Viewing entries in
Friday News & Trends

Comment

Fancy free fundraising: wine tastings, galas and dinners galore!

Wine Gala for Guide Dogs
Wine Gala for Guide Dogs

I feel I owe your eyes a bit of a rest after my exuberant postings of late. (I know I can get carried away with my enthusiasm!) And today I'm curious what you think.... In the world of wine "trends" I often find myself consulting on wine-related fundraising events. And, 'tis the season for them! Once the wine trade season is over (early October) it's as if the entire wine-drinking community takes the ball and runs with it - for great causes, too!

So today I hope you'll share with me and your friends...

Which type of wine fundraisers have you attended in the past (dinner, gala, informal tasting/auction, etc)?

What was your motivation - the good deed, the merriment, or both?

Is there an upcoming event you want others to know about?

Comment

1 Comment

Much sadness: Oregon Pinot Pioneer Dies

Photo by Ron Zimmerman, July 05Perhaps like you, earlier this week I learned the father of Pinot Noir in Oregon, David Lett of Eyrie Vineyards, passed away at the young age of 69. If you're familiar with the book Judgement of Paris or recently caught the Indie Film "Bottle Shock" you know a few Americans in the '70s went "to the mattresses" to prove the quality of New World wines, as compared with those in the Old World.  The story of their dramatic debut on the world's wine stage is noteworthy for many reasons. But first, in my mind, is what had to happen before they took their wines overseas. First they had to have the fire in the belly and the chutzpa to act: pioneers who took great risk in what Was Done and what was Not Done, to give birth to a much larger, global and hugely profitable industry.

David Lett was one of these men. In 1970 he and his wife planted the first Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir vines in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. (Today many of you appreciate the Willamette as the top Pinot Noir-producing region in the Pacific Northwest.) Just nine years later Lett showed his '75 South Block Reserve Pinot Noir in Paris at the Wine Olympiad, earning top praise and notoriety. The next year he did the same in Burgundy.

Today the rest is history, with 300 wineries in the Willamette alone producing tasty Pinot offerings. They pay homage to "Papa Pinot" Lett. And so should we all this sad week in particular. Appropriately, Mr. Lett's sons Jim and Jason (now lead in the fields and in the cellar) and his wife Diana plan to celebrate his life after the fall harvest.

What's your experience with Eyrie or Oregon Pinot? How are you taking this week's news?

1 Comment

Comment

Label Love

magnifying glass
magnifying glass

Everyone encounters random, sometimes juicy, sometimes humorous, sometimes head-scratching tidbits in their line of work.  Often enough these little gems are in one ear and out the other - or at least you move on to the next thing, filing that piece of information in some magical place in your brain. What we often take for granted is when these gems actually might have relevance, or interest for other people. Case in point: I've been having a blast preparing for an upcoming, private wine tasting party where cool blends will be featured. A friend of mine met me for lunch mid-preparation and I was just bursting with excitement about this that and the other thing. (Finding out a wine's story, or conjuring my own fantasies based on my gut reaction to tasting a wine is like catnip to me!)  At one point my friend looked at me with a smile playing on her lips and said: Well, if you ever forget the exact percentage of which varietal goes into the wine, you can always just look on the label!

I smiled at her practicality and then started to laugh a bit, too. I've learned this is a very American thought.

Turns out Americans are the ones who like to know the who, what, where, when and why of it all. Perhaps other cultures are similar. But my experience is this is distinctly American - and winemakers overseas go just batty with our concern with such details (when it comes to wine, anyway). If you've noticed, Old World producers aren't quick to make a wine label particularly discerning in terms of which grape(s) actually went into the bottle. If anything, their wine laws somewhat prohibit giving up the goods, if you will, preventing them from even putting the name of the varietal used in the wine if it comes from a certified area (e.g. AOC, in France).  (Labeling is actually a total nightmare given all of the moving parts and import/export regulations that vary globally.)

