Northern Vintners Work To Improve Wines' Quality

Marquette grapes

The Editor: An interesting article on how northern vintners are improving cold climate wines. That link to the story is here.

Why Moscato Wine The No. 1 Wine In America

Moscato...The No. 1 Wine In America -- Wall Street Journal

Lettie Teague, wine columnist from the Wall Street Journal, takes a trip to a Union Square wine store where she explains why Moscato wine is so popular in the Unites States and why it has been for the past two years. The link is here.

Oval Fermenters May Make Egg-Ceptional Wines

Photo: In this photo taken Wednesday, March, 21, 2012, Eileen Crane, left, founding winemaker and president and TJ Evans, right, Pinot Noir winemaker, talk about their concrete egg fermenter at the Domaine Carneros winery in Napa, Calif. Evans credits the six-foot tall and 2,000

Fans Say Oval Fermenters Make Egg-Ceptional Wines -- Washington Post/AP

NAPA, Calif. — Do you like eggs with wine? How about wine IN eggs?

Sounds a bit dicey, but it’s been happening more lately as winemakers embrace concrete egg-shaped fermenters as a way to add unique flavors to their wines.

The eggs, which can be 6 feet tall or higher, have a cuteness factor not usually to be found in farming machinery. In fact, the Domaine Carneros winery in the Napa Valley was inspired to get in the seasonal spirit and had their 2,000-pound egg decorated for Easter complete with a frieze of white bunnies.

Despite appearances, there’s a serious side to this fresh approach. And it all starts with permeability.

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My: Comment: I must confess ... the science is interesting.

The Growth Of Wine Storage Facilties

Wine Storage Facility To Open In East Sacramento -- Appetizers/Sacramento Bee

In terms of naming, the new wine storage facility called Caverna Fifty-Seven makes perfect sense.

For starters, these lockers are tucked into a building near "antique row" on 57th Street in east Sacramento, and a temperature of 57 to 58 degrees is considered ideal for storing wine.

The final construction touches at Caverna Fifty-Seven are currently under way, and once all of its storage lockers are installed the facility will have space for more than 3,400 cases of wine.

The prices are competitive, too. A 10-case wine locker will cost $39 a month, and $59 for a 16-case space. 32-case lockers run for $96 per month, and $159 for 64 cases. Compare that with $100 a month for an 8- to 15-case space, or $150 for 16 cases or more, at midtown's 58 Degrees and Holding Co.

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My Comment: Smart concept. The website is here.

Is Expensive Wine Worth The Money?

Is Expensive Wine Worth The Money? -- The Telegraph

Why does one bottle of wine set you back a fiver and another cost five times as much? It’s all in the detail.

Jean-Claude Lapalu makes beaujolais that’s as thick as blood and as soulful as a patch of wilderness. He is a humble man, a paysan, but also one of the region’s stars. A bottle of Lapalu Brouilly sells in a shop for £20 or more.

“Why not make more of it and get rich?” I asked him as we sat outside at a scruffy table near his winery a couple of years ago. “Land in Beaujolais is relatively cheap. You could buy more vineyards…” He regarded me wearily. “It’s already completely exhausting me,” he said with a shrug at the madness of the idea. “I’m not sure it could be done.”

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My Comment: Sadly .... price usually does reveal the quality of the wine. The more expensive the wines .... the better they are.

A Look At Cider

Cider Is A Refreshing Alternative To Wine, Beer -- Pittsburgh Tribune-Live

Visit local pubs throughout England, Ireland, Brittany, Normandy and even northern Spain's Basque region, and you'll find regulars imbibing hard cider, a refreshing, generally low-alcohol, and relatively dry apple wine.

England alone produces a staggering 600 million liters annually. The United Kingdom has the highest per capita cider consumption worldwide while accounting for total annual sales of £2.2 billion (about $3.5 billion) according to Mintel Research.

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My Comment: Being one who enjoys cider .... I agree.

A Look At The Only Brewery In Pakistan

Ale Under The Veil: The Only Brewery In Pakistan -- The Telegraph

The Murree Brewery is thriving in one of the world's strictest Islamic states.

Pakistan is one of the last countries in Asia where you would expect to discover a flourishing – and legal – brewery, especially these days. There is only the one. But its beer is a world-class lager, long celebrated throughout the subcontinent.

And the Murree Brewery Company, established in 1860 to slake the thirst of Her Majesty’s soldiery in their broiling Punjab cantonments, is also a distillery that produces a prize-winning malt whisky. Moreover, it is one of Pakistan’s most beloved and successful business enterprises.

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Editor: The Murree Brewery Company's website is here. The product line looks impressive.

Cashing In On 19th Century Champagne

Cashing In On 19th Century Champagne, 11 Bottles For Sale -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Like smart investors who dispose of their stocks, the government of Aland, a string of islands off the coast of Finland, is selling 11 bottles of antique Champagne from a cache of 145 found at the bottom of the Baltic Sea.

Divers from Aland stumbled across the Champagne and beer while exploring a shipwreck in July 2010. The owner of the vessel and its destination remain unknown, but the sunken craft and its cargo now belong to the government of Aland.

"We began by selling two bottles of this antique Champagne at an auction last year," Rainer Juslin, head of Aland's Department of Education and Culture, said in a statement announcing the sale.

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My Comment: An incredible champagne find.

A $2,000 Limited-Edition Bacardi

$2G Bacardi Rum — Skip The Coke -- Toronto Sun

TORONTO - Well, here’s something you don’t see every day: A vintage rum valued at $2,000!

The limited-edition Bacardi will be available in April or May in select LCBO outlets across Canada.

