spirits. The name is most commonly attributed to the legend of an Irish farmer called Stingy Jack who tricked the devil a couple of times and was cursed to wander the night forever with only a turnip lit with a candle as his only light. Jack-o-lanterns made the leap across the pond to the United States in the middle to late 19th century, and since pumpkins were plentiful, bigger and easier to carve, they got the job.
But a group of British, um, researchers has determined that a wide variety of fruits and vegetables can be pressed into service in the absence of or in addition to a pumpkin. They experimented with a pepper, a mango, an eggplant, an apple, a watermelon, a pineapple, a rutabaga and a butternut squash, as well as a control pumpkin. The fruit scoopings were utilized to make tropical rum smoothies, with no apparent adverse effect on the results of the experiment. The whole project was documented on a just-launched blog .
There must be something around here that would accommodate a candle ? I wonder if there?s still a cucumber in the fridge...?
The OCD Diet: Eating foods that rhyme
Here?s another apparently successful British experiment: The OCD Diet. Created and chronicled by b3ta denizen Oucheh (also known as Kate), this diet doesn?t require any calorie counting, carb avoidance, or any of those other tiresome details. All one needs to do is combine foods that rhyme ? beans and sardines, for example, or (shudder) Lamb?s Heart Treacle Tart. It seems to be effective ? Kate lost three pounds in five days. (And no wonder!) | | | |
[09/25/2008, 03:10]
25 September - Wine Market 15% of for RBG members | | | It's been a long time between "feeds", but most of you seem to check pretty regularly anyway and there hasn't been a lot that is "momentous". Until the end of September you can get 15% off at Wine Market on anything they stock, multiple orders OK. Save multiples of your membership cost in one order. Details of the coupon code in today's update. | | | |
[10/29/2008, 02:28]
Red Heads Studio "Yard Dog" 2006 wine review by (PB) | | 
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?
Raise a glass! | | | |
[10/17/2008, 02:02]
Terra Buena Tempranillo 2005 wine review by (PB) | | 
Nice garnet with sweet, pipe tobacco and berry fruit.
Front of spice with bread that's a bit coarse. Red fruit, rough tannins--breathe.
Bready fruit, cherry berry mellows a mite. So, so. $9 | | | |
[06/26/2008, 11:47]
A taste of Greek wine and tourism | | I just had a little jaunt across the border into Greece. I got to taste a very nice Greek wine, and I had a not particularly Greek dinner at a very elegant Greek restaurant in Thessaloniki. While I do not often post restaurant reviews, I do have a few words to say on the subject.
For many of us the thought of Greek wine brings up recollections of pine needles and disinfectant. There is a world of Greek wine beyond just Retsina, and while my most recent foray was limited to a wine list it bears pointing out that there is a modern and thriving wine industry in Greece.
The wine list was full of the usual and all to ubiquitous Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlots that you would expect to find anywhere, except these were all of Greek origin. I didn't explore these transplants to the Hellenic wine scene, opting instead for a more traditional bottle of Asyrtiko .
Speaking of Cabernet Sauvignon's recent emergence in Greece, a recent book by Miles Lambert-Gocs "Desert Island Wines" suggests that Cab may just be tracing back its roots to its ancestral origins in Greece.
I won't do my usual song and dance about how Cab, Merlot and Chard are eroding the once varied landscape of international wines, honest. Suffice it to say that I have yet to go anywhere in my travels that these revered grape varieties, once relegated to France and California, have not been prominent on every wine list.
The Asyrtiko I had was a fun and different white wine indeed. It is hard to even find the descriptors for this wine, since the flavor is above all else, unusual for one used to the classic French varietals. This made the wine that much more interesting to try and to recommend you discover. It may well be that any examples of this grape you find in the US have suffered from the long boat ride, so if your impressions don't jive with mine, consider it an excuse to visit sunny Greece.
The restaurant we ate at was a delightful tourist trap perched high on the top floor of the Electra Palace Hotel. We went for the view, and were well rewarded for our efforts. The view and the wine were our favorite parts of the meal, but we knew this going in, and so were well prepared.
The view and wine were Greek, the food was closer to French than not. It was an ambitious menu, especially for an outdoor venue where night time temperatures never fell below 80. A lighter, more elegant approach would have been more to our taste than the heavy handed dishes we ended up with.
We started with a Crab Napoleon and a "Lobster," Shrimp and Scallop dish in a Parmesan Cream Sauce. The quotes are because it was of course a langoustine and lobster was probably just a translation.
