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.
Earn $6.17 / Sale! %75 Commission! The Ultimate Resource For Anyone Who Wants To Learn How To Make Outstanding Wines & Spirits From Their Very Own Home!
State Proposal Puts 20,000 Jobs in California on the Line Members of the Neighborhood Market Association strongly opposed the $4.4 billion dollar tax plan introduced in the Legislature today that would dramatically increase the cost of alcohol products. The proposed tax hike on spirits, wine and beer will have detrimental impacts on local hospitality business, leading to loss of sales and potentially eliminating over 20,000 jobs statewide in the process. Furthermore, the projected loss in sales would reduce grocery, convenience and package store sa
Ellwood?s Beer: The Last Batch Beer: The Last Batch This was posted on Nov 20th, 2008 by miles and tagged in Farm Fresh, Featured, Indulge (wine & beer & gourmet), Local Forager Make sure you come in before the holidays and grab a few Ellwood Thompson?s Fresh Farmhouse Ale before the Holidays. That 9.0% ABV will really help when the family gets in. It?s brewed locally up the road in Fredericksberg, VA from Blue & Gray Brewing Co. It goes great with Turkey, Chicken, Fish, Pizza, Football, Cousins, and
Setting the Table Thursday: Chestnuts, Turkey & Michigan fixings (and football) Wild Turkey October by incaseofme The Freep reports that many stores like Southfield-based Hiller's Markets are cutting prices on turkey and the fixings. CEO Jim Hiller: Yes, we are going to make less money, a lot less. At the end of the day, I hope it will permit people to shop at Hiller's and still enjoy the things that we have to offer. One of the delectables that Michigan has to offer is the chestnut. Taste the Local Difference says that chestnuts are Ready to Pick and that they have b
First Annual Ohio vs Michigan Wine Clash You've heard of Bud Bowl, right? Well, panels of wine tasters in Ann Arbor and Columbus recently gathered to judge over 60 selected consumer-selected wines from Michigan and Ohio. It was the first purely consumer-selected judging of wines in either state and also unique by being limited to wines from grapes exclusively from Ohio & Michigan wines. Ohio and Michigan share a centuries-old tradition of viticulture which was wrecked by Prohibition but has re-emerged in recent times. From the Oh
Men Behaving Badly AE: in response to the other pic I posted the other day where you guessed right that it was Dk, the name of the wine you guessed wrong, lets see if you can work this one out.
Men Behaving Badly AE: in response to the other pic I posted the other day where you guessed right that it was Dk, the name of the wine you guessed wrong, lets see if you can work this one out.
Men Behaving Badly AE: in response to the other pic I posted the other day where you guessed right that it was Dk, the name of the wine you guessed wrong, lets see if you can work this one out.
Men Behaving Badly AE: in response to the other pic I posted the other day where you guessed right that it was Dk, the name of the wine you guessed wrong, lets see if you can work this one out.
Men Behaving Badly AE: in response to the other pic I posted the other day where you guessed right that it was Dk, the name of the wine you guessed wrong, lets see if you can work this one out.
