Making wine, tasting wine, and drinking wine...

We've got the full spectrum of wine fodder this Friday! Of course, the beginning of wine is really the making of wine.... Turns out the UK is experimenting with a new version of city wine-making. Rather than purchasing fruit from here there and everywhere and then inviting you to come crush and blend et.al.,  a London-based company called The Urban Wine Company uses local grapes to make uber-local wine - and you are involved in the whole process. Here I am trying to keep from killing my house plant, but it sounds like these guys might even be able to help turn my brown thumb green - while giving me the chance to make my own wine. I'm terroir believer when it comes to making great wine - and am certain great grapes can make great wine, while bad grapes have no chance of doing so. But the project sounds like a great opportunity to understand first-hand how all this works, more or less. Too bad I'm Boston-bound! Would you be interested in such a project if given the opportunity?

On the trade side of life, this week we've been on "the trade circuit" tasting quite a bit of vino at various Spring Tastings being hosted by our suppliers to get us excited about new vintages and new wines in their portfolios. I had the pleasure of running into Mike Helman of Shawsheen Liquors. Turns out he's gearing up for the annual "Hair of the Dog" wine/beer tasting event, supporting the MSPCA. This event features a wine and beer tasting, art show and the White Street Band. Raffle prizes will abound, too. Tickets are $30 at the door or $25 in advance. Pop over to Shawsheen Liquors to find out more! The event is scheduled for next Friday, April 30th, 6 - 9pm.

Last but not least, we have wines that are made with a bit more... oomph. There is definitely a conversation in the wineosphere about The Hot Factor... Are wines over 14% alcohol bad? Not necessarily, I believe, so long as the wine is in balance. But that's a bigger story for another day. In the meantime, check out this Wall Street Journal article on "Wines That Pack". What's your opinion about alcohol content in wine?

Who's New in Food & Wine around Cambridge/Somerville

As the flowers begin to pop up, it seems every spring many new restaurants do the same. It’s been impossible to keep up with the flurry of activity around town this year – and in the world of our own restaurant reviews, we prefer to visit each new spot at least twice before giving any Final Answers about who is doing things well (or who isn’t). This week on Wicked Local we bring to you just a quick synopsis of the Cambridge/Somerville springtime “new releases” you may want to put on your “must checkout” list. Check it out!

Have you popped in to anyone of these new spots yet? What was your impression?

Uncorked! April Wicked Wines

We figure there’s no time like springtime to select wines that may tend to hibernate otherwise without a little special attention, simply because they are lesser known. So this April we’re keeping things both familiar (staying closer to home with domestic wine picks) and more… interesting! Our red wine choices don’t exactly roll off the tongue, but with such powerful juice in the bottle, we know that’s about to change. Enjoy learning about these noteworthy April Wicked Wines on Wicked Local today! Are you familiar with any of these more off-the-beaten path picks?

Wine footprint, wine books and... cheese!

It's April! The sun is shining, the birds are chirpping and we're all excited about and gearing up for even warmer days to come, namely.... summer vacation. But before I quite get ahead of myself, it is still April and Earth Day comes around the corner way before the last school bell rings. Today we kick off our wine news and events with info about wine and ecology. Check out what Cathy Huyghe pulled together by way of some "fun facts" in this regard!

Next up, here's a list of wine book suggestions as you start perusing the shelves of your local bookstore for some great get-a-way wine reads!

Last but not least, over at my other place of work, Ball Square Fine Wines, we're unleashing a special cheese seminar next Wednesday night, April 14. Wines won't be poured in addition to the seminar, but a good roster of suggestions will be available should you like to make a full evening of it. There's nothing quite like bringing home new knowledge, fresh cheese and a little something else to transform your evening into a magical one!

Which wine books have caught your fancy of late?

Respect the grape: Chardonnay

Chardonnay gets a bad rep. Some people seem to find it too mundane. Others complain about the over-oaked Chards that used to dominate the domestic market. You know things are really bad when somewhere along the way a “group” called the ABC’s came into being (Anything BUT Chardonnay). But such hate is not just unbecoming, it’s also unnecessary. Pop over to Wicked Local today to get a fresh take on this highly "controversial" varietal! Are you a Chard lover - or hater?