The napoleon was fun, with a rich cream sauce in with the crab and pastry, but there was also a slightly sour cream sauce around the sides of the plate that went well with the roe it was decorated with, but clashed with the main sauce. The pastry itself was a bit soggy and even a touch musty tasting. The downside of being a few feet away from the sea. Had the pastry been made fresh it would have been more impressive.
The langoustine et al. was really flavorful, in a heavy tarragon cream sauce, but it became a chore in that heat to eat more than a few bites. The presentation was delightful, albeit hard to eat, with heads and shells intact.
We chose our main courses to accompany the wine, and ended up with Swordfish with Tomatoes and Capers, and an Escallop of Pork in a Mint cream sauce.
The swordfish was terribly overcooked and more reminiscent of tuna from a can than a fresh steak should be. But then it isn't like they pulled the swordfish from the bay we were overlooking. It was disappointing and dry.
The Pork to was cooked to death, but this may be due to the reflex to over cook pork that many restaurants have. It turned this potentially lovely dish into shoe leather. Missing too was the mint flavor. There seemed to be flakes of a dried herb in the sauce, but the mint flavo, if any was subtle even for my usually discering palate.
We paid dearly for the view, but honestly, it was what we were after. Our expectations were met right down to the server that forgot about us for over an hour, but it just gave us that much more time to drink in the view, and the lovely white wine.
I had in the back of my head finding a perfect little out of the way spot for a bit of moussaka and a few dolmas, to see how they compared to my own cooking, but Thessaloniki is a cosmopolitan city catering to tourists and our experience was probably more indicative of the flavor of the city itself.
For more on Thessaloniki and a look at the views, pop on over to our travel blog . | | | |
[11/07/2008, 20:19]
Remembering an Aussie Icon With Wine (Wine Spectator) | | | Shortly after 1 died Sept. 19 at 78, I got a message from Gavin Speight, his U.S. importer. He said that he would like to celebrate Carrodus' life by dipping into his own personal cellar to open a few of the iconoclastic winemaker's older 1 bottles. Earlier this week I met Speight, who imports some of Australia's finest and most venerable artisanal wines, at Cavallo Point, the new resort near Sausalito. | | | |
[11/10/2008, 14:30]
Long Winter Nights? A Chilean Red Could Be the Answer | |  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. | | | |
[11/07/2008, 05:00]
Bodegas Pinord Priorat +7 2005 (Wine Spectator) | | | Chocolate, plum, kirsch and earth flavors mingle in this thick red, with licorice and briar notes adding breadth. Big and brawny, this is a bit rustic, but with lively character and good length. Best after 2009. 4,000 cases made. | | | |
[08/25/2008, 19:49]
Wine Spectator Award scandal?yeah, so? | | | OK, so there’s alot of hub-bub about that the Wine Spectator expose that happened by blogger Robin Goldstein. And first let me say a couple things. Bloggers are extraordinarily important to the world and this is just the latest example of some good citizen journalism. Bravo to Robin for the work on setting up this sting. Nice, ethical, and well executed. As a marketing professional for a decade and a half I’ll say this though - what did you think the award was? Wine Spectator is a “for profit” private entity that has what, 100 employees? I’ve dealt with many many awards for the rediculous number of products and companies I’ve launched and I’ll tell you this, whenever there is a for-profit entity involved then you’re going to pay-to-play. And if you pay-to-play then you’re probably getting an award! There are several technology related firms that have pay for entry, then I win the award, then they call me back and pitch me Ad space, and then tell me to be involved in the award ceremony I have the great opportunity to present my product/company at a high profile industry show…for yet another fee. update: On side note for the history books. In the late 1990s, what I call “Bubble Days” of tech, pay-to-play got ridiculous. There were analyst firms that would take EQUITY in a startup and then write a positive report. Subsequently, these firms would go public and thanks to the Tech Bubble some people got very rich for their “award” or “positive outlook”…nuts… This Wine Spectator debacle is nothing new or unexpected. They’re leveraging their brand, which has the power today to make a $20 wine into a $100 wine overnight, to make more money. What is unexpected is the fact that they were complete IDIOTS about it and obviously do zero vetting not a very thorough job vetting applicants. Dumb dumb dumb. But I’m not surprised the award is the way it is. Not at all actually. Maybe thats part of the marketer’s secret code or something but thats how these things go. If this didn’t happen (the dumb non-vetting move being exposed), who wouldn’t pay $250 for this “Excellence” award, hence “profit” opportunity. Look, even now, if you have a real restaurant whats to stop you from fudging the wine list? The sting was a totally fake place, but what stops you from doing this again? Pay-to-play, thats how it works. Its a revenue generator for the company, thats all. Now, I do want to point out something in stark contrast. The “American Wine Blogger Awards“. Whenever they come around everyone gets in Tom Wark’s grill about “who are you to judge me” and “what makes you think this award is valid at all”, and so on. I mean he gets HEAVY criticism. Well guess what - its decided on by people submitting nominations, then the finalists are chosen by a panel and voted on by the people again. Oh yeah, and it FREE. In fact, when I offered to sponsor the AWBAs Tom turned that down. So even though its not perfect I view it kind of like how I view the American Democracy - its not perfect and sometimes its not fair (just look at my tax bill every f’in year), but its about the best you’re gonna get! Cheers!  | | | |
[11/11/2008, 05:36]
Saint Lawrence Red from Thousand Islands Winery | | 
I hate sweet reds. Let me say that again so there's no mistaking it...I hate sweet reds.
