It’s probably no surprise that all news on the Pour Favor blog this Friday – one week after the Chilean earthquake – is dedicated exclusively to Chilean wine. Ironically, I had the pleasure of meeting winemaker Jean-Pascal Lacaze just last Thursday in the early evening, just before he headed back to New York to catch his flight home – and resume business as usual (harvesting) after the weekend, the unofficial end to summer. I haven’t heard if he’s made it home yet or what impact the quake had on his lot. No doubt agriculture and wine are an important part of the Chilean economy and will play a role as the country gets it’s bearings again. Check out these few articles to learn more, then pop back this Monday for some great wines to seek out as we unleash March’s Wicked Wines, Chilean style….

Prior to the quake, the skinny on Chilean wine exports via the LA Times.

A more humanized view of how things looked last Friday, Feb. 28th via my old fav, Dr. Vino.

And an updated, trade-oriented snapshot of where we are a week later via Decanter.

Generally speaking, do you think the buzz around the  magnitude of this quake will generate new or even greater interest in Chilean wines?

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like a good story. A story with historical truth, that is remarkable and compelling for the audacity of what “went down” is even better. This week there are several interesting wine-related news/events links I could send your way. But I’m going to streamline your wine reading instead by pointing you in only one direction….

Last Friday as my post was hitting the web-waves, Deborah Blum from Slate was churning out a deliciously interesting article about Prohibition days in America. I love history, but somehow my AP American History class skipped over this particular snapshot of what the US government was willing to do (kill) to enforce the new law. Grab your cup of coffee or enjoy a great lunch break at your desk this afternoon; this is a great read!

What other historic snapshots from Prohibition do you know of that are similarly voyeuristically compelling today?

I’ve been reading and rereading the astoundingly delicious Adventures on the Wine Route by Kermit Lynch for at least a year now. It is so well written and such a delightful trip through wine country – from seemingly “ages” ago. Lynch writes about tasting wines from the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s – even the 1920s! It provides tremendous perspective, that’s for sure.

But what I find most compelling about the book as a whole is Lynch’s search for totally unadulterated juice. Today it is appreciated (or understood?) more, perhaps; yet this idea of using modern tools and approaches gets more play, I’d argue.

Today, pop over to this post by Eric Asmiov – and spend a few extra minutes reading BOTH articles he links to, particularly the one by Cory Cartwright. Personally, I would love to see more people more naturally through the course of things embrace “the diversity” in wine.

Do you find wines with a more “modern” flare more or less appealing?  Is this idea even something you consider when you are wine shopping?

A bit of business and a bit of fun this week in wine! Let’s get the business out of the way first:

It looks like the 2009 crop in California is going to keep the price ship rather righted moving forward! Gotta love the economic principle of supply and demand. Check out this article on what the Press Democrat (at least) thinks we can come to expect moving forward.

Next up… a Cork Report! There are a bunch of wine bottle stoppers on the market now, made from myriad materials. Traditionalists still appreciate finding real cork under the foil. Environmentalists and others in the wine trade promote other closures as the better way to go.  Read this Decanter article to find out what Portugal is doing by way of cork promotion these days.

And yes, we’ve saved the best for last! What with Valentine’s Day this weekend, I’m sure you’ve seen quite a bit about either chocolate or wine recommendations – or both! But are they a really a good match, or just a traditional pairing with no real rhyme or reason? Enjoy the debate as translated by Dr. Vino!

What’s your Valentine’s Day wine choice this year?

We’ve had an insane week here at Pour Favor what with the Boston Wine Expo winemakers and other exhibitors in town. It’s weeks like this I am grateful for the folks in my network who find juicy tidbits online and forward them to my attention, just checking to be sure I haven’t missed them. It’s a great way for me to ensure I’ve got my finger on the pulse of what interests other people, too. So this week, enjoy these two “fan favorite” articles!

First up – Tasting is as Tasting Does, aka “My Rating? I Like It!”. Check out this great piece by Katy Mclaughlin over at the Wall Street Journal. This is precisely the kind of thing I’m talking about when it comes to picking out a wine (more on that Monday!).

Next – Now this is something I might have benefited from this past week myself (if only it also had protein and electrolytes!): a liquid Palate Cleanser. Check it out!

Would you be more likely to purchase a wine if it had a “Fan Favorite” thumbs up, rather than 90+ points?