Wine sales...Wine info.....then and now!

Received an email from one of my wine friends in California with a link to a well done video on the sixties scene. Have a look and be sure to have your sound on. Sums it up quite well. They forgot one important bit of information, though. One of the best vintages in Bordeaux just happens to be 1964 and 1966 was an outstanding Champagne vintage. It got me thinking though. About wine sales then and now, about wine information then and now. Pictured here is Simon Berry, standing
(photograph courtesy Telegraph.co.uk)
in front of the oldest wine shop in the world.
Berry Bros & Rudd Ltd. dates back to 1698.
Step back in time and read a good summation of the firm's history.
I wonder what it would have been like to buy a good bottle of wine 300 years ago? No internet sales, of course but Berry Bros have kept up with the times and now sell wines world wide through their internet sales. Today internet sales are commonplace. But nothing really replaces buying in person from a reliable shop with knowledgeable staff. They can specialize and have access to some real gems. One interesting wine shop that sells wine on line and has a fine, entertaining and informative blog is Nick's Bordeaux Undiscovered Wine Shop.
The internet has also been a boon for anyone wanting information on wine. As I mentioned in my September 9 blog post, put "wine" into Google and you will be kept busy with 177,000,000
entries. Again Berry Bros has plenty of good information and now that it is easy to post a video on my blog, I have one of their info series in video format here that took a little time to download but is of very high quality. I certainly view many wine sites and blogs and there is a wealth of info out there. But there is something special about a good wine book, a good glass of wine and a comfortable chair to while away a little special time. Jancis Robinson and Hugh Johnson come to mind immediately.
When I first got seriously interested in wine ( and I don't mean quaffing Mateus in college) there was no internet. Most of my wine information came from books and belonging to several wine societies and organizations. One of my favourite books was, and I still use it as a reference text today, the 1976 edition of Alexis Lichine's New Encyclopedia of Wines & Spirits.

Then and now! I wonder what the future will hold for the world of wine. Any thoughts, anyone?

Martha's Vineyard

By now everyone is aware of Marvelous Martha's entry into the world of wine. Might the label look something like the one displayed here?
Its the back label that will be more telling. I would expect aromatic descriptors like "fresh
raspberry and strawberry aromas just like the ones growing in my beautiful backyard" and how about "your palate will be caressed by a lovely silky texture reminiscent of my satiny, velvety
sheets". Only 15,000 cases of Gallo?? wine will be released initially. Smart move Martha. That way if they sell out you can claim it to be a huge success. Wouldn't do if you made 150,000 cases and have a whole lot left unsold. Not good for your image. Here is a tip for you, Martha.
7-Eleven already sells Gallo wines. Why not approach them to sell yours? So how do you trump this marketing move into the American wine scene? You don't, unless of course you are the Donald himself. Watch out Martha and here is a little insider information for you; expect Donald Trump to move in. No love lost between these two. Of course if Donald gets into the game it would need a little primer to stimulate some interest. Expect to see a new version of the "Apprentice" to introduce the public to his foray into wine. The successful "apprentice" would become the project manager for a complete wine package. This would include a Trump Tower hotel, a state of the art winery and a housing development surrounding a vineyard. Move over Martha. In the end, what is all this contributing to the wonderful world of wine? I suspect it is just another contribution to the bottom line of Martha's millions. I think this madness is going too far. I therefor take a moment to salute all the wonderful, dedicated, hard working winemakers from around the world struggling to bring us their finest and equally the knowledgeable wine merchants from the many private wine shops seeking them out. They deserve our support!!

WBW #37: Indigenous Varieties.

My entry for Wine Blogging Wednesday, which this month is hosted by Dr. Vino, came from South Africa. The grape used in making this wine is the Tinta Barocca grape from Portugal where it is one of the five principal grapes used to make port.It is rarely used to produce a red varietal wine. While it is not indigenous to South Africa it is grown there to produce port and is practically considered indigenous. A few wineries will make a red table wine with it as well. I believe that South Africa is the only country in the world where wineries use the Tinta Barocca grape as a dry red wine cultivar.
One of them is the Allesverloren winery in the Swartland region of South Africa. The Swartland area is dotted with green vineyards among rolling golden wheatfields. Allesverloren is the oldest wine estate in the Swartland Wine of Origin district. The history of the estate dates back to 1704 and the first grape harvest was in 1806. The original farm house was destroyed by fire in 1704, hence the name Allesverloren, which translated from South African Dutch means "all is lost".

