California Wine Country Tour

A rare opportunity is being presented by Franklin Square Wine Bar, which will be moderated by Steve Heimoff, West Coast Editor Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

I’ll be there, and look forward to this being a wonderful evening!

Pinot Noirs from Pisoni Vineyards with special guest Gary Pisoni!

Sunday May 4, 2008

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., seminar starts at 7 p.m.

$25 per person, includes wine and snacks… See you there!

Franklin Square Wine Bar

2212 Broadway

Oakland CA

www.fswinebar.com

or call 510-251-0100 for reservations

Original post by Jo Diaz

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Original post by Tom Wark

Original post by Tom Wark

If it’s a new development that you can now have wine shipped into your state, you can thank Ray and Eleanor Heald. The following link is a wine writer interview that I conducted with the Healds this past December, if you’re not already familiar with this dynamic couple and you’d like more perspective on them.

Ray & Eleanor Heald ~ Paradigm Shifters ~ Wine Writers

Eleanor and Ray Heald, the journalists, wine advocates, and Michigan plaintiffs in the U.S. Supreme Court case, Granholm v. Heald, are about to receive the first annual “Grape Liberator” award at the Direct to Consumer Symposium, May 1, at the Meritage Resort in Napa, according to Dennis Cakebread, contact and symposium chairman for the Coalition for Free Trade. For more details, Dennis can be reached at (707) 963-5221.

Presented by Coalition for Free Trade and Free the Grapes!, the Grape Liberator Award was established to recognize individuals who have played an instrumental role in improving consumer choice, as well as free trade, in wine.

It is very fitting that the first award be given to the Healds, given that they were not going to sit by and be dictated to by an antiquated - if not downright inane - system, so took inordinate steps in order to begin to turn that battleship around… And some battle it’s been, going head-to-head with the three-tier system governed by wine, beer, and spirits wholesalers.

“Wineries and wine lovers all owe a debt of gratitude to Eleanor and Ray Heald,” said W. Reed Foster, president of Coalition for Free Trade, who will present the award Thursday. “They simply insisted that they be able to purchase and receive wines from out of state wineries, for both personal and professional reasons. Their first steps helped to lead to victory in the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Eleanor & Ray Heald:
Contributing Editors QUARTERLY REVIEW OF WINES (QRW)
Contributing Editors PRACTICAL WINERY & VINEYARD (PWV)
Wine Columnists GANNETT’S OBSERVER & ECCENTRIC NEWSPAPERS
Regional Correspondents APPELLATION AMERICA.COM

In accepting the Grape Liberator award, the Healds said, “We wouldn’t have had the eventual success in Granholm v. Heald without the expert legal work of our principal attorneys, co-counsels Robert D. Epstein of Epstein, Cohen, Donahoe and Mendes in Indianapolis, Indiana and James A. (Alex) Tanford, Professor of Law at Indiana University. Additionally, Attorney Kathleen Sullivan, Stanford Law School, argued brilliantly as our advocate before the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Walk-in registrations are encouraged. Session information and details are available at www.coalitionforfreetrade.org/symposium. Guests may attend May 1, 2, and/or the Gala Dinner: Pricing: entire package ($500), Day One ($225), Day Two ($200), or the Gala Dinner ($150).

Visit their Website for more details: Free the Grapes Symposium

Original post by Jo Diaz

If it’s a new development that you can now have wine shipped into your state, you can thank Ray and Eleanor Heald. The following link is a wine writer interview that I conducted with the Healds this past December, if you’re not already familiar with this dynamic couple and you’d like more perspective on them.

Ray & Eleanor Heald ~ Paradigm Shifters ~ Wine Writers

Eleanor and Ray Heald, the journalists, wine advocates, and Michigan plaintiffs in the U.S. Supreme Court case, Granholm v. Heald, are about to receive the first annual “Grape Liberator” award at the Direct to Consumer Symposium, May 1, at the Meritage Resort in Napa, according to Dennis Cakebread, contact and symposium chairman for the Coalition for Free Trade. For more details, Dennis can be reached at (707) 963-5221.

Presented by Coalition for Free Trade and Free the Grapes!, the Grape Liberator Award was established to recognize individuals who have played an instrumental role in improving consumer choice, as well as free trade, in wine.

It is very fitting that the first award be given to the Healds, given that they were not going to sit by and be dictated to by an antiquated - if not downright inane - system, so took inordinate steps in order to begin to turn that battleship around… And some battle it’s been, going head-to-head with the three-tier system governed by wine, beer, and spirits wholesalers.

“Wineries and wine lovers all owe a debt of gratitude to Eleanor and Ray Heald,” said W. Reed Foster, president of Coalition for Free Trade, who will present the award Thursday. “They simply insisted that they be able to purchase and receive wines from out of state wineries, for both personal and professional reasons. Their first steps helped to lead to victory in the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Eleanor & Ray Heald:
Contributing Editors QUARTERLY REVIEW OF WINES (QRW)
Contributing Editors PRACTICAL WINERY & VINEYARD (PWV)
Wine Columnists GANNETT’S OBSERVER & ECCENTRIC NEWSPAPERS
Regional Correspondents APPELLATION AMERICA.COM

In accepting the Grape Liberator award, the Healds said, “We wouldn’t have had the eventual success in Granholm v. Heald without the expert legal work of our principal attorneys, co-counsels Robert D. Epstein of Epstein, Cohen, Donahoe and Mendes in Indianapolis, Indiana and James A. (Alex) Tanford, Professor of Law at Indiana University. Additionally, Attorney Kathleen Sullivan, Stanford Law School, argued brilliantly as our advocate before the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Walk-in registrations are encouraged. Session information and details are available at www.coalitionforfreetrade.org/symposium. Guests may attend May 1, 2, and/or the Gala Dinner: Pricing: entire package ($500), Day One ($225), Day Two ($200), or the Gala Dinner ($150).

