wine column hop'n!

Even with the Super Bowl due this weekend and beer lovers all over the US (and beyond?) gearing up for the big day of consumption, wine columnists at some of the country's top rags stayed the course, touching on topics I personally have been following. And so this Friday I bring to you a look at wine from three of my favorite writers: New York's City Winery is open. Looking for the Disney World of Wine? It seems City Winery is trying to be just that. As enthusiastic and passionate as I am about the art of fermented grape juice, I'm not sure if I'm about it.  Must we be everything to everyone? Or is it just this approach that will allow CW to find success even in a down market? Eric Asimov, author of the New York Times' "The Pour", checks out the scene and brings up some very interesting points.  I'll be in town once the ice melts to check it out for myself, but in the meantime, I'm dying to hear what my Big Apple readers think of it! Are you "a fan" of the concept? Comment below!

Malbec, mmm Malbec! Argentine Malbec is certainly a section in the store with a ridiculous number of facings given our small space. But there is enough demand to warrant so many choices! This scenario (plus my personal affection for it?) encourages our reps to continue to bring by new Malbecs for us to try. What's interesting is how many simply 'eh', down right bad, or "fakey-fake" offerings we've tasted in the last 4-5 months. Of course, this just makes us feel even happier with the wines we do carry, but it also demoralizes me a bit. I'd hate to see Malbec winemaking go down the tubes just to meet the increasing demand. While we've been experiencing this challenge here in Greater Boston, you never know for sure if your experience is being felt elsewhere.... This week Gaiter & Bretcher at the Wall Street Journal took 100 Malbecs to the mattresses and reported their findings. Check out their 411! And then tell us, what are your own recent experiences?

Fireplace magic. Since I've been on my winter warmers bender and definitely used the term "fireplace wine" at least once in recent history, I was happy to see Stephen Meuse take up the torch in January's Boston Globe "Plonk of the Month" column. Meuse usually rounds up a solid number of somewhat lesser known, reasonably priced wines, from around the world (yea!). You'll never see mass-marketed items, so it is a pleasure to check out his line-up every 4th Wednesday. And I appreciate that with "plonk" wines as his focus, he describes the wines in relation to their accessible price; it's true, we are "prepared to overlook the occasional quirk [to] be amply compensated by a level of character and interest heavily marketed brands just can't deliver". See what he recommends this month here. Are you familiar with any of these already?

Tips for Attending the Boston Wine Expo

[Editor's Note, 2/1/16: Even as the Expo has evolved over the years, our tips for a successful experience remain virtually un-editted. We merely felt it was time to cut to the chase. We hope these tips for navigating the Boston Wine Expo are a terrific starting point as you ultimately choose your own adventure and explore the wines on offer. - Rebecca A. R. Schimmoeller ]

Boston Wine Expo logo

The first year I attended the Expo I was an unassuming, enthusiastic, still-amateur wine consumer. I was there as many are: to taste a range of wines from around the world. While I certainly saw (and tasted) numerous wines from around the world, I was largely unprepared for the chaos, debauchery and crowds.

In the years since, I've worked out a strategy not only to survive the madness but also to taste the wines I'm really there to taste, and meet the winemakers I'm really there to meet. That's exactly the point, after all. 

Here's what I suggest:

1) Prepare. Do a quick Google search to find the list of Exhibitors attending the event. Identify the wineries you want to "visit".

2) Maximize your time. Take a look at the booth number of those exhibitors you've identified and note which are in close proximity to each other. This way you're not running around the large convention center floor like a chicken with your head cut off. If a particular table is at capacity when you get there, move on. #pathofleastresistance

3) Maximize your palate. Visit the booths on your Hit List first. This way your palate is still fresh (and your patience with the crowds in tact).

4) Eat a large breakfast before you even head over to the Convention Center. You should definitely be spitting/dumping whenever possible to maintain your stamina, but ultimately the crowds will make this challenging. And I've found the snack stations are harder to come by. Best not to take your chances.

5) Bring and drink water. Hydration is the key to any event where a lot of people abound. It gets hot in there! And you'll feel it. Water also keeps your palate fresh, so your impressions of the wine are more accurate.

