California Wine Country Tour

Have you ever wondered what “Calaveras” means, as in Calaveras County?

Well, I did a few years ago, so I got to the bottom of it in one of my past lives.

It all started as I was traveling to Calaveras County to work. The company I was working for was in the tiny, throwback-in-time town of Murphys, which was made pretty famous by Mark Twain.

At the time I was continuing with my Spanish studies. And it hit me, just as I entered Calaveras County… this has to be a Spanish word! Because I was deeply getting into this language, of course I was traveling with a Spanish-English dictionary, so I pulled over along side a dried-out creek bed, and read:

calavera 1. f skull;

Well, there you go. I got back on the road, and my mind began to wander. I imagined a conversation that would have taken place back when Mark Twain used to frequent Murphys. You know, during the time when he was writing “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.”

It would have gone something like this:

THE SCENE: Henri and his cowboy guide named Bernard were standing in a dried-out creek bed, thirsting for water amid the skulls of so many steer that had come before them. These remnant cows had just stood there waiting for the rains to come. But - alas - the rains never came, but the buzzards were right on cue.

Henri (a mild-mannered Frenchman, who had been drawn to the area for the sake of freedom, has also brought a few vines with him that would also go feral) said to Bernard (who had become a bare footed , beer guzzling, tobacco chewing, tequilla shooting cowboy), “Mon Dieu! Qu’est que ce! Where did all these bones come from, Bernard?”

Bernard, who had been in the area for a few years before Henri, panning for gold but it didn’t pan out, said, “Legend has it, mon ami, that many a steer came before us, and they just weren’t smart enough to mooove on.”

And so, Calaveras County was born by someone who needed to name names.

Fast forward to today, and I’m going to share with you my new favorite Calaveran… Jeff Stai. Poking fun at most processes, Jeff’s out in Calaveras County promoting wine and rubber chickens, and I’m not sure which he’s more passionate about… But, what I do know is Mark Twain woulda loved this guy (maybe not Bernard, but maybe Henri).

I’ve come to know Jeff because he’s my only Sierra Foothills PS I Love You member. Everyone needs a little Sierra Foothills connection, because it tethers us to the history of the Gold Rush, and what that did for California development.

Jeff’s Petite Sirah is big, bold, and totally yummy. Twisted Oak Winery is what it’s called, and his Website is a total trip. He’s not quite what I’d call a cowboy (there are plenty of them out there, though), but he is a bit twisted and proud of it. If you can’t get out there any time soon, just visit his site for ordering Twisted Oak wines.

If you like going back in time, Calaveras County is a fun place to visit. There are great artisan wineries in the neighborhood, and they offer delightful wine for tasting in a rustic setting.

The third weekend in May, Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee holds their annual event. This year it’s May 14-18. I’m sure there will be plenty of wine, frogs, and a good time…

Original post by Jo Diaz

Here’s an interesting comment from one wine critic on wine criticism. Jancis continues to prove that she is one of the most thoughtful wine writers today. One can’t miss the cult of personality that has grown around certain American wine critics whose followers often seem more concerned about the critic than wine itself. This can be seen in the fact that even the slightest criticism of such critics will generate howls of protest and comment spam against the perpetrator.

Robinson’s comment, “We must always remember that we are parasites on the business of winemaking” should be in the back of every critics mind. Considering Robinson’s status as one of the most influential wine writers in the world this is an striking statement that only adds to her already substantial and well earned respect within the wine trade.

Critics should be guides, not gurus.

See the Decanter article at the link below.

Jancis Robinson: critics should show more humility - decanter.com - the route to all good wine

Original post by Craig Camp

The following comment was recently posted on the Fermentation post that announced

the American Wine Blog Winners:




You have a very nice blog. I enjoy the information and access to other blogs. I’m a new blogger… have you seen the naked woman on the newest Imagine Wine label? Check out www.imaginewine.com. It is beautiful. I tasted the wines recently at the Santa Ynez Vintners Festival too and the wine is good and a great value, but has to be bought off the internet.

