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A GiraMondo Wine Event Last night, we took the opportunity to attend a GiraMondo Wine Adventures event in Falls Church, Virginia. The title for the evening was Entrepreneurs? Wine Tasting Network. We enjoyed the evening and met several other wine enthusiasts. The event was held at the Red White & Bleu wine store that has a small event room. We tasted two white and three red wines, each paired with a different cheese. My favorite white wine was the Three Wives Yamhill-Carlton District 2007 Pinot Blanc. With a delicate
Teeth: Modern Ways to Achieve the Perfect Smile Modern Ways to Achieve the Perfect Smile Posted by: admin : Category: Health Everyone desires to have a great smile. For a killer smile, one should have sparkling, bright, and shiny teeth. Today, a lot of people are spending more money just to have their teeth whiter. They make use of the best teeth whitening treatments and undergo procedures to achieve the brilliant white teeth. Everyone desires to have a great smile. For a killer smile, one should have sparkling, bright, and
Wine Week 99: Close to the summit. With one week to go before a big 100th episode we look at three wines worthy of of a special episode of their own. The first wine is a riesling from a vintage that is shaping up as a beaut. Our next two wines are both shiraz, one a Barossan from winery which hits the highs again, while the other is a young producer who almost took out the top trophy in Australia for young reds. Danny is still growing a dodgy moustache. It?s all in order to help raise funds and awareness for men?s health as a p
Sony Ericsson W902 Wine Red Review - New Sony Ericsson Cell Phones Ericsson W902 Wine Red Review - New Sony Ericsson Cell Phones Sony Ericsson W902 Wine Red release. New Sony Ericsson Cell Phones - Sony Ericsson W902 Wine Red display is 2.2? in size, offers QVGA resolution, 262k colors. W902 is a a music phone with autofocus camera. New Cell Phone - New Sony Ericsson Cell Phones New Sony Ericsson W902 Wine Red Cell Phone Pictures: Quad Band 850/900/1800/1900 New Sony Ericsson W902 Wine Red Specifications: - 99.8 g - 5+ Megapixel Camera - A2DP -
Red Wine Wonders Reddy Fishern Red wine brings about fantastic opportunities not only for people to get together and talk about such a grape, but for people to enjoy while engaging in other activities. I myself have often played the odd spot of Bridge with my friends and on many occasions we have opened a bottle of the superior red stuff. red wine is a good relaxant. It eases the tension, and helps people to communicate their feelings. A nice glass of red wine can be the equivilant to the butter on a other
Red Wine Wonders Wine Wonders by Reddy Fishern Ever wondered when the last time you had a girly gossip session, with your alcohol drinking mates, without the company of a nice glass red wine? Red wine brings together people on many occasions. I can say I often enjoy a glass of red wine whilst I play bridge with my friends on a weekly basis. red wine is a good relaxant. It eases the tension, and helps people to communicate their feelings. A nice glass of red wine can be the equivilant to the butter on a
Yalumba 2006 Bush Vine Grenache Sometimes a nice surprise comes along when trying to choose a wine that pairs well with a hamburger. Of course, the hamburger itself has to be made of top quality meat and not something just thrown into a bag from a ?drive-thru.? That means, the wine chosen is a mixture of a light to medium-bodied flavor and the price of it a good value. Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache 2006 fills the bill for both taste and value for the money. The winery begin in eighteen forty-nine when Samuel Smith a migrant fro
Red Alert 3 y wine Hace poco instale el Tiberium Wars pero esta semana me entere que ya habia salido la nueva version de Command & Conquer de la saga de Red Alert, la esperada Red Alert 3(Gracias a Wadas) y como no tube problema alguno con la version anterior decidi instalarlo en fedora con ayuda de wine. En la página de wine no encontre mucha información así que decidí probar el mismo metodo que use Tiberium Wars. Lo primero que hay que hacer es montar el DVD su - mount Unpleasant Vaginal Secretions Are No Fun For Anyone Angelina cries. It?s not funny but I think tears were great lube. Naturally, the clip adds to her hotness for me?GF Damn spider drawings?TB You can masturbate. Just don?t strangle hookers while you do it...LOLGOD(loves the site) Boobies! (NSFW)?DSFF All the Britney Spears For the Record promo commericals. I?m so excited!?TVPC In case anyone still uses Limewire?IB! Megan Fox is a slut. Awesome?POP Only a dog person could laugh at this?GJ Um, hot boobies. Duh?PD Hilarious sexual
