You Booze, You Loose!

Date: Tue, Jun 24, 2008 Winery Blogs

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Israel Is On The Move

Date: Mon, Jun 23, 2008 Winery Blogs

What do Israel and California have in common? Their wine-making philosophies. While they are hundreds upon thousands of miles away from each other geographically, Israeli wine connoisseurs have to deal with many of the same weather issues as Californian vintners do and they base much of their wine philosophies off of California grape growers.
What really compelled me to write about this is that I love hearing about up and coming wine regions. Like when I wrote about British wines and their rising popularity a few weeks ago. While I always love knowing that I can fall back on my favorites, you can’t just stick to those. Trying new wines is the key to developing your palette.

One quote that I saw in an article in the San Francisco Chronicle said “[Israeli wineries] advocate growing wine, not growing grapes.” I must say that is the way to go. While grapes are the bread and butter of wine, there is still so much more that goes into the wine process and I think that sometimes vintners loose that. They stray away from the basics, from what they know. Perhaps this is the main reason for the recent focus on Israeli wines. They don’t stray, they use their knowledge to do what they do best.

I must say, I am excited to go out this week and find some Israeli wines and have a little tasting myself. Do any of you have some recommendations for me? I would love to hear them. I will comment on this entry later with my finds and what I thought about them.

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Playboy Collectors Edition Wines

Date: Sat, Jun 21, 2008 Winery Blogs

The 2008 Playboy Collectors Edition Wines takes the showcase vintage from unique garagista and cult wineries worldwide, paired with vintage Playboy Magazine Covers hand selected by the wine makers and transformed into a limited edition run of 500 bottles. Each label showcases the year and month of the centerfold that wine makers feel best personifies that particular vintage style.

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Chill Out With A Bargain

Date: Thu, Jun 19, 2008 Winery Blogs

With the temperatures rising and not showing any signs of letting up, I have been more apt to opening up a chilled bottle of Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio lately. I don’t know how the weather is in your neck of the woods, but here in Austin we have had record breaking heat for the past week…meaning the temperatures have been in upper 90’s, breaking 100 at the hottest point of the day. Thank the high heavens that I do not work outside during the day, and I only subject myself to that extreme heat when I choose to lounge by a pool or float in a river.
On that note, I thought I would like to share with you some of my favorite Chardonnay’s and Pinot Grigio’s for under $20. The list is in no particular order, and I tried to include wines from various regions.

• Growing up in Texas my parents often took trips to Texas vineyards. One of their favorites, and in turn one of mine, is Messina Hof’s Barrel Reserve Chardonnay 2005. It is rich, woody, and buttery, and at $12 it won’t break the bank.


• For those of you who prefer fruitier Chardonnay’s Robert Mondavi’s 2005 Napa Valley Chardonnay is a steal at $20. It got a 90 from Wine Enthusiast, and is quite refreshing with it’s lively acidity and abundant fruit flavors.


• Personally I don’t check to see if the grapes that go into a wine were grown organically, but I know that a lot of people do now days. So here is one organic Pinot Grigio that I tried about 2 weeks ago with my friends, and was rather impressed by. It was Luna Pinot Grigio 2006. The nose is filled with the aroma of pear, peach, and apricot, and those flavors blend flawlessly with oak into a nice smooth finish. At about $18 a bottle maybe I should go organic!

I hope my suggestions helped you out. I will probably add some more later on this week/next week. I would love to hear some of your favorite bargains, so comment away.

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Cork & Co.

Date: Wed, Jun 18, 2008 Winery Blogs

So I am a big fan, as I am sure most of you are, of enjoying a nice glass of wine (or two or three) amongst friends in a nice relaxing environment. Since I have lived in Austin for quite some time I have had the opportunity to scope out quite a few places to do this. I have to say that one of my favorite places to go any night of the week, whether it’s the middle of the week to just let out a little steam, or a Friday night to start out the night, is Cork & Co. on Congress Ave. The atmosphere is just perfect. They won the award for “Chill Scene 2006” and they offer classes during the week to learn more about pairing and tasting.