I get this a lot. Folks posting seemingly flattering comments with a suspicious plug for their own winery or wine product or blog, or even not so suspicious plugs but very blatant plugs. I understand why it’s done. Believe me, I do.

But here’s a hint for those of you who want exposure on Fermentation:

1. If you maintain a wine blog, just email me with the name and URL of your blog and I’ll post it in the blog roll.



2. If you are a winery and think there’s a really good reason why I should investigate your wines and story, pitch me a story via email with your idea and tell me the most compelling reason why I should let my readers know about your wines and winery.



3. If you produce a wine-related product or have a wine-related service that you think Fermentation readers will want to know about, tell me in an e-mail what is unique, compelling, significant or relevant about your service or product.

Alternatively, you can let me know that there is some element of female nakedness associated with your blog, winery or wine-related service or product and I’ll probably take notice.

Bottom Line: Blogs are like any other form of media. They may be interested in what your story is. Interested enough to write about it, even. BUT…assume you need to make the effort to pitch the story in a creative and compelling way.

Offering up female nakedness might work with me at Fermentation, but it’s unlikely that other wine bloggers are as easy as I am. Make the effort. Do the research. Pitch the story directly.

Original post by Tom Wark

What’s your relationship to wine on the Internet?

Are you a buyer?

A big buyer?

A reader?

A student of wine using the net?

These are the things I’m curious about when it comes to Fermentation readers and that’s why I’ve created…

THE ELECTRONIC WINE SURVEY

It’s a simple, quick survey that will give an indication of just how deep Fermentation readers are into the world of wine on the Internet as well as give an indication of their feelings about the way the Internet delivers wine information and access to wine.

So please…

TAKE THE SURVEY BY CLICKING HERE!!

The results will be posted here for all to see when the survey is closed and your responses are 100% Confidential.

Thanks you,

Tom…..

Original post by Tom Wark

Ok…so Francis Ford Coppola got shot down on his desire to erect two lovely lighted pyramids on his Rosso & Bianco Winery (formerly Chateau Souverain) in Sonoma County. (Personally, I think the demise of this particular aesthetic element of his new Sonoma winery is a shame…Who doesn’t like a lighted pyramid?) However, it’s not as though the director of the greatest American movie ever made, winery owner, restaurateur and father of the woman that ruined Godfather III doesn’t retain big plans for this new facility north of Healdsburg. Behold the plans:

-Coppola’s Rosso & Bianco Winery on four parcels covering 76 acres



-It include a 900-foot bandshell and stage that would host live
music, theater and other events



-It will have a 2,000-square-foot dance floor for
128 people



-It will provide a 257-square-foot refreshment bar



-There will be a split-level swimming
pool with a capacity of 175 people and 33 cabanas



-The Project includes a 1,430-square-foot outdoor restaurant with 44 seats near the pool



-Allowed are 18 special outdoor events a year, one of which would be for up to 3,000 guests.




I’m sort of hoping that this pool project at the winery will include a swim-up wine bar. One of my favorite past times on Mexican vacations is taking a slow swim up to the bar, saddling up on a submerged stool, requesting a couple shots of tequilla with a nice beer chaser, slowly waddle back through the water to my cabana by the pool, all in preparation for my next visit to the swim up bar about an hour later.

To think that I could do this all in Sonoma County gets me kind of thirsty!

Bring it on, Francis!

Original post by Tom Wark

The above image came from the nature conservancy Website. For more on what they’re suggesting, just visit this link: The Nature Conservancy Website.

Yes, the designated “hour” for “Earth Hour” came without a peep from me… the ‘ole tree hugger that I am. I should have been right on that one, turning off my lights, living by candle light and all that jazz…

How could this have happened, you might ask?

Well, this doesn’t mean that I didn’t see it coming and going.

My life was full, my time was preoccupied with recycling and reusing, and I was busy thinking about many more things. This period of time included copious meetings taking center stage, with my journaling taking a back seat to what was more immediate.

So, on Earth Day I’m making an Earth Day resolution.

