tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63077228970726880602024-03-14T00:27:11.994-07:00Direct Cellars BlogAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.comBlogger108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-38892427343498797402018-02-06T01:16:00.001-08:002018-02-06T01:16:16.078-08:00Wine News: What I'm Reading the Week of 2/4/18<img src="http://www.vinography.com/assets_c/2017/10/stack_of_news-thumb-650x517-7189.jpg" /><br />
<p><img src="http://www.vinography.com/assets_c/2017/10/stack_of_news-thumb-650x517-7189.jpg" width="650" height="517" alt="stack_of_news.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /><br />
Welcome to my weekly roundup of the wine stories that I find of interest on the web. I post them to my magazine on on Flipboard, but for those of you who aren’t Flipboard inclined, here’s everything I’ve strained out of the wine-related muck for the week.</p>
<p>At Home and At Work in Wine Country<br />
A report from Elaine Brown on the folks who do the hard work in wine country</p>
<p>Neil Martin’s Goodbye Letter to the Wine Advocate<br />
A nice read</p>
<p>Women Reshape Argentina’s Macho Winemaking<br />
The pleasant decline of “hypermasculinity” in sommelier ranks</p>
<p>Black South African winemaker shakes up industry<br />
A pioneer continues her work</p>
<p>The Science of Orange Wines<br />
Paul Adams talks about how little we really know</p>
<p>Wrath about grapes: critics angry after New Zealand winemaker uses Australian fruit<br />
National pride vs . economics</p>
<p>Anson: Bordeaux counts cost of frost for 2017 vintage<br />
A 40% crop reduction for starters</p>
<p>Winemakers Turn to MIT to Save Pinot Noir in Warming Temperatures<br />
Elin McCoy on the threats to terroir</p>
<p>Academics Explain Terroir But Not Exactly The Way Wine Consumers Might Expect<br />
Trade and politics, apparently</p>
<p>Those Days When The Kansas Prairie Had More Wine Cred Than Napa Valley<br />
Head on back to 1850</p>
<p>Drink Up: New Study Concludes Wine Can Offset Dementia<br />
Mental floss, indeed</p>
<p>Don’t Judge a Wine by the Grape on Its Label<br />
Eric Asimov works his way around to Grenache</p>
<p>Wine Lovers: Relax, Study Suggests Calif. Grapevines Can Weather Searing Drought<br />
If only mere survival were enough</p>
<p>Yes, Cork Taint is Still a Problem<br />
Very true, in my experience.</p>
<p>Fair Play in El Dorado County is a wine secret ‘on the cusp of discovery’<br />
Mike Dunne thinks so.</p>
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<p><br />
from <a href="http://cashfromwine.com/wine-news-what-im-reading-the-week-of-2418/">Wine News: What I’m Reading the Week of 2/4/18</a></p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-67333232471659682792018-01-31T01:24:00.001-08:002018-01-31T01:24:13.780-08:00Wine News: What I'm Reading the week of 1/28/18<img src="http://www.vinography.com/assets_c/2017/10/stack_of_news-thumb-650x517-7189.jpg" /><br />
<p><img src="http://www.vinography.com/assets_c/2017/10/stack_of_news-thumb-650x517-7189.jpg" width="650" height="517" alt="stack_of_news.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /><br />
Welcome to my weekly roundup of the wine stories that I find of interest on the web. I post them to my magazine on on Flipboard, but for those of you who aren’t Flipboard inclined, here’s everything I’ve strained out of the wine-related muck for the week.</p>
<p>Wine Faults and How to Recognize Them<br />
An excellent primer.</p>
<p>Sorry, Paris: London Is Europe’s New Wine Capital<br />
Jon Bonné loves a little cultural coup.</p>
<p>You’re Ordering Wine Wrong<br />
Robert Bohr suggests ways to improve your game.</p>
<p>Life After Being a Sommelier<br />
Stephen Satterfield reflects.</p>
<p>Burgundy’s new breed of wine producers<br />
Jancis on a new crop.</p>
<p>We may be drinking less wine, but it’s better wine<br />
Dave McIntyre on the latest annual stats.</p>
<p>Do Your Genes Predict Your Wine Preference?<br />
Brooke Borel on ongoing matters of debate.</p>
<p>Drinking in Vienna’s Wine Scene<br />
Worth going to.</p>
<p>The risk-takers: The realities of buying a vineyard<br />
You know the saying…</p>
<p>A New Perspective on the Vineyard Labor Shortage Situation: The Case of Cain Vineyard<br />
A look at ongoing options.</p>
<p>What do we mean by fine wine?<br />
Tim Atkin ponders the question.</p>
<p>War over planting rights erupts in Champagne<br />
Expansion isn’t easy.</p>
<p>Putting a Cork in the Oxidation Question<br />
Corks don’t really “breathe.”</p>
<p>Artificial Intelligence Changes the Wine World<br />
Eventually.</p>
<p>The State of Central Coast Syrah<br />
Thoughts from folks who know.</p>
<p>Trade Talk with Levi Dalton<br />
Levi gets interviewed by the Greeks (PDF)</p>
<p>Maps of German Wine Regions<br />
Geeky super cool digital cartography.</p>
<p>Today’s wine dichotomy<br />
Two kinds of wine, says Jancis.</p>
<p>Sommelier Belinda Chang Predicts 2018 Will Bring a Return to Wine Classics<br />
Europe is in, she says.</p>
<p>What’s new: Amador’s wine profile continues to grow<br />
Nathan Hurst profiles gold country wine.</p>
<p>The volcanic wines of the Azores<br />
Worth reading for the vineyard photos alone.</p>
<p>A Comparison of In-Amphorae Winemaking to Barrels/Barriques in Chardonnay Wine<br />
Super wine geek alert – this is about chemistry</p>
<p>48 Hours in London with Laura Rhys<br />
Drinking in London, sommelier style</p>
<p>Getting to Know Mexico’s New Wine Scene<br />
Peter Weltmann dishes on the hottest name in Mexico</p>
<p>Clearing the Air: Smoke Taint and the Aftermath of the California Wildfires<br />
Jessica Zimmer talks impact</p>
<p>Jefford on Monday: Tracking terroir<br />
Microbes!</p>
<p>Gallo Opens Up in Public<br />
Blake Gray covers what sounds like a remarkable speech</p>
<p>Weed is Impacting Wine Sales<br />
Rob McMillan shares his thoughts and some interesting research</p>
<p>Old grapes, new barriers<br />
Simon Woolfe on efforts to grow indigenous varieties in the Languedoc</p>
<p>Bored? Oh, Those French Grapes<br />
Oliver styles argues for variety</p>
<p>How looming wine shortages could shape the market<br />
Robert Joseph isn’t throwing himself off a cliff due to the Prosecco shortage</p>
<p>Can Zinfandel be saved? Conversation with Turley’s Tegan Passalacqua<br />
Great conversation</p>
<p>Premier Cru Victims Stung Again<br />
The very definition of adding insult to injury.</p>
<p><img src="http://vinography.com/adserver/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=2&cb=INSERT_RANDOM_NUMBER_HERE&n=a34cc9a7" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p><br />
from <a href="http://cashfromwine.com/wine-news-what-im-reading-the-week-of-12818/">Wine News: What I’m Reading the week of 1/28/18</a></p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-39993717410042398392018-01-27T06:34:00.001-08:002018-01-27T06:34:15.777-08:00Vinography Images: Moulin<img src="http://www.vinography.com/assets_c/2018/01/vinography_desktop_moulin-thumb-650x433-7321.jpg" /><br />
<p><img src="http://www.vinography.com/assets_c/2018/01/vinography_desktop_moulin-thumb-650x433-7321.jpg" width="650" height="433" alt="vinography_desktop_moulin.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /></p>
<p>Moulin<br />
GIRONDE, FRANCE: An iconic windmil, or in French: moulin a vent, looks over the vineyards of Chateau Ausone in Gironde on Bordeaux’s Right Bank near Saint-Émilion. Ausone is one of only 4 wines classified as Premier Grand Cru Classé in the Saint-Émilion classification.</p>
<p>INSTRUCTIONS:<br />
Download this image by right-clicking 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 to open the full size view and drag that to their desktops.</p>
<p>To set the image as your desktop wallpaper, Mac users should follow these instructions, while PC users should follow these.</p>
<p>BUY THE BOOK:<br />
This image is from a series of photographs captured by Andy Katz in the process of shooting his most recent work The Club of Nine, a visual exploration and celebration of Bordeaux’s top Chateaux. The book is available for $60 on Andy’s web site.</p>
<p>PRINTS:<br />
If you are interested in owning an archive quality, limited edition print of this image please contact Andy directly.</p>
<p>ABOUT VINOGRAPHY IMAGES:<br />
Vinography regularly features images by photographer Andy Katz for readers’ personal use as desktop backgrounds or screen savers. We hope you enjoy them. Please respect the copyright on these images. These images are not to be reposted on any web site or blog without the express permission of the photographer.</p>
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<p><br />
from <a href="http://cashfromwine.com/vinography-images-moulin/">Vinography Images: Moulin</a></p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-35272418814574093072018-01-27T04:34:00.001-08:002018-01-27T04:34:04.662-08:00A Long Awaited Journey<img src="http://www.vinography.com/assets_c/2018/01/awaited_journey-thumb-650x433-7324.jpg" /><br />
<p><img src="http://www.vinography.com/assets_c/2018/01/awaited_journey-thumb-650x433-7324.jpg" width="650" height="433" alt="awaited_journey.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /></p>
<p>I have a confession to make. I have been drinking sake seriously for more than 18 years. I have been writing about it and reviewing sakes here on Vinography for 14 years. I have taught seminars on sake at places like the Aspen Food & Wine Classic. But until this week, I had not been to a sake brewery. It’s a little shocking to think about, even for me, given my history and experience with wine. By the time I started writing about wine I had already visited dozens of wineries. I even lived in Japan for more than 18 months, but I never made it to a sake brewery during that time, nor in subsequent visits over the years.</p>
<p>But now I’ve corrected that mistake, thanks to the generosity of the Japan Sake and Shochu Maker’s Association, who brought me back to Japan and provided the opportunity to make my overdue journey into the heart of sake.</p>
<p>Winter is the season of sake, and the best time to visit breweries, or kura as they are known in Japanese. Depending on their location, the brewing season will last from October to March. Brewers rely on the crisp, chilly air of the season to minimize ambient bacteria and yeast populations, as well as to assist with the low temperature fermentations that make for the highest quality sakes.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.vinography.com/assets_c/2018/01/awaited_journey-6-thumb-650x487-7327.jpg" width="650" height="487" alt="awaited_journey-6.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /></p>
<p>Unlike wine, whose yearly vintage “crush” consists of a flurry of autumnal activity lasting a few weeks, sake brewing happens continuously through the winter season, depending on the production size of each brewery. During this season the toji, or master brewer, and a crew of several helpers will literally live at the brewery, rising well before dawn, seven days a week without a day off, to perform the series of backbreaking activities involved in making sake.</p>
<p>Leaving aside the milling of rice – the process of sanding each individual grain down to a fraction of its former size – which most breweries now outsource, the work of sake brewing involves the following activities that often begin as early as 5:00 AM: washing rice; steaming rice; cooling rice; turning a portion of the rice into koji by inoculating it with a special mold; creating a starter batch of sake by mixing koji, freshly steamed rice, water and yeast; tending that starter and adding more rice in successive batches; completing fermentation by pressing and filtering the sake; and then putting the sake into tank or bottle for aging.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.vinography.com/assets_c/2018/01/awaited_journey-3-thumb-650x433-7330.jpg" width="650" height="433" alt="awaited_journey-3.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /></p>
<p>The nature of the sake making process (especially the making of koji), the need to carefully control the microbiology at work (since the slightest bit of unwanted bacteria or yeast can lead to nasty odors or flavors), and the physical capacity of tanks and the people manning them means that sake must be made in many, many, many successive batches. The largest, most commercial breweries can make more, larger batches at once, but even they run into the limitations of needing steamed rice to be at just the right temperature and moisture content, and the fact that koji must be made fresh in carefully tended batches every 48 hours.</p>
<p>While some breweries employ (pretty sophisticated) machines that assist with these tasks, they remain incredibly intense physical activities, as I learned firsthand yesterday morning as I was pressed (quite willingly) into shoveling steamed rice, carrying bags of rice, and stirring fermenting batches of rice at a brewery I visited in Kochi Prefecture on the island of Shikoku.</p>
<p>Needless to say, winter mornings are when you’d want to visit sake breweries, as they are ceaselessly abuzz with activity for more than five months, as their increasingly sleep deprived workers repeat the same tasks over and over and over with a dedication and precision that astounds.</p>
<p>But before you pack a bag and head out to visit your favorite sake brewery, you should know that the world of sake differs from the world of wine in many important ways, especially when it comes to tourism and the consumer experience.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.vinography.com/assets_c/2018/01/awaited_journey-4-thumb-650x487-7333.jpg" width="650" height="487" alt="awaited_journey-4.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /></p>
<p>To be blunt, while many breweries will happily receive you at a small shop next to the brewery where you can purchase a bottle or two, a sizeable percentage of breweries lack even this most basic of hospitality offering. And as for getting up early and showing up to poke your head into the kura to see sake making in action? Unless you’re on a pre-booked and carefully organized tour with an outside agency, you can forget it. Language barriers aside, brewers generally don’t want the distraction (or liability in what can be a dangerous environment) of tourists underfoot.</p>
<p>And you thought making visits to cellars in Burgundy was tricky.</p>
<p>Exceptions to this generalization continue to grow in number, as forward-thinking breweries continue to seek ways of compensating for generally shrinking consumption of sake in Japan, but despite more than 400 years of history, the sake industry remains quite undeveloped when it comes to tourism. Advocates for the industry, as well as third-party tourism agencies do regularly organize tours, so anyone who has their heart set on visiting a brewery will find it is possible with a bit of extra effort. Accompanied by a bi-lingual guide, this can be an immensely rewarding and educational experience. For now, however, just finding your way to a brewery hoping to do a little tasting remains a somewhat fruitless pursuit.</p>