But beyond all of this they offer what they call “flights,” which are a trio of three wines that have some sort of theme. Their staff is always extremely friendly and is very knowledgeable so they can help you out. It is great for people with refined or beginner palettes and allows you to try a variety of wines in one night without having to buy so much wine. And just in case you weren’t sold on it yet…since Cork & Co is also a retail store they can sell their wine at retail price making everything much more affordable. Every time I go there I end up going home with a bottle of wine because I know I can get that same bottle for about that price at the store. Fantastico!

I plan on going there sometime this week and will try some new wines for yall so be on the lookout for updates!

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Don't Judge a Book by It's Cover

Date: Tue, Jun 17, 2008 Winery Blogs

Now the game has changed. Enter the younger consumer. Now wine companies are hiring people to come in and design labels so that way when people go to restaurants and order their wine, they will remember it the next time they hit the grocery store. How does this work? Well I remember there was this wine that my parents used to always buy whenever I still lived at home. On the label there was this old red truck on it. When I first moved out my roommates and I were having our first dinner and wanted some wine to go with it, so I suggested that wine. When we got to the store I couldn’t for the life of me remember what it was called so I just searched the isles until I saw the truck. And what do you know…it was called Red Truck…I’m a genius.
However, I must warn you…just like they say “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover,” DO NOT JUDGE A WINE BY IT’S LABEL! I was watching this video by Gary Vaynerchuk the other day (go check out more of his videos…they are hilarious and informational) and he said “Many people think that just because a winery spends a lot of time on their label means they spend a lot of time on their label.” Not necessarily true. The cool label guy can be just as good or just as bad as the next…but you will remember it.

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Home Grown

Date: Mon, Jun 16, 2008 Winery Blogs

No silly I’m not talking about that…get your mind out of the 60’s! What I’m talking about is home winemaking. With all the tools out there today at our fingertips, almost anyone with the proper mixture of knowledge, passion, and tools can make their own wine. Not to say that it is going to wow all the neighbors and score you an 86 at the next tasting, but hey, at least you did it! And in California all the neighbors make their own wine, and then have nice little friendly competitions. However, according to this article, these little competitions and home tastings might not be quite legal. Unless the vintner is producing less than 200 gallons a year for their own consumption, it’s illegal.

So what do we think about this? Personally, I feel like it is just a formality that California feel like it needs to have in place. After doing some research on the rule, it seems that the only time the rule is really acted upon is when someone says something to the Department of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) or when a winemaker themselves asks for permission out of naivety. It’s like the code I had with my older brother when I was younger…”Well I won’t say anything if you don’t say anything” and vice versa.

The reason I bring this up is because one winemaker did ask, and got shut down by the ABC. An out of towner, who didn’t know the code. So what do we do in this situation? I do agree that there needs to be some sort of regulation, but what is the point of having a rule if everyone breaks it? Rules without enforcement are no rules at all. So where does the ABC go from here? Tell me your thoughts.

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Update!!!

Date: Fri, Jun 13, 2008 Winery Blogs

About a week ago I wrote about the scandal that was going on with Brunello di Montalcino wines and, as promised, I am here to update you on what is going on with that. In a recent article by The Associated Press it was stated that a panel of experts has been selected to investigate the suspicious wine. In case you don't remember why this wine is suspicious, go back and read my earlier post. The panel has been set up by the Agricultural Ministry and the Minister, Luca Zaia, hopes that this will "relaunch the most prestigious Made in Italy brand." Well, I hope so too. As much as we all want to be the next big thing, you never want to see a legend crumble right before your eyes. Like in the movies, when the main character does everything you and they know they shouldn't do, and the whole time you are just sitting there, thinking to yourself, "Why?" Every move they makes you just cringe and you are just hoping they can pull it all together (even though you know they will...come one now...it's the movies)


Anyways, enough of my tangent. I want to send my best wishes to Brunello di Montalcino, and I hope the whole affair goes down smoothly. I like the way my laid back summer is going, so let's keep it that way!


And no worries, I will let everyone know when I know what happens!