How Are You Able to Get Excellent House Brew Supplies For A Good Cost? Are You Able to Get Excellent House Brew Supplies For A Good Cost? House brewing is a leisure pursuit that is still rising in fame, making your own beer, wine and other drinks like your own source beer is satisfying and recompensing to do. It is a leisure pursuit where you require small investment and funds to begin with; you only require some excellent house brew supplies, a few elements and your excellent to go. This is a preview of How Are You Able to Get Excellent House Brew Supplies F
Pizza Beer and Wine - Chapter 2 Pizza: A bit closer to our ?normal? homemade pizza routine. We have TJ?s crusts again, because I remembered just as I was about to fall asleep that I should have made crusts last night. Given that making a batch of crusts is an hour-long process (though 45 minutes of that is waiting), I settled for asking Liz ?any chance you could stop by Trader Joe?s tomorrow and grab crusts?? Since we have crusts, I assume she answered in the affirmative. We are, however, back to whole milk mutz
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
Party out the credit crunch The economic outlook has never been as gloomy as it is these days. Or at least, that?s what we?re being told every day on the news, in the papers and at the coffee machine at work. True, the Big Crunch will make for a rather uncertain situation in the years to come, I?m actually rather optimistic that this shocking correction of the markets will eventually lead to a better world, in which we will see much less of exorbitant high bonuses and 20 something year old city high flyers who effectivel
u ain't concentratin' unless ...? this is my personal favourite quote i got from the film name Body of lies, which i went to see last night --- "u ain't concentrating unless ... you thinkin' about p***y" i thought about it, and i was like,,,, hmmm... i think there might be some truth in it. LOL, LOL, *hides under the desk;
u ain't concentratin' unless ...? this is my personal favourite quote i got from the film name Body of lies, which i went to see last night --- "u ain't concentrating unless ... you thinkin' about p***y" i thought about it, and i was like,,,, hmmm... i think there might be some truth in it. LOL, LOL, *hides under the desk;
u ain't concentratin' unless ...? this is my personal favourite quote i got from the film name Body of lies, which i went to see last night --- "u ain't concentrating unless ... you thinkin' about p***y" i thought about it, and i was like,,,, hmmm... i think there might be some truth in it. LOL, LOL, *hides under the desk;
u ain't concentratin' unless ...? this is my personal favourite quote i got from the film name Body of lies, which i went to see last night --- "u ain't concentrating unless ... you thinkin' about p***y" i thought about it, and i was like,,,, hmmm... i think there might be some truth in it. LOL, LOL, *hides under the desk;
Beers in Review: Deschutes Jubelale 2008 and Scaldis Noel in Review: Deschutes Jubelale 2008 and Scaldis Noel November 19th, 2008 I really enjoy this time of year. I like this time of the year because of the impending holiday season. Some people find being around family to be really stressful but I, generally, like my families (immediate and in-laws). It?s a chance to gather everyone around and just be ourselves. What I also like about this time of the year are the winter seasonal beers that breweries are releasing. Some beers are only avail
UK: 'Booze cruise' trade under threat as Euro MPs vote to slash personal consumption of alcohol and cigarettes European Parliament is clamping down on the 'booze cruise' trade.Euro MPs want to cut the amounts of cigarettes and alcohol that can legally be brought into Britain tax-free by imposing stricter guidelines on what constitutes personal consumption.The new definition of personal consumption would halve the amount of booze and cut the current p
Based on Winewaves' internal analysis of final tracking polls, exit polls and ongoing monitoring of election results, we declare that Barack Obama is the next President of the United States. Let's here it for President Obama: Ale To The Chief. (Posted 7:41 p.m. CST).
While others have a lot to lose on making such a projection, we have nothing to lose. Will anyone stop clicking through from a Google search for an obscure wine because they heard Winewaves goofed on an early election projection? Then, there's the fact that Winewaves' founder Jerry Hall studied statistics in graduate school. Not just a pretty face, but Jerry also knows when the chips are up or down. The chips are not up enough for John McCain to pull out a miracle.
While some may want me to remain unbiased, I'm not. Barack Obama is my choice and I'm glad he won tonight. He ran the better campaign and he is unquestionably the more intelligent and in touch candidate.
So, I suggest you have a glass of Avery Brewing Company's special edition "Ale To The Chief" to celebrate. This is a fantastic brew that combines over the top hops with a fullness of fruit flavors that makes for a big beer, a big noise, but very well balanced between the low and high notes.
The appearance of any brew is important, and this one delivers greatness. The color is beautiful, deep amber, copper-orange, with a slight turbidity that suggests it was just brewed. The nose is hoppy, fruity, along the lines of citrus peel, especially orange, and even tilting towards fruit cake. If you're like me, you think fruit cake smells better than it tastes. On the tongue, you get a nice complex interaction between bitter hops and also fruit and caramel. Fruit flavors carry through with the hops all the way to a crisp dry finish.
“I immediately assume that the wine is garbage if the punniness is high,” one of my friends said recently. Fair enough, as we have discussed before. But then there is the case of Johannes Leitz.
While many European labels can be confusing for New World consumers who are more used to varietal labeling, German labels crank up the degree of difficulty by adding terms such as Kabinett, Spaetlese, and–my favorite, linguistically–Trockenbeerenauslese. Although these terms express roughly the degree of sweetness, they only do so for the wine before fermentation (aka the weight of the must), so the level of residual sugar after fermentation may not be as sweet or dry as one might expect. Throw in some vineyard names on top of those terms and it makes running for Blue Nun understandable–from a purely linguistic standpoint.