6) Don't treat the event as a Booze Fest. It's important to remember the exhibitors have traveled far and wide to show you their wares. Respect them, their offerings (even if they aren't your personal preference) and those around you. There's nothing worse than a loud, debaucherous, disrespectful crowd. It can't hurt to set a different tone - and encourage them to come back next year!

Bottom Line.    The BWE is an opportunity to taste really special, or simply unique wines you may not normally have the chance to explore. It is also an opportunity to answer some of your own curiosity. Perhaps you've not really tried any of those Portuguese varietals people are buzzing about. Will they really satisfy your palate at just $8 a bottle? Well, the BWE gives you a chance to find out!

This week's headline wine-rs (er... winners)!

A big thanks to the folks over at www.winelabelsproject.com for this image.

I love waking up to NPR. I get all my highlights for the day in a neat little package and often am entertained by their little side stories to boot. The only challenge is I'm literally coming to when many of their finest news bites are coming over the air waves.  With that said, I think it was just this week I woke up to the 'idea' that if it was legal for a President (read: Obama) to sign marketing deals with the Nike's of the world,  we might actually see some light at the end of the National Debt tunnel; any "proceeds" generated from endorsements could be pumped back into the US economy. (Don't you just love such capitalist creativity?!) So what does this have to do with wine? Well, if you saw the latest cover of Wine Enthusiast magazine, you know there is a full page picture of Obama.... Apparently he has quite a remarkable 1,000 bottle wine cellar, the details of which will only be revealed by his staff after the Inauguration,  Decanter reported this week also.  The wine industry is thrilled. Not only are people going to need a nice glass of wine to distract and relax them even more given the economic woes that abound, but Obama serves as the unofficial endorser of fermented grape juice - and perhaps reaching a younger audience, thereby giving additional 'legs' to the success of the trade over/in time.

But for those of you who don't just seek out a glass of wine at the end of a long day and prefer a real escape, check this out: you can go to the Netherlands and recuperate at De Vrouwe van Stavoren Hotel. And when I say "recuperate" I really mean re-cooper-ate.... This fine establishment offers guests the chance to room in an old, French wine cask! Seeing is believing, or is that sleeping?

What do you think is so special about Obama's collection we have to wait until after the Inauguration to find out what lies within?

Entertainment in a bottle: a few fun headlines from over the holidays

You know you're back from vacation when it takes you at least 2 or 3 times the amount of time it normally would to undertake just one, every day, item on your list.  Yes, I've been trying to get caught up on all of my wine industry news,  sifting through the virtual paperwork to bring you a few headline highlights this Friday.  A few winemakers have passed on (too depressing to write more about in the New Year, but you can hop over to Wines & Vines to learn more); several wineries are set to open or expand their lands; and there's been some 'action' in Bordeaux (Ch. Latour is on the market again and there is on-going banter about who is In and who is Out as far as their Classification system goes).

But today, since I'm not quite ready to give up the New Year celebrations, I bring to you two headlines about bubbly that happened to grab me for personal reasons....

Christmas morning I was determined we would not only have our traditional breakfast feast, but we would also enjoy lovely mimosas with it. The trick to a good mimosa is not necessarily good bubbly... it is, in fact, a noteworthy float of Grand Marnier. But I digress. In choosing a bubbly, I usually opt for a basic Cava; in this case, my Mom's local store had an ample supply of Freixenet Brut.  Perfect.

I know many women are afraid to actually open a bottle of bubbly. I am not one of these women. I have only had success in gingerly coaxing the cork from the bottle, with only a few occasions when the temperature of the wine or too much giggling in the car set the stage for a bit of overflow upon opening. Of course, we can't always be perfect - and you are even less likely to be so when you most want to avoid additional scrutiny from the likes of your nudging siblings. Suffice to say, I nearly took my brother's eye out as I readjusted the (too thick) towel I was using and the cork (not one that moved at all while I was attempting to "coax" it out, mind you) flew out across the room into my mother's (inactive) fireplace.  Sigh... You win some, you loose some. I heard about it after for days. Fortunately, I have a sense of humor about such things. And it certainly got the festivities in motion!

Ironically, just two days prior to this "incident", a fabulous little piece on this very phenomenon - cork speed - was issued. A German scientist actually clocked a cork at nearly 25 mph. Impressive! (Granted, it was a shaken bottle, but still... I believe it!) Check out additional details here.

