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Founded in 1729, Ruinart is the longest established sparkling wine house in the Champagne region of France. Named after Benedictine monk Dom Thierry Ruinart, the winery is located in the city of Reims, where ancient crayères (chalk pits) serve as cellars that offer constant temperature and humidity, thus allowing the wine to age as long as 12 years. These crayères were hewn from the chalk sub-soil by the Romans, who used the chalk as building materials. Also used during World War I to escape the bombing, these cellars were classified an historic monument in 1931.
Join us as we sit down with Ruinart’s Cellarmaster Frédéric Pana?otis to discuss Ruinart’s history, its vineyard sources, and of course its various cuvées.
Whether you always agree with him or not, there's little denying that Robert Parker, Jr. has had a tremendous influence on wine buying. The author and publisher of "The Wine Advocate" for over 25 years has won countless awards, including being appointed a "Chevalier dans l'Ordre de la Legion d'Honneur" in France. He created the now widely-used 100-point wine ranking system and has written extensively about wine industries around the world.
Parker's latest work is the exhaustive "Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide," a 1536-page catalog of the world's great, good, and average wines and comes out on October 7. Far from being dry and laborious, this tome is easy-to-read with lots of maps and regional wine information interspersed with winery and individual wine ratings and prices.
"Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide" is being publishing in trade softcover, in hardcover, and as an e-book simultaneously. Shipping is an issue with a book this large, so the $24.99 ebook is a smart option. The softcover is currently $23 with Amazon.com and you can get free shipping with them for orders over $25. This book would make a good gift for anyone who enjoys wines and/or traveling throughout the world's wine regions.
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A few wines earlier this week at Atelier in Newtown.
Vilmart C?ur de Cuvée 1997. Light straw colour with a fine bead. Lemon, pear, brine and earth on the nose. There is subtle fruit sweetness balanced with excellent acidity on the palate. Long and intense, this is an excellent wine and one of the better 97s I’ve tasted. 92/100
Domaine Servin Les Blanchots 2000 Corked. NR/100
Louis Michel et Fils Grenouilles 2000. Behind the huge amount of sulfur was pear, marmalade and peaches. The palate is medium weight but very simple. 84/100
Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne 1999. Nutty, pineapple, tropical fruit, lemon rind and subtle oak aromas. A ripe, expansive palate without being too overbearing. Acid is good enough to focus the palate. Long length. 91/100
Marquis d’Angerville Clos des Ducs 1999. Earth, cherry, blood and chocolate aromas on the nose. Firm palate, with some sweet fruit in the background, the acid structure is a highlight. Powerful and very impressive. Starting to come around to drinking well. 92/100
Sylvie Esmonin Clos St. Jacques 2001 Rich, lifted nose of raspberry, cherry and a touch of earth and chocolate. The palate is more restrained than the nose but is still tightly wound and full of power. Good potential to improve from here. 91/100
Château de Beaucastel rouge 1990 A lot of complexity on the nose with smoke and smoked meats, cherry, spice, cedar and a fair bit of funky brett. Good intensity to the palate, but the brett affects the length of the finish. I would have rated this 2-3 points higher if the brett hadn’t affected the palate so much. 92/100
Dalla Valle Maya (Napa) 2000 Bold nose, with blueberry, chocolate, vanilla, autumn leaves and grassy characters from the Cabernet Franc. Very intense and youthful on the palate with good length and the ripeness is never out of balance. Primary, but surprisingly approachable and I think it will be at its best over the next 5 years. 93/100
Dr. Loosen Ürziger Wurzgarten Auslese 1995 Lemon, spice, floral notes and light honey aromas comprise the nose. The palate is excellent with light sweetness and refreshing acidity. Great balance and lingering length. 89/100
Claude Cazals Clos Cazals 1997. Green apple, honey and pear on the nose. The palate is awkward, it is almost both bitterly acidic and broad at the same time. Good, but I had this two and a half years ago and much preferred it then. 87/100
Bob 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.
It didn?t take long for a tribute album to surface following the death of Pink Floyd mastermind Syd Barrett. The groovy part is Like Black Holes in the Sky: The Tribute to Syd Barrett avoids gimmickry with an all-underground roster of metal, prog and sludge bands.
