by David Brown
When one embarks on building their own collection of wine, storage is key. It's not simply a question of buying several cases of white wine and putting it in a fridge, and bottles of red wine and bunging it on shelves in the kitchen. Environment is a key factor in allowing wines to age and mature in the way that they are supposed to.If you are without a magnificent and spacious cellar, then there are wine storage alternatives. For red wine, choose a wine rack but for white, using a wine cooler is a perfectly viable alternative for keeping wine chilled. With so many models to choose from, how do you know which is best? Hopefully, this will be a helpful guide for you when making your selection.In terms of size, the best rule of thumb is to picture roughly how big you want your collection to ...
by Ron Kapon
The Mexican Mayan Riviera (South Cancun) is, in short, a public relation dream of a name. First and foremost, let’s get the geography lesson out of the way; Quintana Roo is a state in Southeastern Mexico on the eastern part of the Yucatan Peninsula with a population of 1.3 million. The Caribbean Sea is to the east and the nation of Belize is to the south. If the name Quintana Roo is not familiar, look at some of the cities contained within the state; Cancun (800,000), Playa del Carmen and the island of Cozumel enhanced further by the Mayan Ruins at Tulum, Oxtankah, Coba and Kohunich among others.In the late 1960’s the Mexican government built the city of Cancun from a small fishing village to attract more American tourists to the area. In 2012 there were over 1.6 million visitors from ...
by Mike Meisner
Argentina is most widely known for their wonderful Malbec varietal, which has gained worldwide exposure and appreciation for its quality and affordable price. Yet most people are unaware of the white counterpart from the region, which migh be just as wonderful as Malbec. The Torrontés varietal is exclusive to Argentina, and can be found at some stores with a careful eye. This varietal is not highly recognized by the United States, or elsewhere for that matter, but is one that you should absolutely try if you can find it. The varietal is considered to be one of the most aromatic wines around – with huge flavors of lemon, crème brulee, and citrus exploding off the surface. The wines made from the Torrontes grape have been the visiting card of Argentine Wine Producers and have lead to man...
by Rosie Carbo
When you love wine, and you resolve to indulge as often as possible, attending food and wine events becomes a quest. That’s one reason I look forward to Savor Dallas each year, and this year was no exception. The Ninth Annual Savor Dallas, the largest wine and food event in Texas, went off without a hitch again this year. But for me, a wine journalist who has attended several times, the four-day event was bittersweet. As always, organizers wanted to showcase a spectacular new venue while guests sip fine wines and sample chef-prepared foods. So this year, Savor Dallas, which attracts more than 5,000 wine and food lovers annually, added another day. The event kicked off with a Thursday preview at Trinity Groves, instead of the usual Friday soiree. The soon-to-be opened Trinity Groves sh...
by Edan Barulfan
After 131 years growers sell majority shares of Carmel WineryIn 1882 Baron Edmond de Rothschild, owner of Chateau Lafitte of Bordeaux, founded a winery in the land of Israel, which was at that period under Ottoman rule. The Baron wished to revive winemaking in the land of the bible after 700 years, and at the same time, to provide work for the struggling settlers in a barren and disease struck country. The beginning was troublesome, when a short period after planting the first vines, they were infected by Phylloxera. However, the baron, his clerks and the settlers proceeded stubbornly, and success finally came, when in the World Fair of 1900, a "Carmel Mizrahi" ("Carmel Oriental" as the winery was then named) wine, won a reward and many appreciations.In the dawn of the new century, in the ...
by Mike Meisner
When Steve McPherson started Promise Wine, he aimed to make a world-class Cabernet Sauvignon that could hold its own alongside other "cult" California wines and "first growth" Boredeaux varietals from reknowned producers. It was a lofty goal, and one that may have just recently been accomplished at the American Fine Wine Competition, held in Boca Raton, FL.Promise Cabernet beat some notable producers, and won a unanimous double gold and Best in Class at the competition. The competition included entries from well-known producers like B Cellars' Oakville Cab, Cakebread's Howell Mountain Cab, and Von Strasser's Diamond Mountain offerings, to name just a few. In beating out such a high caliber of competition, this was truly an outstanding win for the relatively young label. This win comes on t...
by Stephen Wilcock
In the Italian province of Tuscany we can find some super red wines, but you have to fight your way through a maze of similar sounding names to find them. There can be confusion between Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Brunello di Montalcino and Montepulciano Abruzzo.Montepulciano is in fact a soft fruity easy-drinking red wine which is made from the Montepulciano grape in the region of Abruzzo in east central Italy. It has nothing to do with the town of Montepulciano at all. The wine should not be overlooked simply for this reason and is in fact often very good value for money.The town of Montepulciano is situated 75 miles south of Florence and this region’s warm evenings and nights help produce a noble wine ‘Vino Nobile di Montepulciano’. This is made from Prugnolio, which is a c...
by Marcella Newhouse
If you read wine books about Roero, they will sum it up (if they even mention it at all) as the neighbor to Barolo and Barbaresco, and the region that is best at producing Arneis, a slightly fragrant, fruity, and light white wine. While I agree that Roero does produce high quality Piemontese white wines, the wines of Roero often go underestimated. What people often don't realize is how much potential and grace Arneis can have.Roero Arneis, given the proper care, can be a refined, elegant, and even an age-worthy white wine. I'm not saying all Arneis is going to blow your mind, but some of them will. You just have to know where to look, or where to go so they can find you.Seven years ago I happened to have put myself in the perfect place for a fabulous Arneis to discover me. It was my first ...
by Bill Shinkle
Tranquility Vineyard and Winery is a new and private, member’s only vineyard and winery opening in Southern California. Nestled in the beautiful San Jacinto Mountains, in the city of Hemet, Tranquility Vineyard and Winery will be producing six different types of wines for its members. These wines are; three reds (Angelico, Barbera and Teroldego) and three whites (Fiona, Viognier and Muscat Blanc).While members eagerly await the production of Tranquility’s signature wines, they can enjoy all the amenities and benefits included with their membership starting this May. These include access to the completely renovated 100 year-old carriage house with its amazing veranda, cigar lounge and wine storage facility. The carriage house, overlooking the entire property which boasts many acres of ...
by Juda Engelmayer
Having become somewhat of a wine enthusiast over the years, I have tasted many fine wines from all over the world, and have toured wineries in the United States and abroad in pursuit of a recreational oenophile’s whimsy.Over the past 20 years or so, the market for kosher wines – don’t laugh – has grown, as post Baby Boomers acquired money and taste, and began seeking finer alternatives to the old style syrupy sweet Malaga and Concorde Grape selections of Kedem and Manischewitz.My late step-mother loved to tell this story. She went to a local liquor emporium known for its kosher wines, and asked for two gallon-sized bottles of ritual (Kiddush) wine, one Malaga and one Concorde. The owner pulled her over to the side and said, in a low voice, “You know, you don’t need to drink tha...