“Valued at $2,000, the vintage blend is presented in a hand-blown crystal decanter and only 200 are available for purchase at select international airports and premium retail establishments around the world — including six in Canada,” says Seamus McBride, Bacardi’s president & CEO.

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My Comment: $2G .... hmmmm .... and only 200 bottles made. This is going to be a collector's item.

On a side note .... just like scotch .... you never add coke or water or ice to a high-end rum.

Pairing Italian Wine With High Fashion

Italy Winemakers Seek Fashion Boost On Global Stage -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Italy's top winemakers are joining forces with the country's luxury goods elite as the world's second-biggest wine producer tries to give itself an edge in the battle for U.S. and emerging market customers amid falling consumption at home.

Sales of Italian wine were flat at 12 billion euros last year and recession at home, as the country drives through austerity measures to tackle a sovereign debt crisis, means the industry is becoming increasingly reliant on exports.

Italy is already the world's top wine exporter by volume and number two only to France by value. It saw wine exports climb 13 percent to 4.4 billion euros in 2011, when 2.4 billion litres, or about 55 percent of total sales volume, was sold abroad.

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My Comment: The competition is killing them. Now is the time to find an edge.

Planting Starts At England's Biggest Vineyard

Some fizz in Sussex? The Rathfinny Estate in South Downs is only 88 miles from Champagne in France, and is said to have similar growing conditions

Taking On The French! Planting Starts At England's Biggest Vineyard (And It's Going To Produce A MILLION Bottles Of Bubbly A Year)

* Former hedge fund chief launches ambitious project in East Sussex
* Aiming to produce Bollinger-quality fizz for around £25-26 a bottle

A former hedge fund boss is taking the biggest gamble of his life by opening the country’s newest and largest vineyard – with plans to produce one million bottles of fizz a year.

Mark Driver, 47, and a team of 30, will attempt to take on the French at their own game, producing quality sparkling wine to rival the best Champagne has to offer.

His picturesque 400-acre plot, nestled on a south-facing slope, near the coast at Alfriston, East Sussex, is just 88 miles as the crow flies from Champagne in France, and has a very similar soil and climate.

The Rathfinny Estate will be one of the largest single site vineyards in Europe and aims to capitalise on the booming demand - both nationally and internationally - for high quality English sparkling wine.

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My Comment: Sparkling wine in England .... with a Bollinger-quality to it .... hmmmm .... I wish him luck.

The Bulgari Family Tries To Become A Name In Wine

Giovanni Bulgari in the Tuscan vineyard owned by his family. The Bulgaris join other famous families from the world of luxury brands, like the Cavallis and the Ferragamos, who are now producing wine. Dave Yoder for The New York Times

Bulgari Family Tries To Become A Name In Wine -- New York Times

PALAZZONE, Italy — The Bulgari name has long been associated with luxury jewelry worn by some of the most famous celebrities in the world, like Elizabeth Taylor and Julianne Moore.

But will it mean anything in the world of fine wine?

The Bulgari family does not know, but this week it will begin to find out. A new wine venture by two members of the Bulgari watch and jewelry dynasty, Paolo and Giovanni Bulgari, will release its first three wines this weekend at Vinitaly, the international wine trade fair in Verona, Italy.

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My Comment: I wish them the best.

Winery Living in Napa Valley

Kelly Fleming, who owns Kelly Fleming Wines, built a house and winery in Napa that look like they're straight out of Provence. Shown here is the 16,000-square-foot winery. Paul Dyer for The Wall Street Journal

In Napa, Blending a House and Winery -- Wall Street Journal

A California complex that evokes Provence—with a bag of tricks to keep maintenance down

Calistoga, Calif.

For interiors of Ruth's Chris steak-houses, Kelly Fleming designed a masculine look—lots of wood paneling and leather booths. For P.F. Chang's restaurants, she created an over-the-top Chinese-American theme with 11-foot-high replicas of ancient Chinese horses, murals and lots of yellows and purples.

Both projects were for Ms. Fleming's then-husband, Paul, who started the steak-house franchises in California and Arizona and founded P.F. Chang's. Now divorced, Ms. Fleming has built something for herself: a house and winery in Napa that look like they're straight out of Provence.

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Wine & Spirits Editor: The photo gallery starts here.

Scotland's Scotch Exports Unaffected By Recession

Scotch Whisky Industry Unaffected By Recession -- Times of India

LONDON: The whisky industry in Scotland, one of the most popular in the world, has not been affected by the economic downturn because of developing overseas markets, especially in India, China and Brazil, a report said.

Scottish whisky exports increased by 23 percent last year, Sky News reported.

Whisky has become one of Britain's biggest exports at a time when the country's economy was ailing. The drink is now worth over 4.5 billion pounds (Rs.370 billion) a year.

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My Comment: The BRIC countries love their scotch .... and I expect even more exports to these countries in the future.

New Marketing Campaign For Hennessy Cognac

An ad from the new Hennessy campaign.

Hennessy Goes ‘Wild’ For The Pursuit Of Achievement -- New York Times

Captain Ahab had his white whale. Don Quixote had his quest to restore the age of chivalry. Dorothy wanted to find a way to get home to Kansas. Now, a campaign for a Cognac seeks to celebrate aspiration and the pursuit of goals.

The campaign is for Hennessy Cognac, the best-selling brand in the United States and the world. The campaign personifies the search for success as a “wild rabbit,” asking drinkers, “What’s your wild rabbit?” before declaring: “Never stop. Never settle.”

The campaign is the brainchild of the Droga5 agency in New York, which was selected as the creative agency for Hennessy in April 2011.

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My Comment: This ad does nothing for me .... but then .... that's just me.