Syd Barrett?s spacegrassy Piper at the Gates of Dawn is a building block for future stoner, doom and tech metal practitioners. As testimony to the Pink Floyd album?s pioneering spirit, Like Black Holes in the Sky: The Tribute to Syd Barrett hoists six Piper cuts in addition to seven of Barrett?s solo tunes, largely represented by The Madcap Laughs.
Instead of obvious candidates like Queens of the Stone Age on this thing, you get Jesu, Yakuza, Intronaut, Zodiak, Stinking Lizaveta, Unearthly Trance and Kylesa as well as the mighty Pentagram, all likely nominees to do Syd Barrett?s frequently off-kilter music justice.
Jarboe and Giant Squid capture the sheer lunacy of Barrett?s quizzical music on ?Late Night? and ?Octopus? respectively. Meanwhile, Voivod drummer Away leads his offshoot project Kosmos in a laser-dashed version of ?Vegetable Man,? one of the compilation?s coolest tracks.
Other highlights include Intronaut?s ?Arnold Layne? as well as the Piper songs like Yakuza?s ?Lucifer Sam,? Pentagram?s ?Flaming,? Kylesa?s ?Interstellar Overdrive? and Dredg?s faithfully trippy interpretation of ?Astronomy Domine,? a translucent gem that briefly made Voivod stars.
Appropriate Syd Barrett should be represented by fringe rock and metal bands whose mutual appreciation for where their sounds originate makes Like Black Holes in the Sky: The Tribute to Syd Barrett a rare tribute album with its heart in the right place.
2006 Muga Roija Blanco $12.99 Wine label said: Nothing much… it’s barrel fermented and imported by Jorge Ordonez. Whoopdeedoo. Vineyard66 says: As I am still researching Spanish wines, I’ve noticed that my good friend Bill from California has been spouting off about Muga Roija. Of course, he was speaking about the red wines the area is famous for. I [...]
I wanted to leave this post because over the coming days, I'll be completing a move to the UK. Heaven knows by when we'll have broadband and some of the other essential amenities set up, so please bear with me. I look forward to posting again, hopefully in the near future. Turning the spotlight, however, to my more recent current of thoughts... Just how much do I have to look forward to in London, in terms of my wine habit? It would likely be an outrageously long post, though here are some of my thoughts, in brief:
1. I'm very eager to peruse the Oddbins and other shops we may have nearby in central and SW London, hopefully turning up new artisan wines to discover and write about in this venue. Should anyone have any suggestions about some favorite, hidden gem London wine shops, please do not play "keep away" and do e-mail me at enotheque@gmail.com.
2. Another wonderful factor I couldn't count on before was having convenient and relatively inexpensive access (thank you low cost carriers) to any wine region of Europe, should I need to travel for any reason, from personal enjoyment to meeting with client producers.
3. The impressive business hub that is London...Every major trade mission or regional/national wine interest in the world has offices and trade events in London. No more worrying about which event I am able to make or not, be it Chicago, San Francisco, Boston or New York. At most, I will usually be a couple of trains away from an exposition or seminar that I would have otherwise not attended in the U.S. I've been looking over LocalWineEvents.com's London section, but if any locals or otherwise knowledgeable readers have any other suggestions for finding wine-related classes, events, seminars (you name it) in the general London area, I would be very appreciative if you posted a comment or e-mail me.
4. Do I have to mention the cheaper subscription rate for Decanter?
Again, lists really don't do any justice to the dozens and dozens of ideas that propel themselves electrically from my dendrites when it comes to how much fun a wine geek can have in London. For now though, I leave you with a warm, albeit brief goodbye, and a reassurance that I'll soon return for more on artisan wines and the people behind them.
There are not a lot of beet lovers in my family. I remember during a game of Trivial Pursuit with my grandfather Chuck the following question came up: "What vegetable goes by the scientific name Beta vulgaris?" Chuck gave the correct answer, with the explanation that no vegetable could be more vulgar than a beet. I enjoy red beets and go crazy over golden beets--in fact the only ingredients I dislike are those that are bland and flavorless (chickpeas, I'm looking at you). With colder nights, I thought that it would be fun to make a hearty pot of borscht, a soup that doesn't get a lot of respect thanks to lingering misconceptions from the Cold War. Borscht is boiled beets and sour milk, right? Just like the trope that Russian women are ugly, and we all know how that turned out.
Like garam masala, BBQ, pasta sauce, and kimchi, there are as many conflicting recipes for borscht as there are grandmothers in the given culture. Arguments erupt, friendships split, cities go to war against each other on the soccer field. Somehow millions of different people each have the Perfect Version of Dish X, the One True Recipe Since Time Immemorial, and woe unto the heretics.
