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[06/28/2007, 03:02]

Food & Wine Adventures in BC:
10 Delectable Insider Secrets

Insiders know that many of British Columbia?s most tantalizing food and wine experiences are found in the Fraser, Cowichan and Okanagan valleys. So wine, dine and taste your way through these food-centric areas. Discover boutique wineries, savour Aboriginal cuisine, feast...


[09/24/2008, 09:46]

Investors turn to the Fine Wine Market

wine stains

With the credit crunch looming large, 'alternative investments' such as fine wine are becoming increasingly popular. Figures from Berry Bros. & Rudd & Christie's Fine Wine Auction show a combined total of over two and a half million pounds worth of fine wine has been sold by these two companies in the past few weeks.
 
Berrys', the UK's leading independent wine merchant, has witnessed outstanding sales in the last few weeks, selling 1000 cases of 2006 Ch. Lynch Bages and 1000 cases of 2000 Dom Perignon Champagne, worth a combined total of one million pounds.
 
Christie's Bordeaux 2000 sale, held this week, saw bullish spending with the Ch. Lafite Rothschild 2000 making £10,925 per case and a case of Ch. Latour 2000 going for £9,200. Overall, the 'Highlights from a Superlative Millennium Vintage: Bordeaux 2000' auction realised a combined total of £1,654,775.
 
Historically great wines from great vintages have appreciated 10-15% per annum, so its no wonder investors are putting their money into alternative funds. And, with wine classed as a 'wasting asset,' any investment is free from capital gains tax.

... goes on to list 'Berry Bros. & Rudd's tips to investing in Fine Wine'. Worth a read.

» Full Story

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wine stains wine stains
WorldWine Tags: melgab, wine, investment, ROI, auction, south-africa, South Africa,
[12/12/2007, 02:32]

Best SA wines and cellars 2002 to 2007

Wine Magazine have announced their 2007 WINE Classification (South Africa) - the fourth since first published in 2004.

It basically identifies South African wines and cellars with the best track records in terms of consistently good reviews in WINE magazine panel tastings conducted blind (without sight of the labels) over the previous five years.

Take a look:

2007 WINE Calssification for South Africa

If anything it gives you an idea of what to look out for in the respective categories when you're in the shops and/or which estates may be worth visiting.

Cru Master
[10/19/2008, 02:54]

Chateau Lafon 2003 wine review by (PB)

o
This Sauternes is light golden wine with a wonderful bouquet of spicy citrus and grapefruit with a honey nose.

In the mouth this desert wine is velvety with stewed apricots and honey with a rich sweetness that lingers. Finishes long and sexy. I paid $13 for the 1/2 bottle and if they have more when I return, it shall be purchased! Raise a glass!
[09/26/2008, 19:01]

Robert Parker's Wine Buying Guide

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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.

(photo courtesy of Simon & Schuster) See full article.

Related Entries:

Vinturi Helps Wines to Breathe Faster, Taste Better! - 03 October 2007

Wine, Women, and Robert Parker - 24 October 2007

Who Needs Robert Parker... - 18 December 2007

Free Downloadable Wine Book - 05 September 2008




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[10/03/2008, 08:45]

After Midnight

We are pushing to get all of the Pinot in and destemmed. Chula Vina and Hilltop Ranch have been harvested. Palisades will be tomorrow. Holly, Hummux and I are working the night shift. There’s nothing like being sticky, tired, wet and cold after midnight….

ooo

[10/28/2008, 11:00]

Romney Park Reserve Chardonnay 2006

Romney Park Reserve Chardonnay 2006
[10/10/2008, 21:14]

Cellar's Market: Fine Wine Investing On the Rise

It looks like the trend mentioned a few weeks back is still popular. Jennifer Waters (marketwatch.com) writes:

CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- On a hot, sunny Friday here in September only days after the first Monday market meltdown, two well-heeled wine buyers battled each other at a private auction for the privilege of shattering a world-record price for a single case of 1982 Chateau Lafite Rothschild.
 
A Chinese buyer who flew in from Beijing for the Hart Davis Hart Co. auction won with a final bid of $54,970 -- a whopping $4,580.83 a bottle. At its release in 1984, a single bottle would have sold for roughly $100. A case of 1990 Romanee-Conti Domaine de la Romanee-Conti that was released at about $500 a bottle sold for $179,250, or $14,937.50 each. A case of 2000 Chateau Petrus was bought for $57,360, or $4,780 a bottle. At its release, the price was $750 a bottle.
 
