Friday wine musings

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??

Friday Wine Fodder

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?

Wine news decanted, uncorked (and every other possible wine analogy)

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.

Palate Press Logo: credit via the link below

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?

September's upcoming wine tasting events

September bridges summer and fall. I'm a personal fan of the former and never too excited about the latter because that just means cold weather is on its way. Fortunately in the wine trade, there is a silver lining: fall wine tasting events abound! Here's a list of what's on tap in/around Boston in the coming weeks: Sept 17 (6pm - 8pm)

The folks over at The Wine Bottega are unleashing their wine mojo to the masses once again. Join them for their Loire Valley Abbondanza, featuring more than 15 wines from this uniquely diverse region. They tell me "rules are made to be broken, so we thought we would venture out of Italy and into France for this month’s Abbondanza. The wines of the Loire Valley are simply too varied (and delicious) to fit into a regular Friday tasting. We thought we would put together a killer line up from Muscadet to Sancerre and all the favorites in between. This will be a Francophilic spectacular the likes of which have never been seen at The Bottega. Don’t miss it! ($10/person)

Sept 20 (3pm - 6pm)

13th Annual Grape Stomp and Jazz Festival at Truro Vineyards in North Truro, MA. "As part of a larger Truro Treasures weekend, we will once again host our jazz festival and grape stomp on Sunday, September 20th from 3-6 PM. Come sit beneath the Chinese Mulberry tree, listen to local jazz greats and sip wine by the vines. Admissions is free."

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."

Will you plan to attend one of these events? Which other ones have caught your attention this month?

News? Wine store chains and Chile

A big fan of boutique wine shops, where lesser-known wines are given a fair shot and exceptional customer services are the name of the game, I'm not sure how I feel about chain stores getting press in major wine pubs. Don't they do ok on their own? No less, Decanter shared this week that Majestic (a big UK chain store) has not only won "Chain Store of the Year", but also that they are moving to a new purchasing requirement for customers: you don't have to buy 12 bottles any more, just 6. Are you kidding? This headline definitely caught my attention. How can you mandate something like that? Meanwhile, Chile was also tearing things up at the Decanter World Wine Awards. Check this out: "Chile has proven itself a producer of some of the finest Sauvignon, Riesling, Pinot Noir and Cabernet blends in the world."  This comment only supports my personal finding that Chile does pretty well with blending; but single varietal offerings are a) hard to come by and then b) when they do show up, it's a bit rough going (except, perhaps, Sauvignon Blanc). When will we start seeing some of these individual grapes winning awards? I think we're 5 years out at least.

What are your thoughts on this week's "news"?

The Terminator, Finger Lakes and the passing of a great wine pub

Those of us in the wine industry know August is a sleeper month. Sales always drop as folks head out of town for some rest before school starts again. This calm-before-the-storm is a relief to many of us because we're about to embark on Trade Tasting Season, which starts in just a couple of weeks - and is, quite frankly, insane. Further evidence of this quiet month is just how little truly newsworthy wine "news" is out there these days. No less, Decanter comes through for us once again this week! Here are three articles that rose to the top for me:

Wine from Finger Lakes wins top prize. (Do they really think any other region can compete?)

Find out what "The Terminator" is doing to get CA back on the consumer radar...

Sad news for wine professionals... Our beloved Wine Report is going off-line.

What's your reaction to these news tidbits?

Fine Wine, health and reality TV

This week Decanter "wins" for the most captivating wine news. Tune into these fast-paced articles over your morning coffee. These headlines are sure to get you sailing right into your weekend! Here's a preview:

Reservatrol, the compound found in red wines that often gets plugged for its health cache has made headlines once again - as having anti-inflammatory properties. But does everyone agree? Find out here.

I'm more likely to be watching the Red Sox or Sports Center than any mainstream TV program. But I am a sucker for Top Chef and Project Runway, and this fall I may have to add another one to my list of "must-sees": The Winemakers!

Last but not least, as we continue to watch Aussie wine sales dwindle at the shop (it seems the public might be over "it" and onto South America for cheap, satisfying wine finds) some wines from down under are proving quite tasty, albethem at a higher price point. Now it seems a concerted effort will be made by top wineries to establish Australia as something much more than plonk-worthy. Read more here.

