Foxy Brown Freida Pinto FSU Cowgirls Gabrielle Union Garcelle Beauvais
Tuesday 31 July 2012
Preview: Knights Bridge Wine Dinner at Blue Ginger
I sat down with Knights Bridge Managing Director Timothy Carl to preview the wines slated to be poured at the dinner and learn more about the winery. I hadn't heard of Knights Bridge until recently. For some reason, when I first heard the name Knights Bridge I immediately thought of the well-regarded-as-a-value-play Beringer Knights Valley line-up. The Beringer wines are good, but a better comparison for Knights Bridge would be Peter Michael whose vineyards are a stone's throw from Knights Bridge's 120 acre estate north of Calistoga in the slopes of the Mayacamas mountain range.
In 2005 he left Boston to return home to northern California and he's now bringing that experience, backed by 6 generations of winemaking, to the relatively new endeavor that is Knights Bridge. Their first officially released vintage was 2006 and they currently produce 1,200 cases.
When I asked him how he plans to get the attention of today's fickle wine consumers he said, "By making the absolute best wine possible." For him, everything comes back to that: Producing the best balanced wines they can.
We started off with a 2009 Pont de Chevalier Sauvignon Blanc. French for Knights Bridge, it's their second label. It was aged in stainless steel and neutral oak barrels (previously used, in this case for Chardonnay). I thought it was golden and sunny yet balanced nicely by racy minerality and acidity. Green apples and lemon zest. Tasty. 120 cases produced, $40. 89/100 WWP: Very Good.
Next up was the 2009 Knights Bridge West Block Chardonnay. This wine was chosen, along with wines from Screaming Eagle, Harlan, Colgin, Staglin, Peter Michael and others, to be poured at a reception at last year's G-8 summit at the Louvre. After tasting the wine I can see why it was included in this illustrious company.
The wine weighs in at 15.5% alcohol but you'd never guess it. Light golden in the glass, it's tremendously round and creamy yet beautifully clean and elegant. Complex aromas and flavors that seemed to change each time I tasted it. Most notable were roasted pear with coconut cream pie in the background. But approached from a different angle when tasted with food, zesty citrus aspects came forward. Quite a wine. 200 cases produced, $65. 93/100 WWP: Outstanding.
The winemaker for both the Chardonnay and the Cabernet Sauvignon is Jeff Ames. Jeff has served as an assistant winemaker to the highly regarded Thomas Rivers Brown and has helped produce wines for Schrader, Maybach, and and Outpost as well as his own label Rudius.
The first Cabernet we tasted was a 2008 Knights Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon produced from mountain fruit from their estate vineyards in Sonoma (the Bridge in Knights Bridge is named for the "bridge" of sorts their property forms between Sonoma and Napa). The wine was aged for 28 months in 100% new French Oak and weighs in at a moderate 14.5% alcohol. The wine snuck up on me a bit. At first it presented itself as a "nice", pleasant, smooth Cab. But it built power on the mid-palate as it rested in my mouth and finished with a brawny, delicious chocolate-laced finish. 300 cases produced, $115. 92/100 WWP: Outstanding.
Next up was the 2008 Knights Bridge Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Cabernet Sauvignon. It was aged for 21 months in 100% new French Oak and is 14.9% alcohol. The Dr. Crane vineyard is just west of Tre Vigne restaurant if you're familiar with the area and is known for its rocky soils which tend to produce wine with small berries and scorched earth characteristics. It was quite a bit more tannic than the Knights Bridge at this stage, but also more complex and powerful. 135 cases produced, $135. 92/100 WWP: Outstanding.
Also aged for 21 months in 100% new French Oak, the grape clusters were destemmed and cold soaked for 24 hours then fermented on skins in tank. The wine is massive with explosive notes of blackberries, mocha, cinnamon, and chocolate covered espresso beans. Chalky, mouth-filling tannins support a long flavorful finish. Quite spectacular. 110 cases produced, $135. 94/100 WWP: Outstanding.