<p>Should you make it to a brewery, don’t expect it to be like your average winery facility just with rice instead of grapes. Compared to even the most modest wine regions around the globe, the world of sake brewing remains significantly under-capitalized. The vast majority of brewers who manage to get bank loans almost always do so for the purposes of buying equipment or higher quality rice. Only the most visionary producers (who also often happen to be the most newly established) are working to create anything other than a purely functional environment at the brewery.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.vinography.com/assets_c/2018/01/awaited_journey-2-thumb-650x433-7336.jpg" width="650" height="433" alt="awaited_journey-2.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /></p>
<p>Most breweries are old, industrial, and by wine world standards, quite dingy. While fastidious in their focus on minimizing microbiological contamination (those allowed to visit the kura must wash and sterilize their hands, wear hair nets, remove their shoes, not consume yogurt or other active culture products in the days before a visit, and generally not touch anything while inside), the insides of breweries are dark, noisy, tarnished, and in most cases a bit decrepit. Think of the most humble, Old World winemaking facility you’ve been to, double the number of hoses, tanks, and carts, and then add a bunch of steam pipes and odd looking machinery in various states of antiquity and you’ll get the general idea. The gleaming, spotless, well-lit fermentation rooms of Sonoma these most certainly are not.</p>
<p>But what these environments may lack in both curb appeal and interior design, they make up for in the humble passion of the people running them, and the ethereal purity of their products, which can taste like blooming flowers and the first deep snowfall of the season in a cedar forest. Despite a steady decline in Japanese sake consumption for more than thirty years the dedication and craftsmanship of those brewers who choose (sometimes barely) to remain in business is as remarkable as it is inspiring.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.vinography.com/assets_c/2018/01/awaited_journey-5-thumb-650x487-7339.jpg" width="650" height="487" alt="awaited_journey-5.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /></p>
<p>At the center of each grain of rice lies a small white heart that the Japanese call the shinpaku. This bundle of pure starch contains the carbohydrates that must be broken into sugars to fuel the fermentation of rice into alcohol. The complex process of making sake begins with the painstaking work to expose and exploit this miniscule resource, hidden by the rough exterior of a brown rice husk. Each grain is milled down to a fraction of its former size, stripping away the fats and proteins that hide the shinpaku until it becomes visible, a tiny fleck of brilliant white amidst the cloudy refined form of the polished grain. Even after milling, soaking, and steaming the shinpaku remains out of reach. Only thanks to the magic of koji does the shinpaku release its grip on the valuable sugars within.</p>
<p>While I learned many lessons during the time I spent living in Japan, one of the most important was that there were always deeper levels of significance and meaning beyond my surface understanding of any aspect of the culture. Sake embodies this truth perfectly. Look past the grimy patina that marks the walls of most breweries, taste a few really good bottles, and you’ll catch a glimpse of the soul and complexity of sake, a profound expression of Japanese craftsmanship and a unique landscape of flavors.</p>
<p><img src="http://vinography.com/adserver/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=2&cb=INSERT_RANDOM_NUMBER_HERE&n=a34cc9a7" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p><br />
from <a href="http://cashfromwine.com/a-long-awaited-journey/">A Long Awaited Journey</a></p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-41699144224070919272018-01-23T09:09:00.001-08:002018-01-23T09:09:45.380-08:00Wine News: What I'm Reading the week of 1/21/18<img src="http://www.vinography.com/assets_c/2017/10/stack_of_news-thumb-650x517-7189.jpg" /><br />
<p><img src="http://www.vinography.com/assets_c/2017/10/stack_of_news-thumb-650x517-7189.jpg" width="650" height="517" alt="stack_of_news.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /><br />
Welcome to my weekly roundup of the wine stories that I find of interest on the web. I post them to my magazine on on Flipboard, but for those of you who aren’t Flipboard inclined, here’s everything I’ve strained out of the wine-related muck for the week.</p>
<p>2018 SVB Wine Report Videocast Replay<br />
The annual state of the state.</p>
<p>Becoming a Master of Roussanne<br />
A profile of Maggie Harrison</p>
<p>Richard Kunde, champion of Sonoma County wine, agriculture, dies at 75<br />
Farewell Mr. Rootstock.</p>
<p>Bubbles Along The Willamette: Oregon’s Sparkling Wine Renaissance<br />
More than 40 producers now, apparently.</p>
<p>DRC Winemaker Retires<br />
A name most did not know.</p>
<p>Interview: Perspectives on Whole-Cluster Fermentation<br />
Kelli White asks winemakers about whole cluster.</p>
<p>The Value of Value<br />
Matt Kramer advocates for value wines.</p>
<p>Nebbiolo, the wine equivalent of winter’s woodpile<br />
Mike Dunne on many forms of Nebbiolo.</p>
<p>Goldman’s No. 2 Allegedly Swindled Out of $1.2 Million of Wine by Assistant<br />
Oops. That’s a firing offense for sure.</p>
<p>Kermit Lynch on Terroir and Why Wine Should Be Described in Human Terms<br />
Kermit argues for a return to “comely young thing” as a descriptor</p>
<p>What you need to know about how oak barrels affect wine<br />
Michael Austin pens his version of Barrels 101</p>
<p>Anson: Jesse Katz – Remember the name<br />
Jane Anson profiles the young superstar</p>
<p>This Wine Auction Is Giving All Proceeds to Napa and Sonoma Fire Victims<br />
Bordeaux steps up!</p>
<p>Experience Wine Beyond What’s in Your Glass<br />
Ann Krebiehl says get into the vineyard.</p>
<p>How to Become a Wine Editor<br />
An interview with Ray Isle.</p>
<p>Frantic Buyers Race to Bag Top Burgundy<br />
Small quantities from tough vintages.</p>
<p>Jefford on Monday: Tenants and sharecroppers<br />
Andrew Jefford explains a key aspect of French wine growing.</p>
<p>Wine magazine banned from New Jersey prisons<br />
Is that the Wine Spectator in your pocket, or just a really big shiv?</p>
<p>Legendary Barbaresco Winemaker Bruno Giacosa Dies at 88<br />
One of the greatest of all time.</p>
<p>Tree Huggers: The Tale Behind Italy’s Hot New White<br />
Trebbiano Spoletino is the next thing in Umbria, says Robert Camuto</p>
<p>The History of Wine in 442 Podcasts<br />
Levi Dalton profiled in the New York Times.</p>
<p>Silver Oak is building the state’s most eco-friendly winery<br />
Sounds like quite the project.</p>
<p><img src="http://vinography.com/adserver/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=2&cb=INSERT_RANDOM_NUMBER_HERE&n=a34cc9a7" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p><br />
from <a href="http://cashfromwine.com/wine-news-what-im-reading-the-week-of-12118/">Wine News: What I’m Reading the week of 1/21/18</a></p>
<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-20995437797359361632018-01-23T08:49:00.001-08:002018-01-23T08:49:04.932-08:00I'll Drink to That: Ray Coursen of Elyse Winery<img src="http://www.vinography.com/assets_c/2015/07/levi_dalton_ill_drink_to_that-thumb-650x433-5251.jpg" /><br />
<p><img alt="Thumbnail image for levi_dalton_ill_drink_to_that.jpg" src="http://www.vinography.com/assets_c/2015/07/levi_dalton_ill_drink_to_that-thumb-650x433-5251.jpg" width="650" height="433" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /></p>
<p>Episode 442 of I’ll Drink to That! was released recently, and features Ray Coursen,the founding winemaker and owner of Elyse Winery and Jacob Franklin Wines. He is also working with the Purple Heart Wines project.</p>
<p>Ray Coursen arrived in Napa in the 1980s, but this interview goes much further back into Napa Valley history than that. Ray has made a habit of searching out conversations with the older generation of farmers and winemakers before him, and he shares many of those memories here. When was Petite Sirah known as “Pets”? When did phylloxera hit Napa for the actual first time? When did the old-timers blend Zinfandel into their Cabernet? Ray shares those answers. He also reflects on a changing landscape for wines sales, and the escalation of vineyard prices in the Valley. As he prepares to hand off his winery to his son, Ray wonders if his own son will be able to have the same opportunity. This interview is both a trip back in time and a look at the future of Napa Valley.</p>
<p>Listen to the stream above, or check it out on Apple Podcasts, on Stitcher, Google Play Music or check it out on YouTube.</p>
<p>IDTT is now also available on Spotify. Listen to this episode on Spotify.</p>
<p>I’ll Drink to That is the world’s most listened-to wine podcast, hosted by Levi Dalton. Levi has had a long career working as a sommelier in some of the most distinguished and acclaimed dining rooms in America. He has served wine to guests of Restaurant Daniel, Masa, and Alto, all in Manhattan. Levi has also contributed articles on wine themes to publications such as The Art of Eating, Wine & Spirits magazine, Bon Appetit online, and Eater NY. Check out his pictures on Instagram and follow him on Twitter: @leviopenswine</p>
<p><img src="http://vinography.com/adserver/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=2&cb=INSERT_RANDOM_NUMBER_HERE&n=a34cc9a7" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p><br />
from <a href="http://cashfromwine.com/ill-drink-to-that-ray-coursen-of-elyse-winery/">I’ll Drink to That: Ray Coursen of Elyse Winery</a></p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-46689684592008709052018-01-19T11:29:00.001-08:002018-01-19T11:29:30.038-08:00I'll Drink to That: Chisa Bize of Domaine Simon Bize et Fils<img src="http://www.vinography.com/assets_c/2015/07/levi_dalton_ill_drink_to_that-thumb-650x433-5251.jpg" /><br />
<p><img alt="Thumbnail image for levi_dalton_ill_drink_to_that.jpg" src="http://www.vinography.com/assets_c/2015/07/levi_dalton_ill_drink_to_that-thumb-650x433-5251.jpg" width="650" height="433" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /></p>
<p>Episode 441 of I’ll Drink to That! was released recently, and features Chisa Bize, who looks after Domaine Simon Bize et Fils in the Burgundy village of Savigny-les-Beaune.</p>
<p>Chisa Bize has a life with multiple chapters. In one, she is living in Tokyo, near her family and her childhood home, while working in a bank. In the next there is a chance meeting with a traveling Burgundian looking for currency exchange. An invite for the harvest period is proffered, and Chisa decides to take a chance on an adventure: she quits her job, and heads to Savigny-les-Beaune without further future plans in mind. At the beginning the welcome is kind, but the place is lonely, and she is unsure what will happen. A marriage and a baby boy soon join the picture, and Chisa is no longer lonely, or in the possession of much free time. While these whirlwind changes might be the crux of most stories, for Chisa they are just the beginning, and a series of unexpected turns then places her in charge of a historical wine domaine. Her development as a vintner and as a caretaker of key vineyard sites in Savigny takes up a large part of the discussion of this interview, and anyone listening who thought that they would never under any circumstance make wine themselves might listen to this episode and find more than one surprise.</p>
<p>Listen to the stream above, or check it out on Apple Podcasts, on Stitcher, Google Play Music or check it out on YouTube.</p>
<p>IDTT is now also available on Spotify. Listen to this episode on Spotify.</p>
<p>I’ll Drink to That is the world’s most listened-to wine podcast, hosted by Levi Dalton. Levi has had a long career working as a sommelier in some of the most distinguished and acclaimed dining rooms in America. He has served wine to guests of Restaurant Daniel, Masa, and Alto, all in Manhattan. Levi has also contributed articles on wine themes to publications such as The Art of Eating, Wine & Spirits magazine, Bon Appetit online, and Eater NY. Check out his pictures on Instagram and follow him on Twitter: @leviopenswine</p>
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from <a href="http://cashfromwine.com/ill-drink-to-that-chisa-bize-of-domaine-simon-bize-et-fils/">I’ll Drink to That: Chisa Bize of Domaine Simon Bize et Fils</a></p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-22951263313601749322018-01-19T10:44:00.001-08:002018-01-19T10:44:50.367-08:00Vinography Images: Early Winter<img src="http://www.vinography.com/assets_c/2018/01/vinography_desktop_winter_gloaming-thumb-650x433-7318.jpg" /><br />
<p><img src="http://www.vinography.com/assets_c/2018/01/vinography_desktop_winter_gloaming-thumb-650x433-7318.jpg" width="650" height="433" alt="vinography_desktop_winter_gloaming.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /></p>
<p>Early Winter<br />
PAUILLAC, FRANCE: A cold winter dawn breaks to illuminates sleeping old vines and skeletal trees at Chateau Mouton Rothschild in Pauillac, a town in the Medoc region of Bordeaux. Mouton as it is affectionately known was not originally part of the First Growth designation in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification. Thanks to the advocacy efforts of its owner Baron Philippe de Rothschild, the estate managed something of a coup, and was elevated to First Growth in 1973, the only estate to have been so included in the modern era. Mouton is best known for its labels that have changed each vintage since 1945, and always feature the work of one of the world’s most famous artists.</p>
<p>INSTRUCTIONS:<br />
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<p>To set the image as your desktop wallpaper, Mac users should follow these instructions, while PC users should follow these.</p>
<p>BUY THE BOOK:<br />
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<p>PRINTS:<br />
If you are interested in owning an archive quality, limited edition print of this image please contact Andy directly.</p>
<p>ABOUT VINOGRAPHY IMAGES:<br />
Vinography regularly features images by photographer Andy Katz for readers’ personal use as desktop backgrounds or screen savers. We hope you enjoy them. Please respect the copyright on these images. These images are not to be reposted on any web site or blog without the express permission of the photographer.</p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-73548464141136945442018-01-15T22:44:00.001-08:002018-01-15T22:44:08.023-08:00Wine News: What I'm Reading the Week of 1/14/17<img src="http://ift.tt/2yM2ds1" /><br />
