Fun with wine in 2010

Sarah Pailin, is that you?

So let's start 2010's wine news and trends Friday post with the most laughable wine headline of the year to date: Sarah Palin is speaking at this year's Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) conference. I usually try to avoid judging too harshly in this blog - but really? REALLY? Come on.... If you're planning on attending this annual event, I beg you to report back here after. Better yet, make sure you have a glass of wine in hand while you listen. You're going to need it! Silicon Valley's Jessica Yadegaran has a better idea... giving her opinion on what's sure to be a hit in 2010. Check out her article on wine trends and see if you concur!

Last but not least, a man after my own heart, Dr. Vino has gotten to the heart of the matter with his recent post on appropriate wine pairings to enjoy the last of football season - with 7 Layer Dip (um, Albarino people!). See what others suggest here!

What would you rather do: get Sarah's opinion on the trade or taste test the best pairing with 7 Layer Dip?

The wine week in review

Some people hate holiday shopping. I, for one, love it. It's not the shopping part per se I like so much. It is the coming up with creative ideas to touch the hearts of the people in your life that's fun. I like giving more than receiving (though that has some perks, too). For those on a lower budget or who prefer the nod of something clever to something pricey, think about this idea (care of the New York Times) for the wine lover in your life.

For those on a much higher budget or those who prefer to give to charity, there are always holiday wine auctions. You too could be the lucky owner of something like a Doris Duke collectable: 1921 Ch. d'Yquem! For spirits lovers, there always unique finds like the 1788 Tour D'Argent Cognac. (LOL)

Better yet, for those on planet earth who like to be 100% absolutely convinced they've found THE perfect wine gift (or bottle to celebrate the New Year), don't forget about Saturday's 2nd Annual "Boisterous About Bubbles" Sparkling Wine Tasting at Ball Square Fine Wines in Somerville. Rumor has it not one, not two, not three, BUT FOUR tables will be uncorking several bottles of bubbly to delight you. Truly. If you don't know what Growers Champagne is (and why it is SO darn delicious) or are a little fuzzy on the finer points of sparkling wines from around the world, you MUST attend this soiree. This is a 1-of-a-Kind opportunity I give to you, reader. Tasting is believing. Don't miss out!

In all seriousness, which wine gift ideas are you toying with this holiday season?

Holiday wine tastings!

I've been working so diligently on a few holiday wine projects for you, I almost forgot it was Friday... and time to update you on a few of the various holiday wine TASTING events that have caught my eye this week. Be sure to tune in the next couple of weeks for insights on holiday/December wine ideas - and in the meantime, be sure to read on to discover where bells will be ringing and wine will be tasting! Sunday, December 6 @ Magnolia Wine Co. (2 - 5pm)

Taste dozens of wines, sample (my fav!) Iggy's breads and Fromaggio's cheeses. PLUS, enjoy a 20% discount if you purchase 12 or more bottles. Rumor has it the first 100 customers will get a complimentary wine tasting journal, too.

Thursday, December 10 by Boston Uncorked (7-9pm)

Don't miss Boston Uncorked's Holiday Wine Soiree at the College Club of Boston. Tix are $44... more info? Click HERE.

Saturday, December 12 @ Ball Square Fine Wines (3-5pm)

This is the 2nd Annual "Boisterous About Bubbles" Sparkling Wine Tasting soiree!  This is an OH-SO-RARE opportunity to taste - and learn about - some of the best, very special, Grower Champagnes available in the MA market. And, for those who like bubbly from around the globe, several staff favs will be on offer for your sampling pleasure, too. Special pricing on wines tasted during the event.

Which other holiday wine events are on tap for you in the next week or so?

Wines for Thanksgiving!

With only one weekend before Thanksgiving remaining, no doubt wine lovers throughout the country will be out and about buying wines for the big event. Indeed, it's up there as far as important wine events go! For your drinking (and reading) pleasure, it seemed prudent to round up a few of my favorite picks for the e-roster. Wheeee!!

REDS

2007 Schloss Muhlenhof Dornfelder - This bad boy comes in a 1L size. I hosted a small affair last weekend and it could have easily been the only wine I poured (it was gone WAY too quickly!) - offering great, concentrated red berry fruit flavors (cherries, raspberries) in a smooth, sultry package. Generally speaking, this grape (Dornfelder, that is) is a German red wine phenomenon for those who like a lot of fruit, a bit of "lift" and a welcome bit of earthy, mineral-driven nuance to their wines. No lie, Scholss Muhlenhof's is THE BEST I've ever encountered (so great is my love I'm tempted to buy a full case of the stuff to have on hand "just in case..." this winter). The extra glass the 1L size offers will NOT be wasted.  Only $15!