At last check there was still some availability for the dinner Tuesday night. Give Blue Ginger a call if you're interested in attending: 781-283-5790 x18
If that doesn't work out for you check out their wines at these (and other) restaurants and retailers in Massachusetts:
- Flemings
- L'Espelier
- Morton's Seaport
- Radius
- Bauer Wine & Spirits
- Gordon's
- Check out the menu for the dinner at Blue Ginger Tuesday night
- Visit the Knights Bridge Winery website and sign up for their mailing list
- Look for their wines at retail via Wine-Searcher.com
AnnaLynne McCord Anne Marie Kortright April Scott Arielle Kebbel Ashanti
Bluff the reader challenge!
With apologies to Peter Sagal and Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, today’s wine news roundup is presented in the form of a bluff the reader challenge. Today you are playing for Steve in St. Helena, CA. Spot the one fake story below, and I’ll write the footer for Steve on all his outgoing email messages! A) [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/TDvwJHklBKo/
Chyler Leigh Ciara Cindy Crawford Cindy Taylor Cinthia Moura
As my Riesling gently weeps
Riesling. It’s like the wine world in microcosm. Wine experts love it but cannot understand why consumers don’t go gaga over it, but ultimately this is our fault. Consumers have heard about it, and when it is poured in their glasses really do enjoy it, but feel confused by its many styles, provenances and the [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/spU8m9xDt3I/
Georgianna Robertson Georgina Grenville Gina Carano Gina Gershon Gina Philips
Three New Beauties from Tablas Creek
Over the years, we’ve developed a very short list of favorite wine producers from California; you can literally count them on one hand, and running neck and neck with Mr. Ridge at the very top is Tablas Creek Vineyard. Tablas Creek has established a very distinctive “house style” over the years, and it’s one that [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/lyoBhJjXo9I/three-new-beauties-from-tablas-creek
Adrianne Curry Adrianne Palicki Aisha Tyler Aki Ross Alecia Elliott
Rockin’ at Wine & Cars
Everyone had a great time at Wine & Cars Under the Stars last weekend. Don’t believe me? Check out the video: The evening was a great success, netting nearly $50,000 for the foundations at Fairplex and their programs. If you missed Wine & Cars, you can taste the award-winning wines of the Los Angeles International [...]
Source: http://blogs.fairplex.com/blog/wine/?p=100
Ana Paula Lemes Ananda Lewis Angela Marcello Angelina Jolie Anna Faris
TMiW 1 – Looking Back, Looking Forward
This is the premier episode of This Month in Wine, a monthly discussion about what is going on within the wine world from a consumer and insider perspective. Hosts: Tim Elliott and Jeff Lefevere Topics What’s up with Good Grape? Is wine blogging on the decline? Wine Trends & Predictions for 2012 Value Replaces Cheap [...]
TMiW 1 – Looking Back, Looking Forward originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
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Social Media Quick Tip: Introduce Your Twitter Team
As you know, social media engagement is all about personal touches. Remember this when thinking through your social media presence, including Twitter. As much as possible, introduce and humanize your Twitter team. Here are a couple of great examples of brands who have added special touches to their Twitter strategies, going beyond a standard Twitter [...]
Source: http://familylovewine.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/social-media-quick-tip-introduce-your-twitter-team/
A New Rosé from Stepping Stone by Cornerstone
We’re big fans of dry rosé at Adams, Heritier & Associates. We like them just as much in January as we do in July, and we’re always up for trying something new, so when our friends at Cornerstone Cellars sent us a sample of their latest Stepping Stone by Cornerstone Corallina Napa Valley Syrah Rosé, [...]
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Heidi Klum Heidi Montag Hilarie Burton Hilary Duff Hilary Swank
Ceja Vineyard – Cute vineyard, great Pinot, inspiring story
In this season of Los Carneros, Amelia Ceja likes to sit outside instead of the comfortable tasting room the family has inside the house. Continue reading
Source: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/napablog/ceja-vineyard-cute-vineyard-great-pinot-inspiring-story/
Aubrey ODay Audrina Patridge Autumn Reeser Avril Lavigne Bali Rodriguez
The douche burger – impossible food-wine pairing?!?