It was first planted in 1945 as a port making varietal and immediately won many awards. By 1961 it was decided to produce a dry red wine with it as well. The Allesverloren Tinta Barocca spends 18 months in oak barrels. Displaying a ruby red color with a youthful violet in the rim, it offers typical port aromas of lush fruit and vanilla. It is medium to full bodied weighing in with a 14.5% alcohol which gives it some warmth on the mid palate. It has a delightful silky texture and a complex fruity taste leading to a lingering well balanced soft and round finish. A great match for grilled or roasted meats. This is what I call one of my "book" wines, meaning you get a good book, sit in your favorite chair and sip and ponder on what a good wine is all about. It sells for $22.50 Can. here and unfortunately does not appear to be widely available. I have seen it on a few UK sites where it sells for an average of $13 US. Allesverloren may mean "all is lost" but I was happy to find this one.

The Golden Age of Wine....!!

We are said to be enjoying the Golden Age of Wine and truly there are some real nuggets out there. I am referring of course to the magnificent selection of wines available to today's consumer. The internet has made information on wine widely available and likewise there are some real nuggets out there. Type "wine" into Google and you will find 177,000,000 entries. Have you got a lifetime or two or three to spend checking all that info out? There are some outstanding websites and blogs out there and I have my own personal favorites. However the ease with which information can be published on the web has led to a landslide of misinformation and next to useless information. Its human nature I guess, to want to be in on the publishing. Have a look at this invitation. Did you know that you could become a sought-after wine expert by sharing your ratings on wine? WineLog was " started because some believe the professional wine rating systems reflect personal preferences and may not give a good overall impression of that wine." Now just re-read that quote. It is saying that professional wine ratings are subjective but apparently when you write your own evaluation that won't be subjective. What a load of nonsense! Or how about throwing a little sales pitch into the mix? What a sublime idea. No experience necessary! As I said in my previous August 19th post , "perhaps we are spending too much time analyzing and not enough time just appreciating "the fruit of the vine". Congratulations to all the great wine bloggers out there who do such an outstanding job keeping us well informed!!

When Wine is Not Vinegar....

I have been making vinegar for some years now. Part bottles of red wine that have sat around for a few days and I do not want to consume in their oxidized condition find their way into my trusty little vinegar barrel. I have to top it up regularly because like all oak barrels and especially in smaller ones, there is a significant amount of evaporation. I let it sit for up to 9 to 10 months and then bottle the contents of the barrel, making sure I leave enough to start my next batch with the remaining "mother". Rummaging through some of my old files I ran across this certificate from the Vinegar Man. Check it out if you are into making vinegar or are contemplating to start doing so.
The reason I am getting carried away with all this vinegar stuff is because of this "just in" bit of news about this new machine.
Sounds good but only one small problem.
This machine looks for acetic acid. Acetic acid is produced by Acetobacter aceti which is a gram negative aerobic bacterium.
When air leaks past a faulty cork and if the Acetobacter is present, the ethanol is oxidized into acetic acid. And there in lies the problem. Not all wine contains the Acetobacter bacteria and therefor not all oxidized wine automatically becomes vinegar. Good winery practice by restricting exposure to oxygen and making sure the must is properly sulphited, will all but eliminate the problem. Having said all that it has recently come to light that the Acetic acid bacteria can remain viable in wine for years even under anaerobic conditions. Take a moment and read how. All the more reason for careful winery practices. In the meantime I don't think I will be rushing in to spend fifty bucks to have my wines analyzed. I will continue to store my wines properly and whatever is left over after I open a bottle and not drinking it all, will end up becoming some awesome vinegar because that little old barrel of mine has plenty of Acetic acids bugs waiting for it.

Too much Wine.... not enough time!

