It’s amazing what happens when you have 30 minutes to catch up on your Google reader feed! I found some gems in the wine bloggosphere and newsfeed I can’t help but share. Good Friday, indeed! I’ve narrowed the playing field to just 3.5 for you to soak up:

1. A new take on the “nature” of wine – click! For all of my photographer and scientist/nerd friends and followers out there, I bring to you this very cool concept for a wine book… Seeing is believing!

2. The “Ick Factor”: smoke taint in wine. I found the timing of this article too perfect as just a couple of weeks ago my colleague and I had the chance to meet Dianna Lee of Siduri; she had been lamenting the challenge she and her husband faced making great Pinot Noir in a year inundated with forest fire. She said they ended up tossing wine made from certain vineyards where they source fruit (so you don’t have to worry about any of the Siduri gems tasting like an ashtray as they’ll never hit the market). Check out this WSJ article… Something for you to bare in mind when shopping for 2008 Anderson Valley Pinots this year!

3. Trader Joe’s latest “wine trick”, lol. I’m a bit cynical, it’s true, when it comes to national chains taking on such large scale wine projects to pass on great “value”. (Shop local, people! You’ll find great value, smaller production, artisan wines if you have a great wine shop.) But I am legitimately interested to hear if you’ve tasted this wine – and your impressions. (And yes, next time I land at TJ’s I’m going to see if there’s still a bottle on the shelf for me to bring home.) In the meantime, weigh in using the comments thread below!

I have a healthier than normal appetite, I’m told. But it seems South African baboons do, too! Check out this hilarious (but costly) piece on these “Thieving Baboons“.

The age-old question “does stemware really matter?” has a simple answer: yes. It’s because a good glass can really help display aromas and flavors by channeling them in a precise way to your senses. Riedel is the company that has set the bar on this technology. And so they took their a competitor to the mattresses recently when Eisch advertised a breathable glass. Read all about the outcome here.

Speaking of glass, looks like the Champagne Bureau is getting greener! Each bottle of Champagne will now weigh 2oz less than before. Discover the full implications of this move here.

Last but not least, I had the pleasure of meeting the famed Randall Graham of Bonny Doon vineyards a couple of weeks ago at a local trade event. Looks like I had the opportunity right before his celebrity really took off! Graham was just inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame. Cool stuff.

Which wine headline caught your attention this week?

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?

Good news! This week there was much more wine fodder to catch my fancy. So, let’s jump right in!

First, from the tasting “room”:

Gaiter and Brecher over at The Wall Street Journal are continuing their plight to find domestic wine deals. I’m not convinced my taste test would have produced the same outcome on their American Cab-off, but their banter and findings are worth checking out here. And they are right on this point: you should ask your local wine guru what deals they have in stock. ‘Cause they’re definitely out there!!

Last but not least, Dr. Debs has had her own challenge at play: finding good Pinot Noir under $20. I argue it’s nearly impossible to find anything drinkable under $15, but there are some good ones in the $15 to $20 range. I may have to join her efforts and supply the wine curious out there with a few of my own Pinot Noir recs. Too good to miss those, too!

And now, from “Hollywood”:

New wine movie in the making: “The First Big Crush” is being made into a movie, reports Decanter. What’s better than a visual tour of New Zealand, wine making – and wine drinking? Here’s hoping the premier allows a bit of that…

New wine show in the making?? I have to say, the New Zealand headline also reminded me that “The Winemakers” reality show should have premiered by now. Granted I’m not much of a TV watcher, but I thought I would have seen more fodder in the wine world prompting me to turn on the tube! Noth’n. Has anyone seen this yet? Day/time??

The New England Patriots got the nod this year to play opening week’s Monday Night football – as it happened, not just on a gorgeous night in Mass., but with the re-introduction of Tom Brady to the line-up. (Yeah, we’ve lost a few of our key defenders; but we still have Belichik. And we still have one of the top QBs in the league, even if he is a little banged up and not my personal favorite beyond the playing field.)

What’s a girl to do on such a momentous night? Make pizza. From scratch. And enjoy exceptional wine(s) – during the preparation process and throughout the meal!  What better excuse do you need to open two of the most highly sought and difficult to find wines in our market: Spencer Roloson Grenache Blanc and Grenache Noir? (Note, the former was enjoyed throughout the preparation process and the latter for the meal and game time festivities!)

Last Spring my “buddies” Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher wrote about the Grenache phenomenon in the US. I was thrilled by their musings. Yet, the only two Grenaches I’ve really been completely thrilled with coming out of the California winemaking community are both executed by Spencer Roloson. And they are hard to get your hands on!

Their Grenache Blanc is, quite simply, a rare treat. It is robust, lush, fleshy/fruity (think quince, citrus and pears) – almost perfect for Chardonnay drinkers looking for something different or unique, but more for the nerd drinker in each of us because of its incredible layers and unsuspecting earthiness. It’s one of those wines every person I’ve ever introduced it to has enjoyed, no matter their usual wine drinking habits. It is a true, special and quasi-celebratory wine because it is so difficult to find and oh-so-satisfying on so many levels.

Their Grenache Noir is also a wine of true grace and panache… that’s also a “teeth sinker”. It is freaking delicious (a technical term…), offering concentrated red berry fruit with some herbs and a sprinkling of burnt orange peel. It finishes bittersweet, like the chocolate. YUM. This wine was a really nice, luscious pairing with our pizza topped with rosemary roast chicken, fresh pineapple, buffalo mozzarella, black pepper and basil. I wish it was 24 hours ago now, as I write this post….

Suffice to say, we’re now officially in Football Season. I like a good beer with my  ball. But a great wine – or two – is far more memorable. Cheers to Sundays!

What’s your go-to Football wine?