Behold the douche burger, a “a f—ing burger filled and topped with rich people s–-t.” The $666 burger has gotten a lot of media attention but for the description, we’ll cut right to the owner of 666 Burger, a food truck (yes, this burger comes from a truck, presumably relocated to the Hamptons for the [...]
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Zooey Deschanel Aaliyah Abbie Cornish Adriana Lima Adrianne Curry
I have seen the future of artisan wine, and it comes in a can
This may sound odd, but there is a link between packaging innovation and the increasing focus on biodynamics and ‘natural wine’, it just isn’t a simple one. I am not suggesting that natural wine producers are better served choosing tetrapacks, paper bottles or aluminium cans for their wines (although they might), but sometimes the simplest [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/4sUTVA9ewao/
Adrianne Palicki Aisha Tyler Aki Ross Alecia Elliott Alessandra Ambrosio
A Wine for Tonight: 2011 Nobilo Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc
Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2011 Nobilo Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region of [...]
A Wine for Tonight: 2011 Nobilo Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.
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Jennifer Garner Jennifer Gimenez Jennifer Love Hewitt Jennifer Morrison Jennifer ODell
Wine & The Connected Consumer
Randall Grahm is one of the true characters of the American wine scene. A self-styled terroirist, intuitive branding genius and all around eccentric, Grahm has taken his Bonny Doon Vineyard on quite a ride over nearly the past 30 years. After setting out in 1983 to make great Pinot Noir in California, Grahm was drawn [...]
Wine & The Connected Consumer originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
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Tasting Report: Recent Releases from Sojourn Cellars
Sojourn is a Sonoma-based producer of mostly Pinot Noir (~$39-$59) and also Cabernet Sauvignon (~$39-$95). The first time I tasted their wines was at an event in Cambridge a friend on their mailing list invited me to. Founder Craig Haserot was on hand pouring the wines as a chance for their fans in Massachusetts to try before they buy. Definitely a cool gesture. He's got a swagger about him for sure. Deep knowledge about Burgundy and a passion for Pinot - especially Sojourn Pinot!
I thought their wines -- 2009s at the time -- showed great potential. They were powerful and delicious but with some rough edges I hoped would soften with time.
As I've gone back and tasted some of those wines 6 to 12 months later they have indeed softened nicely and are showing fabulously. The style here, speaking about their Pinot Noirs, is more of a Cab-drinker's Pinot Noir. I find they hit the spot when I'm in the mood for a Pinot Noir with a little extra substance.
But that's not entirely the case as you can see in their bottlings from the Alder Springs and Rodgers Creek vineyards for example. These wines show restreaint and reveal earthy characteristics like mushrooms and wet red clay. It's a testament to winemaker Erich Bradley's ability to deliver flavorful, delicious wines regardless of the origin. Their wines may be considered by some to be ripe but I've not yet tasted one that crossed the line into the over-ripe territory marked by raisiny/pruney flavors.
Here are my notes on recent Sojourn releases:
- 2010 Sojourn Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (6/8/2012)
Classic Sojourn. Money. (92 points) - 2007 Sojourn Pinot Noir Alder Springs Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County (3/16/2012)
This is a great example of Sojourn's diverse style. Despite making some riper Pinot Noir, here they let the a more restrained site speak for itself. Silty raspberries, wet strawberry leaves, and wet clay on the nose. Ultra-silky tannins at this stage. Long finish but no harsh aftertaste. Pretty but not wimpy. I like it. (91 points) - 2009 Sojourn Pinot Noir Ridgetop Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (2/26/2012)
Just a fantastic offering from Sojourn here. A fine example of their typical style, but this one steps up and takes it to the next level. Raspberries, strawberries, violets and perfume on the nose which transition seamlessly to the palate. There's a bit of a edge to their '09s which has softened already since tasting them last fall. However, this edge give their wines a substantive punch that hits the spot when I'm in the mood for something between a light bodied Pinot Noir and a Napa Cab. Quite an accomplishment. Outstanding. (94 points) - 2009 Sojourn Pinot Noir Russian River Valley - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (11/11/2011)
I was in the mood for a Cab tonight but I love domestic Pinot Noir so I thought this one would hit the spot. And it did. I've only had it about a month since it shipped cross-country. But immediately upon opening it was in good shape and ready to go. I'd tasted through their 09s previously and they struck me as a little rough around the edges. But this bottle was showing remarkably well. Red fruit, florals, perfume, and wet clay on the nose. On the palate it tastes like pure high quality CA Pinot Noir. Pure fruit, a little bramble, some acid. Love it. Really nice stuff. (93 points) - 2009 Sojourn Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (5/20/2011)
So much good stuff going on here but a slightly herbal "off" note bit me on almost every sip. An otherwise pretty wine - would like to try other bottlings from this producer. (90 points)
They've got a tasting salon in Sonoma if you happen to be planning a visit. And it's hard to think of a more consumer-friendly high quality producer. Free shipping on 6 or more bottles and 10% off 12 bottles or more.
