For some reason, despite the tremendous talent in the wine trade that abounds, Boston and its surrounding communities seem to lack a clear understanding of what a wine bar is – and execute on it. For me a wine bar is:

1) A more intimate establishment or lounge where an ample offering of fine wines are available by the glass as well as the bottle;

2) A venue where a wide selection of more boutique old and new world wines are carefully selected by a wine director, and staff is fully trained to answer questions and make food pairing recommendations;

3) An eatery offering an inventive menu and a range of plate sizes where wine is celebrated.

Head on over to Wicked Local today to see which venue on this side of the Charles remotely resembles any one (or all) of these descriptors!

What’s your favorite area wine bar?

I suspect with the wine trade’s “tasting season” well underway, the Powers That Be at various publications (whether print or more socially-driven), are a bit behind in their usual operations. I know I’m a bit tuckered out, sampling wares from all over the world to suss out the Best of the Best for consumers.  My suspicion stems from a surprising lack of wine news this week. That said, I think I’ve found a few articles to distract you from your own work today.

France is proving a bit fickle in their health/wine reports these days. Check out this Decanter article to learn which way they are flipping (or flopping?) this week.

And South Africa proves a tempting ground – for theft! Did you hear about this major wine heist?

Finally, don’t forget to get on the tasting bandwagon yourself in the next week or so! Remember there are a couple of events you should consider attending:

Sept 25-27

Newport Mansions Food & Wine Festival Here’s what they’re saying about it: “Presented by Food & Wine, this spectacular event will feature more than 400 wines from around the world and cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs Jacques Pépin, Joanne Weir, David Burke and more culinary experts.” Click here for more info and to get your tickets today (and be sure to poke around the web for discount codes…).

Sept 29

All New England 3rd Annual Farm-Fresh Funky Feeding Frenzy @ Craigie on Main. From their lips to our ears, here’s what to expect:  “a 5-course dinner with wine pairings. We have thrown down a challenge to ourselves and pledge to meet it: every single offering on the menu will have been grown, raised or caught within our New England borders.”

Have you sipped and sampled at all this fall? Where abouts?

I heart Port. I have said this many times. So imagine my horror when one of the best in the Port winemaking business tells me they have done research…. and have found Americans are drinking Vintage Port younger and younger.

Five minutes later I was tasting the Burmester Vintage Port 2007. That’s somewhat normal in the trade, because that’s how we grow in our wine knowledge – knowing through a quick taste where Port starts, and, most importantly, gaining appreciation for where it goes. Trust me when I tell you the 2007 is some YOUNG stuff.  The 2005 isn’t much better. Both are bitingly acidic, tannic and, well, as someone recently described too-young-stuff (who I really respect), I wanted to pull my gums out over my teeth. Yes, you may have guessed, that is NOT cool.

Port is something to behold. It is something that, when done well and has the right amount of age under its belt, has finesse AND structure. I like mine best when it has been aged for an extended period of time. Like 20 Year Tawny. Or the 1985 or 1990 Burmester Coleheita (single vintage, single vineyard Port).

Please readers. Do yourself a favor and contribute to a more efficacious marketing trend: stop buying YOUNG Port! This stuff is meant to be aged. It mellows, often gaining exotic brown spices, burnt orange peel essence, sultry caramel and vanilla notes, all on top of a luscious layer of fruit – whether stewed plums, figs or blackraspberries. Why give that up?

Come on.

Don’t.

Buy.

Port.

Too.

Young.

It’s worth the wait.

Enough said.

Just a couple of weeks ago we were reveling in Luke Wohler’s Labor Day wine picks. But with the craziness of back to school/back to work/back to life, perhaps you’ve inquired at your local shop about the wines he recommended – but not yet made it over to Lower Falls Wine Co. to see what they’re all about for yourself. Who better to tempt you than Wohler’s himself?

Pop on over to Wicked Local today for four great reasons to break out of your autumn routine and get a little taste of something special!

Do you “travel” for great wine shop experiences?

Now with just about a week under its belt, I bring to you news of a new online wine “magazine”. One of the top folks in wine and social media, David Honig of Two Days Per Bottle, has launched “Palate Press”. Honig has brought together a dynamic lineup of some of the web’s most prominent wine folk, including “Dr. Debs” from Good Wine Under $20, Lenn Thomspon of LENNDEVOURS, and Gabriella Opaz (Catavino).  It’s an interesting idea – convening a group of some of the hottest “faces” in wine-social-media – and one I am interested to see progress.

For many of us wine blogging is just one of the many hats we wear. We either have a serious passion for wine, or a position in the trade, (or both), giving us unique perspective on wine. And certainly it is the “average person” who consumers are looking to for “real” information about something. At the same time, I’m always initially weary of who IS behind their computer musing away. Are they just gabbing about their own adventures as they experience wine for themselves organically? Or do they have a larger agenda and wouldn’t necessarily be prepared to take the Pop Quiz?  With so much information whirling around the web, it can be hard to discern who’s who and discriminate accordingly.

Given his lineup of contributors (with a few exceptions), I am really excited about Honig’s idea and who he has brought to bear on the project – and a bit envious I didn’t think of it myself! It’s a great way to capture some of the best of the best information and ideas out there in the world of wine, stir up some banter over more contentious topics and really engage consumers in a concerted way. I hope their “blogazine” does what wine does best: engage the senses and push you to think critically about what you’re consuming.

Kudos to their launch! Shall we give them a few weeks to “earn” the toast of success?

What do you think about this blogazine concept? Will you be tuning in?