by Laura Ness
What music best matches the vibe of Petite Sirah? Short answer: it depends on the Petite. If they’re massively dense and tannic, you’ll want a heavier sound, like March Slave, Pearl Jam or Beethoven’s 9th. If the Petite leans towards vibrant, effusive and cheery, maybe something more like Amy Grant or Faith Hill. Got a sexy, flirty, saucy Petite? Jazz works, anything from Coltrane to Diana Krall.Music certainly influences mood: I know from experience in tasting rooms that if you play Eagles or Cream, people will engage in a way that boring, bland elevator music can never engender. Music carries an inherent sense of time that bonds us together: we live to remember, to share and share again. It’s part of the ritual of being human. Definitely endorphin-producing, recalling that first...
by Adam Stankiewicz
Kir is the most famous and typical Burgundian aperitif, invented by Felix Kir, first Dijon's Mayor after WW II. Mr. Kir, who was not only war hero, but as well plenty of entrepreneurial ideas succesfull businessman. As the economics of Burgundy, at that times, were in exteremely poor condition, he strongly recommended to develop blackurrant plantations, which, besides vineyards, were the most popular here. In Middle Ages Benedictin monks, were already producing crème de cassis (blackurant liquor), but at that times, it was used as medicament to treat jaundice..Unfortunately [or rather fortunately], Mr.Kir was suffering from heartburns. Thats why, he could not drink much of his favorite white burgundys, and therefore he started to mix them with the crème de cassis.Different sources clai...
by Sunday Night Chef Fights
The world famous El Paseo shopping district is known for its trendy sense of style, but Rodeo Drive East, as it is referred to in some circles, was known for something entirely different on a recent excursion-its exquisite taste in food and wine. The Fashion Food & Wine Festival provided a myriad of culinary and vino-related delights, some of which I am still trying to process! Starting with a Chardonnay from vaunted Sonoma-Cutrer and wrapping up with a rose of Malbec that made a recent Oprah Winfrey "O" List, there was something for every oenophile in attendance.As I made my way through the fluffy white tent, I indulged in a juicy '07 Cab from Napa Cellars, a ripe and jammy Petite Syrah courtesy of Girard Winery and one of the afternoon's biggest and best surprises-a Vino Rosso from Pinin...
by Ivan Loyola
With the ever increasing popularity of the wines of Argentina, Malbec seems to be on everybody’s mind, not to say everybody’s palate. The grape’s name is as recognizably Argentinian as the Tango itself. Torrontes, Argentina’s white signature grape is slowly carving a space for itself on wine store shelves. Wine drinkers are also becoming more familiar with other grapes ‘both black and white- coming alongside Malbec: Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, Chardonnay and Viognier. But there is another new arrival, a black grape that is received with curiosity. That is Bonarda, an Italian variety that is planted extensively in Argentina. In fact, until not long ago, it was the most planted vine variety. As such, Bonarda has always been blended to make the table reds that the southamerican n...
by Max Tannin
Portugese Drought and TCA Creates Global Cork CrisisRetailers and Restaurants join forces to help support the wine industry. “A dime at a time”Global Initiative to Reclaim Corks for recycling (GIRCS)Restaurateurs, retailers and consumers are being encouraged to join the movement by reclaiming the good corks once they have been pulled from their bottles. Over 10 percent of the corks used globally are affected by TCA. Recognizing that 90 percent of the corks would still make viable closures, this initiative will help to reclaim the quality corks and eliminate the ones affected by TCA is a naturally occurring byproduct of microbial activity called 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, which can turn up in food and in cork. Its presence is not a health problem; it’s an aroma one. High quality natura...
by John Hagarty
Virginia is ranked fifth in wine production nationally, behind California, Washington, Oregon and New York.More importantly, however, is the quality of wine emanating from our state. In the last ten years, Virginia has increasingly garnered national attention due to its rising wine superiority. Proprietors of our wineries have labored hard to improve their vineyard and cellar operations. What often began as a hobby or a very small business for many has grown into a thriving commercial industry. These rigorous efforts to increase quality are paying tasty dividends for Virginia wine lovers.But, another emerging impetus for the rise in quality is the arrival---in increasing numbers---of professional winemakers. These are experienced experts whose careers are centered on the commercial prod...
by Linda Perrins Ress Foxworth
Espiral Vinho Verde is a Portuguese wine. On Mark Oldman’s list of wine bodies from his book, Oldman’s Guide to Outsmarting Wine, Vinho Verde is at the very top, the lightest of all wines. I was excited to find a bottle at Trader Joe’s for just five bucks, Espiral from the Minho region in northern Portugal. It is made from a blend of white grapes. This, I hoped would be the beginning of a journey. I put it in the fridge to chill for dinner, observing its long neck green bottle, as if this Portuguese were trying to dress up as a Mosel. I say this because German Mosel wines come in green bottles. German Rhein wines come in brown bottles. German wines, like Alsatian wines come in long-neck bottles. This is something I learned from Kevin Zraly from his book Windows on the World, Complete...
by Frank Mangio
I had good cause to break open a favorite red wine the other day as the news crossewd my computer that my wine column TASTE OF WINE and the feature "How to Really Taste Wine" has surpassed Wine Spectator's version on the video service You Tube. Its' always a good idea to occasionally think about the essence of wine tasting and how to get the most out fo the experience. Anyone can drink wine. You raise the glass and down it goes. But with over 5,000 differwnt wines available and increasing every day, a simple four step guide in measuring the quality of wine goes a long way in determining the quality of a wine choice.I call it the forurpart harmony "S" test. Before gong through the motions, learn abvout the wine from the label. It reveals the vineyard, location, harvest vintage and the w...
by Barbara Nowak
One of the biggest obstacles to enjoying the whole wine experience is having to pronounce wine words. Makes me wish I’d taken high school French. It’s bad enough when you’re faced with a wine list of completely unfamiliar names. But what about popular names that you’ve seen a million times? It can be downright embarrassing when you don’t know how to pronounce them…or think you do but don’t. Here are my nominations for the five most mispronounced wine words.Meritage. MEHR-ih-tihj. Not mehr-ee-TAHZH. I understand the confusion because I was once one of the confused. Knowing the origin of the term is a help. First of all, it’s not French. It’s an American invention. A group of winemakers coined the phrase in 1988 from the words “merit” and “heritage” to i...
by Scott Richards
I do not mean to offend anyone’s sensibilities but sometimes things in life appear to me as funny in a different sort of way and I find my reaction to be just aside of the norm. Recently as I was perusing a large wine store, I was struck by some of the names that appeared on wine labels. We all know that beer and ale companies have all gone totally crazy with many of their titles, but I thought wine would remain a stalwart against all of that madness. It is completely the fault of the Aussie exports into this country.Who would have thought that any one would have the nerve enough to export the quality of wine in the quantities they did and then turn around and try to draw attention to it? Why not call it by the common varietal name like Australian Merlot in order to hide it, but no,...
