Source: http://thecaveman.blogspot.com/2012/10/alsace-and-biodynamics.html
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Haydn’s Review of the Hard Row to Hoe Shameless Hussy Sangiovese Dry Rose
Appellation: Lake Chelan AVA (just established last year!)
Price: $22
Haydn gives this wine: 90pts
You can buy this wine: Hard Row to Hoe’s website
At least for me, when it comes to summertime, the rose wine jumps right up to the top. Along with those crisp whites (hello New Zealand), the cool and refreshingness of a rose is hard to beat. And when wine tasting in a region where the summer temps are hovering in the 90s, something cold is almost always something good.
Such was the case with the Hard Row to Hoe Shameless Hussy Rose, made from the Sangiovese grape. When describing this wine, I realized all of the bad Freudian slips that could easily be derived from such a tempting name. Without going all the way (sorry, no pun intended) into their history, the cliff notes go something like this: It’s based upon a brothel whereby the only mode of transportation to get there was by boat, or row boat, in the name’s case.
This rose is made for the summer. It’s crisp, refreshing, and loaded with bright berries, including strawberries and raspberries. The nose is beautiful with images of red berries dancing around your nose. It would go great with crab cakes (no, not those crabs) and cool brie cheese on a sunny afternoon.
As a Lake Chelan wine tasting virgin, this was a great wine to taste what Lake Chelan can produce, be it in a Rose. Overall Hard Row to Hoe’s wines were balanced with a comfortable amount of tannins and acid to them. And while the Syrah was the wine that won out to sip out on their covered balcony with misters running at full strength, the rose left one of the biggest, um, impressions in my mine. I now need to go was my… glass.
Cheers,
Haydn
—————————-
Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com
Jeffrey Michael Gordon Charles Robert Hamilton IV Charles Robert Hamilton V
Monday, January 28, 2013
Whitehall Lane Winery in St. Helena – The Sauvignon Blanc is outstanding
Amid the rain and wind this past Wednesday, we managed to squeeze in a tour and tasting at the Whitehall Lane Winery in St. Helena. Tom Leonardini and Family have owned the Whitehall Lane winery since 1993. Whitehall Lane is one of the Napa Valley’s earliest wineries with a start date of 1979. The winery is one our favorites, and we’d selected the winery for our Boutique Wine Trail back in 2003.
This was our first visit since the winery did a remodel and an addition a couple of years ago. Although the building structure has changed, the personnel remains very much the same, anchored by winemaker Dean Sylvester now in his eighteenth year at Whitehall. Our tour leader was Mike McLoughlin, the General Manger who joined the winery shortly after the Leonardini Family purchased the winery. Consistency is good in this case; the Whitehall Lane wines have been highly regarded throughout its history, highlighted many times by the Wine Spectator for its reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.
Dean Sylvester is his lab checks the Sauvignon Blanc blend
For tourists to the Napa Valley, the winery is easy to spot as you drive north on Highway 29 heading to St. Helena. The vineyards here stretch across to the Mayacamus Mountains to the west, providing one of the most glorious Napa Valley sights no matter what the season of the year or the weather of the day is. The architecture and color scheme of the winery blend perfectly into the vineyards and mountains. This inviting atmosphere draws many tourists to the tasting room. The photo below was shot in January of 2011 from the Whitehall Lane parking lot.
The vineyards adjacent to Whitehall Lane.
We like the Sauvignon Blanc and it is perhaps the most underrated wine in the Whitehall Lane lineup. The key to this wine is the small amount of Semillon grape that Dean Sylvester puts into this wine. I think the Semillon gives an added character to the S.B. The acidity is quite nice but not overbearing as in some Sauvignon Blancs. The wine is quite gentle with subtle citrus flavors. The wine sells for $18 at the winery. I can occasionally find this Sauvignon Blanc at my local Costco for about $11. It is usually in stock at Costco when the winery needs to make room for the next vintage. What a steal!
Two other wines we like are the Merlot and the Napa Valley Cabernet, both solid efforts and well balanced. These are terrific food wines because they do not overpower the palate. They just taste darn good with chicken and a variety of red meat dishes.
The tasting room is open daily and the tasting fee is $15 per person for a taste of four wines. Tip: Before you visit, do a Google search for “Whitehall Lane two-for-one tasting coupon.” I am almost certain you’ll find a coupon to print out for your visit to Whitehall Lane. We also suggest that for lunch you try Cindy Pawlcyn’s new restaurant in St. Helena. It is called the Wood Grill and Wine Bar and the food and atmosphere are very pleasant. You might even spot a few winemakers there enjoying lunch or dinner and having a friendly chat about their wines.