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
D'Arenberg "d'Arry's Original" 2004 Shiraz-Grenache Rhone-style 50/50 blend of Shiraz and Grenache comes from the McLaren Vale's most reknowned producer of premium Shiraz and Rhone blends. Fruit was sourced from old vines in their own 19th century vineyards, and was vinified by traditional methods such as basket-pressing and foot-treading before being matured for 12 or more months in a combination of French and American oak.The wine is a brilliant, deep garnet color, with a hint of brick at the edge. A whiff of alcohol up front blew off quic
Why the buzz over Beaujolais? Grocery store circulars everywhere are touting the release tomorrow of this year?s Beaujolais Nouveau. Granted, most people don?t expect to find fine wine in the same store stocking Twinkies and Chef Boyardee, but Beaujolais Nouveau has garnered a disrespect in some corners perhaps beyond proportion, considering it doesn?t aspire to much. What is it about this unique quaff, which some celebrate while others denigrate? Beaujolais is a region in France, a district of Burgundy, south of Paris. It
Celebrate! of my friend BarbIts really, really yummy.It's a celebratory attitude here. The porcelain egg is FINALLY done (pictures to come tomorrow) and I had 200lbs of clay delivered to the studio yesterday. That delivery meant more time on the wheel and the moment I could get down onto my wheel I did and pulled pottery like a maniac last night! After all my work was done I popped open the special bottle of red wine my friend Barb brought while she was visiting. I had been dying to try it. L
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!
2004 Zefina Serience Red 89 points Blend, Horse Heaven Hills, $25 This is a blend of 42% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 11% Mourvèdre, 7% Cinsault and 5% Counoise. With ripe fruit flavors of black cherry, raspberry, cedar and allspice on the palate. With well integrated fruit at it?s core and a bone dry profile makes for a tasty red blend, drink now. ...
Best Sangria Ever Directions 1. Juice all but one of the oranges and limes. 2. Mix juice, wine, triple sec and apricot brandy in a pitcher. 3. Slice remaining orange and lime into thin slices and drop into pitcher. 4. Put ice into red wine glass or brandy snifter. 5. Pour glass 2/3 full of sangria and top remaining 1/3 of glass with club soda. 6. Stir and enjoy! LINK
Wine review: Dufouleur Pre Fils Nuits St. Georges Premier Cru Les Saint Georges 2002 Regular readers know that I don?t put much stock in expensive wine. Even when it?s worthwhile, these wines often fail the 10 times test: Is a typical $100 wine 10 times better than a typical $10 wine? This red Burgundy (what the French call pinot noir) is from a 400-year French wine family and it does pass the 10 times test. The 2002 vintage, meanwhile, is one of the best in Burgundy in decades. Even better, the wine is only about $30 (available at Goody Goody). This is classic red Burgundy,
Wine of the week: Dufouleur Pere & Fils Nuits St. Georges Premier Cru Les Saint Georges 2002 Regular visitors here know that the Wine Curmudgeon does not put much stock in expensive wine. Even when it?s worthwhile, these wines often fail the 10 times test: Is a typical $100 wine 10 times better than a typical $10 wine? This red Burgundy (what the French call pinot noir) is from a 400-year French wine family and it does pass the 10 times test. The 2002 vintage, meanwhile, is one of the best in Burgundy in decades. Even better, the wine is only about $30 (though I can?t guarantee avail
Wine review: Dufouleur Pre Fils Nuits St. Georges Premier Cru Les Saint Georges 2002 Regular readers know that I don?t put much stock in expensive wine. Even when it?s worthwhile, these wines often fail the 10 times test: Is a typical $100 wine 10 times better than a typical $10 wine? This red Burgundy (what the French call pinot noir) is from a 400-year French wine family and it does pass the 10 times test. The 2002 vintage, meanwhile, is one of the best in Burgundy in decades. Even better, the wine is only about $30 (available at Goody Goody). This is classic red Burgundy,
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.
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.