Visit their Website for more details: Free the Grapes Symposium

Original post by Jo Diaz

Dutch Henry Winery is a small family-owned winery at the northern end of the Silverado Trail. The Dutch Henry Winery is a family run affair. The owners are Less and Maggie Chafen of San Francisco, and their son Scott Chafen is the winemaker and vineyard manager. The family opened the winery in 1992. The winery has estate vineyards located at the winery as well as other areas in the Napa Valley. The winery is named for a somewhat shady character, Dutch Henry, who was a silver miner in the area during the mid 1800’s.

Winemaker Scott Chafen with Syrah Vineyard in the Background

Just outside the winery there is a Syrah Vineyard that has recently been organically certified. Another addition to the winery will come very soon and that is a wine cave. Currently, space is limited in the winery for the aging barrels. The barrel room also doubles as a tasting room and that makes for tight quarters. We got a peek of the cave construction and learned that it will not only house the barrel room, but also provide space for a more formal tasting area.

Wine Cave Under Construction

The tasting fee is $10 and we were able to taste five wines. We enjoyed all the wines, particularly the Pinot Noir, but were a little surprised to find that the wines were priced so high. Wines range from $28 to $58. One can always expect Napa Valley wines to be more expensive than anywhere else in California. Don’t get us wrong, these wines are tasty but, compared to some of the neighboring wineries we have visited, we think the wines are priced too high for the quality. There are no bargain wines to be found at Dutch Henry.

The staff at the winery is very friendly and warm. Scott is usually around the winery or vineyards with his three friendly dogs roaming the area. There are several picnic tables and a Bocce Ball court. One can easily spend a lazy afternoon sipping wine and playing Bocce Ball and taking in the vineyard views.

The Good: Family owned, organically certified vineyards, picnic tables, and Bocce court.
The Bad: Wines priced on the high side.

Original post by joe

Original post by Tom Wark

In the next few posts I want to examine the results of the “Electronic Wine” Survey. But in this first post I’d like to look at the overall results. There are some interesting findings when you start parsing the results, but for now let’s look at the overall findings.

You can see the overall results of the 266 respondents yourself BY CLICKING HERE.

First and foremost, take note of the fact that nearly everyone that took the survey says they use the Internet to educate themselves about wine. Stunned? Good. I hope not. What they say they use it for is interesting however.While 45% say they use the Internet for “Wine Pricing Information”, only 25% say they use the Internet for “Purchasing Advise”. Meanwhile, 68% say they they are most likely use the Internet for finding “Wine Reviews”. Now, combine this information with the fact that fully 40% of the respondents said they DO NOT use the Internet for wine buying. Perhaps this question was not phrased correctly. But perhaps it means lots of people look use the Internet for wine buying the same way they use it for car buying: They do the research on-line, then buy offline.

I must say, I’m surprised by that 40% saying they don’t use the Internet for wine buying. This tells me that there is LOTS of room for growth in the on-line buying world.

Another interesting finding is how respondents view the utility of on-line wine information vs. print wine information. In general, respondents find the two sources similar in quality over a variety of categories. EXCEPT in the area of “Wine Pricing Information” and “Basic Wine Information”. By far, respondents view wine pricing information better on the Internet than in print publications. This should be no surprise thanks in large part to folks like Wine Searcher and Snooth and others. But I was surprised to see the Internet get the nod in a significant way over print publications when it comes to “Basic Wine Information”. Perhaps it’s just the huge amount of Basic Wine Information that exists on the Internet that gives this venue the nod over print.

Now here’s something VERY interesting: 60% of respondents said they purchase no more than 10% of their wine on the Internet. Maybe it’s just my own experience that makes this a surprise to me. In our house upwards of 80% is purchased on-line. Still, I would have expected more. Again, this tells me there is huge potential for growth in on-line wine sales. And, by the way, take note that it’s wine retailers that get a significantly higher percentage of on-line sales over winery websites.

What’s wrong with the on-line buying experience. Clearly it’s a lack of accessibility. Almost half the respondents cited “Shipping Not Available in My State” as the biggest problem with on-line wine shopping”. What does this mean? Combined with the fact that more folks say they buy from on-line retailers than wineries, it means I need to work harder on behalf of the Specialty Wine Retailers Association to get more states into the game and thereby more consumers into the game.

Finally, who are the respondents? Well, we tend to be well-educated males between 40 and 60 years of age who make decent money. Who is surprised?

More interesting analysis coming. For now, take a look at the basic results HERE.

Original post by Tom Wark

Suisun Valley Grape Growers Association members have long understood their local climate and soils play a major role in maximizing the potential of their viticultural region. To help scientifically document their AVA, the organization has enlisted terroir experts Terra Spase, Inc., of St. Helena, to undertake a scientific analysis of the unique soils and climate of the Suisun Valley region.

By analyzing existing data and leveraging new data sources, Terra Spase’s work will enable local growers to make the best possible use of land and cultivars available to them. The growers realize this effort will help to further establish to those outside of their region, that Suisun Valley is a recognizable ultra-premium wine grape production district.

According to Paul Skinner of Terra Spase, “We’ll be expanding the collection of data in the region and then use this data to help understand the relationships among soil, weather, and wine grapes grown in the Suisun Valley Agricultural Area.”

This study consists of two stages:

1. the first stage will explore climate
2. the second stage will involve both soil and topography analysis.

As a preparatory step, in April of 2006, SVGGA collaborated with the Solano Irrigation District and the Suisun Valley Fund to install four new weather stations within the viticultural region. These stations, in conjunction with two previously existing stations, are allowing the growers to begin capturing a more complete picture of the region’s climate. The organization anticipated that a good baseline climate data set would be a key component of the analysis they envisioned.

In the two-stage project proposed, Skinner will begin by using the best available weather data sources to analyze climatic parameters relative to the geographical and agricultural characteristics of Suisun Valley.

Skinner will then turn to the region’s soils and topography, collecting, analyzing, and interpreting soil chemistry and physical data, while utilizing spatial modeling and analysis in order to understand their effects on ultra-premium wine grape growing in the Suisun Valley AVA.