I recently had the opportunity to attend the grand opening of the largest wine shop I have ever visited and came away wondering. Wondering about many things regarding wine but especially about the vast number of wines available to today's consumer. Everything Wine is over 11,000 square feet of wine, wine, wine. Close to 3000 wines from around the globe. I wondered how I could ever try all 3000 of them and I posed that question to the two lovely wine tasters pictured here.(Photo courtesy Rob d'Estrube) We are getting a good head start. Remember the little ditty about 99 bottles of beer on the wall? If one of them should happen to faaaa...lll, 98 bottles of beer on the wall. Well how about 3000 bottles of wine on the wall... if you should happen to drink one of them..
there are 2999 bottles more on the wall. The world of wine has become so very complex and we are inundated with wine info from marketers, wine critics, wine writers, etc. all vying for our
attention. Snooth reportedly has 1,689,590 recommendations for you to consider. It makes my head spin. Parker Points, Wine Spectator Points, everybody has a point. But are we not
forgetting something here? Are we not forgetting to stop once in a while to smell the roses or in this case the wine? My wine travel friend from California and I spent a marvelous few days during the 2005 harvest in Burgundy at the delightful family owned Premier Cru "Domaine
Violot-Guillemard"in Pommard. Needless to say we were treated to some of Thierry's finest. What a welcome relief to sit back, taste and just enjoy without someone's, ultimately subjective opinion, about this, that or the other wine. And I guess"my point" is, perhaps we are spending too much time analyzing and not enough time just appreciating "the fruit of the vine".

"The spirit of wine sang in my glass, and I listened with love to his sonorous music, his flushed and magnificent song" William Ernest Henley

No need to shiver...but try a Naked Chardonnay!

Never say never! When I started this blog I promised myself not to ever review any wines and post an entry on them. My feeling was and still is that any wines I may review are not necessarily available to readers of my blog and therefore not really useful. But much has been in the news both local and internationally about BC's new Wine Authority. Well Fed Network did a good summation on the subject. At the same time Wine Blogging Wednesday now has its own blog. So that is where the never say never comes in because I have decided to review a couple of BC's Naked Chardonnays. But before I do, you may very well ask if British Columbia makes any chardonnays of note. You bet it does! In 1994 the Grand Reserve Barrel Select Chardonnay from Mission Hill Family Estate Winery won the coveted International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) for Best Chardonnay. Mission Hill, under wine maker John Simes also went on to bring home North America's only gold medal from the 2001 Chardonnay du Monde Competition.
Both of the unoaked chardonnays I reviewed happen to match up perfectly with grilled seafood. How often do you get a chance to use two of the links on your blog? Well for one, my friend from California was up in this neck of the woods and with his favorite fishing guide, went out and caught his limit of beautiful Pacific Salmon. Couldn't keep them of the hooks. I was the beneficiary of that bountiful catch. So what do you do with fabulous fresh Pacific salmon? You go to another favorite link of mine and use the marvelous recipe for grilled salmon David , over at Cooking Chat, put out there. David, matched his salmon with the Dutton Estate Sauvignon Blanc and I am sure it was a great match but the two wines I am about to describe worked magically well with his recipe.
One of my favorite BC wineries is Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery. It is BC's largest family owned and operated winery. An outstanding young
winemaker, Graham Pierce makes award winning wines.
A fine example of his talents is the :

Estate Collection Chardonnay 2005 (unoaked)
The grapes for this clean, crisp, fresh Chardonnay came from the estates' southern Okanagan vineyards. Stainless steel fermentation only, with no malolactic fermentation, it clocks in at 2g/L residual sugar and 7.8 g/L total acid. Lush lively aromas of green apple, pear and lemon lift up to greet you, followed with rich flavours of ripe tree fruit the Okanagan valley is known to produce. On the palate a mingling of apple, pear and citrus flavours lead to a well balanced lingering finish. A perfect summer sipper wine for those long warm summer days, but oh so delicious to match up with those grilled fish or chicken dishes we all love to enjoy at this time of the year. Sells at $13.90 Can.
This wine is ready for consumption now but could develop some nice complexity if cellared for 2 to 3 years.


My second choice was the: Gray Monk Twenty Fifth Anniversary 2006 Chardonnay Unwooded.
Gray Monk's unoaked chardonnay has been a very popular
wine at any time of the year but it is an extremely pleasant patio summer sipper. It is medium
dry with a residual sugar of 8.6o g/L and a total acidity of 6.90 g/L.

Grey Monk was established in 1972 by George and Trudy Heiss. George Heiss Jr. the winemaker, spent four years in Germany
learning the art of wine making and became the chief winemaker beginning with the 1984 harvest. Countless medals have been
awarded to his wines at major International competitions.
Again like the Mt. Boucherie chardonnay this wine was
fermented entirely in stainless steel and without malolactic
fermentation. Showing off a brilliant yellow green in the glass,
layers of tropical fruit enticingly greet the nose. A mouth filling
rush of melons, tangerine and lush tropical fruit greet the palate.
A long lingering finish of sweet fruit lets you know that
you are savoring a definite summer sipper.
Should be served well chilled if matched
with grilled seafood or chicken. This wine retails at $16.49 Can. So there you have it. My two entries for the
Wine Blogging Wednesday's naked Chardonnays.