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2yM2ds1" width="650" height="517" alt="stack_of_news.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /><br />
Welcome to my weekly roundup of the wine stories that I find of interest on the web. I post them to my magazine on on Flipboard, but for those of you who aren’t Flipboard inclined, here’s everything I’ve strained out of the wine-related muck for the week.</p>
<p>Going 10 Rounds with Eric Renaud<br />
Helluva list to manage.</p>
<p>After the fires, the road back to Napa and Sonoma counties<br />
The slow road to recovery.</p>
<p>Karl Kaiser, cofounder of Inniskillin wines, remembered<br />
Canada loses a pioneer.</p>
<p>An Interruptionist Seeks To Change U.S. Wine Distribution<br />
An interesting business idea. Let’s see if it actually works!</p>
<p>Incredible collection of wine hidden in a top secret cave hidden beneath a rock face somewhere in Europe is tipped to sell for £1million at auction<br />
Right out of a Bond movie….</p>
<p>Sommelier Roundtable: Your Predictions for 2018<br />
The Spectator rounds up some prognostications.</p>
<p>There’s nothing wrong with being a little sweet on wine<br />
People say they don’t like sweet wine, but they’re usually lying to themselves.</p>
<p>Mountain View Wine Thief Set To Age 3 Years In Prison<br />
Lock him up! Lock him up!</p>
<p>Russian man rams armored personnel carrier into shop, steals wine<br />
When you’re really, really thirsty and all you have is a spare Russian tank…</p>
<p>Sommelier writes her way through wine country<br />
A nice profile of Kelli White</p>
<p>The Simple Life<br />
Robert Camuto on the Marche</p>
<p>Thomas fire, California’s largest on record, finally 100 percent contained<br />
Only now, folks. After a month. That’s how huge it was.</p>
<p>The Relationship Between Sensory Characteristics and Emotion in Consumer Wine Preferences<br />
I smell bacon fat and I cry.</p>
<p>This Ex-Banker Has Wall Street-Sized Ambitions as a Wine Critic<br />
A profile of Galloni</p>
<p>Fighting In Washington On Track To Harm California’s Wine Industry<br />
Labor is going to make or break California wine.</p>
<p>Are anti-cork sentiments softening in New Zealand and Australia?<br />
Jamie Goode sees more corks down under.</p>
<p>Silicon Valley Bank wine business forecast warns of slowing sales growth<br />
But not a reversal.</p>
<p>Why Napa is Shifting Fast From Blended Wines to Single Vineyard Expressions<br />
By blended, they mean from multiple sites, rather than multiple grapes.</p>
<p>Three Takeaways from the Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates – 2017 Review<br />
What the data say….</p>
<p>Bernard Magrez Attacked in His Home<br />
Robbery gone wrong</p>
<p>Tax Changes Hit Wine’s Alcohol Levels<br />
A lousy side effect of the new tax law: less transparency.</p>
<p>Anson: The women who shaped Bordeaux<br />
Let’s hear it for the girls!</p>
<p>Q&A with a pinot pioneer: Calera’s Josh Jensen reflects on changes<br />
Laurie talks with Josh.</p>
<p>Wine’s Most Inspiring People 2018: Defender of the Consumer Palate and Your Right to Choose<br />
A profile of Tim Hanni</p>
<p>Champagne Gives Thanks for a Vintage Crop<br />
Another decent year in Champagne.</p>
<p>The ’90s Magazine That Courted Wine’s Early Counterculture<br />
Zach Sussman finds out about WineX</p>
<p>Wine’s Most Inspiring People 2018: Grapegrower, Innovator, and Always One Step Ahead<br />
A profile of David Parrish</p>
<p>Wine’s Most Inspiring People 2018: Wine Business Educator and Influencer<br />
A profile of Ray Johnson</p>
<p>Wine’s Most Inspiring People 2018: Crafting Wine and Legacy in Washington<br />
A profile of Chris Upchurch</p>
<p>Wine’s Most Inspiring People 2018: A Pillar of Oregon’s Wine Tourism Industry<br />
A profile of Wayne Bailey</p>
<p>Wine’s Most Inspiring People 2018: Pioneer and Champion of Hillside Grapegrowing<br />
A profile of Stu Smith</p>
<p>Fires burned the legacy of California’s historic ‘wine king.’ This winery wants to rebuild it.<br />
A fascinating piece of history.</p>
<p>Boozy wish list for 2018: More screw caps, less wax<br />
Esther Mobley isn’t asking for so much…</p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-37424667403222457742018-01-14T18:00:00.001-08:002018-01-14T18:00:08.818-08:00Get Set, Go!<img src="http://ift.tt/2Dbmx9x" /><br />
<p><img class="thumb-image" alt="Biodynamic consultant Andrew Beedy and Troon winemaker Steve Hall on the spot selected for our compost program." src="http://ift.tt/2Dbmx9x" /></p>
<p>Biodynamic consultant Andrew Beedy and Troon winemaker Steve Hall on the spot selected for our compost program.</p>
<p>This is the spot that will become the most important place of the vineyard. We’ve chosen the spot for the compost piles.</p>
<p>There is a day that dreams, plans and goals become a reality. On your mark, get set, go! As we crossed the starting line this week, we were firmly aware that we were starting a marathon, not a dash. This week we took our first steps to converting Troon Vineyard to organic and biodynamic agriculture. We have our eye on 2020 to achieve our first organic and biodynamic certification, but that will not be the finish line. In agriculture, there is no finish line.</p>
<p>We had already taken some steps forward as we had received our L.I.V.E. and Salmon Safe sustainable certifications, but we have now committed to biodynamics as our vision for the future of Troon. Our first big step was to secure the services of Andrew Beedy ([http://ift.tt/2B0Bky3]). Andrew’s speciality is designing a complete plan that looks at your property as a whole, not just as a vineyard. Andrew has spent his entire life immersed in biodynamics as he was born on a biodynamic dairy farm in Pennsylvania. He attended a Steiner elementary school that was attached to a biodynamic farm. As a teenager, he worked on an organic farm in England. After university, he moved to California, where he worked with his mentor, the famed biodynamic consultant Alan York, who also was the biodynamic consultant for our neighbor, Cowhorn Winery, here in the Applegate Valley. Today, Andrew’s clients span the entire nation coast-to-coast.</p>
<p>After walking for hours with Andrew through our vineyards and our entire farm property, you can feel your perceptions began to change as you start to look at your farm as a whole rather than as simple blocks of vineyards. This extends beyond our property lines as you understand that the Applegate Valley itself is included in a whole farm, holistic plan for farming.</p>
<p>With conventional agriculture you identify problems and then apply various applications. Many, many of these applications are nasty indeed. While they may solve one problem, the collateral damage they cause slowly, but surely kills your soils. Soil is the plant’s foundation, and dead soils cannot produce great wines. When you farm biodynamically you eschew these chemicals, which means you have to deal with the threats to your plants before they appear. In other words, biodynamics is all about prevention. A healthy plant can better resist diseases and pests than one living in dead soils relying on chemical fixes to deal with each and every problem.</p>
<p>Our new compost piles will be the heart and soul of the vineyard as this is how we will be bringing our soils back to life. One way I like to explain biodynamics is that it is organic agriculture with probiotics. It is the bacteria and fungi surrounding a plants roots that allow it to take nutrition from the soil. Conventional agriculture destroys this natural system. The power of biodynamics is that it brings the microbiome of your farm back to life, which brings your soils and plants back to life.</p>
<p>I will be chronicling the process of bringing Troon’s soils back to life here on this blog. Over the next weeks, we are evaluating our soils and the microbiome of our vineyards, and we will be carefully monitoring and documenting the changes in our soils and vines as we practice biodynamic farming over the next years. It is a story I am very excited to be sharing. It is a process that will change our farm, our vines, our wines and us.</p>
<p>It will be a steep learning curve. Could anything be more exciting?</p>
<p>Here is a link to the Demeter Biodynamic Farm Standard for certification.</p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-68337646032448227742018-01-13T10:01:00.003-08:002018-01-13T10:01:18.775-08:00Napa Luxe<img src="http://ift.tt/2mujcaf" /><br />
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2mujcaf" width="650" height="433" alt="colgin_estate.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /></p>
<p>What is the defining characteristic of a wine region? The answer depends on who you ask, of course, but typical responses often range among the many distinctive aspects of the wine world: geology, topography, oenology, or even culture. The Mosel has its steep slate soils, Châteauneuf-du-Pape has its distinctive blend of 14 grapes, Chile’s Maule Valley has its twisted old vines of País and Carignan. And what of California’s Napa Valley? Beyond an affinity for Cabernet Sauvignon, an argument could convincingly be made that Napa has become known simply for luxury.</p>
<p>Perhaps this is why the recent news that Colgin Wine Cellars had sold a 60% interest to the luxury-goods giant Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton was met with an inaudible shrug after the initial volley of press releases and news briefs. Colgin, owned by Ann Colgin and her financier husband Joe Wender, is a tiny producer perched on top of Napa’s Pritchard Hill (as seen above) whose roughly 4,000 cases each year sell to mailing-list customers for upwards of $500 per bottle.</p>
<p>With this purchase, LVMH adds Colgin to its already impressive list of wine properties that include Newton Vineyards in Napa (which it acquired in 2001), as well as Krug, Moët and Dom Pérignon champagnes, substantial portions of Chx Cheval Blanc and d’Yquem, and Bodega Numanthia among others.</p>
<p>LVMH is not the first luxury house to buy into Napa. St Supery winery was purchased in 2015 by the owners of Chanel, who also own Chx Canon and Rauzan-Ségla in Bordeaux.</p>
<p>In many ways, for an already premium wine region, such purchases represent Napa’s apotheosis. Short of the inexorably rising prices commanded by the region’s wines, there exist few, if any, rungs on the ladder of fame beyond this kind of acquisition. This latest purchase joins a bevy of other high-profile buyouts this year by industry giants such as Gallo and Constellation Brands and French businessman François Pinault’s Artémis Group.</p>
<p>Read the rest of the story on JancisRobinson.Com.</p>
<p>This article is my monthly column at JancisRobinson.Com, Alder on America, and is available only to subscribers of her web site. If you’re not familiar with the site, I urge you to give it a try. It’s only £8.50 a month or £85 per year ($11/mo or $111 a year for you Americans) and well worth the cost, especially considering you basically get free, searchable access to the Oxford Companion to Wine ($65) and the World Atlas of Wine ($50) as part of the subscription costs. Click here to sign up.</p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-45962474664841753272018-01-13T10:01:00.001-08:002018-01-13T10:01:17.119-08:00Vinography Images: Gravelly<img src="http://ift.tt/2Dee4Bw" /><br />
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2Dee4Bw" width="650" height="433" alt="vinography_desktop_gravelly.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /></p>
<p>Gravelly<br />
MARGAUX, FRANCE: Skies flecked with white clouds hang above clay soils flecked with gravel at Chateau Margaux. Margaux is one of four original Premier Grand Cru classé wines according to the famous 1855 Bordeaux Classification. The estate is located in the commune of Margaux on the left bank of the Garonne estuary in the Médoc region, in the department of Gironde.</p>
<p>INSTRUCTIONS:<br />
Download this image by right-clicking 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 to open the full size view and drag that to their desktops.</p>
<p>To set the image as your desktop wallpaper, Mac users should follow these instructions, while PC users should follow these.</p>
<p>BUY THE BOOK:<br />
This image is from a series of photographs captured by Andy Katz in the process of shooting his most recent work The Club of Nine, a visual exploration and celebration of Bordeaux’s top Chateaux. The book is available for $60 on Andy’s web site.</p>
<p>PRINTS:<br />
If you are interested in owning an archive quality, limited edition print of this image please contact Andy directly.</p>
<p>ABOUT VINOGRAPHY IMAGES:<br />
Vinography regularly features images by photographer Andy Katz for readers’ personal use as desktop backgrounds or screen savers. We hope you enjoy them. Please respect the copyright on these images. These images are not to be reposted on any web site or blog without the express permission of the photographer.</p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-7718611718794480192018-01-02T21:12:00.001-08:002018-01-02T21:12:09.759-08:00Wine News: What I'm Reading the Week of December 31, 2017<img src="http://ift.tt/2yM2ds1" /><br />
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2yM2ds1" width="650" height="517" alt="stack_of_news.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /><br />
Welcome to my weekly roundup of the wine stories that I find of interest on the web. I post them to my magazine on on Flipboard, but for those of you who aren’t Flipboard inclined, here’s everything I’ve strained out of the wine-related muck for the week.</p>
<p>Women and the Wine Industry<br />
Karen MacNeil FTW.</p>
<p>Do Celebrity Wines Sell?<br />
Yes, but if you want to learn more, read this.</p>
<p>Embrace the Wine Critic — They Matter<br />
Tom Wark follows up on Jamie Goode’s article.</p>
<p>The Mystery of the Missing Wine Faults<br />
Oliver Styles wonders why tasting notes don’t include wet band-aid.</p>
<p>The When and Why of Amontillado<br />
And the crowd goes… silent?</p>
<p>Jefford on Monday: Wineism – towards a political philosophy of wine<br />
I’ll vote for that platform.</p>
<p>The Hidden (Affordable!) Gems of Burgundy<br />
Food and Wine recommends…</p>
<p>Terroir Alert! Champagne Is Expanding and Tempers Are Popping<br />
More bubbly.</p>
<p>If You Do Anything in 2018<br />
Matt Kramer recommends you drink this… book.</p>
<p>SF Chronicle’s Winemaker of the Year<br />
I heartily applaud this one.</p>
<p>Winemakers to watch<br />
The SF Chronicle picks this year are great</p>
<p>The Devastator: Phylloxera Vastatrix & The Remaking of the World of Wine<br />