Such dramatic price appreciation is not the norm for wine investments, but it does underscore how lucrative and resilient investing in fine wine can be -- particularly so at a time when market volatility is deflating 401(k) accounts and retirement nest eggs, and low interest rates are choking returns on cash and other investments.

Full Story

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WorldWine Tags: melgab, wine, investment, ROI, auction, south-africa, South Africa,
[11/11/2008, 04:51]

WINES & SPIRITS MAGAZINE PICKS FOXRUN AMONG TOP 100 WINERIES IN NOV 2008 ISSUE

o

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.

o

Congratulations to Scott Osborn at the entrie crew over at Fox Run on this monumental achievment!
[07/17/2008, 13:25]

More Godello

How could I omit the two intelligent value Godello picks? I chose these two because they convey distinct interpretations of the variety, in spite of the two D.O.?s not being terribly far apart. Taste them together to see the immense differences evident in each Godello within what would amount to a short bus ride from Bierzo to Valdeorras. It?s quite hard to argue that neighboring wine regions cultivating the same variety aren?t little miracles, with this sentiment growing even more potent for the wine lover within single vineyards with many producers, though that?s another topic altogether.

Enjoy this, one of many examples of all new things Spanish that will slowly become more prevalent in the U.S. market over the coming six months or so?Godello.

Before I forget, speaking of the next wave of imports from Spain, if you haven?t been paying attention to Telmo Rodríguez in the past few years, I would try his Godello and watch this video. Aside from being a fascinating Spanish entrepreneur, he exudes passion for well-crafted, regional wines. The video is eight minutes in length, though for some reason, it winds up being 3 and change. Nevertheless, listen to Mr. Rodríguez introducing his wines on a recent visit to Toronto?s Lifford Wine Agency. In essence, he is responsible for affordable little masterpieces from various Spanish D.O.?s. His progressive outlook in terms of production methods is matched by an ability to reinvigorate production of traditional varieties in the regions where he owns vineyards. This in turn, yields intelligent value wines from various Spanish D.O.?s that much like Susana Balbo?s wines in Argentina, seem to be produced in a manner which never sacrifices regional character for novelty or the wrong type of market's tastes. What with how things are going nowadays in the wine business, what a refreshing point of view!

Los vinos:

2007 Pilgrim Godello Bierzo D.O.


This wine is clean, pale straw and unassuming at first sight. The nose is vibrant, driven by wild flowers, citrus, treefruit and stone minerality. Complex mouthfeel, with a crisp, racy shot of acidity (pink grapefruit), alongside rich treefruit and distinctive mineral notes.

This wine is produced by Viñedos Agribergidum in Bierzo, located at the westernmost outpost of León bordering Galicia. The Godello vines are an average of 40 years old, with the variety purposely farmed to very low yields.

Imported by Beacon Wine Company.

2005 Gaba do Xil Godello Valdeorras D.O.


A really nice pale gold in the glass. The nose is clean and pronounced, with perfumey floral element, lush green pear, peaches, honeydew melon and touch of sweet spice. Complex but never overwhelming medium-bodied white with great balance of ripe fruit flavors and medium citrus acidity. Love the soft spice undertones that follow the lovely fruit into the aftertaste.

Imported by Tempranillo, Inc.
[09/10/2008, 00:00]

Berrys celebrates fifth Master of Wine

Martin Hudson has been awarded the wine world's top honor joining four of his colleagues at Berry Bros. & Rudd
[08/09/2006, 02:23]

Tuesday, August 8, 2006

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Unfortunately, at my new job we have dial-up (effing historic) so the blogging thing will be very irregular. I promise to have a post tomorrow night though, so look out. As soon as I can get back to the regular schedule I will. Be patient my lambs....

On other accounts, the new job is great (obviously I'm not far enough in to have any probs...) and I am feeling very fulfilled. More deets tomorrow.

Cheers!
Mel
[10/20/2008, 05:29]

Great beer

I usually don't write about beer but this on is great.
 Dog Fish Head:
 Theobroma:

This is a recreation of one of the oldest brews, 1100 B.C. it made of coco, ancho chili, honey, its not really hot with spice even though you can taste it, and the coco is mellow but the main flavor, its smooth and tasty, not going to be around long try it if yo can
[11/02/2008, 09:10]

nicholas rossignol volnay 1er santenots 2005

It would be hard to guess that this came from the same vineyard as the recent Faiveley Santenots. The Faiveley was more butch, and perhaps longer - an ‘hommage’ to the style of Lafon - but the width and complexity of fruit here seems more ‘Volnay’ though the oak needs to fade a little more. [...]
[10/30/2008, 03:14]

Oct 30, The Wine Diet, by Professor Roger Corder

The wine diet a complete nutritional and lifestyle plan
[10/28/2008, 07:43]

Portsmouth Wine Expert Offers New Classes

Portsmouth, NH- Portsmouth-based wine expert Carla Snow has opened registration for her new session of wine classes: Uncorked Level 2 Tuesdays November 11th to December 2nd 6:30 TO 8:30; Four weeks $195.00 This ...

