anniepreise

anniepreise

We have a winner. Thanks to all who entered the contest by leaving a comment and those who chose to double their odds by also tweeting.

A couple of words about this contest and protocol: First, it brings people out of the woodwork. I learned there is an entire social media niche that enters contests. Hopefully, if entrants are not a regular reader they’ll turn into a reader, or at least tell a couple of friends. Aside from the self-interested motive of providing a site benefit and hopefully gaining a new reader or two, I have no fiduciary gain or personal benefit associated with this promotion. That said, naturally, there is some marketing involved so the folks at Kalorik (and Air & Water who is coordinating) feel like they get $300 bucks (plus the not so inexpensive shipping costs) worth of mindshare in exchange for the refrigerator—that’s why @teamkalorik had to be included in the tweet to count as a second entry—a small price to pay in order to make somebody’s day when a kick-ass wine refrigerator shows up at their door.

All told, after removing double comments from the same commenter(s), comments related to tweets, and a disqualification for a comment after the end of the contest, there were 55 entries in the form of a comment. There were also 14 double entries in the form of tweets. 69 total entries. Tweets were added sequentially—entry numbers 56 - 69. I went to a random number generator, entered parameters and #44 came back.

...And congratulations to Amanda Hippe for winning the 21-bottle wine cooler from Kalorik! Amanda will be contacted by email and her shipping address will be routed to Kalorik and Air & Water for fulfillment. Should Amanda not respond to multiple inquiries, I’ll do another random number generation for an alternate winner.

Thanks again to all who entered and, most importantly, thank you for reading Good Grape: A Wine Manifesto

Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/kalorik_wine_cooler_giveaway_winner_announced/

De l\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Eglise De Pez De Sales d\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Issan Du Tertre

anniepreise

I’m a traditionalist but also a realist. And I think now is the time to shake up the centuries old wine labeling and classification systems that have stood as a barrier to selling many Old World wines to American consumers. Case in point is Germany where a tradition of bad Middle Ages typography continues on [...]

It’s Time For Radical Simplification of Old World Wine Labeling originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/O3SxpboWGf4/

Larmande Larrivet Haut Brion Lascombes Latour Latour a Pomerol

anniepreise

Domaine Pierre Usseglio is first and foremost a maker of�Chateauneuf-du-Pape but has also a couple of vineyards just outside the appellation. From these they make a good value�C�tes-du-Rh�ne and�a Vin de Table, where Merlot makes up�80 % og the blend. �I gave the 2006�C�tes-du-Rh�ne 2006�88-89 p. which makes it a good value. It’s a sort [...]

Source: http://www.wine4freaks.com/44/wines-from-pierre-usseglio-1/

Leoville Poyferre Les Forts de Latour Les Tourelles de Longueville l\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Evangile l\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Interdit de Valandraud

anniepreise

This week?s Wine Word of the Week is New World. Official definition from Jancis Robinson?s The Oxford Companion to Wine: New World, a term much used in the wine world, initially somewhat patronizingly but with increasing admiration over the past quarter-century as the New World?s share of global exports rose from 3 to 23 percent, [...]

Wine Word of the Week: New World 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/pubpeoYxi04/

Climens Clinet Clos Cantenac Clos de l\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Oratoire Clos de Sarpe

anniepreise

Source: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/dining/reviews/blog/2011/03/pickle_chicken_and_other_blog.html

Couspaude Couvent des Jacobins Croix de Labrie Croizet Bages d\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Agassac

anniepreise

Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2011/03/3-food-events-you-should-know-about-gonzo-wine-tasting-at-lgo-petrossians-caviar-class-eva-restauran.html

d\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Armailhac De Chevalier De Fieuzal De l\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Eglise De Pez

anniepreise

Photo by Russ Kane Messina Hof Winery Harvest Dinner Russ Kane is one of my favorite Texas wine bloggers. His style of telling the story is amazing. Visit Vintagetexas.com and see all his write ups. Another great blog write up by Russ Kane. Its that time of year for Grape Harvest in Texas and Messina [...]

Source: http://thegrapesaroundtexas.com/2010/08/08/by-russ-kane-my-messina-hof-winery-harvest-dinner/

Hosanna Kirwan La Clemence La Conseillante La Couspaude

anniepreise

The folks at Cana?s Feast Winery do not literally turn water into wine; however, the wedding feast at Cana at which Jesus performed his first miracle and turned water into wine inspired the winery?s name. Founded by Gino Cuneo as Cuneo Cellars in 1993, the winery was renamed Cana?s Feast, which had been the name [...]

