Wine not...? The Answer is....!

I was having some problems and I called on my good buddy Jay over at Answer tips. A couple of entries ago I asked if anyone knew why these crazy rectangles showed up on my blog page when I opened with Explorer. As well, my new favorite widget Answer.tips was acting up. Not only did he find the problem but promptly fixed them as well.
( Double click the pic.)
So when I am researching data for my next blog or for the local wine column that I write, I often need to look up the meaning, pronunciation, etc. of a particular word. I love this Answer.com program. Just hit "Alt" and click on the word and you have arrived.
So now I just sit back when I am typing away, have another sip of wine and the answer is there. You will see AnswerTips on the side bar of my blog. Well worth getting if you do not already have it. I love it! Thanks Jay, I am raising a glass of good Merlot to you! ( A good Merlot made by a friend of mine who gave me a bottle to try.)
Cheers everyone!

To drink or not to drink....Indian wine!

At a recent National Health Summit held in New Delhi "The red wine is good for your health" theory was given the boot by a group of Indian doctors. Dr.H.K. Chopra, a cardiologist, claims to have read 16 million articles on health and alcohol but has yet to find one proving the benefit of wine on cardiac health. The man must be exhausted after reading that many articles. No wonder he has no time to stop and have a glass of health- giving red wine. Of course, Dr. Chopra, it has not been proven yet. Not too many researchers are prepared to do an in depth study where participants are encouraged and required to consume wine. Not that they wouldn't have any takers ( I am ready). But rather it would be viewed as encouraging the drinking of alcohol and perhaps even turn a latent alcoholic into a confirmed alcoholic. That just wouldn't do. But there is plenty of anecdotal evidence about wine's health benefits. Another participant at the gathering, a Dr. Manchandra, is urging people to "Drink water, it will keep your body and mind clean". I agree with the keeping your body clean bit, that's why I have a shower everyday. But the keeping my mind clean part, I find a little bit more difficult to comprehend.
Meanwhile India's growing middle class is turning to wine at a rapid pace.
"Wine is more cool, hip and healthy than hard liquor," says stock analyst Ajay Singh, 28. The Indian wine industry is growing by about 35 percent annually.
Sula Vineyards (click on pic to see their Merlot) saw an increase of 45% last year.
Now if the government of India just gets rid of that nasty 260% tariff, there will be a good marketing opportunity, especially with all that world wide wine glut. Don't know about you, but I am going to continue drinking my red wines for my health and here is to yours!!

Hospices de Beau.........!

When you say Beaujolais to the average North American wine drinker,
the "cheap and cheerful" image of the Beaujolais nouveau comes to mind.
Vins nouveaux literally "new wines" are the first release of a vintage made with the Gamay grape or more precisely the Gamay noir jus blanc.
While Beaujolais nouveau may be the most celebrated wine of the Beaujolais region, wines offering considerable drinking pleasure can come from the 39 villages producing wine classified as Beaujolais Villages. The Mommessin Beaujolais pictured here (click on image) is made from old vines and is true to the character of this appellation.
The wines of the 10 Beaujolais Cru are wines of great distinction and are worthy of aging. The Gamays from the Beaujolais Cru all express the soil in which they are planted and display a diversity of terroirs.
While the next, world famous Hospices de Beaune wine auction will be on Sunday 18th November 2007 it is not the oldest. It is a mere 146 years old. The distinction of being the worlds oldest wine auction belongs to Hospices de Beaujeu.
This year on May 13th, the Hospices de Beaujeu will be holding its 210th auction in
Beaujeu, the historic capital
of the Beaujolais region.
The auction has been a continuous event since 1797. It is an opportunity for the public to discover the Beaujolais crus and to taste these cuvées untouched. Each one offers
distinct and interesting characteristics. Once the sale is over, the various cuvees will be blended to make up the Hospices de Beaujeu range of wines with its unique label, ready for world wide distribution.
"Beaujolais is nature with its fragrances, its light, its infinity, evening rest and morning enthusiasm." Jules Chauvet (1905-1989)

Tasting Terroir... at reasonable prices!

Sales director, Simon Staples, of the highly regarded and respected British wine merchant, Berry Bros & Rudd, has called for a price reduction of up to 70% off the 2005 pricing on Bordeaux 2006 en primeurs. Staples has stated that Berrys will not be buying any overpriced wines from the Bordelais. There is still an awful lot of unsold Bordeaux wines and getting the price right is key to any marketing efforts.
On this side of the Atlantic Ocean another huge success has been chalked up for Appellation America.


Appellation America and the Inertia Beverage Group, have teamed up to form a strategic partnership providing the largest platform for direct-to-consumer wines sales on the Internet.
Eat your heart out Bordeaux. Now that is smart marketing. Putting North American wines on the map like this will certainly lead to an increased demand. Be patient Dan! Terroir will come to reign in an "appellation" near you in the not too distant future, Napa not withstanding. And the competition will keep them at reasonable prices.