Enjoying the wines of Whitehall Lane
The post Whitehall Lane Winery in St. Helena – The Sauvignon Blanc is outstanding appeared first on Napa Valley Wine Blog.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Good News Spreads Fast
http://gastronomy-101.blogspot.com/2009/06/event-la-wine-competition-preview-and.html
http://thirstyinla.com/2009/06/19/2009-la-wine-spirits-competition/
http://lablips.dailyradar.com/story/los_angeles_international_wine_and_spirits_2009/
http://www.womenwine.com/posts/journals/18487-winners-of-the-2009-la-international-wine-competition
Controversial Promoter Says Marketers and Media Are Hurting Wine
"Would you buy a product that has not worked? Would you import a wine that has a fault? Would you adopt a strategy that had lead to defeat? This is exactly what is starting to happen with most of the... 
Age Verification Comes to Twitter
It is a common occurrence to be barred from entering a wine related website until you have confirmed your birthdate, or at least confirmed you are of legal drinking age in your country.
On Facebook it is already possible to stop under-age members from seeing certain content.
Twitter, in partnership with BuddyMedia (a social marketing suite of tools for large brands), have now launched and integrated an age verification service as part of the Twitter experience. From today brands can sign up to for Age Verification via https://age.twitter.com/ which will enforce rules that they describe as “consistent with standard industry practices”.
Expect to be sent a Direct Message (DM) if you decide to follow a wine brand that will direct you to a site where you will have to enter your date of birth before being approved. If you happen to fail it (because you are underage, under-attentive or under the influence) you will be forever blocked by that account. However, assuming you do pass, the good news is that you will not have to go through the process again for other Age Verified accounts. [more details from The Next Web]
What is not clear what happens if you make a mistake and need to correct the age associated with your twitter account.
These “standard industry practices” may be completely ineffective, and misguided, but until law-makers see sense this is here to stay and expect this to spread quite quickly amongst the brands owned by large multinational drinks companies keen to prove their ‘Responsibility’ credentials.
It will also probably not be long until the age verification process includes some external auditing and confirmation (from Facebook, or other online resources) which will increase its accuracy but raise many privacy issues.
Why not consider creating an alternative age verification system - it may be more likely to be effective.
Oh, and for the record, if you are under 18 in the UK, or 21 in the USA, you should not have read any of this in case you should be encouraged to drink excessively simply through discovering that alcohol brands exist.
Please drink and market responsibly!
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/TxMx5Vsz_Eo/
Age Verification Comes to Twitter
It is a common occurrence to be barred from entering a wine related website until you have confirmed your birthdate, or at least confirmed you are of legal drinking age in your country.
On Facebook it is already possible to stop under-age members from seeing certain content.
Twitter, in partnership with BuddyMedia (a social marketing suite of tools for large brands), have now launched and integrated an age verification service as part of the Twitter experience. From today brands can sign up to for Age Verification via https://age.twitter.com/ which will enforce rules that they describe as “consistent with standard industry practices”.
Expect to be sent a Direct Message (DM) if you decide to follow a wine brand that will direct you to a site where you will have to enter your date of birth before being approved. If you happen to fail it (because you are underage, under-attentive or under the influence) you will be forever blocked by that account. However, assuming you do pass, the good news is that you will not have to go through the process again for other Age Verified accounts. [more details from The Next Web]
What is not clear what happens if you make a mistake and need to correct the age associated with your twitter account.
These “standard industry practices” may be completely ineffective, and misguided, but until law-makers see sense this is here to stay and expect this to spread quite quickly amongst the brands owned by large multinational drinks companies keen to prove their ‘Responsibility’ credentials.
It will also probably not be long until the age verification process includes some external auditing and confirmation (from Facebook, or other online resources) which will increase its accuracy but raise many privacy issues.
Why not consider creating an alternative age verification system - it may be more likely to be effective.
Oh, and for the record, if you are under 18 in the UK, or 21 in the USA, you should not have read any of this in case you should be encouraged to drink excessively simply through discovering that alcohol brands exist.
Please drink and market responsibly!
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/TxMx5Vsz_Eo/
Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr
Poll: Which of these wine shops would you like to see in Needham?
Last year Needham, MA voted to allow retail wine sales for the first time. According to this article in the Boston Globe, on February 2nd, 2013 public hearings will be held to determine which of 10 applications will be granted licenses. Up to 6 will be approved.
Looking through the list we see a number of familiar names with stores in other locations in the Boston area. Here is the list of locations and applicants:
65 Crawford Street, Bin Ends, John Hafferty
1013 Great Plain Avenue, Needham Center Wine & Spirits, Christopher Lianos
50 Central Avenue, Panella's Market & Deli, Jeffrey Panella
And leave a comment if you're familiar with these and can shed some light on what kind of store they're likely to operate.
If the poll fails to embed go here to vote and/or see results
Thanks for your thoughts!
Looking through the list we see a number of familiar names with stores in other locations in the Boston area. Here is the list of locations and applicants:
1257 Highland Avenue, Needham Wine & Spirits, Michael O'Connell
679 Highland Avenue, Blanchards Wines & Spirits, Christine Elder
855 Highland Avenue, Gordon's Fine Wines & Liquors, David Gordon
- These 3 are long standing Massachusetts retailers with multiple locations
65 Crawford Street, Bin Ends, John Hafferty
- These 2 are newer retailers with 1 or 2 existing locations
- Part of a recently expanded farmers market/grocery store
33 Highland Avenue, Highland Ave Wine & Spirits, Marc Idelson
922-932 Great Plain Avenue, Craft Liquors, Edward Spivak1013 Great Plain Avenue, Needham Center Wine & Spirits, Christopher Lianos
50 Central Avenue, Panella's Market & Deli, Jeffrey Panella
- I'm not familiar with these - anybody else?
