Spadarotto Wine

Spadarotto Cabernet

Sauvignon Spadarotto Cabernet: The Best Cult Wine You Never Heard Of -- Forbes

The Spadarotto family makes very little wine, very well. Terms like small-batch, micro-lot and ultra-premium get tossed around liberally at times, with even the bigger producers trotting out their own versions of small lot, special wines from their massive portfolios. But Spadarotto’s production is authentically intimate, ranging from 200 to 500 cases per year. This unique position of tiny production and rarity (not to mention a plum position on the wine list at Michelin three star Restaurant at Meadowood) qualify Spadarotto wines as cult phenomena in my book.

Read more ....

My Comment: 200 to 500 cases per year is a small quantity .... but being linked to Stag's Leap makes me think that this wine is probably very good.

Italy's Antinori Family

Albiera, Alessia, and Allegra Antinori are taking the winery into the future. (Courtesy Antinori Family)

Italy’s Antinori Sisters Prepare To Run A Wine Empire -- Daily Beast

The women at the helm of the Antinori legend. When Italian winemaker Piero Antinori’s third child happened to also be his third daughter, he had to rethink a 600-year-old tradition of men running the family business. “He thought to himself, that’s life,” says 46-year-old Albiera Antinori, now the company’s vice president. “He didn’t have boys, so he had to deal with what he had.” Albiera, together with sisters Allegra, 42, and Alessia, 37, are the first women in 26 generations of the Antinori lineage to have any significant role in the family’s winery. They will eventually head the business when their father retires. They also lead a growing number of women making headway in the male-dominated Italian wine industry, though none for a house as significant and historical as Antinori.

Read more ....

My Comment: Their website is here. More info on the family history and business can be found here.

$32,000 For A 50 Year Bottle Of Balvenie

 

The $32,000 Bottle Of Sscotch -- FOX News

Two important events took place at the Scottish firm William Grant & Sons in 1962. David Stewart was hired as an apprentice, and cask #5576 was filled with newly distilled whisky from The Balvenie Distillery. Although Scotland and its namesake spirit have a long and glorious history, the country hadn’t even begun exporting single malt Scotch at the time. Stewart rose through the ranks and became a Malt Master for the company (which owns distilleries including The Balvenie and Glenfiddich), nosing more than 400,000 casks of whisky through the years, while that single barrel matured. Many of Stewart’s techniques working with single malt whisky, such as aging the spirit in two different types of barrels, became industry standards, and he earned numerous accolades while that oh-so-special European oak sherry hogshead continued to age, mellow and evaporate.

Read more ....

My Comment: I am going to stick with my Johnnie Blue.

Alcohol-Free Wine 'Doesn't Taste Like Wine'

Alcohol-Free Wine 'Doesn't Taste Like Wine' And Is Too Expensive, Say Experts -- Daily Mail

Doctors are often telling us about the dangers of regular alcohol. So for many people, alcohol-free wine is a healthy alternative. But new research has found that although it may be better for your liver, alcohol-free wine is certainly not better for your wallet. A Which? test of 10 alcohol-free wines found that you will be making a costly choice if you buy them.

Read more ....

My Comment: I concur .... and yes .... it is expensive. On the positive side .... alcohol-free wine is good for your health.

Wine Prices Set To Rise After Poor Global Grape Harvest

Wine Prices Set To Rise After Poor Grape Harvest, Warns Majestic Boss -- The Guardian

Majestic Wine boss Steve Lewis says supermarkets are likely to increase the price of a £5 bottle by 50p or £1 next spring. Wine lovers are facing a worse than usual new year hangover as poor harvests in some of the world's most important wine producing regions threaten price hikes of up to £1 a bottle in 2013. Majestic Wine boss Steve Lewis said the increases would be most noticeable in the supermarket where British favourites such as Italian pinot grigio, New Zealand sauvignon blanc and Australian chardonnay sell for around £5 per bottle. "I would expect to see significant price inflation at entry price points," he said. "The price of a (£5) bottle of pinot grigio could go up by between 50p and £1 come February/March."

Read more ....

Update: Great leap in price of grapes: Poor harvest could mean £1 hike in cost of a bottle of wine -- Daily Mail

My Comment: There's always beer.

How Expensive Whiskey Saved A Man's Sight

Expensive Whiskey Saves Man’s Sight -- FOX News

Alcohol tends to make eyesight fuzzy – but in one man’s case, expensive whiskey saved his eyesight, the New Zealand Herald reported. Denis Duthie, a 65-year-old catering tutor at New Plymouth’s Western Institute of Technology, had a bad reaction when he mixed vodka with his diabetes medication. Duthie told the New Zealand Herald that after mixing the two, “everything suddenly went black.” “I thought it had got dark, and I’d missed out on a bit of time, but it was only about half-past three in the afternoon,” Duthie said. “I was fumbling around the bedroom for the light switch, but . . .I’d just gone completely blind.”

Read more ....

My Comment: I'll drink to that.

France’s Expects Smallest Grape Harvest Since 1991

France Expects Lowest Grape Yield In Two Decades -- France 24

France’s wine producers start harvesting in earnest in September. But particularly bad weather in 2012 means some areas anticipate shortfalls of up to 20%. It is likely to be France’s smallest grape harvest since 1991.