Cana?s Feast Winery: Turning Water into Wine 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/YkX4aKn65EE/

Armagnac Vieil Sempe YO Armagnac XO Lauboude NV Croix de Salle Armagnac Domaine du Peyrot Alter Ego de Palmer

anniepreise

My morning routine starts with visits to my various email accounts and concludes with a quick scan of my Winecast Gmail. If I have the time, I sometimes open my Google Reader to see what blog posts have come in overnight. This morning I stopped in my tracks at a post on Vinography which pointed [...]

Who Will Be The First Wine Blogger Who Raps? originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/phZa9getlqs/

Larmande Larrivet Haut Brion Lascombes Latour Latour a Pomerol

anniepreise

My wife and I were in Tokyo on September 11, 2001, preparing to come home the next day. Needless to say, our return was delayed. During that extra time in Japan, so many locals expressed their sympathy and condolences to us for what had happened in the US. The tragedy in Japan over the past [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/2qvRckS89qw/

Armagnac Baron de Sigognac ans Armagnac Chateau de Laubade NV Armagnac Clos des Saveurs Armagnac Magnol (Cracked Seal) Armagnac Vieil Sempe YO

anniepreise

Source: http://thecaveman.blogspot.com/2009/03/dinner-with-lou-early-spring-apero.html

La Fleur de Bouard La Fleur de Gay La Gaffeliere La Garde La Gomerie

anniepreise

Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2011/03/how-to-throw-a-royal-wedding-party-canape-recipes-from-the-la-times-test-kitchen.html

Belgrave Bellefont Belcier Bellevue Mondotte Berliquet Beychevelle

anniepreise

Source: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/dining/reviews/blog/2011/03/recipe_peepstuffed_brownies.html

Food and Wine Leisure Food Armagnac Baron de Lustrac Armagnac Baron de Sigognac Armagnac Baron de Sigognac ans

anniepreise

Last Saturday I was lucky to be able to attend the Zinfandel Festival at Fort Mason in San Francisco. ZAP, The Association of Zinfandel Advocates & Producers celebrates Zinfandel America?s Heritage Grape and is dedicated to preserving the history of Zinfandel through the Heritage Vineyard at UC Davis. It is the largest single varietal tasting [...]

Source: http://blogs.fairplex.com/blog/wine/?p=36

Cheval Blanc (Bin Soiled) Cheval Blanc (Damaged Label) Cissac Citran Clarence Haut Brion

anniepreise

Source: http://la.eater.com/archives/2011/03/30/butchery_captivates_new_crop_of_cooks_snapple_taste_test.php

Yellow Tail Cabernet Wine and Roses Napa Valley California Vinyard

anniepreise

There are a ton of great wine values out in the market today but I’m always pleased to find wines that considerably outperform their price. And tonight I have such an example. As I’ve blogged recently, Syrah has been a tough sale here in the U.S. I think it’s due to a few factors that’s [...]

Chono, Syrah Reserva 2008 originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/HsVdxhGlz5M/

Fleur de Gay Gazin Giscours Giscours Rare Signed Marie Jeanne Gloria

anniepreise

Source: http://la.eater.com/archives/2011/03/30/five_days_left_for_aiala_design_award_nominations.php

Bahans Haut Brion Barde Haut Baronat Mouton Baron Philippe Batailley Beau Sejour Becot

anniepreise

Lots of notable tastings in the Boston area this weekend (March 19th and 20th, 2011):

Plumpjack/Cade tasting at Newton Lower Falls
From noon - 4 pm Saturday they'll be pouring wines from Plumpjack along with their newer label Cade. I had an '06 Cade Howell Mountain recently and thought it was an incredible wine. I stopped in their yesterday and noticed they had some well-priced bottles of Seghesio (Sangiovese, Barbera) kicking around after their tasting earlier this week.
Spanish Festival
Wine ConneXtion in North Andover on Saturday from noon - 5 pm.
Shawsheen Village Liquors Spring Tasting
From 3 pm - 6pm on Saturday they're holding their Spring Grand Tasting.
Spring Tasting Extravaganza at Fifth Ave. Liquors in Framingham
From 2 pm - 5 pm on Sunday they're pouring 50+ wines at special event pricing. Visit their site to see a listing of the wines. Thanks to reader KC for the tip on this one.

For more events in your area check out LocalWineEvents.com

Any other wine related stuff going on in the Boston area you'd like to mention? Leave a comment to share a tip.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/6RiVw6CiBao/weekend-boston-area-wine-tastings.html

Wine and Roses Napa Valley California Vinyard Wine Bottle Types of Wine

anniepreise

Malbec was originally one of the six varieties used in red Bordeaux blends along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and occasionally Carmen�re. Today, it is only used sparingly in Bordeaux but has really come into its own as a stand-alone varietal in Argentina. In my opinion, Washington State is producing some excellent [...]