With the American movement to find out every bloody ingredient in everything you consume, winemakers will have their work cut out for them. I mean, most people don't realized that fining/filtering a wine is often done with egg whites, let alone all of the other scientifically orchestrated additives that go into creating a stable wine. (I've got a sensitive stomach and I'm all for them given the alternative!)

Perhaps not a late-breaking news item for all of you, I realized this week perhaps more of you are like my wine-drinking friend out there and haven't heard the latest in wine labeling....  Bonny Doon announced last January it was coming clean. They are listing all of the ingredients in two Demeter certified wines they now produce.

Will Boon Doon start a new trend in wine labeling? Or is it time to put away the magnifying glass and just enjoy the juice?

Comment

1 Comment

to have or not to have, that is the question...

'Going with your gut is one of the most important skills you can have in the wine world,' believes a great colleague of mine who's been doing this since before I was born. Today I'm applying that skill to my wine blogging. No doubt there are other wine news and events ideas circulating the world wide web that may be valid contenders for my Friday post. Usually there are several. But today, today, I'm going with my gut before I get side tracked with all the possibilities. Decanter's article this week about Skinner Auction House was just too intriguing to sort, sift, hem and haw over other topics you might enjoy reading about. The economy is officially in the crapper, I think we all agree by now, and yet Skinner just put up record numbers for bottles of Domaine de la Romanée Conti, Screaming Eagle and Harlan Estate. The first went for over $20K. That was triple the estimate. The Screaming Eagle went for $2,430 and the Harlan Estate broke Sotheby's April record (of $655) going for $810/bottle.

Did I say "just"? There is something to be said for the fact that the Skinner auction happened 3 weeks ago. Three weeks is like a lifetime given how much things have shifted even in the last few days.

My question - everyone's question - is which investments are most "sound" given the state of affairs we're facing. And what you can afford to invest in, if at all, is another great question. (Hell, most bloggers, shop owners, distributors and importers are talking about the extent that people's day to day wine buying habits (read: consumption) may or may not change in the coming months. Forget the idea of people making significant investments in wine!)

And then you read an article about serious cash being dropped on a bottle of wine, something that many believe is meant to be drank. Or is it...? Perspective is everything, no?  If you follow Steve Bachmann at Vinfolio, a year and a half ago he was all in favor of drinking the stuff, or investing to reinvest in your wine consumption. Today? His position may be somewhat less firm.

In these economic times, is wine an investment opportunity you might consider?

1 Comment

Comment

the wine-r-cooler is buzzing...

I've been running from industry tasting to industry tasting the last few weeks, not only tasting the new releases and other new wines available this fall, but also picking up tidbits here and there about what's what and otherwise on the minds of winemakers, importers, distributors and, of course, consumers. I find it absolutely fascinating to compare these 'hallway musings' with what I read on various blog sites and in on-line trade mags. This gives me a sense of whether these conversations are local to the MA/New England market, or if they are more global. Today I can't help but give you a snapshot of these ruminations, hopefully giving you the chance to be "a fly on the (wine trade) wall"! The question of the strengthening dollar. I can't tell you how many folks have asked why wine prices are still high when the dollar is getting stronger (granted, a relative concept). No surprise, it's on everyone's mind. I can't wait myself! Well, in uncertain economic times, no one is more anxious to start sharing the 'winnings' than the importers of fine wines from Europe. After all, wine does go sour eventually! If they can't unload it then they're the ones who will really be hurting. The thing is, the wine already on shelves is wine that was purchased when the dollar was particularly weak. I think we'll see things start to turn around soon enough, though. Dr. Vino seems to have the same take. Importers are eagerly biding their time, waiting for the wares they are now buying overseas (at a better price) to come to market here in the U.S.. Check out his interview with Victor Owen Schwartz of Vos Selections to get an inside peak into this topic.