I'd be interested in hearing which of these you think would be the best choices for residents in Needham and surrounding towns. Vote for multiple retailers you'd like.
And leave a comment if you're familiar with these and can shed some light on what kind of store they're likely to operate.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Field Notes from a Wine Life – Media Edition
Odds and ends from a life lived through the prism of the wine glass…
Rex Pickett
If you’re not reading Rex Pickett’s (author of Sideways and Vertical) blog, you are officially remiss.
Pickett is a gifted writer who cranks out perfectly incubated long-form posts with turns of phrase that are both wry and rich, offering insight into the machinations of publishing, film and stage that few culture vultures grasp.
Pickett recently wrote an extensive (3900 word) post on the reasons why a film sequel to Sideways (directed by Alexander Payne) would not be made from Vertical, Pickett’s book sequel. In doing so, Pickett offered a discursive meditation on Payne’s artistic pathos and the factors that may be playing into Vertical’s stall on the way to celluloid.
Unfortunately, Pickett removed the post after re-publishing a second version that deleted much of the armchair psychologist rumination he originally channeled from Payne’s psyche. An email inquiry to Pickett on why he removed the post (in either iteration) has gone unanswered.
If I were a muckraker, I would publish the post because Pickett’s deletion of the post from his site did not delete the post from RSS feed readers like Bloglines or Google Reader. But, I’m not a muckraker…
Hopefully, Pickett will revisit the topic in a manner that is less confessional and more elucidation because it was worth the extended read time. Until then you can read the other posts on his site and gain tremendous insight into the vicissitudes of the publishing process, what the afterglow is like after capturing the cultural zeitgeist and how he’s helping bring Sideways to the theatre with a stage version.
It’s definitely recommended reading.
A Discovery of Witches
While we’re on the topic of books and authors (and with Halloween around the corner), a reinforcing mention goes to Deb Harkness of Good Wine Under $20. Earlier this year a little book she wrote called, “A Discovery of Witches” was published and immediately shot up the best sellers lists. The movie rights were acquired this summer by Warner Bros, likely securing Harkness’ financial future in the process.
While I read fiction infrequently (the last fiction book being Vertical by Rex Pickett), those that I know who can tell the difference between kindling and a classic call A Discovery of Witches “mad genius.”
Any conversation about a wine blogger doing good should begin with Deb Harkness who is now dabbling in rarified air. Pick up her book if you haven’t yet.
Bargain Wine Books
There’s little doubt, in the prolonged US economic malaise we’re experiencing, that “value wine” and “bargain wine” are hot topics. Heck, an entire channel of business has been defined with “Flash” wine sale sites. Given that, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that a couple of wine books would be published with this specific focus.
What is a surprise is that the books are authored by wine writers with real chops engaged in offering a deeper narrative than the slapdash compendiums of wine lists that has passed muster in years gone by.
Just in time for the holidays, Natalie MacLean has Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines publishing on November 1st and George Taber, a wine writer on a tear with his fourth book in six years, has A Toast to Bargain Wines: How Innovators, Iconoclasts, and Winemaking Revolutionaries Are Changing the Way the World Drinks publishing on November 15th.
An Idea worth Duplicating?
Celebrity deaths come in threes and new wine ideas come in twos.
We’ve seen this duplicative market entry in recent years with winery reservation systems CellarPass and VinoVisit and now we’re seeing it with quasi-wine search engines.
WineMatch and VinoMatch are both in the early stages of launch purporting to help a consumer match their likes with wines they might enjoy.
Meh. The problem with these sites isn’t that consumers don’t need help finding a wine they like, the problem is that most wine consumers don’t understand what kind of wine they like. Yes, it’s the tannins that dry the back of the mouth and its residual sugar that makes that K-J so delectable…
By the time consumers figure out their likes and dislikes graduating beyond the “go-to,” they don’t care about having somebody help them “match” their wines to their tastes because they’re on their own adventure.
It’s just my opinion, but these sites face looooong odds of finding consumer success and short of the slick willy seduction that happens with some wineries who haven’t been bitten and as such aren’t twice shy, they won’t find *any* success. But, I’ve been wrong before, at least once.
Pictures and Pithiness
While we’re on the topic of online wine services, I’m not sure whether I should be happy or aghast that I’ve been a habitué of the online wine scene for long enough to see a derivative – it’s like watching a remake of the movie Footloose when I was saw the original in the theatre.
There’s a new wine site called TasteJive that takes the concept of a wine blog called Chateau Petrogasm, popular in 2007 and 2008, to new heights.
Around the premise that a picture is worth a thousand words even if that picture has nothing to do with wine, they have created a site that provides nothing but visual metaphors with a 140 character description for finding wines you might like.