Original post by Jo Diaz

Original post by Tom Wark

Original post by Tom Wark

George and Elsa Vare love the white wine blends of Italy and have devoted Vare Vineyards to the pursuit of making this style of wine in Napa Valley. They are not new to the wine business having co-founded Luna Vineyards and this experience shows in the bottle. I first tasted Vare wines at the recent Wine 2.0 event at Crushpad in San Francisco and was excited to try their very limited production Bianco Riserva 2005 as part of the Wine Spy for a Day program. The Wine Spies are also offering free ground shipping on 4 bottles or more for all Winecast readers by entering promotional code “WINECASTLUVSME”.

A blend of 40% Ribolla Gialla, 25% Pinot Grigio, 22% Tocai Friulano, 10% Sauvignon Blanc and 3% Chardonnay grown in Napa Valley, Vare Bianco Riserva 2005 is unique in several ways. First, this is the only winery with plantings of Ribolla Gialla in the US, a variety from Italy’s Friuli Venezia Giulia region where it’s blended with Tocai Friulano. The wine spends an extra few months in once used French Oak barrels than it’s sibling Bianco which produces a more complex wine both aromatically and in it’s flavor profile. An finally, this is one of the few wines packaged in 500 ml bottles as requested by Thomas Keller’s French Laundry restaurant. This results in one of the best Cal-Ital white blends I’ve tasted to date.

Vare Vineyards, Bianco Riserva 2005 ($45/500ml/sample) - The straw color is a result of barrel fermentation and aging but the aromas are not overpowered by the influence of wood. This wine has a very pleasing bouquet of citrus, tropical fruit, walnut and a hint of clove. Complex but refreshing grapefruit and pineapple fruit flavors finishing with nice acidity and a creamy, lees element. An excellent food wine and would make a great starter to an Italian meal but with only 20 cases produced, you better act now.

14.5% ABV
Synthetic cork closure
Score: 90
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Buy this wine at Wine Spies for $35 today only!

And don’t forget to enter discount code “WINECASTLUVSME” when you check out for free ground shipping on orders of 4 bottles or more.

Thanks to Agent Red for recruiting me and Agent White for selecting such a nice wine to taste. Look for other wine bloggers to be Wine Spies for a Day in coming days.

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Original post by Tim

This is a subject worth revisiting, because so many new people come into the wine business (it seems like everyday), performing at peak (only the best will do, so that’s how they perform). They grow it, make it, and bottle it… Knowing how great it is, then submit it for review. When the wine critic “doesn’t get it,” they spiral down, thinking it’s all over.

Well, it’s not, it’s only the beginning of finding out that if you build your empire on this double-edged sword, coming down on the sharp side smarts, but only if you have no back-up padding.

Wine’s a beautiful product to sell. When a salesperson visits a wine shop owner, a restauranteur, or a chain store buyer to sell his or her wine, it’s a fascinating process. When approached as a relational meeting, there’s so much more to it than a score.

It’s a home run when Robert Parker, Steve Heimoff, or Jim Laube, etc., has said that (on his particular palate) the wine deserves a 92 score. From that day forward, that wine needs no further introduction… It sells itself, and you can go to the golf links, to a ball game, or knit a sweater for some fun.

But… How many times is that going to happen, and with how many wines?

The odds are slim to narrow, just like hitting home runs. They don’t happen every single time at bat. It’s occasional, and it’s a special moment. A most important point here is this: Robert Parker, Steve Heimoff, and Jim Laube, etc., each have a particular preference, and each is looking for a certain profile. That’s what gets their attention, and if it meets that criteria, that’s what will be rewarded. No harm, no foul… I have deep respect for every wine critic in the wine business, because they have influence and power. I also trust my own palate, which is just as important to me… because it’s really all I’ve got, besides their opinions. It’s the same for each of us… We taste and evaluate according to what we like. (Give me fish and I’ll gag - maybe not you, though. Give me beef and pea pods and I’ll salivate - maybe not you, though.)

The best thing a sales person can do is internalize what I just wrote and get on with your own selling process.

You’ve got a great product, or you wouldn’t be selling it. Figure out your fine points, build a great story line, and sell your product, because one day the 92 will come to you, and you can go hit a few round of golf… Until the next score becomes sobering. It’s a crap shoot.

Original post by Jo Diaz

It’s almost impossible to write about pink wines these days without invoking some sort of cliche. Even the (true) claim that rosé wines are no longer out of fashion has been recycled so many times that I’m cringing just typing it. The fact of the matter is that after years of being vino-non-grata, pink wines are finally back in the awareness of American wine drinkers. After the success of Sutter Home White Zinfandel sent wine lovers running for the hills every time someone offered them a glass of rose, discerning palates are returning to pink wines in huge numbers. According to the Nielsen Company, sales of rosé wines were up 53.2% last year.

If there’s one organization that might actually be able to take credit for this, it would be the masked crusaders at RAP: Rosé Avengers and Producers. This motley crew of stubborn winemakers and publicists decided three years ago that they were tired of seeing pink wines dismissed as the oenological equivalent of Kraft Singles. So they set out to change the way people thought about pink wines in America. And it appears that they very well may have succeeded.

Now if they could only get California winemakers to learn how to make really good rosé, everything would indeed be right in the world. That sounds a little harsh, and it is supposed to. There are some excellent pink California wines out there, but there are far more awful ones than good. Especially when compared with some of the other regions of the world that are known for rosé: Southern France, Spain, Southern Italy — all these regions are chock full of beautifully dry, crisp, pink wines that many California winemakers seem unable to duplicate. Things will get better over time, of course, especially as those who know what they’re doing impart their wisdom to those who don’t.

If you’re interested in experiencing the ultimate pink wine experience, you can’t do better than the RAP Pink Out Tastings, which are held every Spring in San Francisco. Be warned, however, this is a popular event and a very small space. I recommend going early, and steeling yourself for dealing with a crowd and what seems to always be a chronic shortage of spit buckets.