Wine Reviews Mean Nothing For Most Drinkers

Why Wine Reviews Are Irrelevant For Most Drinkers -- Beppi Crosariol, Globe and Mail

This doesn’t come easy, but I’ll say it anyway: For much of the population, professional wine recommendations are irrelevant.

Yes, there will be ungracious attacks from online readers who sense they knew as much already, but at least now the wisecrack brigade can cite science in its defence. Many nuances in wine – say, the vanilla richness of an oak-aged chardonnay or the astringent grip of a Barolo packed with the bitter tannins found in grape skins – are simply lost on many tongues.

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My Comment: I agree. To most people a bottle of wine is a bottle of wine. To a more experienced drinker .... wines are not the same.

Should You Let Your Kids Try Wine?

Illustration by Robert Neubecker.

Should You Let Your Kids Try Wine? -- Slate

Does exposing children to alcohol make them more or less likely to abuse it when they grow up?

When my son James was 10 months old, he was baptized into my religion. The ceremony took place in Bordeaux, and I performed it myself, rubbing a small amount of 2000 Château Pétrus on his gums. Yes, the kid started well. Since the age of 4, he has been allowed to dip his finger into my glass pretty much whenever he wants. (He says he especially likes Champagne; I’ve told him that’s what his allowance is for.) All along, I’ve assured myself that my wife and I were being a sensible, forward-thinking parents—that if we didn’t make wine completely off-limits and instead permitted James, now 10, and his 7-year-old sister, Ava, to satisfy their curiosity about it (within reason, of course), they’d be less likely to abuse alcohol later in life. Recently, though, I’ve started to wonder if that’s really true. Does early exposure promote responsible drinking, or is it better to treat alcohol as forbidden fruit?

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My Comment: They are going to try it one day .... so you might as well have them try it when you are around.

It's All In The Wine Label's Name

Robert Fuller of Deodoro Cellars in Paso Robles, Calif. holds a bottle of his 2008 cabernet sauvignon while talking about the rules and regulations that govern wine labels. Joe Johnston/San Luis Obispo Tribune/MCT

What's In A Wine Label? Notes Of Bureaucracy -- McClatchy News

WASHINGTON — Pimpnho raspberry wine is not, perhaps, everyone's picture of good taste.

Still, regulators gave the sassy beverage label out of Lodi, Calif., a go-ahead several years ago. Much tamer names, too, win approval, such as the green light that Wavelength got in January.

But when the same Paso Robles, Calif., winery that succeeded with Wavelength sought approval for "Antidote," the federal label bosses said no.

"That was knocked back, as curative claims can't be made," Deodoro Cellars owner Robert Fuller said.

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Your Wine Glass Can Make Your Wine Taste Better

Clear contender: part of the Château Baccarat 'Oenology’ collection

How A Wine Glass Can Make Your Drink Taste Better -- The Telegraph

How do you make an average wine taste better than average? Invest in some great glasses to drink it from.

There are a lot of glasses in my flat. I buy them compulsively. Spiegelau, Schott Zwiesel and Riedel. Wine glasses in lead crystal, Dartington Crystal (this is beginning to sound like W H Auden’s “Night Train”); flutes by Luigi Bormioli; all manner of shapes and sizes from John Lewis, Heal’s and Habitat. And Baccarat. A Rolls-Royce among glasses, the Baccarat; its red wine glasses make wine purr, sleekly, richly. For a price. (£64. Eeek!)

Some might say I have a Glass Problem. I call it diligent research. It is my quest to find the perfect wine glass. That is, an everyday glass into which you can pour practically any wine and expect it to be delivered beautifully expressive on the nose and in focus in your mouth.

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My Comment: I totally agree.

There's Vodka .... And The There's Vodka

In the clear: caviar needs the softer and more expansive taste of Russian-style wheat vodka, not the more assertive rye vodka usually made in Poland

Victoria Moore On Vodka -- The Telegraph

Rye or wheat, or maybe even potato? Prickly, plump or slippery? There’s vodka, and then there’s vodka!

Goodness knows where he was off to, but a few weeks ago that lovely Stevie Parle tweeted, slightly bashfully, to ask what one should drink with caviar. Bear with me on this.

“Vodka,” I replied. Within five minutes a friend who had been eyeballing the Twitter conversation rang me up.

“Have you told him it needs to be wheat vodka?” he wanted to know. He sounded a bit beside himself. “You can’t drink rye vodka with caviar: it’s so sharp, it would just hack into it, I mean it would be like eating caviar with knives in your mouth – it would destroy the smooth texture.”

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My Comment: My favorite is Belvedere and Grey Goose .... served ice cold of course.

The Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve Up For Auction

A Boat, A Scot, And The Most Expensive Whisky In The World -- Daily Finance

Moored to the pier on the south end of New York's Battery Park, the white yacht pitched up and down on oily waves. But even a queasy ride across the harbor couldn't deter the host of whisky lovers, journalists, PR professionals and assorted party people from streaming aboard, eager to begin their trip to the Statue of Liberty. It was going to be a historic night.

In honor of its 125th birthday, Glenfiddich -- the world's top-selling single malt scotch -- has released what is, arguably, the most expensive whisky in the world. The Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve, a 55-year-old scotch, is being auctioned off in an extremely limited edition of only eleven bottles. The first two have already broken records: Bottle No. 1 sold for $72,630 and No. 2 went for $69,656. Thursday's auction, the third, wasn't expected to fetch as much -- generally, the first and last bottles of a limited edition whisky run sell for top dollar, while the others go for a fair bit less. Still, it promised to be an interesting evening.

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My Comment: For more info on the Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve ..... go here.

