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DR. VINO | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012 La Presse: SAQ paid Suckling $24,000 for reviews SAQ, the state-owned wine entity that has a monopoly on wine retail in Quebec, paid wine critic James Suckling $24,000 last year. Suckling and SAQ had both denied any financial relationship. La Presse reports in their online edition that they obtained documents through freedom of information law. Image: PR Web. wine writing -
DR. VINO | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012 Millennial foodies, check. But no love for the millennial wine geeks? “When Did Young People Start Spending 25% of Their Paychecks on Pickled Lamb’s Tongues?” ” Such is the headline of a New York magazine article about young foodies. Or, rather, one young foodie, the 27-year-old Dine Chang. There are lots of parallels with young people getting into wine these days. American wine -
BROOKLYN GUY LOVES WINE | TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012 My Favorite Sherry Bar in NYC - Palo Cortado Not too dark, not bright at all, some interesting paintings around, and they perfectly hit that critical mix of giving you enough space and somehow maximizing the hum of conversation from other tables. I want to tell you about my favorite place to drink Sherry in NYC, a tapas bar called Palo Cortado. order tapas, that's it. And there is tile. -
DR. VINO | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 2012 Put “at rest” to rest in NY An email that has been making the rounds today follows after the jump: Dear Customer, A critical issue to the very existence of the fine wine industry in New York has been brought to our attention and we wanted to make you aware of it. What if you could not buy a book at a bookstore in New York if it had come from a New Jersey warehouse? -
DR. VINO | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2012 Nicolas Joly on appellations, life forces and electromagnetic fields Back in New York for another edition of Return to Terroir, a roving show of Biodynamic wine producers, Joly leveled criticism at the appellation system (as he did three years ago at the event ). “The concept of appellation has lost its meaning,” he said. ” As he talked about life energies, he got more positive. winemaking
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BROOKLYN GUY LOVES WINE | SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 2012 Thinking About how to Rate Wine But there is a difference between personal preference and objective quality, and this is the whole point of professional criticism. If you agree that there is objective quality to wine, then you probably agree that there must be some way for a critic to measure a wine's quality and communicate this to the rest of us. -
DR. VINO | SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2012 Some weekend reading – PARKENSTEIN! had succeeded beyond my wildest dreams—he already spoke like a critic.” In a series of post that will go directly into the Wine Blogging Hall of Fame, check out the return of the Hosemaster of Wine and his three-part series, PARKENSTEIN! Mary Shelley would be proud–if she were a wine geek. wine writing -
DR. VINO | THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012 Points for all? Recent evidence of wine score inflation haven’t crunched the numbers but Blake Gray did and found that new critic Antonio Galloni’s “midpoint” (not sure if this is the mean or median) was 92, up from 91 for Parker’s last set of reviews. Is inflation crippling wine scores? In the near future, will it take a wheelbarrow of points to sell a Moscato? -
A WINE STORY | MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2011 Are Scores a Necessary Gateway to the Market? Today in his column Andrew Jefford tells the story of a woman from a small village who said some Canadian importers were interested in carrying her wine, yet wanted to know if they had been "scored" by any North American critics. Jefford asks a brilliant question: are scores actually necessary to get into today's market? Is it right? -
DR. VINO | WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2011 Scores on labels: what’s the point? We all know that Spanish wineries looooove critics, so much so that they would pay extravagant fees for a “ master class ” by a point-wielding critic on “ a freelance.” ” The good folks at Torres have decided to wear their hearts on their sleeve by putting the score right on the front label! Spanish wine -
DR. VINO | MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011 Changing critic, changing styles? Neal Martin, 40 and based in London, will be the publication’s critic for Spain, Argentina and Chile adding to his new-ish coverage of Sauternes, South Africa and part of New Zealand. He has mostly been an “at-large” critic without a geographical region though he has been working on a book about Pomerol. wine writin -
DR. VINO | SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2011 Jay Miller leaves the Wine Advocate He added: Some may believe my stepping down is in response to my critics. In a posting on eRobertParker.com, Robert Parker has announced that Jay Miller will no longer be writing for The Wine Advocate. ” Miller says he will be returning part time to Bin 604, a wine store, working on a book and may start a wine blog. wine writing -