Doesn’t everyone on Earth Day?

Mine is that from now on, my house wines (i.e., the wines I have with my meals at home and in the privacy of my own home) are coming out of a box. Less carbon fingerprints. Pick your favorite… I have mine.

I’m celebrating this decision with Killer Juice Merlot.

Mother Earth ~ Merlot… Alliteration in wine, and that’s just fine.

My Raley’s carries it, and I’m like a homing pigeon to the shelf when a box is just about empty.

Champagne for New Years, Merlot for Earth Day.

As you can see, wines in a cask can last up to six weeks with minimal pouring and enjoying on your counter and then in your glass. Mine never makes it six weeks, though; but, it’s still a comfort to know that they can.

Happy Earth Day. I trust you’re also making an Earth Day resolution.

Original post by Jo Diaz

Like Jazz standards interpreted endlessly by masters and amateurs alike, grapes find infinite expression in the hands of winemakers around the world. These interpretations, filtered through the lens of a regions climate and geology, are often wildly different from place to place. Syrah from Paso Robles in California, the Barossa Valley in Australia, Cornas in France’s Northern Rhone Valley, and Washington State’s Colombia Gorge are so wildly different you might even question that they were the same grape in a blind tasting.

Such variation serves to both delight and befuddle wine lovers at different turns, and can often prompt the question of which one is the most….authentic? Such questions are dangerous, as they are impossible to answer, and suggest that there are right answers in a world that is, despite traditions, completely subjective.

Yet just like jazz fans, we tend to gravitate towards certain renditions of our favorite tunes that move us most consistently. And when it comes to a little grape called Pinot Gris, for my money no one plays it better than the winemakers of Alsace.

Early in my wine explorations I could never figure out whether Alsace was in France or Germany, and only vaguely remembered enough of my middle school history to realize that both were definitely options depending on which century it was.

Alsace has always been an odd duck of a winegrowing region. It is the only region in France that not only allows, but mandates that the name of the grape variety appear on the label. It happens to grow grapes more associated with Germany and Northern Italy than with the rest of France (Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris), and perhaps by virtue of its occasionally Germanic past, produces more beer than any other winegrowing region in the country.

I’ve had a soft spot for Alsatian wines for at least 4 or 5 years now, and have come to love discovering the small producers there that have simply been making wine with their families the same way for centuries.

Domaine Albert Boxler perfectly typifies the small gems waiting to be discovered in Alsace. Currently run by Jean Boxler, the grandson of the man whose name still graces the bottle, Domaine Albert Boxler has been a family affair for more than 300 years. Located in the small town of Niedermorschwir, the family owns only 26 acres of vineyards.

But what a 26 acres it is! Eighty percent of the family’s land is Grand Cru designated, and includes sections of the famous vineyards of Sommerberg and Brand. All 26 acres are organically farmed by the 34-year-old Boxler, his wife, his parents, and a few vineyard workers.

The estate produces a mere 5000 or so cases of wine each year, which Jean Boxler has been making since 1995, when he was only 21 years old. Like many of the young generation, he opted for a formal wine education in addition to the lessons learned at his father’s knee in the vineyards and winery.

Domaine Albert Boxler produces several wines, but this rendition of Pinot Gris from some of the family’s oldest vines is perhaps the easiest to find. While it may not be considered one of their top wines, it is nonetheless a prototypical example of Alsatian Pinot Gris.

There’s just something about the hills in this little piece of the eastern edge of France when it comes to Pinot Gris that Italy, California, and New Zealand simply can’t touch. Call it a particular shade of soul that speaks to me in sultry stanzas. Mmmmmmm….

Tasting Notes:
Pale yellow-gold in the glass, this wine has a beautiful nose of honey and dried apricot aromas. In the mouth it is thick and rich on the tongue, slippery in its apricot and honey swirl of flavors, but with good acids that just pucker the cheeks. Off dry, with a little sweetness, the wine leaves a beautiful signature in the mouth that lingers like the lengthening days towards summer.