Without any relatives from the former Soviet Republics, I have no dog in the fight. So in looking at various recipes I decided to go with one attributed to the famous Russian ballet dancer and defector Rudolf Nureyev. Chuck roast, cabbage, carrots, beets, potatoes, tomatoes, assorted flavorings... I roasted the beets before shredding them into the soup, and I increased the amount of beef and tomatoes for additional flavor and body. When serving, be prepared to add two things: salt and acidity, the latter from lemon juice, white wine vinegar, or if you're like me, hot sauce. It's a deep, rich, savory soup, but that necessary punch is best moderated by the individual diners. Whatever you do, don't forget the dollop of sour cream in the middle, and if you have it on hand, a sprinkling of fresh dill.
Frankly I don't know if you can pair a wine with this--I just started eating the soup and the bowl was gone before I thought to try it with the wine. With the earthy peasant heritage beer might be better, but afterwards I relaxed with a glass of the 2007 Bodegas Naia Verdejo. $13, 13% abv, 100% Verdejo from the Rueda region of Spain. Big peach and spice cake aroma, with full-bodied apple and peach flavors. It's easy to get a little tired of fruit bombs with red wines, but luscious fruit flavors can be refreshing in whites. My pairing advice for this wine wouldn't include borscht, but I think it would be a perfect wine for assorted appetizers or a muffaletta: the touch of sweetness and fruit flavors make you crave ham and olives.
Thanks to my friend Angela at Kirby Wines & Liquors for choosing the wine, though at the time I wasn't even thinking about borscht. I can stop by and ask for something like a "fun Spanish white" and she'll select a winner for me. I can't stress this enough: talk to the people at your local wine shop and find someone who works there with similar tastes to yours. Those folks have most likely tried a lot more wine (good and bad) than you, and can quickly find something you'll like in your price range.
Here is a really fantastic recommendation for those of you who may already enjoy Austrian whites, as this wine has the capacity to detonate or reignite even the faintest bystander?s interest in Grüner Veltliner. If you have had Grüner and did not think much of the variety, I highly recommend giving Hofer?s an honest chance.
The label on this favorite of mine, in the spicy-white category, reflects Austria?s recent experimental appellation system of DAC?s, standing for the Latin, Districtus Austriæ Controllatus. Notwithstanding the seemingly imposing, archaic or superficially impressive appellation name (depends how you wish regard it), the crucial element to consider here is that Hofer?s wines are crafted seriously, so enjoying them turns out to be quite effortless. This Grüner sees time in stainless steel and is sourced from their Freiberg site in Weinviertel, one of Austria?s largest and most significant wine producing regions, in the northeast of the country. Should organic wines be of interest to you, Weingut Hofer belongs to Bio Ernte, a group whose producers operate on slightly different, some would argue higher, organic cultivation and production standards than even those dictated by say, the EU.
My notes: Pale, clear and golden. Clean nose with lovely stone fruit, spice, as well as mineral and floral elements. The palate is dry, with fresh, zesty lime acidity and slightly Riesling-like stone fruit, rocky minerality and spicy white pepper. These flavors, particularly the great peach/apricot flavors and white pepper, pervade the aftertaste.
Pam Anderson and Kid Rock (aka Bob Ritchie) were engaged last week in St Tropez and decided to also marry there this past weekend in a yacht off of the coast of France. And boy does it only get better. Here are some pictures of Pammy pie a few days before her wedding looking rough and making *ahem* remarks about the upcoming nuptials.
Okey Dokey then Pam. I sincerely hope you were kidding, otherwise you are an absolute idiot. Note to self - Veils purchased from Prescilla's look HIDEOUS!!
Unfortunately, it just keeps getting better. Here are pictures of the bride and groom just after saying their vows. Wanna know what millionaires in the entertainment industry drink after getting married in St. Tropez on a million dollar yacht? Well, tried and true - American all the way through - Kid Rock drinks Corona. Wait..Corona??? I guess when you are in France you don't have to honor your exclusive contract with Coors. At least he represents with a stunning (or stunningly retarded) American flag belt buckle made from rare blue diamonds along with red rubies on a titanium buckle. (The gift is rumored to be from Pam as his wedding present). Our precious Pammie pie is slugging....er...drinking Veuve Cliquot. In fact, they drank during the entire ceremony. I really think that the captains hat just makes the bridal bikini don't you??