DR. VINO | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2011 Burgundy visits – how much time does a critic take per domaine? Coincidentally, two American critics are tweeting from their Burgundy visits right now. The critics are Antonio Galloni of Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate and John Gilman , who publishes The View from the Cellar. So I asked how much time he spends at each domaine. asked if he had sufficient time to evaluate the wines. -
BROOKLYN GUY LOVES WINE | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011 The Changing Sherry Market - Fine Sherry is more than Equipo Navazos This is not a criticism of us, of Sánchez Ayala, of Equipo Navazos, or of anything. Not really so long ago in Burgundy, négociants dominated the wine market. Growers sold even their finest wines to the négoce who bottled them and that's what was largely available for retail purchase. And I doubt that anyone would say that this is a bad thing. -
DR. VINO | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2011 There’s no point! Wine retailers that say no to scores From this perspective, it’s partially understandable why Spanish wineries might want to pay a fee to invite Wine Advocate critic Jay Miller to their regions. An item on Bloomberg yesterday detailed how Spaniards are drinking less wine, which has prompted Spanish wineries to pursue export markets more. In NYC: Astor Wines. Crush Wines. -
DR. VINO | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2011 Regional group charges wineries fees for Wine Advocate tasting How do wineries prepare for a visiting critic? In Murcia, a region in the southwest of Spain, the answer this month is: they charge. Correspondence has surfaced from a regional association to the wineries entitled “Urgent: winery participation in Jay Miller’s visit.” The total sum sought from wineries was €29,000 ($40,000). -
BROOKLYN GUY LOVES WINE | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011 Peter Liem's Sherry Dinner at the Spotted Pig Celebrated wine critic Peter Liem selected a group of Sherries and April Bloomfield, celebrated chef at The Spotte d Pig (among other places), created a menu to pair with the wines. Although I am no longer the least bit surprised, I continue to take great pleasure in expanding my experiences with the versatility of Sherry at the table. -
DR. VINO | TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011 Prohibition’s lingering bad taste [Ken Burns] detailed these in my book Wine Politics: How Governments, Environmentalists, Mobsters, and Critics Influence the Wines We Drink. If you’ve turned on PBS during the past couple of nights, you’ve probably encountered slow zooms and pans of black and white photographs. To which Colbert replied: “How did we conquer the West?” -
DR. VINO | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011 Holy SPIT: wine in the Eucharist ” Criticism mounted of the wine-less mass. The Phoenix diocese just got news from their bishop: you can survive on bread alone. During Mass, that is, since he is removing wine from the communion, save for a few times a year. The Arizona Republic reports that no other diocese in the country will be removing wine from the Communion. -
DR. VINO | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2011 NYT: wine consumers “brainwashed” into thinking they need education If I were to look into it it variables I would examine include: the role of critics in each beverage; the role of online discussion boards and user-generated reviews/ratings; the extent of home wine making or beer making; the availability of formal classes or training; and the geographic proximity of an enthusiast to a microbrewery or winery. -
BROOKLYN GUY LOVES WINE | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2011 Learning Enough to Know That I Don't Know Anything. Wine ratings that arise from one tasting probably should not be relied upon, unless the critic is one of the incredibly rare people who actually has the depth and breadth of experience to understand the wine in its current state, and extrapolate from that state something meaningful about the wine as a whole. Starkly different. Burgundy.I -
DR. VINO | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2011 Downfall of a Cult California Winery [video] This new one, entitled “Downfall of a Cult Californian Winery,” depicts the plight of a cult winery owner during this time of a changing of the critic at the Wine Advocate. Sometimes these spoof wine videos come in waves–remember the animated wine trade videos ? American wine -
DR. VINO | THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2011 The budgetary ax cuts Slate’s wine column The physiology of the wine critic. . Mike Steinberger tweeted that along with the layoffs announced yesterday at Slate , his wine column also fell victim the budgetary ax. Mike writes with tremendous verve, brio, wit, knowledge, and a nose for a good story as well as a great wine; this is a major blow for wine writing. wine writing -