Kelli White on one of the natural forces that has changed the wine world.</p>
<p>Will Natural Wine Make It in the Mainstream?<br />
Nice conversation, but it ended before it really got going.</p>
<p>Getting to Know Cava’s New Category<br />
Amanda Barnes pauses in her journey to explore Cava.</p>
<p>China Gets Its Wine On<br />
The excitement is palpable</p>
<p>How to Make the Most of a Trip to Wine Country<br />
Simplistic advice, but a good start.</p>
<p>The Future of Oregon Wine: It Ain’t Pinot<br />
I tend to agree.</p>
<p>7 Wine Resolutions for a Better 2018<br />
Not so much resolutions as “don’t make my mistakes.”</p>
<p>9 resolutions to take you deeper into wine in 2018<br />
Generally good advice.</p>
<p>Prominent New York Wine Merchant and Sommelier Dies Suddenly<br />
Tragic loss.</p>
<p>17 Wine Resolutions for 2017 from Top Sommeliers<br />
A few good ones in here.</p>
<p>To Oak or Not to Oak; Exploring the Wonders of Chablis<br />
A primer.</p>
<p>Somms Spill on Nights from Hell<br />
Oh Saber Bomb.</p>
<p>These 12 wines are the best bargains of 2017: They’re cheap without tasting like it<br />
Dave McIntyre recommends.</p>
<p>Powering Forward<br />
A great profile of an amazing guy.</p>
<p>L.A. wine pros share a few Champagne and sparkling wine picks for New Year’s Eve<br />
OK, so a but late for NYE, but enjoy anyway.</p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-58461294071782078832017-12-30T00:11:00.001-08:002017-12-30T00:11:14.099-08:00Vinography Unboxed: Week of December 24, 2017<img src="http://ift.tt/13ja1h2" /><br />
<p><img alt="bigstock-box-of-wine-on-the-plain-backg-26760620.jpg" src="http://ift.tt/13ja1h2" width="350" height="292" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right;margin: 0 0 20px 20px" />Hello, and welcome to my periodic dig through the samples pile. I’m pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently.</p>
<p>This week marks another sparkling edition of my samples tasting just in time for your New Years’s shopping!</p>
<p>Let’s start this week with the most unusual bottle in the lineup which is a sparkling Pinot Blanc from the North Fork of Long Island that was held for a long time before release. Bright and airy, it’s a lovely rendition of the Pinot Blanc grape and at $23, it’s a steal.</p>
<p>Also a bit unusual, not in its grape or source, but in its flavor, is the latest sparkling wine from Rollin Michael Soles, a pioneer of sparkling winemaking in Oregon. This, from his new project, is quite distinct in character, and tasty in its own savory way.</p>
<p>Before we move on to the Champagne proper, let’s not overlook the Adami single vineyard Prosecco from Col Credas which is grown on staggeringly steep vineyards in the Prosecco region. It’s got much more personality than most Proseccos.</p>
<p>Let’s start our Champagne focus with Franck Bonville, a producer from the town of Avize in the Cote de Blancs region of Champagne. Their prestige Blanc de Blancs of Chardonnay has a bright floral quality that is very compelling, and at only $44 is on the lower end of what you’ll spend for a Grand Cru Champagne.</p>
<p>The Chassanay d’Arce bottling comes from the main cooperative winery in the Aube region of Champagne, where they buy grapes from all the local producers to make some pretty decent quality stuff. This “Confidence” bottling is among their top non-vintage wines.</p>
<p><img alt="remy_massin_Tradition.jpg" src="http://ift.tt/2CjRhDX" width="276" height="900" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left;margin: 20px 20px 20px 0" />Finally there are a couple of wines in here from the tiny producer Remy Massin, also from the Aube region. This family run outfit, recently taken over by the younger generation is making very high quality wines.</p>
<p>All these and more below. Enjoy.</p>
<p>2012 Domaine Carneros “Brut” Champagne Blend, Carneros, Sonoma, California<br />
Pale gold in the glass with medium fine bubbles, this wine smells of apples, wet felt, and sea air. In the mouth, a coarse mousse delivers flavors of apple, pear, and bitter citrus across the palate, leaving a woody apple skin flavor in the finish. 12% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $27. click to buy.</p>
<p>2011 Lieb Cellars “Reserve Blanc de Blancs” Pinot Blanc, North Fork of Long Island, New York<br />
Light gold in the glass with medium bubbles, this wine smells of ripe and baked apples. In the mouth, a soft mousse delivers notes of yeasty, toasty bread that give way to apple and citrus pith brightness and an airy finish. Great acidity and nice delicacy. 13.2% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $23. click to buy.</p>
<p>2013 Roco Winery “Rollin Michael Soles Brut” Champagne Blend, Willamette Valley, Oregon<br />
Light blonde in the glass with very fine bubbles, this wine smells of toasted sesame and pickled seaweed. In the mouth, a soft mousse rolls across the palate tasting of wet leaves, apples, sarsaparilla, and a hint of citrus pith. Unusual. Good acidity. A blend of 67% Pinot Noir and 33% Chardonnay. 12.5% alcohol. 200 cases produced. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $53. click to buy.</p>
<p>2014 Adami “Col Credas” Glera, Valdobbiadene, Prosecco, Veneto, Italy<br />
Pale gold in the glass with very fine bubbles, this wine smells of butterscotch candy and white flowers. In the mouth, a velvety, voluminous mousse delivers a unique combination of butterscotch, pear, and vanilla into a long finish scented with a touch of camphor. Good acidity. 11% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $23. click to buy.</p>
<p>NV Franck Bonville “Prestige” Blanc de Blancs, Avize Grand Cru, Champagne, France<br />
Pale gold in the glass with very fine bubbles, this wine smells of honeysuckle and pears. In the mouth, bright apple and pear flavors have a nice nutty biscuit quality. Nice and balanced, with equal parts of fruit and biscuity quality. A blend of at least two vintages.12.5% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $44. click to buy.</p>
<p>NV Gardet “Brut Tradition” Champagne Blend, Champagne, France<br />
Pale gold in the glass with medium fine bubbles, this wine smells of apples and pears with a hint of vanilla. In the mouth a soft mousse delivers bright apple and pear flavors with a nice rounded quality to them and nice bright acidity and length with a slightly sweet finish. 45% Pinot Noir, 45% Pinot Meunier, 10% Chardonnay. 12.5% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $39 click to buy.</p>
<p>NV Chassanay d’Arce “Confidences” Blanc de Noirs, Champagne, France<br />
Light blonde in color with very fine bubbles, this wine smells of freshly baked bread with honey, marzipan, and cold cream. In the mouth, flavors of honeysuckle, sea air, wet stones, and pink grapefruit have a nice saltine cracker savoriness to them. A lightly bitter chalkiness lingers in the finish. Made from 50+ year-old vines. 12.5% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $82 click to buy.</p>
<p>NV Remy Massin “Brut Tradition” Champagne Blend, Champagne, France<br />
Pale gold in the glass with medium fine bubbles, this wine smells of apples, pears, and wet stones. In the mouth, bright apple and asian pear flavors have a nice bright crispness to them. Round and bright. Juicy. 12.5% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $55. click to buy.</p>
<p>NV Remy Massin “Brut Reserve” Champagne Blend, Champagne, France<br />
Pale blonde in the glass with fine bubbles, this wine smells of asian pear, white flowers, and green apples. In the mouth, green apple crispness mixes with asian pear, wet stones and pink grapefruit citrus crispness. Juicy and bright and very clean. 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $62. click to buy.</p>
<p>NV Pol Roger “Brut Reserve” Champagne Blend, Champagne, France<br />
Pale greenish gold in color with very fine bubbles, this wine smells of bright apples and pears with a hint of white peaches. In the mouth, flavors of white peaches, apples, and pears take on a citrus peel brightness in the finish mixed with green apples. Soft mousse. Contains one third each of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier. Ages for 4 years in bottle before release. 12.5% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $40. click to buy.</p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-49691163619433357322017-12-29T21:06:00.001-08:002017-12-29T21:06:08.224-08:00Vinography Images: The Wide Sky<img src="http://ift.tt/2BVJBEA" /><br />
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<p>The Wide Sky<br />
GIRONDE, FRANCE: Cumulus clouds hang across the wide expanse of sky above the vineyards of Chateau Ausone in Gironde on Bordeaux’s Right Bank near Saint-Émilion. Ausone is one of only 4 wines classified as Premier Grand Cru Classé in the Saint-Émilion classification.</p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-24305862840604246232017-12-29T04:36:00.001-08:002017-12-29T04:36:14.539-08:00Why You Should Pay More for Champagne (And What to Buy When You Can't)<img src="http://ift.tt/2Ea0RHP" /><br />
<p><img alt="champagne_bubbles.jpg" src="http://ift.tt/2Ea0RHP" width="650" height="430" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /></p>
<p>Valentine’s day. Easter. Halloween. New Year’s Eve. What do all these holidays have in common? They each drive some of the highest yearly consumption of a single product. As we approach the end of the year, Champagne dominates the wine media headlines. Everyone wants to know what to drink at New Year’s and heaven forbid us journalists leave our readers wanting for advice.</p>
<p><img alt="krug_gc.jpg" src="http://ift.tt/2pUh80q" width="304" height="950" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right;margin: 20px 20px 20px 20px" />Just as with the so-called “rosé season” annually proclaimed to exist somewhere between the end of May and the beginning of September, the intense interest in Champagne this time of year leaves me somewhat bemused. Like rosé, Champagne ought to be drunk year-round in copious quantities, simply because it is some of the most food-friendly, versatile wine on the planet.</p>
<p>Everyone is willing to make a toast on New Year’s or at a wedding with a glass of bubbly, but a lot of people don’t drink it much more often than that. One of the reasons that I believe more Champagne does not get consumed year-round is that many people don’t like the way it tastes.</p>
<p>Nor should they. A lot of Champagne is bitter and nasty. In part, this (at least for me) explains the current boom in Cava and Prosecco consumption here in the United States, as these two sparkling wines from Spain and northern Italy historically tend towards the sweeter end of the spectrum, and are a lot easier on the American palate.</p>
<p>Like many consumers, it took a long time for me to enjoy Champagne. Not because it is particularly an acquired taste, but because more than with many other styles of wine, you really get what you pay for. For years in my early adulthood, I would confidently tell people that I didn’t care for Champagne. To my amazement one day, I found out what I really meant was that I didn’t care for cheap Champagne. You see, I had just never had any of the good stuff.</p>
<p>Generalizations are dangerous in any domain or discourse, but I’ve found few things in the wine world more reliably true than what I’m about to tell you. You need to pay at least $40 to get a good bottle of Champagne. Have I had good bottles that cost less? Absolutely. When I find them, like the stuff made by Ayala that you can find as cheap as $32 a bottle, I tend buy them by the dozen.</p>
<p>But if you’re able to pay $50, $60, or even $70 a bottle for Champagne, you can put yourself onto an entirely different plane of taste, texture, and experience.</p>
<p>Why is good Champagne so expensive, and why would it be worth paying for? I’ll do my best to answer this question, and if paying so much for a bottle of bubbly is a non-starter for you, just stick with me and I’ll tell you where to go looking for decent bubbly that won’t break the bank.</p>
<p>Any good wine, made with an artisan approach, won’t be cheap, purely because to make good wine costs money. Leaving aside the cost of the land itself, which in some regions (such as Napa) all but guarantees wines will never fall below a certain price point, the labor and equipment required to make wine is expensive. Vineyards take a lot of skilled labor to maintain and keep healthy. From tractors to the buildings that house the barrels to the barrels themselves, the equipment used to make wine costs a lot of money. And then there’s cash flow. If you’re going to age your wine, as is helpful to make fine wine of all kinds, then you not only need to buy barrels and pay for vineyard labor for the year you’re going to put into the bottle, but before you sell that wine, you may need to do the same for the next vintage, and the next. And of course, you need to pay rent on wherever you’re going to keep those three years of barrels while you’re waiting for the wine to be ready to go into the bottle.</p>
<p>And that’s just for a nice bottle of Cabernet. Sparkling wine ends up being a bit more complicated.</p>
<p>Of course, you can just make some early-picked wine, stir in some sugar to cut the acidity and then carbonate it, which, if you’ll forgive that description’s brevity, is how most cheap sparkling wine is made. But this doesn’t make for much more than a glass of bubbles that tastes vaguely like wine. If you want to make Champagne, or sparkling wine in the traditional method that region pioneered, you need to ferment the wine twice: first in barrels or tanks to turn your early-picked grapes into a highly acidic wine known as vin clair, and then a second time in individual bottles with a dollop of yeast that will create the bubbles under the seal of a crown cap like you’d use to close a soda bottle.</p>
<p>And then, according to your desire for flavor and quality, you may age that wine “on the lees” (in contact with that yeast residue) for many years. During that time, you’ll also need to riddle each bottle, a process that involves (either by hand or machine) turning the bottle in special racks to accumulate that yeast residue into the neck so that when it comes time, you can disgorge the yeast, top up the bottle and put in the final cork. Some of the best Champagnes are aged in their bottles for more than a decade before they are released for sale. This extended aging (known as tirage) can turn a good wine into a transcendent one. Of course, there’s more to Champagne than extended tirage. Some of the best wines being made today aren’t, in fact, aged for very long in the bottle, but instead are the products of impeccable farming, masterful blending and increasingly, very specific sites.</p>
<p>But back to my point. The labor, storage space and time required to make a good Champagne simply costs more. And then in the case of Champagne (and other imported wines), the bottles need to be shipped across the Atlantic in temperature controlled shipping containers and then imported into the US after paying the requisite taxes.</p>
