Many who visit our tasting rooms in the summer ask: What do you do with all your spare time in the winter? Harrumph is often the answer. Winter is a long and difficult season in the vineyards.
In the wine business we talk lots about vineyard practices, cellar techniques and tasting procedures. But between the cellar and the bottle heading to the store shelf, there are a bunch of steps winemakers must oversee.
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At one past midnight on the third Thursday of each November, from little villages and towns like Romanche-Thorins, over a million cases of Beaujolais Nouveau begin their journey through a sleeping France to Paris for immediate shipment to all parts of the world. Banners proclaim the good news: Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arriv! "The New Beaujolais has arrived!" One of the most frivolous and animated rituals in the wine world has begun.
Evan Goldstein, in his very popular Perfect Pairings book offers many suggestions on how to best marry great foods with similarly great wines.
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Wine snobs profess to have all the answers when it comes to wine quality. Newbees, insecure with their own palates, are often intimidated by connoisseurs opinions. Realists understand that whatever wine is most enjoyed is really the best.
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One California winery made its early reputation by touting the phrase, We will serve no wine before its time. In reality, they might have said, We need to pick a good yeast strain so we can make a great wine which will be ready in a reasonable time.
During this holiday season, lots of folks will be hosting parties where wine is a part of the festivities. Since wine is somewhat intimidating to many, when the host and guests are comfortable with some simple tasting techniques, it makes for a more relaxed experience for all: hence the purpose behind this article.
For Americas vintners, tis the season to enter wine competitions. San Francisco Fair, Los Angeles, Finger Lakes, Great Lakes, Dallas Morning News, Pacific Rim, New World, Intervin, Tasters Guild International, Indiana State Fair, Eastern International, Grand Harvest Awards, American Wine Society, Florida State Fair, Beverage Testing Institute, the Ohio Wine
Lots of shoppers do not understand the sulfite label on the each bottle of wine sold in this country.
Oak barrels are not the only holding tanks youll find onsite at a wine cellar. Some wines are not meant to absorb the woody elements extracted from the barrel and thus the winemakers choice as an alternative is stainless steel.
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Every industry has its jargon. In the wine business, some words we use can be understood with a one or two line definition. However, there are some more nuanced words and phrases that take a paragraph, or in some cases a book, to be fully explained.
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The story of red wines in our culture is an interesting one. Conventional wisdom dictates that the more wine a person drinks the redder and drier his or her palate will become.
Read MoreWine trade publications are full of articles about the value of screw caps vs. the use of cork closures for wine.
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Given his geographic proximity to great foods from Mexico and the Southwest, noted master sommelier, Guy Stout, based in Texas Hill Country Wine region, is an expert on spicy food and wine pairings..and his suggestions insights on what goes with hot works very well for our region which produces so many cool climate varietals.
During the wine boom in the late 90s, national wine marketers were looking for ABC wines [anything but chardonnay and cabernet]. They needed some new and drinkable varieties to promote.
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This year marks the 40th Anniversary of the Judgment of Paris where California wineries bested some of Frances most acclaimed wines in a head to head using French sommeliers and chefs. It is a fascinating story.
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Why you like the wines you like, Is the title of a great book by a fellow named Tim Hanni, one of the first Americans to be awarded the title of Master of Wine by the acclaimed Institute of Masters of Wine based in London.
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As the weather heats up and the kitchen moves to the back deck, matching some wonderful light and lively reds with grilled entrees works for all.
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