Red Barn Winery opened May of 2004. It is located four miles North of the city of Syracuse in Liverpool, NY. Open Thursday thru Sunday 12 noon to 6 P.M.
Paul Martin is the sole owner and winemaker with decades of experience. Old world (European) winemaking experience and new winemaking techniques are incorporated to produce great wines. N.Y. State grapes and fruits are used exclusively. The 3000 sq. ft. winery is built around a ?Turn of the Century? design. Tasting room # 1 is cozy, consisting of a fireplace, rocking chairs, couches and plank floors. Tasting room # 2is of the Western saloon style, high ceilings ( 25?), hand hewn beams, plank floors and antiques.
The Hearty Red is a very nie, solid, table red. Dry, with notes of cherry and vanilla. Nice!
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.
I am sure you are tired of me cooing over Hunt Country Vineyards. Since the mid-1980s, when I first discovered them at Union Square Park, in New York City, I have been fascinated by them. But my admiration for them comes from my respect for their improved quality over the years, and their incredible growth, both of which are a great example of what one can accomplish in east coast wine.
At the Goold's Apple Fest I had the opportunity to chat with Art, but a few days later my lap top crashed, and my photos and videos were seemingly lost. Now recovered, I have the photos, but not the video. And I can file my report.
I tasted several of their red wines, and was very, very impressed.
Meritage 2006 - A blend of Cab Sav, Cab Frabc, and Merlot. Aged 14 months in French oak, flavors. Very nice!
Merlot 2006 - Beautiful hints of vanilla has strong cherry and pepper. Very, very nice!
Alchemy - A combination of Franc, Cab Sav, and Noiret. Big black cherry flavors. Some hint of spice. Not too much oak. Very nice. A great food wine.
Here's a picture of Art and Donna Pinell, also of Hunt Country.
These are wonderful reds. Art and Hunt Country are hoping to lay to rest the myth that the Finger Lakes should stick to Reisling....and these reds definitively prove fine red wines can be made in the Finger Lakes region too!
Love it, hate it, or indifferent about it, Beaujolais Day will be upon us in less than two weeks. While the young wine isn?t particularly good, its release is a great excuse for a party, and millions of people celebrate the event by drinking about 49 million liters (or, if you prefer, 13 million gallons) of Beaujolais Nouveau annually. (To put that volume in perspective, consider that a typical tank truck of the type you see making deliveries to your local petrol station has a capacity of about 9,000 gallons.) That?s a lot of wine, and in fact it amounts to nearly half of the Beaujolais region?s production.
This year, Boisset Family Estates will ship its Mommessin Beaujolais Nouveau in lightweight PET bottles. The 100 percent recyclable bottles reduce shipping weight by 42 percent, and cut freight costs by one-third. PET bottles have a smaller carbon footprint than glass bottles, and are calculated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent.
Boisset is no stranger to alternative packaging. Its French Rabbit brand wines are sold in Tetra Pak containers, and its Yellow Jersey wines come in PET bottles.
It's time to talk turkey again--and what wine goes with it. (image from Carolina Morning)
Every year, new visitors come to this site in search of a delicious, affordable, and available bottle of wine to pair with their holiday meal. Old friends visit, too, sometimes to suggest their own picks for the year and sometimes to take issue with something I've picked. It doesn't matter why you're here--I'm glad to see you, and hope that what follows will be helpful to you as you plan for the big dinner.
If you are looking for general advice on Thanksgiving wine and hospitality, I'd encourage you to check out this article I wrote a few years ago on issues facing the host/hostess and the guests. If you are wondering what to drink with your meal, and with leftovers, you're in the right place. Here are my picks for 2008--all of which offer great taste and great value in an easy-to-find package. Clicking on the wine's name will take you to the winery's site where you can find more information about the wine and its makers. Many of the wines I picked this year are made with organic grapes, are farmed with sustainability in mind, and/or are made by families with great stories of how they got in the business of grape-growing and wine-making. Clicking on the range of prices will take you to a list of retailers who stock the wine. Maybe one will be near you.
Sparkling Wines What's a holiday dinner without some bubbles? These two picks are great for toasts, appetizers, brunch the morning after, or drinking with the main meal. Sparkling wine has great acidity, which means it pairs with most foods and there's no doubt that sparklers are festive. NV Roederer Estate Brut ($15-$20). For my money, this is the best value around in domestic sparkling wine. Expect tiny bubbles, aromas of brioche and Meyer lemon, and flavors of apples, toast, and nuts. Just as good with food as without.