Once back in Beantown, I was back in the shop to help with New Year's Eve madness. The boys brought in a new, easy-drinking, dry little bubbly from Italy - an Italian Chardonnay Brut by the folks at Borgo Maragliano (they make one of my favorite Moscato d'Asti's, "La Caliera"). It was retailing for only $9.99 - even better! This little wine ended up being our top seller, no doubt because the price was so good and it is decent juice after all. But in checking out headlines, it seems like Italian Sparkling is on the minds of more than just greater Boston residents.  Better-known sparklers like Prosecco, Moscato d'Asti and Brachetto d'Asti are responsible, but it is interesting to see Italian bubbly gaining serious momentum in the European market... Read more here!

Did you let a few corks fly over the holidays? How fast do you think they were moving?

get some Fresh Air before you go wine shopping!

Last Sunday Terry Gross from NPR's Fresh Air program interviewed quite the wine duo, husband-wife-tasting-team Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher from The Wall Street Journal. The ~40 min recording is so worth hearing for yourself, I'm keeping today's Friday News/Trends post uncharacteristically short.

What we all hope for!

Click this link and let their superb wisdom wash over you as you plug away at your desk today. They give a tremendous amount of very worthy advice on how to have fun as you wine shop; what the truth is about sulfites (they probably aren't the culprit giving you headaches...); and even provide their own 'bit on bubbly'. What I loved hearing most was the way they talked about wine and life....Please share your thoughts on their piece!

And...

For those of you in the Boston market, think about heading over to Brookline Liquor Mart on Saturday, from 1-4pm! They will be pouring some lovely bubbly worth checking out - and you'll be doing a good deed. There's a $15 fee that will go to Share Our Strength and Globe Santa. Report back on the festivities, won't you?

wine forgery: mission impossible!

Nerds are so loveable - and smart!

I think by now we can all agree: I am a wine nerd. I mean, my personal mission is to make wine much more accessible. But given the right audience, I'm quite likely to talk about the nerdier characteristics of a wine, what soil type the vines must have been planted in, the difference between a "high altitude" and a "valley floor" wine, why hand-harvesting resulted in a more concentrated vino experience, the difference between Pinot Noir and one of its genetic counterparts, St. Laurent, etc. But when it comes to the why and what of physics, or the likes of ion beams, particle accelerators, and gamma rays, well, you're more likely to catch me trying to keep up with the Discovery Channel and How it's Made using my TiVo "rewind" feature to sort it all out. (Self awareness is half the battle, I always say....)

Take a look and read for yourself this Friday News and Trends day... The BBC has revealed "Winemakers Crack Open High-Tec Tricks" to prevent fraud - and it is JUICY! Once you're done reading, pop back over here. I'm curious for some of you awesome, scientifically-minded folks to conduct some 'poke some holes' analysis and let us all know: Will all this high-falutent technology actually prevent wine fraud?

Wine, the law, and questions of discrimination

Let Freedom Ring!

I haven't seen so much buzzing about a single event in wine since, well... since before I was blogging! For those of you who haven't caught the headlines this week, Free the Grapes.org may have to shut it's doors - or at least close the book on its efforts here in Massachusetts. What's all this hoopla and banter about? The Commonwealth of Massachusetts' wine law that has prohibited 95% of wineries from across the country from shipping directly to the Baystate's consumers has been struck down. I'd be surprised if you aren't as pleased as punch (or a terrific, celebratory glass of bubbly) that this is true.

You may have not known the who, what, where, when and why of it, but if you attempted to buy wine directly from an out-of-state winery, no doubt you quickly learned that this was no easy task. Some wineries would just do it and look the other way. Others were allowed to do so under a little clause that said it was ok to do so if you produced less than 30,000 cases of wine and bought a direct shipping permit. But too many more simply said, "The heck with it! We're a small guy and we've got many more states who are less prohibitive. We're sorry to say, but you can't have that bottle of wine you tasted at our winery - and loved - in the comfort of your own home; we don't have representation in Massachusetts, so you'll just have to remember us fondly." Yep, wineries loved saying that - especially to consumers from a state that ranks 7th nationally for total wine consumption.

The idea behind the law, at least in theory, was to protect MA wineries. Great! Except the reality is you probably aren't buying that much MA wine and I'm guessing you probably drink a decent amount of wine from around the globe, let alone across the country. At the end of the day - Nov. 19, 2008, in fact - such prohibition was ruled discriminatory and unconstitutional.