A Look At Bordeaux

Bordeaux: A City Uncorked -- The Guardian

Twenty years after she first visited the city, Natasha Edwards returns to Bordeaux and discovers a metropolis transformed. Wine still infuses its every nook and cranny, but a revitalised riverside has injected life back into the city centre.

As the tram glides along the riverside, it stops for a moment by the "mirror", the flat pool of water on the broad quayside. Sometimes fountain jets are turned on and children dash between them. With these switched off, the water perfectly reflects the beautiful semicircular Place de la Bourse, designed in the 1730s by the royal architect, Jacques-Ange Gabriel. I can't help thinking the city is, quite rightly, admiring itself.

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My Comment: An excellent description of Bordeaux

A Pink Port?

In The Pink With New Rosé Port Wine -- Reuters

(Reuters) - In a bid to reverse a decade-long slide in sales, some producers of Port wine have gone pink.

They have given the sweet red or amber colored Portuguese fortified wine, which is traditionally sipped as an accompaniment to the cheese course or dessert, a makeover with a lighter rosé version that is 20 percent alcohol.

"It's port without rules," Adrian Bridge, chief executive of Taylor-Fladgate in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, said of his rosé, Croft Pink.

His 320-year-old, family-owned port house, which also has the Fonseca and Croft brands, was the first to make a rosé port in 2005 though others, including smaller producers Poças and Krohn, have followed suit.

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My Comment: The website for Croft Pink is here.

Mixing Art And Wine

People enjoy wine in the sculpture garden at the Ma(i)sonry tasting room in Yountville. John Storey / Special to The Chronicle

Napa: Winery Galleries Pair Works Of Art With Wine -- SFGate

Napa Valley wineries don't usually lack for the "wow" factor, with art often celebrated nearly as much as the critically acclaimed wines they produce.

There's the stunning architecture of places such as Castello di Amorosa, a 121,000-square-foot, 13th century Tuscan castle that lords over Calistoga; or Quixote Winery in Stags' Leap, which looks like a Salvador Dali-inspired crazy casa with undulating mosaic design capped by a gold-leaf wrapped onion dome.

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My Comment: The "wow factor" helps in marketing wines .... and there is no question that for many wineries in California .... they have been successful in employing that "wow factor" to the extreme.

China Estimates That There Are 1.95 Million Bottles Of Counterfeit Chateau Lafite Rothschild Shipped Last Year

Is China Really a Vintage Wine Drinker? -- China Perspective

France's renowned Chateau Lafite Rothschild officially produces 240,000 bottles of wines annually, 50,000 of which are shipped to China. Yet as many as two million bottles of so-called Lafite wines were sold in China last year, according to estimates by industry data collectors.

So where did the remaining 1.95 million bottles of Lafite wines come from? Or more precisely, what on earth did those 1.95 million bottles contain?

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My Comment: These numbers are incredible .... but China will not change their guidelines on how wine is marketed .... for now. And no ... China is not a vintage wine drinker nation right now .... but they are trying to learn, and some are spending their money where their palette is.

Prices For California Central Coast Wines Are Increasing

Price Pressures Pop The Cork On Cost Of Central Coast Wine -- San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo County labels are poised to become more expensive

Wine connoisseurs, take note: Central Coast vintages will become more expensive because of a grape shortage, experts said Thursday at the 18th annual Central Coast Insights wine symposium.

The principles of supply and demand were highlighted throughout the symposium as industry experts discussed the future of the Central Coast wine industry.

Wine grapes are San Luis Obispo County’s top crop, earning $173 million in sales in 2010, according to the latest annual crop report by the county Agricultural Commissioner’s Office.

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My Comment: I prefer Napa and Sonoma wine, but the Central Coast does have a good number of fine wineries.

Secretive State Dinner Wines Revealed

The Secretive State Dinner Wines Have Been Revealed -- FOX News

The big secret is out about which wines were served at the state dinner honoring British Prime Minister David Cameron Wednesday, thanks to a wine blogger and guest who revealed the pours--and even gave tasting notes on each.

Eric LeVine founder of CellarTracker, an online wine cellar, wrote on his blog about the wines and posted a photo on the dinner menu, which included the wines. The version of the menu publicly released by the White House only stated that American wines would be paired with each course.

Wine served included:

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My Comment: I am unimpressed. I was expecting something more interesting.

A Taste For Fake Whiskey

Scientists Develop Test for Fake Whiskey -- Voice of America

Two scientists in Scotland have developed a pocket-sized device to check whether whiskey is fake, using equipment originally developed to examine blood samples. They hope the techniques won’t just help the whisky industry clamp down on fakes which cost it hundreds of millions of dollars a year - but will also save lives.

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My Comment: I am all for technology that gives us the real thing.

Worldwide Trend Of Planting Wine Producing Grapes Continues To Expand

Seival Estate

Vignerons Lay Down Roots the World Over -- Wall Street Journal

Wine struggles with its ubiquity. "The trouble is, everywhere seems to make it these days," remarked a Canadian friend of mine who couldn't believe the number of stories she had read about countries planting vineyards. "Every day you pick up the paper and see another country is giving it a go. Pretty soon they will be making wine everywhere." I had to agree.

Of course in commercial terms, Europe still dominates the wine-producing map, but a quick flick through the latest edition of "The World Atlas of Wine" shows that India, China, Japan, Uruguay, Malta, Luxembourg and even Canada, a country one associates with vast prairies, soaring mountain ranges and cold winters, all produce wine.

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My Comment: The more the merrier I say.

A High-End Chinese Wine?

Jia Bei Lan 2009

China Drinks In Wine Success -- Jim Boyce, Wall Street Journal

A surprising newcomer is challenging European supremacy in fine wines.