French wine producers expect this year’s grape yield to be the lowest in almost 20 years, as a result of exceptionally bad spring and early summer weather.

The harvest is being gathered in the coming weeks in what the French call “les vendanges”, a highlight of the country’s agricultural calendar.

Read more ....

My Comment: Expect prices to go up.

Champagne Is Suffering Its Worst Grape Growing Sseason In Decades

Champagne Suffers Worst Season In Decades -- The Telegraph

Champagne is suffering its worst grape growing season in decades due to an "unprecedented" blight of frost, hail and disease, leading experts to warn that prospects for the coming harvest look increasingly dim.

Weather conditions coupled with the ravages of mildew have made Champagne growers' life hell in recent months; cold snaps, freak hailstorms, unrelenting rain and grape rot are expected to cut yields in the famed appellation by a third.

"This year has been unprecedented," said Dominique Moncomble, director of technical services at the CIVC, the Champagne wine board. "We have been accumulating problems: we are battling the elements and disease."

Read more ....

My Comment: Hint .... prices are going to go up.

Hitler Wine Bottles?

Italian Hitler Wine Bottles 'Offensive' -- The Telegraph

Wine bottles featuring Adolf Hitler on the label have been called "offensive" after complaints from US tourists in the Italian city of Garda.

Michael Hirsch, a lawyer from Philadelphia, complained to local media after he found a supermarket near his hotel was stocking wine bottles with Hitler in various poses and another bottle featuring an image of Pope John Paul II.

"It is very shocking and startling to us," Mr Hirsch told The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday. "We would think of it as neo-Nazism It makes you wonder about the sympathies of the local people."

One bottle features Hitler with his arm raised in the Nazi, another is labelled 'Mein Kampf" and another was labelled "Ein volk, ein Reich, ein Fuhrer" (one people, one empire, one Fuhrer), Mr Hirsch said.

Read more ....

My Comment: This is not smart wine marketing.

Did Olympic Officials Blow £19,000 On A Bottle Of Cognac?

Did Olympic Officials Blow £19,000 On A Bottle Of Cognac? Receipt Is Posted Online By Man Saying They Spent £44,660 On Lunch -- Daily Mail

* User who posted image claimed to know worker at unnamed restaurant
* 15 officials may have dined at China Tang at London's Dorchester Hotel

A photo circulating online is claiming to show that 15 Olympic Games officials racked up a £44,660 bill for a business lunch - including a staggering £19,000 on one bottle of Hennessy 1853 cognac.

The service charge for the meal - apparently enjoyed at a restaurant in London's exclusive Dorchester Hotel - came to £4962.26 alone.

The partial view of the bill shows relatively modestly-priced dishes - such as portions of spiced chicken for £15 apiece, vegetarian fried rice for £5 and sorbet platters at £7 a time - alongside the costly cognac.

Read more ....

My Comment: I suspect that it tasted great .... on the Olympic Committee's dime.

Canada Slowly Opens It's Provincial Borders To Wine Shipping

Canada Inches Toward Wine Direct Shipping -- Wine Spectator

Parliament repeals national ban, giving provinces the choice to allow shipping, but few have decided so far.

Canadians who want the right to order wine directly from wineries won a big victory this summer when their parliament voted to end a nearly century-old ban on direct shipping between provinces. But the new law has created confusion, because it puts the decision in the hands of provincial governments. While British Columbia quickly voted yes, Manitoba quietly said OK, and the rest of the provinces are still debating the issue.

Read more ....

My Comment: I live in Quebec .... and I am not optimistic that Quebec will embrace the idea of its citizens avoiding their provincially run liquor stores and buying directly from a winery in BC.

Building A Winery In China From Scratch

Judy Leissner. Grace Vineyard

Building A Winery In China From Scratch -- Wall Street Journal

Move over baijiu, you’ve got company. With its auspicious hue and perceived health benefits, red wine is “the banquet drink of Chinese officials and businessmen,” according to Harvard Business School professor William C. Kirby.

It’s a trend that bodes well for Grace Vineyard, which Prof. Kirby profiled in a Harvard Business School case study three years ago that chronicled China’s fast-growing wine industry.

Read more ....

My Comment: The Chinese are definitely developing a taste and market for wine .... and if I was a betting man .... grace Vineyard will be a success.

Talk About Expensive Spilt Drinks

£50,000 Cognac Bottle Smashed By Clumsy Customer -- The Inquisitr

A £50,000 cognac bottle (that’s $77,000 to most of our readers) has been smashed by a clumsy drinker, just days before it was about to be used in the world’s most expensive cocktail.

Judges from Guinness World Records were set to appear at the exclusive Playboy Club in Mayfair, West London to watch drinks supremo Salvatore Calabrese mix an ‘Old and Wise’ cocktail using a bottle of 1788 Clos de Griffier Vieux from his personal collection. The £50,000 cognac bottle works out at £5,050 ($7,800) a glass.

Read more ....

Update #1: $77,615 Bottle Of 224-Year-Old Cognac Shattered By Clumsy Customer -- Huffington Post
Update #2: $77K booze bottle smashed in London -- Examiner

My Comment: Ouch!