The question of the California wildfires. Here's another one I find fascinating to discuss. Several weeks ago I reported the California harvest season had started and early reports were favorable for the 2008 vintage despite the wildfires that ravaged the area. I won't get to taste these wines for another year or two or three (depending on the varietal). But there are some folks who are so lucky to get a preview! Alice Feiring reported this week an essence of smoke is present in the various wines she's sampled. She banters a bit about whether this should be considered "taint" or not; her discussion is highly entertaining - and worth checking out first hand. Her reflections (aka witty banter) is available here. If what she writes is true, I may become more of a California wine drinker in years to come... I love a little smoke in my wine!

The latest in Wine, Politics, and (silly) Journalism. It irks me when the press gets hold of some silly little thing and goes bonkers talking abou it. Don't we have anything better to do here, people?! Well, this week there's one regarding wine that in my mad wine tasting week I nearly missed. So just in case I'm not the only one, here's one for the watercooler.... Palin wine, a Chilean winery that's only in its infancy, has both taken off and taken a hit since McCain nominated Sarah Palin as his running mate. Let's just say its success depends on whether you live in a blue or red state/area in the country where this wine is available. I can't help but roll my eyes as I attach this link to Decanter's article. (If you want to read something a bit more serious on politics and wine, don't forget that Wine Book Club is discussing Tyler Coleman's latest release at the end of next month!)

What wine-related topics have been at the forefront of your newsfeed this week? What's your take on the ones I touched on here?

Comment

Comment

your local wine... and news of new technology to keep you sipping happily

If  I was back behind a desk/computer 24-7 this week, I'd likely be following the latest about the market's ups and downs and supplementing with check-ins at ESPN.com to see what's being said about this weekend's football match-ups and how the baseball standings are evolving.  To add a little something different to your news feed, I can't help but share two completely unrelated, wine-related news stories that caught my attention. First, if you're local to the Greater/Boston area you may be happy (and pleasantly surprised) to learn Jewell Towne Vineyards in New Hampshire recently won accolades from Joel Stein at Time Magazine. On learning each of the fifty states produces wine, Stein apparently couldn't help himself. He set out to taste wines from each state (and clarify for the American masses whether "terroir" matters. Incidentally, he did not come to any great revelations on the terroir topic - and we all know I have my own opinion...). He learned there are some good wines out there from some unsuspecting states - and some truly horrific ones. Case in point: while Jewell Towne might have figured out a thing or two regarding their Muscat, Cape Cod Winery needs to keep at it (receiving an "undrinkable" rating for their Nobska Red).

In his tongue-in-cheek review, Stein writes  the Jewell Towne's Valvin Muscat is: sweet but balanced, with some nice mineral on the finish, like a good riesling. It's not a wine that's trying too hard or is too proud of itself. It just gets the job done right. This is one of the very few wines we drank the whole bottle of. Who knew New Hampshire was better at picking grapes than Democratic nominees?

NOTE: While I don't subscribe to rating systems per se, I DO subscribe to the idea of tasting even the most unsuspecting wines, as Stein did. Only by tasting as many different wines as possible from as many different locations around the world will you learn what you do and don't prefer. This is an important process that takes time. So have at it!

Switching gears, if you're curious about the constantly evolving wine packaging/storing world and which technologies are at play, I've found another little something for you to keep an eye out. Decanter reported an Idaho company called PakSense has developed a wine label that changes color with temperature variation. This little gizmo has been adopted by folks in WTN Services in California to prevent "cooked" wine from landing in the marketplace. I can't imagine it is a perfect system given all of the moving parts involved from wine bottling initially to actually getting the wine on shelves. But it might help.

So! Here are my questions of the day for you:

Are you from a lesser-known wine-producing state? Have you tried the local offerings?

Do you think the PakSense label is worth the extra expense?

