• When the phone rings, and you see it’s coming from Washington DC, you pick up ~ Department of Commerce

    Updated: 2012-01-31 11:00:23
    Deep in the throes of my Dark & Delicious planning, it takes a lot to get my attention. Let’s just say, you wouldn’t want to have ever been really mean to me in the past, and think you can get my attention during this time, as it happened this past week. I didn’t pick up [...]

  • Quarterly Review of Wines ~ RIP

    Updated: 2012-01-30 11:00:49
    Another important glossy wine magazine is biting the dust. Sayonara, Quarterly Review of Wines. Thanks for all of your help over the years. You’re going to be sorely missed! I was so saddened when The Wine News, for which I had written Cat O’Wine Tales in the 1990s, closed its doors. Publishers Tom and Elizabeth [...]

  • Giving Sauvignon Blanc its due

    Updated: 2012-01-27 15:16:13
    Lord knows I haven’t been a big fan of California Sauvignon Blanc over the years. I thought that, compared to white Bordeaux, Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, and even Marlborough, my state has been a distant second, or third. The wines have tended to be either overly sweet, or green, or just plain thin and acidic. But [...]

  • Paul Mabray on the greatest inhibitor of success for wine online and VinTank solutions

    Updated: 2012-01-27 11:00:49
    When I wrote Finding Myself in The Right Lane, About Two Years Later As I Look Back ~ Not Much Has Changed, I wrote it just before leaving for Puerto Rico for nine days. In Puerto Rico, I’m definitely on island time – my favorite time of all. While I was checking my Emails each [...]

  • Being a wine publicist is like being a mother watching your children grow ~ Enoforum Wines experiences a growth spurt and I’m so delighted

    Updated: 2012-01-26 11:00:47
    Although my job with Enoforum Wines ended over a year ago, my relationship to them has remained. Once Enoforum found an importer, the next steps involved getting placements with wholesalers within each state. PR – sensibly – had to be put on a back burner. Without unlimited resources, which very few companies have these days, [...]

  • Petite Sirah Winemakers: Why is Petite Sirah Important to me personally, why bother to make it?

    Updated: 2012-01-25 11:00:37
    From yesterday’s story, here are the Petite Sirah vintner/winemaker answers, in the order of when they got back to me, regarding, “Why do you make Petite Sirah?” Larry Schaffer, tercero wines I love Petite Sirah for a number of reasons. It’s an ‘underdog’ variety, one that doesn’t get the notice nor the ‘publicity’ I believe [...]

  • Wines of Winter Tahlequah Oklahoma Feb 9

    Updated: 2012-01-24 23:12:30
    : Oklahoma Wine News Statewide Oklahoma wine industry news and vineyard events . Never miss a local wine tasting event . Our wine blog includes an online archive of winery news , festival dates , state wine law news , grape growing tips , and a full list of Okahoma winery . websites 1 24 2012 Wines of Winter Tahlequah Oklahoma Feb 9 Cold Cardinal a photo by FreeWine on . Flickr Wines of Winter is a wine stroll and wine tasting event that will be held downtown on February 9, 2012. Festivities start at 6pm and will end around 8pm . Tickets are 10 and avaialble at the Tahlequah Main Street Office in the Chamber building , 123 E Delaware St . The first 100 people to purchase a ticket will receive a complimentary Wines of Winter wine glass . Tickets will also be available online at http :

  • Is Petite Sirah, that Special Black Opal of the Wine World, a Winemaker’s Wine? Winemakers weigh in

    Updated: 2012-01-24 11:00:24
    Through my 10 year relationship with this heritage variety and PS I Love You, I’ve come to believe that Petite Sirah is a winemaker’s wine; otherwise, why would the 8o0+ winemakers who craft it even bother with it? Why wouldn’t they just be using it as a blending ingredient, as they did from the 1970s [...]

  • Dear Undercover Boss Rick Tigner, why was I chosen to be involved?