2006 Bethel Heights Eola-Amity Cuvee Pinot Noir -  A careful blend of 6 different vineyard sites, the  is a tremendous, mouth-filling example of Oregon Pinot Noir. Think of this wine as a smooth, deeply earthy Belgian truffle, filled with cherry and raspberry fruits. Truly a well-integrated, delicious wine worth the gentle splurge. (A winner destined for my own table.) About $31.

2007 Clos la Coutale Cahors - With the (worthy) Malbec craze stemming from the success of this grape in Argentina, many consumers forget Malbec is actually a French varietal. Many more do not know that arguably the best, single bottling Malbecs in France come from the Cahors region – and are labeled simply as such. This wine is  remarkably succulent, juicy and approachable. Enjoy black raspberry and blackberry flavors complemented with fresh strawberries! A touch of earthy rusticity makes this Malbec uniquely French. This one is a "bigger" wine than "traditional" Thanskgiving recommendations and would be a particularly good match for rosemary/garlic encrusted roast hen, or the like. About $17.

WHITES

Schoenheitz NV Edelzwicker - Edelzwicker means "noble blend". Indeed this wine includes as many as seven different varieties from Auxerrois to Sylvaner. The result is suprisingly coherent and delightfully flavorful. Well balanced, dry Alsatian goodness, this is another wine that comes in the 1 litre size bottle. About $15.

2006 Clos de Rochers Pinot Gris - While Alsace, France has long been the place for rich, but dry Pinot Gris, this Luxembourg beauty beats them at their own game. Ripe pears and yellow flowers abound on the nose and coat the palette while brisk minerality keeps things dry and balanced. This wine is absolutely worth the splurge – and certainly a great conversation topic if the family gets a bit unruly. (This one will also be on my own table!)  About $22.

2007 Anne Amie Cuvee A Mueller Thurgau -Leave it to the folks at well-known Anne Amie Vineyards to deliver an exceptional, if not lesser known, wine. The Cuvee A Mueller Thurgau’s tropical and floral aromas could very easily be bottled on their own and used by aroma therapists to rejuvenate clients. Pineapple, melon and white peach flavors comingle with a perky taste of fresh lemon juice. About $15.

SPARKLING FUN

Villa di Corlo NV Grasparossa Lambrusco - Versatile, slightly sparkling, fresh, fruity goodness. Lambrusco is pink - and the best are oh-so-dry. This is a wine for guests who deserve and enjoy a break from the norm. This particular offering shows ripe raspberry fruit backed by a coy minerality. Perfect simply when you want to dazzle without effort. About $17.

Poema NV Brut Cava - Today, if you look for it, exceptional Cava is available at a fraction of the price of Champagne. Case in point: the Poema makes drinking bubbly every day (or in a large party format) oh-so-easy and affordable! This is a fun and versatile bubbly with subtle flavors of peach, pear and warm, toasted bread. A bit of orange rind on the finish adds additional intrigue and nuance. Enjoy this one before, during or after your meal. About $11.

Which one of these is likely to grace your table? Is there another you have in mind for the big day??

Wine news for all to contemplate

This week there's a little something for everyone  by way of wine news, regardless of your specific interest in the science behind wine. Some way, somehow, these headlines are sure to hit close to home. Let's jump right in! I'm a visual, tactile person so I usually embrace every opportunity to better engage my senses to remember something. In the wine world, that usually means taking my time to engage ALL of my senses as I evaluate a wine. But can aromas be visualized? Do we need them to be?  For better or worse, the folks at Aromicon are taking this idea for a test drive. Check out this article at Springwise to get the scoop!

I couldn't find my related post about pests in the vineyards (sometime last year, I believe), but there's a shocking bit of news coming out of UC Davis regarding work to mitigate - or eliminate - the nematode problem perplexing California vineyard managers and winemakers. Apparently the Dept. of Nematology at Davis is being shut down, despite the fact that the problem has yet to be resolved. Wines & Vines didn't report on the politics or economics or whathave you happening behind the scenes there. But here's an update on the situation plaguing Northern California in particular. If you know a bit more on this, please weigh in below!