Having said that, there are some good wines to be tasted, and the appetizers that are served are usually quite good as well.

Rosé Avengers and Producers: Pink Out 2008
Tuesday, May 13th
6:30pm to 8:30pm
Butterfly Restaurant
Pier 33, The Embarcadero (at Bay Street)
San Francisco

Tickets are available for $35 in advance on the event web site. This tasting will likely sell out, as it has done every year, so get them ahead of time.

Street parking can be found on Bay Street, and the Muni streetcar stops right out front.

Original post by Calwineries.com Blog

Lodi has many great wineries. Let us help you plan your California Wine Tour to Lodi wineries with information on wineries, restaurants, and accomodations.

Original post by Tom Wark

Highlights of a Lodi Wine Tour allow you to plan your visit to the Lodi Wine Country. Enjoy tasting wine at Lodi wineries.

Original post by Tom Wark

The guy next to me kept screaming "White Rabbit!" at the top of his lungs for the better part of two hours. It was a Jefferson Starship concert in 1971 and the band, despite a change of name and personnel could not escape their hits. No matter how well they played that guy would only be happy if they played White Rabbit.

Last week, while attending a performance of the Dave Brubeck Quartet, a true jazz legend and creator of West Coast Jazz, the guy in front of me screamed "Take Five!". It seems no matter how many decades pass that fans are more interested in hearing your hits instead of your music. In Brubeck’s case he has progressed far beyond his Take Five days and created am amazingly diverse body of work. Yet, even with all he’s done since Take Five was recorded in 1959 I’m willing to bet that the majority of concert goers were there to hear Take Five, which is probably the only jazz composition most could name from memory. Of course, what I’m sure few of them knew is that the piece they were screaming to hear was not written by Brubeck, but by the late, great Paul Desmond, who played saxophone for The Dave Brubeck Quartet when they recorded Take Five.

Winemakers face the a similar dilemma. Once you get a big score, your big hit, you can feel locked into that style. It takes great courage to evolve your style in a way you believe in instead of just playing the same old hit over and over again. What most consumers don’t understand is that a winemaker can be relatively unhappy with a wine even though it gets a high score. As difficult as it is to believe, behind closed doors winemakers are often amazed at a high score they’ve received. What happens if you get a 93 from Robert Parker on a wine you’re not particularly pleased with? Do you keep making that wine or follow your own vision?

Brubeck seems to have resolved this dilemma perfectly as when he did finally play Take Five for the crowd, it was not the Take Five of 1959, but a piece that reflected the talents of the current Dave Brubeck Quartet. While it started with the famous chords and catchy quintuple time, it soon evolved, in the great tradition of jazz, into a distinctive exciting performance with a personality all its own.

Great winemaking should take its cue from the improvisational spirit of jazz as each vintage is a singular performance that deserves its own riffs.

Technorati Tags: wine, jazz, Brubeck, Take Five

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Original post by Craig Camp

We live in a world of marketing, where everyone struggles to distinguish their product from the competition and where seduction is the name of the game. Winemakers and producers seemingly must participate in this cacophony of messages in order for their wines to attract the attention of consumers. This competition for eyeballs in the store (or online), and then share of wallet (or, one might say, share of cellar) leads to an awful lot of hype. Wine labels and web sites are now chock full of all sorts of claims and phrases, leaving consumers to sort out the honest descriptions of wines and winemaking from so many marketing catch-phrases.

One such phrase that always provokes my curiousity is “mountain grown” or “hillside” fruit. The reason my ears perk up? Talk with a lot of winemakers, and you’ll quickly learn that mountain grown vines are indeed something special, and that the mountain microclimate offers a particularly unique set of growing conditions, both of which can produce extraordinary wines.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that anytime you see the words “mountainside fruit” on a wine label, you’re in for a treat. But there are certain winegrowing regions whose fruit is predominantly or entirely mountain grown, and these regions are often among my favorites, no matter where they are found.

The Napa Valley is ringed by mountains, but the cool, fog shrouded Mayacamas mountains to the west of the valley are perhaps the best known, and the three AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) found in this range are home to some of Napa’s best wineries.

Mount Veeder, Spring Mountain District, and Diamond Mountain District are less visited than many of Napa’s other AVAs. Tucked in the folds and creases of the mountains and protected by sick-inducing winding roads that lead far from the safety of Napa’s main highway corridor, these mountain winegrowing regions are quiet refuges from the hustle and bustle of Napa. And that goes for grapes as well as people.

High up above the valley, vines and wine lovers alike will find cooler breezes, long shadows and lingering sunsets, and special wines that have bright, clear fruit and often beautiful intensity.

Earlier this week, for the first time ever, the wineries of the Mayacamas mountains got together to let the world taste their wines side-by-side. I spent a couple of hours tasting through nearly 100 of the wines, and offer my ratings below for your pleasure. While there were a few wineries absent from the tasting, this represented by far the most complete opportunity I had ever heard of to examine the mountain wines of Napa outside of their natural habitat, so to speak. It was a lot of fun.

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 9.5
2005 Barnett Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $65
2004 Peacock Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $75
2004 Dyer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Diamond Mountain District, Napa. $75

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 9 AND 9.5
2005 Barnett Vineyards Merlot, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $45
2004 Cain Vineyard & Winery Cain Five, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $125
2004 Marston Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $90
2003 Spring Mountain Vineyard Elivette, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $90
2004 Vineyard 7 & 8 Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $93
1999 Godspeed Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder, Napa. $54
2004 The Hess Collection Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder, Napa. $50
2005 Lagier-Meredith Syrah, Mount Veeder, Napa. $50
2004 Lagier-Meredith Syrah, Mount Veeder, Napa. $50
2005 COHO Wines Summit Vine Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Diamond Mountain District, Napa. $60
2002 Diamond Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon Library Special, Diamond Mountain District, Napa. $55
2005 Reverie on Diamond Mountain Cabernet Franc, Diamond Mountain District, Napa. $60