Johannes Leitz, by contrast, makes some easy reading labels as well as tasty wines. He turned the Rudesheimer Drachenstein vineyard into simply “Dragonstone”–a cool label, easy name and easy drinking Riesling that I often recommend particularly as a wine for newbies. The single site, estate bottled wine is sweet in 2007 but obtains balance with some tangy acidity and minerality (find this wine). Pair with takeout.
New for 2007 is his multilingual punny “Eins, Zwei, Dry” (find this wine) The Riesling is, in fact, dry (well, 7 grams of residual sugar, barely above the threshold of perception). Dry Rieslings often seem to only come from the New World and Leitz only first produced this dry wine in the spectacular 2007 vintage (more details from the importer, Terry Theise’s page). The wine has more minerality and verve. I’d find this one most refreshing on a hot summer day with the Dragonstone one for the spring and the fall, when I prefer more richness.
Johannes Leitz has wit. And he makes clear labels good wines. He has my vote for federallabelminister! But I also think he is a rare exception, joining Rosenblum and possibly Bonny Doon, to the rule about puns and wine quality.
Do witty labels and good wine make a good blend? Or is the wine best left to do the talking?
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]
SIPPED: Joe Six-Pack wine The rise of Midwestern wine is epitomized in Illinois, which has grown from 14 to 80 wineries in a decade. Marketing idea: Joe Six-Pack wine (sold in half-cases). [PJ Star]
SIPPED: herbicides A new herbicide resistant grape variety has been developed for the Midwest. Mmmm. [Wines & Vines]
SPIT: international grape varieties Rocked by a scandal earlier this year that involved blending grapes from outside the zone, Brunello votes overwhelmingly to stay traditional and not allow even a small amount of grapes other than sangiovese. [VinoWire]
Yes, I?m still here! Posting has taken a back seat to life and real deadlines lately (hi, Jim! hi, Eric!), but the resumption of a more regular pattern is on the horizon.
In the meantime, nibble on these tidbits:
The Center for Food Integrity reports that 60 percent of consumers are more concerned about food prices than they were a year ago. And the sales growth of private-label organically-produced foods is slowing, according to a recent study by the Nielsen Co.
Sales of craft beers continues to romp along at a double-digit pace, but a shortage of hops is almost certain to start pushing prices up. On the other hand, MillerCoors LLC has pulled the plug on Zima. In the unlikely event that you?re a fan of that particular beverage, existing stocks should be on shelves through December.
According to a recent story in Advertising Age (registration required), advances in product packaging technology have made it possible to offer animated product labels. Before too long, motion-activated store displays and even individual products may be audibly clamoring for your attention.
A panel of tasters assembled by the Dallas Morning News has sampled Wal-Mart?s $3 wines and pronounced them palatable. The non-vintage Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio and Merlot are made by The Wine Group, which also produces wines under the Franzia, Concannon, Glen Ellen, Mogen David and Corbett Canyon labels, among others. Wal-Mart?s wine is sold under the Oak Leaf label ? not nearly as imaginative as some of the tongue-in-cheek suggested names.
I'm looking into making a wine and cheese gift basket for my dad this Christmas. Can anyone recommend a solid, delicious merlot or cabernet sauvignon? Also, a rosé and anything else that accents cheese. I understand that different wines do different things for flavors, but my Dad isn't a particularly discerning wine drinker. He enjoys nice things, but is more of a beer man, haha. All the same, I'd like to hint at luxury in his gift, you know? Please keep in mind I'm a broke, broke college student :)
Also, I've always wanted to learn more about wines, I'm pretty ignorant on them as you may guess. Plus, I'm only 22.. and in the US, barely legal drinking age. SO, any good books out there? Or any suggestions?
While traveling across the central width of Italy last month there were signs of interest in the coming election in the United States. Italians love to display their opinions. Anyone who traveled in Italy in early 2003 saw a preponderance of multi-colored flags with the word PACE streaming from balconies and balustrades across the country. In that moment the sentiment was of protestation against an imminent invasion and war against Iraq.