Wine Tasting Dinner: Washington Malbec 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/E4lyRm3wovU/

Wine and Cheese Wine Rack French Wine Wine Making Wine Tasting

anniepreise

Source: http://thecaveman.blogspot.com/2009/02/cant-hold-sulphites-there-are-lot-of.html

Les Forts de Latour Les Tourelles de Longueville l\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Evangile l\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Interdit de Valandraud Lucia

anniepreise

Trying to write a book covering the current status of the California wine industry isn't easy. Such a book will never be comprehensive unless the end product runs thousands of pages. Trying to write a survey of the world of...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FermentationTheDailyWineBlog/~3/Zk65Oi8CJso/the-finest-wines-of-california.html

Cissac Citran Clarence Haut Brion Clerc Milon Climens

anniepreise

Malbec was originally one of the six varieties used in red Bordeaux blends along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and occasionally Carmen�re. Today, it is only used sparingly in Bordeaux but has really come into its own as a stand-alone varietal in Argentina. In my opinion, Washington State is producing some excellent [...]

Wine Tasting Dinner: Washington Malbec 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/E4lyRm3wovU/

Haut Marbuzet Haut Sarpe Hosanna Kirwan La Clemence

anniepreise

How does cabernet franc age? On my recent trip to the Loire, I got an excellent chance to explore this issue at the cellars of none other than Domaine Bernard Baudry in Chinon, one of my favorite producers in the Loire. Matthieu, the jovial, thirty-something son of Bernard who has been with the domaine since [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/W1kU8i0ipCo/

Pavillon Rouge du Margaux Pinot Noir Cabernet Sauvinon Wine and Cheese Wine Rack

anniepreise

Source: http://la.eater.com/archives/2011/03/25/toureiffel_set_to_close_at_the_end_of_the_month.php

Duhart Milon Duhart Milon Rothschild Exception de Quinault

anniepreise

Source: http://thecaveman.blogspot.com/2009/03/mencia-bierzo-2005-pittacum-this-is.html

Beausejour Becot Beausejour Duffau Lagarrosse Bel Air Lalande de Pomerol Belair Belgrave

anniepreise

On Sunday, March 27th 2011 from 1-5 pm Bin Ends Wine in Braintree, MA is having their monthly fine wine flea market where you get to try before you buy 50+ wines on sale at special event pricing.

Here's a sampling of notable wines being poured at the event:

Wine/Retail/Sale Price/Savings
Burge Family D & OH $49.00 $24.50 50%
Artessa Reserve Cabernet 05 $43.00 $21.50 50%
Colonial Estates Chardonnay 05 $40.00 $20.00 50%
R Wines First Class Shiraz 07 $40.00 $20.00 50%
Conn Valley Chardonay 06 $36.00 $18.00 50%
Monastero Chianti Classico Reserva 03 $30.00 $15.00 50%
Cosentino Napa Cabernet 03 $25.00 $12.50 50%
B Cellars Blend 24 05 $40.00 $24.00 40%
Brothers in Arms Shiraz 01 $40.00 $24.00 40%
Tolaini Valdisanti IGT 06 $39.00 $23.35 40%
Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc 05 $33.00 $19.80 40%
Pra Soave Montegrande 07 $30.00 $20.00 33%
Herve Azo Sauvignon St Bris 09- Organic $18.00 $12.00 33%

Save an additional 10% on each item ordered in quantities of 6 or more bottles.

Check 'em out:
Bin Ends Wine
236 Wood Road, Braintree, MA
(781)817-1212

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/KhR5BaIqCL4/inside-scoop-top-picks-at-bin-ends-fine.html

Haut Bailly Haut Batailley Haut Batailley Rare Signed Marie Jeanne Haut Brion Haut Marbuzet

anniepreise

Lots of notable tastings in the Boston area this weekend (March 19th and 20th, 2011):

Plumpjack/Cade tasting at Newton Lower Falls
From noon - 4 pm Saturday they'll be pouring wines from Plumpjack along with their newer label Cade. I had an '06 Cade Howell Mountain recently and thought it was an incredible wine. I stopped in their yesterday and noticed they had some well-priced bottles of Seghesio (Sangiovese, Barbera) kicking around after their tasting earlier this week.
Spanish Festival
Wine ConneXtion in North Andover on Saturday from noon - 5 pm.
Shawsheen Village Liquors Spring Tasting
From 3 pm - 6pm on Saturday they're holding their Spring Grand Tasting.
Spring Tasting Extravaganza at Fifth Ave. Liquors in Framingham
From 2 pm - 5 pm on Sunday they're pouring 50+ wines at special event pricing. Visit their site to see a listing of the wines. Thanks to reader KC for the tip on this one.