[06/26/2008, 11:47]

A taste of Greek wine and tourism

I just had a little jaunt across the border into Greece. I got to taste a very nice Greek wine, and I had a not particularly Greek dinner at a very elegant Greek restaurant in Thessaloniki. While I do not often post restaurant reviews, I do have a few words to say on the subject.

For many of us the thought of Greek wine brings up recollections of pine needles and disinfectant. There is a world of Greek wine beyond just Retsina, and while my most recent foray was limited to a wine list it bears pointing out that there is a modern and thriving wine industry in Greece.

The wine list was full of the usual and all to ubiquitous Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlots that you would expect to find anywhere, except these were all of Greek origin. I didn't explore these transplants to the Hellenic wine scene, opting instead for a more traditional bottle of Asyrtiko .

Speaking of Cabernet Sauvignon's recent emergence in Greece, a recent book by Miles Lambert-Gocs "Desert Island Wines" suggests that Cab may just be tracing back its roots to its ancestral origins in Greece.

I won't do my usual song and dance about how Cab, Merlot and Chard are eroding the once varied landscape of international wines, honest. Suffice it to say that I have yet to go anywhere in my travels that these revered grape varieties, once relegated to France and California, have not been prominent on every wine list.

The Asyrtiko I had was a fun and different white wine indeed. It is hard to even find the descriptors for this wine, since the flavor is above all else, unusual for one used to the classic French varietals. This made the wine that much more interesting to try and to recommend you discover. It may well be that any examples of this grape you find in the US have suffered from the long boat ride, so if your impressions don't jive with mine, consider it an excuse to visit sunny Greece.

The restaurant we ate at was a delightful tourist trap perched high on the top floor of the Electra Palace Hotel. We went for the view, and were well rewarded for our efforts. The view and the wine were our favorite parts of the meal, but we knew this going in, and so were well prepared.

The view and wine were Greek, the food was closer to French than not. It was an ambitious menu, especially for an outdoor venue where night time temperatures never fell below 80. A lighter, more elegant approach would have been more to our taste than the heavy handed dishes we ended up with.

We started with a Crab Napoleon and a "Lobster," Shrimp and Scallop dish in a Parmesan Cream Sauce. The quotes are because it was of course a langoustine and lobster was probably just a translation.

The napoleon was fun, with a rich cream sauce in with the crab and pastry, but there was also a slightly sour cream sauce around the sides of the plate that went well with the roe it was decorated with, but clashed with the main sauce. The pastry itself was a bit soggy and even a touch musty tasting. The downside of being a few feet away from the sea. Had the pastry been made fresh it would have been more impressive.

The langoustine et al. was really flavorful, in a heavy tarragon cream sauce, but it became a chore in that heat to eat more than a few bites. The presentation was delightful, albeit hard to eat, with heads and shells intact.

We chose our main courses to accompany the wine, and ended up with Swordfish with Tomatoes and Capers, and an Escallop of Pork in a Mint cream sauce.

The swordfish was terribly overcooked and more reminiscent of tuna from a can than a fresh steak should be. But then it isn't like they pulled the swordfish from the bay we were overlooking. It was disappointing and dry.

The Pork to was cooked to death, but this may be due to the reflex to over cook pork that many restaurants have. It turned this potentially lovely dish into shoe leather. Missing too was the mint flavor. There seemed to be flakes of a dried herb in the sauce, but the mint flavo, if any was subtle even for my usually discering palate.

We paid dearly for the view, but honestly, it was what we were after. Our expectations were met right down to the server that forgot about us for over an hour, but it just gave us that much more time to drink in the view, and the lovely white wine.

I had in the back of my head finding a perfect little out of the way spot for a bit of moussaka and a few dolmas, to see how they compared to my own cooking, but Thessaloniki is a cosmopolitan city catering to tourists and our experience was probably more indicative of the flavor of the city itself.