This time the PACE flags have faded. In windows and as fashion accessories, the Italians once again express their thoughts on an election they can neither vote in nor influence. That is unless some of those Italians also happen to be American citizens.
We visited one such family in Florence. I have been friends with photographer Maurizio Berlincioni since the early 1970?s. So as we traveled from Castiglione della Pescaia to San Benedetto del Tronto (one side of the country to the other ? left to right) we took a break for lunch with Maurizio and his two kids, who can vote, because their momma is an Americana.
It appears from all signs that the Italians greatly favor Obama. The fact that Biden in a Roman Catholic also adds a connection, just as it did when Kennedy ran in 1960. The Italians don?t forget so easily when one comes along that inspires and causes many of us to look up and beyond the current mire we have found ourselves wallowing in.
But seeing as we were (and are) on the wine trail in Italy, we thought we?d query the locals to offer vinous equivalents to the candidates and some of the supporting cast. And as we were in Tuscany the logical progression made it seem like we should stick to wines from that region. Here's our Tuscan tally:
Sarah Palin is a Chianti "in fiasco". A little wicker model, something fresh and fruity and not too deep. Not made for the ages, this is a wine to enjoy ?for the moment? as it traditionally doesn?t offer much interest in the long run. It still has the dreaded DOCG appellation, but as many have commented elsewhere, that simple Chianti shares the highest denomination as a Chianti Classico or Brunello says more about the political wheeling and dealing than anything else. Pick a young one and sell it far and wide- take the money and run. A long shot.
Joe Biden is also a Chianti, but a Chianti Classico Riserva from a well known and time tested producer. And like some of those riservas folks often underestimate their power or their presence among the cognoscenti of Italian wine lovers. Anyone who has let one of those wines rest in the cellar for 10,15,20 years and then open it up on a late October night knows the untapped potential and surprise that awaits the patient ones. Elegance, restraint, depth, character, if the cellaring has gone well. A good value if properly kept.
Cindy McCain is a Vernaccia di San Gimignano. We like to quote the poetry of Michelangelo, especially the part that he wrote about Vernaccia when he said it was a wine that licks kisses, bites, pinches and stings. Ask Carol McCain (the 1st wife) about the sting. John probably could vouch for several of those descriptions as well, though he might not remember them after so many years. And a doctor or volunteer back in the day over at AVMT (American Voluntary Medical Team) might be able to Xerox their affidavits from 1992 to cover the pinch. Vernaccia is a thin, acidic wine that everybody praises but almost no one in Tuscany likes. The only reason for not hating Vernaccia would be to save that emotion for Galestro, which by this time has been laid to rest, hopefully. Praised but seldom enjoyed.
Michelle Obama is a Super Tuscan, one that hails from Greve. The Tuscans made her wine-avatar a blend called Batār, 50% Pinot Blanc, 50% Chardonnay and one of the few recognized white wines to qualify as a Super Tuscan. Too new and blended to be marked as a traditional wine (or potential First Lady) but able to stand up to the Big Boys and fire away with plenty of power and aim. While this is a white wine and many folks suggest that white wines from Tuscany (and Italy) don?t have the ability to stay in the game for long, Batār has been proven to withstand the rigors of time, in fact ageing quite remarkably well. ?Sublime?, writes Parker. ?Truly extraordinary,? says Jancis Robinson. To get both of those folks on the same page is a real feat. Rare, but worth the search.
John McCain is a Brunello in today?s political landscape. Under fire, not quite sure what is inside, elements of long-standing tradition, but somehow our Italians think his image has been ?swift-boated? by his own party. The jury is still out, though they are being pressed to come in with a verdict. We might have to wait a little longer to find out what will happen to Brunello than to John McCain. If he doesn?t win, he can always drown his sorrows in buckets of beer and bucks, something he has access to both of in excess. Then again he can search one of his many cellars, from Sedona to Coronado and maybe find a bottle of red even older than he. Pray it isn?t corked, or cooked. He certainly seems to be of the latter disposition at this point. Their verdict for Brunello: When young, unstable, when older, unreliable. A wine we want to love but at this moment don?t quite trust.