I loved the idea of Chateau Petrogasm, I like the idea of a perfectly crafted 140 character slug, but I’m very uncertain about the community aspect of TasteJive—the users who control the uploading of pictures and descriptions.
As noted mid-20th century photographer Diane Arbus said, “A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know.”
Not exactly a recipe for success in bumping into a wine.
Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/field_notes_from_a_wine_life_media_edition/
Richard Allen Craven Kerry Dale Earnhardt Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr
Fielding Hills Cabernet Franc Vertical Tasting [Wow! Alert]
Fielding Hills Winery, a small, family-owned winery in Wenatchee, is one of the top wineries in Washington State. Owner/winemaker Mike Wade and his wife Karen are longtime apple and cherry growers who have turned a middle portion of their orchard near Mattawa into a vineyard. The grapes for all nine of these wines were sourced from the Wade’s Riverbend Vineyard, planted in 1998, in the Wahluke Slope AVA. However, the 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003 vintages are labeled as Columbia Valley because Wahluke Slope was not established as an official AVA until 2006. Strictly red wine producers, Fielding Hills’ current production is about 1400 cases.
Recently, the four Wine Peeps and our good friends, Mark and Jill and Doug and Amee, sat down to dinner to enjoy this vertical tasting. While most of our tastings are blind, we decided not to taste these blind. We simply wanted to enjoy the wines and taste them in a logical order. We started with the oldest and worked our way to the youngest before we ate any food to try to get a good baseline for evaluation. [Unfortunately, the bottle of the 2007 vintage that we had during the dinner was corked, and we did not have a second bottle on hand. A few days later, we were able to get our hands on another bottle, which, thankfully, was good. So my tasting notes below for the 2007 vintage are for that bottle and not the one we had during the dinner.]
You can’t go wrong with any of these wines. In fact, all eight wines were very good and received a Quality Rating of at least 3.5 stars (out of 5). We thought that six out of the eight were excellent and rated them as 4 stars (out of 5) or higher. Once again, we were “wow”-ed by the 2008 vintage and gave it a rare 5 stars (out of 5). It remains the best Cab Franc I’ve ever had. The oldest vintages are still holding up well, but Mike really seems to be hitting his stride with the last three vintages.
If you are ever in the Wenatchee area, Fielding Hills is a stop you do not want to miss. I encourage you to give Mike and Karen a call to make an appointment to visit the winery. And regardless of whether you are able to visit or not, try to get your hands on a bottle or two of Fielding Hills wine and enjoy.
From oldest to youngest:
2003 Fielding Hills Cabernet Franc (Riverbend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): Deep garnet in color. Aromatic with red fruit, prune, herbs, and licorice on the nose. Red cherry and vegetal notes come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a long, slightly bitter, finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of five)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Winery Release: $28
2004 Fielding Hills Cabernet Franc (Riverbend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): Deep, dark garnet. Nice nose with red fruit and cinnamon aromas. More cinnamon as well as red and black cherry comes through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of five)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Winery Release: $28
2005 Fielding Hills Cabernet Franc (Riverbend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): Deep, dark red. Nice nose with red fruit, caramel, and floral aromas. Red and black fruit, spice, and floral notes come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of five)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Winery Release: $30
2006 Fielding Hills Cabernet Franc (Riverbend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): Deep red in color. Aromatic with red fruit and floral aromas on the nose. Fruit-forward with bright red fruit, floral notes, and a touch of spice on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of five)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Winery Release: $30
2007 Fielding Hills Cabernet Franc (Riverbend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): 88% Cabernet Franc, 6% Syrah, 4% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, dark garnet red. Aromatic with black cherry and cinnamon on the nose. Fruit-forward with black cherry and spice on the palate as well. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity, medium to high tannins, and a long, slightly bitter, finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of five)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Winery Release: $30
Quality: 5 stars (out of five)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Winery Release: $30
2009 Fielding Hills Cabernet Franc (Riverbend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): 90% Cabernet Franc, 5% Syrah, 3% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, dark red. Nice nose with black cherry, raspberry, and spice aromas. Black cherry, spice, and a touch of black pepper come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a very long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of five)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Winery Release: $30
2010 Fielding Hills Cabernet Franc (Riverbend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): 85% Cabernet Franc, 5% Syrah, 5% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, dark red in color. Beautiful nose with red and black fruit, cinnamon, and clove aromas. Black cherry, cinnamon, and clove come through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity, and high, dry tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of five)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Winery Release: $30
Fielding Hills Cabernet Franc Vertical Tasting [Wow! Alert] was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WinePeeps/~3/Xt9mpqolLnU/
Wine Bloggers’ Wines from Oddbins
So, do wine bloggers have any idea what wines others should drink, or are they just good at telling us about the stuff they like?