    Updated: 2012-01-23 11:00:04
    [Image borrowed from The Press Democrat's site: KENT PORTER/The Press Democrat] FROM THE PD: In an upcoming episode of CBS’s hit series, Undercover Boss, Rick Tigner, president of Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates, gets choked up during the hour-long reality show. Production of the show started last spring, around the time that Tigner’s boss and mentor, wine [...]

  • Chinois Asian Bistro ~ A Wine List That’s Frequently Stolen

    Updated: 2012-01-20 11:00:25
    Nothing’s more exciting than when a new kid ends up on the block; most especially when that kid’s brought in all kinds of new, fascinating toys… Enter Chinois Asian Bistro in Windsor, California, offering Pan-Asian cuisine… Right in the heart of Sonoma County’s wine country, just minutes from downtown Healdsburg. Their menu is so delectable [...]

  • Alcohol and Balance – 2011 World of Pinot Noir Seminar

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:48
    Alcohol and Balance – could there be a more controversial issue for today’s wine geeks? Well, thankfully, the 2011 World of Pinot Noir held a seminar on this very contentious topic. Joining N.Y. Times columnist Eric Asimov as moderator, was an illustrious (and, we might add “balanced”) group of panel members: Jim Clendenen (Au Bon [...]

  • Wine Mojo – 2011 Hospice du Rhone

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:47
    Another eagerly awaited seminar from the 2011 HdR was this in-depth look at the Central Coast wines of Joey Tensley (Tensley Wines) and the Sonoma County wines of Morgan Twain-Peterson (Bedrock Wine Co.). Many of the attendees were probably already familiar with Tensley’s wines, but this was a chance to get the seemingly taciturn winemaker [...]

  • 2011 Hospice du Rhone Seminar – The Rhone Valley

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:46
    The first seminar from the 2011 Hospice du Rhone, was designed as an introduction to the Rhone Valley at large, the 2nd largest wine producing region in France. As with an introduction to anything, there is no way to fully cover the Rhone Valley in a single seminar. Thus, three producers were selected to discuss [...]

  • The Rigorous Life of a Wine Critic: Josh Raynolds

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:45
    As the Assistant Editor of Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar (IWC) and a contributor to winophilia.com, Tanzer’s online wine magazine, Josh is a very busy guy. He has been responsible for the IWC’s annual reviews of the wines of California’s Sonoma Valley and Central Coast, Oregon, Chile, Spain, France’s Loire Valley, Champagne, Mâcon, Beaujolais, Rhône [...]

  • Lot Series with Cameron Hughes

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:44
    Cameron Hughes makes a “lot” of wine. Growing up in Modesto, California, wine was never far from Cameron’s line of sight. In fact, his entry into the wine business could have easily been considered a foregone conclusion. His father, Steve Hughes invited him to work one summer in support of his direct-marketing team at his [...]

  • Tour of Chile – The Bonus Reel

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:44
    Join us as Jay sits down with his fellow journalist to discuss their terrific trip to Chile’s wine Country. For More Information: Sponsor: Wine Berserkers – Wine Board: www.wineberserkers.com Click Below to Play the Show: Show #292 (19:38min 14MB)

  • Tour of Chile – Part 2

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:43
    Join us for Part 2, as we talk with representatives from Casa Lapostolle, Viña Montes, Viñedos y Bodega Apaltagua, and Cousiño Macul. For More Information: www.casalapostolle.com Viñedos y Bodega Apaltagua – www.apaltagua.com Cousiño Macul – www.cousinomacul.com Viña Montes – www.monteswines.com Sponsor: Wine Berserkers – Wine Board: www.wineberserkers.com Click Below to Play the Show: Show #290 [...]

  • Tour of Chile – Part 1

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:42
    Although it is considered New World, Chile has been growing wine since the 16th century, when the Spanish conquistadors brought vitis vinifera vines with them during their colonization of the region. About the mid-18th century, several French grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Carmenère were also introduced to the region. Chile’s five viticultural [...]

  • Discover Piedmont

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:41
    The Piemonte wine region lies in the northwestern corner of Italy. The Piedmont produces more DOC/G wines by volume than any other Italian wine region with nearly 84% of all the areas wine production falling under a DOC/G designation. While Barbera is the most widely-planted grape in the region, Nebbiolo and Dolcetto account for a [...]