Barack Obama is, like his wife, a Super Tuscan. He is an amalgam of indigenous and transported grapes. His vineyard is on the Maremma, the sunny coastal area which is new and relatively untested. But there is a great deal of enthusiasm for these wines and the wine that Obama reflects in the hearts and minds of our Tuscan prognosticators is, although untested, reminiscent of a once great one from the 1960?s. It might be that our Tuscans are just tired of the same old Sangiovese, they are ready for a change, and this Super Tuscan has arrived in time to anticipate their hopes and dreams. We shall see. Their conclusion for the Super Tuscan: Young and lively, with a mid-palate of composed notes, carefully composed and arranged. If it hasn?t been over-oaked, it might be ready within the next 4-8 years.
We went back and forth with the emails on the characters and the wines but it wasn?t until this past Sunday that we had our final entry.
Colin Powell is a Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, for like the wine, they both served at the pleasure of their rulers. Often cast aside in favor of the more obstreperous Brunello, Vino Nobile is the phlegmatic one, calm under fire and very dependable, and a great dancer. Able to take the hill and "get down tonight". Our Tuscans thought the Colin Powell showed great strength of conviction even though his latest moves probably wouldn?t be too popular back in his grand old party. But like Vino Nobile, sometimes being the most popular one isn't the highest goal. To serve as an agent of change and veracity seeks higher ground and purpose.
And that dear readers, is how our Prada Italians are calling the race. We shall see, shan?t we?
The 2006 edition of Bruno Tait's Ball Buster is true to form. Like Barack Obama, it's a velvet glove on an iron fist. This I verified on the night of the third Presidential debate of 2008, by drinking the third bottle to date.
Mind you, writing about it is not as easy as drinking it. It's so smooth on the surface, you get carried away, as if the Bush years are a thing of the past. If I were on death row, I would request as many glasses of Tait Ball Buster as I could get, as a prelude to the lethal injection that would be the ultimate anti-climax. I imagine a last supper of long-suffering Shiraz grapes, basket pressed to my lips before I turn blue.
Robert Parker's Jay Miller, a true hedonist of a reviewer, sees the virtue in Ball Buster '06, to the tune of 92 points. I first tasted Ball Buster 2005, drawn to the name. It was quite good; the 2006 seems even better, but that's probably just my eternal optimism getting the best of me.
Fact is, Bruno says this year's blend is 78% Shiraz, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. The iron fist manifests itself by way of the alcohol level that soars into the stratosphere without a trace of ethanol in the nose. The velvet glove is the cloak of the grape skins preserved from the vineyard into the glass.
Tait Ball Buster 2006 is deep dark purple ruby, as expected. You get aromas of loganberry, expresso, cedar and forest. Lush jammy red-to-black fruit, vanilla, then chocolate emerge, at first sweetly on the edges of the tongue. The finish is dusty dry with soft astringency on the center of the tongue.
Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc Viognier expresses the very irrational exuberance that got us into this economic mess. But it didn't, it just tastes that way. Like Sarah Palin, it's fresh, attractive and uncluttered, but alas, it's well crafted.
This alternative white wine blend will connect and resonate with most any white wine drinker. It tastes like perfectionism in a bottle. It comes out of left field but has the power to bring people together. I've tasted this wine in previous vintages, always found it to be pleasant, but this vintage really grabbed me.
Expect perfumed aromas of melon, pear, grapefruit and cold blossoms, plus overtones of sweet spice. On the tongue, bright acidity gives it a mouth-watering crisp edge. The finish, like Sarah Palin, gives a wink of sweetness, but the overall effect is palate-cleansing. Robert Parker himself rated this one 90 points, a real bragging point for an under-$15 USA-made white wine.
Oktoberfest! I must confess that October has found me drinking more beer. Maybe it's Oktoberfest, or maybe I'm turning into a beer advocate. My paying job has me promoting brews, so I have a vested interest in gaining first hand experience. Research must involve all the senses. Yeah, that's it.
Not knowing much about beer, I stumbled onto a couple of good ones right off the bat. First, Duvel Belgian Strong Pale Ale. If you've tried it, you know about that amazing head. If you haven't tried it, and you're not dead yet, go get a bottle, chill, and pour it into a glass. The head defies gravity. It's like what I hoped whipped cream would be when I first learned of it, but it never was. Lightly bitter, unlike the hop-head brews that gather the limelight, beautifully crisp, like a champagne, refreshing and smooth, Duvel is the creme de la creme, literally and figuratively. It's not the latest thing, but no one appears to have improved on it. Expect to pay about $3-$4 a bottle (330 ml.). Alcohol content: 8.5%.
