December 2009
0 posts
Dec 1st
9 notes
November 2009
38 posts
1 tag
Does a Bottle a day keep the Dr. away?
Dr. Arriola’s study found that drinking a bottle of red wine reduced the risks of developing heart disease by 50%.   So, while a bottle a day may keep the Heart Dr. away, you might want to prepare for the some help with your liver or brain.
Nov 28th
1 tag
Vinography Aroma Card →
Nice tool that Vinography offers to give you a quick easy pocket sized guide to aromas and flavors. Quick easy download available in 7 languages.
Nov 28th
1 tag
French wine TV - Will we get access? →
French wine TV, Edonys, is about to launch.  It will be focused on wine culture and tourism.  Including visiting to vineyards, details on wine regions, tastings, etc. Edonys is trying to get rights to broadcast across Europe in French & English. Follow @edonys on twitter to see how they progress. Will you watch if we get access?
Nov 27th
1 tag
Wine Specator 2009 Top 100 - What's your favorite?
Wine Spectator has released their 2009 Top 100 listing of this years most existing wines. Check out their pdf listing with rankings and price for more details. Do you have a favorite?  or…disagree with any picks?
Nov 27th
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Empress Josephine responsible for French Bourdeax...
Empress Josephine was one of the first French royalty to favor Bourdeaux wines.  Louis XVI did not have even a single bottle recorded in his cellar. Josephine’s handwritten cellar inventory was found after her detah in 1814.  The special listing of 13,286 wines along with her stemware and other treasures are display at Le Cave de Josephine through March 2010.  Her collection included wines...
Nov 26th
2 tags
Grape Update: Gamay
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, a quick lesson on the Gamay grape, the grape famous for Beaujolais wines. The Gamay grape is an ancient natural clone of Pinot Noir, and its full name is Gamay Noir a Jus Blanc.  Wines from this grape has a distinctive “Pear drop” aroma.  Three types of Gamay wines are typically made. Beaujolais Noveau - Producted in the Beaujolais region in France,...
Nov 26th
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Nov 25th
1 tag
$200 Million Wine Arsonist gets 15 yr prison... →
Mark Anderson, Berkley native, destroyed over 6 million bottles in attempt to hide the huge oenophilic pyramid scheme.  While the pyramid is alleged, Mr. Anderson did choose to plea out, instead of the possible 70 year sentence he was facing.
Nov 25th
3 notes
8 tags
The greyer the berry the sweeter the juice?
Have you ever enjoyed an Auslese or Beerenauslese wine from Germany or even an Italian Amarone? If so, then you’ve probably consumed wines that are derived from grapes with a grey fungus called Botrytis cinerea.  A botrytized wine comes from grapes covered in grey mold and is commonplace, especially in German wines. Boytris is caused by a continually humid environment that can lead to a...
Nov 24th
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1 tag
“The best use of bad wine is to drive away poor relations.”
– French proverb
Nov 24th
2 notes
1 tag
Endangered Wine — Preserving a Future for Classic... →
thefoodoffrance: Almost every wine aficionado knows about the divide between “modern” and “traditional” winemakers in Piedmont. But far less has been written about a similar clash of philosophies in the Northern Rhône. Both disputes date back to the 1980s; yet, the results have been very different.
Nov 23rd
4 notes
1 tag
Airplane Wine Picks Evolving →
Many airlines still offer the best wines to only their premium class fliers. This is especially true for the American based airliners.  But, time are changing and airlines are realizing the may  have a bigger opportunity here. Starting next month, Air Nippon Airlines, a Japanese airline company, will be selling coach passengers the same wines served in business class on international flights. ...
Nov 23rd
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Nov 22nd
1 note
3 tags
Is Wine Your Aphrodisiac?
Florence study found that women sexual desires were higher for moderate red wine drinkers, compared to others who preferred other alcoholic drinks or none at all. How, you ask? Researchers are not really sure. But, the current guess is that antioxidants contained in red wine help widen the blood vessels which increases blood flow to many key areas of the body.
Nov 21st
1 note
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“In vino veritas.”
– [In wine is truth] -PLATO a.k.a Truth Serum!
Nov 21st
2 notes
2 tags
Nov 20th
1 tag
Top 3 Wines to Pair with Sushi
Sushi and wine are one of the harder pairings.  To add to the challenge, many sushi restaurants are also just as baffled and have a very limited wine menu. Pinot Noirs - Pinot’s are known to be a softer wine with more moderate tannins which combine well with heavier sushi fish, like Maguro (tuna).  Beaujolais - This is another softer red that is also not usually overly oaky to...
Nov 19th
4 notes
“My only regret in life is that I did not drink more Champagne.”