For more events in your area check out LocalWineEvents.com

Any other wine related stuff going on in the Boston area you'd like to mention? Leave a comment to share a tip.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/6RiVw6CiBao/weekend-boston-area-wine-tastings.html

Larcis Ducasse Larmande Larrivet Haut Brion Lascombes Latour

anniepreise

It’s November, post-Harvest and going into slow season for winery marketers. �Thought I would put together a short list of projects that may make your life easier in 2011 with a little time put in during the winter. 1. �Claim your winery on location based services and review sites. Even if you don’t use the [...]

Source: http://familylovewine.wordpress.com/2010/11/21/five-easy-winter-projects-for-winery-marketers/

Pavie Macquin Pavillon Rouge du Margaux Pinot Noir Cabernet Sauvinon Wine and Cheese

anniepreise

Source: http://la.eater.com/archives/2011/03/25/laurent_queniouxs_bistro_lq_down_for_the_count.php

Ausone (Soiled Label) Bahans Haut Brion Barde Haut Baronat Mouton Baron Philippe Batailley

anniepreise

I have to admit that I don’t drink a lot of white wine in the dead of a Minnesota winter. But when I saw a sample of the almost mythical Smith-Madrone�Riesling, I had to see what was in the bottle. The last time I tasted Smith-Madrone�Riesling was a tank sample with winemaker Charles Smith. I [...]

Smith-Madrone Riesling 2009 originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/9k3JQmMUTn4/

Ducru Beaucaillou Duhart Milon Duhart Milon Rothschild Exception de Quinault Ferriere

anniepreise

I’m officially declaring 2010 the year of the ros�. Yes, I know that many wineries have been producing stellar ros�s for years, but I felt that this year was the tipping point where the public started to get behind the pink drink again. It was the year when wineries paid much more attention to the [...]

Source: http://www.beyondnapavalley.com/blog/the-top-10-wines-of-2010/

Beausejour Becot Beausejour Duffau Lagarrosse Bel Air Lalande de Pomerol Belair Belgrave

anniepreise

The winners of the 70th annual Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition were announced today and the list is an impressive one! A box wine, a Scotch whisky, repeat winners (Armida Winery and baseball legend Tommy Lasorda) and so much more! Take a look at the winners here then check out the buzz on [...]

Source: http://blogs.fairplex.com/blog/wine/?p=78

La Croix de Beaucaillou La Croix du Casse La Fleur Cardinale La Fleur de Bouard La Fleur de Gay

anniepreise

There are a lot of things I don’t understand: How or why the Kardashian’s made an estimated $65 million dollars last year, for example. Or, why the NFL and the Players Association can’t figure out how to split $9 billion dollars is another. While I’m thinking about it, what exactly is a, “High Priest Vatican Assassin Warlock” anyways?

Add an online wine writing item to the above list.

Earlier this month, eCairn, a Silicon Valley-based software company specializing in identifying “tribes” and ranking influencers (tribe leaders) in online communities did a ranked analysis of three online beverage niches – beer, wine and spirits – reviewing 4000 influencer’s who have blogs and/or are engaged in social media.

Without surprise, given that wine is an expansive niche online, members of the online wine community ranked in 10 of the 20 top spots across the three beverage alcohol categories. More surprising, however, is the fact that this site ranked as the #2 most influential out of 4000 aggregated influencers online, ranking ahead of Eric Asimov and the Wine Spectator (amongst others) and ranking behind a beer blog that occupies the top spot.

#2 behind a beer blog, but #1 in wine? Really? No, seriously, Good Grape is the most influential wine blog? Really?

What does leading a “tribe” and being “influential” mean? I sure don’t know. And, if anything, it’s accidental. I live in the middle of the country, outside of any meaningful wine culture for goodness sake. I do know that almost all of the time I spend with my blog is on writing what I think are thoughtful and unique stories (save for these odds and ends posts which serve as a repository for, well, odds and ends in addition to demure self-promotion). Secondarily, I’ve carved out a niche within a niche because few people are interested in writing column-style about the business of wine in a manner that is intended to appeal to wine enthusiasts. So, to no small extent, I’m leading by virtue of dearth of competition.

In addition, the reality is, I spend no time cultivating a so-called, “audience.” I’m bad at responding to all comments on this site, which is sort of a cardinal rule of engagement. I’m the worst kind of Twitter user. Not once have I promoted my blog to the 11,000 member Wine Business Network group that I manage on LinkedIN. And, while I have an open Facebook profile, I don’t use Facebook much at all aside from seeing what my nieces are up to.

I figured my bad social media usage habits were perceived as aloof. In fact, maybe they’re a hallmark of “influence.”