However, this year, at the Desmond, I found something special - a sweet red I could drink. I thought it was actually drinkable. I thought it was really quite great.
The wine was Thousand Islands Winery Saint Lawrence Red. Saint Lawrence Red is a blend of carefully selected French Hybrid grapes. Great for burgers or chili, great for turkey for those who don't like dry reds, this was an excellent wine. Dark fruit. Solid alcohol. Very, very nice.
The Thousand Islands Winery is located in Jefferson County, New York. It is the most northern winery in New York State. The winery is located on a farm that was built in 1836. The farm was later owned and operated by Captain Massey and his wife Ida in the 1930's. Captain Massey was a famous Riverboat Captain. He owned a huge Great Lake Vessel that he eventually sold to the Department of Defence for the war effort during World War II.
Steve and Erika Conaway purchased the Farm in December 2002. Upon Steve's retirement from the military, they decided to create a winery in Alexandria Bay, NY.
Congrats to winery owner Steve Conaway and all the folks at Thousand Islands Winery. | | | |
[10/07/2008, 12:54]
Part 1- Dalian Delights: Seafood and the Wine Scene off China?s North-East Coast | | 
Editor’s Note: After reading the title of this post, you may be pondering why Catavino has an article on North-East Chinese cuisine, which is a very good question. Edward Ragg, our Chinese correspondent, has been sharing his experiences living in Beijing as a wine consultant, which have included very detailed and descriptive articles on the state of Spanish wine in east Asia, as well as his experience with pairing traditional Chinese foods with Iberian wine. Considering that Edward is magically finding time to share his knowledge with us, between wine fairs and teaching WSET courses, we are clearly very appreciative. And if you have any questions for Edward, please don’t hesistate to put them in the comments. It?s now almost two years since my wife, Fongyee, and I moved to China to begin work as wine consultants, a profession that barely exists in a country that only really began importing wine some fifteen years ago and whose own wine industry is dominated by massive government corporations. Much of that time has, of course, been devoted to setting up a company ? no easy thing in the PRC ? getting to know the wine importers and fledgling wine magazines as well as becoming more and more familiar with the different national wine markets ? Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and further a field ? the extent of wine knowledge at consumer and trade levels, people?s expectations of wine in general and what myths v. facts abide in an emergent wine culture. Trying myriad Chinese wines, judging at Chinese wine competitions and the teething pains of setting up a website and blog ? ever works in progress ? have had their own challenges. But we can hardly complain: this invaluable experience, by turns exciting, frustrating and occasionally downright baffling, has whetted our appetites and got our palates salivating. We?ll definitely be here for the long-haul, if we can. But just as I was planning a series of posts entitled, ?Confessions of a Chinese Wine Consultant?, going right back to January 2007 when we first landed in Beijing, I had the opportunity to go to Dalian, a popular tourist city about an hour?s flight to the north-east of China?s capital, on the attractive peninsula of Liaoning Province (which borders Hebei and Jilin Provinces, Inner Mongolia and North Korea). As well as having a quick holiday peep at the wine scene there, Fongyee and I, at the behest of her Chinese relatives, were subjected to a two-day eating spree ? Chinese entertaining is beyond bountiful ? gaining some insights into