For more on Thessaloniki and a look at the views, pop on over to our travel blog .
[05/12/2008, 17:55]

Interview with Ed Lehrman of Vine Connections: Second Installment

o
*What an unusual mix in terms of the international producers you represent?why Argentina, New Zealand and Japan?

- Not really if you consider that Argentina and Japan (Ginjo sake), and to some extent New Zealand, share the same common elements?there are great wines and sake being produced by highly talented winemakers and tojis (master brewers), and they are not getting recognized yet. The quality is already in the bottle?so why should these sell less or get less respect than wine from more obvious regions? We always say that we are really a ?national education company? since we usually explain more than we sell. Our job is to get people to taste these wines and premium sake, and the stuff inside the bottles takes care of the rest. At the heart of this idea is also the notion that in the end, it?s the people you work with who make the difference between mediocre and ?wow!?. We have been lucky, fortunate, and smart (maybe a little of each) to meet and represent some of the top talent in these regions:

Susana Balbo?Crios de Susana Balbo, Susana Balbo signature wines, Nosotros (with Pedro below)

Pedro Marchevsky ? BenMarco

Pepe Galante & Mariano di Paola ? mapema

Luis Reginato ? Luca, Tikal, La Posta

Roberto de la Mota - Mendel

Jose & Pepe Reginato ? Reginato sparkling wines

Guy Davis ? Davis Family Vineyards (Russian River, CA) and Gusto (NZ SB)

13 Master Brewers from all over Japan?each as talented as anyone we have met.

*As someone who deals so closely with Argentine producers, what types of obstacles, limitations and concerns have any of them expressed to you in terms of being able to export and promote their products abroad?

- Well, I want to stay out of trouble here since I travel to Argentina a lot, but let me just say that the Argentine government has historically been more of a hindrance than a help for wine exports. As an example, and hard to believe, they actually tax EXPORTS! Perhaps the bigger obstacle for Argentine wineries is that the economic and political situation is relatively unstable, and when you are in an industry that measures commitment and success over a decade or longer due to capital investment requirements, it is hard to deal with a system that usually looks out only 2-3 years at a time.

*In your eyes, what sets apart these Argentine producers you represent? What do their wines bring to the table of American wine consumers that large-yield, often conglomerate-backed wines simply cannot?

- I alluded to this a bit above when talking about who we represent and why. I think there are three main things that set our producers apart:

1) Our wineries are owned by and have Argentine winemakers who have lived in this unique climate and region for their entire lives. For us, that means that the wines that they make TASTE like Argentine wines, not like some random wine from somewhere in the world. And as talented as some of the flying/foreign winemakers are who are working in Mendoza, I have yet to taste a wine from them that thrills me the way our producers? wines do at the dinner table. And I taste everything from down there.

2) As good as they already are, they are still always trying to learn how to improve their wines, and in today?s wine world, that?s the only way you stay on top. It shows.

3) Obsessive attention to detail seems like an abused phrase, but in winemaking it is crucial and not as common as you would think. Our winemakers are also our close friends and in Argentina that is taken pretty seriously. They make sure that every step is done with the utmost care because they would never want to look their friends in the eye and say, ?uhh..I?m sorry but this wine is just ok because we weren?t really paying close attention when we made it.? Large wineries may be able to solve #1 above, but #2 and #3 are far harder to come by, and that?s probably as true in the US as it is in Argentina.

*Looking ahead?are there any regions Vine Connections is looking to expand its portfolio toward, and why?

- We made a strategic decision a few years ago that we would remain specialists in Argentine wine and Japanese sake. Some importers have gone in the opposite direction and are happy to sell one of everything from anywhere, but we?re just not built that way as people. We started as leaders in both of these categories and we feel the only way to stay out in front is to specialize. That?s why we spend almost a month per year in Mendoza and visit Japan for at least 2 weeks every year. It?s our own ?attention to detail? mantra, and we try to stick to it so that we can look our customers in they eye and say every time, ?This is really great Argentine wine and Ginjo sake?. Every time.

- Fortunately, we won?t be bored since there still plenty of regions and microclimates still left to discover in Argentina.

*Given the nature of the market here in the United States, what advice would you give to consumers who would like be aware of, as well as actually see, a dramatic increase in availability of premium Argentine wines such as those crafted by your producers?

