Australia's Penfolds Releases It's 2007 Grange

Penfolds’ Grange, center, is one of Australia’s most recognized and expensive fine wines. Penfolds

Penfolds Releases 2007 Grange -- The Telegraph

The first Thursday in May is a red-letter day among wine buffs, who toast the release of Penfolds’ latest Grange, one of Australia’s most recognized – and expensive – fine wines.

The winemaker marks the occasion with a ceremony at its spiritual home, the Penfolds cellar door in the foothills of Adelaide, South Australia’s capital. This year’s attendees will be the first to taste the 2007 Grange, which starts at 625 Australian dollars (US$656) and takes its place in an unbroken line that began with the experimental 1951 vintage, then known as Grange Hermitage, created by Max Schubert.

A Penfolds spokeswoman said the winery does not reveal how many bottles of Grange it makes each year.

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My Comment: This wine is not cheap.

A Look At Portugese Wine

First port of call: the growers of the Douro are branching out to make unfortified reds Photo: ALAMY

Portugal: The Land That The Wine Buyers Forgot -- The Telegraph

Portugal has been snubbed by the supermarkets, but there are big, feisty wines there waiting to be discovered.

The idea that there might be a meritocracy in the wine world breaks down when you consider Portugal. The country produces a fantastically diverse range of wines, from light, thirst-quenching vinho verde to complex and unusual reds and mateus rosé (stop sniggering at the back). It offers value to those looking for an everyday drink and interest for the nerds. So the problem with Portuguese wines is…?

“Selling them,” say supermarket buyers (off the record).

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My Comment: Their porto wines are excellent. But they do have the climate and geography to produce adequate wines.

A Sonoma Vineyard Estate

Photo Courtesy of Aidlin Darling Design

Sonoma Vineyard Estate Employs Stunning Design Artistry -- Just Luxe

Joshua Aidlin and David Darling are the partners behind Aidlin Darling Design, renowned for their luxury accommodations. The gorgeous Vineyard Estate won the company the 2008 Chairman’s Award from the International Interior Design Association as well at the 2007 Merit Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects, among other honors. The beautiful 14,000 square foot home is located in Sonoma, California on 140 acres of land. The estate includes the main home, as well as a caretaker’s residence, barn, irrigation center, water storage, as well as sculpture gardens and an orchard.

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My Comment: The architecture for this house certainly alters one's traditional view of what a house should look like in the middle of a vineyard.

First Indications Of The Bordeaux 2011 Vintage

Bordeaux, the world's largest fine wine region has just released its 2011 vintage. This follows two spectacular vintages in 2009 and 2010, which saw prices rise by as much 50% for some châteaux. WSJ's Will Lyons has been tasting the latest wines.

Bordeaux 2011: Choose Carefully -- Wall Street Journal

They can build the most sophisticated, technologically advanced wineries in the world, match them with immaculate, temperate cellars, and employ the most talented winemakers of a generation. But behind the neoclassical facades of Bordeaux's spectacular châteaux, the Bordelais understand that however much attention to detail they lavish on their vines, they cannot control mother nature.

The region's very best wines may command thousands of pounds a bottle, morphing into international brands and commodities to be traded in countless investment portfolios, but unlike fabricating a Hermès handbag or the latest McLaren supercar, if the weather conditions conspire to affect the growing season, there is only so much one can do to save the quality of the wine.

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My Comment: It looks like the Bordeaux 2011 is going to be a hit and miss proposition.

The Ultimate Private Bar

Diageo

Is This Bar Worth $159,000? -- Wall Street Journal

Diageo makes well-known beverages like Guinness stout, Smirnoff vodka and Johnnie Walker whiskey, but you won’t find one of its latest products in any nearby watering hole.

The world’s largest spirits producer has teamed up with Porsche Design Studio, a subsidiary of the car maker, to create not a drink but a personal bar to hold one of its most expensive scotches. Launched in November, the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Private Bar comes in just 50 editions, each with a price tag of more than $159,000.

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My Comment: At $159,000 per .... I will have to say no.

Why A Wine Cellar

Where Wine Lives: Cellar, Fridge—or Garage? -- Wall Street Journal

THERE ARE PEOPLE for whom the wine cellar is every bit as important as the wine. The cellars of such people tend to be carpeted, mirrored and lit by chandeliers. They may also be accessorized with Old Master paintings, Roman statues and Cristal Jeroboam souvenirs. Wine in these cellars isn't so much consumed as it is revered. I don't have one of those cellars. In fact, I don't really have a cellar at all. My wines are currently stored in several places—including the basement of my ex-husband's house.

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My Comment: A good summary on why (and what type) of wine cellar you should have.

How Red Wine Prolongs Life

How Red Wine Prolongs Life: Scientists Uncover How 'Miracle Ingredient' Boosts Body’s Cell Energy -- Daily Mail

Scientists claim to have discovered the secret of how an ingredient in red wine could be the key to a longer life.

The ‘miracle ingredient’ resveratrol credited with anti-ageing powers, and the ability to work against cancer, heart disease and obesity, really does boost the body’s supply of cell energy, claim researchers.

But it is only ‘switched on’ in the presence of a gene called SIRT1 that is the key to longevity and energy.

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My Comment: I can drink to that.