The Official Olympic Wine

This rosé is part of the London 2012 triad

London 2012: The Olympic Wine Carrying A Torch For The Games -- The Telegraph

The London Olympics will be the first to have its own 'official' wines – so where will they stand in the medal table?

They're coming to watch athletes squelch their way across waterlogged track and sodden pitch. So it won't have occurred to Olympic ticketholders to consider the quality of the wine on sale. But this drenched summer, they might just be grateful for the fact that London's vinous preparations have not been neglected. Far from it. They've been painstaking – two years in the making – and have also involved some very clever tricks and quite a few ructions.

Read more ....

My Comment: The grapes used for the red wine is from Brazil .... hmmm ....

captain Morgan Is Helping To Find Captain Morgan's Treasure

The Underwater Archaeologists Searching For Captain Morgan -- Popular Science

Off the coast of Panama, a team of archaeologists uncovers a ship that may have belonged to one of the most famous pirates who ever lived.

So this is what a pirate's sword feels like.

I wrap my hands around the straight iron blade. It's probably a 17th-century rapier, I'm told, but it'd hard to know for sure. The handle is missing, and though I can see and feel its fuller groove, a layer of sea shells and some sort of hardened concretion cover the blade's finer details. "That's either calcium carbonate or coralline," Texas State University archaeologist Fritz Hanselmann tells me as he takes the blade and places it in a makeshift holder his crew had just MacGyvered from a metal CD rack, rebar, and scraps of a yoga mat.

Read more ....

My Comment: Not a story about rum .... but definitely a story about a rum company helping to boost it's brand.

Are The British Giving Up On Champagne?

Champagne Sales Lose Their Sparkle -- The Guardian

For the first time the British are now spending less on champagne than other sparkling wines, and it's about time too, says Oliver Thring.

Well, he wasn't going to drink anything else, and frankly, in those circumstances, neither would most of us. But Bradley Wiggins is one of a shrinking breed – the Englishman who drinks champagne. In the credit-swollen days of 2007, we spent £1bn on champagne in the UK. That figure is expected to fall to less than £700m this year, while sales of prosecco, cava and other sparkling wines are up 55% over the same period, to £720m. For the first time in this country, champagne is less popular than its rivals.

Read more ....

My Comment: Champagne has always been overpriced .... that is why it is champagne.

Pinot Noir Is Now The Third-Most-Popular Red Wine In America

Pinot Noir On Its Way To Superstar Status -- Sacramento Bee/McClatchy Tribune

If you asked me my favorite wine, I couldn't tell you. I value variety too much. If you put a gun to my head, I might stammer out the words "pinot noir."

Pinot noir embodies the old wine cliche it's a steel fist in a velvet glove. Less tannic and muscular than cabernet sauvignon, but still powerful in acids and flavors of red berries - cherries, cranberries, raspberries, strawberries - with additional elements of earth, truffles, even minerals.

Read more ....

My Comment: Not a Pinot Noir drinker .... but for lighter meals it is a good selection.

Century-Old Whiskey Bottles Found In Missouri Man's Attic

A Missouri man found bottles of nearly century old whiskey in his home that is being renovated. (William Seay/KQTV/ABC News)

Century-Old Whiskey Bottles Found in Missouri Man's Attic -- ABC News

To save money on the installation of central air-conditioning in his St. Joseph, Mo., home, Bryan Fite began replacing the wires in his attic, prying up the floor boards on the rafters. Along with possible savings, he found a treasure beneath the floorboards: 13 bottles of century-old whiskey.

Fite, 40, grew up in St. Joseph, and after working in Kansas City for several years, he returned to settle in his hometown in September 2011. The house he and his wife Emily Fite chose was built in the 1850s and needed work, Fite said.

Read more ....

More News On Century-Old Whiskey Bottles Found in Missouri Man's Attic

Man uncovers secret stash of more than a DOZEN 1917 whiskey bottles in his attic 'left behind by alcoholic former homeowner' -- Daily Mail
Booze you can use: Man finds century-old bottles in attic -- New York Daily News
Pre-Prohibition booze found in Mo. attic -- UPI

My Comment: This whiskey is not worth that much money .... but it does have history behind it.

Instead Of Retiring, You Open A Whiskey Distillery

Photo: Mark Meyer. Adam Milliron

Whiskey Makes Retirement Easier -- Wall Street Journal

Some people dream of a retirement spent sipping whiskey in a rocking chair by the fire. During his retirement, Mark Meyer is spending 10 hours a day, seven days a week, making whiskey.

Founder of Wigle Whiskey, a distillery that crafts organic, artisan rye and wheat whiskeys, Mr. Meyer knew nothing about the spirits business before he got started two years ago.

"To be honest, I've woken up more than once in the middle of the night wondering what I'm doing," says the 61-year-old retired trial lawyer. "But I've learned by doing, and it has been an amazing experience."

Read more ....

My Comment: I wish them luck.

A Look At Condrieu

Condrieu: Old Wood Passes The Acid Test -- The Telegraph

A good condrieu has been stored in aged oak and digs its roots deep into the Rhône valley – but only at a certain angle.

Condrieu is one of those magical wines. It smells like apricots and the distillate of dew from a Mediterranean garden in full bloom. It has a heady lift. And it mesmerises like a storyteller whose words make you forget where you are.