<p>And lets face it, when you’re paying for Champagne, no matter which producer you’re buying, you’re also paying a brand premium. The word “Champagne” itself adds to the price of the wine, just as much as the word “Napa” does. That premium is reflected in the price of the land, housing, and the overall cost of doing business in the region.</p>
<p><img alt="belluard_perles.jpg" src="http://ift.tt/2Ea1dOF" width="265" height="950" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left;margin: 20px 20px 20px 20px" />No wonder, then, that it’s nearly impossible to find a Champagne that costs less than $20 and, in my opinion, few really good ones that cost less than $40. The Champagne that many people splurge on, Veuve Cliquot, represents an absolutely awful value at $50 or more per bottle. Instead try the NV Pierre Peters “Cuvee de Reserve” at $49 a bottle, or the NV Philipponat Brut Royal Reserve at $45.</p>
<p>If you can spend more, though, you can experience the magic of what Champagne truly has to offer, from the incredible minerality of a NV Frederic Savart “l’Accomplie Premier Cru” Brut ($60) or 2004 Pascal Douquet Mesnil sur Oger Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs ($80); to the freshly baked brioche richness that can only come from extended tirage in the likes of a Krug Grand Cuvee ($145) or a Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs ($114).</p>
<p>But if you (quite understandably) can’t bring yourself to spend that much on a bottle of bubbles, I’ve got you covered. Of course, Champagne isn’t the only place that makes great (and expensive) sparkling wines. Good sparkling wine gets made in many of the world’s wine regions. Some of the best California sparkling wines and Italian sparkling wines now command the same kinds of prices as do Champagne. But even in these regions, as well as some other spots around the globe, decent bottles of bubbles can be found for less than $30. The reasons these places and producers can make less expensive sparkling wine range from the simple economic realities of lower land prices and cheaper grapes, to less rigorous aging regimens and simply less recognition on the world stage.</p>
<p>Whatever the reason, thankfully the wide world of wine, skillfully navigated, can make up for the lack of decent cheap Champagne.</p>
<p>Let’s start with the far-ff corner of France known as the Savoie, where one of my favorite wine producers in the world, Dominique Belluard also happens to make a little bit of sparkling wine from the Gringet grape variety found in the region. His NV Belluard “Les Perles de Mont Blanc” will set you back a mere $25, and its a wonderful crushed stone and apple/pear mouthful that is unlike anything you’ve ever had before.</p>
<p>Chenin Blanc is one of the hot grapes right now amongst sommeliers and wine geeks, but the focus generally remains on the dry and off-dry versions produced in France’s Loire Valley. Less well known are the sparkling wines made from the same grape, but all the better for anyone looking for a wine that drinks well above its weight. Benchmark producer Domaine Huet makes a positively stellar version that goes for a song. Find the NV Domaine Huet Petillant Brut for around $23.</p>
<p>Still in France, Alsace is known for its Rieslings and Gewürztraminers, but insiders know that it grows decent Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc as well, some of which gets made into a sparkling wine known as Cremant d’Alsace. In my experience the best examples of this wine are actually the rosés, such as the reasonably easy to find NV Pierre Sparr Cremant d’Alsace Rosé ($19).</p>
<p>Much of what Spain’s Cava region produces is unremarkable, but quality producers have begun to make names for themselves, perhaps none more so than Raventos i Blanc, who produce some of the best Cavas I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting. Their 2015 Raventos i Blanc “L’Hereu” Brut is an absolute steal at $19 a bottle.</p>
<p>Finally, while the best Italian sparkling wines are unfortunately just as expensive as the best Champagnes these days, a few producers are making really high quality sparking wines that trade at reasonable tariffs. Among my favorites is Ferrari, whose vintage Ferrari Perle Brut can be enjoyed for somewhere around $30 or $35.</p>
<p>And last, but certainly not least, there’s the wine I recommend whenever anyone asks the nearly impossible question, “How can I drink decent sparkling wine for under $20 a bottle?” More than a few weddings have avoided bankruptcy by using the Roederer Estate Brut from Mendocino’s Anderson Valley for their wedding toasts. It’s hard to imagine how Roederer manages to produce such a consistently drinkable bottle for under $15, but they do, and very few California sparkling wines even twice the cost approach its quality.</p>
<p>I hope you enjoy your toasts at the end of the year, but more importantly, I hope you’ll manage to discover some sparkling wines that will keep you drinking the bubbles long after the first of the year. If you haven’t explored the charms of Champagne with your fried chicken, or sparkling wine with your popcorn, well then you’ve got some further resolutions to make.</p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-50563035766835712662017-12-26T18:01:00.001-08:002017-12-26T18:01:09.497-08:00Wine News: What I'm Reading the Week of 12/25/17<img src="http://ift.tt/2yM2ds1" /><br />
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2yM2ds1" width="650" height="517" alt="stack_of_news.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /><br />
Welcome to the Christmas edition of my weekly roundup of the wine stories that I find of interest on the web. I post them to my magazine on on Flipboard, but for those of you who aren’t Flipboard inclined, here’s everything I’ve strained out of the wine-related muck for the week.</p>
<p>Assessing the Impact of Wine List Awards<br />
Fascinating article about the impact and history of wine list awards.</p>
<p>Free or Discounted Wine Tasting Options Vanishing in Sonoma County<br />
It’s sad to see this go away, as much as I understand why…</p>
<p>How Master Sommelier and Restaurant Partner June Rodil Balances Wine, Food<br />
An interview with the tastemaker.</p>
<p>Sake brewer jumps on wine bandwagon in France<br />
Is there something for wine to teach sake? One brewer thinks so.</p>
<p>Jefford on Monday: Lessons from the laureate<br />
Andrew Jefford says there’s winemaking lessons to be learned from Kazuo Ishiguro</p>
<p>How Warren Randall became the king of Australian wine<br />
Profiling a pioneer</p>
<p>Machiavellian Adventure<br />
Robert Camuto on a famous family’s wine adventures.</p>
<p>2 Key Wine Themes For 2018: Indigenous Grapes And Women In Wine<br />
Cathy Huyghe on some thoughts for the coming year.</p>
<p>New Study Suggests Letting Your Child Sip Alcohol Does Not Predict But Increases Risk of Alcohol-Related Problems As A Young Adult<br />
Read that headline carefully. No causality between a sip as a kid and a drunkard as a teen.</p>
<p>Champagne Seeks to Discover Itself in Single-Vineyard Wines<br />
Eric Asimov talks bubbles before New Years’</p>
<p>Wine and liquor fraud: NY state fines big alcohol distributor in ‘pay to play’ scheme<br />
One down, 49 states to go?</p>
<p>The future of the wine industry<br />
Robert Joseph looks into the crystal ball.</p>
<p>Beer May Rule in Colorado, But State’s Winemakers Are Setting Their Sights High<br />
And succeeding.</p>
<p>Moet is pushing champagne on Snapchat through a game<br />
I applaud innovative marketing, but not to kids.</p>
<p>Wine Excise Taxes Cut as House and Senate Pass Tax Reform Legislation<br />
The wine industry comes out ahead in the tax bill.</p>
<p>Three Women In Wine Talk Business Past And Future<br />
Experiences and challenges from three veterans.</p>
<p>How Napa Valley’s Newton Doubled Down On Quality Cabernet<br />
The story of a famed brand.</p>
<p>Finding Puglia’s Soul in Negroamaro<br />
Shelley knows of what she speaks.</p>
<p>Nine Days in Chile<br />
Elaine takes you through the highlights.</p>
<p>In Need of Recognition<br />
Matt Kramer on under-the-radar wine regions.</p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-23953849075645948332017-12-23T23:17:00.001-08:002017-12-23T23:17:25.083-08:00I'll Drink to That: Rhône Vintner Jean Gonon<img src="http://ift.tt/2hBr8nc" /><br />
<p><img alt="Thumbnail image for levi_dalton_ill_drink_to_that.jpg" src="http://ift.tt/2hBr8nc" width="650" height="433" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /></p>
<p>Episode 439 of I’ll Drink to That! was released recently, and features Jean Gonon of Domaine Pierre Gonon in the Saint-Joseph appellation of France’s Northern Rhône Valley.</p>
<p>Domaine Pierre Gonon has moved to the top rank of Saint-Joseph producers today, and Jean Gonon is clear about the reason why: proper farming of old vines. “Our real work is not winemaking, it is farming” says Jean, and he describes the winemaking process as fairly simple if you do what is right when working the vines. He also describes the nature of the different terroirs that he is working with, and this episode is a treasure trove for anyone who wants to better understand the classic southern portion of Saint-Joseph around Tournon, Mauves, and Saint-Jean-de-Muzols. That last named village is the home of the vines that the Gonon family purchased from the legendary Raymond Trollat, and Jean speaks quite a bit about Trollat in this interview. If you want to understand the context of the generational changes in Saint-Joseph, this episode is for you. The hand-off from one generation to the next, and the sense that no one is ever really on their own with the vines, are constant themes underlying what is said in the discussion.</p>
<p>Listen to the stream above, or check it out on Apple Podcasts, on Stitcher, Google Play Music or check it out on YouTube.</p>
<p>IDTT is now also available on Spotify. Listen to this episode on Spotify.</p>
<p>I’ll Drink to That is the world’s most listened-to wine podcast, hosted by Levi Dalton. Levi has had a long career working as a sommelier in some of the most distinguished and acclaimed dining rooms in America. He has served wine to guests of Restaurant Daniel, Masa, and Alto, all in Manhattan. Levi has also contributed articles on wine themes to publications such as The Art of Eating, Wine & Spirits magazine, Bon Appetit online, and Eater NY. Check out his pictures on Instagram and follow him on Twitter: @leviopenswine</p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-59694939970485823222017-12-23T00:02:00.001-08:002017-12-23T00:02:09.474-08:00Vinography Images: Storm Light<img src="http://ift.tt/2BFNyB2" /><br />
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<p>Storm Light<br />
POMEROL, FRANCE: The sunset peeks around roiling storm clouds above Chateau Pétrus in Pomerol, on Bordeaux’s Right Bank. Pétrus became famous in the late 1800s after winning a gold medal at the Paris Universal Exhibition, beating out many more famous estates. One of the most expensive and sought-after wines in the world, Pétrus is widely regarded as the single best bottling of Merlot to be found, and remains the shining star of the Pomerol apellation, which has never been classified. Consequently it cannot truly be called a First Growth, though it clearly ranks among them in both price and quality.</p>
<p>INSTRUCTIONS:<br />
Download this image by right-clicking 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 to open the full size view and drag that to their desktops.</p>
<p>To set the image as your desktop wallpaper, Mac users should follow these instructions, while PC users should follow these.</p>
<p>BUY THE BOOK:<br />
This image is from a series of photographs captured by Andy Katz in the process of shooting his most recent work The Club of Nine, a visual exploration and celebration of Bordeaux’s top Chateaux. The book is available for $60 on Andy’s web site.</p>
<p>PRINTS:<br />
If you are interested in owning an archive quality, limited edition print of this image please contact Andy directly.</p>
<p>ABOUT VINOGRAPHY IMAGES:<br />
Vinography regularly features images by photographer Andy Katz for readers’ personal use as desktop backgrounds or screen savers. We hope you enjoy them. Please respect the copyright on these images. These images are not to be reposted on any web site or blog without the express permission of the photographer.</p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-86216100233708564502017-12-19T03:36:00.001-08:002017-12-19T03:36:28.767-08:00Wine News: What I'm Reading the Week of 10/17<img src="http://ift.tt/2yM2ds1" /><br />
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2yM2ds1" width="650" height="517" alt="stack_of_news.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /><br />
Welcome to my weekly roundup of the wine stories that I find of interest on the web. I post them to my magazine on on Flipboard, but for those of you who aren’t Flipboard inclined, here’s everything I’ve strained out of the wine-related muck for the week.</p>
<p>Worried About Wine Fraud? That’s Rich<br />
The big deal only comes with the big bucks, says Oliver Styles.</p>
<p>The Computer That Saved a Vineyard<br />
The headline is misleading, but hey.</p>
<p>California cabernets do not get the same quality scores at different tastings<br />
Interesting analysis for those inclined to statistics.</p>
<p>Treasure of Trousseau<br />
Haven’t had any from Oregon, but quite curious to try.</p>
<p>Major alleged fake Bordeaux investigation causes stir in Bordeaux<br />
Everyone wants to buy low and sell high.</p>
<p>Fierce fight along Santa Barbara coast as fire threat eases in Ventura<br />
Just pray for less wind.</p>
<p>Perspectives on the California Wine Country Fires<br />
GuildSomm adds to the thoughtful commentary and first person accounts.</p>
<p>Flop-Flip in Provence<br />
When dreams die.</p>
<p>Inside the Wine Cellar at Chez Panisse<br />
A nice profile of a guy and the place.</p>
<p>Alcohol will “disappear within a generation,” claims scientist<br />
Hogwash.</p>
<p>Poland’s wine regions emerge<br />
From the guy who knows more about Polish wine than anyone I know.</p>
<p>It’s a hard rock life for wine in granite tanks<br />
Wet stone anyone?</p>
<p>Robert Mayberry Remembrance<br />
Patrick Comiskey on the Rhone’s major fan.</p>
<p>Humans Have Been Drinking Wine for 8,000 Years<br />
The history of drunk.</p>
<p>Winemakers Worry Wildfires Will Leave Whiff Of Ashtray In Their Wine<br />
NPR worries about wine.</p>
<p>How One Mycologist Saved France’s Wine (Among Other Things)<br />
But too much copper is a bad thing.</p>
<p>How a Thirst for Portuguese Wine Fueled the American Revolution<br />
So raise a glass to freedom.</p>