NV Domaine Allimant-Laugner Cremant d'Alsace Rose ($16-$19). If you're looking for a pink sparkler, try this one. It' made with 100% Pinot Noir and has knockout fresh strawberry aromas with light berry, mineral, and citrus flavors. Like the Roederer Brut, this wine is as good with food as it is without.
Rosé Wines Rosé wines are perfect for turkey and all the side-dishes that make us groan afterwards. If you feel that rosé wines are too "casual" for a fancy dinner, don't forget the leftovers. Wouldn't a cool rosé be perfect on Saturday with your turkey sandwich? These rosé winesare dry, not sweet, and very refreshing. 2007 Fort Ross Pinot Noir Rosé($12-$16). Fort Ross makes some of the best Pinot Noir out there, and this is the rosé version of their wine. It's a beautiful color, with raspberry and strawberry aromas and flavors and a delicious stony note that keeps it complex and interesting. 2006 Jeriko Estate Rosé ($9-$13). This is a round and full rosé, with aromas and flavors of strawberries and minerals. If you don't like watermelon notes in your wine, you'll like this. Made with organic grapes.
White Wines I'm a fan of white wines for Thanksgiving. I like their freshness, and the way that they pair so beautifully with stuffing, gravy, turkey, cranberries, Waldorf salad--you name it, these whites will go with it. They're versatile and flavorful, but won't overwhelm the food. 2006 Brooks Riesling ($14-$19). This is not a sweet wine. It's dry in style, with aromas of lime, apple, Meyer lemon, petrol, and stone. You will taste lime, slate, currants, and a touch of honey which makes it ideal if you are serving smoked turkey or a turkey made with lots of spices. Exceptionally complex for the price. 2006 Adelsheim Pinot Gris ($14-$20). Delicious aromas of peach, honey, and a kiss of caramelized sugar, but there's lots of bright acidity to keep the peach and apple flavors in balance. This aromatic wine would be perfect if you are serving sausage stuffing, and while it may give a sweet impression it finishes dry. 2006 Mauritson Sauvignon Blanc ($13-$17). One of the best domestic Sauvignon Blancs I've had in a long time, made with no oak and no assertive aromas or flavors. Warm melon, Meyer lemon, and clementine aromas and flavors accompany fresh, grassy notes. 2007 Clif Bar Family Winery The Climber White ($13-$15). This white blend has a core of Sauvignon Blanc with the addition of Pinot Blanc (12%), Chenin Blanc (4%) and Muscat (3%). The result is a wine with good acidity but an impression of softness. Aromas of pink grapefruit and nectarine, and flavors of Meyer lemon, nectarine, and peach. 2007 Cupcake Vineyards Chardonnay ($11-$13; also available in CostPlus World Markets). A new label to me, this wine had clean and fresh apple and citrus aromas and flavors. There is a lovely creaminess to this wine, and a touch of mild oakiness. Very much like a white wine from Burgundy at a fraction of the price.
Red Wines There are a lot of people out there recommending Zinfandel for Thanksgiving. Unless you are very, very careful you may overwhelm your food with a jammy, high-alcohol wine. That's true for many other red wines, too. If you are serving turkey and lots of different sweet and savory dishes, red wines may not be your best bet. However, the ones below will not overwhelm your food--and the flavors may be just right for you if you like dark meat, or are serving something smoked or (gasp!) not serving turkey at all.
2006 Domaine du Vissoux/Pierre-Marie Chermette Vieilles Vignes Cuvee Traditionelle ($12-$16). Gamay is a low-alcohol, high-acid grape that produces fresh, zesty reds. You will smell cherries, berries and some chalk in this wine, and the flavors are pure, juicy Bing cherry with an earthy undertow and some mineral notes. 2006 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast ($12-$27) A great bargain in Pinot Noirs, this wine has high-toned cherry and raspberry fruit aromas, with a touch of allspice. There are flavors of cherry, raspberry, allspice, and fresh-baked cobbler with a terrific, silky texture.