Comment

Comment

wine-related funding news (part II)

Just one week ago I was frustrated and reported on the lack of federal and other wine-related research funding available. I realized shortly thereafter perhaps, in my urgency to get back on the blogging bandwagon,  I was being a bit too hard on the Powers That Be - or at least was likely looking at the funding issue with too narrow a lens, not my usual M.O., so apologies to all. This week I've continued to get caught up on wine world news/gossip from while I was away as well as anything that might be more late-breaking. (For example, I'm now widely read on the Wine Spectator "scam"/"scandal" that broke at the end of August.) I was delighted to discover another, more positive news article about the Who's Who in wineries who were awarded USDA (US Department of Agriculture) Rural Development Grants, specifically via their Business and Cooperatives Value-Added Producer Grants (VAPG) program.

elk-run-winery-and-usda-grant-recipient
elk-run-winery-and-usda-grant-recipient

These funds are no joke. In my previous life I had the good fortune of working with rural communities across the country - and help them to go after and receive other USDA grant monies to improve economic development opportunities in their communities. I know too well how hard it is to a) put together a proposal given strict USDA guidelines and regulations and b) how stiff the competition is for these limited funds. For this particular round of funding nearly $20 Million was on the table, allowing 144 businesses in 37 states and Puerto Rico to benefit. Grants ranged widely, I'm sure depending on the scope and size of the project, from $2,500 to $300,000.

According to the USDA VAGP website, Value-Added Producer Grants may be used for feasibility studies or business plans, working capital for marketing value-added agricultural products and for farm-based renewable energy projects. Eligible applicants include independent producers, farmer and rancher cooperatives, and agricultural producer groups.

Congratulations to the independent wineries in Iowa and Maryland (and perhaps elsewhere?) that received awards this year! We look forward to seeing the fruits of your rewards.

(If you are a winery and would like additional information about this and other grants available, contact the folks at Wine America.)

Do you know of other valuable funding opportunities for wine industry professionals and the like?

Comment

Comment

another one bites the dust. oenological research heads down under (again)

And... she's back! And I haven't let the jetlag from my trip to Istanbul and Cyprus slow me down a bit. Afterall, I have your needs first! I launched right into tasting season here in Beantown on Wednesday afternoon, spitting so you don't have to.  Being out in the "field" does challenge a girl to stay on top of other wine related news. But in the fray, I found something this week I thought might be interesting for us to banter about: oenolgoical research. A few weeks ago I posted about dogs in the vineyard and their role in sniffing out vine mealy bugs. Additional research for that post really got my curiosity up about other projects underway to help winemakers and viticulturists do what they do best. Then a couple of days ago I saw an article on Wines & Vines (my source for nerdier information about what's do'n in the trade) about Dr. Kennedy abandoning ship in Oregon for better funded research opportunities in Australia.

Booming wine biz Down Under certainly has made that part of the world a sweet haven of luscious research. Those guys aren't afraid to take a risk - applying modern techniques to their wine making approach and out in the fields. But calculated risk-taking is all the better. And so the Australian Government have done their part to fund research on a variety of topics including Pierce's Disease, one that first emerged in the US winemaking regions of California and Florida. Even a quick Google search loads numerous links to organizations like the Australian Wine Research Institute and the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation, an organization/partnership between the Aussie Government and the wine industry. If you do the same search with US inserted, you get links to information about wine and health-related research, not winemaking et. al.

In the US industry money feeds the research engine. The last I know of research funding coming from within the US federal government was an attempt to integrate a request for funding via the Farm Bill in 1995; (I don't think it was on the roster last year when this bill was up again, but please correct me if I'm wrong). I don't think that attempt was successful, either. State funding is likely another can of worms. I'd be shocked if California, for example, doesn't have some funds allocated accordingly.

I'm not terribly surprised that wine research funding isn't a national priority. And I'm not even advocating that it should be. But it is an interesting bit of news. How many more US researchers are going to abandon ship? Dr. Kennedy is making the move on the heels of Dr. Thomas Henick-Kling, formerly of Cornell.

What do you think? Should the wine industry bare the brunt of funding research? Do you know how much funding comes from which sources here in the US?