Food Pairing:
I think this is a lovely cheese wine, provided the cheese isn’t too strong, and might also accompany Vietnamese-influenced food, like this chicken in lemongrass sauce.

Overall Score: 9/9.5

How Much?: $35

This wine is available for purchase on the internet.

Original post by Calwineries.com Blog

Depending on your spiritual and moral disposition, there may not be anything too wrong with beating a dead horse. This post might reveal my spiritual and moral disposition.

I wonder if the critical establishment surrounding wine is too unforgiving. I wonder if the predilection among the reviewing class is that it tends to oversubscribe to the notion that a wine can be too wrong, rather that right enough for those who will put up with its character.

Oddly I was once agains brought back to this issue of reviews, quality, preference and standards in wine upon viewing the last episode of HBO’s brilliant “John Adams”. The last episode, entitled “Peacefield” is a brave and beautiful meditation on legacy, and that all too human combination of joy and sorrow that appears to be a symptom of the end of life.

I’ve been very pessimistic lately of the probability that any set of quality standards can be rationally conceived when it comes to wine. And even after taking the counsel of a number of the “Wise Men” of the wine reviewing trade, taking to them my doubts, and having been reassured by them that some measure of standards can be construed if only we have an appreciation of man’s unchanging physiology, I find I remain pessimistic on this issue.

In the last episode we see the former President Adams in the last years of his life at his family home. Death and irrelevancy surround him as his dear wife and best adviser Abigail dies, his daughter dies of breast cancer, his revolutionary compatriots slowly wither and die and his own significance in political matters seems to amount to very little other than his symbolic value as one of the remaining founders. And yet, Adams to overcome all this and is able to insist to his youngest son, “Rejoice Everymore!”

I wonder if there is a brand of wine connoisseurship and wine writing that places the focus on rejoicing rather than reviewing, even in the face of the competition, the business, the tackiness and the need to be bigger and better? I wonder if the world of wine can be described by its chroniclers more as an adventure, intellectual and sensual, than as a world of ranks and precedents?

This would take a great deal of forgiveness on the part of those who tell wine’s story; forgiveness of imperfection, forgiveness for wines being less than we desire, and writers themselves seeking forgiveness from those who have relied on the writer to offer joy, hope and discovery rather than decimals, points, numbers and flaws.

I’m not suggesting that reviews of wines ought to disappear. But I wonder if they might become something more. I wonder if the best writing might be known as that which rejoices in simply finding something new that isn’t quite up to our standards but which is best described as surely up to another’s standards.

Original post by Tom Wark

Depending on your spiritual and moral disposition, there may not be anything too wrong with beating a dead horse. This post might reveal my spiritual and moral disposition.

I wonder if the critical establishment surrounding wine is too unforgiving. I wonder if the predilection among the reviewing class is that it tends to oversubscribe to the notion that a wine can be too wrong, rather that right enough for those who will put up with its character.

Oddly I was once agains brought back to this issue of reviews, quality, preference and standards in wine upon viewing the last episode of HBO’s brilliant “John Adams”. The last episode, entitled “Peacefield” is a brave and beautiful meditation on legacy, and that all too human combination of joy and sorrow that appears to be a symptom of the end of life.

I’ve been very pessimistic lately of the probability that any set of quality standards can be rationally conceived when it comes to wine. And even after taking the counsel of a number of the “Wise Men” of the wine reviewing trade, taking to them my doubts, and having been reassured by them that some measure of standards can be construed if only we have an appreciation of man’s unchanging physiology, I find I remain pessimistic on this issue.

In the last episode we see the former President Adams in the last years of his life at his family home. Death and irrelevancy surround him as his dear wife and best adviser Abigail dies, his daughter dies of breast cancer, his revolutionary compatriots slowly wither and die and his own significance in political matters seems to amount to very little other than his symbolic value as one of the remaining founders. And yet, Adams to overcome all this and is able to insist to his youngest son, “Rejoice Everymore!”

