by Julia Menn - The Wee Tipple, Llc
Sparkling wines are one of the great joys in life. Easy to pair with all sorts of food, perfect for any occasion (and I recommend enjoying the bubbles even when there is no “special” reason), they come in white, rosé, and red, can be sweet to bone dry, with all sorts of flavours like citrus, red cherries, or yummy pastry. Did you know that there are different ways to make sparkling wine? And that different regions have different laws governing the naming of those wines? Let’s start with the most well-known sparkling wine out there: Champagne. This is a region in France and the sparkling wines produced must follow stringent legal guidelines in order to bear that title. Only wines made following these rules and produced in Champagne, France may be called Champagne (although many...
by Mark Aselstine
Rarely, if ever has there been such a large disconnect between what people think is happening with my business and what is actually happening. Right now, everyone seems to think that my business, as well as, all small wineries must be selling more wine than ever before. In fact, we’re basically closed because our wine sits at a location, which is non essential, so no, I can’t even sell you any wine, even if you wanted to buy some from me in the first place. Here’s three things that I wish people understood about the current wine market in the time of Covid. Small brands are hurting, certain large brands are getting all the new sales and online sales aren’t necessarily the panacea we thought they’d be for the industry. 1) No, the one small winery whose email list you happen to...
by Claire L. Torbeck, Certified Sommelier
With SIP and not being able to wander the wine aisles, what are you buying and what are you drinking? Personally, I love strolling the aisles in the ‘candy store’ (AKA wine shop) and touching the merchandise. It’s frustrating not being able to do so as I do a lot of reading and I always feel as if I hit the jackpot when I stumble upon a wine I have been reading about. It’s the thrill of a treasure hunt with an unexpected silver lining. By using Zoom as a way of sharing a glass of wine (or a cocktail), we have been labeling our chats as a ‘virtual wine tasting.’ That puts the pressure on me to try and choose a wine to ‘share’ that will be agreeable to a broad range of palates while not losing sight of the fact that there will not be a meal to accompany the offering. ...
by Stuart George
The English diarist Samuel Pepys noted on Friday 10th April 1663 a visit to the “Royall Oak Tavern, in Lumbard Street… and here drank a sort of French wine, called Ho Bryan (Haut-Brion), that hath a good and most particular taste that I never met with.” Two years after Pepys enjoyed drinking Château Haut-Brion at the Royall Oak Tavern, London was ravaged by The Great (Bubonic) Plague, which was transmitted by fleas that lived on rats. Coronavirus cannot compare to the deadly bubonic plague, but it is possible to see parallels between 1665 and 2020 from Pepys’ diary. (The 1665 Plague is also chronicled in Daniel Defoe’s 1772 novel "A Journal of the Plague Year".) On 30th April, Pepys wrote in his diary, “Great fears of the sickenesse here in the City, it being said...
by Claire L. Torbeck, Certified Sommelier
I make the analogy of going to the wine shop like a kid going to a candy store. I want one of everything and have a habit of buying several bottles of each so I can taste and evaluate them over time. Now, while the cellar is organized and I use an Excel spreadsheet to categorize my treasures, there are usually some bottles that are overlooked and may still be awesome or may be past their prime. Earlier this year, in the spirit of cleaning things out, we hosted a ‘Decade Party’ where we tasted all wines from the 2010 vintage. The selections were from all around the world and ultimately from our cellar(s) so we knew they had been stored properly. Making a list of the 2010 wines on hand, I then made pairs of similar wines (by varietal, region or by food pairing options). With a doz...
by Danny Klein And Frances Denmark
When a day starts by opening a 1963 Penfold’s Grange and a Hundred Acre 2005 Single vineyard bottling… you know it’s going to be a great day! Those were just two of the highlights on November 23 when the world-renowned Matter of Taste (MOT) global series of exclusive wine events for Robert Parker Wine Advocate members and guests returned to New York City for the final event of 2019. This year’s fourth edition of the NYC Matter of Taste event took place at a new venue moving uptown to the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Midtown Manhattan (originally the famous Ziegfeld Theater). With unique, top tier tastings in Master Classes and over 250 wine vendors set to pour over 400 wines in the big hall. When the doors opened at Noon, everything was in place. Each premium wine, handpicked for its out...
by Claire L. Torbeck, Certified Sommelier
This organization was first conceived by a group of small estate owners in Bordeaux interested in collectively forming promotional initiatives around the world. The idea grew, the Union was formed and today, in cooperation with distributors, brokers and merchants, they host 80 events a year in over a dozen countries. The focus is to present their latest vintage to some 50,000 or so professionals and wine lovers. The Union consists of 134 Chateau members. On January 24, 2020 (in San Francisco) the 2017 vintage was introduced with more than 70 chateau owners and representatives pouring their wines. There is a ‘trade only’ tasting during the day and K&L Wine Merchants hosts a ‘public tasting’ in the early evening. This event is listed on their website and sells out each year. ...
by Tour
While Manhattan has endless offerings for the curious traveler, the honking cabs and incessant chaos of the city can leave you needing a break from your vacation. For a laid-back day trip, head to eastern Long Island and explore their expansive wine country. Getting There From Manhattan, you can take a train from Penn Station to Ronkonkoma and then transfer for the train to Mattituck. Just be sure to check the schedule, as the train to Mattituck only runs a few times per day. You can also take the Hampton Jitney on the North Fork Line, with the best stops to get off being Mattituck, Cutchogue and Peconic. The wineries are close together, so you can technically walk from one to the other, although better options would be to take a taxi, bike, tour or car. Renting a car is a smart option a...
by Zina Sorensen
Mr. Joseph Miller (B.Sc. SGD) is the President of the International Sommelier Guild. Mr. Miller visited Bulgaria in September/October of 2018 and was invited to visit the wine regions of Bulgaria by Bulgaria Wine Tours. Several wineries opened their doors and invited Mr. Miller inside to introduce him to the wines and wine history of Bulgaria. After ten days of travel, 20 wineries visited and 4 wine regions explored, we were curious about Mr. Miller’s first impressions on Bulgarian wine. Here are 5 questions with Mr. Joseph Miller: 1. What is your general impression of Bulgarian wines and the grape varieties being used? I was personally shocked to have tasted such a great level of quality wine making and that was based primarily on the very few products that arrive in America from ...
by Claire L. Torbeck, Certified Sommelier
It is very helpful to rely upon the ‘paid for’ and ‘free’ critic’s advice and written evaluations when purchasing wine. Shelf talkers tout the expert’s scores to influence what bottle(s) of wine you will ultimately purchase. Should you believe them? For the well-known wine raters, I have been watching their scoring and reading their reviews long enough that I have formed an opinion as to ‘how’ they score wine. I know who always rates higher than the others or which reviewer(s) likes fruit forward, highly extracted and high alcohol wines. Why does that matter? Because while I can tell you the flavor profile of a varietal from various places around the world and I can look to see what the vintage and nature gave us that year, it’s helpful to read the opinion of someon...