And then there's Dogfish Head Punkin Ale. 'Tis the season, and unlike the imitation over-hyped or over-hopped brews that pretend to convey the harvest, Dogfish really does. The color is beautiful, somewhere between a new minted copper penny and an October sunset. The aromas are complex, hinting at sweet baking spices and pumpkin, but also conveying lots of malt and even some hops. The flavor is a bribe that could make you do most anything.
Expect to pay about $8.99 for a 4-pack of 12 ounce bottles. Alcohol content: 7%. Don't miss out!
By way of a "plug", I recently installed high-proof beer sections into Frugal MacDoogal's web sites for Nashville and Fort Mill, SC (Charlotte, NC area). These sections combine my original bottle photos with a pinch of clever programming, some worthy graphics, and information from all over the place. So far, Frugal's is getting good results from this effort.
But what did this family drink? On offer was the internationally exported Tsingtao beer from another famed coastal city, Qingdao. The spelling ?Tsingtao? is from the Wades-Giles system of representing the sounds of Chinese characters (now defunct); but some Chinese brands/institutions like to state their age by using the early 20th Century romanized spelling replaced by pinyin after 1949 and the foundation of the PRC (the pinyin is ?Qingdao?, pronounced ?ching-dow? for English speakers). There was also Chinese peach juice and the inescapable bai jiu, literally ?white alcohol?, a category of spirits distilled from sorghum or millet which can range in flavour from delicate aniseed to rotting garbage (I don?t know how they quite manage that or what kind of ?still? bai jiu is actually distilled in).
We?d brought a bag of gifts with us ? never go to a Chinese family without bringing something ? which included a bottle of 2007 Lo Tengo Torrontes from Norton (from importer ASC). Torrontes is an Argentinian, highly aromatic grape (a bit like a cross between Muscat and Gewurztraminer with an oily and slightly bitter aftertaste) which, in our experience, has appealed to Chinese wine drinkers. But the Chinese never open gifts in front of people and it would have been rude to suggest chilling it. So we got talking about wine instead, over beer, peach juice and bai jiu.
Bai jiu is fairly evil in more than one respect. Although the northern Chinese like to drink it with seafood and just about anything, its very name has clouded the existence of white wine. Red wine is popularly known as hong jiu (literally ?red alcohol?), but its correct, full name is hong putao jiu (?red grape alcohol?). Because the Chinese know bai jiu as ?white alcohol? and red wine as hong jiu, many are unaware that white wine, whose correct name is bai putao jiu (?white grape alcohol?), even exists. And, as we discovered in trying to find a wine shop in downtown Dalian, not everyone even knows that the lauded hong jiu ? the short-hand for red wine ? is made from grapes. Asking for a local shop selling putao jiu (wine in general), one security guard assured us there was nothing like that in the area, but there was a shop selling hong jiu! When Fongyee qualified ?hong putao jiu?, the guard looked even more perplexed. But there?s nothing in the phrase hong jiu that mentions grapes, of course.
Over the prawn soup, we talked about wine. Many Chinese, although they buy Chinese wines for patriotic reasons, are suspicious of the bigger brands: Great Wall, Changyu, Dynasty etc.
Their suspicions were not allayed when we revealed the big brands blend Chinese wine with imported must (whenever another country, say Spain or Chile, has a surplus); but they were interested in Grace Vineyard and Dragon Seal as producers using exclusively Chinese grapes. The older generation like their beer and bai jiu and find wine?s acidity and the tannins in red wine to be a bit unpleasant; although many older Chinese feel they should be drinking red wine for health reasons. The younger generation ? in this case Fongyee?s 34 year-old cousin who works in real-estate and her husband, a tennis instructor ? does drink wine, but there is not much of a wine-bar scene in Dalian, outside the five-star hotels.
We knew already about Dalian-based French importer DCT Wines, run by Frederic Choux. In addition, we found an intriguing wine-bar and shop called AP Wines in a local shopping mall.