A Chinese wine was launched yesterday in Beijing for 900 yuan ($142) per bottle. Some already consider that price outrageously high, others woefully low. If the price sticks, this could mark the emergence of Chinese wine into the realm of fine, high-price wines, which are predominantly French.

The vintage in question, Jia Bei Lan 2009, last year shocked experts when it became the first Chinese wine to win an "international trophy" in Decanter magazine's World Wine Awards in London, and in a category for wines made with Bordeaux grape varieties, no less. Given the general global disdain toward wine from China, this not surprisingly resulted in suggestions the contest was either fixed by the magazine or the wine was fake—that is, a French wine in a Chinese bottle.

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My Comment: They are already producing a number of excellent non-wine products right now .... my prediction .... give them a few more years and decades .... and I am sure that the wine that they will then be producing will be excellent.

What Wine Was Served At The White House State Dinner With British PM Cameron

President Barack Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron watch the U.S. Army Fife and Drum Corps pass during the Official Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn, March 14, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Obama’s Wine Service Causes A Stir -- Inside Scoop SF

The Obamas hosted British prime minister David Cameron at a state dinner Wednesday night. And while much was made of the localish ingredients and menu, the menu had one notable omission: the wines served alongside.

Typically the White House has released the wines being served as part of the menu. Policy dictates that only American wines be served at White House functions, and the dinners have always been a way to highlight great domestic wines from producers big and small.

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Editor: The wine that was served in last night's White House state dinner were the following ....

* NV Thibaut-Janisson Monticello Brut, Virginia (appetizers)
* 2009 Peter Michael Ma Belle-Fille Knights Valley Chardonnay, California (crisped halibut with potato crust)
* 2008 Leonetti Cellar Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington (bison Wellington)
* 2007 Iron Horse Vineyards Green Valley Russian Cuvée, California (steamed lemon pudding with huckleberry sauce)

Not a bad mix, with the 2009 Peter Michael Ma Belle-Fille Knights Valley Chardonnay being the one that appeals to me.

White House Makes It's Wine List A Secret

White House Makes Wine List Secret After $300 Bottle Raises Eyebrows At State Dinner -- Death And Taxes

President Obama is hosting British Prime Minister David Cameron for a state dinner this week, and will break a White House tradition going back years: publicizing the wine list.

State dinners are mostly boring affairs—foreign heads of state get wined and dined and impressed with the most refined tastes America has to offer, and the president does his best to avoid puking at the table or making a hilariously ill-timed toast. They’re barely newsworthy and always controversy-free. Almost always, at least.

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My Comment: This is taxpayer funds being used .... they should publicize the list.

Robert Paker Loves The 2009 Bordeauxs

Wine, Etc.: Buying Bordeaux Doesn't Have To Be Costly -- Home Town Annapolis

Call a particular year in Bordeaux “the vintage of the century” and you are likely to be dismissed with ridicule. Used so often by producers eager to unload their wines, the phrase has lost its meaning even for spectacular vintages like 1982.

However, calling the 2009 vintage in Bordeaux “the vintage of the century” is not getting the same response. It’s looking pretty good. Of course, the century is still young, so who knows what better vintages await us?

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My Comment: What caught my eye in this post was the following ....

.... One a scale of 1 to 100, Parker rated 18 wines between 98 and 100 — a tally we haven’t seen for many years.

Impressive.

Osama Bin laden And A Bottle Of 1870 Château Lafite Rothschild

Leon Panetta’s Bin Laden Bet -- ABC News

It was a bet with CIA Director Leon Panetta that Ted Balestreri never thought would come through.

On New Year’s Eve, Balestreri, a co-owner of Monterey’s Sardine Factory restaurant, was hosting a dinner party with 28 friends, among them long-time friend, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who at the time was the CIA Director.

Several guests teased Balestreri about when he was going to serve them a bottle of 1870 Château Lafite Rothschild, priced at $15,000, from the restaurant’s rare wines collection.

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My Comment: Of the Premiers Crus .... Lafite Rothschild is great ... but I love Château Margaux (when I can afford it).

California Winery Owned And Operated By Veterans

On the Job Hunt: California Winery Owned and Operated by Veterans -- FOX News

At the Lavish Laines tasting room in Livermore, California, each glass of wine poured represents the achievement of a remarkable winery. It's run not by experienced winemakers, but by veteran soldiers, marines and airmen: ex-military who couldn't find a job, until they found Josh Laine.

"It's all about providing for our own, and that's what I want to do- make sure the veterans are taken care of," says Laine.

The 26-year old former Marine says after he got into California winemaking several years ago, he recruited some of his Marine Corps buddies to help him out with the "grunt work," everything from planting grapes to web design. He soon discovered veterans make terrific vintners.

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My Comment: This is a cause that I can drink to.

A Look At Wine Auction House Acker Merrall And Condit

Wine auctioneer John Kapon mans the hammer in May 2010. Acker Merrall & Condit

At This Auction, Glasses are Rarely Empty -- Wall Street Journal

John Kapon of Acker Merrall & Condit knows how to have a good time.

The American wine auctioneer and blogger, who once organized a $25,000-a-seat wine-tasting event, travels the world regularly for tastings of ultra-rare wines. This week, he’s in Hong Kong for a two-day Acker sale that’s expected to raise more than $10 million.

But in a crowded marketplace with Sotheby’s, Christie’s, Zachys, Bonhams and others competing to sell fine wine at auction in Hong Kong, Acker Merrall & Condit — America’s oldest wine shop — stands out with its emphasis on ensuring wine bidders have a good time. A really good time.

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My Comment: Who would have thought that a wine auction would be so much fun.

