Wine Makers Going Green

The Green Movement has taken the wine world by storm in the past few years, and an article published today in The California Aggie talks a little about how it's changing the landscape in California. One of the more interesting facts I took away from the article - that approximately 40% of the shipping costs for wine comes from the thick glass bottles. I guess that's a very businessy incentive to jump headlong into what a number of European wineries are already doing - boxing fine wine. Follow the link to read the entire article for yourself.

Wines for the Hard Times

Our friend Eric Asimov, over at The New York Times wrote an excellent piece on the economy and cutting corners on wine last week. The article, "Modest Luxuries for Lean Times," serves as one part expose on the nature of wine collectors (and their almost unstoppable need to overspend) and one part guide to saving a few bucks during the economic turmoil. He breaks down the nature of quality versus affordability - and ultimately determines that the best of both worlds typically falls between the $10 and $20 mark.

Perhaps the best aspect of the article is his gift for explaining something that seems pretty complex (wine collecting) in a way that isn't hard to process at all. His reason why bottles in the ten to twenty dollar range are you're best bet:

"It more or less comes down to status and economics. These days, wines under $10 are generally the result of mass production and economies of scale. Wines made in that manner can be decent but are rarely exciting. Wines made on a smaller scale by vignerons have far greater potential to excel."

Short, simple and to the point. There's a reason he's writing wine for one of the biggest papers in the country. Follow the link to read the entire piece.

Palin Syrah Second-Guessing Unfortunate Name

So you heard it hear first, apparently Sarah Palin, the reclusive Republican VP candidate and Alaskan Governor doesn't really go over well with most people in San Francisco. OK, maybe a few other people have come to that conclusion . . . but anyway. There's a particularly good Chilean organic wine named Palin Syrah which is suffering at the hands of San Fran's liberal elites.

According to a story published recently at Decanter, the Yield Wine Bar in San Francisco has seen a marked decrease in sales of the lovely little wine, and some folks are even organizing a boycott. To be fair, the wine was around before Ms. Palin was ever making headlines and not giving interviews. Seems a little bit harsh to hate on a good wine just because of an unfortunate name. If the Republicans end up winning the election in November, it may be high time for the vintners to think about re-branding. Time will tell, I suppose.

Red Wine - A Medical Miracle

OK, so this is just getting ridiculous. Awhile back, I mentioned a chemical called Resevratrol found in red wine which studies have found reduce the effects of aging. Then, last week I came across another study about the same chemical - this time finding that it may have the potential to help out people with MS.

Well now, yet another study has been released that says Resevratrol may also be a great way to protect yourself during a nuclear fallout . . . or protect against small amounts of radiation, anyway. I guess what I'm say is, is there anything that ten years from now a doctor won't recommend red wine for?

Wine Glasses - Fancy or Functional?

Did you ever find yourself wondering . . . "this wine glass looks really cool, but is there really a reason behind having different white and red wine glasses?" Well if you have, this article is for you! It's out of the Philippines, of all places, and breaks down pretty thoroughly why wine glasses and their many incarnations are shaped the way they are. Apparently all of the hub-bub about glasses started back in the 50's when a certain Mr. Riedel decided to take a scientific minded approach to creating the ideal wine glasses. The author goes on -

"The Riedel family has been involved in the glass making business since 1756. Claus Riedel pioneered the making of wine glasses in different sizes and contours. Claus suggested that certain glass shapes are needed to emphasize the smell and taste elements present in different wine styles. The Riedel company even cited a “tongue map” scientific research study to illustrate the effect of the different glasses on flavors that are perceived by wine drinkers."

Follow the link for more fun facts!

A Rough Year for California Wine

I just finished listening to an excerpt from a radio show in California that discusses the many trials and tribulations California Vintners and Grapes had to battle through this season. When laid down in a row, the onslaught of Mother Nature looks to have been of Biblical proportions. Actually, it's kind of amazing that a lot of wines even made it to the barrels this year.

From an unnaturally hot Spring to torrential downpours and fires in the Summer to some of the worst frosts California has seen in decades, growing grapes has been far from easy during the past twelve months. At least the segment ends on a positive note, mentioning that less grapes per vine often times translates to better wines. I guess we'll have to cross our fingers and wait. Perhaps it will have turned out to be a good year after all.

Wine and Your Health

Awhile back I wrote a post about the anti-aging benefits of a chemical found in red wine that's called Resveratrol. Well today, that lovely little compound is in the news again for medical merits, this time due to a study that's found it had a positive, weight gaining effect on animals with Multiple Sclerosis-like diseases.

While far from a cure, any sort of weight gain in this type of disease is a big deal and a major sign of a step in the right direction. So if Resveratrol is found in wine, and it has all these great health benefits - that makes red wine a borderline fountain of youth, right? Well, not exactly, but it definitely has it's upsides. Enjoy the weekend, and go have a bottle of wine - it's good for you!