<p>Everything you need to know about natural wines, plus six to try now<br />
Patrick Comiskey writes without sulfur.</p>
<p>California comeback: Wine country rebuilds after wildfires<br />
Karissa Kruse’s story.</p>
<p>Is the alcohol level of wines going up?<br />
Yes. The question is whether it’s a problem.</p>
<p>As China’s Wine Industry Grows, France Trains a New Generation<br />
Asia comes to Dijon.</p>
<p>Wine Glasses Are 7 Times Larger Today Than They Were 300 Years Ago<br />
Science says so.</p>
<p>American Chardonnay For While You Cook (and With Dinner)<br />
A lot of recommendations from Wine Enthusiast.</p>
<p>The Breadth of Turley Wines<br />
Better than ever these days.</p>
<p>New Winemakers Driving Change in Catalonia’s Wine Scene<br />
Amanda Smeltz brings us the latest.</p>
<p>California’s Ecology of Fire<br />
David Darlington gives it a good think.</p>
<p>As California’s Wine Country Continues To Recover From The Fires, Tourism Still Lags<br />
Come visit!</p>
<p>Sonoma puts hold on new wine tasting rooms<br />
The impossible balance between supporting the local industry and civic and social pressure.</p>
<p>Corks Won the Closure War. You Lost<br />
At least 3% of the time.</p>
<p>The dark matter of dirt<br />
Deborah Parker Wong on the microbiome of your vineyard</p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-28539047938777430572017-12-17T05:45:00.003-08:002017-12-17T05:45:41.867-08:00Vinography Unboxed: Week of December 10, 2017<img src="http://ift.tt/13ja1h2" /><br />
<p><img alt="bigstock-box-of-wine-on-the-plain-backg-26760620.jpg" src="http://ift.tt/13ja1h2" width="350" height="292" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right;margin: 0 0 20px 20px" />Hello, and welcome to my periodic dig through the samples pile. I’m pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently.</p>
<p>This week was the sparkling edition of my samples tasting, because, well, it’s that time of year isn’t it. While I don’t taste wines by seasonal schedule in any way shape or form, people have been asking for sparkling wine recommendations, so it was a good reminder to taste through the sparkling wines that have been piling up.</p>
<p>I’ve got a mix of bubblies from California and France this week, starting with a couple of Champagnes from Henriot, a very reliable producer in Reims. Their Blanc de Blancs bottling was quite tasty, and while not the highest scoring wine this week, one that I very much wanted to drink an entire glass of.</p>
<p>Closer to home Kathryn Kennedy winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains has been making tiny batches of sparkling wine in the traditional method and aging them on the lees for a long time. Their current release is merely their 2004 edition, the 27th year they’ve been making such wines. It’s got all the things you want from an extended tirage bottling, namely rich yeasty saline goodness.</p>
<p><img alt="henriot_NV_bdb.jpg" src="http://ift.tt/2BAzuba" width="240" height="850" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left;margin: 20px 20px 20px 0" />Domaine Carneros also offered a few options this week, with their Ultra Brut and their rosé wines being the most compelling.</p>
<p>And finally, Schramsberg continued to live up to its reputation as one of California’s finest, with their Blanc de Noirs offering pitch-perfect balance and deliciousness from the get-go. With a few years, this vintage will be spectacular.</p>
<p>All these and more below. Enjoy.</p>
<p>2011 Domaine Carneros “Le Reve Blanc de Blancs” Chardonnay, Carneros, Sonoma, California<br />
Pale greenish gold in color with medium-fine bubbles, this wine smells of white flowers and crushed nuts. In the mouth, a soft mousse delivers flavors of green apple and white flowers, tinged with a bit of saline and toasted sourdough flavors. Good acidity and length. 12% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $110. click to buy.</p>
<p>2013 Domaine Carneros “Ultra Brut” Champagne Blend, Carneros, Sonoma, California<br />
Light gold in the glass with medium-fine bubbles, this wine smells of green apple and wet chalkboard. In the mouth, green apple, wet chalkboard, saline and cucumber flavors have a wonderful sharp edge to them thanks to zingy acidity. Notes of citrus pith and green apple linger in the finish. 12% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $44. click to buy.</p>
<p>NV Domaine Carneros “Cuvee de la Pompadour Brut Rosé” Champagne Blend, Carneros, Sonoma, California<br />
A pale salmon color with medium-fine bubbles, this wine smells of strawberry jam and hibiscus. In the mouth, a voluminous mousse conveys flavors of strawberry, raspberry and watermelon rind across the palate with hints of citrus peel lingering in the finish. A tiny hint of sweetness, along with the excellent acidity makes the mouth water. 12% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $35. click to buy.</p>
<p>2004 Kathryn Kennedy “Cuvee Twenty-Seven” Champagne Blend, Santa Cruz Mountains, California<br />
A rich medium gold in the glass with fine bubbles, this wine smells of toasted sesame, baked apples and oak. In the mouth, a soft mousse delivers flavors of baked apples, roasted nuts, toasted bread and candied citrus rind. A saline character along with excellent acidity makes for a mouthwatering finish scented with citrus and baked apples. 12.5% alcohol. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $50. click to buy.</p>
<p>2012 Sea Smoke “Sea Spray” Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara, California<br />
Medium gold with a hint of copper and medium fine bubbles, this wine smells of wet leaves and mashed berries. In the mouth, a voluminous mousse delivers flavors of burnt orange peels, dried apples and cherry, mixed with a touch of dried flowers and oak. Burnt citrus peel and a bitter woody note linger in the finish. Good acidity. 12% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $100. click to buy.</p>
<p>2014 Schramsberg “Blanc De Blancs” Chardonnay, North Coast, California<br />
Pale gold in the glass with fine bubbles and a hint of green, this wine smells of Asian pears, white flowers, and apples. In the mouth, a velvety mousse delivers flavors of white flowers, apples, and citrus pith tinged with a hint of saline across the palate. Very good acidity and a perfect balance. Mouthwatering. 12.8% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $30. click to buy.</p>
<p>NV Forget-Brimont “Brut Premier Cru” Champagne Blend, Champagne, France<br />
Pale gold in the glass with medium fine bubbles, this wine smells of golden apples, custard, and lemon pith. In the mouth, citrusy lemon pith and apple flavors have a soft, velvety mousse texture and crisp brightness thanks to excellent acidity. The wine finishes clean and with the snap of fresh Fuji apples. 12% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $45. click to buy.</p>
<p>2013 Schramsberg “Blanc de Noirs” Champagne Blend, North Coast, California<br />
Bright gold in the glass with a hint of copper hue and fine bubbles, this wine smells of citrus peel and cherries. In the mouth, a velvety mousse delivers bright orange peel, cherry and berry flavors that mix with a hint of sea air and rosehips. Nicely balanced with a SweetTart finish. Delicious. 12.7% alcohol. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $39. click to buy.</p>
<p>NV Henriot “Blanc de Blancs” Chardonnay, Champagne, France<br />
Light gold in the glass, with medium fine bubbles, this wine smells of green apples, pears, and wet chalkboard. In the mouth, a plush mousse lifts salty flavors of brioche, lemon, grapefruit and golden delicious apples across the palate. Great acidity and length, with just the right amount of toasty brioche note on the finish. 12% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $52. click to buy.</p>
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from <a href="http://ift.tt/2AJppoN">Vinography Unboxed: Week of December 10, 2017</a></p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-49202519967702925042017-12-17T05:45:00.001-08:002017-12-17T05:45:41.163-08:00I'll Drink to That: Burgundy Legend Dominique Lafon<img src="http://ift.tt/2hBr8nc" /><br />
<p><img alt="Thumbnail image for levi_dalton_ill_drink_to_that.jpg" src="http://ift.tt/2hBr8nc" width="650" height="433" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /></p>
<p>Episode 438 of I’ll Drink to That! was released recently, and features Dominique Lafon, the Managing Director of Domaine des Comtes Lafon, the Burgundy domaine based in Meursault. Dominique is also the founder of the Mâcon winery Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon, and the Burgundy négociant label Dominique Lafon. He consults in Oregon at Lingua Franca Wines.</p>
<p>Dominique Lafon is one of the most important Burgundy vintners of his generation, and his accomplishments in the region and outside of it are numerous. He revitalized and expanded his family domaine, he helped bring Meursault to the prominence it now enjoys, he made significant investment in the Mâcon, pioneered the concept of custom crush in Burgundy, and helped bring a swathe of Burgundians to Oregon. He also is that rare Burgundian vintner: one who is equally proficient in both red and white wine production. All of these facets of his career are exhibited in the weave of this interview, and what is striking here is the intricacy of the answers. With almost every response Dominique gives the impression that this is a topic he has thought a lot about, experimenting and testing his ideas thoroughly for decades before giving a reply. This interview is rich in the sorts of insights that only firsthand experience of the terroirs and the people can bring, and covers a lot of ground about why the wines taste like they do. I highly recommend that you give this episode a listen if you are interested in learning more about what Burgundy is today as well as what it has been in the past.</p>
<p>Listen to the stream above, or check it out on Apple Podcasts, on Stitcher, Google Play Music or check it out on YouTube.</p>
<p>IDTT is now also available on Spotify. Listen to this episode on Spotify.</p>
<p>I’ll Drink to That is the world’s most listened-to wine podcast, hosted by Levi Dalton. Levi has had a long career working as a sommelier in some of the most distinguished and acclaimed dining rooms in America. He has served wine to guests of Restaurant Daniel, Masa, and Alto, all in Manhattan. Levi has also contributed articles on wine themes to publications such as The Art of Eating, Wine & Spirits magazine, Bon Appetit online, and Eater NY. Check out his pictures on Instagram and follow him on Twitter: @leviopenswine</p>
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from <a href="http://ift.tt/2BxH9Ho">I’ll Drink to That: Burgundy Legend Dominique Lafon</a></p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-11437633798195507802017-12-11T22:34:00.001-08:002017-12-11T22:34:23.609-08:00The 2017 Vinography Holiday Gift Guide for Wine Lovers<img src="http://ift.tt/12PFw1Z" /><br />
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/12PFw1Z" width="600" height="400" alt="bigstock-Red-wine-on-table-Christmas-tr-27372416.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /></p>
<p>Giving gifts to wine lovers during the holidays can be a royal pain. Especially if your recipient tends to have many of the basics covered when it comes to wine. And forget about what a hassle that people like me tend to be. I’m one of those wine lovers who already has most of the gear that he wants, and has very strong opinions about everything else. Sound like anyone you know?</p>
<p>I’ve said before that buying wine for your favorite wine lover can be an exercise fraught with peril. Many wine lovers I know would much rather choose their own wine than have someone buy something for them. Many of you know what I’m talking about when I describe the pang of guilt we feel when someone has clearly bought a pricey bottle of wine that we would politely avoid drinking even if it was open in the room.</p>
<p>And don’t get me started on the complete waste of money that most wine aerators and other gadgets represent.</p>
<p>But I’m here to help you find something that even the pickiest, over-opinionated wine lover like me would enjoy (provided we don’t already have one).</p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/12PFuY2" width="300" height="299" alt="large_final_covershot_no_dropshadow.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right;margin: 0 0 20px 20px" />The Essence of Wine Book<br />
This is a fantastic book. How do I know? I wrote it. A coffee table book of photographs and essays about the many flavors and aromas of wine, it is a collaboration between yours truly and award-winning food photographer Leigh Beisch and her art director Sara Slavin. The photographs are stunningly gorgeous, and the essays aren’t half bad either. For each of the 46 different aromas profiled in the book, I offer wine recommendations that you can seek out to experience that particular flavor or aroma. The book won The Chairman’s Award at the 2015 Louis Roederer International Wine Writers Awards, and even the New York Times said nice things about it. If your favorite foodie or wine lover doesn’t have a copy yet, it’s a sure fire gift that’s bound to please. $75 plus shipping. Buy it from me directly.</p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2koLiCM" width="300" height="175" alt="champagne_book.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right;margin: 0 0 20px 20px" /><br />
Champagne<br />
The other highly giftable book this year has got to be Peter Liem’s Champagne, which would be worth its price tag simply for the stunning maps that it includes of the Champagne region. Peter’s clear prose and insights from his many years studying, drinking and living in Champagne make this an indispensable part of any wine lover’s library. Gorgeously assembled and printed, with a separate pocket for the maps, the book is eminently giftable. $53.96. Buy it on Amazon.Com</p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/1DeMfDD" width="300" height="178" alt="the_durand.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right;margin: 0 0 20px 20px" />The Durand<br />
If you’re dealing with a serious wine lover, especially one who regularly opens older bottles of wine, you can’t find a better gift for them than The Durand wine tool. Specifically designed to deal with the most fragile of corks, this handy little tool is an awesome piece of wine equipment. $125. Available from <a href="http://thedurand.com/.">http://thedurand.com/.</a></p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2kprAH9" width="300" height="407" alt="dubonnet_poster.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right;margin: 0 0 20px 20px" /><br />
Vintage Wine Posters<br />