Click here to visit the Sojourn Cellars website and sign up for their mailing list
Question of the Day: Have you tried Sojourn's wines? If so, what do you think?
Angelina Jolie Anna Faris Anna Friel Anna Kournikova Anna Paquin
Wine Word of the Week: Barrel aging
This week’s Wine Word of the Week is barrel aging. Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine: Barrel maturation [the term used in this book for aging a wine in a barrel] is the wine-making operation of storing a fermented wine in wooden barrels to create ideal conditions for the components of [...]
Wine Word of the Week: Barrel aging was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WinePeeps/~3/4DTCd-1C88k/
Blu Cantrell Bonnie Jill Laflin Bridget Moynahan Britney Spears Brittany Daniel
Tasting Leelanau 2012 – Tandem Ciders & Left Foot Charley
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE I first noticed Tandem Ciders on someone’s Facebook posting, and with just a little bit of investigation, realized that this would have to be must-visit for Kim and this taster. We’ve found that we have an affinity for artisanal ciders, and the scuttlebutt about this Suttons Bay producer was all positive, [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/twGS3RjkOME/tandem-lfc
Connie Nielsen Cristina Dumitru Daisy Fuentes Dania Ramirez Danica Patrick
Wine Club Shipments
As always, the middle to the end of the month is an exciting time at Uncorked Ventures. This month finds more wine club shipments as well as the beginning of our plans for the holiday season. I was asked how to describe our wine clubs to someone who is a novice to online wine clubs [...]
Source: http://winewithmark.info/archives/654
Ashlee Simpson Ashley Greene Ashley Olsen Ashley Scott Ashley Tappin
Napa Valley Travel News Update
A few forward-thinking wineries in the Napa Valley have installed electric car charging stations. Imagine driving up to a winery in your electric car and recharging your car while you recharge your palate with a taste of some of Napa Valley’s famous wines. Continue reading
Source: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/napablog/napa-valley-travel-news-update/
Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Gareis Jennifer Garner Jennifer Gimenez Jennifer Love Hewitt
Who are the RAW Wine Fair’s Natural Consumers?
Our first day at the RAW Fair in London, the artisan wine fair focused on organic, biodynamic and natural wines, was eye-opening in many ways. First, the space at the Truman Brewery at the top of Brick Lane, and its incongruous industrial past, seemed vast and empty when we arrived to see row upon row of [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/k7Cgiu-fzfc/
Erika Christensen Estella Warren Esther Cañadas Eva Green Eva Longoria
Blogging can’t die
Blogging can’t die. Take the original meaning of the word blog; it comes from the contraction of “web” as in the world wide web, and “log” as in to log ideas, or journaling. Today, and forever, there will be people logging what they think about all manner of subjects that they are passionate about. I recently [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/1q83xbmmM_0/
Brittany Murphy Brittany Snow Brittny Gastineau Brody Dalle Brooke Burke
Blogging can’t die
Blogging can’t die. Take the original meaning of the word blog; it comes from the contraction of “web” as in the world wide web, and “log” as in to log ideas, or journaling. Today, and forever, there will be people logging what they think about all manner of subjects that they are passionate about. I recently [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/1q83xbmmM_0/
Brittany Murphy Brittany Snow Brittny Gastineau Brody Dalle Brooke Burke
WBW 74 Wrap-up: 39 Sparkling Values
This is my fifth time hosting Wine Blogging Wednesday, our monthly virtual tasting event, but my enthusiasm has not diminished with the passage of time. In fact, since bringing back the event from hiatus it looks like the idea might be picking up some steam judging from the entires this month. While many of the [...]