At least, it does when it’s good. When condrieu is not good it is just another white wine made from viognier: a bit flabby, sometimes claggy, and because it is so darn expensive and trying so hard, instead of a tease of barely smelt jasmine and hawthorn, you might get the over-cologned reek of someone you wouldn’t want to sit near in a restaurant, let alone have on your table.

Read more ....

My Comment: This white wine is expnsive .... but it is a perfect wine on a hot summer day.

A Wine Estate For Sale In Malibu

Rosenthal Wine Estate in Malibu Is Listed for $59.5 Million -- Wall Street Journal

A 235-acre Malibu, Calif., wine estate has listed for $59.5 million. The seller is George I. Rosenthal, the chairman of Raleigh Enterprise, which owns and operates commercial real estate, hotels, and movie and TV studio complexes.

Mr. Rosenthal assembled the Rosenthal Wine Estate beginning in 1977. The property includes a 12,000-square-foot hacienda-style main residence with two swimming pools. There are also horse stables and two guesthouses, including one with an additional pool.

Read more ....

My Comment: A wine estate in Malibu .... who would have known.

Tackling Wine Allergies

Tech Tackles Wine Allergies -- Discovery News

Some people are allergic to certain wines -- that nice Loire Valley red gives them a rash or headache, or that California Chardonnay makes them sneeze. The University of British Columbia's Wine Research Center might have found a way to solve this problem.

The team at UBC has modified two genes of a strain of yeast called Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which has been used in winemaking for decades (if not centuries). The yeast was modified to eliminate the need for a species of bacteria needed for the winemaking process. That bacteria produces chemicals that cause allergic reactions. About 30 percent of the population has some allergy to wine.

Read more ....

My Comment: What struck me about this article was the following stat .... about 30 percent of the population has some allergy to wine. that's a big market being left out.

How To Prepare And Serve Your Wines

An example of a wine that had a bit of reduction that needed my Mason-jar, double-decanting procedure. One hour later, pure drinking joy. Photograph by: Bill Zacharkiw , Special to The Gazette

Wine: How It Is Served Is As Important As The Wine Itself -- Bill Zacharkiw, Montreal Gazette

I was over at a friend’s house for a birthday barbecue and, as per usual, I brought the wine. All the bottles were already open, and one person asked me: “Why?” I replied that I always open my bottles in the morning, even when I am drinking at home.

If choosing a wine to go with your meal makes you anxious, serving your wine the right way is a lot easier.

Unfortunately, most people don’t pay enough attention to wine service. This error is not only made by the average wine drinker; I have seen way too many sommeliers and waiters do their best to sell you “the right wine,” but forget that how the wine is served is as important as what you pour.

Read more ....

My Comment: Some good points here. Read it all.

5 Most Popular Luxury Burgundy Wines On The Market

Wikimedia Commons

The 5 Most Popular Luxury Burgundy Wines On The Market -- Business Insider

Burgundy, one of the most well-respected regions in France, produces some of the most sought-after Pinot Noir wines in the world known internationally by the name of the region.

A select few of these wines are even considered investments as they're often produced to be aged for at least 5 to 7 years.

Of course, it's not just about reputation. These wines also taste amazing. The beauty and luxury of these wines has drawn quite a bit of buzz around them. That's likely why this is one of the more popular categories in the Snooth People's Voice Wine Awards.

Read more ....

My Comment: Heavy on the Pinot Noirs .... which is not my personal favorite grape. But still a good collection of wines from one of the France's premier wine regions.

Could Wine Reduce The Chance Of Arthritis by half?

Drink up: Women who drink three glasses of wine a week could be halving their risk of arthritis

Three Glasses Of Wine A Week Could Reduce Chance Of Arthritis By Half -- Daily Mail

* Around 400,000 Britons are affected by rheumatoid arthritis and the majority are women, aged 40 to 70

The next time someone offers you a glass of wine, be grateful – it could save you from the agony of arthritis.

Women who indulge in moderate drinking halve the risk of certain forms of the illness, researchers have found.

Swedish academics found that women who drank at least three medium-sized glasses of wine a week - or the equivalent in beer or spirits - were up to 52 per cent less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis.

Read more ....

My Comment: I will drink to that.

Cows Raised On Fine Wine

Jean-Charles Tastavy, who came up with the idea, said the two Angus and one Camargue were initially fed the wine in a mix of barley, hay and grapes Photo: Alamy

French Cows Reared On Fine Wine -- The Telegraph

French cows are enjoying up to two bottles of high quality wine every day as farmers attempt to produce the best beef in Europe.

The extraordinary development has seen a 'Vinbovin' label of meat established which is already being championed by some of the best restaurants in Paris.

It follows an experiment in Lunel-Viel, in the southern Herault region of France, which saw three cows fed local wine for four months.

Jean-Charles Tastavy, who came up with the idea, said the two Angus and one Camargue were initially fed the wine in a mix of barley, hay and grapes.

It soon became clear that they were 'happy cows' who ended up producing an exceptionally succulent meat.

Read more ....

My Comment: Lucky cows.