Seriously, though, If I were forced to draw a deduction on the hidden meaning of the eCairn study, I would say that influence and leading a so-called “tribe,” at least as measured by a software company, is less about things that writer and reader understand and more about quantitative issues related to duration, consistency, geeky stuff like Google PageRank, and that sort of thing – i.e. it’s about things that can be measured.

Ironically enough, I’ve never been a guy that “measured” well—certainly not academically – something that my school transcripts would reveal, and I consider myself more of the athlete-type that’s two inches too short and a half-step too slow, but a guy that has some heart, a work ethic, and some inherited intangibles.

Regardless, given that I’m NOT motivated by money, having an independent third-party measure something as loosey-goosey as, “Influence” which is close to what I am motived by (respect) – is nice, as far as that goes, so I thought would share.

As always, thanks go to you for reading Good Grape and I promise not to use this newfound, mercurial, “Influence” for nefarious means, something that the Kardashians, the NFL and Charlie Sheen can’t promise.

Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/things_i_dont_understand_no._5150/

Clos l\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Eglise Clos Puy Arnaud Corbin Cos d\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Estournel Couspaude

anniepreise

Source: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/dining/reviews/blog/2011/03/elevated_adiation_in_pennsylva.html

La Croix du Casse La Fleur Cardinale La Fleur de Bouard La Fleur de Gay La Gaffeliere

anniepreise

Source: http://la.eater.com/archives/2011/03/24/top_cheffage.php

Langoa Barton Larcis Ducasse Larmande Larrivet Haut Brion Lascombes

anniepreise

Two weeks from today, nearly 100 international wine judges will converge on Fairplex to sniff, swirl and spit their way through more than 3,000 wines – all in attempt to�crown the best of the best. �The Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition begins May 27. Right now, wine staff are busy preparing the thousands [...]

Source: http://blogs.fairplex.com/blog/wine/?p=39

Ausone Ausone (Cut Capsule) Ausone (Soiled Label) Bahans Haut Brion Barde Haut

anniepreise

Over the years, we have had very little experience with the Paso Robles producer Eberle Winery, which is perhaps surprising, considering the fact that Gary Eberle was a co-founder of the Paso Robles Appellation in 1980, opened his winery in 1983 and has been an important player in that region ever since. We liked the [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/cO9P97gbM2M/four-from-eberle

Bellevue Mondotte Berliquet Beychevelle Branaire Ducru Brane Cantenac

anniepreise

Update: February meeting canceled due to winter storm warning for the region.� We’re working on setting up our next meeting for Thursday, 3/18/10.� Watch here for more details. February’s meeting of the Finger Lakes Chapter of the Academy of Wine Communications will be held on Thursday, February 25, 2010 at Three Brothers Wineries & Estates [...]

Source: http://familylovewine.wordpress.com/2010/02/22/awc-meeting-this-thursday-22510/

Exception de Quinault Ferriere Feytit Clinet Figeac Fleur de Gay

anniepreise

Source: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/dining/reviews/blog/2011/03/the_drovers_grill_review.html

Cabernet Wine and Roses Napa Valley California Vinyard Wine Bottle

anniepreise

Source: http://la.eater.com/archives/2011/03/25/good_deeds.php

French Wine Wine Making Wine Tasting Yellow Tail Cabernet

anniepreise

Source: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/dining/reviews/blog/2011/03/recipe_peepstuffed_brownies.html

Climens Clinet Clos Cantenac Clos de l\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Oratoire Clos de Sarpe

anniepreise

Source: http://la.eater.com/archives/2011/03/25/toureiffel_set_to_close_at_the_end_of_the_month.php

Caronne Ste Gemme Carruades de Lafite Certan de May Charmail Chasse Spleen

anniepreise

Source: http://la.eater.com/archives/2011/03/24/the_shutter.php

Lanessan Langoa Barton Larcis Ducasse Larmande Larrivet Haut Brion

anniepreise

Source: http://la.eater.com/archives/2011/03/23/want_more_eater_sign_up_for_our_newsletter.php

Napa Valley California Vinyard Wine Bottle Types of Wine Food and Wine

anniepreise

grace: a wine cork portrait from Scott Gundersen on Vimeo. A time-lapse video. 50+ hours (of 200 total) 9217 wine corks. 96″ x 66″ Her name is Grace. A part of Grand Rapids artprize 2010. Learn more at: facebook.com/scottgundersen.art

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/vg8v5le3mPs/what-do-you-do-with-9217-corks

d\\\\\\\'Agassac d\\\\\\\'Aiguilhe Dame de Montrose d\\\\\\\'Angludet d\\\\\\\'Armailhac

anniepreise

For three days, our judges swirled, sniffed and spit their way through more than 3,500 wines from around the globe. Today they wrapped up by choosing the best of the best in each category. Results will be available next month, so stay tuned. In the meantime, enjoy this compilation of expert spitters:

Source: http://blogs.fairplex.com/blog/wine/?p=74

Exception de Quinault Ferriere Feytit Clinet Figeac Fleur de Gay

anniepreise

Dunn Vineyards founder, owner, and winemaker Randy Dunn will be signing bottles and pouring his wines at a free tasting at The Urban Grape in Chestnut Hill, MA this Tuesday, March 1st, 2011 from 5 to 8 pm.