  • GrapeRadio Wins 2nd James Beard Award

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:40
    GrapeRadio is proud to announce that we have won our 2nd James Beard Award for our video – The Scent of Black! Click here to access our winning video: The Scent of Black The James Beard Foundation Awards are the nation’s preeminent honors for culinary professionals. More than 60 awards are given out each year [...]

  • Young Burgundian Vignerons Visit World of Pinot Noir 2011

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:40
    Rusty Gaffney and Jay Selman have a casual and intimate conversation with Alexandrine Roy and Thomas Bouley, participants in the “Young Turks of Burgundy” tasting at the World of Pinot Noir. We were impressed by their charm and willingness to share their insights into the role of young vignerons in Burgundy today and their impressions [...]

  • Making Sense of Puzzling Wine Shipping Laws

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:40
    This program features a conversation with David White, the founder and editor of Terroirist.com, a daily wine blog. A wine writer in Washington DC, David’s work has appeared in dozens of publications, including The World of Fine Wine, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and Reuters. He is a 2011 fellowship winner from Symposium [...]

  • The Art of Blending

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:37
    Welcome to our video podcast – The Art of Blending – Video Show #54. NOTE: New Material Included in Video Blending, or the combining of multiple ingredients, has always been part of the art of cooking. So too has it always been a part of wine making and the creation of exotic mixed drinks. So, [...]

  • Distillation – The Birth of Cognac

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:36
    Welcome to our video podcast: Cognac Distillation – Video Show #92. Right Click Here to Download File and iPhone users – Click here to View Video After fermentation, the white wine is distilled into ‘eau-de-vie.’ To become Cognac, this involves a double distillation, for which only the heart, or middle portion of the second distillation [...]

  • Allen Meadows and the Wines of Domaine Fourrier

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:35
    Allen Meadows, a.k.a. Burghound, moderated this entertaining Seminar featuring the owner and winemaker of Domaine Fourrier, Jean Marie Fourrier. Domaine Fourrier has a four generation history in Gevrey-Chambertain and was one of the first Domaines in Burgundy to export wine to the United States. The Domaine experienced a revitalization with the arrival of Jean Marie [...]

  • Wine Appraisal

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:34
    If it can be said that wine tasting is subjective, it probably follows that the monetary value of wine is even more subjective. Whether it’s the price of a single bottle, an auction lot, or an entire collection, the estimated value of that wine becomes one of the most important factors in determining its intrinsic [...]

  • The Scent of Black

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:34
    Welcome to our video podcast: The Scent of Black – Video Show #91. [NOTE: If you have a slower internet connection or experience playback problems, please try the YouTube version.] Right Click Here to Download File and iPhone users – Click here to View Video In the Cahors region of France, black truffles are almost [...]

  • The Culture of Food and Wine

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:32
    Ever wonder what food and wine experiences are like in other countries? How about culinary traditions in other countries? Well, Summer Whitford (aka, the Food and Wine Diva) has written a book detailing several country’s cultural traditions and culinary customs in “Join Us at The Embassy.” Summer brings her experience as a professional chef, cooking [...]

  • The 2010 World of Pinot Noir

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:32
    Welcome to our video podcast: The 2010 World of Pinot Noir – Video Show #90. Join us at the 2010 World of Pinot Noir in beautiful Shell Beach, CA as we ask the really, really, really hard pinot noir questions that must be answered! – Why is Pinot Noir a good wine for Newbies? – [...]

  • Wine Chat with GrapeRadio

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:31
    With 2010 drawing to a close, the GrapeRadio bunch thought it might be interesting to have a little round-table discussion about issues that have occurred to us during the past year. Right out of the gate, we wondered what people do for wines at Thanksgiving. Do you cater to your guests, or do you pour [...]

  • We’ve Come a Long Way Baby – Past, Present, and Future – The Wines of South Africa

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:31
    The first seminar from the 2010 Hospice du Rhône, was an introduction to all that has been happening lately with Syrah in South Africa. Appropriately titled, “We’ve Come a Long Way Baby”, the seminar did indeed give us a glimpse of how things used to be, and what they have become. Photo above – (Andrea [...]