The Story Of Cognac At The Museum Of Cognac History (Video)

The Story Of Cognac At The Museum Of Cognac History -- RIA Novosti

The origin and history of this legendary drink is shrouded in mystery. The secrets of its recipe are passed down from generation to generation, from father to son. The purity and quality standards of this heavenly liqueur are held sacred in the wine growing Cognac region of France from where it originates. And nothing made outside the region can use the name cognac. Check the video at RIA Novosti

Louis XIII - Why It's The King Of Cognac

A Look At Russian Wine

Russian Wine For Investors - Bottle Half-Full, Or Half-Empty?

If wine were an investment, like company shares, gold, or real estate, then you would expect the Russian oligarchs to put their hands into this particular till. But hobby vineyards and French chateaux aside, there haven’t been many. Still, Vadim Varshavsky’s Croizet cognac (Charente) has not proved to be as ill-fated as his steel business. Eugene Shvidler’s Chateau Thenac (Bergerac) is doing better than that with a range of wines selling for as little as £7.95, but as a business among Shvidler’s holdings it’s still small beer.

Thinking less of price than rate of return, the value of wine over the past decade has generated 15% per annum growth, according to the Liv-Ex fine Wine Index. That’s equal to gold, but much, much better than stocks. Of course, most of the contents of wine caves is drunk, not traded. So the rate of return is a nominal one. That may be why wine doesn’t meet the swift payback standard of the Russian oligarchs, and why they haven’t taken positions in the Russian wine business as they have in pigs, fish, grain, farm land and fertilizers.

Read more ....

My Comment: My nationality is Russian .... so I have had my taste of Russian wine. What's my take ... the sparkling wines are OK, but the reds still have a long way to go.

What Does A$168,000 Bottle Of Wine Taste Like?

The world’s most expensive wine, Penfolds 2004 Block 42, is housed in 750-ml glass ampoules. Photo: Penfolds

Record-Breaking Wine: What Does $168,000 Taste Like? -- Wired Science

Today, the Australian winery Penfolds announced the world’s most expensive wine sold directly from a winery, eloquently dubbed “2004 Block 42.” The $168,000 wine is a produced from a single vineyard, from what the winery claims are the oldest continuously producing Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the world. It will be sold in 12 glass ampoules (above), which look more like something you’d use to kill a vampire than to serve wine. Each holds the equivalent of a standard wine bottle.

Read more ....

My Comment: This is overpriced wine .... but I must confess that I do like the design of the bottle.

French Wine Investors May Now Go Abroad

Fine wine has grown dramatically in popularity among investors after holding up well during the financial crisis and a recent boom in interest from Asian markets Photo: Alamy

French Wine Investors Should Look Overseas -- The Telegraph

When it comes to investing in fine wine, expensive and well-established French vineyards are traditionally regarded as the safest bet.

But prudent investors should consider moving into Italian, Australian or even Portuguese wine to avoid "putting all their eggs in one basket", researchers claim.

Although the history and reputation of French wine makes it the most robust player on the international fine wine market, a single year of bad weather could destroy the value of a portfolio consisting solely of Burgundy and Bordeaux.

Read more ....

My Comment: The election of the Socialists will impact France's wine industry. The previous Socialist government specifically targeted wineries and their cellars with special taxes, I would not be surprised if the new French government starts to do the same thing.

Original Recipe For Jack Daniel's Found

The history of Jack Daniel's is a mystery because the distillery's early records were destroyed in a courthouse fire Photo: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

Original Recipe For Jack Daniel's Found In Welsh Book Of Herbal Remedies -- The Telegraph

The original recipe for legendary American whiskey Jack Daniel's has been discovered in a book of herbal remedies in Wales, it has been claimed.

Businessman Mark Evans, 54, was researching his family history when he discovered the recipe in a book of herbal remedies.

It was written in 1853 by his great-great grandmother who was called Daniels and was a local herbalist in Llanelli, South Wales.

Her brother-in-law left the Welsh town at about the same time to move to Lynchburg Tennessee where the Jack Daniel's distillery was opened three years later.

And the Jack Daniel's website states the founder of the distillery was from Wales.

Read more ....

My Comment: Ice tea spiked with Jack Daniels .... a deadly combination.

Some Wines From New Jersey Are Rated Excellent

Photo: Noah K. Murray/The Star-Ledger

Experts Deem Wines from New Jersey (!) As Good As France’s Finest -- Time

Must be that Turnpike terroir. In a recent blind taste test, wines produced in New Jersey—yes, that New Jersey, the state just east of Pennsylvania—held their own when matched up against whites and reds from France, some of which are priced at $650 per bottle.

In 1976, TIME reported on the “Judgment of Paris,” a blind-test showdown pitting wines from France against those produced in the U.S.’s most celebrated wine-producing state, California. The results at the time were shocking, with experts giving top honors to California.

Read more ....

My Comment: New Jersey as a top wine producer .... I am surprise.

The Future Of Wine In China

Emma Gao (高源), chief winemaker at Silver Heights (Image: Silver Heights)

The Future Of Wine In China (Part 1) -- Jing Daily

Despite some headline-catching news, China’s wine market remains at an early stage of development. While this gives market participants an unprecedented opportunity to shape it to their advantage, it also increases the level of uncertainty under which key decisions must be made.

In this column, I highlight some of the key factors shaping China’s wine market, as well as its domestic wine industry. Some of these are global in nature; i.e., they have been influencing the industry in other markets and are likely to be felt in China, although potentially in a different way and at a different pace. Others are more local, rooted in China’s particular stage of market evolution and relationship with wine.