WBW 74 Wrap-up: 39 Sparkling Values originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
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Amy Smart Ana Beatriz Barros Ana Hickmann Ana Ivanovi Ana Paula Lemes
On Self-Actualizing Wine Interest, Purple Pages, the Kindle Fire and Gutenberg
While it has been cited that we’re living in a “Golden Age” of wine writing, what is interesting to me these days is NOT the subject of wine writing.
My interest is in a broader understanding of the consumption of the wine writer’s output – self-identified wine interest by consumers who are seeking out wine information. This is a seismic shift more important than the vagaries of who writes what, where, when and for how much.
Something much bigger and amorphous is at work.
It used to be that people self-identified by their job or some other affiliation that produced recognition from others, a status-marker of sorts—“I work for IBM, I have two kids and we’re Protestant.”
However, nowadays, people, principally online (which is moving center stage in our life), are self-identifying by their personal interests which, often times, diverges greatly from their profession and their family situation.
Look at Twitter profiles or a body of status updates from somebody on Facebook. People are no longer duotone and defined by work and family. They’re multi-layered and complex and defined by their interests. The modern day self-description goes something like this: “Passionate about wine and travel. I build furniture, follow the San Francisco Giants, and work in a non-profit by day. I also volunteer to ensure clean water for sub-Saharan Africans. Dad to two wonderful kids”
In diamond-cutting terms, it’s more Peruzzi than table cut and it seems we’re all on a journey to be the most interesting man person in the world.
This kaleidoscopic advancement in sense-of-self is a very important development because, on an individual level, we tend to project externally how we see ourselves in the mirror. By stating publicly online that we’re a wine enthusiast, a foodie, a jazz lover, who does dog rescue and loves college football with a fascination for all things digital, it’s like writing down a goal. A goal written down means something to most people and people are likely to actuate their activities around it, even if aspirationally.
This is a very subtle point and I hope I’m conveying it faithfully: Societally, we’re changing how we view ourselves, we are stating how we view ourselves and consequently we’re more likely to pursue knowledge around those interests because we’ve put it out there.
In Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, we’re all self-actualizing.
So, when it comes to wine writing, while I’m very happy for Alder Yarrow’s assignment in writing a monthly column for Jancis Robinson’s Purple Pages, I also tend to look at it within a much broader context because there will be more Alder Yarrow Horatio Alger-like stories in the years to come.
More to the point however, and within a bigger picture, what Alder writes now and in the future on his own site or at Jancis’ site is likely going to be viewed by an increasingly larger audience who, based on the aforementioned self-actualization, have become more inclined to seek a wide-range of information that supports a myriad of personal interests, including wine.
This online growth in information-seeking is, indeed, a very good thing particularly for the wine business who is caught up in a focus on Gen. Y, when the more important point is that there is a mass of people of all ages who have increasingly ready access to information online that allows them to easily pierce the veil of wine. And, the implications for that for shouldn’t be understated because the view of the wine world is likely to be altered to be much more inclusive of all types of viewpoints – think the streets of New York instead of Pottery Barn.
The Kindle Fire tablet by Amazon.com may represent the next step in this evolution, driving the potentiality of mass on-the-move content delivery. No, it’s not as important as the printing press or any other God Complex hyperbole that is assigned to Steve Jobs, but it’s an important step forward nonetheless.
Where laptop computers are functional machines designed to execute work, and tablets (like the iPad) are a lightweight, portable device that act as a multi-functional hybrid between a smartphone and a laptop, here comes the Kindle Fire which is a device designed almost exclusively for content consumption, all kinds of content – blogs, digital magazines, digital books, videos, music, etc.