DR. VINO | TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011 End of an era: Gary Vaynerchuk quits daily wine videos “The Pour – This Wine Critic Can Drive People to Drink [ NYT ]. “You, with such a smaller part of me than you realize, we have changed the wine world.. That’s how Gary Vaynerchuk concluded what he said was his final wine video. He had previously announced stepping down from his position at Wine Library.) -
IMBIBE NEW YORK | MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2011 A Benefit for Lydia Tillman Dear Friends of CSW, On July 4th our friend and wine-colleague Lydia Tillman was the victim of a brutal attack that has left her hospitalized in critical condition. Lydia crushing grapes at Guimaro in Galicia T. Edward Wines & David Bowler Wines are c0-sponsoring this benefit with Chamber Street Wines. Lydia had just relocated to [.]. -
DR. VINO | MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 2011 Bordeaux in a can, robots, BDX10, winery stores – sipped and spit But will the e-tongues threaten critics next, dunking into wine and spitting out points? SIPPED: keepin’ it klassy. Forget screwcap or cork: a company has just been authorized to put Bordeaux in a can. That should solve their marketing problems to young people since it will now be easier to shotgun! SIPPED: robots again. CNN ]. -
A WINE STORY | FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 2011 A Wine Story - Untitled Article Yet many respected wine critics are against natural wine, and even some winemakers famed for their natural winemaking practices agree there may be limits to how “natural” a wine should go. Naked Wine by Alice Feiring. Reviewed by Marisa D'Vari. So what is natural wine, anyway? don’t make that kind of wine. have a business to run!”. -
DR. VINO | THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2011 Marcassin swings at La Tache but ultimately breaks arm patting self on back I asked the Advocate’s new Burgundy critic Galloni what he was going to do try to recapture that; Galloni will also review California wines for the publication and it will be interesting to see his opinions of Marcassin.) Consider some of the tidbits. Readers learn: * They are avid observers of golf. Robert Parker loved them! 97 points. -
DR. VINO | THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011 How much wine outside the winery is cooked? #heatwave For one, if critics purchased the wines they reviewed at retail stores instead of tasting at the winery, that would provide a strong incentive to tighten controls in the wine supply chain. These muggy days in the high 90s have New Yorkers sweltering. It’s also been an extremely hot summer in much of Europe. business of wine -
SLAKED | FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2011 New Crosby Roamann Labels Revealed Criticism sucks. fucking hate it. Truly. Which means I must be a masochist, because only a masochist would redesign his labels every year. It's not a good way to make money, to be sure, and everyone has their own opinions on wine labels (I should call them theories), and not all of them are kind. Doing the art is the part I love. ditto. -
A WINE STORY | TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2011 Australian Wine & Music in Williamsburg Critics Tanzer gave it 88 points, and Parker 87. Now this is fun. and so very cool! Social media is presenting the opportunities for wineries to connect with their core audience and also donate profits to a great cause. Wakefield Sauvignon Blanc 2009. Yalumba Sangiovese Rose 2010. d'Arenberg The Stump Jump Red 2009. -
DR. VINO | TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2011 When a wine fails to age, who’s to blame? At what point might the critic be liable if the optimal drinking window (e.g. Can you successfully sue a synthetic cork producer for a wine’s inability to age? Robert Parker suggests so. Is there a legal precedent here? don’t know the case history. “drink between 2017-2050″) results only “failure ? -
BROOKLYN GUY LOVES WINE | THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2011 And Now, For Something Completely Different Actually, my friend was more critical of it than I was. The other night a good friend of mine came over for dinner. He's also a wine lover, but his cellar is full of current California Cabernet and modern day wine from Bordeaux. Trust me though, he is a truly lovely guy. This is a late harvest dessert wine that is not available in stores. -
A WINE STORY | WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2011 Auction Napa Valley: Focus on Erna Schein Boutique Winery As it happened, Manfred liked it very much indeed, as did another 'drop-off' to the Oakville Grocery store in Oakville, and the combination of these two high-profile venues quickly put the wine on the map, ultimately attracting high scores from respected critics Robert Parker and Stephen Tanzer. You can register for the e-auction here. -
A WINE STORY | TUESDAY, MAY 24, 2011 Auction Napa Valley 2011: Focus on Signorello Estate e-auction The critics love the wines. So you know all about the e-auction that opens May 29, 2011 in alignment with the Auction Napa Valley 2011, yes? am spotlighting certain producers and interesting lots that every wine lover (and supporter of the Napa Valley's charities) should know about. Today the focus is on Signorello Estates. Dinner for 6. -