I have to admit to being very afraid of the idea of being responsible for choosing wines for other people I do not know. The idea of being a “Wine Buyer” would mean I would never sleep again. I love wine. I love drinking it, sharing it, talking about it and learning about it. I enjoy how it impacts on the world, and generally changes it for the better. But I do not know whether YOU will like any particular wine or not. Building a business that requires such certainty seems hard to me.
Blogger Initiative
I was very impressed and intrigued, therefore, to see that 6 of my fellow UK wine bloggers got together with Oddbins to create a selection of wines for the rest of us to enjoy so I just had to buy a case.
The basic story is on the Oddbins Wine Bloggers Case page, but you should also read any of the bloggers’ own articles linked below.
In summary, the six bloggers had access to an entire Oddbins shop for the task of selecting 12 bottles, one red, one white, each, for a case that would cost no more than £100 (including delivery). A tough but enjoyable challenge.
So, I had two simple questions:
1. Is this a “good idea”?
2. Are the choices any good?
What a Good Idea!
To answer the first, I have to say that I admire bloggers who do innovative things and who are prepared to push boundaries.
Consumers would benefit from buying “taster” cases that helped them discover new wines and, bought in some volume, would also make them slightly more affordable. This may be the excuse they were waiting for.
Too often, the wines recommended on blogs and articles are hard to then find & buy, so making them immediately available (and deliverable) is a great encouragement for consumers to buy. This is one of the strongest points of online wine content.
The marketing has also been well done – Integrated Communications, at last!
- There is a dedicated page on the Oddbins online site.
- They’ve created memorable cartoons and images to bring the “online” personas to life
- They’ve included the bloggers’ own wine reviews, including food matching ideas
- The case came with the full information sheet
- The bloggers themselves have kept the profile of the promotion high
Finally, I also think it is important that bloggers (of all industries) find ways to make money from their online activity because I know very well how much work it involves and how hard it is to make money from this without resorting to dubious internet marketing practices.
We ALL benefit
If wine bloggers could prove that they can identify great wines, and help to get them into the hands of consumers, we ALL benefit – producers, bloggers, retailers and consumers. If bloggers are adding benefit, then they do deserve a share of the “value” created, and they can start to make some money from what they do, creating great wine stories. There is nothing wrong with making a living.
There’s only one slight criticism. In the interests of transparency, considering this is a “showcase” (pun intended), I was surprised not to read more about whether the bloggers were actually benefitting financially from this. For the reasons listed above, I think it would be great if trusted bloggers could work with retailers and wineries. I also do not want to see hard work, and great ideas like this, benefit only some and not others, and I am sure those involved actually had costs to make this happen.
Two bloggers did make some reference to this which is great, though it is still a touchy subject, but sometimes openness is the best policy. I do not believe that any readers would object, but we do need to take the ammunition away from critics.
“Since picking the case, we have agreed with Oddbins that they would contribute to our expenses, on a tiny amount for each case sold. While I hope the case flies off the shelves, I won’t be giving up the day job any time soon. Then again, that’s not why I got involved.” - SipSwooshSpit
“So all that remains is for people to buy it and let us know what they think – I say this not for the pocket-money commission levels, but because this is an opportunity for us to engage in a conversation about these wines and I would love to know what people think about them.” – The Cambridge Wine Blogger
I am CERTAIN that if they are making anything it is not substantial, and it will not have influenced their choices of wines. However, from a disclosure point of view, this one would be useful for them all to have done. Having said that, it is a minor quibble form someone keen to make sure this goes well and helps more bloggers and wine businesses.
I hope it DOES fly off the shelves and that they do start to make some money! So of course I did my bit and bought my case.
Wine Reviews:
The REAL test. Were the wines they chose interesting and likely to get consumers to come back and buy more?
Well, since I have decided not to use this site to share tasting notes, I will have to leave you guessing a little longer. However, I will be adding my tasting notes to my personal site (where I do review wines from time to time) as I go through the case. You can follow along here:
Tasting the Bloggers’ Wine Selection from Oddbins on thirstforwine.co.uk
At first glance the prospects are good. I already know, and like, a couple of the wines. The selection is varied and covers many styles, prices and countries. Here is the list (as provided by Spittoon.biz:
The Oddbins Bloggers Case White Wine Selection
- Casa Lluch Verdil 2010, Valencia, Spain
- Raimat Abadia White 2010, Costers del Segre, Spain
- Sal’mon Groovey Grüner Veltliner 2010, Kremstal, Austria
- Domaine la Condamine L’Evêque Viognier 2010, Côtes de Thongue, France
- Stone Rock Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Bordeaux, France
- Porter Mill Station Chenin Blanc 2011, Svartland, South Africa
The Oddbins Bloggers Case Red Wine Choices
- Domaine de l’ Arnesque 2009, Côtes du Rhône, France
- Alma de Tinto Mencia 2010, Galacia, Spain
- Henry Fessy Morgon 2009, Cru du Beaujolais, France
- Chateau Haute Galine 2009, Minervois, France
- Terre di Sava, 10 Nero Salice Salentino 2010, Puglia, Italy
- Fully Loaded Grenache-Shiraz 2008, McClaren Vale, Australia
I congratulate Oddbins on the coup, and Tara, David, Paola, Tom, Belinda and Andrew for making it happen. I wonder if we will see similar things happen in the UK and beyond?