The Kindle Fire, to me, is a device that enhances the trend we’re seeing in the increased complexity of how we define ourselves because here’s a device that lets users pursue content around their interests anytime, anywhere and it’s reasonably affordable at $199, at least half the cost of other tablets on the market.
For example purposes, let’s say I have an interest in German Riesling, but I don’t really want to buy another paper-based book because I already have a stack of 14 books at my bedside that I haven’t read (or, perhaps, I don’t buy that many books, period). Likewise, it isn’t convenient for me to read a book on my laptop because, well, that’s not really a form factor that works for me because I’m already hunched over my laptop for 12 hours a day. In addition, I don’t want to print out a 150 page pdf because that’s paper I have to carry around. Previously, with all of the aforementioned caveats, I would have let a deep dive into knowing more about German Riesling be a fleeting thought—an opportunity that would lay fallow.
Ah, but the Kindle Fire will let me consume this German Riesling content in a nice, portable, convenient, lightweight manner that is designed to do expressly that. I’m now looking forward to pouring through Terry Theise’s 2011 German Riesling catalog and reading part II of Mosel Fine Wines 2010 vintage report.
All of this distills down to an essential takeaway: When Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press with movable type, the tangible output was the ability to have ready access to print books. However, the bigger impact was the spread of knowledge which led to the Renaissance period which inalterably changed the culture of the world.
That’s where I think we’re at now, particularly with wine and the spread of information. The conversation can be about who is writing and where they come from, but the conversation with far greater impact is what the end game is for this mass adoption of personal nuance lived out loud.
In simpler terms, the wine writer, like Descartes in the Renaissance era, had a great, lasting influence, but the Renaissance period was much bigger than Descartes.
The key for the wine business in this seismic shift in wine affiliation and the pursuit of information thereof is to decide whether they want to support the status quo and perpetuate business as usual or open themselves to all kinds of thought.
Wine writers already are and so are the consumers seeking out this information.
Busy Philipps Cameron Diaz Cameron Richardson Camilla Belle Carla Campbell
Field Notes from a Wine Life – Power Structure Edition
Odds and ends from a life lived through the prism of the wine glass…
Naked Wine and Occupy Wall Street
It’s not hard to notice the parallels between the natural wine movement and Occupy Wall Street - both are valid causes sorely lacking coherence and a rallying point that would move them from fringe head-scratcher to mainstream momentum.
• Natural wine is about purity of wine expression—shepherding grapes grown without chemicals to the bottle with as little human manipulation as possible, representing the place where they came from in the process.
• Occupy Wall Street is about re-calibrating the world’s best economic system – capitalism—to preserve the middle-class, the labor force that has allowed the U.S. to create the most productive economy in the world.
Neither movement represents fringe radicalism as some would have you believe. I look at both as being valid inflection points and, at their core, about keeping a balance between big and small, allowing every man and woman an equal opportunity at pursuing success around their particular truth.
What reasonable person would deny the validity of either if not clouded by confusion?
One idea well-conceived and well-communicated can change the world, but, unfortunately, both the natural wine movement and Occupy Wall Street are prevaricating from their essential truth, rendering them both toothless and feckless.
No need to crib from Che Guevara, but appealing to base logic and the common denominator would do both movements some good.
Just one man’s opinion…
On the Aussies, Redux
A few weeks back, I noted how the Australian wine industry was poised for a rebound in public perception due in part to two things happening in concert – public backlash to Yellow Tail wine, what I call the, “Derision Decision,” and an unspoken coalition of influencers recognizing Australia’s artisanal wine production – the antithesis of Yellow Tail. I cited recent sympathetic mentions from Jay McInerney in the Wall Street Journal and Dan Berger, wine writing’s current patriarch, as proof points.
You can add to the list of sympathetic mentions about artisanal Australia with recent mentions from Jancis Robinson and James Suckling.
Don’t sleep on Australia. It’s making a comeback slowly, but surely in public perception.
Tim Mondavi and Wine Spectator
Thomas Matthews, the Executive Editor for Wine Spectator magazine (WS), has commented on my site a few times. Each of these instances has been to protect or project Wine Spectator around its editorial goals.