- American consumers have helped their own cause a lot already by being very open to trying wines like Malbec, Bonarda, and Torrontes. I think they will help themselves even further by continuing to experiment with wines at many different prices, not just the ?great values? under $15. Nick and I firmly believe that well-made Argentine wines offer incredible value and over-deliver at all price points. A $12 wine is worth more like $16, and a $30 wine is worth more like $40 when compared to other wine regions of the world. And, of course, you can support quality-focused companies like Vine Connections by paying attention to the importer name or logo (like our compass) that appear on every bottle. As with other wine regions, a good wine importer can be your best friend when you haven?t tried a particular wine yet and would like some assurance that you are going to enjoy it?especially when spending more than $15 or so.
[08/30/2008, 21:24]

Drink for the Cure

o


October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Fat Bastard wines are doing their part to cure this disease by donating 25 cents for every bottle sold in restaurants and retail stores, up to $75,000. This is the sixth year the company has run this program and to date, they have donated more than $250,000 to breast cancer research.

During October, Fat Bastard wines will be easy to spot on the shelf. They'll have a pink ribbon necker with an attached pin for consumers to wear. Fat Bastard's wine collection includes Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Rose, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

(photo © istockphoto) See full article.

Related Entries:

You Don't Have to Be a Woman to Support Breast Cancer Reasearch. It's As Easy As Buying a Cake! - 06 September 2007

Think PINK During OCT Breast Cancer Awareness Month - 04 October 2007

Pink October: National Breast Cancer Awareness Month - 02 October 2007

Attention Women: Change the Statistic! - 09 October 2007




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[09/26/2008, 11:48]

Gaja: relax Brunello rules on Sangiovese

A two tier qualification proposal for Brunello? I can't believe it's come down to this... talk about making a mountain out of a molehill. Richard Woodard (decanter.com) writes:

Italian winemaker Angelo Gaja has said that Brunello should operate a two-tier system and allow other varieties other than Sangiovese.
 
As the Brunello grape blending furore continues, the veteran Piedmont producer - who also makes Brunello di Montalcino ? has suggested DOC Brunello should move on and no longer demand the wine is made from 100% Sangiovese.
 
In an article published this month in Italian newspaper Libero and local Tuscan paper La Nazione, Gaja says that if indeed Brunello producers have been adding other grapes illegally to the wine, then those producers should have been lobbying to get the appellation rules changed.

» Full Story

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WorldWine Tags: melgab, wine, brunello, montalcino, appellation, italy, south-africa, South Africa,
[03/12/2008, 03:02]

Vintage Cellars affordable imports ...

By Campbell Mattinson
Publisher, The Wine Front

oI like writing about imports but it always frustrates me how limited they are (in terms of availability) and generally how expensive. As a reviewer it can feel like I’m spending a lot of time writing for a very, very small number of people. When a box of affordable imports from Australian retailer Vintage Cellars came in though I jumped at it; this is more like it. Vintage Cellars has put a lot of time and energy into its quaffable import range in recent years and it shows. These wines are generally good, available and not expensive. Tasting through them was like a quick trip around the world. There are a couple of real bargains here.

These reviews are available to subscribers only. Click here for the reviews.

In coming months I will attempt to review the comparable ranges of other importers. 

[10/24/2008, 09:49]

Bulk Wines

With old movies, I often find myself paying attention to background details, like the style of men's ties, typefaces, and historical curiosities.

oTake this still from Charlie Chaplin's 1936 Modern Times. I've sharpened and adjusted the image somewhat, and it will be clearer to read if you click on the small photo to the right.

During an extended scene in a department store with the female lead in which our two impoverished protagonists pretend to be rich, the Little Tramp is chased into the liquor section. The sign at the top of the wall reads "Rare Old Wines in Bulk", with a smaller sign below that says "Take Home a Jug of our Guaranteed Wine". The barrels are labeled Pre-War Stock Muscatel, Choice Old Rum, Special Port Wine, Pre-War Stock Sauterne (sic), Sherry Wine, and the blocked barrel reads Angelica Wine, which is sort of a California Port made from the Mission grape. Presumably "Pre-War" is shorthand for "Pre-Prohibition".

I know in the European countryside it's common to run up to the local wine producer with a jug or a few spare bottles to stock up on table wine, but it's not something I've ever associated with American wine drinking. Moonshine yes, wine no.

I don't know a lot about how wine, fortified wine, and spirits were shipped and stored back in the 1930s, but one wonders about how the Sauternes and Muscatel would have tasted after spending roughly twenty years in oak barrels. The rum could have been amazing, though, and that's what gets sprayed in Charlie's face seconds after that screen capture above.

Image copyright Warner Home Video.