I wonder if there is a brand of wine connoisseurship and wine writing that places the focus on rejoicing rather than reviewing, even in the face of the competition, the business, the tackiness and the need to be bigger and better? I wonder if the world of wine can be described by its chroniclers more as an adventure, intellectual and sensual, than as a world of ranks and precedents?

This would take a great deal of forgiveness on the part of those who tell wine’s story; forgiveness of imperfection, forgiveness for wines being less than we desire, and writers themselves seeking forgiveness from those who have relied on the writer to offer joy, hope and discovery rather than decimals, points, numbers and flaws.

I’m not suggesting that reviews of wines ought to disappear. But I wonder if they might become something more. I wonder if the best writing might be known as that which rejoices in simply finding something new that isn’t quite up to our standards but which is best described as surely up to another’s standards.

Original post by Tom Wark

Original post by Tom Wark

This is one of my favorite, favorite events:

• Because it’s well organized (by Jan Crudele and her crew)
• Because it’s in a beautiful setting (the Gulf Coast with white sand beaches, tropical air, and blue/green waters)
• Because it’s a great time of year to go work outside of my office (nothing wrong with that!)
• And because it benefits children’s charities (everything right with that!)

DETAILS:

Caring for Children Charities presents:
The 18th Annual Florida Winefest & Auction
Sarasota, Florida
April 24 - April 27, 2008
Phone: 941-952-1109 or Toll Free: 800-216-6199

Order Tickets on-line:

Florida Winefest Tickets

Original post by Jo Diaz

I’m a little late to the game on this one folks, so apologies for the last minute notification. But if you’re not busy on Tuesday evening and you are either a fan of Port or interested in one of the more interesting up-and-coming red wine regions of the world, you may want to pay attention.

We get plenty of opportunities to taste California wines around here, and some chances to explore France and Italy, but Portuguese wine tastings are rare in most of the United States.

This tasting has been billed as the largest Portuguese wine tasting in America. Of course it doesn’t have to be that large in order to qualify, but it’s definitely the best opportunity that Bay Area wine lovers will get to educate their palates about what is going on in Portugal (not to mention just taste some good wines).

Those looking for a little more education can also avail themselves of the seminar that will be part of this tasting, entitled “Using Port Grapes to Make Extraordinary Table Wines,” which pretty much sums up why you’d go to this tasting in the first place. More than 30 producers will be on hand personally, and nearly 300 wines will be available for tasting.

And, not that you needed more of an excuse, but all proceeds from the public tasting will go towards Project OpenHand, an excellent charity here in San Francisco.

Vini Portugal Tasting
Tuesday, April 22nd
5:30 PM to 8:00 PM
The Palace Hotel
2 New Montgomery Street,
San Francisco, CA 94150

Tickets are a “suggested” $40 donation to Project OpenHand and can be purchased at the door.

Original post by Calwineries.com Blog

Learn about Dunbar House 1880, a Calaveras County bed and breakfast located in Murphys. Find out why Dunbar House is the top rated wine country accomodation in Calaveras County.

Original post by Tom Wark

According to the Wine Institute, sales of California wine reached another new height in 2007. Fueling this growth is America???s increasing taste for premium wine over the past decade.

In 2007, the total volume of wine sold in the United States was 457 million gallons, a 2% increase from 2006. The retail value of all wine sold in the U.S. rose even more sharply to $18.6 billion, a 6% increase.

“Strong consumer interest, along with growing retailer and restaurant support and more direct-to-consumer sales, is resulting in wider distribution and selection of California wines. The new California tourism TV advertising campaign is also raising consumer awareness of the state???s diverse wine regions, its talented families, and its outstanding wine and food offerings.” -Robert P. Koch, CEO of the Wine Institute

Although still a relatively small part of the market, direct sales grew a very substantial 7.4% in 2007. Over 90% of California wine is still distributed by wholesalers, but many wineries are successfully developing direct to consumer sales channels.

U.S. wine exports also hit a record high in 2007. Total volume rose 8.6% to 120 million gallons at a price of $951 million, a 12% increase. California Wine Country was responsible for 95% of the United States??? wine exports last year.