2004 Quivira Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley ($18-$20). If you must, this is the Zinfandel to get. With aromas of black cherry, allspice, and cedar, and flavors of cherry, baker's chocolate, and pepper it has beautiful acidity and is very food friendly. This Zin feels and tastes more old fashioned and restrained--just the way I like them. The 2005 is also in the market, and while I haven't tasted it, ordinary drinkers on CellarTracker! seem to give it thumbs up, too. 2004 Bodegas Montecillo Rioja Crianza ($7-$12). If you think I'm nuts to suggest Tempranillo with turkey--trust me. I'm not. This is one of the great bargain reds, from Osborne's Bodegas Montecillo. There are aromas of roasted herbs and spicy berries, and nice, high-toned red fruit. Beautiful acidity and some dusty tannins make for a long, juicy aftertaste.
Whatever you serve on Thanksgiving, remember to relax and enjoy your friends and family. That's what the holiday is really all about!
Disclosure: The Adelsheim, MacMurray Ranch, and Clif Bar Family Winery bottlings were samples; I tasted both the Cupcake and Osborne wines at tastings. All other bottles were purchased by me over the last eleven months in a variety of brick-and-mortar and online stores.
I happened to finish two things about the same time last week. The first Wine Bloggers Conference and a book, The Billionaire’s Vinegar. This was perhaps a coincidence as I did not find time to read a word at the conference. Drinking trumped reading in Santa Rosa that weekend, but I finished the book a few days later. It’s hard to think of a greater contrast between the event I attended and the events and people in the book.
The Wine Bloggers Conference was defined by an almost innocent enthusiasm and love for wine, while The Billionaire’s Vinegar represents The Dark Side of wine. You cannot be help but be stuck by the ugly greed, arrogance and ignorance of the wealthy posers chasing “great wine” in this book. It’s one of those plots were there is no protagonist, they’re all bad guys. I highly recommend this book as it’s a great story based around the excesses and greed of big time collectors who were sold faked old wines and were just too greedy and had such massive egos they couldn’t taste the obvious.
One thing this book proves is that we are all too human in our abilities and no one can escape the trap of letting labels affect our perceptions. I’ll be the first to admit if someone told me I was getting a glass of 1787 Lafite purchased by Thomas Jefferson my esthetic distance would be right out the window. The trouble with the arrogant bastards in this book is that they thought that their palates were so great they could rise above human frailty. I can only guess they got stupid after they made their money, not before. The tacky glitz, excess and greed surrounding the elaborate tasting events described in the book cannot be overstated. What is perhaps most disconcerting is the attendance at these events of those that consider themselves wine “journalists” Certainly, attending such extravagant events gratis would not be acceptable under even the loosest code of journalistic ethics. It was clear to these writers that they would not be invited back if they offered even a hint of criticism in their reports. Rave reviews were the price of next year’s admission and they were always invited back. It’s hard to be critical after enough foie gras and caviar.
The recent first ever Wine Bloggers Conference in America (there was one a few months before in Europe) painted a very different picture. The jaded arrogance that blinds so many established wine writers these days was replaced by the refreshing enthusiasm of the wine bloggers that descended on the Flamenco Hotel in Santa Rosa. Surrounded by the beauty and wonderful wines of Sonoma over 150 new media wine writers gathered to explore their emerging genre. The energy brought to my mind Gracie Slick and the Jefferson Airplane welcoming the dawn at Woodstock, “It’s a new dawn…” said Gracie before the band roared into that hippie political anthem, Volunteers.
Every blogger that attended was there on their own dime as no one is make a living from wine blogging yet. Everyone was there because of their passion for wine. They are truly volunteers and the generous spirit of this group stuck out starkly to the outrageously expensive, competitive and ego driven wine world documented in The Billionaire’s Vinegar.
While there are many wonderful examples of wine bloggers making a difference I can’t help to pick out Deb Harkness, better known as Dr. Debs, who has created a blog called Good Wines Under $20. For what I hope are obvious reasons I won’t describe what Deb’s blog is about. Deb’s day job is as a college professor, but by night she’s a consumer activist seeking out great wines at great prices for her readers. Yet what is even more impressive about her is her deep commitment to a personal standard of ethics. While most mainstream wine writers are mostly concerned about what others will think of them when it comes to ethics, Dr. Debs, and many bloggers like her are concerned what they think of themselves. Their ethics are in their hearts. Their not in it for the money or glamour tastings, but out of a sincere love of food and wine. At the end of the day only self respect and personal pride can make ethics a reality. Deb and many bloggers like her are setting a new standard.