DR. VINO | THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2011 This wine rox!! #tastingnotes #grammar #scores While I could see grammar and readability in tasting notes–either user-generated or from critics–making a difference on sales, wine writing (for better or generally for worse) has its own Mechanical Turk for smoothing out all those pesky words: the score. will blow yer mind! An interesting phenomenon to be sure. wine writing -
DR. VINO | WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2011 Parker on Bordeaux 2010: great but not *the greatest* Liv-Ex also remarks on his downgrades of the 2008s: Following the en primeur tastings two years ago, the general feeling amongst the trade and the critics was that the 2008 vintage was solid, if unspectacular. say apparently because it is behind the eRobertParker.com paywall and there’s nary a mention of it on wine discussion boards. -
BROOKLYN GUY LOVES WINE | TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2011 Brooklyn Blind Tasting Panel # 6 - 2009 "Basic" German Riesling For this tasting I was joined by some serious Riesling people: Rubén Sanz Ramiro , Head Sommelier at Veritas Restaurant, Stephen Bitterolf , Wine Director at Crush Wine & Spirits, and Eric Asimov , wine critic at The New York Times. like the wines very much in general, but I'm still a bit intimidated. some do not. Rubén felt the same way. -
DR. VINO | MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2011 Should critics embargo Bordeaux 2010 scores? #jancis Jancis Robinson floated a novel idea on her website last week: what if critics, who descend on Bordeaux shortly to taste 2010 barrel samples, withheld their scores until the Bordeaux trade had finished their pre-sale campaign (known as en primeur )? Bordeaux wine writing -
A WINE STORY | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2011 A Wine Story - Untitled Article The wines became the “media darling of the year, garnering praise from critics, connoisseurs and consumers alike. Wines from Santorini. Today the Wines of Santorini hosted a fabulous seminar, with the tasting guided by Dr. Yiannis Paraskevopoulos o of GAIA wines, one of Greece’s top oenologistss. What is Vinsanto? -
DR. VINO | FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2011 Gary Vee unplugs from Wine Library Even though he says that he has “retired from WLTV, he’s more of a wine critic than ever. Wine Library TV has kicked the Jets bucket! After 1,000 episodes of Wine Library TV (I had a good time with him on episode #771 ), Gary Vaynerchuk has decided to hang up his signature Jets bucket. Well, sort of. Best of luck to Gary! -
A WINE STORY | FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011 Wines of Canada – Seriously Cool Chardonnay The wines received accolades from such noted wine critics as Jancis Robinson, Steven Spurrier and Oz Clarke. What a very curious name for a Canadian Campaign, yet oh so. First off, the seminar was very well organized. Very impressed by the wines, which had incredible minerals and high acidity. Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2005. and Icewine.. -
DR. VINO | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2011 Skulduggery, cellar, chilling red, Bordeaux brands – sipped and spit from a local critic. Critics claim he “broke families he bought from and “compromised the artisanal essence of their companies.. SIPPED: a new meaning for, “wine, down the hatch! [ source via reddit]. SIPPED: skulduggery. vinography ]. SPIT: scores. What drives Bordeaux prices? SPIT: “Operation Suckling. -
DR. VINO | TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2011 Antonio Galloni of the Wine Advocate [Q&A] In terms of critical evaluation, one of the main things I look for is conviction. am looking for reliability and consistency in the critics whose opinions I respect. There’s a new order at the Wine Advocate. Last month, Robert Parker announced editorial changes at the publication he founded in 1978. It was a fantastic education. -
BROOKLYN GUY LOVES WINE | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2011 A Conversation with Jean-Marie Fourrier - Part 3 What type of wine criticism is meaningful to you? JMF: I read what the critics write because I'm curious. French critics, you know, do not visit cellars. This is the final post about my conversation with Jean-Marie Fourrier. It was an honor and a pleasure to interview him, and I hope that you've enjoyed reading about it. -
BROOKLYN GUY LOVES WINE | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2011 A Conversation with Jean-Marie Fourrier - Part 1 JMF: Well, I had become critical of my culture. Jean-Marie Fourrier of Domaine Fourrier was in town recently for the big La Paulée event and I was honored to spend a few hours talking with him one morning. Fourrier makes wine mostly in Gevrey-Chambertin, and also owns plots in Chambolle and Morey St. Denis. It remains with them today. -