Original post by Calwineries.com Blog

My flight was delayed and I was facing a three hour wait at DFW so I decided I might as well eat. Picking out the most promising restaurant I could find, I sat down at the bar and ordered the simplest thing on the menu, which is always my defensive eating strategy in such places. I was in no hurry so stretched out my dining experience as long as possible. During those forty five minutes or so the guy next to me downed four Coor’s Lights. With nothing else to do, but watch my barmates, I noticed they were all drinking light beers. On top of that they they were all drinking a lot of them and not a glass was in use. Lots and lots of long neck lights were being downed while the draft lines went undisturbed.

Coming from Oregon I’m used to anybody and everybody drinking craft brews. Besides the fact that there seems to be as many brew pubs as gas stations in Oregon, you even find a line-up of craft brews on tap on the dumpy-ist country tavern. Here taste in beer tends to run to IPA’s with such bitter hop intensity that Coor’s Light has more in common with Perrier than our local brews. Living in such a place makes you forget what most Americans want in their food and drink.

What they want is little or no flavor or extremes of flavor. In some ways the Oregonian adulation of beers with so many hops that you can taste nothing else is just the mirror image of the Coor’s light drinker who likes it because it has almost no flavor at all. This is why we have such extremes of flavor in our culture and why you have people washing down blistering hot Tex-Mex and Asian foods with flavorless beer. Look what we do to Sushi, that most delicate of foods, as we insist to douse it in wasabi and soy sauce, which only insures we can’t taste if the fish is fresh or not. Sushi insiders know if you want the chef to give you the best fish you have to show him you’re not going to ruin it.

This is a huge dilemma for winemakers. Are we faced with making only innocuous industrial wines or supercharged spoofulated wines to stay in business? Fortunately no, as wines with complexity, balance and elegance can never be mass produced and there will always be a niche market for such wines. However, such producers have to accept that most Americans will never understand their wines as their palates just are not attuned to delicate, complex flavors.

On this same trip I was lucky to eat at the excellent Parkside Restaurant in Austin Texas where chef Shawn Cirkiel features one of the best selections of the freshest oysters you’ll find anywhere. The people next to me asked many questions about the oysters. They’d been to some great restaurants including Gary Danko and The French Laundry and were clearly into food. When their pristine oysters arrived they requested Tabasco and proceeded to obliterate each and every nuance of the assorted oysters in front of them. For wine the Tabasco is too much new oak, over-ripe grapes, dry ice and all the other over-manipulations of modern, spoofulated winemaking.

Today taste in America means more is better. Light beer is popular because you can drink more of it. Burning hot food is popular because anybody can taste it. Huge portions must be a great deal, right? It’s no wonder that wines with the most (most flavor or most advertising) are the most popular at all points on the price spectrum.

Original post by Craig Camp

I’m sure that by the end of the week, Georg Riedel will have a contract out on my life, but no matter. This needs saying, and I’m ready to face the consequences.

Fancy wine decanters are a waste of your money. They are also a royal pain in the neck.

Oh sure, they’re beautiful and elegant. They exude class and sophistication. Some of them even rise to the level of art. But when it comes to what they’re actually good for, 97.9999% of them are a complete waste of money.

Don’t get me wrong. This is not a rant against decanting wine. I love to decant wine, both to eliminate sediment in older wines, as well as give air to some wines that dramatically improve with a little aeration. I always decant Italian Sangiovese, for instance, as I believe those wines literally require it in order to be enjoyed fully. I’ve also learned to decant especially complex (and old) white wines, as these also seem to blossom with some time and air.

Decanting is great. But decanters suck. I’ve completely given up on them as a wine accessory. Here’s why:

They are nearly impossible to clean.

At best, they require a special, flexible brush that can help you get down that narrow neck into the bowl. But most of the time you can’t get enough leverage to actually get that crystal completely scrubbed free of the sediment and deposits of the wine. Then when the darn thing dries, you can polish the outside, but getting water spots or deposits off the inside is like trying to lick the inside of a coke bottle. And as with all good crystal, the dishwasher is not a good option (though that is what a lot of restaurants do).