Read more ....

Editor: Part two is here.

Courting Chinese Wine Buyers

US Winemakers Court Chinese Buyers -- McClatchy News

LODI, Calif — With bottles ready for tasting, a group of Lodi wine producers waited anxiously last week for a delegation of monied business people they hoped to impress. The vintners burst into applause when the group finally arrived, over an hour late.

These honored guests weren't Hollywood moguls or Silicon Valley venture capitalists. They were potential customers and investors from the city of Shenyang in northern China, coming to check out Lodi as a potential source of affordable wine to supply China's rapidly growing market.

The rising middle class in China and other Asian-Pacific countries is fueling one of the wine world's fastest growing markets. According to the McKinsey Global Institute, China is expected to add 235 million consumers by 2020 and will account for 20 percent of the global luxury market by 2015.

Read more ....

My Comment: The Chinese have the wine bug .... and they will need to satisfy their wine cravings.

Massive Wine Fraud Uncovered In France

Photo: Police said bottles of Nuits St George were filled up with cheaper wine as part of a scam to defraud connoisseurs (stock image)

Top Wine Trading Company 'Filled Vintage Bottles With Cheap Alcohol As Part Of Multimillion Pound Fraud' -- -- Daily Mail

* Labouré-Roi took expensive bottles of Nuits St George and put cheap supermarket wine in them
* Nuits St George was not in on the scam
* Scam is believed to have defrauded several hundred million pounds from wine connoisseurs
* Two former executives - brothers aged 82 and 83 - were arrested but later released

Thousand of British wine connoisseurs have unwittingly been drinking vintage burgundy topped up with cheap table wine under a scam operated by one of France’s most prestigious traders, prosecutors have claimed.

Following an 18-month investigation, police say that merchants Labouré-Roi took bottles of Nuits St George and topped them up with supermarket wines.

Read more ....

My Comment: This is not the first time something like this has been done .... nor will it be the last.

Canadians Will Soon Be Able To Buy Wines From Other Provinces

The Long And Winding Road Too Free Canadian Grapes -- National Post

Federal-provincial jurisdictional issues are not usually on the minds of most Canadians while they savour a glass of wine. However, over the past few months, wine commentary has been intermingled with discussions on the right to sell and ship wine across provincial boundaries by Canadian wineries and consumers alike. Domestic, international and social media have been aflutter with comments about Bill C 311, An Act to amend the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act (interprovincial importation of wine for personal use).

There has been much speculation as to what, when and how Bill C 311 will alter both a winery’s right to ship wine to consumers in another province, as well as the ability of consumers to legally transport wine inter-provincially.

Read more ....

My Comment: As a Canadian .... I say this is long overdue and welcomed by almost everyone.

Can Drinking Moonshine Really Make Me Go Blind?

Moonshining Former moonshiner John Bowman (right), explaining the ins and outs of a proper moonshine still. via Wikimedia

FYI: Can Drinking Moonshine Really Make Me Go Blind? -- Popular Science

The short answer: yes, it’s possible to go blind from drinking moonshine. But it’s also possible to go blind staring at the sun. When consuming alcoholic beverages of the DIY variety, the important thing is to let common sense be your guide.

The idea that moonshine or other home-distilled liquors can cause blindness is rooted in truth, but it’s important to separate the causes of said blindness from the alcohol distillation process itself. When homemade spirits cause damage to the optic nerve the culprit is almost always methanol, cousin to the ethanol you consume when you toss back any glass of tipple.

Read more ....

My Comment: I had the unpleasant experience of drinking moonshine in China. I suffered 'white blindness' .... and it was uncomfortable.

Does Wine Kept Under Sea Taste Better Than The Stuff Stored In A Chateau?

Photo: Finished product: The 'Neptune' branded wine from Chateau Larrivet Haut-Brion which was aged under the sea

The Test Proving Wine Kept Under Sea Really DOES Taste Better Than The Stuff Stored In A Chateau... After 11 Bottles Found In 200-Year-Old Shipwreck Sell For £90,000 -- Daily Mail

* French trio aged two barrels of identical wine for six months - one under sea and the other in chateau cellar
* Lab tests revealed sea wine had undergone different process of osmosis, giving it a mellower taste than traditionally aged barrel
* Comes after 11 bottles of champagne from 2010 Baltic shipwreck sold for £90,000 at auction

Bottles of wine found in shepwrecks often sell for a fortune. But does the sea hold the secret to truly great vintages?

To find out a trio of French wine lovers - a vineyard manager, a barrel maker and an oyster farmer - teamed up to test the myth, above and below water.

Barrels of a 2009 Bordeaux wine were stored in two locations - one was to be kept in chateau cellars, the other sunk among the prized oyster beds of the Bay of Arcachon, on the Atlantic coast.

Read more ....

My Comment: As a wine maker, I find this news fascinating.

Thinking About Wine Can Help You Relax

Just the thought of a glass of wine could be enough to help you relax because of the power of positive thinking Photo: Alamy

Thinking About Wine Can Help You Relax, Scientists Claim -- The Telegraph

Just the thought of a glass of wine could be enough to help you relax because of the power of positive thinking, scientists have claimed.