Dunn produces two Cabernet Sauvignons -- one from Howell Mountain and another labeled as Napa Valley. The Howell Mountain is said to be a bigger wine - massive fruit and tannins. The Napa Valley wine is 85% Howell Mountain fruit/15% from the Napa Valley floor and is softer and more approachable.

The wines are tough to find at retail in Massachusetts. The Howell Mountain typically sells for around $120/btl and the Napa Valley falls somewhere around $75/btl. The 2007s will be available at the tasting at a one-day discount price.

More info on The Urban Grape's event's page.

Also - I hear there are just a few seats remaining for their Thursday Barolo/Barbaresco dinner at The Capital Grille. Jump on that now if you're available and interested because space truly is limited for their dinners.

Further Reading:

Check 'em out:
The Urban Grape
7 Boylston Street
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
617-232-4831

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/cH6g6h8IYQ8/tuesday-march-1st-dunn-vineyards.html

Calon Segur Cambon la Pelouse Canon Canon la Gaffeliere Cantemerle

anniepreise

Source: http://la.eater.com/archives/2011/03/25/booze_brews.php

Couspaude Couvent des Jacobins Croix de Labrie Croizet Bages d\\\\\\\'Agassac

anniepreise

One of the dangers of being a wine podcaster is you have to say wine terms and regions out loud. It’s hard enough to keep everything spelled correctly and often over the years I’ve made some embarrassing mistakes on the podcast. But the one that is probably most distressing for me was my butchering of [...]

How To Pronounce Willamette originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/_0EmuKW5OiA/

Bel Air Lalande de Pomerol Belair Belgrave Bellefont Belcier Bellevue Mondotte

anniepreise

Source: http://thecaveman.blogspot.com/2009/02/cant-hold-sulphites-there-are-lot-of.html

Pape Clement Patache d\\\\\\\'Aux Pavie Pavie Decesse Pavie Macquin

anniepreise

Odds and ends from a life lived through the prism of the wine glass…

Pizza in the Crosshairs

If you’re a foodie you like wine. If you’re a wine enthusiast you appreciate good food. Regardless of which side you lean, you appreciate the other side. And, in my estimation, the common ground for wine enthusiasts and foodies is pizza.

I’ve never met a single person who couldn’t wax philosophic about their favorite pie. From New York thin crust to Chicago deep-dish to California-style gourmet pies, everybody loves pizza. And, pizza, in a foodie society that rightfully denounces our Fast Food Nation, generally gets a hall pass. It’s like M&M’s. The locavore/whole foods/white table cloth person who swears to never eat junk food will bottom out a bowl of M&M’s, right? The same thing happens with the foodie and their favorite pie.

Yet, despite the wino/foodie familial alignment, a distressful situation happened a couple of weeks ago: On January 31, the USDA released the 2010, “Dietary Guidelines for Americans.” In typical, “Good enough for government” fashion, the 2010 guidelines were released in 2011, and noted in not so subtle terms that pizza is public enemy #1 in battling the near epidemic levels of obesity and diabetes in the US.

Ahem. I liked it better when the devil’s spawn was McDonald’s and not the staff of life … a slice of ‘za.

Aside from the truly scary fact that pizza is the number two source of calories for kids aged 2-18 (link initiates download of the entire report), it seems that pizza has everything that is bad for us – saturated and solid fats, sodium, added sugar and refined grains.

All I can say is I’m glad I’m on the wine side of the foodie/wino equation because Resveratrol, the little wine miracle compound, has been shown to have great potential in reducing obesity and diabetes. So, to the USDA and Obama’s Victory Garden I say, “I’m in your corner more often than not, but don’t demonize pizza, my man. All things in moderation, and paired with a nice red.”

You can read the Dietary Guidelines at this link. Mark Bittman and his book Food Matters is the antidote (if you’re interested) and Resveratrol research is as prevalent as pizza joints in the suburbs.

Speaking of Junk Food

Palate training for a wine enthusiast is a process that is fraught with challenge. No two people are necessarily going to get the same secondary or third-level notes on the same glass of wine so training is often a singular pursuit measured by much trial and error – bottle after bottle of wine, an aroma list by varietal and many tasting notes cross-referenced against a wine critic whose palate you respect.