In other news, somehow I missed last year that Boisset decided to ship Beaujolais Nouveau in plastic bottles - to reduce costs of shipping the historic, annual November wine. (I wonder why they chose plastic over bag-in-box...). And, it seems this year Japan is taking things one step further by selling the wine as such - without re-bottling it in glass first. Did you see or hear any further news on this plastic-ization of BN last year - or more recently?

Rising Stars of Boston, lesser publicized wines, and the latest in "wine power"

Here, here! Cheers! Hip-hip-horray! Indeed, this week's line up of news is worth a little applause! Here's what's what: Several of my favorite folks in food, wine and spirits received the official StarChefs.com nod for the skill they employ at their craft. Click here to see the real 'who's who' in Boston - and then visit their respective establishments to taste for yourself!

Clearly I'm a fan of lesser known or boutique wines. All the better when they get the nod from big publications like Conde Naste's Portfolio, without need of ratings from the Parkers of the world. Here's their opinion on what's worth seeking out for yourself (and a big Pour Favor thumbs up on the Hedges shout out!).

And... it's time to make hay while the sun shines, or at least generate enough electricity from waste to fuel a winery's operation! Check out the very cool sustainability project  Napa Wine Company is in on here. This effort could revolutionize the way wineries (and other similar entities) power up!

What do you think of the Napa Wine Co. project?  What larger ramifications do you think are likely?

Intriguing wine news... and a cool wine exploration event!

Wow! This has been one heck of a week in wine news. The juiciest news comes by way of Wine & Spirits Daily regarding Amazon giving up their piece of the wine pie. It's a longer read but I think it's worth checking out! Ever experienced a tin-foilesque aftertaste having paired red wine with fish? There is new information this week about why red wine and fish are not such a great pairing. Read more here.

Then, in case you missed this year's Boston Globe Plonkapalooza, check out this year's top wine picks!

For those of you looking to stretch your legs and travel the wine world a bit, consider joining Bon Vivant Wine Company (Randolph, MA) as they wine and dine with you at some of Long Island's best vineyards on November 21. Tickets are available here.

What do you think of Amazon's decision?

This week in wine

Got wine? Got a good cause? What about an insured nose (Robert Parker's) and debate about its efficacy - or at least the question of mind over matter? Yes, yes; it has been another nerdy week in wine! Biz Stone and his partner in crime at Twitter are first to bat in my lineup this Friday. They are teaming up with the folks at Crushpad and Room to Read to bring The Fledgling Initiative to bear. Check out this video describing the project to learn more!

Bringing home the runners is Jonah Lehrer (and friends). His philosophical diatribe over at ScienceBlogs provides a more "scientific" perspective on the art and science of blind tasting. He uses errors Parker made recently retasting 2005 Bordeaux (as explored by Dr. Vino, who was present for the moment in question, and further discussed by Felix Salmon) as his premise.  Lehrer's piece question whether wine experience or our senses dictate wine enjoyment. It's not a perfect piece of blog journalism, science or philosophy; but all of the above links are sure to stimulate your mind this Friday morning and worth investigating for yourself.

Have you ever tried to blind taste wine? What was your experience doing it and what was the occasion?

Domestic wine news, local event

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?

A good cause for wine, a good read and surprising industry news

Got Graham? Or have you at least tasted one (or more) of the Bonny Doon wines? What did you think? My experience tells me most winemakers are a bit bizarre - the level and specific style of bizarreness being unique to each, of course. But I do think there is something super special about the California bread of crazy winemaker. Yeah, they are brilliant; but they push The Envelope more knowingly or deliberately somehow (whereas folks from Washington or Oregon, Spain, France and the like operate as they are, just bizarre creatures making wine). Joe Roberts, aka 1WineDude, reviewed Randall Graham's new book Been Doon So Long and also chatted with the winemaker this week about it. Pretty freaking funny. Entertain yourself reading Robert's blog post over lunch. Then grab a copy and report back with your opinion of  it.

By way of news this week, my old favorite Gourmet magazine is going under! I couldn't believe the headline. I mean, yeah, wine has been less a focus for sometime, but the photos are gorgeous, the journalism interesting, and the recipes worth investigating. Plus, it is an institution! Read more at Decanter. Are you upset? Or have you found another pub to entertain you?

Last but not least, for those in the Boston area you can support a good cause while enjoying some vino. On Oct 15 hang out on the rooftop at the Taj, taste some wine and support the Visiting Nurse Association of Boston. Click here for tickets and more information.