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 9
2004 Fantesca Estate & Winery Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $60
2005 Frias Family Vineyards Red Wine, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $35
2004 Newton Vineyard Puzzle, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $80
2005 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $56
2005 Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $66
2003 Schweiger Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $48
2005 Sherwin Family Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $90
2006 Spring Mountain Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $35
2005 The Hess Collection Winery 19 Block Cuvee, Mount Veeder, Napa. $36
2005 Vinoce Cabernet Franc Blend, Mount Veeder, Napa. $60
2004 Andrew Geoffrey Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Diamond Mountain District, Napa. $75
2005 COHO Wines Headwaters, Diamond Mountain District, Napa. $40
2004 Diamond Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon, Diamond Mountain District, Napa. $55
2000 Diamond Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon Library Release, Diamond Mountain District, Napa. $n/a
2001 Graeser Winery Estate Cabernet Franc, Diamond Mountain District, Napa. $60
2002 Graeser Winery Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Diamond Mountain District, Napa. $50
2004 Martin Ray Winery Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Diamond Mountain District, Napa. $60
2005 Reverie on Diamond Mountain Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Diamond Mountain District, Napa. $85
2005 Reverie on Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, Diamond Mountain District, Napa. $65
2005 von Strasser Winery Diamond Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon, Diamond Mountain District, Napa. $50

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 8.5 AND 9
2005 Frias Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $65
2006 Frias Family Vineyards Rose, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $16
1999 Fife Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $90
2004 Guilliams Vineyards Merlot, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $40
2004 Keenan Winery Merlot, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $36
2004 Keenan Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $45
2003 Schweiger Vineyards Merlot, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $38
2005 Terra Valentine Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $38
2004 Terra Valentine Yverdon Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $70
2005 Terra Valentine Wurtele Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $58
2004 Vineyard 7 & 8 Chardonnay, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $50
2004 Brandlin Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder, Napa. $80
2006 Chateau Potelle Winery Chardonnay VGS, Mount Veeder, Napa. $45
2005 Chateau Potelle Winery Cabernet Sauvignon VGS, Mount Veeder, Napa. $60
2001 Godspeed Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder, Napa. $40
2005 Godspeed Vineyards Trinity, Mount Veeder, Napa. $45
1996 Godspeed Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder, Napa. $N/A
2005 The Hess Collection Winery Estate Chardonnay, Mount Veeder, Napa. $35
2004 Lagier-Meredith Syrah, Mount Veeder, Napa. $20
2004 Meadowcroft Viognier, Mount Veeder, Napa. $25
2006 Paras Vineyards Viognier, Mount Veeder, Napa. $45
2005 Sage Vineyards Veeder Crest, Mount Veeder, Napa. $40
2005 Yates Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder, Napa. $60
2005 Yates Family Vineyard Fleur de Veeder, Mount Veeder, Napa. $45
2005 Diamond Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon, Diamond Mountain District, Napa. $55
2004 J. Davies Vineyards Diamond Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon, Diamond Mountain District, Napa. $75
2005 von Strasser Winery Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Diamond Mountain District, Napa. $70

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 8.5
2006 Fantesca Estate & Winery Chardonnay, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $40
2003 Fife Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $60
2004 Fife Vineyards Reserve Merlot, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $60
2006 Keenan Winery Chardonnay, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $29
2004 Keenan Winery Cabernet Reserve, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $100
2006 Schweiger Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $19
2006 Schweiger Vineyards Chardonnay, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $30
2004 Spring Mountain Vineyard Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $55
2005 Spring Mountain Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $50
2005 Chateau Potelle Winery Zinfandel VGS, Mount Veeder, Napa. $55
2004 Meadowcroft Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder, Napa. $56
2005 Meadowcroft Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder, Napa. $56
2005 Paras Vineyards Syrah, Mount Veeder, Napa. $45
2004 Robert Craig Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder, Napa. $70
2005 Robert Craig Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder, Napa. $70
2004 Sage Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder, Napa. $65
2005 Yates Family Vineyard Alden Perry Reserve, Mount Veeder, Napa. $45
2005 Yates Family Vineyard Cheval, Mount Veeder, Napa. $45
2003 Graeser Winery Estate Coeur de Leon, Diamond Mountain District, Napa. $60

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 8 AND 8.5
2004 Fife Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $60
NV Fife Vineyards “Max” Blend, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $38
2003 Mayacamas Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder, Napa. $35
2005 Mayacamas Vineyards Chardonnay, Mount Veeder, Napa. $75
2005 Reverie on Diamond Mountain ASKIKEN Red Blend, Diamond Mountain District, Napa. $40

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 8
2003 Godspeed Vineyards Chardonnay, Mount Veeder, Napa. $24
1995 Mayacamas Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder, Napa. $50
2002 Mayacamas Vineyards Chardonnay, Mount Veeder, Napa. $175
2005 Paras Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder, Napa. $75
2005 Paras Vineyards Merlot, Mount Veeder, Napa. $40
2004 Rubissow Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Mount Veeder, Napa. $125

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 7.5 AND 8
2004 Guilliams Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District, Napa. $45
2005 Godspeed Vineyards Chardonnay, Mount Veeder, Napa. $24
2004 Rubissow Wines Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder, Napa. $78
2004 Rubissow Wines Trompettes , Mount Veeder, Napa. $65

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 7
2004 Rubissow Wines Merlot, Mount Veeder, Napa. $50

Original post by Calwineries.com Blog

A Blog on Champagne, Wine and Food, by Peter LiemInteresting commentary on the concept and tradition of terroir.“The problem is that not enough tasters, whether professional oramateur, are equipped to recognize distinction of character. One of thedifficulties is that it’s far easier to identify technical quality thanquality of character, and often I feel that many people are too easilysatisfied with the former. Even the way that we taste is orientedlargely towards the identification of technical quality: blindcomparisons, sterile conditions, numerical scoring. On the other hand,we have not yet developed a system for identifying character, which isfar more difficult. One could even say that the idea of character,while ultimately identifiable, defies the whole concept ofsystemization.”