how a typical middle class family sees eating and drinking and how the older and younger generations view Chinese and international wines. Dalian is a good place to be fed to death. Our local Beijing market boasts fresh seafood from Dalian ? fresh because, as in all proper Chinese markets and restaurants, everything is still alive before purchase. So we were keen to see how local Dalian folk treat their seafood and other fish on their own turf. Fresh off our morning plane, lunch was served (the Chinese generally rise early, eat lunch around 11.30-1 p.m. and consume dinner between 5.30-8 p.m., something Mediterranean visitors find intolerable). Fongyee?s cousin had already been to the main Dalian fish market at 5 a.m. that morning and was, I?m not kidding, plating up the following feast, ingeniously prepared from one of the smallest kitchens I have ever seen (even by domestic Chinese standards). The French talk about mise-en-place, the Chinese invented it: steamed crabs (two types ? see below)
steamed abalone
steamed scallops
steamed razor clams
poached flat-fish: of Chinese origin (similar to a meaty version of sole or plaice)
stir-fried prawns with green onion and garlic
stir-fried squid with carrot, green onion, garlic and chilli
deep-fried oysters (in a very delicate batter dipped in white pepper and salt at table)
deep-fried fish in a chilli glaze: the fish was of Chinese origin (similar to perch)
braised red-cooked pork spare ribs (simmered in rice wine, dark and light soy sauce, ginger, star anise, green onion)
preserved pork gelatine salad (flavoured with star-anise and garlic)
salad of preserved pork with julienned cucumber, carrot and green onion in a garlic-soy sauce dressing
prawn soup in a delicate broth (de-shelled prawns, shaped into ovals a bit like French quenelles, with Chinese chives in a clear soup ? i.e. not fish stock)
fried buns with pork and onion filling (known as xia bing)
The two types of crab were ?flower crab? (hua xie), seen on the right above, with flower-like patterns on their shells, and ?flying crab? (fei xie), the bigger beasts to the above left whose shells look something like sting-rays. Each crab was eaten with a special dipping sauce ? see middle above ? comprised of minced garlic, soy sauce and ginger. But there was plentiful pickled garlic on hand just in case anyone felt their daily intake of the herb was lacking. Fortunately, we eat everything and just about anything. And who could have trouble tucking into this? To be Continued: What did they drink in Dalian?… Cheers, Edward Ragg Edward Ragg & Fongyee Walker write for us from Beijing, and you can get more information on their website, Dragon Phoenix Fine Wine Consulting Similar Posts: | | | |
[09/10/2008, 02:45]
Course Correction | | | I’ve been reading Neal Rosenthal’s book “Reflections of a Wine Merchant” for the last few days and I’m starting to triangulate this, with recent events, to change the course of this blog and podcast. Around page 144 Mr. Rosenthal starts his attack on wine ratings and he makes a lot of sense to me although he would likely comment how much of an amateur I am here (or worse, as the owner of a San Francisco wine bar once did in email… but that’s another story). Money quote: “There is little journalism, which is to say fact findings and reporting, and virtually no effective prose; there is, however, a series of judgments backed by a sadly limited descriptive vocabulary and powered by precise scores.” Therefore, from now forward, I will drop the 100-point rating scale in my reviews and use my proposed standard 5-star scale. That is, until I decide to drop that as well. I will endeavor to provide more investigative journalism and concentrate on my prose. A review of Neal Rosenthal’s prose is forthcoming. 
