by Nancy Yos
It was a fat-bottomed bottle, deep green, antique looking and charming. The price of this Cotes du Rhone white, $6.99 at a local liquor store, was also charming. My first impressions: a plain, glowing pale yellow color; syrupy in the glass; in taste, bread-like, dry, seeming to fill the front of the mouth with a certain bitterness; a faint whiff of nuts. As if you could drink an oily nut-bread. If you care to log on to the website of Cellier des Dauphins, you will get your first indication that what we are drinking here is a French version of a Gallo or a Sutter Home wine. That is not intended as a slur on Gallo or Sutter Home or Cellier des Dauphins, either. This is after all an AOC wine, from an Appellation d'Origine Controllee, meaning its production has at least legally met certain q...
by Marisa Dvari
Quick! What are the 10 “Cru” wine regions in Beaujolais? Even if you make your living as a sommelier or study wine, the question is daunting. Very possibly, most Americans do not know what, or where, Beaujolais is - and that is perfectly fine, since I’d wager just as few French people would know what, or where, Temecula is (an AVA wine growing region in Southern California). The (red) Gamay grape that is the basis of Beaujolais makes such a delightful picnic wine, please regard this as your very basic introduction to Beaujolais 101. Beaujolais is a region in France just below Burgundy, yet while Pinot Noir (for red) and Chardonnay (for white) rules in Burgundy, Gamay rocks in Beaujolais. Unlike America, the French name their wines after the region, not the grape. If a server a...
by Marisa Dvari
Think of a Ferrari and you think of a gorgeous sports car, right? A sleek, sexy icon of pleasure that personifies quality and luxury. So when I was first poured a glass of sparkling wine called Ferrari, I made the obvious assumption: the producers wanted to cash in on the automobile’s aura of allure. “Ferrari is a very common last name in Italy,” says charming winemaker Marcello Lunelli (aren’t Italians always charming?) whose family has owned the famous, award-winning brand for more than 50 years. “It is like Smith or Jones in America.” Marcello goes on to explain the exciting story of his family, which begins in romance novel fashion with the birth of Ferrari’s founder, Giulio Ferrari, in Trentino, Italy in 1902. Ferrari was the first to successfully plant Chardonnay gra...
by Julie Brosterman
You may wonder why I'm writing about this - snore - another wine event that you can't attend unless you're a member of the trade or media (we're both). But this story is different. I look forward to this event more than any other in Los Angeles - and this year they Family Winemakers of California included a San Diego event that was also open to the public. Over 250 wineries participated for the 10th year in Pasadena - and while there were many familiar faces - many were also there to show their first vintage. Imagine that this event is open to only family run wineries - and while you might say "of course" - take a moment to think about how few businesses or industries today are run by family members. What's even more shocking is that some of these operations only make a total of 100-300...
by Eric V. Orange
A question often asked of us at LocalWineEvents is: We are a not-for-profit agency in need of funds; is there a way we could have a fundraiser through your organization? The good news is YES, and this guide will explain the basics of organizing your event, plus we'll show you how you can use LocalWineEvents.com to help promote your non-profit cause. Note: I am writing this from the perspective of a medium sized event, so please adjust or eliminate aspects which may not fit your circumstances. To begin with, an ideal wine and cheese/food event should involve key people from these four segments of your local food/wine businesses. · A local retail wine shop · Local cheese shop/bakery/restaurants. Any food/wine related purveyor that you can tap (for example: bottled water supplier �...
by Marisa Dvari
“We’re looking for value,” the couple at the elegant Le Cirque restaurant in Manhattan tells the sommelier. “A really delicious, quality wine at a great price. What do you recommend?” In today’s new economic world, thousands of Americans are asking sommeliers the same question. And according to most sommeliers I’ve interviewed, some of the best values in the wine world are from the Languedoc region of France. Once dismissed as an area for bulk wine production, the Languedoc today represents some of the finest crafted wines at the best value. Dating back to ancient Romans, this region – with its 315 days of sunshine and cleansing winds, has the kind of varied soils and altitudes that make for a wide variety of wines, both red and white. Beyond that, fifty percent of the wi...
by Ron Kapon
I often think of the Riesling grape as the Rodney Dangerfield of viticulture. It gets no respect. It will not be long before Finger Lakes Riesling will conjure up thoughts of greatness in the same way Napa Valley is connected to Cabernet Sauvignon. But lets step back into history for a moment. The Seneca and Cayuga Indians originally inhabited the region. The opening of the Erie Canal in 1830 linked the lakes and both the population and industry flourished. The Underground Railroad had many stations in the Finger Lakes region and the women’s rights movement had its origin in the Seneca Falls area. Mark Twain spent 20 summers in Elmira and wrote Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court while there. The region is also known as the “...
by Ron Kapon
According to Perry Luntz, author of Whiskey & Spirits For Dummies (Wiley), “most people who know anything about bourbon distilling know the story of the Baptist Minister Elizah Craig who established a distillery in Bourbon County, thus giving a name to his whiskey. It’s a good story, but it’s not exactly true. In 1780, as the Ohio Territory was cut into smaller units, the Virginians claimed a piece of it. They named it Bourbon County after the then-current French ruling family to honor the support of the French during the American Revolution. In 1792, when Kentucky became a state, Bourbon County was divided into 34 of the present existing Kentucky counties. (In fact no bourbon is actually made, or sold, in Bourbon County today). One of which, was Bourbon, with its famous whiskey.” ...
by Brian Goodell
Ah, tasting notes. You know, those descriptive words and phrases that are supposed to tell you what a wine will taste like, only the average person can’t make sense out of them. The people who write them mean well. They really do. It’s just that the average person has no idea what a gooseberry actually tastes like, and I, personally, don’t know of anyone who eats pencil shavings. Unfortunately, the language of tasting is what primarily separates the “haves” from the “have nots” when it comes to one’s wine knowledge and having confidence therein. The person who thinks, “I could never say all that stuff, it just tastes like wine to me,” will remain in one segment of the population, while a person who learns to operate in this knowledge and language will cross ov...
by Jane Nickles Nickles
Your Bubbly Personality – by Jane A. Nickles Oh my god…Valentine’s Day is approaching, and you’d better show up with a bottle of bubbly! When stalking bubbles, most people immediately say “Champagne”! It just sounds festive…even speaking the word can put a smile on your face. However, all sparkling wine is not Champagne, of course. So before you automatically reach for the Champagne this February 14th, consider that virtually every major wine producing region in the world has its own variation on the bubbly theme…a bubbly stunt double, if you will. With dozens of sparkling wines out there, you’ll find one for every mood, every occasion, and even every price range. So consider these alternatives, and see which type fits your bubbly personality. French Champagne �...