But, what if you trained your palate not with wine, but with a soda and what if you knew the list of ingredients so you could test your palate in a quantifiable manner?

I saw an NPR news report earlier this week that noted the proprietary recipe for Coca-Cola was revealed in a 1979 Atlanta Journal-Constitution article. With the republished recipe, the NPR report isn’t so much news as it is a consumer interest piece – secret recipes the likes of the Colonel’s 11 secret spices or the 23 flavors in a Dr. Pepper always garnering attention.

The recipe itself is a bit of an aha moment for those that grew up in a Coke household, as I did – allowed one glass of Coke a day. Containing a number of essential oils, a glass of Coke and a review against the alleged recipe allows for a simple palate test, as I did yesterday.

Give it a try. I wouldn’t use a fountain Coke, but any old bottle from the convenience store will do, probably better if you go to a Mexican grocery store to get the version with pure cane sugar for purity of flavors.

I picked up the lime juice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and Neroli which is similar to orange peel, offering an orange-tinged bitter note in my own palate exercise. The lemon oil presented itself on the latter portion of the mid-palate. Though, coriander and vanilla eluded me. How will you do?

The alleged original Coke recipe (from NPR at this link):

Fluid extract of Coca 3 drams USP
Citric acid 3 oz
Caffeine 1 oz
Sugar 30 (qty. unclear)
Water 2.5 gal
Lime juice 2 pints
Vanilla 1 oz
Caramel 1.5 oz or more to colour
7X flavour (use 2 oz of flavour to 5 gals syrup):
Alcohol 8 oz
Orange oil 20 drops
Lemon oil 30 drops
Nutmeg oil 10 drops
Coriander 5 drops
Neroli 10 drops
Cinnamon 10 drops

Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/field_notes_from_a_wine_life_junk_food_edition/

Armagnac XO Lauboude NV Croix de Salle Armagnac Domaine du Peyrot Alter Ego de Palmer Angelus

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Source: http://la.eater.com/archives/2011/03/22/city_tavern_opens_april_4_with_table_tap_booths.php

Beau Site Beaumont Beausejour Becot Beausejour Duffau Lagarrosse Bel Air Lalande de Pomerol

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The last time we saw Anne Charlotte Bachas, co-owner of Chateau Font du Loup, Ch�teauneuf-du-Pape, just about a year ago, she was in town to promote her wines with AHD Vintners, who import and distribute them locally. We had a delightful time with Anne Charlotte, and loved the wines, so when I heard that she [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/7iiu0N_G4RM/chateau-de-la-font-du-loup-2

La Croix de Beaucaillou La Croix du Casse La Fleur Cardinale La Fleur de Bouard La Fleur de Gay

anniepreise

For three days, our judges swirled, sniffed and spit their way through more than 3,500 wines from around the globe. Today they wrapped up by choosing the best of the best in each category. Results will be available next month, so stay tuned. In the meantime, enjoy this compilation of expert spitters:

Source: http://blogs.fairplex.com/blog/wine/?p=74

Feytit Clinet Figeac Fleur de Gay Gazin Giscours

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Morton's The Steakhouse is hosting Peter Mondavi Jr. of Charles Krug Winery for a winemaker dinner this coming Tuesday March 22nd, 2011. Check it out:

What

Morton?s The Steakhouse Back Bay invites wine enthusiasts to dine and drink with one of the country?s foremost winemakers, Peter Mondavi Jr. of Charles Krug Winery. Known for its extensive, award-winning wine list, Morton?s has cultivated relationships with some of the leading domestic wineries. The Winemaker Dinners offer guests a glimpse into the inner-workings of these vineyards, as well as an interactive experience with the winemakers themselves.

Hailing from Napa Valley?s first family of winemaking, Peter Mondavi Jr. was introduced to the process at a young age and quickly became versed in the world of wines. In celebration of the 150th anniversary of Charles Krug Winery, third generation proprietor Peter explores some of the estate?s finest vintages, including the 1980 Cabernet Sauvignon Vintage Selection. Located in the heart of Napa Valley, the famed Charles Krug is home to super-premium and reserve wines made with estate-grown, sustainably farmed fruit representing the region?s most prized sub-appellations.

