Wow! This has been one heck of a week in wine news. The juiciest news comes by way of Wine & Spirits Daily regarding Amazon giving up their piece of the wine pie. It’s a longer read but I think it’s worth checking out!

Ever experienced a tin-foilesque aftertaste having paired red wine with fish? There is new information this week about why red wine and fish are not such a great pairing. Read more here.

Then, in case you missed this year’s Boston Globe Plonkapalooza, check out this year’s top wine picks!

For those of you looking to stretch your legs and travel the wine world a bit, consider joining Bon Vivant Wine Company (Randolph, MA) as they wine and dine with you at some of Long Island’s best vineyards on November 21. Tickets are available here.

What do you think of Amazon’s decision?

Maybe you’ve started to make the official fall Grand Wine Tasting rounds at local shops in/around town this month. Have you had the unique opportunity to taste some high end stuff? Or have these fine wines merely adorned the shelves behind the pouring pros, catching your eye and your curiosity: what makes a wine command a $100+ price tag?

Pop on over to Wicked Local to get my take on the question! Then tell us…

Do you think it is “worth” spending big bucks on a single bottle of wine?

Got wine? Got a good cause? What about an insured nose (Robert Parker’s) and debate about its efficacy – or at least the question of mind over matter? Yes, yes; it has been another nerdy week in wine!

Biz Stone and his partner in crime at Twitter are first to bat in my lineup this Friday. They are teaming up with the folks at Crushpad and Room to Read to bring The Fledgling Initiative to bear. Check out this video describing the project to learn more!

Bringing home the runners is Jonah Lehrer (and friends). His philosophical diatribe over at ScienceBlogs provides a more “scientific” perspective on the art and science of blind tasting. He uses errors Parker made recently retasting 2005 Bordeaux (as explored by Dr. Vino, who was present for the moment in question, and further discussed by Felix Salmon) as his premise.  Lehrer’s piece question whether wine experience or our senses dictate wine enjoyment. It’s not a perfect piece of blog journalism, science or philosophy; but all of the above links are sure to stimulate your mind this Friday morning and worth investigating for yourself.

Have you ever tried to blind taste wine? What was your experience doing it and what was the occasion?

Ever grown particularly attached to a particular vintage of a particular wine? The good (and sometimes sad) news about wine is it is often changing! It is not a genre where you can rest on your laurels; the juice will run out – and the best ones often do sooner than later. Fortunately, this reality is part of what makes wine romantic. Nostalgia is a big part of the wine equation!

Pop on over to Wicked Local today to read about my recent experience tasting two vintages of the same wine. (The outcome might surprise you!)

Which wine changed vintages – and lost your affections as a result? Which wine offers a comforting consistency year to year?

We’re keeping things closer to home and sticking to domestic hap’s in the wine world this week.

First up… it’s harvest time! And the reports from Napa are look’n good. Moderate summer temps have kept viticulturists and vintners happy with easy, early-ish picking. Not only are sugar levels lower (which is a constant struggle in California) but yields are manageable. (In a down economy, there’s always bound to be more juice available than consumers demand. This year there might actually be a fairly happy balance on that front!) Check out what some vintners are saying via Decanter’s recent article.

Next up… we have some new developments on the highly contested Massachusetts Direct Shipping Laws.  Check out this update via Wine Business!

Last, but certainly NOT least…. Here at Pour Favor we work with any wine shop that can supply the fine wines we select for a given wine tasting event. One of our favorites (and actually our first partner in crime) is Ball Square Fine Wines in Somerville. This Saturday, Oct. 17, they are hosting their annual Fall Grand Wine Tasting soiree. This is never an event to miss, but this year in particular you’ll want to get in on the fun: they’ve just expanded their shop! See how far along they are with the renovations at 716 Broadway while tasting 50+ wines.  The event will run from 2 – 5pm. Be warned! The early bird gets the worm…

Are you sick of the direct shipping madness in MA? What’s your take?