Full day of wine blog fodder and news

It's amazing what happens when you have 30 minutes to catch up on your Google reader feed! I found some gems in the wine bloggosphere and newsfeed I can't help but share. Good Friday, indeed! I've narrowed the playing field to just 3.5 for you to soak up: 1. A new take on the "nature" of wine - click! For all of my photographer and scientist/nerd friends and followers out there, I bring to you this very cool concept for a wine book... Seeing is believing!

2. The "Ick Factor": smoke taint in wine. I found the timing of this article too perfect as just a couple of weeks ago my colleague and I had the chance to meet Dianna Lee of Siduri; she had been lamenting the challenge she and her husband faced making great Pinot Noir in a year inundated with forest fire. She said they ended up tossing wine made from certain vineyards where they source fruit (so you don't have to worry about any of the Siduri gems tasting like an ashtray as they'll never hit the market). Check out this WSJ article... Something for you to bare in mind when shopping for 2008 Anderson Valley Pinots this year!

3. Trader Joe's latest "wine trick", lol. I'm a bit cynical, it's true, when it comes to national chains taking on such large scale wine projects to pass on great "value". (Shop local, people! You'll find great value, smaller production, artisan wines if you have a great wine shop.) But I am legitimately interested to hear if you've tasted this wine - and your impressions. (And yes, next time I land at TJ's I'm going to see if there's still a bottle on the shelf for me to bring home.) In the meantime, weigh in using the comments thread below!

Easter wine recs

Easter is a holiday that not everyone celebrates – nor in the same ways. Traditions are a bit more fluid somehow here in the United States. Maybe your family prefers a delicious Easter brunch after a morning visit to church and an Easter Egg Hunt for the kiddies. Maybe you do your own thing with your family in the morning, then visit with friends in the afternoon over a mid-afternoon dinner of baked ham or a leg of lamb. But one thing is certain: such a lack of specific tradition can cause some level of Easter week “panic.” Of course, there's no need to stress when a little advice is at the ready. Pop over to Wicked Local today to get some ideas for your celebration! Will wine have a place at your Easter table this year? What will you uncork?

Sr. Juan Bengas comes to Boston

This Friday I have a bit of a treat for you! Rather than sticking to our usual format of wine news/trends article links today, I urge you to pop over to Ball Square Fine Wines' blog to learn a bit more about Argentine viticulture, winemaking and the impact of the Chilean earthquakes not just domestically, but among their neighbors just over the Andes. There you'll find a bit of video to stimulate your senses as Senor Benegas, the 4th generation grandson of the man known as the Father of Argentine winemaking, visited us in Somerville last week with his wares and his knowledge both at the ready. Enjoy! Are you a fan of the Benegas collection? Have you tasted the latest releases yet?

A trip along the wine route

Have you ever saved a fine bottle of wine, one you don’t quite want to open for the sake of holding onto the dream of what lies within? Have you ever then had the overwhelming desire to just uncork it, pour a glass and then sip and savor it for as long as humanly possible?

For the better part of a year I’ve been “sipping and savoring” Kermit Lynch’s acclaimed Adventures on the Wine Route. It’s true.... Pop over to Wicked Local today to find out why I've been compelled to do such a thing!

Have you read this famous wine story? What were your impressions?

Baboons, bubbly, accolades and more!

I have a healthier than normal appetite, I'm told. But it seems South African baboons do, too! Check out this hilarious (but costly) piece on these "Thieving Baboons". The age-old question "does stemware really matter?" has a simple answer: yes. It's because a good glass can really help display aromas and flavors by channeling them in a precise way to your senses. Riedel is the company that has set the bar on this technology. And so they took their a competitor to the mattresses recently when Eisch advertised a breathable glass. Read all about the outcome here.

Speaking of glass, looks like the Champagne Bureau is getting greener! Each bottle of Champagne will now weigh 2oz less than before. Discover the full implications of this move here.

Last but not least, I had the pleasure of meeting the famed Randall Graham of Bonny Doon vineyards a couple of weeks ago at a local trade event. Looks like I had the opportunity right before his celebrity really took off! Graham was just inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame. Cool stuff.

Which wine headline caught your attention this week?