People are so suggestive that simply believing an alcoholic drink will make us feel better or socialise more easily at a party will greatly raise the chance of making it so, researchers said.

This is because of the phenomenon of "response expectancies", or the way in which we predict how we will behave in different situations.

Read more ....

My Comment: I will definitely drink to that.

Hillary Clinton Is In High Spirits During A Wine Tasting At A Beach Front Resort In Georgia

An exacting palate: Mrs Clinton participated in a wine tasting at Adjarian Wine House in the coastal resort town of Batumi near the Black Sea during her diplomatic trip which included stops in eastern Europe and Scandinavia

All In The Name Of Diplomacy: Hillary Clinton Is In High Spirits During A Wine Tasting At A Beach Front Resort In Georgia -- Daily Mail

Hillary Clinton made sure to have a little fun on her latest official trip by taking some time out to taste the best wine that Georgia had to offer.

The Secretary of State seemed to be in high spirits as she chatted with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and surveyed a variety of wine at the Adjarian Wine House in Batumi, a beach town decidedly off the beaten path of high-level political conferences.

Read more ....

My Comment: I have had Georgian wine .... and it is excellent.

The Wine Market Is Stabilizing

The Wine Market Sobers Up -- Jordan Weissmann, The Atlantic

These are lush years for luxury industries, like $5,000 handbags and pricey art. But one billionaire friendly market appears to have lost its legs: fine wine. That could be a sign of trouble for all of us, even you've never paid more than $9.99 for a bottle of Cabernet.

Auction prices for high end wines have taken a 23 percent dip since peaking a year ago, according to the Liv-ex Fine Wine 100 Index, which tracks a collection of the the world's most sought after bottles. The market had previously been on a tear, rising 264 percent since December 2003. And according to today's Wall Street Journal, recent pre-sales for top bottles have been noticeably weak.

Read more ....

My Comment: I personally believe that this is temporary. The market for good wine is still there .... but the steep rise in prices over the past 7 years has given everyone pause. If the economy improves within the year, the market will start to go up and price increases will be more moderate.

Wine Cellars Are Becoming The Next 'Big Thing' For Luxury Homes

Sellers With Cellars: Wine Breathes Luxury Into These Homes -- Forbes

In upper echelon homes, the list of “standard amenities” is where the wheat is separated from the chaff — and the haves from the have-nots.

We’re talking indoor pools, gourmet kitchens and master suites that occupy entire floors. If you have to ask how much, you’re in the wrong place. That’s especially the case in homes that come with an entire room dedicated to one sweet, singular task: Wine storage.

For the aficionado and collector, a full-blown wine cellar is a dream come true. And even for those who don’t imbibe, or are too young, that does not preclude the luxury appeal of a wine cellar.

Read more ....

My Comment: I guess a wine cellar will soon be the next "must thing" for all luxury homes.

Knowing The Yeast Genome May Eventually Produce Better Wines

Knowing Yeast Genome Produces Better Wine -- Science Daily

ScienceDaily (June 4, 2012) — The yeast Dekkera bruxellensis plays an important role in the production of wine, as it can have either a positive or a negative impact on the taste. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden, among others, have analyzed the yeast's genome sequenced by the US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, giving wine producers the possibility to take control of the flavour development of the wine.

Yeasts are an important ingredient in the production of various types of food, for example wine, and they make a major contribution to the taste.

Read more ....

My Comment: I completely agree .... a better yeast will not necessarily produce a better wine .... but it will certainly produce a different one.

Dr. Ruth Launches Low-Alcohol Wines To Help Couples Loosen Up

Fitting: Dr Ruth Westheimer, the sex therapist, has created her own range of wine called Dr Ruth's Vin d'Amour (above photo features unknown wine)

Geriatric Sex Guru Dr Ruth To Release Low-Alcohol Wine So Couples Can Drink Without Risk Of 'Falling Asleep' In The Bedroom -- Daily Mail

She gained fame through offering sex advice so it only makes sense that Dr Ruth Westheimer is now producing her own form of aphrodisiac.

The 83-year-old sex therapist, who had her own NBC radio program in the Eighties, has created a range of low-alcohol wine called Dr Ruth's Vin d'Amour.

Set to hit shelves in early July, the Californian range, which will feature her face on its label, has an alcohol content of just six per cent - in order to stop couples from falling asleep before or during sex.

Read more ....

My Comment: She is having fun .... and yes .... there is a market for low alcohol wine.

How Global Economic Shifts Changed the Wine Industry

How Global Economic Shifts Changed the Wine Industry — For Better and For Worse -- Time

The international wine market was a favorite subject for classical economists in the 18th and 19th centuries to help explain the benefits of free trade. Adam Smith advocated free trade in his opus, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. He wrote against the backdrop of mercantilism, which urged countries to export products to accumulate gold and import as little as possible so that they could husband their yellow metal.

Read more ....

My Comment: A few months old, but this article is still relevant in today's wine market.

Bordeaux Braces Itself For A heav Weekend Of Drinking

Giant bottles in Bordeaux decorate the town to celebrate The Bordeaux Wine Fair Photo: AFP

Bordeaux Braces Itself For 'Le Binge Drinking' -- The Telegraph

Bordeaux's bi-annual wine festival is bracing itself for the British curse of "le binge drinking" with frogmen on standby to rescue drunken revellers from its Garonne River.