Good on Thomas for not being afraid to get in the ring. Certainly, WS takes its fair share of shots from the wine chatterati, mostly with grace and aplomb.
Lest I cast myself as anything but objective, I should note that James Laube’s article on Tim Mondavi and Continuum in the current issue of WS (November 15th issue) is everything right about what mainstream wine media can offer wine consumers that online wine writing (mostly) doesn’t –long-form, depth, first-person access and an effort that takes weeks and not hours.
Laube’s piece is excellent - well-written and balanced; acknowledgement thereof is in order.
Besides the Wine
Jordan winery has two wines – a Cabernet and Chardonnay, but they really have a triumvirate in terms of things to buy. Jordan focuses on food and wine as being partners at the table and, to that end, any purchase from Jordan should also include their olive oil. Wow!
The Jordan olive oil makes Trader Joe’s EVOO seem like Two Buck Chuck, comparatively speaking. A little whole wheat Barilla pasta, some homemade pesto using the Jordan olive oil and some artisan bread in five minutes a day and you’re assuredly living the good life. The rub is I wouldn’t pour the round Jordan Chard with the pesto, probably a Sauvignon Blanc, but don’t let that dissuade you from picking up their olive oil – it’s good stuff.
Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/field_notes_from_a_wine_life_power_structure_edition/
Dido Diora Baird Dita Von Teese Dominique Swain Donna Feldman
I have seen the future of artisan wine, and it comes in a can
This may sound odd, but there is a link between packaging innovation and the increasing focus on biodynamics and ‘natural wine’, it just isn’t a simple one. I am not suggesting that natural wine producers are better served choosing tetrapacks, paper bottles or aluminium cans for their wines (although they might), but sometimes the simplest [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/4sUTVA9ewao/
Blu Cantrell Bonnie Jill Laflin Bridget Moynahan Britney Spears Brittany Daniel
Napa Valley Travel News Update
A few forward-thinking wineries in the Napa Valley have installed electric car charging stations. Imagine driving up to a winery in your electric car and recharging your car while you recharge your palate with a taste of some of Napa Valley’s famous wines. Continue reading
Source: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/napablog/napa-valley-travel-news-update/
AnnaLynne McCord Anne Marie Kortright April Scott Arielle Kebbel Ashanti
Wine Deep Thoughts
#WineDeepThoughts With a tip o’ the cap to Jack Handey!
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/3ggGvFY1rWY/
Gisele Bündchen Giuliana DePandi Giulianna Ramirez Grace Park Gretha Cavazzoni
Monday 30 July 2012
Steve Wynn Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada Sets a New Record
There can be no place on the earth except Las Vegas, Nevada, that can be the home of the most expensive casino of the world. It took almost 5 long years to build this exclusive den of the gamblers across the world. The place is worth US$2.7 billion to build. Billionaire Steve Wynn is the [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vagablond/ysSN/~3/TlTl-8gepGk/
Ana Ivanovi Ana Paula Lemes Ananda Lewis Angela Marcello Angelina Jolie
Wine Word of the Week: Aging
This week’s Wine Word of the Week is aging. Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine: Aging of wine is an important aspect of wine connoisseurship, and one which distinguishes wine from almost every other drink. When a fine wine is allowed to age, spectacular changes can occur which increase both its [...]
Wine Word of the Week: Aging was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WinePeeps/~3/th4g0BZ7vVE/
Brody Dalle Brooke Burke Brooke Burns Busy Philipps Cameron Diaz
Wine Bloggers’ Wines from Oddbins
So, do wine bloggers have any idea what wines others should drink, or are they just good at telling us about the stuff they like? I have to admit to being very afraid of the idea of being responsible for choosing wines for other people I do not know. The idea of being a “Wine [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/0KjB-LdU1U0/
Anna Friel Anna Kournikova Anna Paquin AnnaLynne McCord Anne Marie Kortright
Wine Word of the Week: Aging
This week’s Wine Word of the Week is aging. Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine: Aging of wine is an important aspect of wine connoisseurship, and one which distinguishes wine from almost every other drink. When a fine wine is allowed to age, spectacular changes can occur which increase both its [...]