Original post by Craig Camp

Enjoy an Amador wine tour. Escape to the Sierra foothills and tour the Amador wineries. Taste great wines and relax in the scenic beauty and fresh mountain air.

Original post by Tom Wark

Original post by Tom Wark

I never thought this day would come. Really. When I started Vinography more than four years ago, part of my inspiration was the fact that when I typed “wine blog” into Google, I got zero results. I did the same with all the major blogging sites/services and came up pretty much empty handed. There were one or two wine blogs that had been started several months earlier, but they had been abandoned.

So I started tapping out my thoughts about in my own little dark corner of the Internet, assuming that in a while I’d have one or two friends join me in the adventure of blogging about wine.

Four years and three months later I’ve got 638 friends, and sadly, there’s just not room enough for them on the front page of my web site any more. Not to mention the fact that Google is getting increasingly persnickety about which sites it likes and which sites it doesn’t, partially based on the time it takes to load the first page.

So I’ve had to create The Complete List of Wine Blogs, which is where you’ll want to go if you want to keep track of them all. I’ll continue to post the newest ones (that I know about) in the left hand bar of my site, but if you feel like trolling the depths, you’ll need to do that from the big list. Happy surfing!

Photo courtesy of KK+

Original post by Calwineries.com Blog

As executive director of Specialty Wine Retailers Association, I’ve been thinking a lot recently about who supports free and open markets in wine and who supports retailer to consumer shipping—the only channel through which consumers can actually access ALL the wines on the market today.

We know consumers do. They’ve written letters to legislators, testified on direct shipping bills, and even donated $1000s of dollars to the work Specialty Wine Retailers Association is carrying out.

We know newspaper editorial boards and wine writers do. They’ve written scads of editorials denouncing the laws that serve to only protect wine distributors from competition.

The Wine 2.0 community has been vocal about their support of both winery and retailer shipping

And we know retailers support free and fair trade and consumer access to wine. See SWRA.



BUT WHERE TO WINERIES STAND ON FREE & FAIR TRADE IN WINE?

WHERE DO WINERIES STAND ON RETAILER TO CONSUMER SHIPPING? WHERE TO THEY STAND ON CONSUMER ACCESS TO WINE THROUGH RETAILERS? DO THEY IN FACT SUPPORT THE WINE RETAILER—THE GROUP MOST RESPONSIBLE FOR PUTTING THEIR PRODUCTS IN FRONT OF THE CONSUMER—AND THEIR BID TO HELP ADDRESS THE LEGITIMATE CONSUMER DEMAND FOR ACCESS TO WINES?

The various winery associations and trade groups have been true to their fiduciary responsibility to their members and seen fit to support laws that prohibit consumers from buying wine from out-of-state retailers both in CA and IL. They have opposed laws that would allow retailer to consumers shipping in WA. And in other cases the wineries have simply been neutral on laws that would open shipping to consumers and retailers. In doing this they’ve supported their members’ needs, despite the impact on consumers and wine merchants. OK…I understand this approach that many trade associations believe they must take.

But the more important issue is not how the various wine trade associations conduct themselves with regard to issues of fair trade in wine and consumer access to wines. The real question is HOW INDIVIDUAL WINERIES STAND ON RETAILER TO CONSUMER SHIPPING? Do the individual wineries support their best customers—wine lovers and the wine merchant?

Does CONSTELLATION BRANDS, perhaps the wine producer that benefits most from support by retailers, support the wine merchants bid to engage in direct to consumer sales? Are they willing to say they do publicly? Are they willing to donate a mere $125 a month to support this cause?

Does JOSEPH PHELPS WINERY support real consumer access to wine? Are they willing to say so publicly or show their support by joining the cause to break down barriers to retailer shipping by putting up, say, what they take in for the sale of a single case of Insignia?

Does DON SEBASTIANI & SONS support retailer shipping or just winery shipping? Are they willing to support efforts to bring down unconstitutional restrictions on retailer shipping and consumer access to wine?

Does STAGLIN think that free trade and shipping for wine merchants is worth supporting through publicly standing up and saying so or by joining an organization that is fighting for the right to sell their wines to consumers that want them but can’t find them?

Will GALLO take a stand for retailers and donate real cash to the cause to allow consumers to access the wines they want?

Will the folks at ALBAN VINEYARDS take a stand against monopolists laws that keep wine retailers from selling their wines to the folks who want them enough to pay shipping from another state? Will they say so publicly? Will they make even a small donation to actually make this happen?

Will the MENDOCINO WINE COMPANY demonstrate its support for its best customers and its consumers by issue a public announcement of support for real fair and free trade in wine? Can they show their support by making a financial donation equivalent to the retail value of a mere 5 cases of their Paul Dolan Zinfandel?

Is DUCKHORN willing to only support winery shipping or will they publicly state they support retailer to consumer shipping, as well as help the only organization fighting for the right of retailers to market Duckhorn wine through direct shipping with a small contribution…just as “thanks” for the effort?

I wonder if RODNEY STRONG VINEYARDS, which has grown significantly with the support of wine merchants, has consumers in mind and will support retailers’ attempts to change wine shipping laws with a small donation to the cause or just a public statement?

What about KORBEL and their family of wineries including Kenwood and Valley of the Moon? Do these folks have any interest in stepping up and supporting consumers and retailers with a monetary donation or public support for retailers who have supported their products for decades?

Do the folks at LORING WINE COMPANY have any interest is supporting the retailers that work to assure their outstanding wines get into the hands to the wine geeks that can’t find them locally or from the winery? Can they step up with a show of support?

And then there is FOSTER WINE ESTATES, one of the largest wine producers in the world with a collection of wines that is nearly entirely dependent on wine merchants for putting these brands in front of the public. Can they afford to donate $1500 a year ($125 per month) ($4 per day) to the cause of retailers, who are fighting for the ability to to sell Foster’s wines to wine lovers across the country? Or is this not important enough for them?

Is it possible that HANZELL VINEYARDS in the hills of Sonoma, a brand that fine wine merchants have supported for literally decades, can find the time to make a donation to, or public statement about, the retailers and consumers that are fighting monopolists for the right to simply fulfill a legitimate demand?