The Dalian owner spoke English and explained the wines he was importing directly. It took a while to realize that the name AP came from Australian producer, Andrew Peace, whose wines dominated the shop?s selection. All in all these looked pretty pricey by Beijing standards (e.g. well over 300RMB for a generic Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon) and the place had only been open a year, so perhaps business was tough. The owner didn?t let on, but was on the ball, offering a glass of 2006 Master Peace Shiraz, Andrew Peace which he apologized was a bit cold to drink as it had been stored in the fridge (at least they were trying to preserve opened bottles somehow). AP Wines did have a few wines from France and Germany besides the Andrew Peace range. But we thought we?d shake things up a bit with our Chinese relatives by purchasing a tetra-pak, one-litre bottle of non-vintage Andrew Peace Chardonnay for next day?s feast.
I say shake things because in a young wine market like China?s traditional packaging, cork closures and red wines generally reign supreme, even although most Chinese palates prefer lighter reds with generally low tannins (e.g. from wines made from grapes like Gamay or Pinot Noir) or whites with some residual sugar. So we?d deliberately chosen a wine under cork as a gift, albeit the plastic cork of the above Lo Tengo Torrontes before arriving in Dalian. Now, here we were a) bringing white wine to the table, b) choosing a wine in a one-litre format not standard 75 cl bottle and c) purchasing something in less than ?classy? packaging. We could ?keep face? doing this only because of our professional work and knowledge of international wines. As a result everyone in the family tried the Aussie Chardonnay and ostensibly liked it. But it was Fongyee?s younger cousins who actually drank most of the tetra-pak, saying how well the wine went with the beautiful Dalian clams on offer.
So let?s explode a few myths and report on what we learned or confirmed: it is not correct to say the Chinese struggle to drink alcohol, even wine, or are blind to trying new things (we hear a lot of importers here who insist the Chinese will only try certain types of wine ? ignore them. It?s more a matter of education all round). The only Chinese who don?t drink much tend to be Cantonese. They lack alcohol dehydrogenase, the enzyme that processes alcohol ? hence the pink-in-the-face routine after half a glass. These ?wine drinkers? should try Moscato d?Asti or another low-alcohol wine with decent residual sugar and pleasant, easy-to-like aromas. Northern Chinese drink like the Russians and Koreans: don?t take them on, particularly with bai jiu. The older generation are unlikely to be great wine buyers, unless they are highly affluent. It?s China younger drinkers who are coming to Western brands in all forms. Where wine may have the edge, though, is that it is perceived to be healthier than spirits. White wine may not be well-known, but younger drinkers will try just about anything and choosing and drinking international wines has social cachet.
The Dalian wine-lists we saw ? in our hotel and a few restaurants ? were dominated by the more significant importers here, particularly ASC and Torres China. But the wine scene is very young. However, there?s certainly a fair bit of cash knocking around this popular Chinese city with massive building developments and the predictable run of black S-Class Mercedes ducking between scooters and vehicles of all other descriptions.
On our final day, we visited a local Buddhist temple and monastery. From a distance, this countryside retreat could have dated from the Ming or Qing Dynasties. But as we came up close, it looked newer and newer, in fact, very new! (Not that this necessarily meant it was new. Beijing?s Ming Dynasty Forbidden City is, for example, under constant restoration and re-painting). But this place was genuinely young. A group of wealthy Buddhists had built the entire thing from scratch as recently as 2004. As we thought about this massive undertaking, we wondered if the Chinese Buddhists in question ? generally, more laid back than their Japanese Zen or Lamaist Tibetan counterparts ? were also buying wine for their festivals and holidays. Judging by the SUVs and luxury cars lining the car-park of this working temple, many of these Chinese Buddhists could certainly afford to buy wine and perhaps a few of them are.
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
There is definitely wine in India, but who exactly is drinking it? I have tasted pretty much all of the local, at least grape, wine I can find, which was pretty easy, as that is a population of about three producers. I ran across fruit wines being sold up in the foothills of the Himalayans, but I didn't have a chance to try it, and I don't usually count it as wine, at least for the scope of this blog.
The most amazing thing about wine, at least this far from Delhi (I am up north in the large city of Chandigarh) is people's perceptions of it. They, at least the locals I have met, do not know exactly what wine is. They assume it is a sort of whiskey, and a high priced one at that.