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[11/30/2006, 20:52]
New Languedoc, Old Carignan and Deep Purple It i... | |  New Languedoc, Old Carignan and Deep PurpleIt is home to over one third of all vines planted in France. Yet, how the Languedoc adjusts to world glut in grapes will have a profound effect on its future. Once responsible for massive amounts of low quality grapes, growers in the France's south have had to make a choice as competition from other countries have made this a less viable business. Faced with the option of simply pulling out vines, a new generation of winemakers have chosen to make higher quality wines. While lower yields have improved the wines, putting more emphasis on more marketable grapes like Syrah and Grenache have no doubt made them more attractive to today's varietal conscious consumer. However, this second decision has come at a price. The Carignan grape, indigenous to the south, has suffered as many growers have switched to Syrah and Grenache. Carignan can do wonderful things if given the opportunity, adding color, structure, depth, as well as dark cooked fruits, licorice and earthy aromas. However, since it is often relegated to the more fertile plateaus where it over produces, it can become rather innocuous. At a recent tasting of Languedoc wines, the bottles that had appreciable levels of well-grown carignan were the ones that stood out. If you place a value on the importance of regional ?distinctiveness,' look for those Languedoc wines with higher percentages of this grape.  Coteaux du Languedoc 2001, Mas JullienOne of my favourite producers is Olivier Jullien. His estate, Mas Jullien, is spread out over 15 acres around the village of Jonquiers, just north of the Mediterrean coast and the city of Montpellier. I have already reviewed his Mas Jullien Blanc, a six grapes blend that includes Grenache Blanc, Viogner and Chenin Blanc, and to my taste is one of the most distinctive and interesting whites in France that requires years of cellaring to reach it's apogee. His red, a blend of Carignan, Syrah and Mourvedre, is no less interesting. Like many carignan based wines, it requires a couple of years of cellaring to iron out some of the rougher edges, but it rewards patience like fe  w wines from the region. This was my fourth bottle (I still have two left). Drunk to the tune of a big juicy steak. Deep purple in both color and style. Like Richie Blackmore's guitar playing, Jullien combines virtuosity with power, beauty without being very pretty. It smells and tastes of dark plums, marinated in licorice and sweet spices. Rich and concentrated, the tannins melted away to a dense, powerful and harmonious finish. This is not the new dulcimer Blackmore, but the Richie of Old. | | | |
[11/06/2008, 05:00]
Helfrich Riesling Alsace 2007 (Wine Spectator) | | | A pretty, floral Riesling, with a creamy texture and hints of lychee to the yellow peach and light mineral notes. Lively and clean, with a light smoky finish. Drink now through 2013. 5,000 cases made. | | | |
[10/25/2008, 19:12]
Alamos Bonarda 2006 Wine Review (NW) | | 
Tasting notes: Aromas of crushed berries on the nose Juicy and rich on the palate Finish of raspberry jam and trace pepper notes Like all the wines of Alamos, this is a great value at $10 or so. It's well made and delivers a very fruity package. While I often see their Malbec bottlings, I don't often see the Bonarda which is just a bit more off-the-beaten-path. I encourage you to grab one if you see it- and grab a bottle of the basic $10 Malbec, too. Great value wines are coming from Argentina! In this case, thank you Alamos. And raise a glass! | | | |
[08/22/2006, 01:14]
Monday, August 21, 2006 | | Dear Blog,
Hello blog, it's been a while. I'm not trying to neglect you I promise. It's the lack of high speed internet at work that's keeping me from you. I plan on paying more attention to you this week, I swear! The posts may be shorter but better short than nothing right??
Does insurance cover that??
Ulriksdals Wardshus is a famous restaurant that has made it into the Guinnes Book of World Records for their wine collection. Get this, they have a collection consisting of the 6 first growths of Bordeaux from every vintage in the 18th CENTURY!!!!!!!! That alone makes them beyond impressive, but here?s the dirt. They got robbed. Yes that?s right, robbed! I bet you can?t guess what they stole?.
 Ulriksdals Wärdshus, a restaurant and old event hall world famous for its French red wine was robbed on Saturday night. Its entire collection, valued at more than 3.5 million kronor, has vanished.The collection consisted of more than 600 bottles from every vintage of the 18th century from the six Grand Cru castles of the French Bordeaux region. The collection has been registered by Guinness Book of Records for years as a unique wine collection.
Ström said the alarm system was disabled allowing the thieves to have hours to burgle the place. She said the heavy-duty glass security door had been opened with a crow bar. ?It must have taken hours,? she said, adding that they took the security tape before leaving.She said the thieves then went down into the cellar where the collection was stored at 16 degrees Celsius in semi-dark conditions. ?They must have had boxes there to carry up all of that wine,? Ström said. ?They took every bottle. It must have taken a long time to pack.?She said police did not find any fingerprints or DNA, but did find a footprint. She said police told her the only way to solve this case would be to have people call in with tips.?I can?t believe all of the wine is gone,? she said. ?Guests used to love coming down and looking at it.?
Sounds like an inside job to me. But what do I know. The crazy part is that a collection like that is so rare that if it shows up on the market people would know where it came from. Maybe somebody will have a party. Either way, it?s a damn shame.
http://www.thelocal.se/article.php?ID=4660&date=20060821
I'll be back again this week little blog of mine; I swear it!!
Cheers! | | | |
[08/10/2008, 22:20]
The Fox Barn?s Harvest White | | | 
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 | | | |
[11/20/2006, 11:28]
Dink while you drink | |  Marking 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? | | | |
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