Related Articles:
Tom Lewis “The Cambridge Wine Blogger”: The Oddbins Bloggers’ Case
David Lowe “BigPinots”: The Merry Band of Bloggers
Belinda Stone “Miss Bouquet”: We’re on the case with Oddbins Literally
Andrew Barrow “Spittoon”: Oddbins Bloggers Case
Paola Tich “SipSwooshSpit”: Six Go Mad in Oddbins
Tara Devon O’Leary “Wine Passionista”: The Oddbins Wine Bloggers’ Case is Here
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/0KjB-LdU1U0/
Rockin’ at Wine & Cars
Everyone had a great time at Wine & Cars Under the Stars last weekend. Don’t believe me? Check out the video:
The evening was a great success, netting nearly $50,000 for the foundations at Fairplex and their programs. If you missed Wine & Cars, you can taste the award-winning wines of the Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition at the L.A. County Fair, Sept. 5 – Oct. 4.
Wine Bloggers’ Wines from Oddbins
So, do wine bloggers have any idea what wines others should drink, or are they just good at telling us about the stuff they like?
I have to admit to being very afraid of the idea of being responsible for choosing wines for other people I do not know. The idea of being a “Wine Buyer” would mean I would never sleep again. I love wine. I love drinking it, sharing it, talking about it and learning about it. I enjoy how it impacts on the world, and generally changes it for the better. But I do not know whether YOU will like any particular wine or not. Building a business that requires such certainty seems hard to me.
Blogger Initiative
I was very impressed and intrigued, therefore, to see that 6 of my fellow UK wine bloggers got together with Oddbins to create a selection of wines for the rest of us to enjoy so I just had to buy a case.
The basic story is on the Oddbins Wine Bloggers Case page, but you should also read any of the bloggers’ own articles linked below.
In summary, the six bloggers had access to an entire Oddbins shop for the task of selecting 12 bottles, one red, one white, each, for a case that would cost no more than £100 (including delivery). A tough but enjoyable challenge.
So, I had two simple questions:
1. Is this a “good idea”?
2. Are the choices any good?
What a Good Idea!
To answer the first, I have to say that I admire bloggers who do innovative things and who are prepared to push boundaries.
Consumers would benefit from buying “taster” cases that helped them discover new wines and, bought in some volume, would also make them slightly more affordable. This may be the excuse they were waiting for.
Too often, the wines recommended on blogs and articles are hard to then find & buy, so making them immediately available (and deliverable) is a great encouragement for consumers to buy. This is one of the strongest points of online wine content.
The marketing has also been well done – Integrated Communications, at last!
- There is a dedicated page on the Oddbins online site.
- They’ve created memorable cartoons and images to bring the “online” personas to life
- They’ve included the bloggers’ own wine reviews, including food matching ideas
- The case came with the full information sheet
- The bloggers themselves have kept the profile of the promotion high
Finally, I also think it is important that bloggers (of all industries) find ways to make money from their online activity because I know very well how much work it involves and how hard it is to make money from this without resorting to dubious internet marketing practices.
We ALL benefit
If wine bloggers could prove that they can identify great wines, and help to get them into the hands of consumers, we ALL benefit – producers, bloggers, retailers and consumers. If bloggers are adding benefit, then they do deserve a share of the “value” created, and they can start to make some money from what they do, creating great wine stories. There is nothing wrong with making a living.
There’s only one slight criticism. In the interests of transparency, considering this is a “showcase” (pun intended), I was surprised not to read more about whether the bloggers were actually benefitting financially from this. For the reasons listed above, I think it would be great if trusted bloggers could work with retailers and wineries. I also do not want to see hard work, and great ideas like this, benefit only some and not others, and I am sure those involved actually had costs to make this happen.
Two bloggers did make some reference to this which is great, though it is still a touchy subject, but sometimes openness is the best policy. I do not believe that any readers would object, but we do need to take the ammunition away from critics.
“Since picking the case, we have agreed with Oddbins that they would contribute to our expenses, on a tiny amount for each case sold. While I hope the case flies off the shelves, I won’t be giving up the day job any time soon. Then again, that’s not why I got involved.” - SipSwooshSpit
“So all that remains is for people to buy it and let us know what they think – I say this not for the pocket-money commission levels, but because this is an opportunity for us to engage in a conversation about these wines and I would love to know what people think about them.” – The Cambridge Wine Blogger
I am CERTAIN that if they are making anything it is not substantial, and it will not have influenced their choices of wines. However, from a disclosure point of view, this one would be useful for them all to have done. Having said that, it is a minor quibble form someone keen to make sure this goes well and helps more bloggers and wine businesses.
I hope it DOES fly off the shelves and that they do start to make some money! So of course I did my bit and bought my case.
Wine Reviews:
The REAL test. Were the wines they chose interesting and likely to get consumers to come back and buy more?