Goodbye wine stains .......and Hello Wine Spectator!

These are too good, not to pass on. Sorin, a wine loving young fellow from Edmonton, Alberta came up with this interesting little video. He obviously likes his red wines but does not like the stains they can leave on your shirt. You could bring a spare shirt or top to the party but have a look at this anyway.

How To Remove Red Wine Stains - The most amazing home videos are here

Oh and yes, Jathan MacKenzie over at Winexpression came up with this brilliant way of getting at Wine Spectator. Have a look at this entry on his site. Easy to follow instructions and below is what you should end up with when you have followed the directions and as Jathan directs be sure to switch back to default when you are finished visiting the Spectator.
Now pour yourself a glass or two of red wine,
mosey on over to the Wine Spectator and if in
all the excitement you should spill some of that
precious wine, you will know how to deal with it. Happy drinking everyone!

Wine is a food.....and its Good for you!

Lets begin with a definition of "food". According to regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament the definition of food includes drinks. So now that we have established that wine is a food, consideration should be given to the many health benefits it bestows on humankind and then reduce all taxes on wine. Imagine my dismay when I read about a proposal for a "carefully targeted fat tax" on food by a group of UK academics. Over 3000 deaths due to cardiac disease could be prevented if we could just stop people from consuming fat. You can accomplish the same of course by consuming a moderate amount of red wine.
But NO, add more taxes. and magically people will stop consuming all those fat inducing foods. Heard anything more ridiculous lately? I have quoted him before but it bears repeating. Thomas Jefferson had the right idea when he said " "I think it is a great error to consider a heavy tax on wines as a tax on luxury. On the contrary, it is a tax on the health of our citizens. " Today research is carried out in an institute bearing that wise man's name. The Jefferson study once again shows the benefit of red wine for cardio-vascular health.
It is obvious is it not? More wine, less tax and voila... better health.
I think the Irish have it right.
According to folklore from the Emarald Isle:"The Irish believe that fairies are extremely fond of good wine. The proof of the assertion is that in the olden days royalty would leave a keg of wine out for them at night. Sure enough, it was always gone in the morning."
I believe in fairy tales and have left a keg of wine outside my front door. Perhaps all the fuzzy thinking academics would do well to come and take it away, have a party and forget about dreaming up this nonsense. Cheers everyone!

No New Zealand Wines........!!

Food-Mile Researchers are on a roll.
Who would have thought a few short years ago that you could earn an income by becoming a "food-mile researcher". There is a whole new industry out there funded by your tax dollars. In a recent article by British journalist Anna Shepard she suggested to : "Buy a bottle of French wine instead of a New Zealand vintage" to reduce "food miles" This of course had New Zealanders up in arms.
According to professor Gareth Edward Jones, a
"leading" researcher on food miles the answer perhaps in saving the planet is "don't drink any wine". Not so fast says Dave Pearce, chief winemake of the New Zealand Wine Company.
"Don't be fooled by food miles".
Meanwhile according to a report published last year by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, the global livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions than all forms of transport. But if you are a potato farmer in the UK, things are looking up. According to Julie Sloan "With potatoes on our doorstep, there is little doubt that more modern carbohydrate alternatives, such as rice and pasta, cannot compete with the clear conscience
shopping of buying home grown potatoes"
So if you are a "meat and potato" kind of person, like myself, you will only get half the enjoyment. Lots of potatoes but no meat please! Now I am all for cleaning up the environment and not just for future generations. Lets start with fines for people who spit their gum on sidewalks and an equally repulsive habit by those who throw their cigarette buts there as well.
And all you food mile researchers, I am sure the bike pictured above is available in a beautiful environmental green. So get a group of you together and bike to work. And perhaps you can have your local wines delivered by this energy saving mode of transportation. Click on the picture to the right to get the idea. But PLEASE, lets not get carried away. I love my meat, I love my potatoes and above all, I love my wines. But an even more important issue is that people are going to suffer badly because of an over-enthused approach to this "food-mile" fad. Now that I have got that out of my system, I am going to enjoy a delicious glass of Spanish Tempranillo, all the way from Spain.