Wine Word of the Week: Aging was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WinePeeps/~3/th4g0BZ7vVE/
Gina Carano Gina Gershon Gina Philips Gisele Bündchen Giuliana DePandi
Who are the RAW Wine Fair’s Natural Consumers?
Our first day at the RAW Fair in London, the artisan wine fair focused on organic, biodynamic and natural wines, was eye-opening in many ways. First, the space at the Truman Brewery at the top of Brick Lane, and its incongruous industrial past, seemed vast and empty when we arrived to see row upon row of [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/k7Cgiu-fzfc/
Emma Stone Emma Watson Emmanuelle Chriqui Emmanuelle Vaugier Emmy Rossum
Mr. Ridge Comes a-Knockin’
Master Sommelier Robert Jones came to Day-twah recently to promote the wines of Kysela Pere et Fils, LTD, for which he serves as National Sales Manager. Robert and I go back some years, and in that time, he’s noticed that we have a special place in our hearts for the wines of Ridge Vineyards, a [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/WWzzvAO7fIQ/mr-ridge-comes-a-knockin
Ashley Tappin Ashley Tisdale Asia Argento Aubrey ODay Audrina Patridge
TMiW 1 – Looking Back, Looking Forward
This is the premier episode of This Month in Wine, a monthly discussion about what is going on within the wine world from a consumer and insider perspective. Hosts: Tim Elliott and Jeff Lefevere Topics What’s up with Good Grape? Is wine blogging on the decline? Wine Trends & Predictions for 2012 Value Replaces Cheap [...]
TMiW 1 – Looking Back, Looking Forward originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/G2HGzSDlbQM/
Charli Baltimore Charlies Angels Charlize Theron Chelsea Handler Cheryl Burke
Return to Woodrose Winery
Woodrose WineryWinery 2012 Woodrose has been one of our favorite growing wineries over the past several years. This year’s visit provided some unexpected pleasures. The last time we visited at Woodrose they were just completing construction on their special events building. This time we found the center was done and open for business. Tastings were … Continue reading 
Source: http://thegrapesaroundtexas.com/2012/07/03/return-to-woodrose-winery/
Estella Warren Esther Cañadas Eva Green Eva Longoria Eva Mendes
Wine of the Month Club
Are you interested in wine? Do you find that wine stores are too stuffy and pretentious for you to have an enjoyable shopping experience? If so, finding a quality wine of the month club might be a good fit for you to not only learn about wine, but also to have some truly outstanding wine [...]
Source: http://winewithmark.info/archives/670
Amanda Righetti Amanda Swisten Amber Arbucci Amber Brkich Amber Heard
Wine-derful
Judges completed the first day of tasting the finest vintages the wine world has to offer at the 70th Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition. Stepping into the Millard Sheets Center for the Arts, where judging is taking place, the aroma is musky, flowery, fruity, nutty. Pretty powerful! Judges gather around round tables comparing [...]
Source: http://blogs.fairplex.com/blog/wine/?p=62
Amanda Righetti Amanda Swisten Amber Arbucci Amber Brkich Amber Heard
A Wine for Tonight: 2011 Dry Creek Vineyard Fumé Blanc
Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2011 Dry Creek Vineyard Fumé Blanc from Sonoma County in California. [...]
A Wine for Tonight: 2011 Dry Creek Vineyard Fumé Blanc was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WinePeeps/~3/pdYXHNYJBF4/
Elisha Cuthbert Eliza Dushku Emilie de Ravin Emma Heming Emma Stone
Napa Valley Picnic Wineries – More bad behavior
Two months ago the winery had its fill with badly-behaving tourists, so the corporate office (Terlato Wine Group) made the decision to fence off the picnic area and charge the $35 fee per table. Continue reading
Source: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/napablog/napa-valley-picnic-wineries-more-bad-behavior/
Daisy Fuentes Dania Ramirez Danica Patrick Daniella Alonso Danneel Harris
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