Which is why my wine decanter these days looks like this:

Less than $20. Easy to clean. Easy to swirl. Easy to pour.

A work of art it is not, but it is the best damn wine decanter I have ever used.

Original post by Calwineries.com Blog

Best of the wine blogosphere for April 13th through April 18th:

• Does Taste Have a Price?
• Perhaps We Should Just Call It All “Sparkly-Stuff”
• SFGate: Wine : The Chronicle Wine Selections: 2006 German QbA and Kabinett Rieslings
• Does Expensive Wine Taste Better Than Cheap Wine?
• SFGate: Wine : Pairings: A sweet and sour match for German Riesling
• Rioja Grapes: The 6 Treasures that Make Rioja Wine Sing!
• Vin de Napkin: I’m all a Twitter
• The Best New Wine Writing Talent Is Found On Blogs
• A Celebration Due To A Big Announcement: CHAMPAGNE Time! - Episode #444
• Stormhoek Wine: “On a Mission from God?”
• Catavino’s Rioja Report is Finished!!!!!!
• Ignorance & Quality: The Big Wine Question
• Alcohol Is Not The Demon
• Vin de Napkin – The California Equation

ShareThis

Original post by Tim

I was hesitant to do this. But after great prodding I decided to. It seemed fun.

As I’ve mentioned before, you won’t find this sort of thing happening at FERMENTATION. But I can do it occasionally at other venues, including Wine Spies.

Damn nice wine, too. This particular wine had my most favorite characteristic in bigger reds: Licorice flavors. I’m a big fan of anisette also. I’m not sure what draws me to this particular characteristic but I do tend to look for it in wines. I’ll find it most often in Cabs and Syrah.

If you buy or try this wine, do let me know if you detect that same flavor.

Original post by Tom Wark

Discover fine wines at the fantastic Temecula Wineries. Read reviews of the best temecula accommodations and best romantic restaurant. Learn about Temecula wineries and access links to each.

Original post by Tom Wark

In celebration of Earth Day, we thought it would be fitting to list the wineries in the Napa Valley and Los Carneros that are recognized as leaders in utilizing “Green Activities” in their vineyards and winery facilities. The term “Green” can mean many things but in the case of this blog post we use the term “Green” to include the following activities:

• Organic farming (no use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers)
• Use of solar power
• Use of bio diesel fuels (fuels derived from vegetable oil)
• Water conservation
• Reduction of waste

The following is a list of Napa wineries that we consider to be exemplary in their attempt to reduce their carbon footprint and preserve the environment for future generations.

• Araujo Estate
• Ehlers Estate
• Frogs Leap Winery
• Grgich Hills Cellars
• Honig Vineyards & Winery
• Joseph Phelps
• Long Meadow Ranch
• MacRostie Winery & Vineyards
• Madonna Estate
• Robert Sinskey Vineyards
• Staglin Family Vineyard

This list was created from our own experiences visiting wineries in the Napa Valley plus information provided to us by the Wine Institute. This is by no means a comprehensive list. Please comment if you think you are a winery or know of a winery that should be on this list. There is a public out there that wants to know who the “Green” wineries are.

In the future we will post additional wineries that do their part to sustain the planet.

Original post by joe

In celebration of Earth Day, we thought it would be fitting to list the wineries in the Napa Valley and Los Carneros that are recognized as leaders in utilizing “Green Activities” in their vineyards and winery facilities. The term “Green” can mean many things but in the case of this blog post we use the term “Green” to include the following activities:

• Organic farming (no use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers)
• Use of solar power
• Use of bio diesel fuels (fuels derived from vegetable oil)
• Water conservation
• Reduction of waste

The following is a list of Napa wineries that we consider to be exemplary in their attempt to reduce their carbon footprint and preserve the environment for future generations.