Is there any room in the PAHLMEYER budget to support consumers who merely want the right to purchase wine without the threat of being fined? Do they have room to make a simple statement to the effect that “we support consumers and retailers in their desire to simply do business together”?

I have to think that the folks at VINE CLIFF support free and fair trade in wine and have enough respect for their consumers that they too would show support through donations or public comment for the work consumers do through organizations like SWRA.

Are the IRONSTONE people satisfied with their retail supporters being left out of direct shipping now that they have their battle won, or are they willing to make even a small donation to the cause of direct shipping by retailers and consumer access to wine. Even a short public statement of support would be helpful if they think the cause is worth supporting.

Is it possible that PACIFIC WINE PARTNERS, the marketers behind brands like Rex Goliath, Hardys, Blackstone and Twin Fin and a company that relies tremendously on retailers to sell their products, might be able to help those friends of theirs with some support for the simple cause of direct shipping, or are they content to sit on the sidelines not get involved and see retailers hurt more and more as Pacific’s best customers are shut out of more and more direct ship markets?

Is DIAGEO CHATEAU & ESTATES, a company whose wine such as Chalone, Beaulieu Vineyards, Sterling Vineyards and Acacia, are dependent on retailers, willing to step up and make a small donation to the cause of retailer to consumer shipping or just say out loud, “we support a free and fair market for retailer to consumer sales and shipping”?

There is nothing particularly special about this grouping of wineries other than they, like most other wineries in America, rely on wine merchants to put their wines in front of the consumer. They are a pretty random selection used only to make a point. Each in this group, like most other wineries, COULD afford to support though donations, membership in SWRA or contributions, those retailers and consumers that are working to create a free, fair and accessible market for consumers and retailers alike.

If they choose not to support retailer to consumer shipping, the question is why?



Why let your most important partners work all alone when you can could get involved?

That’s the big question for American wineries. And I suspect both wine merchants and consumers do take some notice of how this question is being answered by wineries.

Original post by Tom Wark

If you read my posting last week, you know that I visited a local wine shop, The Wine Guy in Asheville, NC, and that Steve Nelson selected a case of wine that I could write about here. Every week I review two wines that together do not total more than $19.99, and I discovered that The Wine Guy is a wine shop that is bursting with values. After last week’s success, I eagerly opened two more bottles that I could discuss here this week.

I started with the 2006 Saumur Blanc Reserve des Vignerons. This is a Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley. Steve told me that they sell a lot of this wine in the summer months, and, after tasting it, I completely understand why. Priced at $8.99, this is a wonderful, medium-bodied, summer-sipping white. I found citrus, green apple, and peach on the nose and palate. The wine had a nice mineral quality also, which I understand to be an influence of the limestone soil in which these vines are grown. I loved this French white.

Priced at $10.99, which was exactly the price point I was looking for in my second bottle this week, was the 2005 Saumur Rouge Reserve des Vignerons. If I didn’t know better, I’d think that the folks at the Asheville Wine Guy knew all about my column when they priced these two wines, but it was really just luck on my part. This wine is 100% Cabernet Franc, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. With its light and fruity nose to its palate bursting with raspberries, this wine paired wonderfully with homemade pizza on Saturday and a perfectly grilled (thanks to my husband) NY Strip on Sunday. French wine is still somewhat low on my learning curve, and since I’m still not 100% clear on what varieties are grown in the particular regions, I rely on help when purchasing them. I am so happy that Steve introduced me to these two incredible French values!

Original post by Katie

Path to tree
“Photographing vineyards isn’t the easiest thing in the world. While they all have their own particular beauties, there’s a lot that stays the same — rows of grapevines, one after another. I often find myself wandering outside the vineyards themselves to see what new perspectives I can get. I liked this tree that sits behind the crest of the vineyard hill. You an barely see the last row of vines at the top of the hill.” — Michael Regnier

INSTRUCTIONS:
Download this image by right-clicking (Mac users, click and hold) on the image and selecting “save link as” or “save target as” and then select the desired location on your computer to save the image. Mac users can also just click the image and drag it to your desktop.

To set the image as your desktop wallpaper, Mac users should follow these instructions, while PC users should follow these.

PRINTS:
If you are interested in owning an archive quality print of this image, or any of the other vineyard images featured here on Vinography, you can purchase one on the Michael Regnier Photography web site for $85.

ABOUT VINOGRAPHY IMAGES:
Vinography regularly features images by photographer Michael Regnier for readers’ personal use as desktop backgrounds or screen savers. We hope you enjoy them. Please respect the copyright on these images.

Original post by Calwineries.com Blog

Pax Mahle has been making some of the most interesting and complex Syrah in California for nearly a decade now. Although he makes other Rhone varietals, Syrah is his focus with several vineyard designated offerings each year. In tasting 2005 Pax Syrah from the barrel last year, I was impressed with the range of aromas and flavors he brings out with distinct wines even made from within the same vineyard.

All Pax Syrah have a similar thread running through them: they are big. Some are fruit bombs, others super concentrated and structured for aging and some are masterpieces of balance even at 15-16% alcohol. When I asked Pax about his process, he pointed to the traditional techniques of France’s Burgundy region where whole-cluster fermentation and the minimum of cellar treatment was the norm at the finest vineyards for centuries. Somehow, Pax has taken these Old World techniques and combined them with aggressive crop management in the vineyard to produce stunning wines.

The Syrah from Griffin’s Lair in the Sonoma Coast AVA is one of the most massive wines in the lineup with very concentrated fruit along with firm tannins. Although this wine is quite enjoyable right now, I would suggest at least another 5 years of cellaring before you will fully comprehend all the nuances this wine brings to the table.