  • 20 Years of Williams Selyem – Part 2

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:30
    As most people know, Burt and Ed sold the winery to John and Kathe Dyson in 1998, and Bob Cabral became new winemaker with the impossible task of replacing a legend in the wine world. Bob has strived to continue the tradition of excellence in crafting Williams Selyem wines, thus making the idea of a [...]

  • 20 Years of Williams Selyem – Part 1

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:29
    In March of 2010, the World of Pinot Noir was celebrating its Tenth Anniversary. Something special ought to be done, the organizers thought. How about making one of the seminars a ten-year retrospective tasting from a well-known winery? Yes, that would be something special. However, when the retrospective covers ten years of Pinot Noirs from [...]

  • The Wines of C.P. Lin – Mountford Estate (New Zealand)

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:29
    Today show features the world’s only blind winemaker, C.P. Lin, of Mountford Estate in New Zealand Taiwan-born C.P. Lin was a brilliant mathematics student at University of Canterbury who became captivated by wine through participation in a social wine club on campus. He realized early on that he had an extremely well-developed sense of smell. [...]

  • Tasting 2008 Oregon Pinot Noir

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:28
    The 2008 vintage for Oregon Pinot Noir may be the greatest this decade and some have claimed it the best vintage in Oregon’s modern winegrowing history. I know you have heard this type of vintage hype many times before, but 2008 is the bomb in Oregon! The wines possess perfect balance with moderate alcohols and [...]

  • Wine, the Web, and Jancis Robinson

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:27
    Jancis Robinson has been writing about wine since 1975, authoring some of the world’s most respected books on the subject. She is a wine correspondent of the London Financial Times, and the first non-trade Master of Wine as well an OBE. She considers herself a contemporary of Robert Parker, as well as the author of [...]

  • Alice Feiring on Wine

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:26
    Alice Feiring should be no stranger to those who follow the personalities in the world of wine. An unapologetic Francophile and something of a firebrand, Alice considers herself “the leading Natural Wine Advocate in this country,” which puts her in direct conflict with influential wine critic Robert Parker, and those who seemingly favor Parker’s preference [...]

  • Châteauneuf du Pape – Ask the Wine Maker #5

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:24
    Welcome to our video podcast: Châteauneuf du Pape – Ask the Wine Maker – Video Show #87. On his recent trip to the Chateauneuf-Du-Pape, Robert Kenney was able to ask several well-known winemakers our last big question: “Why do you produce a Special Cuvee” — Film editing by Robert Farinhas. Everyone has special barrels that [...]

  • Châteauneuf du Pape – Ask the Wine Maker #4

    Updated: 2012-01-16 00:19:24
    Welcome to our video podcast: Châteauneuf du Pape – Ask the Wine Maker – Video Show #86. On his recent trip to the Chateauneuf-Du-Pape, Robert Kenney was able to ask several well-known winemakers our final burning question: “What do you prefer to drink besides Chateauneuf-du-Pape” — Film editing by Robert Farinhas. Join us as we [...]

  • *** Chez Ray Sangiacomo Vineyards Merlot, 2006, Carneros, Sonoma, CA

    Updated: 2012-01-10 02:21:00
    : , , , skip to main skip to sidebar Chez Ray Winemaking Trials , tribulations and . tips Monday , January 09, 2012 Chez Ray Sangiacomo Vineyards Merlot , 2006, Carneros , Sonoma , CA Original Review December , 2008 : The Chez Ray Sangiacomo Vineyards Merlot of 2006 is from Brehm Vineyards frozen grapes from Carneros , Sonoma , CA . The vintage was fermented cool , with Assmanshausen yeast In the glass this merlot is light medium ruby red looking more like a pinot noir than a . merlot Aromas are fresh , clean and airy , like laundry flapping in the sunny breezes . Touch of ink or is it Play Doh Very . pleasant On the palate you first note a light , crystalline , high-pitched clean sweet berry . Just the faintest hint of tannins and acids follow . Finish is surprisingly long , given such a

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