• Araujo Estate
• Ehlers Estate
• Frogs Leap Winery
• Grgich Hills Cellars
• Honig Vineyards & Winery
• Joseph Phelps
• Long Meadow Ranch
• MacRostie Winery & Vineyards
• Madonna Estate
• Robert Sinskey Vineyards
• Staglin Family Vineyard

This list was created from our own experiences visiting wineries in the Napa Valley plus information provided to us by the Wine Institute. This is by no means a comprehensive list. Please comment if you think you are a winery or know of a winery that should be on this list. There is a public out there that wants to know who the “Green” wineries are.

In the future we will post additional wineries that do their part to sustain the planet.

Original post by joe

The San Francisco Chronicle has posted a number of German Riesling reviews that would be great for the next Wine Blogging Wednesday in a few weeks. Most of them are $25 or less and several different German regions are represented.

It’s almost time for the next round of the Wine Book Club which I am also hosting. Even if you haven’t started reading my pick, William Echikson’s Noble Rot: A Bordeaux Wine Revolution, you can start this weekend and probably have it read by Monday. Or you could read it the next weekend.

Just pick it up soon, read and post your review by April 29th.

ShareThis

Original post by Tim

Learn about Napa wedding locations in the California Wine Country. Winery weddings and other Napa wedding locations that will provide the romantic setting you want for your dream day wedding.

Original post by Tom Wark

Germany’s 2006 Rieslings are ripe and lovely thanks to slow global warming, but the capricious weather and accelerated harvest resulted in some unevenness in the wine quality compared with previous vintages. Most 2006s still display hallmark acidity and…

Original post by Tim

Connoisseurs of good food and wine can enjoy a week’s worth of fine meals and support a worthy cause at the same time at an inaugural food and wine festival in the Black Hills.

Original post by Tim

Regardless of your level of wine knowledge, and independent of the price you normally pay for a bottle of wine, I’m willing to bet that you’ll agree with the following statement:

On average (which is to say, not ALWAYS) a bottle of wine that costs $150 will taste better than a bottle that costs $2.

That’s what I would assume, at least. And built into that assumption is another assumption — that many people (though certainly not all) would be able to tell the difference between the two.

According to a recent paper from the delightful folks at the Journal for Wine Economics, I couldn’t be more wrong.

Not only can a random sample of people presented with several glasses of wine (and no information about the wines) not tell the difference between a $2 bottle of wine and a $150 bottle of wine, they tend to think that the cheaper wines taste better (without knowing anything about the prices).

Gulp.

Which means, of course, that for most people, the right amount to spend on a bottle of wine is as little as possible.

I can hear Fred Franzia rubbing his meaty hands together in glee.

But don’t despair, wine lovers, there is hope for the masses. While this paper’s results, which seem to be extremely rigorous and well arrived at, might call into question the value of many things in the wine world (not the least of which are wine critics), it seems that there exists a significant difference between the preferences of the average person and those who know a thing or two about wine.

Yes, a little education goes a long way, apparently. The economists learned that those who actually knew some things about wine, because they had taken classes, or were just passionate consumers of wine, reported that the more expensive wines tasted better to them.

So you don’t have to go smash all those expensive bottles you own in despair. You simply have to learn more about wine so that you can enjoy them properly. Which, in the end, is true about so many of the finer things in life: music, film, food, and even sex.

Read the full paper.

Thanks to Arthur for tipping me off to the study.

Original post by Calwineries.com Blog

Art to accompany the 2008 Denison Arts & Wine Renaissance “Passport to Cognac” theme evening has been selected.

Original post by Tim

The new Gary’s Wine and Marketplace store in Wayne opened to the public at 2:36 p.m. Monday. Gary Fisch, the man behind the 24,000-square-foot wine and gourmet food emporium, and a guy who pays attention to the smallest details, noted the exact minute his third New Jersey store opened its doors.

Original post by Tim

People can expect “grape” fun at the Northeast Cincinnati Chamber’s annual Spring Wine Gala that raises money for scholarships.

Original post by Tim

Queensland Parliament has passed changes to the Wine Industry Act aimed at cutting red tape for wine producers.

Original post by Tim