I enjoyed this Syrah last night paired with traditional Steak Frit at a restaurant in San Francisco. I shared this bottle with Alan Baker who longtime listeners of the podcast will remember from Winecast 51 where we tasted Pax Cellars Walker Vine Hill Syrah. Over the 90 minutes we enjoyed this wine it evolved quite a bit but I would imagine even more aromas would have been present on day two. If you open a bottle now, decanting is highly recommended.

Pax Cellars, Syrah, Griffin’s Lair, Sonoma Coast 2004 ($70) - Very dark purple-black in color with massive aromas of blackberry, meats, fennel, green olive, chaparral, leather and baking spices. Huge, mouth-filling blackberry fruit flavors with cracked black pepper finishing with firm, but fine-grained, tannins. The finish lingers for nearly a minute making this one of the most stunning wines I’ve tasted from Pax Cellars to date. This wine will continue to improve for at least another decade in the cellar.

14.8% ABV
Natural cork closure
Score: 96
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Buy this wine online

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Original post by Tim

Pax Mahle has been making some of the most interesting and complex Syrah in California for nearly a decade now. Although he makes other Rhone varietals, Syrah is his focus with several vineyard designated offerings each year. In tasting 2005 Pax Syrah from the barrel last year, I was impressed with the range of aromas and flavors he brings out with distinct wines even made from within the same vineyard.

All Pax Syrah have a similar thread running through them: they are big. Some are fruit bombs, others super concentrated and structured for aging and some are masterpieces of balance even at 15-16% alcohol. When I asked Pax about his process, he pointed to the traditional techniques of France’s Burgundy region where whole-cluster fermentation and the minimum of cellar treatment was the norm at the finest vineyards for centuries. Somehow, Pax has taken these Old World techniques and combined them with aggressive crop management in the vineyard to produce stunning wines.

The Syrah from Griffin’s Lair in the Sonoma Coast AVA is one of the most massive wines in the lineup with very concentrated fruit along with firm tannins. Although this wine is quite enjoyable right now, I would suggest at least another 5 years of cellaring before you will fully comprehend all the nuances this wine brings to the table.

I enjoyed this Syrah last night paired with traditional Steak Frit at a restaurant in San Francisco. I shared this bottle with Alan Baker who longtime listeners of the podcast will remember from Winecast 51 where we tasted Pax Cellars Walker Vine Hill Syrah. Over the 90 minutes we enjoyed this wine it evolved quite a bit but I would imagine even more aromas would have been present on day two. If you open a bottle now, decanting is highly recommended.

Pax Cellars, Syrah, Griffin’s Lair, Sonoma Coast 2004 ($70) - Very dark purple-black in color with massive aromas of blackberry, meats, fennel, green olive, chaparral, leather and baking spices. Huge, mouth-filling blackberry fruit flavors with cracked black pepper finishing with firm, but fine-grained, tannins. The finish lingers for nearly a minute making this one of the most stunning wines I’ve tasted from Pax Cellars to date. This wine will continue to improve for at least another decade in the cellar.

14.8% ABV
Natural cork closure
Score: 96
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Buy this wine online

ShareThis

Original post by Tim

DIAGEO CAPITALIZES ON HILLARY’S PUBLICITY STUNT

Original post by Craig Camp

One of the world’s leading wine critics has just proclaimed that wine writers, journalists, and critics are all parasites. According to Decanter magazine, while being paid to hang out in a plush cliffside hotel in Ronda, Spain, Jancis Robinson took a moment out from tasting some of the world’s best wines to admonish her fellow journalists, “We must always remember that we are parasites on the business of winemaking.”

From Websters:

Parasite \ˈper-ə-ˌsīt, ˈpa-rə-\ . Noun.

1 : a person who exploits the hospitality of the rich and earns welcome by flattery
2 : an organism living in, with, or on another organism in parasitism (in which one benefits at the expense of the other, without killing it)
3 : something that resembles a biological parasite in dependence on something else for existence or support without making a useful or adequate return

Is she right? Pretty much.

Every wine critic or journalist has their own particular set of ethics, but most enjoy at least some fruits of their power (however limited in scope or narrow in focus) as commentators on a luxury industry. Whether that means keeping wine samples for their personal cellars, going on press junkets to wine regions, getting taken out to lunch by winemakers, or simply access to places and products that ordinary people would have to pay for.

But just because we’re parasites, that doesn’t mean that we can be bought! You can give us $1000 bottles of wine to taste, but you can’t give us Cartier watches. That’s just too much, apparently. Even parasites have some sort of scruples.

All sarcasm aside, I’ve personally found negotiating my relationship with “the industry” tricky, to say the least. In figuring out what my own personal ethics are as a journalist, I’ve had to deal with a number of realities that all wine journalists must face:

1. Writing about wine doesn’t pay worth a damn, which makes the free meals, free wine, and special treatment easy to imagine as “payment in kind” for our work.

2. Because we wine writers are generally poor, we can’t afford to go out and buy all the wines we want to taste, nor can we always afford to pay our way at tastings, trips, conferences and the like — the very things that provide the experience and knowledge we need to write better stuff.

3. We are the main vehicle that all but the largest wineries have for marketing themselves to a broad audience. Most wineries have little or no marketing budget, so all their exposure is usually through the press and word of mouth. Which means they want to treat us really well.

4. No matter what level of objectivity we seek to achieve, there’s no way of avoiding personal relationships with folks in the industry. It doesn’t help that many of them are nice, rich, super generous, and completely awesome to hang out with, not to mention the fact that they are pretty big fans of the thing that we are most passionate about.

So it’s no surprise, really, that wine magnate Bernard Magrez sent journalists home from lunch at (Michelin three star) Alain Ducasse in Paris with a goody bag that included a limited edition, engraved Cartier watch. I guess it is somewhat surprising, though, that after letting him pay for lunch, and doubtless a few bottles of amazing wine, those same journalists would be outraged at the gift.

If you’re gonna be a parasite, what’s the difference between a free meal and a free watch? I’ll bet the lunch cost more than 30% the value of the 1500 Euro watch that is causing such a commotion.

Read the full story.

Photo by andrésmh.

Original post by Calwineries.com Blog