Win advertising hasn’t been the same since about 1895. No seriously, the big illustrated posters advertising wines around the turn of the century represent a high point in marketing, in my opinion. These days, they’re collectors items and an original vintage print will set you back a couple of thousand dollars. But they’re beautiful, and make wonderful additions to dining rooms, living rooms, studies, and yes, wine cellars, provided you’ve got one big enough to hang out in, let alone with wall space for one of these beauties. There are lots of places to buy such posters online, for various four digit price tags, such as Spencer Weisz Galleries in Chicago.</p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/12PFw22" width="300" height="149" alt="Origine-shop.png" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right;margin: 0 0 20px 20px" />Code 38 Wine Key<br />
Know someone who opens a ton of wine and would appreciate the difference between an ordinary corkscrew and the Tesla of corkscrews?. If you’re really looking to impress someone, or if your recipient happens to be a wine professional, they will certainly love using the Code 38 Wine Key, which brings precision engineering and fantastic modern styling to the simple corkscrew. Extravagant? Yes. Totally swanky? Definitely. The basic model starts at $225, and the most tricked-out Titanium version tops well above $500. Available from <a href="http://www.code38.com/.">http://www.code38.com/.</a></p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2kprEXp" width="300" height="287" alt="coravin_two_red.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right;margin: 0 0 20px 20px" />The Coravin II Wine Access System<br />
The Coravin has quickly revolutionized the wine world in its own small way, by allowing us all to have a glass of wine from any (non-sparkling) wine without removing the cork. It’s now been more than 2 years since the launch of the tool, and it has literally transformed by-the-glass wine lists around the world, not to mention changed the way that many people drink their wines. The company recently released an improved second version of the tool (Coravin II) which I reviewed here recently, but suffice it to say, this is a pretty astonishing and handy invention. $299. Available at <a href="http://www.coravin.com/">http://www.coravin.com/</a></p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/12PFuXV" width="300" height="302" alt="govino.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right;margin: 0 0 20px 20px" />GoVino Plastic Wine Glasses<br />
Sometimes you just don’t want to mess with breakable wine glasses, but who wants to drink wine out of a Red SOLO cup? That’s where GoVino glasses come in. If you want to sip a nice glass of wine by the pool without worries, these handy little reusable plastic wine glasses are all you need. They even have a little spot to rest your thumb. While they won’t provide you quite the same aesthetic experience as a lovely crystal glass, they will certainly allow you to swirl, sniff, sip, and enjoy the full aromas and flavors of your wine. $29.99 for a set of eight. Buy on <a href="http://www.amazon.com">http://www.amazon.com</a>.</p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/1DeMfDO" width="150" height="225" alt="schott.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right;margin: 0 0 20px 20px" />The Best Everyday Wine Glasses<br />
You know all that talk about the different wine glasses you need for different grape varieties? It’s all hogwash. You need only one glass for red, white, and sparkling wines, and for most people this Schott Zwiesel Tritan is it. Titanium crystal is the sturdiest stuff on the market, and this glass is both visually elegant, modern in style, and perfectly shaped for wine. It also happens to be quite reasonably priced for a top-quality wine stem. This is what I drink from at home when I’m not drinking from my precious set of Zaltos (see below). $77.28 for a set of six. Buy on <a href="http://www.amazon.com">http://www.amazon.com</a>.</p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/12PFw2c" width="210" height="210" alt="zalto.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right;margin: 0 0 20px 20px" />The Best Wine Glasses Money Can Buy<br />
There are wine glasses, and then there are Zaltos. Most people only need to pick up one of these gorgeously hand-blown works of art to understand instantly what they are all about. Fantastically light, delicate, and so finely wrought they seem effortless to use. Drinking from a Zalto stem represents the most luxurious way to appreciate any wine. While Zaltos come in several shapes, their Universal glass is just that — perfect for anything. If money is no object and you’re looking for a treat to give your favorite wine lover, there are few things that will impress as much as these glasses. Lead-free, handblown crystal from Austria. $59 each or $354 for a set of six. Buy them at <a href="http://ift.tt/12PFuXZ.">http://ift.tt/12PFuXZ.</a></p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2jQ1cqz" width="300" height="330" alt="JAYER_GREY_TEE.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right;margin: 0 0 20px 20px" />The Irony of Wine: Hipster T-Shirt Edition<br />
How do you know someone is a badass wine insider? They show up to a party wearing one of Andre Mack’s t-shirts under their Hugo Boss sport coat. Mack is a superstar sommelier-turned-winemaker, as well as one heck of a t-shirt designer. Most people I know in the wine business have at least one of his shirts. My favorites include the Oscar Jayer (My Bourgogne has a second name, it’s J-A-Y-E-R), and Barolo King.</p>
<p>The shirts run $25 apiece and you can check out the full selection of delicious logo jokes and other wine ironies at <a href="http://ift.tt/2koLmm0.">http://ift.tt/2koLmm0.</a></p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2jQ1nSL" width="200" height="274" alt="wofw_cover_w_stroke.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right;margin: 0 0 20px 20px" />A Subscription to The World of Fine Wine<br />
Easily the best wine periodical in the world, each hefty, quarterly issue of The World of Fine Wine is more like a book than a magazine. Filled with great photography, fantastic writing, and top quality wine criticism, this magazine will appeal to anyone who brings a bit of an intellectual bent to their wine appreciation. I like to think of it as Granta for wine, if that analogy works for you. The World of Fine Wine is where some of the best wine writing is being done today. $157 per year for a US Subscription printed on dead trees.</p>
<p>You can also get digital subscriptions as well through their handy iPhone and iPad app, which may be preferable for those who don’t want to have these big thick magazine stack up around the house (as beautiful as they are, they do really take up a lot of shelf-space after a few years). Digital subscriptions will run you $112 per year.</p>
<p>Purchase a gift subscription at <a href="http://ift.tt/1jokKL7">http://ift.tt/1jokKL7</a></p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/1DeMfDI" width="300" height="292" alt="barrel.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right;margin: 0 0 20px 20px" />Mini Oak Barrel for Vinegar Making<br />
Even the most die-hard wine lovers occasionally have a little wine left over. And most wine lovers I know also happen to be foodies, and appreciate the difference between good vinegar and bad vinegar. So help them make their own! This custom-made 5-liter oak barrel from Tuthilltown Barrels is the perfect way to make and age your own wine vinegar. Just simply add a little high quality vinegar to start, and then gradually fill up the barrel with unused, good quality wine, and violá. $96 for the 5L version. Other sizes available. Buy at <a href="http://ift.tt/WyNJDZ.">http://ift.tt/WyNJDZ.</a></p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2jR3Vjy" width="400" height="225" alt="built_wine_bags.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right;margin: 0 0 20px 20px" />BUILT wine bags<br />
There are fancy wine carrying devices, and then there are useful wine carrying devices. These neoprene wine bags are most definitely the latter. I’ve got several, and they are how I end up toting most of my wine around to restaurants, parties, and anywhere I’m bringing a couple of bottles. They’re nicely designed, insulating, and provide good enough padding that you don’t have to worry about knocking over a bottle when it is snugly fitted inside. I can’t live without mine. A 2 bottle tote costs $14.52. Buy it at <a href="http://www.amazon.com">http://www.amazon.com</a>.</p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2kp7I75" width="300" height="300" alt="leather_wine_tote.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right;margin: 0 0 20px 20px" /><br />
Full Grain Leather Wine Tote<br />
OK, so useful not good enough? Then go classy. Only the vegans among us would not want to tote their wine around in this gorgeous leather wine tote from JW Hulme, which is available with a monogram for that personal touch. Understated, elegant, and durable enough to leave to your children in all likelihood (especially if they have the same initials). And yes, it’s priced like a family heirloom, too. $295 at <a href="http://ift.tt/1kfYhQm.">http://ift.tt/1kfYhQm.</a></p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2koLK3W" width="300" height="220" alt="champers_bottle_Stopper.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right;margin: 0 0 20px 20px" />Sparkling Bottle Stoppers<br />
Now, finishing a bottle of Champagne or sparkling wine, once opened, should not be a problem, but every once in a while, that third or fourth bottle in my house doesn’t get finished. While there are some folks who would never let this happen, the reality is that sometimes you want to save the last of that bubbly for another day. That’s where these handy little gizmos come in. You could shove a regular wine cork into that bottle, but there’s no guarantee it will fit, or if it does, that it will seal very well. These guys snap on with a satisfying “clack” and make sure that there’s a tight seal on the bottle so there’s the best chance of preserving the bubbles. Every bubbly lover should have at least one. A great stocking stuffer at $19.99 for a set of three. Buy them at <a href="http://www.amazon.com">http://www.amazon.com</a>.</p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/1DeMfUe" width="300" height="300" alt="stemware_cleaner.png" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right;margin: 0 0 20px 20px" />The Best Stemware Cleaning Device<br />
Washing your nice wine glasses is always an exercise in gentle deliberate movements. But that’s invariably when most delicate glasses are broken (other than being accidentally knocked onto the floor). You have to be careful when washing stemware, but on the other hand, sometimes they can be a royal pain to clean, especially if, like me, you have slightly larger hands that don’t always fit along with that brush into the bowl of the glass. This inexpensive little device, then, is your savior. Wonderfully soft and shaped perfectly for wine glasses, it makes quick work of cleaning any glass. $5.99. Available at <a href="http://ift.tt/1g9bisM.">http://ift.tt/1g9bisM.</a></p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2jRhLCl" width="300" height="281" alt="wine_markers.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right;margin: 0 0 20px 20px" /><br />
Wine Glass Marking Pens<br />
Also in the stocking stuffer category…. Wine glass charms are so 2002. These days when you invite a bunch of people over for a glass of wine (or five) its easier and more fun to just write people’s names on the sides of the glasses. That way after the sixth glass of wine, no arguments break out about whether you had the piece of cheese wine charm or the bunch of grapes wine charm. The writing wipes off easily and is non-toxic. And of course, it comes in a whole rainbow of metallic colors so either host or guest can get creative. $8.99. Available at Amazon.Com</p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/12PFveq" width="300" height="217" alt="bigstock-Gift-card-15448052.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right;margin: 0 0 20px 20px" />Gift Certificates for Wine<br />
If all else fails, I don’t know a single wine lover who wouldn’t love a gift certificate to their local wine store. Not all wine stores offer gift certificates, but I’m sure you can find one in your area. I recommend K&L Wines in San Francisco, Redwood City, and Hollywood – Buy a Gift Certificate</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>Best of luck in your holiday shopping, and remember, a glass or two of wine will make this whole process a lot easier. Happy holidays and happy drinking!!</p>
<p>Disclosures: In case you care, I receive affiliate fees from the sale of Coravin, as well as any Amazon links.</p>
<p>Image of wine glasses in front of a Christmas tree and gift card courtesy of Bigstock.</p>
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<p><br />
from <a href="http://ift.tt/2kp7VqT">The 2017 Vinography Holiday Gift Guide for Wine Lovers</a></p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-46681166458838940712017-12-09T18:39:00.001-08:002017-12-09T18:39:33.234-08:00Vinography Unboxed: Week of December 3, 2017<img src="http://ift.tt/13ja1h2" /><br />
<p><img alt="bigstock-box-of-wine-on-the-plain-backg-26760620.jpg" src="http://ift.tt/13ja1h2" width="350" height="292" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right;margin: 0 0 20px 20px" />Hello, and welcome to my periodic dig through the samples pile. I’m pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently.</p>
<p>This week included the newest releases from one of my favorite Pinot producers in California, Kutch Wines. I’ve told Jamie’s story at length here on Vinography, so I’ll skip the long version and simply say that the guy has been making some of the most exciting Pinot Noir in California, and now is doing the same thing with Chardonnay. These wines are not even released to his mailing list yet, so now’s your chance to get in line.</p>
<p>In addition, I’ve got another Pinot Noir from Foursight Wines in Anderson Valley, expressed with their usual delicacy. Their Sauvignon Blanc is also worth drinking.</p>
<p><img alt="kutch_sonoma_coast_bottle_no_vintage.jpg" src="http://ift.tt/2jiVKj2" width="210" height="750" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left;margin: 40px 40px 40px 0" />Last but not least, I’ve got a Mosel Riesling from a producer that I’m not familiar with, but they might know something about making Riesling since they’ve been doing it in the little town of Kesten since 1767, climbing the precariously steep slopes of broken slate to farm their vines. And at less than $20 it’s worth looking for.</p>
<p>All these and more below. Enjoy.</p>
<p>2016 Foursight Wines “Charles Vineyard” Sauvignon Blanc, Anderson Valley, Mendocino County, California<br />