Mark Miller - A Hero of NY Wine

Sad to say that Mark Miller, former magazine illustrator and groundbreaking vintner of the New York wine region, passed away last week. Starting a vineyard North of NYC in the late 50's, Miller did the unthinkable at the time - made really great wine where a lot of people said it couldn't be done. He worked as a vintner in Marlboro for nearly fifty years, and his Benmarl wines have been drank with great pleasure in fine dining establishments around the world.

I don't know a ton about the man (other than that the wine is good), but it's a loss that will surely be felt in the US wine scene. The NY Times ran a great, informative and complimentary obit that they ran a few days back. If you're interested in learning more about his life's work, I strongly recommend checking it out.

WSJ in on Wine, Too

Last week I posted about how world renowned book (and everything else) retailer Amazon.com was getting in on the wine market. Well, today The Wall Street Journal announced that they, too, will be entering the realm of online wine salesmanship. WSJWine will be a new service offered by the journalism giant - offering access to fine wines through a “direct-to-home” wine service that can be reached via the Web site, a toll-free phone number or standard mail.

They're pairing with already established retailer Direct Wines to make the new venture run smoothly. The theory, as told by reps from the journal, goes something like - Our readers like wine . . . we already sell them papers . . . why not double down? It's an interesting idea, but I'm not 100% certain that the logic can be translated into sales. I guess only time will tell.

Booze Stays Strong in Struggling Economy

So I'm sure most of you heard about the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers yesterday and B of A buying out Merrill Lynch and the subsequent plunge in the stock market. But you know what's not been hurt by the struggling economy? Booze. That's right, according to a number of reports, sales of wine, beer and liquor are stronger than ever in the face of a struggling economy. I guess when the times get hard, Americans drink. Who would have thought?

More on Urban Wineries

I know that I just spoke about Eric Asimov's NY Times Blog - The Pour - last week, but he posted today with a great feature on a pair of subjects I've already covered here at Wine News - New York-based urban wineries & CrushPad. Asimov's goes into some detail about the two subjects, breaking down what to expect from a new vineyard popping up in Red Hook, an Industrial neighborhood in Brooklyn, and the hobbyist friendly CrushPad. To be honest, Eric doesn't sound too keen on either of the projects, but his post is worth checking out to be sure. If you're interested, you can find the piece in it's entirety - HERE.

Temp Telling Wine Labels

The AP released a feature today about a new technology that's starting to gain some momentum in the wine world - temperature monitoring labels. These new labels are about the size of a sugar packet and get stuck to a bottle before it's sent out to be sold. Basically, these little tags are wired to monitor the temperature of the wine while in transit. What that means is that if you pick up a bottle of wine in the store, you'll immediately know if it's going to be bad due to "cooking" that occured in the cargo hold of a train or on the back of a semi truck. Pretty cool, right? There's a link to the story above, but here's a brief snippet to wet your whistle:

"About the size of a sugar packet, the labels can be programmed for a range of temperatures and placed directly on the product or its packaging. A light flashes green if the product stays within specifications and yellow if it doesn't. Information on exactly what temperatures the product reached and when can be downloaded via a portable reader into a computer spreadsheet. If there is a problem, the data show where it occurred, helpful in determining who's responsible."

Amazonian Wine and the Impact it Will Have

Even though it's not official yet, according to a number of sources who went to print this morning, Amazon.com - that mammoth of e-commerce, that salesman of all things under the sun, will soon be selling you wine and sending it straight to your mailbox. The company, who's been selling gourmet food stuffs for awhile but never offered any vino, is set to join the likes of wine.com and a handful of other websites that sell wine on the web.

The Wall Street Journal has a pretty thorough rundown of the situation, and notes how interesting it is that a company that began as a bookseller will soon be in the booze business. Americans are getting to the point where they're never going to have to leave their homes again . . . not that I think deliverable wine is such a bad thing. Anyway, if anyone has thoughts on the matter, feel free to comment below!

Have a Wine on the Wild Side

Our friend Eric Asimov over at The NY Times' wine blog, The Pour posted a piece today that has piqued my interest in a certain California winery in a big way. In the post, which focuses on Scholium Project, an experimental winery in Napa Valley -

"As with many small, utilitarian wineries in California, barrels and tanks practically spill out of Tenbrink, home of Scholium Project, here in the Suisun Valley, just east of Napa Valley. Yet to call Scholium Project a winery and its proprietor, Abe Schoener, a winemaker is a little like calling Salvador Dali a painter. It’s true, but it does not begin to capture his visionary character."

If that's not high praise, I'm not quite sure what is. Unfortunately, I've never had the pleasure of trying any of Abe Schoener's wine's myself - but as Asimov tells it the experience is nothing short of inspired. The most refreshing part of the post was how the winemaker is willing to go out and experiment, and isn't frightened or put off by the occasional stumble.