Billionaire Winos

Photo: John Kapon of Acker Merrall & Condit conducts an auction in Hong Kong. The November auction, run by Kapon, Acker's chief executive, raised $14.5 million. Bloomberg

Men's Vogue - Billionaire Winos -- Colgin

Their tasting notes would make Robert Parker blush, their thirst would choke a camel, and their pinkies—and noses—are decidedly not in the air. Glass of 1914 Pol Roger, anyone?

Big Boy is standing in the middle of the dining room at Manhattan's three-star Cru restaurant, waving a saber, demanding that everyone shut up and pay attention. It's not easy to shut this crowd up—they've been drinking really expensive wine for four hours, and the adrenaline of big spending is in the air. But Big Boy, aka Rob Rosania, is more than capable of shouting down a roomful of buzzed alpha males. It's his party, and his magnum is bigger than anyone else's magnum. He didn't build a billion-dollar real estate empire by acting like a pussy. Signature sunglasses planted in his curly, dark mane, he's wearing a natty blue Kiton windowpane sports jacket over an open white shirt showing plenty of chest hair, and while he doesn't actually pound his chest, he often gives the impression he's about to. He's in the process of selling off $5 million worth of his wine cellar to the assembled company—plus a few absentee bidders—and even though there are 40 or 50 more lots to go, he wants to celebrate.

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My Comment: A wine auction that makes me blush.

More News On The Rudy Kurniawan Wine Counterfeiting Arrest

More News On Rudy Kurniawan’s Wine Counterfeiting Arrest -- Dr. Vino

The story of Rudy Kurniawan’s arrest on charges of selling counterfeit wine has been all over the news since the FBI arrested him on Thursday. Here’s some of the recent action:

* WineDiaraist and Wine Spectator have published photos from federal prosecutors taken from the scene of the alleged crime; one of those, with stacks of Petrus 1950 and Lafleur 1947 labels among others, is reproduced above.

* The compliant states that Kurniawan had been living illegally in the US since 2003. He tallied $16 million in American Express bills between 2006 – 2011. He ran up $11 million of debt in 2007 alone. At the time of the arrest, he had a Lamborghini, a Mercedes-Benz and a Range Rover in the garage.

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My Comment: Bottom line .... Rudy Kurniawan’s career as a wine expert is over.

Should Wines Served In The White House Be Disclosed?

Cork And Dagger: Should Wines Served In The White House Be Disclosed? -- Dr Vino

Remember the state dinner when the White House served green curry shrimp with a 15.6% alcohol grenache for the Indian premier? (and the typos!) Or a “Carlos Santana” brut sparkling wine with dessert for the Mexican president? Oh how we howled at those selections wondering if the White House wine steward was trying to derail diplomacy single-handedly.

Then, with the open-air state dinner for Angela Merkel, the White House stopped publishing the names of the wines served. Thanks to your contributions, we were able to determine two of the wines.

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My Comment: I for one would love to know what the White House is serving .... so yes .... since the tax payers are paying for it, we should then know.

No Transparency When It Comes To The White House Wine List

At the state dinner, on June 7, 2011, for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the menu made public by the White House didn’t include details on the wines. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Obama Transparency Scaled Back When It Comes to Dinner Wine List -- Bloomberg

When British Prime Minister David Cameron visits President Barack Obama this week, one detail may stay bottled up: the labels on the wines the White House pours at the state dinner tomorrow night.

For Obama’s first three state dinners, honoring the leaders of India, Mexico and China, the White House released the name, year and appellation of wines -- all-American -- paired with each course.

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My Comment: What is the best wine (for my taste) that I spotted offered at a White House State dinner .... it has to be this one.

Selling Luxury Wine By The Glass

Photo: Wines in the $20-plus category were the fasting growing segment in 2011. One online retailer has begun selling high-end wine by the glass directly to consumers. Source: www.tastingroom.com

Luxury Wine By The Glass — Coming To A Mailbox Near You -- CNBC

Thirsty for Napa Valley’s best without the high price tag? You’re in luck.

The online wine retailer TastingRoom.com now offers a solution for wine connoisseurs who wish to indulge in high-end wine by the glass at home.

"Consumers want to enjoy quality wine without necessarily opening an entire bottle," said the company's CEO Tim Bucher. "Our innovative product allows consumers to drink luxury and premium wines exactly how they want, when they want, wherever they want."

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The Growing Problem Of China's Counterfeit Wine

China's Faux Bordeaux Stirs Wine Market -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Master of Wine Jeannie Cho Lee could tell instantly when she tasted fake wine at a Hong Kong dinner party.

"Just from colour and the nose, once you taste it, it was confirmation that it wasn't the genuine wine," she said.

But not everyone possesses Lee's acumen. China's booming appetite for fine wine in recent years has fuelled a rampant counterfeit market that industry insiders fear could be turning local buyers off.

"What we're seeing across the country is a proliferation of knock-offs and copycats and outright counterfeit as the imported wine industry really explodes in this market," said Ian Ford of Summergate Fine Wines in Shanghai, adding that counterfeiters are taking advantage of inexperienced Chinese consumers.

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My Comment: The Golden Rule is .... buy from a seller that you know and trust and who have a direct contact with the winery of your choosing.

How To Counterfeit Wine

Illustration by Luke McGarry

An Insider's Guide To Counterfeiting Wine -- Bloomberg Businessweek

Last week, the FBI arrested a 35-year-old millionaire wine dealer suspected of trying to sell $1.3 million in counterfeit wine. The high-profile case is just the latest illustration of the fraud that has spread across the wine world in the last few decades, affecting every corner from the booming Chinese market to the international auction circuit.