I’m well aware that I was one of the old guys at the Wine Bloggers Conference and most of my compatriots there were well under forty, but the energy and spirit there reminded me of an earlier time, before when some of them were born, when we thought we could change the world. The conference gave me hope that maybe, just maybe, that the pointy world of wine writing today can be brought down. Power to the bloggers.
It’s a new dawn for wine writing. Good morning people.
I started with the idea of Ratatouille, but not enough tomatoes and some left over meat ragú lead to this improvised meal. . .
How?
First the ragú. Fry a handful of chopped pancetta in oil with a pinch of cinnamon, then when the pancetta is golden add one finely chopped onion, two finely diced carrots and two cloves of crushed garlic. Stir and fry for a few minutes, before adding a large handful of mixed fresh herbs (I like sage, marjoram and parsley). Stir and then add your meat (500g of minced beef and 300g of minced pork belly) along with two tins of diced tomatoes and a few bay leaves. Stir and once the meat is starting to colour add two generous glasses of leftover red wine. Cover and cook with gentle heat for 90 minutes, before uncovering and turning up the heat, to reduce the liquid if needed.
Now the eggplant. Dice (into 1 inch cubes) two medium eggplants and salt generously (to remove the bitter brown liquid). After an hour rinse and dry before frying the eggplant (in olive oil) in batches. When just golden, remove and place in a large baking dish. Then fry three cloves of garlic and 4 large diced tomatoes in the same pan (removing the stuck on bits of eggplant at the same time) and when soft, remove and add to the eggplant. To this add four generous ladles of the ragú (approx 1 litre of sauce) and stud the mixture with fragments of bocconcini or goats cheese (optional) and then coat with fresh breadcrumbs and a handful of grated Parmesan. Bake in a preheated oven (200 degrees Celsius) for 30-40 minutes.
Wine? This is very robust and calls for something red, firm and affordable. I had several glasses of shiraz.
There's still plenty of fire left in the belly of old gnarly Grenache vines in Calatayud, Spain. These old vines manifest their destiny in Garnacha de Fuego 2007, imported by Jorge Ordoñez, and sold here in Tennessee for well under $10, and in some areas of the country nearer to $5.
This is one of those outstanding inexpensive red wines that make you wonder why some wines cost so much. Unencumbered by wood aging, it's so very pure and drinkable, yet unlike similarly priced junk wine, the wine equivalent to junk food, it's genuine. There isn't a hint of manipulation evident.
True to form for a fresh Grenache, you get a plethora of raspberry character, perhaps even some "Now-Or-Later" cherry mixed in. There's also some white pepper spice to be sure, and a mouth full of rocks. The body is light-to-medium, and the combination of youth (wine) and age (vine) come through in the somewhat rustic, lasting finish.
The vines harvested for this wine go back to the days when Franco took power and when Picasso painted Guernica. On a political hiatus for decades, these sage vines are now just coming into their own. Therefore I'm raising a glass, to remember those people who suffered before, and to be enlightened with the wisdom to help alleviate future suffering. The planting of these vines was a bit before my time, but not really that long ago in the evolutionary big picture. History is changing fast, and as was said, "those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Garnacha de Fuego kindles the mind, makes you think, doesn't cost a lot, and it even goes great with fried green tomatoes.
SIPPED: double entendre! Unable to legally call a port style wine made outside of Portugal “Port,” Peltier Station Winery is calling their wine “USB”–you know, as in those ports on the side of your computer that you never seem to have enough of. Which European wine region will next made into a technology pun? [find this port; viaWired]
SIPPED: bling glassware! During the GOP convention, filings now show that the McCain Victory 2008 spent $7,000 on 250 wine glasses adorned with elephant designs for donors. Had they already handed out $28 elephant-adorned beer glasses in honor of Joe Sixpack and Cindy’s beer distributorship? [HuffPo]
Tecnorati
Love it, hate it, or indifferent about it, 
SIPPED: double entendre!