In case you were wondering what to do for a gift for the couple....
Kid Rock instructed his fans to purchase their gifts at one of his favorite chain stores. "Yes, I'm marrying the girl of my dreams," he wrote on his Web site. "We are registered at Wal-Mart. Thanks for the support!" It's true too. I actually searched for the link today and found it. Here it is...
Adding things to beer is the new hype these days. Sparks, for example, is adding a caffeine type mixture to their beer so why not add green tea to a beer? Wha?? Yep, it seems that the folks at BluCreek Brewery are launching their newest beer called Zen IPA.
BluCreek describes its Zen IPA as an "English-style India Pale Ale created with a mouth-watering blend of fresh Chinook, Cascade and Centennial hops infused carefully with an invigorating all-natural Green Tea." BluCreek has also made beers produced from blueberries and ginseng in the past. I'm not so sure about a green tea beer but hey, to each his own.
A positive spin on Global Warming
The icecaps around the Arctic Circle are melting partly because of global warming. So in the philosophy of "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade" the brewers at Inuit Microbrewery are making a new beer produced from glacial arctic water called Icecap Pale Ale and Brown Ale.
A brewery in Greenland is producing beer using water melted from the ice cap of the vast Arctic island. The brewers claim that the water is at least 2,000 years old and free of minerals and pollutants. It is claimed that the Greenland beer, officially launched in Copenhagen on Monday, has a softer, cleaner taste than other beers, because of the ice cap water.
Alternative closures (screw caps and synthetic corks) are on a lot of bottles these days. The one complaint that I hear from customers though, is that they miss the romance of hearing the cork come out of the bottle. It's that little "pop" that I miss is what they often say. Well, an ingeniuos company in Australia has come up with "Zorks". It's an alternative closure that actually produces that "pop" sound when it comes out of the bottle. It is even designed to act as a stopper when you put it back in the bottle. As far as I am concerened, this is one cool closure.
ZORK - the revolutionary wine closure that seals like a screw cap and pops like a cork.
But the best part is the " How to Zork movie". Check out the dudes unbuttoned shirt and cuffs and listen to the sweet B rate porn music in the background. LOL! You must check it out. Great product....horrible advertising.
Thanks Laurie for sending me the link on this one.
1999 Harlan Estates The Maiden
I pulled this wine out for Andi as a going away present (although she's not really going away) and when we first opened it we were underwhelmed. I gotta tell you...when you spend well over $100 for a wine, the last word you want to consider is underwhelming. So, we saved it and I tasted it again in little sips Saturday and Sunday. By Saturday it was a lot better and by Sunday it was extraordinary. It was ripe and lush with heavy cedar notes. The palate was all blackberry and mulberry with a tinge of medicinal floating around. The finish was long and exposed its oak aging but not in an unpleasant way. I let several people try this wine and the adjective that I heard multiple times was "explosive". I must agree. When you get this wine in your mouth you have to seriously try to concentrate to get all of the little flavors that keep gliding across your taste buds.
Would I pay that much again for it? Probably - but only if it was a good vintage and only if I promise myself not to open it before it's ready. I mean...it's Harlan for goodness sakes. Everybody probably wants to drive a Lamborghini - Is the price worth the car - probably not... but at least you can say you drove one right?
You may have noticed the posts on weird days and I am really trying to get a handle on things. I may not even have access to a computer next week so please hang in there. Once things are settled in the new jobby-job I'll be back to my regular self. Cheers!
Women Wine Writers on the Web has an interesting library of links to women's wine newsletters, blogs, books and more. Definitely a recommended stop. To find wines you're reading about at a shop near you, try WineSearcher. This free service will show you which stores have your target wine in stock, along with the price and ordering options. (A paid upgrade provides even more information.) Don't have the time to read wine blogs? But you'd like to stay on top of the hottest wine news? Wine Life Today features the hottest wine blog posts on the internet. Most of the referrals come from other wine bloggers, so when they toast an article, you know it's good stuff, and worth reading. Interestingly, it's always the oddball stuff that wine bloggers enjoy . . . so don't expect to find the usual wine reviews and commentary. Looking to upgrade your wine notes from lined school paper to something a little more . . . elegant and efficient? We recommend CellarTracker. This free online site lets you store your wine purchases, tasting notes, and more. Additional features let you see fellow members' tasting notes. And creator/owner Eric White is very open to feedback and suggestions.