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Give me a Schug

Date: Thu, Jun 12, 2008 Winery Blogs

Some friends of mine recently had the opportunity to take a trip to Schug Winery in Sonoma, California. He graciously sent me some pictures that he took on his trip there and shared some of his thoughts about the vineyard. I couldn’t wait to share them with all of you, and then comment about one of my favorite wines from the Schug Carneros Estate Winery, the 2004 Heritage Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

At about $50 a bottle it is a little bit pricey, but well worth it. Now what I love about this Cab in particular is its perfect blend of fruit and spices. Not too overpowering in either category, not leaving you wanting more taste, but wanting that next sip! The rich texture and long finish of the wine make it a great match for some of my favorite foods, like a good piece of meat or a hearty stew. My friend was told that this wine would be one that you could drink now, or stick in the cellar/cabinet for a rainy day about 5 to 7 years down the road.

I wanted to share the picture that my friend took of the scenery at the vineyard. He had some other ones that were fantastic, but this one took the cake!

Now go and try some of the other wines from Schug Carneros’ marvelous selection. Maybe buy one for your dad for Father’s Day? You didn’t forget did you?

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The British Are Coming!

Date: Wed, Jun 11, 2008 Winery Blogs

Perhaps the reason this caught my eye is because my roommate’s boyfriend is here for the summer and he is from London, so I wanted to read it in order to pass on my new found knowledge. Or perhaps it caught my eye because there just aren’t too many articles out there about English vineyards, so I figured it would be notable. While England might be a great place to get a good brew and some fish and chips while watching a fútbol match, it is not the first place I would think to travel to get a top notch glass of wine. Well, what many of us are trying to prevent might actually help the British in their wine ventures…Global Warming. Who would have known? For anyone that has been to England they know it can be rather chilly and it rains ALL THE TIME! While the rain isn’t so much of a bad thing, there is always the threat of a frost that can ruin their crops in the spring. With the climate change, the frost would not be as much of an issue and they will hopefully have a longer ripening period similar to that of grape growers in California. All in all, this means that the quality of English wine should increase over time as the wine makers adjust to the new temperatures. So be on the look out for the British…cause THEY’RE COMING!

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Rising To The Top

Date: Mon, Jun 9, 2008 Winery Blogs

I've been meaning to comment about this article for awhile now, and some of you might have already read it, but I want to share it with the rest of our friends out there. There are always going to be the Frank Sinatra's of the wine world, the ones that never go out of style. Your Robert Mondavi's, your Joe Heitzs', your Louis Martini's...I think you get the picture. These men will always be known for the wonderful things they have done/will do for the world of wine. However, I also think it is important to look out for and know the up and coming winemakers. Parents and politicians are always saying "Children are the future." Well, the same holds true for these new "cult" wines. This article from the San Francisco Chronicle identifies 10 wineries to watch out for in the upcoming year, as well as a list of wineries that will most likely be on this list next year. I encourage you to go read it, and then go out and try some of the wines on the list. Some of them are kind of pricey, I know. However, many of them are not. And if you do go out and splurge on the pricier ones you will not be disappointed.

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Joining Technorati

Date: Thu, Jun 5, 2008 Winery Blogs

I joined Technorati today to get more readers for the blog!
So I thought I would write about it so you guys would know about it, plus I have to do a post on here with a special link to confirm that this is my blog.
So if you are on technorati add my blog to your favorties.
Cheers!

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By Land or By Sea?

Date: Thu, Jun 5, 2008 Winery Blogs

I’ve never really been into science. It never really “clicked” for me in school and I hated studying for it. It was just so tedious and the one thing that I really had to work at in school. However, I can’t deny the fact that wine making is a science, a rather fascinating one at that. And as much I hate having to learn about science, I love hearing about what other people discover in the scientific world, especially when it benefits me. So when I came across this article I couldn’t help but be intrigued. Lois Roederer has decided to place several dozen wine bottles 15 meters under water to see if the wine will taste better after discovering that the water in the bay is the ideal temperature, 10 degrees Celsius, for ageing wine. The wine will be left underwater for 12 months, and then Roederer will hold a tasting to see if the wine aged the normal way or aged underwater has a more satisfactory taste. I am looking forward to the results of the test and will keep you updated! I hope you guys are excited as I am.

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There's Something in the Water...or the Wine

Date: Wed, Jun 4, 2008 Winery Blogs

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