Palest greenish gold in color, this wine smells of Asian pears and golden delicious apples. In the mouth, crisp and snappy apple and pear flavors have a cool wet chalkboard minerality and a nice clean finish that has a whiff of white flowers. 12.8% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $25. click to buy.</p>
<p>2016 Kutch Wines Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, California<br />
Palest gold in color, this wine smells of wet chalkboard, lemon pith and white flowers. In the mouth, beautifully bright and juicy flavors of lemon pith and white flowers have a faintly sappy SweetTart sourness that makes the mouth water as notes of saline and lemon oil linger in the finish. Outstanding. 12.5% alcohol. Score: between 9.5. Cost: $50.</p>
<p>2014 Meirer “Kesten” Riesling Kabinett, Mosel, Germany<br />
Light greenish gold in color, this wine smells of crushed stones, sea air, and star fruit. In the mouth, lightly sweet flavors of star fruit, green apple and mandarin orange zest crackle with acidity. Nice floral notes linger in the finish. 8% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $19. click to buy.</p>
<p>2015 Foursight Wines “Clone 5” Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley, Mendocino County, California<br />
Light ruby in color, only a few shades darker than a rosé, this wine smells of raspberry and raspberry leaf strained through freshly turned earth. In the mouth, sweetish flavors of raspberry pastilles and cherries have a wonderful juicy brightness to them thanks to excellent acidity. Only the faintest, barely perceptible wisp of tannins tickle the edges of the mouth, while notes of green herbs linger in the finish. 14.4% alcohol. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $52. click to buy.</p>
<p>2016 Kutch Wines Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, California<br />
Light garnet in color, this wine smells of green willow bark, raspberry and cherry. In the mouth, crystalline flavors of cherry and raspberry have a wonderful purity to them, and are draped in a light blanket of suede-like tannins. Beautifully long and finishes with a touch of herbs. 12.1% alcohol. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $45.</p>
<p>2016 Kutch Wines “Bohan Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, California<br />
Light garnet in color, this wine smells of green herbs and wet earth and red berries. In the mouth, suede-like tannins lightly grip otherwise silky flavors of raspberry, cherry and earth. Gorgeous acidity brings with it a touch of citrus peel brightness that combines with earth and freshly chopped herbs in the finish. 11.3% alcohol Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $70.</p>
<p>2016 Kutch Wines “Signal Ridge Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Mendocino Ridge, Mendocino County, California<br />
Light garnet in color, this wine smells of redcurrant and raspberries and green wood bark. In the mouth, silky flavors of raspberry and redcurrant mix with darker notes of earth and herbs as ever-so-faint tannins brush the edges of the mouth. Gorgeous acidity and length with a wonderful minerality to it. 12% alcohol. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $65.</p>
<p>2016 Kutch Wines “McDougall Ranch” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma, California<br />
Light garnet in the glass, this wine smells of raspberry and dried flowers. In the mouth, gorgeously juicy raspberry and cherry flavors have a faint gauzy texture of tannins. Beautiful cherry notes linger in the finish with hints of herbs. Excellent acidity. 12% alcohol. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $65.</p>
<p>2016 Kutch Wines “Falstaff Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma, California<br />
Light garnet in color, this wine smells of green herbs and raspberries and raspberry leaf. In the mouth, wonderfully bright cherry and raspberry flavors have a beautiful aromatic sweetness to them and a touch of cedar. Lightly tacky tannins linger in the finish along with notes of dried flowers and cherry cordials. Fantastic. This bottling isn’t usually my favorite of Kutch’s wines, but this year it’s shining. 12% alcohol. Score: around 9.5. Cost: $65.</p>
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from <a href="http://ift.tt/2jfYOw2">Vinography Unboxed: Week of December 3, 2017</a></p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171462330475005108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307722897072688060.post-18030618437363530612017-12-08T00:09:00.001-08:002017-12-08T00:09:34.046-08:00Drinking the Past as California Burns<img src="http://ift.tt/2AFYWeA" /><br />
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2AFYWeA" width="650" height="475" alt="heitz_banner.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center;margin: 0 auto 20px" /><br />
Light night, even as flames roared through the chaparral of Southern California, I attended a wine tasting event to benefit fire relief in Northern California. The mood was quite somber as many of us reflected on how far from complete are the relief efforts in our own back yard, let alone what will be needed when the maelstrom settles in Southern California.</p>
<p>It is, however, not so easy to remain somber while tasting pieces of California history, especially when they are in spectacular shape, as some of the gems below were. Even up until about five years ago, many of these wines (the Diamond Creek wines excepted) could be bought for a song. Or more specifically $25 to $45 on web sites such as WineBid.Com.</p>
<p>But thanks to growing interest and publicity, not the least of which was the spectacular wine program that Kelli White and her husband Scott Brenner put together at Press Restaurant in Napa, these wines have become both more sought-after, and consequently, more expensive.</p>
<p>Tasting such wines is a privilege and a treat, especially when some of them are older than yourself. The alchemy of time can work wonderful magic on well made wines, and transform them into flavors and aromas that are amazing.</p>
<p>And of course, time is also an enemy of these delicate bottles. Not all the wines were in perfect shape. Some far from it. But as many say, after 20 years there are no good wines, only good bottles. Each bottle, even in an unopened case of wine, will age differently, and those differences become magnified with time. And that’s before sunlight, oxygen, cork taint, brettanomyces, rot, heat and other dangers set in.</p>
<p>But when you get a bottle that has not only survived such vicissitudes, but grown profound, the experience can be quite moving. Tasting wine older than oneself can lean towards profundity, when it is not merely delicious.</p>
<p>Here are a few old gems from California, cracked open to celebrate the state, and to collect some badly needed funds for fire relief, to which I was happy to contribute.</p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2jsi5Yf" width="200" height="150" alt="IMG_9017.JPG" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left;margin: 0 20px 20px 0" />1982 Diamond Creek “Red Rock Terrace” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley<br />
Dark ruby with brown edges, this wine smells of wet felt and herbs. In the mouth, tight tannins clench around herbs, a touch of smoked meets and dirt. Angular and narrow in its expression, there’s still some beauty in the austerity. Rain and heavy crops meant tougher harvest this year. Tasted out of magnum. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $195. click to buy.</p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2AGf6or" width="200" height="150" alt="IMG_9018.JPG" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left;margin: 0 20px 20px 0" />1982 Diamond Creek “Gravelly Meadow” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley<br />
Medium to dark ruby tinged with coffee, this wine smells of herbs and dried fruit and graphite. In the mouth, pencil lead and dried fruit are balanced by dried herbs and wrapped tightly in a skein of muscular tannins. Good acidity and a long finish help this austere wine, but it remains tightly wound and narrow in its expression. A tricky vintage dodging the rain. Tasted out of magnum. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $300. click to buy.</p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2jujHAG" width="200" height="150" alt="IMG_9019.JPG" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left;margin: 0 20px 20px 0" />1982 Diamond Creek “Volcanic Hill” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley<br />
Brownish brick red in color, this wine smells of graphite and leather and earth. In the mouth, tight muscular tannins wrap around a core of earth and green herbs and fried fruit. Angular and somewhat unforgiving. Were this wine 20 years younger I’d say give it more time, but sadly I fear it will not improve. Not an easy vintage. Tasted out of magnum. Score: between 8 and 8.5. Cost: $120. click to buy.</p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2AHmlws" width="200" height="150" alt="IMG_9020.JPG" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left;margin: 0 20px 20px 0" />1989 Joseph Phelps “Insignia” Red Blend, Napa Valley<br />
A strong medium ruby in the glass, showing the time dilation effects of such a large format bottle, this wine smells of dried herbs and leather. In the mouth, the wine is tight and angular, with a SweetTart sourness of cherry and leather and herbs. Not the best of vintages thanks to rain during harvest, and, well, it shows. Tasted out of a 5-liter bottle. Score: between 8 and 8.5. Cost: $175. click to buy.</p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2jvogun" width="200" height="150" alt="IMG_9016.JPG" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left;margin: 0 20px 20px 0" />1985 Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley<br />
Medium ruby in the glass with only a bit of orange hue at the rim, this wine smells of smoked meats and graphite and leather. In the mouth, herbs, graphite and leather wrap around the fading core of dried red fruit. Fine grained tannins hang at the edges of perception. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $85. click to buy.</p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2ADXTMa" width="200" height="150" alt="IMG_9015.JPG" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left;margin: 0 20px 20px 0" />1975 Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley<br />
A light coffee mocha color in the glass with lots of sediment, this wine smells of dirt and dried fruits. In the mouth, the wine simply tastes muddy, dried out and tired. This bottle is dead. A shame, because I’ve had some fantastic bottles of this wine. Score: around 6. Cost: $282. click to buy.</p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2ju8bVT" width="200" height="150" alt="IMG_9013.JPG" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left;margin: 0 20px 20px 0" />1965 Heitz Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley<br />
A light ruby with orange highlights in the glass, this wine has a stunning aroma of bacon fat, fresh herbs, and red fruit. In the mouth, gorgeously silky flavors of dried flowers, dried berries, leather and herbs have a slightly saline character that, along with fantastic acidity, makes the mouth water. Stunningly bright and delicious, this wine is in spectacular shape. This particular bottle was quite unusual, as it is actually a magnum champagne bottle, that for some reason Joe Heitz and Narsai David filled with their Cabernet in 1965. Remarkable, and about as rare a bottle of California wine as you can find these days. Score: around 9.5. Cost: $260. click to buy.</p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2ADCEKF" width="200" height="150" alt="IMG_9007.JPG" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left;margin: 0 20px 20px 0" />1969 Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma<br />
A pale coffee and ruby shade in the glass, this wine has a heady aroma of mint and wet earth. In the mouth, beautiful cedar and cherry and leather flavors linger for a long while on the palate. Excellent acidity. Score: around 9. Cost: $75 click to buy.</p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2jv2NBM" width="200" height="150" alt="IMG_9012.JPG" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left;margin: 0 20px 20px 0" />1985 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley<br />
Medium brownish red in the glass with fine sediments, this wine smells of dried herbs, earth, and leather with a touch of mint. In the mouth, leathery flavors of dried fruits and dirt are quite savory and angular. There’s something to enjoy here in this wine, but it’s fleeting in its floral leatheriness and savory herbs. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $85. click to buy.</p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2ADCFOJ" width="200" height="150" alt="IMG_9010.JPG" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left;margin: 0 20px 20px 0" />1986 Silver Oak “Bonny’s” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa<br />
Medium ruby in the glass but browning considerably with lots of fine sediment, this wine smells of camphor wood and peat. In the mouth, camphor wood and moth ball flavors mix with dried fruit and leather. This bottle has not aged well and is quite nasty. Score: between 6.5 and 7. Cost: $600 (magnum). click to buy.</p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2jv2PJU" width="200" height="150" alt="IMG_9008.JPG" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left;margin: 0 20px 20px 0" />1994 Seavey Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa<br />
Medium ruby in the glass with a touch of brick, this wine smells of earth and graphite and forest floor. In the mouth, dark and rich flavors of raisins, chocolate and cherry have a wonderful brightness thanks to still-excellent acidity. Great length. Tasted out of Magnum from one of California’s storied (very warm) vintages. Score: around 9. Cost: $125. click to buy.</p>
<p><img src="http://ift.tt/2ADCH9j" width="200" height="150" alt="IMG_9011.JPG" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left;margin: 0 20px 20px 0" />1990 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa<br />
A strong medium ruby in the glass with only a bit of brick red at the rim, this wine appears yet quite youthful. It smells of graphite, mint, and dried herbs. In the mouth beautifully supple, powdery tannins support very pretty, aromatically sweet flavors of cherry, graphite, and dried herbs with a touch of mint and leather. Beautifully balanced with a long finish. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $115. click to buy.</p>
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from <a href="http://ift.tt/2AFTw3i">Drinking the Past as California Burns</a></p>
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