Wine & Spirits Magazine recently announced its Top 100 wineries in the world, and that included the first New York state winery to ever make this prestigious list ? a list that has an amazing 22-year history.
Fox Run Vineyards on Seneca Lake will be featured with the others on the list in the November issue of Wine & Spirits.
Congratulations to Scott Osborn at the entrie crew over at Fox Run on this monumental achievment!
Review0.3A recurring event - a wine that ranks as 'just fine' by itself is raised in ones estimation when coupled with food. This nicely weighty white from Spain is another such example where a succesful match brings added pleasure to a meal.
A light simple nose - a touch of herbs, a smidge of yeast and a layer of lemon. More activity on the palate though with a gentle lemony start giving way to a sherbet, grapefruity palate and a tang of acidity. Pleasant enough and very drinkable but seldom is Malvasia ever going to knock yer socks into a cocked-hat (or something). Unoaked. Alcohol 12.5%.
Its clean, fresh crispness was a joy though with some crispy Calamari rings dunked in mayonnaise. While the squid wasn't the best - it was frozen rather than fresh and certainly not as good as the mammoth sized rings myself and Douglas devoured with passion at a local Italian last week - but the wine worked wonders. When they say 'good with seafood' this partnership is what they have in mind.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]
By way of proving that I don't just make these food and wine matches up, a picture of the very same calamari. And yes, they were cold by the time I had finished taking pictures!
I thought the food was of a high standard with good use of fresh ingredients and I felt like it was good value for the money (ended up around $75 a head for food, corkage and tip). We needed to take care with some of the dishes and the spice clashing with the wines (the Hokkien noodles especially!) but it was manageable. We had the table for 6-8 people that you can book, any more than 6 people and I think it would have been too squished.
The food was as follows:
Steamed Prawn Wontons with Organic Brown Rice Vinegar Dressing Steamed Scallop Wontons with Sichuan Chilli Oil Homestyle Fried Biodynamic Eggs with Organic Soy & Homemade XO Sung Choi Bao of Free-Range ‘Kurobuta’ Pork, Ginger & Mushrooms
Crispy-Skin Duck White-Cooked Free-Range Chicken with Shoyu Organic Soy, Chilli & Coriander Red-Braised Pork Belly served with Fennel & Leek Dry-Fried Organic Hokkien Noodles with Homemade XO Sauce Dry-Fried Green Beans with Organic Miso Paste & Garlic
Organic Steamed and Fried Rice
The wines were;
1995 Jacquesson Signature Grand Vin: The nose is bready, with lemons and green apples coming through. Youthful and taut on the palate with lemony acid at the fore. Very good, and it should get better as it unwinds over the next 7-10+ years. 90/100
2002 Marcel Deiss Altenberg de Bergheim GC Alsace: Nutty, orange peel, peach, smoke and floral notes. Richly fruited with opulent weight. Balanced palate, with the acidity holding up to the residual sugar and fruit sweetness. Finishes long and clean. Was a superb match with the slightly spicy Asian food being consumed. 94/100
1996 Zind Humbrecht Riesling Rangen de Thann Clos St Urbain: Light citrus, minerals and a touch of candy on the nose. The palate is incredibly austere. The length is good, but with the acid dominating the palate, it was not very enjoyable. 85/100
2000 Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagne: Cashew nuts, smoke, graphite and chalky aromas comprise the nose. Lovely richness to the fruit on the palate. Balanced, long and very, very tasty. This is a beautiful wine that will only get better as it develops over the next 8-10 years. 93/100
2000 Fourrier Clos St Jacques: Earth and game meat aromas on the nose. Nicely balanced and textured on the palate. Seems to be in a pretty approachable place at the moment, although it is lacking some depth. 90/100
2004 Dugat-Py Charmes Chambertin: Forward, interesting nose of green beans, tobacco leaf, spice, blackcurrant and cherry aromas. The palate shows some green, slightly under ripe tannins. Good length, but the green elements distract from the experience. 88/100
2006 Hillcrest Reserve Pinot Noir: Cherry, floral, earth and spice aromas on the nose. Excellent layers and balance to the palate. Sweet fruit provides good weight and the tannins and acid provide great structure. A wine of obviously high quality and I think it will develop well in the bottle over the next 5-10 years. 92/100
1986 Chateau L’Eglise Clinet: Savoury aromas of game, smoke and tobacco - with some time the aromas became more bretty and animal like and a bit overpowering. Palate was smooth, medium bodied and well resolved. Best on pouring, the brett coming forward was a shame but it was still quite nice overall. 89/100