Given the prices collectors are willing to pay for high-end wine—bottles of the 1982 vintage of France’s grand crus, for example, can fetch between $2,000 and $5,000 depending on the trustworthiness of the provenance—selling counterfeit wine can be a lucrative business. Aspiring fraudsters need only a bit of know-how and a few hundred dollars of startup costs. Herewith, a rundown of some of their techniques.

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My Comment: The penalties are too small .... and the rewards are incredible. What do you think is going to happen. As a wine collector, my blood boils when I read stories like this one.

Chateau Lafite To Build First Asian Vineyard In China

A groundbreaking ceremony is held following the construction of an Asian production base of Chateau Lafite Rothschild, a well-known French wine estate, in east China's Shandong province on Sunday, March 11, 2012. [Photo: cnwinenews.com ]

Chateau Lafite Builds First Asian Vineyard In China -- CRIEnglish

Chateau Lafite Rothschild, a French wine estate that produces the world's most expensive wines, has started construction on its first Asian production base in east China's Shandong province.

Chateau Lafite Rothschild, a French wine estate that produces the world's most expensive wines, has started construction on its first Asian production base in east China's Shandong province.

Domaines Barons de Rothschild, Chateau Lafite's parent company, has teamed up with CITIC, China's largest state-owned investment company, to build the base in Penglai, a city on the easternmost tip of the province, which is known as one of China's largest wine-producing areas.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Sunday, said Cong Yanpeng, head of the city's wine bureau, on Monday.

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My Comment: Chateau Lafite Rothschild has just given the Chinese wine industry a huge seal of approval.

Renowned Wine Collector Accused Of Selling Counterfeit Wine

Rudy Kurniawan, a wine collector, was arrested in Los Angeles by the F.B.I. Ricardo DeAratanha/Los Angeles Times

Renowned Wine Dealer Accused of Trying to Sell Counterfeits -- L.A. Times

Rudy Kurniawan had ascended to the upper reaches of the wine world on both coasts, renowned as much for his palate as for his eye, fixed often on the highest of high-end bottles.

His presence at auctions was constant, at events in Beverly Hills, and offerings at Sotheby’s in New York. His interest by itself was enough to drive prices at the top of the market.

And as his collection brought in millions, Mr. Kurniawan made a show of his own authenticity, offering major buyers an unconditional return policy — exceedingly rare in the industry — while attracting a clientele that included the billionaire William I. Koch.

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More News On The Arrest Of Renowned Wine Dealer Accused of Trying to Sell Counterfeits

Influential L.A.-area wine collector accused of fraud -- L.A. Times
L.A. Wine Collector Accused of Trying to Sell More Than $1 Million in Counterfeit Wine -- ABC News
No bail for wine collector accused of fraud in NY -- Wall Street Journal
Wine Collector Faces Federal Fraud Charges -- Time/AP
Millionaire accused of trying to sell fake wine for $1.3m -- Independent
Prosecutors: Prominent wine collector sold $1.3 million worth of counterfeit bottles -- MSNBC
California man accused of trying to sell fake wine -- Reuters
Collector Rudy Kurniawan accused of counterfeiting over $1.3 mil worth of wine -- CBS/AP
Rudy Kurniawan Arrested: Indonesian Millionaire & Wine Collector Accused Of Passing Fake Bottles -- Huffington Post
Rudy Kurniawan Arrested by FBI on Numerous Fraud Charges -- The Wine Cellar
FBI Arrests Wine Collector Rudy Kurniawan -- Wine Spectator

My Comment: If this is true .... what can I say but what a waste.

The 5 "S"s Of Wine Tasting (Video)

W&S Editor: Jim Campanini's wine epiphany occurred in Italy, drinking local wines produced by family members. Here he describes how to see, swirl, smell, sip and savor your favorite glass of wine.

Argentine Torrontés

From left: Co-operative Fairtrade Torrontés-Chardonnay 2011, Viñalba Seleccion Torrontés 2011, Zohar Torrontés 2009 Photo: PEARTREE

Wine Review: Argentine Torrontés -- The Telegraph

Argentine torrontés is that rare thing – a grape for all seasons.

Is there a white wine for all seasons? Most fail the test, because, much as the trade won't admit it, lighter, unoaked whites like simple Italians and floral rieslings are more popular in spring and summer (with fish, salads, etc), while richer, oakier styles like the bigger chardonnays and viogniers suit winter and autumn better (with roast chicken, pork, creamier dishes).

There are exceptional moments, like the January urge for light, lower-alcohol wine, but still, as generalisations go, it holds true.

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Investing In Wine

How To Invest In Wine -- The Telegraph

Unlike other luxury items, such as Rolex watches or Aston Martin cars, the supply of fine wine is fixed.

Wine is a unique asset. Unlike other luxury items, such as Rolex watches or Aston Martin cars, the supply of fine wine is fixed. If demand for a Rolex or Aston Martin increases, more can be made, but fine wines have a set production number - once the grapes are picked, no more vines can be planted, and geographical regions are controlled by law.

Fine, investment-grade wine, is considered to be only the top 50 to 100 traded wines, although some go further and specify that only those from chateaus in the Bordeaux region qualify.

Either way, wine production is controlled and cannot be increased by demand.

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My Comment: A confession on my part .... I tried investing in wine and scotch .... alas .... it's hard to keep a fine collection of wine and hard spirits just sitting there.

Downfall Of A Cult Californian Winery

My Comment: LOL. Yup .... it's all about the points.