When I had a chance to share wine with them they were delighted with the taste, although to be fair I started them off with a slightly sweet white. This is a beginner wine for many people, and it was well received here, and went nicely with the local foods.
People here drink whiskey, and they drink it with nibbles before a meal. Drinking wine with the dinner was not something they had ever thought of doing. In fact drinking wine at all was something they had not thought of doing.
Almost every block there is a store that sells liquor and beer, and while the signs say they have wine, none actually do. Only a few stores carry wine at all, and their selection is very small.
That is not surprising given that most of the people in India I have met have no idea what wine is. The few restaurants that have wine listed have "both kinds" red and white, and nothing more descriptive than that.
The wines made in India are not bad, but they are very expensive. In a country where a hair cut cost $1.50 a $12 bottle of wine is an investment that few consider worth the risk.
It is changing. The ultra rich are drinking the big name labels, as they always do. The middle classes are ordering Dominos pizzas in their Levi jeans over their cell phones, and sooner or later they are going to start equating wine with their lifestyles.
Once India gets a taste for wine, watch out, there is a huge potential market here, if you are very, very patient, or very, very proactive.
Amazon.com, the online purveyor of books, apparel, and just about everything else, has announced its plans to enter the wine sales business. Beginning as early as mid-October, the online retailer will offer a selection of more than 300 wines from all over the United States to customers in 26 states. The company indicates that the selection will represent a wide cross-section of US producers, not just wineries in California, Oregon, and Washington State.
Shipping and taxes, as ever with online wine sales, will likely be an issue. Amazon says that customers of the Amazon Prime service (which carries a $79 annual fee) will get free shipping. Still, it's an intriguing development.
Contents of this feed are a property of Creative Weblogging Limited and are protected by copyright laws. Violations will be prosecuted. Please email us if you'd like to use this feed for non-commercial activities at feeds - at - creative-weblogging.com.
Amazon.com, the online purveyor of books, apparel, and just about everything else, has announced its plans to enter the wine sales business. Beginning as early as mid-October, the online retailer will offer a selection of more than 300 wines from all over the United States to customers in 26 states. The company indicates that the selection will represent a wide cross-section of US producers, not just wineries in California, Oregon, and Washington State.
Shipping and taxes, as ever with online wine sales, will likely be an issue. Amazon says that customers of the Amazon Prime service (which carries a $79 annual fee) will get free shipping. Still, it's an intriguing development.
Contents of this feed are a property of Creative Weblogging Limited and are protected by copyright laws. Violations will be prosecuted. Please email us if you'd like to use this feed for non-commercial activities at feeds - at - creative-weblogging.com.
Compared to sports fans, wine lovers of different stripes don't have a lot to have really heated arguments about. Even when my fellow wine geeks get into it about whether Romanee Conti is worth the money, or whether Biodynamics is more voodoo than science, there's less vehemence than you'd find at any pre-season football game.
If there is one exception to this rule in the mild mannered arena of mutual enjoyment of wine and camaraderie, it may be the modern hysteria about rising alcohol levels in wine.
Tecnorati
SIPPED: double entendre!
Yes, I?m still here! Posting has taken a back seat to life and real deadlines lately (hi, Jim! hi, Eric!), but the resumption of a more regular pattern is on the horizon.
While traveling across the central width of Italy last month there were signs of interest in the coming election in the United States. Italians love to display their opinions. Anyone who traveled in Italy in early 2003 saw a preponderance of multi-colored flags with the word PACE streaming from balconies and balustrades across the country. In that moment the sentiment was of protestation against an imminent invasion and war against Iraq.
We visited one such family in Florence. I have been friends with photographer 
Colin Powell is a Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, for like the wine, they both served at the pleasure of their rulers. Often cast aside in favor of the more obstreperous Brunello, Vino Nobile is the phlegmatic one, calm under fire and very dependable, and a great dancer. Able to take the hill and "get down tonight". Our Tuscans thought the Colin Powell showed great strength of conviction even though his latest moves probably wouldn?t be too popular back in his grand old party. But like Vino Nobile, sometimes being the most popular one isn't the highest goal. To serve as an agent of change and veracity seeks higher ground and purpose.