Since Thursday, France's wine capital has been celebrating the eighth edition of the festival along a 1.2-mile "wine road" on the banks of the Garonne. Around 500,000 are expected to turn up by Sunday to taste 80 appellations from Bordeaux and Aquitaine and attend nightly concerts and firework displays.

This year, however, authorities have taken extra, draconian security steps after a spate of alcohol-related drownings in the river running through its centre.

Read more ....

My Comment: Wish I was there.

The Bubbles In Guinness Really DO Sink

Generations of beer drinkers have argued over whether the bubbles in Guinness sink while the beer is settling - now scientists have proved it

The Bubbles In Guinness Really DO Sink - And The Discovery Could Lead To Pints Of Stout That Pour Far Faster -- Daily Mail

* Bubbles circulate down at outside of glass
* Happens as pint settles
* Discovery could lead to new shapes of pint that allow stouts to settle faster

Generations of beer drinkers have argued over whether the bubbles in Guinness sink while the beer is settling - now scientists have proved it.

It might seem counterintuitive that bubbles might sink, but it's due to the way stouts 'settle' in the glass.

Read more ....

My Comment: Hmmmm .... why do I want to drink a beer right now?

Beer To Cost £7.23 A Pint At The Olympics

Olympic Beer To Cost £7.23 A Pint -- The Telegraph

Spectators hoping to celebrate British Olympic medals with a drink at the Games face paying the equivalent of more than £7 for a pint of beer, organisers have said.

Bars at the official Games venues will charge £4.80 for a small serving of London 2012 red wine. For visitors with an appetite for traditional British fare, a portion of cod and chips will set them back at least £8.

The London 2012 organisers, who published sample menus yesterday, claimed the prices were “more than comparable” to catering costs at other sporting events.

The public reaction was less forgiving, with Twitter users describing the announcement as “a shocker”.

Read more ....

My Comment: What a rip-off.

World's Highest Whisky Tasting From Everest Base Camp

Video: World's Highest Whisky Tasting From Everest Base Camp -- The Telegraph

Join the wounded servicemen and Glenfiddich Pioneers in Everest Base Camp for the world's highest whisky tasting.

The Walking with the Wounded Everest team and the Glenfiddich Pioneers take part in a world first - live whisky tasting from Everest Base Camp.

Monty Halls hosts the webinar alongside Walking With The Wounded founders, Edward Parker and Simon Daglish, Jamie Milne from Glenfiddich and Mark Thomson of Dramatic Whisky.

Read more ....

My Comment: I love the shape of the glasses that they are using to taste the scotch.

How Social Media Is Revolutionizing Wine Marketing & Sales

How Social Media Revolutionized Wine Marketing & Sales -- WebProNews

Wineries now have a great online presence and are experiencing increased sales.

Social media is taking over as the recognized way to spread the word about your brand and its products. Today it is essential to have an online component to your marketing efforts and sites like Facebook and Twitter are some the hottest spaces available. The wine industry has been one of the fields to take the most advantage of the new platforms. In fact, wineries have an online presence rivaling anything they have ever tried before.

Read more ....

My Comment: It's where people now go for information .... wine included.

Why A Gin And Tonic Is Best Served Cold

The tongue tastes the bitterness in gin and tonic more intensely when it's cold, researchers have found (Source: jonathansloane/iStockphoto)

Evidence Supports A Cold Gin And Tonic -- ABC News (Australia)

Science can finally explain why gin and tonic tastes best when it's served cold.

Sensory scientist Dr Martha Bajec and colleagues from Brock University in Ontario, Canada, report their findings online this month in the journal Chemosensory Perception.

"You want to make sure that your gin and tonic is cold to make sure that it's bitter," says Bajec.

While previous research has suggested temperature can affect people's perception of sweetness, Bajec was surprised to find no one had ever looked at the effect of temperature on bitter tastes.

Read more ....

My Comment: I guess the same can be said of most drinks .... from beer to putting ice-cubes in any 'hard drink'.

Northern California’s Secret Wine Country

Boonville, the hidden gem of California's wine country
Unlike its ever-popular cousins to the south, Sonoma and Napa, Boonville in Anderson Valley, California, doesn’t have tour buses chugging between wineries, swanky spas or the latest “it” restaurant buzzing with clamoring crowds. Instead, the person pouring could very well be the winemaker.

Northern California’s Secret Wine Country -- FOX News

Like anything worthwhile, the tiny Northern California town of Boonville takes some effort to reach. Nestled among rolling hills and vineyards, it’s the hub of the 25-mile Anderson Valley in southern Mendocino County, accessible by a twisty, 30-mile ribbon of two-lane highway that runs through its main drag. Dotted with a single hotel and a handful of restaurants and shops, Boonville’s town center – if you could call it that – is easy to miss.

However, instead of heading west for Mendocino’s rugged coastline, more visitors these days are stopping to experience the bucolic beauty of Boonville and its environs. A few vestiges of the former industries – sheep, apple farming and lumber – still linger, but nowadays, it’s all about grapes, with more than 70 wineries in Anderson Valley alone.

Read more ....

My Comment: There's a lot of wineries up there .... and I suspect that they sell their wine at a better price.