Well, since I have decided not to use this site to share tasting notes, I will have to leave you guessing a little longer. However, I will be adding my tasting notes to my personal site (where I do review wines from time to time) as I go through the case. You can follow along here:
Tasting the Bloggers’ Wine Selection from Oddbins on thirstforwine.co.uk
At first glance the prospects are good. I already know, and like, a couple of the wines. The selection is varied and covers many styles, prices and countries. Here is the list (as provided by Spittoon.biz:
The Oddbins Bloggers Case White Wine Selection
- Casa Lluch Verdil 2010, Valencia, Spain
- Raimat Abadia White 2010, Costers del Segre, Spain
- Sal’mon Groovey Grüner Veltliner 2010, Kremstal, Austria
- Domaine la Condamine L’Evêque Viognier 2010, Côtes de Thongue, France
- Stone Rock Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Bordeaux, France
- Porter Mill Station Chenin Blanc 2011, Svartland, South Africa
The Oddbins Bloggers Case Red Wine Choices
- Domaine de l’ Arnesque 2009, Côtes du Rhône, France
- Alma de Tinto Mencia 2010, Galacia, Spain
- Henry Fessy Morgon 2009, Cru du Beaujolais, France
- Chateau Haute Galine 2009, Minervois, France
- Terre di Sava, 10 Nero Salice Salentino 2010, Puglia, Italy
- Fully Loaded Grenache-Shiraz 2008, McClaren Vale, Australia
I congratulate Oddbins on the coup, and Tara, David, Paola, Tom, Belinda and Andrew for making it happen. I wonder if we will see similar things happen in the UK and beyond?
Related Articles:
Tom Lewis “The Cambridge Wine Blogger”: The Oddbins Bloggers’ Case
David Lowe “BigPinots”: The Merry Band of Bloggers
Belinda Stone “Miss Bouquet”: We’re on the case with Oddbins Literally
Andrew Barrow “Spittoon”: Oddbins Bloggers Case
Paola Tich “SipSwooshSpit”: Six Go Mad in Oddbins
Tara Devon O’Leary “Wine Passionista”: The Oddbins Wine Bloggers’ Case is Here
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/0KjB-LdU1U0/
Charles Robert Hamilton IV Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick
Merry Christmas from your Wine Peeps
“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’” (Luke 2:10-12)
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas from your Wine Peeps was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WinePeeps/~3/jSy961jXYec/
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Review of the 3Divas White Wine Blend from Montemaggiore winery
Appellation: Russian River Valley
Price: $25
Haydn gives it: 92pts
You can buy this wine: at montemaggiore.com
Montemaggiore continues to defy conventional varietals when it comes to its location in Dry Creek. Their red wine portfolio is missing a Zinfandel, but instead showcases what Syrahs and Cabernet Sauvignons can do in the valley. So it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that when Montemaggiore decided to make a white, the Sauvignon Blanc (Dry Creek’s staple white) apparently was passed over, as well as the classic Chardonnay. However, here’s a white wine that begs for the spotlight.
Sourcing grapes from the Russian River Valley, winemaker Lise Ciolino, blends a combination of Viogner, Marsanne & Roussane, resulting in what she calls the 3Divas. While all three ladies work well together, each one seems to come out and sing at least a solo before the finish.
The nose of this wine displays more of the Viogner, with a bit of honey, butterscotch and a hint of pear. The mid-palate brings in characteristics of the other two—Marsanne & Roussane, with the wine displaying characteristics of melon and orange, along with a bit of light spice.
There is a little bit of oak in the wine, but it’s faint thanks to the neutral French oak barrels and no malolactic fermentation. It’s clean, refreshing and a great introductory wine (shh, don’t tell the divas) to a meal. It will warm up your taste buds and get them ready for heavier wines. An exceptionally well-made wine.
Cheers,
Haydn
Follow Haydn on twitter at @haydnadams
—————————-
Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com
Source: http://www.beyondnapavalley.com/blog/review-of-the-3divas-white-blend-from-montemaggiore-winery/
Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne
Spectator Surprises (almost) Everyone with Shocking Pick
It certainly hits the metrics we've been looking for (95+ points, < $100, 1,000+ cases produced) so why was it surprising? Why didn't we see this coming? I think there are several reasons...
First, Wine Spectator has now chosen a wine from California the last 3 years. Last year was the Kosta Browne Pinot Noir (Sonoma) and the year before that was the Saxum James Berry (Paso). Taking it further, the prior winner was also domestic - the Columbia Crest Reserve Cab. Taking it even further the year before that was the Chilean Clos Apalta. This makes it 5 straight years of new world wines. I think a lot of us thought it was time for an old world wine to win, and with the great vintages from France rated this year the timing seemed right. Further, there's been some speculation that Spectator likes to spread the task of writing up the wine of the year around their senior editors. Poor James Laube had to do the write-up once again! Oh well, I guess he gets bragging rights that he's selected the Wine of the Year 3 years in a row.