1997 Castelgiocondo Brunello di Montalcino Riserva: Complex nose of floral notes with tar, liquorice, blackcurrant and cherry. Well structured and balanced palate, with the bold, deep set fruit balanced well with the medium intensity tannins and well integrated acidity. Delicious. 92/100
NV Campbells Merchant Prince Rare Muscat: Maple syrup, caramel, coconut, brown sugar and raisin aromas on the complex, layered nose. Palate is superb - balanced, complex, delicious and brilliantly long. Technically and tactically world class. 97/100
Sitting in front of the computer preparing to sum up my experience at the European Wine Blogger Conference, I literally feel speechless. Are there words for my emotions, my feeling of warmth and excitement for what’s occurred, along with a touch of sadness and depression I’ve been feeling now that the conference is over? It’s like using an instant camera with the intention of capturing the breadth and beauty of the Grand Canyon. Unless you were there, feeling the hot canyon winds come across the 1,218,375 acres that dip down an average of 4,000 feet deep; smell the rich evergreen and sandalwood aromas in the air; or touch the blazing hot iron soils which kick up fine, red dust under your feet, pictures nor words can never fully describe your experience.
On one hand, I feel a warmth in my heart that has lasted for four days, and I expect it will last well into the future. To see 40+ people from all over the world come together and bond in literally, moments flat, was something we wish would happen among nations everyday. From Friday to Sunday, voices were always raised, bubbling with curiosity and excitement; because how often do you get to speak with someone who blogs in another language as to their perceptions, desires, hopes and fears about wine blogging? For me, not often enough. Instead, I am typically caught in a whirlpool of voices from my own culture, an incestuous conversation that circles around the same view point over and over again. But to have so many different ideas as to what wine blogging is, what we need to do to better our profession, how we can solve our problems, and where we can find solutions was beyond a breath of fresh air, was astonishing! And although we never came to any solid conclusions, we did solidify trust among us, breaking down both cultural and language barriers that hinder our communication to form a cohesive and passionate group willing to continue the conversation well into the future.
Just to give you an idea of the depth of conversation we were able to share, I had a great discussion during dinner on Saturday night with David Cray from Carleton University in Canada on how he can blog about his research on the structure and organization of wine bloggers, allowing us to see step-by-step what has worked and what hasn’t worked in his research. All six wine producers from Portugal, France, Germany and Italy chatted about how they are interested in both tasting and blogging about each others wines to emphasis the fact that even wineries drink other peoples wines. With Justine Keeling, a winery owner out of Tuscany, spoke of her genuine desire to have wineries speak honestly and openly about the daily experiences in the vineyards, rather than promoting only the positive events. Giampiero Nadali offered us some wonderful and innovative ideas on using hedonistic, rather than traditional, tasting notes. And Thomas Lippert offered up his insight on how wine bloggers can increase their credibility by separating themselves from spam and wine aggregators. Granted, this is only a tiny percent of the conversations that were dissected and debated, but it at least gives you a general notion of how receptive many people were in sharing their thoughts. We’ll be going into more detail in the coming days regarding many of these topics.
Oddly, despite these incredible feelings regarding the conference, I am also going through post conference depression (PCD). When I went to drop off our gigantic van filled to the hilt in leftover wine (no complaints, mind you), I literally broke down in tears in front of the Hertz attendant. Among a cloud of exhaustion and excitement, I felt an enormous sense of loss. I wanted my 40+ new friends back. I wanted to have the ability to call someone up and go out for a drink. I missed their kindness, their positive attitudes and the hours upon hours of belly aches I had from laughing nonstop. Look, I’m tearing up again!
I’ll stop before I get my cast wet, but please know that we couldn’t have done this without your belief in us and your willingness to come hundreds, if not thousands, of miles to La Rioja.
Saludos,
Gabriella Opaz
Here are a few pics from Ryan’s camera of what happened, enjoy!
Firm, focused and juicy, with good density to the plum, berry and dark cherry flavors. The spicy finish features medium-weight tannins. Drink now. 20,000 cases made.
Tecnorati
Bob Landman, owner of the venerable 