Will you be tuning in to "The Winemakers" this fall? What's your take on Aussie wines these days?

Pairings, Tasting Rooms, and a Special Treat...

This week has certainly been an "are we there, yet?" week.  With a perfect beach weekend on tap, I imagine I'm not the only one clamoring for the end of the work week. So entertain yourself today with these two tidbits from Wine Enthusiast Magazine, or their "UnReserved" on-line bits of juicy ramblings about this, that and the other of the wine world. Then be sure to pop back for info on a cool Greater Boston event that will make your weekend feel like a long one; it's sure to be the icing on your (Monday) cake! The value of food/wine combination experimentation: BBQ and... Riesling!

From the wine trail: summer get-a-ways for sipping and !@#$!?? Tasting Room Fun?

And last but certainly not least....

If you're looking for an incredible way to prolong your weekend (at least mentally), add a "Summer Highlight" to your list and enjoy the freshest of fresh seasonal, local goodies around town, head over to Gibbet Hill on Monday night.... Check it out!

What tales from the wine trail do you have to tell this summer? Or do you have any intriguing wine pairings you care to share?

Wine heist and other wine banter...

Summer is a sultry, nap-worthy, beach-loving time of year. So it's not often you go away for a long weekend and come home to find out about one of the biggest wine heists in recent New England news! Right here in Hopkinton, MA - better known as the starting line for the Boston Marathon - a bottle of 1945 Chateau Mouton Rothschild was swiped from a liquor store. I dunno, I guess I always thought such heists would have much more elaborate planning, much more intrigue, like that depicted in the Thomas Crown Affair. Then again, if we could just walk on out of a fine wines shop with a $20K bottle of wine, we'd probably be harder to find thereafter.... For the full report, check out this Globe article!

Back when I was a 9-5 office rat on a lovely summer Friday, sometimes I took a few extra minutes to get into the swing of my workday, or daydream at lunch. Here are a two wine blog columns worthy of such web-perusing this week:

Dr. Vino on Labels Worthy of...Banning?

Lenndevours: A trip to Seneca Lake to chat with an 80-year-old Matriarch...

Which other wine tidbits did you find particularly entertaining this week?

MA Wine Tax Imminent: Shop Today or Bust!

So... did you miss me?? In the next couple of weeks we'll be circling around to some topics that popped up over the course of my vacation -which wasn't specifically wine related, but, well, you know me! Wine is a big part of my life. Before we can get to all that, however, we have to get down to business. Immediately. For Massachusetts residents like myself, there's only one wine news item to be discussed today: the MA State Wine Tax.

As of tomorrow - Saturday, August 1 - this much anticipated, much debated, (much hated) tax goes into play. That's right! When your office doors close early today, get yourself moving on over to your local shop to take advantage of the many discounts available in the final hours before we go from the blissful world of NO tax on wine to a whopping 6.25%! No joke.

Many stores are offering ridiculously good discounts to help customers stay ahead of the curve, for at least as long as your purchases hold out anyway. ;) Here's a brief list of folks working to better serve you; if your local shop isn't on here, be sure to give them a call! I'd be willing to bet their anteing up the discounts, too.

Ball Square Fine Wines in Somerville ~ 20% off twelve bottles ~ Any assortment of 750 ml bottles, sale items excluded

Bermans Wine and Spirits in Lexington ~ 20% off twelve bottles

Lower Falls Wine, Co. in Newton ~ 10% off twelve bottles, 20% off 36 bottles

Shubie's Marketplace in Marblehead ~ 20% off twelve bottles, 10% off six bottles ~ Any assortment, current inventory of 750 ml bottles, sale items excluded

What other stores are offering deals you know about?

WHO: Wine-Sense in Andover WHEN: Thursday, July 30 WHAT: 15% discount all day long, plus tasting from 5 p.m. to closing

WHO: South Liquor Mart in Plainville WHAT: 15% off six bottles of wine WHAT ELSE: Beer and alcohol specials too

WHO: Shubie's Marketplace in Marblehead WHAT: 20% off twelve bottles, 10% off six bottles SPECS: Any assortment, current inventory of 750 ml bottles, sale items excluded

WHO: Bermans Wine and Spirits in Lexington WHAT: 20% off twelve bottles