Second, I think a lot of suspect that they're going to choose a wine from a region whose story they want to tell. For wines released this year, that story seemed almost certain to be from 2010 Rhone. Or 2009 Bordeaux. But what story is there to tell from 2008 in Napa for a somewhat quirky blend like the Relentless? Not much. It seems to be a play towards telling a story from a specific winery rather than a category.
Finally, Spectator just rang the bell a couple years ago for a California Syrah blend with the Saxum James Berry nod. That wine is a Grenache/Mourvedre/Syrah to the Relentless' Syrah/Petite Sirah but still -- it seems strange to have another wine so similar to the Saxum just 2 years later.
I admit: I was stunned by the California selection. Didn't see this one coming. The only time I had the slightest hunch there might be a California wine selected was when I was watching their Top 10 videos and James Laube (their editor for the wines of California) only made one appearance for wines 10 through 2 for the Beringer Reserve Cab selection. But I didn't expect California to take the top spot this year because there hasn't really been an extraordinary category from California rated this year.
So, it was a well-played suspenseful list from Spectator. And a well-played entry from Scott B!
There's a Wine Spectator connection with Scott B. No, he's not an editor or employee so don't get your hopes up for a scandal - the prize is his. But after noticing he was the winner I recalled he'd written a guest post for us earlier this year on Wine Spectator's Las Vegas Grand Tour. Looks like he deftly used the event to refine his selection. ;)
I do appreciate the actionable nature of this year's pick. I bought the bottle I tasted from Wine.com of all places - not exactly a boutique retailer! Availability at the time of the announcement of the 2008 Relentless was limited to begin with since the wine was released and rated early in this year's cycle. And even the 2009 vintage (which I'd bet is just as good if I had to guess without having tasted the 2009) is vaporizing quickly.
Here are my tasting notes from CellarTracker on the 2008 Shafer Relentless from back in June:
For my taste, this is a gorgeous bottle of wine. A powerful, inviting nose of dried blueberries and black currant with supporting savory notes which translate seamlessly to the palate and finish. 75% Syrah/25% Petite Sirah. 15.6% alcohol. $60 release price. I can totally see my way to the favorable rating Spectator bestowed upon this one. Spectacular.Somehow I forgot to include a numerical rating. (?) What's up with that? I love scores!
My recommendation would be to remain calm if you're looking for the 2008 Relentless. It's going to be very difficult to find and it's not worth overpaying for. For my palate, it's a nice buy at $50. But north of $60 my enthusiasm tapers off. Best bet would probably be to try it at a restaurant (they tend to go through highly rated wines at a slower clip because point chasers ability to devour the wines is stymied by overall high markups and meal costs). Or perhaps at retailer who doesn't have an e-commerce site. May the best searchers win!
And if it's like the Columbia Crest Reserve - the next few vintages won't be too exorbitantly priced after a while. You can find subsequent vintages of the CC Reserve happily resting on warehouse club shelves with no buyers even in the mid to high $30s. Do you really think the 2005 vintage of that wine was magical and subsequent vintages haven't been as good?
A better strategy, if you're looking to buy wines that tend wind up on Spectator's Top 10 list ahead of time, is to find a retailer who offers them before Spectator recognizes them. My thanks to New York wine retailer Grapes the Wine Co for this sponsorship of the contest this year (a $200 Amazon.com gift card!). If you're on his mailing list you'll note that he offered a bunch of the Top 10 wines in the weeks and months preceding Spectator's list. Well, at least the ones he thinks are good. :)
The fun had to end some time. My thanks to everyone's enthusiastic participation this year. We'll do it again next year!
So that ends the fun for this year. Back to our regularly scheduled programming. I'd love it if you subscribed to the site - we've got a lot of fun things to talk about in the coming weeks. I might even motivate and crank out my own Top 25 this year.
Related Links:
- See all of this year's entries along with Wine-Searcher links
- Desperately hunt for the 2008 Relentless on Wine-Searcher
- Better availability on the 2009 Relentless if you want to try it
Question(s) of the Day: What do you think of Spectator's Shafer Relentless pick? Have you seen it around at retail? If so, let us know in the comments!
BREAKING: Trader Joe’s raises the price of Two Buck Chuck
Trader Joe’s is raising the price of Two Buck Chuck from $1.99 to $2.49, citing higher costs. Introduced in 2002, it’s kind of hard to believe they hadn’t raised the price already. Oh, and people are already throwing around “upchuck” as a new nickname after the price increase–or, wait, was that a tasting note?
Good thing I loaded up on Charles Shaw while it was still $2–my wine collection has now appreciated by 25%! Mmm, aged Charles Shaw…
Oh, and it’s been about $2.99 in NYC for a while.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/A9Eynir6Y7A/
Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki
Survey: Americans Know difference Between Toilet Paper and Alcohol
Recently released amazing survey findings concerning American's understanding of alcohol were announced today by the beer wholesaler-controlled Center For Alcohol Policy. In a survey of over 1000 adults it is learned that 79% of American adults can distinguish between toilet... 
Randy Joseph Lajoie Kevin Paul Lepage William Ashton Lewis Jr
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