Comment

Comment

Splish splash wine in a glass... and other Friday finds!

dog-days-of-summer
dog-days-of-summer

It's warm and sunny and... it's FRIDAY! A few wine-related tidbits caught my attention for this post. Rather than "reporting" myself, I'm going to give you a few article links to help you get through your work day and get you closer to your weekend. We only have a few summer Friday's left, so you might as well dig in! First and foremost, I was pleased (and a little surprised) to read that the California harvest has begun and the outlook promising. I know harvest time can begin in August (depending on the grape and location); but it was a little frightening to realize how quickly summer has flown and how near September is. And there have been interesting reports on how the wildfires may/not impact this vintage. Seems like all is on the up and up so far! Check out what Jenna Hudson has to say at Wine Spectator.com.

Lovers of Italian wines and those who have developed particular affection for the grape Montepulciano d'Abruzzo are mourning the loss of another impactful member of the wine community: Gianni Masciarelli. At the young age of 53, Masciarelli died of a heart-related condition. He is known for revitalizing Abruzzo's fame as a leading Italian appellation in the early 80's with his Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Villa Gemma release. His friend Monica Larner of Wine Enthusiast wrote a beautiful, commemorative piece last week.

If you're so lucky as to be pulling up your beach chair this weekend and breaking out your summer reading, you're invited to join this month's Wine Book Club. Natalie MacLean’s Red, White and Drunk All Overis on deck this month. If you've read Tasting Pleasure: Confessions of a Wine Lover by Jancis Robinson then you'll be in for a particular compare/contrast treat, I'm told. Give it a go! The dog days of summer are still among us. Before we know it we'll be gearing up for the Holidays (egad!!).

Which type of enthusiast are you?

A) Satisfied Sipper ~ excited to see how the rest of the CA '08 harvest unfolds.

B) News junky ~ saddened by Masciarelli's death.

C) Beach Bum ~ grateful for another good read!

Comment

2 Comments

Latebreaking News: Stelvin wine enclosures can produce corked wine

I'm sure you have read numerous articles about how the world of wine is changing via the Stelvin screwcap bottle closure. The idea is to eradicate the 5-6% of all wines that end up "corked", a particular wine flaw imparted by natural cork and one you'll notice immediately if the wine you are about to sip smells like basement or wet cardboard. Australia took the Stelvin closure ball and ran with it within the last eight years or so. New Zealand nearly only uses screw caps now. And even old World producers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland are embracing the concept more and more readily. France and Italy aren't that far behind, either. A side note: I find some of the resistance to screwcaps among old world producers entertaining given many of these countries had a hand in testing the new closures back in the '60's and '70s. I appreciate the winemaker's concern for wines like Bordeaux or Burgundy, which require aging and for which a cork closure is a benefit; but when it comes to wines made for drinking within a year or two, where's the hold up? Here we have yet another example of the conflict between "science" and "tradition" rearing its ugly head.

I was shocked to hear first-hand this week that a 2007 case of French wine with Stelvin screwcap closures landed in a Massachusetts warehouse - and the wine was corked.

"Corked", you ask? Indeed. Corked. "But didn't the guys at Hogue Cellars "prove" to us that was now impossible with use of the Stelvin?" I thought so, too, but apparently there are some exceptions to the rule. The source I heard this report from was there for the big moment of truth. He reported matter of factly, "the wine smelled like wet cardboard".

I poked around on-line to see if there were any such similar reports. I came up empty. Perhaps no one's talking about it yet because they don't want to believe it. Or perhaps this technology is so darn new there's still room for error and we're just finding out over the course of things. Don't get me wrong. I'm not all that alarmed by this revelation. I'm sure we're looking at cap flaws happening VERY rarely. The thing that's got me scratching my head is how the flawed wine still had the aroma and taste of a corked wine. To me that's something uniquely imparted by actual, natural cork, not something that's manufactured....

Is this news to you, too?

2 Comments