– John Maynard Keynes (via wineandworld) (via wisdomofwine)
Nov 19th
4 notes
1 tag
Is Wine Terroir Disproven? →
US geologists claim the flavors in wine are not related to the minerals in the soil from that vineyard. ‘If wine lovers are going to talk about a mineral taste in wine, they should acknowledge that we don’t at present know its cause”, geologist Alex Maltman told the conference. // ]]>]]>
Nov 18th
3 tags
3 Tips to Exploring South Africa Wines
Look for wines from Stellenbosch and Paarl.  Hermanus has recently been up and coming as well. Cabernet blends are ranking as one of the best in South Africa.  (Check out the Anwilka) Try a Pinotage grape, which is unique to South Africa. It is a mix of Cinsault and Pinot Noir, but while a mix of two old french grapes, this is very much a new world styled wine.  It has mixed reviewed over...
Nov 17th
3 notes
3 tags
Red Wine prevents Swine Flu
Yes, its really true!  A red wine chemical, resveratrol, can help prevent a virus from cell replication. Check out this article for more details on the Italian study. Other studies have also shown this and similar chemicals in red wine to help your heart and digestion too.
Nov 17th
4 notes
1 tag
What Wine are you taking to Thanksgiving?
Have you decided what wine to take to your Thanksgiving dinner?   Assuming you are having the standard menu, What kind of wine works best? For Reds, look for softer tannins and wines that are not too heavy or over oaked to pair well with the Turkey.  Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Zinfandel, & Rhone style wines are good ideas. If you prefer White wines with your Turkey, look for mineral or earthy...
Nov 16th
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$3 Million to save Bourdeaux Sales →
thefoodoffrance: A new Web site set up by the promotional body for the Bordeaux wine region of France will allow wine drinkers to get a little practice the night before, in the privacy of their own homes. On the site, people can post questions to a panel of sommeliers, who answer via video chats. The site, www.enjoybordeaux.com, is part of a €2 million, or $3 million, campaign by the Conseil...
Nov 16th
3 notes
1 tag
“Wine is sunlight, held together by water.”
– Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) (via annaetc) (via wisdomofwine)
Nov 16th
3 notes
2 tags
Nov 14th
2 tags
25 brilliant wine bottles designs! →
While a well design label does not always give you a good wine, many of these live up to both! Check out these wine bottles, labels and packaging that made the top 25 best designs listing.
Nov 13th
2 tags
Nov 12th
1 tag
What Wine are You?
Check out this Wine Profile wheel from a Texas wine site (page 7). What wine are you?  And, what about your women? or man? Be honest…you know you know which one they are.  Share with the group!
Nov 11th
3 tags
5 Portugal Wines to Try - What are your Favorites?
As a follow up to our post on Portugal grape post, Here are a few Portugal wines that will help you try out some of those grapes. Douro Palestra 2007, Encostas do Douro $10 / 91 Points Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca. (Nov 2009 Wine Spectator Best Value) Vinhos Douro Superior Douro Castello d’Alba 2007 $10 / 89 points Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca Quinta...
Nov 11th
4 tags
Top 10 Wine Vacation Spots in North America
TripAdvisor has recently released a list of North America’s top 10 wine destinations after seeing a 10% rise in searches for “vineyards.” The results are…. 1. Napa Valley, California 2. Sonoma, California 3. Willamette Valley, Oregon 4. Yakima Valley, Washington 5. Roseburg, Oregon 6. Okanagan Valley, British Columbia 7. Finger Lakes, New York 8. Traverse City,...
Nov 10th
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6 Best Portugal Grapes
If you have not already tried a Portugal wine, you should start now. Portugal has been known for great Port wines, fortified wines, and Madeira for a long time.  But, now we are starting to get some great red wines from the many old vine grape varietals that you may have never heard of before. Six Best Port Grape Varietals: Touriga Nacional - produces rich tannic fruit forward wines with...
Nov 10th
3 notes
5 tags
Ordering Twitter Wine?
The news is out - Twitter has launched a Fledgling Wine through a partnership with Crushpad, a San Francisco based winery. All proceeds go to charity Room to Read, an organization that encourages literacy for children around the world.  Their first wines will be a Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, selling for $20 a bottle or $240 a case.   For each bottle purchased, $5 is donated to Room to Read. ...
Nov 9th
2 tags
Nov 9th
3 tags
WatchWatch
Gary Vaynerchuk’s book Crush It! is doing great!  While ranking top sales in NYT and WSJ , he has commented that his advertising budget was $0.  This goes to show how powerful a social media business can be! gary: Social Media = Business In my book I asked people to email me if they wanted me to expand on Social media= Business and so I did, and here is it. Having trouble viewing this...
Nov 8th
56 notes
1 tag
“Good wine ruins the purse; bad wine ruins the stomach.”
– Spanish saying
Nov 7th
4 tags
The Next Pandemic...Do you have the symptoms?
I went to a dinner party last night, where I and other guests enjoyed copious amounts of alcohol and I awoke this morning not feeling well, with what could be described as flu-like symptoms; headache, nausea, chills, sore eyes, etc.             From the results of some initial testing, I have unfortunately tested positive for what experts are now calling Wine Flu. This debilitating condition...
Nov 7th
4 tags
Nov 6th