There are still a bunch more hoops to be jumped through, so if we're enjoying our Wine Club shipments from CA, WA, OR and NY in the next 2 or 3 years, I'll be shocked. But we are on the right path. This adds one more thing to my "To Be Thankful For" list this Thanksgiving!

Have you felt the repercussions of the current law? Do you agree with the latest ruling stating discrimination has been at play?

women, wine and... their kids

preganancy and wine...

Ever since I can remember, the women in my life abstained from alcohol during pregnancy for fear of fetal alcohol syndrome. Everyone I interacted with knew a simple fact: too much is too much. As my female friends and colleagues have started to have kids more recently though, the question of whether a glass of wine "on occasion" would cause irreparable damage has generated debate. Heck, at nearly every baby shower I've been to in the last five years, the topic of what to eat/drink and what to avoid altogether comes up. Even the men I know struggle with these issues as, in solidarity with their pregnant wives, they too are impacted by the question of what behaviors will harm or benefit their unborn children. What's tricky is everyone's doctor seems to have a different take - and socially it is/has been unequivocally TABOO to do so. This week Wine Spectator took additional care to publicize an interesting study on this very topic of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Researchers in Britain found some alcohol was OK during pregnancy - and (through what I think is fairly inconclusive evidence) stated "their children performed better three years after birth when compared to children of women who did not drink at all". I invite you to read the full article here and then let us know what you think.

It seems to me if some alcohol is fine, it could be a dangerous conclusion for folks who may not know when "some" becomes just too much. (And, come on... I do not think that alcohol consumption during pregnancy is the reason these kids performed better. It's called other environmental factors, people!)

What's your take? Do you believe women can safely drink during pregnancy?

Election week Libations: what were you drinking?

Read all about it!

I've scoured the wine mags to find something - an event, a headline, an image - anything in the wine world more compelling than this week's elections for the next US President. I was briefly entertained by The Cellarist article on "Wine States". But as far as entertaining news or events in the wine world you might be interested in this post-Election Friday - in comparison - I am nonplussed. So rather than bring you some unenthusiastic post summarizing the latest in scientific wine news (like wine might prevent dementia or that Florida introduced a new table grape to the market) or talk about the latest in wine business/economics (e.g. the Chateau Montelena sale fell through this week), I'm going to give you the floor.

Whether you are happy, upset, hopeful or scared in the post-election days, I have a feeling you were drinking something Tuesday night. This is your moment, ye closet-blog readers! Tell us about your own private event on Election night, however large or small.

What were you drinking in anticipation of The End of An Era? (Bonus points given for those who were drinking something with a clever/thematic name; double points if your comment offers tasting notes, too.)

Halloween Pour Favor style: Frightful wine news

frankenstein

This wine-lover may hate to dress up for Halloween (it's just not her thang!), but she does have an eye for the more frightful wine headlines of late. Check out this devil of a line up! We've talked about Chinese Tiger wines... now we may be talking about the flavor profile of wines that spent time in Chinese oak barrels. No joke, the Tonelería Magreñán coooperage in La Rioja, Spain took a little trip to China and came back glowing with the prospect of making barrels from Chinese oak, Quercus Mongolicus. More precisely, this oak comes from a forest in Mongolia that is actually two times the size of Spain. Apparently this oak is not for the faint-hearted! No one yet knows what this oak will really offer... Are you scared at the prospect? Or are you all for further advancements/changes in the wine-producing world?

Next up we have a sad, but no less frightening story of life and death. Have you ever made your own wine? If not but you are an aspiring winemaker, experience shows you must ventilate the fermentation area!  Two friends helping an amateur winemaker died recently due to Carbon Dioxide poisoning.  Check out the story for yourself here.

Our final report on this Halloween day is about dear Dr. Frankenstein, who has been at it again.  Or well, at least another celebrity wine monster has been created... Routers reported on Tuesday that "Sopranos Wines are being produced under a licensing agreement between the TV network HBO and New-York based Vesuvio Import Company. The wines will be distributed by Duggan's Distillers Products Corp." Yep! That's Vesuvio as in the name of the restaurant from the series we all came to know so well. Clever perhaps. But do you think the wine will be worth any snuff?