In addition to several courses of Morton?s signature cuisine, guests sample Peter?s hand-selected Charles Krug wine pairings. The menu and wines include:

Reception
Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes
Belgian Endive with Blue Cheese
Tuna Tartare, Diced Tomato and Avocado
Charles Krug, St. Helena - Napa Valley, Sauvignon Blanc, 2010

First Course
Mixed Field Greens topped with Grilled Colossal Shrimp
Charles Krug, Carneros Chardonnay, 2009

Second Course
Filet Mignon served with Chive Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Tomato stuffed with Saut�ed Spinach, Shiitake Mushrooms
Charles Krug, Vintage Selection - 125th Anniversary, Cabernet Sauvignon, 1980
Charles Krug, Vintage Selection, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006
Charles Krug, Vintage Selection - 150th Anniversary, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008

Cheese Course
Green Hill (Jersey Cow Milk Cheese)
Roasted Wild Rice (Gouda)
GoreDawnZola (Gorgonzola)
Snow Drop (Goat Cheese)
Charles Krug, Zinfandel Port, Lot XIV

Dessert
Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Details
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
6:30 PM - Reception; 7:00 PM - Dinner
$150 per guest, inclusive of tax and gratuity
Call 617-266-5108 for reservations

699 Boylston Street
Boston, MA

Parking
Valet parking available.

More Info
http://www.mortons.com/bostonbackbay/specialevents/

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/XHgd4wkX87A/mondavi-winemaker-dinner-at-mortons.html

Clos de Sarpe Clos des Jacobins Clos du Marquis Clos Dubreuil Clos l\\\\\\\'Eglise

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Source: http://la.eater.com/archives/2011/03/24/last_night_at_beachers_madhouse_farm_animals_naked_girls_a_silver_man.php

Clarence Haut Brion Clerc Milon Climens Clinet Clos Cantenac

anniepreise

The theme for WBW 71 is, "Rhones Not From The Rh�ne." Pick any wine made from a variety best known in The Rh�ne but not made in that famous French region. It doesn't matter if the wine is white, pink or red; still, sparkling or fortified. Whatever you choose just needs to be made from primarily a Rhone grape and come from a region not in France.

Announcing WBW 71: Rhones Not From The Rh�ne originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/jrDA0wzAgrw/

Napa Valley California Vinyard Wine Bottle Types of Wine Food and Wine

anniepreise

One of the most stressful moments for a lot of business travelers is not when the client has an objection or asks a difficult question but when they are handed a restaurant wine list. Depending on where you are dining this can be a selection of a few dozen to several hundred choices or even [...]

How To Find Values On A Restaurant Wine List originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/NvbXZpZUqCM/

Leoville Poyferre Les Forts de Latour Les Tourelles de Longueville l\\\\\\\'Evangile l\\\\\\\'Interdit de Valandraud

anniepreise

Former wine critics don't go away, they just blog. And this is a good thing. For many years, Daniel Sogg worked on the West Coast for The Wine Spectator. He reviewed wines, wrote features and wrote news reports. He understands...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FermentationTheDailyWineBlog/~3/y568s2kQjrg/sogg-blogs-truth-about-wine.html

Charmail Chasse Spleen Chateau Hermitage St Emilion Chauvin Cheval Blanc

anniepreise

Former wine critics don't go away, they just blog. And this is a good thing. For many years, Daniel Sogg worked on the West Coast for The Wine Spectator. He reviewed wines, wrote features and wrote news reports. He understands...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FermentationTheDailyWineBlog/~3/y568s2kQjrg/sogg-blogs-truth-about-wine.html

Fleur de Gay Gazin Giscours Giscours Rare Signed Marie Jeanne Gloria

anniepreise

This is one of my favorite times of the year.� I’m fortunate enough to be included on the list of wine bloggers and writers who get asked to attend TasteCamp East, organized by Lenn Thompson and Evan Dawson at The New York Cork Report. Last year, Long Island Wine Country hosted our group and although [...]

Source: http://familylovewine.wordpress.com/2010/05/06/tastecamp-eastbloggers-arrive-in-the-finger-lakes/

Malartic Lagraviere Malescot St. Exupery Margaux Marojallia Marquis de Terme

anniepreise

Wine Intelligence, a wine research firm based in London, released their “Portraits USA 2011” report this week highlighting six distinct groups of consumers based on their relationship with wine.

According to the press release and marketing materials, the research provides insight into six prevailing consumer-based wine segments.

To this I say, “Fantastic.”

I also say, “Constellation Wines did this in 2006 with their Project Genome study and the Wine Intelligence bracketing of consumers has more than a passing resemblance to the Constellation study that was hailed at the time as a ‘landmark’ piece of consumer research.”

Take a look at the three images below and tell me that they aren’t materially the same. The only difference I can determine is you can read a substantive summary of the Constellation research for free and the Wine Intelligence research will cost you $3,750.

No mention in the Wine Intellligence marketing materials about methodology or inspiration for their market segmentation, either.

PT Barnum said there’s a sucker born every minute. PT Barnum didn’t acknowledge, however, people with a memory like an elephant.

Wine Intelligence