Most Expensive 'Wine Spill' Ever

An expensive drop ... Bottles of 2010 Mollydooker Velvet Glove (McLaren Vale Shiraz) accidentally destroyed in Adelaide. A total of 46 cases at $185 a bottle was sent down the drain. Daily Telegraph

That’s What You Call A Wine Spill: Fork-Lift Truck Drops $1m Of Top Aussie Wine -- Daily Mail

They say there is no point crying over spilt milk.

But when more than $1 million of high-quality Australian wine was spilt everywhere after a forklift dropped a crate of it, its understandable that the owner might have had a tear or two in his eye.

Some 462 cases of 2010 Mollydooker Velvet Glove shiraz — worth 185 Australian dollars was lost when a forklift dropped the consignment, according to a report Friday.

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Update: Million dollar drop as wine tumbles -- Herald Sun

My Comment: This accident happened last year .... and I still get the shivers when I think about it.

The Canadian Whiskey Fungus

Photo: Caren Alpert

The Mystery Of The Canadian Whiskey Fungus -- Wired

The air outside a distillery warehouse smells like witch hazel and spices, with notes of candied fruit and vanilla—warm and tangy- mellow. It’s the aroma of fresh cookies cooling in the kitchen while a fancy cocktail party gets out of hand in the living room.

James Scott encountered that scent for the first time a decade ago in a town called Lakeshore, Ontario. Just across the river from Detroit, Lakeshore is where barrels of Canadian Club whiskey age in blocky, windowless warehouses. Scott, who had recently completed his PhD in mycology at the University of Toronto, had launched a business called Sporometrics. Run out of his apartment, it was a sort of consulting detective agency for companies that needed help dealing with weird fungal infestations. The first call he got after putting up his website was from a director of research at Hiram Walker Distillery named David Doyle.

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My Comment: And here I am .... thinking that mold was exclusively a grape/wine problem.

Yuan Jiang, Chinese Wine Mogul

People visit France exhibition area during the Top Wine China 2011 fair at China World Trade Center on May 25, 2011 in Beijing, China. ChinaFotoPress / Getty Images

Yuan Jiang, Chinese Wine Mogul: 10,000 Bottles a Day and Counting -- Time

This post is in partnership with Worldcrunch, a new global-news site that translates stories of note in foreign languages into English. The article below was originally published in Economic Observer.

Yuan Jiang started his first business, a direct marketing services provider called Roadway, in 2001. Seven years later, Roadway ranked first in its sector in China, with profits twice that of its nearest rival. At that moment, Yuan agreed to a merger with the American firm D&B (Dun & Bradstreet) for more than $40 million.

It was 2008, when the financial crisis occurred. There wasnt much hope for my company to be listed, Yuan says.

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My Comment: I expect this trend to continue to grow as China's economy expands and more people have disposable incomes to enjoy wine.

A Visit To Coppola's Winery

Tasting associate Emily Kyllingstad pours a glass of wine in the tasting room at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyserville, California. (Mike Siegel, The Seattle Times, MCT / June 6, 2011)

A Day Of Tasting And Fun At California's Coppola Winery -- Orlando Sentinel/MCT

GEYSERVILLE, Calif. — A visit to the Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyserville is more than just a wine-tasting amid poetic rolling hills of vineyards.

It's a day destination, complete with an array of non-wine-related activities: swimming pools, bocce ball courts, 28 pool "cabines" — and a chance to explore some of the most famous movie paraphernalia in cinema history.

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My Comment: Pictures of Coppola's winery can be seen here.

Businessman Splashes Out £125,000 On ONE Bottle Of Champagne

Heavy load: Two waiters were required to carry the 99lb double Nebuchadnezzar-sized bottle

Cork Blimey! Businessman Splashes Out £125,000 On ONE Bottle Of Champagne As He Spends £200,000 In A Single Bar Round -- Daily Mail

* Two waiters were needed to carry the 99lb bottle of champagne
* It was so big it was the equivalent of 40 standard bottles of bubbly
* The man also had to pay a 10% service charge - costing more than £18,500

A businessman blew £125,000 on a single bottle of the world’s most expensive champagne while buying a round of drinks for more than £200,000 in a night club.

The financier ordered a 30-litre double Nebuchadnezzar-size bottle of Armand de Brignac Midas bubbly along with £60,408 on other beverages for his 10-man entourage.

Two waiters at the PlayGround nightclub at Liverpool's Hilton - which is on a huge publicity drive promising to bring 'six star Vegas luxury to Merseyside' - were needed to carry in the bulky 99lb bottle of champagne, which is the equivalent of 40 standard ones.

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My Comment: Wow .... now that's a party .... all be it an expensive one.

Are Chinese Aficionados Fueling A Wine Bubble?

Visitors to VineExpo Asia-Pacific sample wine in Hong Kong, May 25, 2010.
Mike Clarke / AFP / Getty Images

Bordeaux Breaks the Bank: Are Chinese Aficionados Fueling a Wine Bubble? -- Time

This post is in partnership with Worldcrunch, a new global—news site that translates stories of note in foreign languages into English. The article below was originally published in Le Nouvel Observateur.

Asian millionaires' thirst for the best Bordeaux wines has sent prices skyrocketing, and the most prestigious Châteaux have been turning astronomical profits as a result.

At a May 17 auction in Hong Kong, new Chinese millionaires were fighting over the few wines that Château Latour — which was rated as First Growth under the 1885 Bordeaux Classification — brought out of its wine cellars. It took Christie's seven and a half hours to sell the 392 lots. Château Latour, which belongs to François Pinault, had planned to stimulate wine collectors' thirsts by putting 19th century wines up for auction, including one bottle dating back to 1863 which sold for 48,730 euros.

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My Comment: Considering how expensive these wines have become over the past few years ... I would have to say yes .... the Chinese have created a "wine bubble"