If making fine wine is truly an art, this guy certainly has his heart in the right place. Better to take a risk, make some crap along with the really amazing stuff, than it is to play it safe and never manage anything that's truly creative. I'm going to attempt to search out a few bottles and report back with my thoughts at a later date.

A Bad Year for French Production

According to a statement from French Wine Authorities released earlier today, production of wine from the famed South of France is expected to be down by almost five percent this year from the 12 months prior. To add insult to injury, last years production rate was also considered lower than average, so they're nowhere near what is, hypothetically at least, their potential output range.

Crappy weather that included a ton of rain, an unexpected cold snap and an onslaught of hail earlier in the growing season left vineyards across the holy region of wine with less quality grapes than anyone would have hoped. Sources said that new government incentives to curb over-production of bad wine has also added to the dent in productivity, thanks to a large number of vintners uprooting their vines in exchange for a cool chunk of change from the boys in charge. Interesting development . . . I wonder if production will go down again next year, too?

Brooklyn Stoop Drinkers Unite!

OK, OK, I know this isn't technically about wine . . . but beer is like wine, sort of . . . right? Anyway, there's an interesting beer-related story that's been all over the place in NY this morning about a Brooklyn man, father of two, president of his co-op board, good citizen extraordinaire, who is protesting receiving a ticket for drinking a Sierra Nevada on his stoop.

As you may know (from the movies, if nothing else) stoop sitting is a big part of everyday life in Brooklyn, and for most of it's residents, the stoop serves as a place for social gathering and a surrogate back yard for building residents. The man in question, Kimber VanRy, has decided to have it out with the city and fight for his right to drink a bottle of beer on his stoop if he wants to.

According to city ordinances, stoop-drinking is technically considered drinking in public, but many Brooklyners would argue that the practice is very much in the gray area. The story that The NY Times ran this morning gives a fairly in depth rundown of the situation and how things might play out. If you've got a free minute or two, it's well worth the read.

Make Your Own Wine

I just came across a really cool service website based out of San Francisco that allows customers (either virtually or physically) to have a hand in making their very own California wine. Crush Pad offers you, either by yourself or with a group of friends, to make an entire barrel of wine. From start to finish, picking to bottling - you can have as much hands on experience as you want.

And, if your somebody like me who lives on the East Coast but wants to try it out anyway, they've got options to let you watch the process via streaming video on the net. Sure, it's not as great as being there to actually get your hands dirty, but I do like the idea of watching what you're drinking turning from one thing (ie, grapes) into another (ie, wine). Not to mention that when the process is over, you've got the equivalent of 25 cases of home-made vino. Which is pretty great, assuming that it turns out to be tasty. Anyway, I've linked to the site at the top of this post. Have a look for yourself and enjoy the weekend!

Temperature Makes a Difference.

There's a great article in St. Louis Today from yesterday that discusses why it's so important to drink wine (and beer and spirits, for that matter) at the appropriate temperature. It may seem like nitpicking to some, but there can be a tremendous difference between two bottles of the same wine if they're consumed at two different temperatures of ten degrees difference.

After discussing why getting the right temperature is important - too cold the flavors lock up, too warm wine tends to get "hot and flabby" - the article breaks down the right temperature to consume wine, beer and booze. As it turns out, most beer is served too cold, as well as white wine. Red's tend to be served too warm, and spirits depend upon what you're drinking and rely more on personal preference. If you really want to make the most out of the bottles you bring home (not to mention impress dinner guests) this article's well worth checking out. The links at the top of the post, enjoy!

More on Science and Wine

Looks like the guys in white lab coats are at it again - this time using fancy-shmancy particle accelerators to accomplish the lofty task of accurately dating vintage wine. The story comes courtesy of Reuters (Paris), and talks briefly about how French scientists have utilized particle accelerators to test the age of wine bottles - not the wine itself. I guess this can't really put an end to those pesky counterfeiters who dumpster dive at fine dining establishments for rare bottles then fill and re-sell them for a small fortune, but hey, it's still kind of cool, right? All this talk about x rays and ion beams makes blogging about wine feel one step shy of the Sci-Fi channel, and it's good to mix things up every once in awhile.

How Big is your Carbon Footprint?

A study of two Italian vineyards in the same region - one organic, one not - released over the weekend highlights just how dramatic the effects of going green can be. According to the study, which you can read a little more about here, the organic vineyard had a carbon footprint of around half the size of the traditional vineyard, less than fifty kilometers away.

Organic vinting includes using all natural fertilizers, no pesticides and handling most of the grape-growing, picking and mixing by hand rather than large industrialized machines. According to the findings of the study, a single bottle from the organic vineyard had an eco-footprint of approximately 7.17 square meters and the non-organic bottle had one of 13.98 square meters. Pretty impressive, right? Now my only question is, which one of them tasted better?