DR. VINO | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2011 Wine Advocate’s new order, LVMH, trenta – sipped and spit And who said criticism was getting more regionalized? SIPPED: baton passing. Robert Parker has announced editorial changes at the Wine Advocate, including the fact that he will no longer be reviewing the wines of California. SPIT: recession. The drinks division at LVMH reports a 19% rise in revenues to €3.3 billion. Guardian ]. cockeyed ]. -
BROOKLYN GUY LOVES WINE | SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, 2011 Vin Clair and Champagne Terroirs Peter Liem told me that it was only about ten years ago when critics began to taste vins clair. To really know the taste of wines from a certain place - this is not an easy thing for most of us. If you are fortunate enough to drink many examples over many years, it becomes possible. It may be understandable, but it is simply wrong. -
DR. VINO | MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2010 Supreme Court, FIJI, Lafite, boats and dragons — sipped & spit I think we’ve just come out of 15 years of wine criticism where there was really only one point of view.” SIPPED: miracles? FIJI water LLC, which recently shut down production in a showdown with Fiji’s (military) government but then caved , will be turning their water profits into wine. SIPPED: another round. AFP ]. WSJ ]. -
BROOKLYN GUY LOVES WINE | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2010 Foillard Fleurie I have nothing but respect for Kermit Lynch and I would not presume to criticize his decisions regarding the wines he imports, or anything of that nature. I love Jean Foillard's wines. There are many great Beaujolais wines, but if I were forced to choose only one to drink (and thank goodness I am not), I would choose Foillard's wines. as in -
A WINE STORY | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2010 Verticale La Grande Rue Tasting at Domaine Lammarche during Hospices de Beaune Jeanne-Marie De Champs helped orchestrate this fabulous tasting of top wine writers, critics, and other experts, including Master of Wine and journalist Clive Coastes. Extremely honored to be present at the Domaine Lamarche La Grande Rue verticle in Vosne Romanee just before the 2010 Hospices de Beaune auction on November 18. clif coates. -
BROOKLYN GUY LOVES WINE | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2010 What Makes a Good Vintage? And who cares if you wind up liking a vintage that the critics deride? Thanks to my then girlfriend, now wife BrooklynLady, sometime in 2004 I rediscovered wine. had no idea, really, of what it was that I liked (and I'm still figuring it out). One of the things I used was a vintage chart. still have it, actually. not Turbido! -
DR. VINO | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2010 Robert De Niro, old Champagne, allergies and China 3x — sipped & spit SIPPED: critiquing the critics. Robert De Niro honors Francis Ford Coppola’s cinematic achievements–by commenting on his wine (and their scores). Be sure to check out the video for the PinotShiraCab! LA Weekly ]. SIPPED: 19th century Champagne. Remember those old Champagne bottles found by divers in the Baltic? SIPPED: Lafitte. -
BROOKLYN GUY LOVES WINE | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2010 A Conversation with Neal Rosenthal - Part 2 The thing is, I'd rather read online than read the boring repetitive useless stuff that the critics write in those magazines, you know the ones, they come out every three months or so. Wine is a social event, not fodder for criticism. Neal showed me his root cellar, where he grabbed a bunch of his potatoes for our lunch. BG: Nice! -
DR. VINO | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2010 Wine Politics, now in paperback! [giveaway] My book, Wine Politics: How Governments, Environmentalists, Mobsters and Critics Influence the Wines We Drink , is now available in a new version: paperback ! Not as lightweight as the existing Kindle edition and about the same weight as the Korean translation , the paperback is at least lighter–and cheaper!–than -
DR. VINO | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2010 Lafite 08 speaks Chinese, wine profits, Bode Miller, Holland-sipped & spit Monsters & Critics ]. SIPPED: wine lifestyle…in New Hampshire. Bode Miller, the gold medal skier who once admitted to racing while hungover, plans to become a vintner in his home state of New Hampshire. It’s all downhill from here… [ Reuters ]. SIPPED: profits. Where are the profits in the American wine biz? Decanter ]. -
WHY WINE BLOG | SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2010 Regional Wine Week 2010 Regional Wine Week was the brain child of Dave McIntyre , wine critic for the Washington Post and Jeff Siegel, the Wine Curmudgeon blog writer. Last year during regional wine week, I was able to taste (and consume a bit) some of my favorite wines from the nearby Finger Lakes. That was accomplished, but not without some disappointment. -
DR. VINO | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2010 Wine on tap, lawsuit, Veritas, bunnies, scribe and more! – sipped & spit This week, their restaurant critics round-up the bourgeoning offerings of wine on tap. At least some critics already like the 2010 vintage! SIPPED: wine on tap. Last week, New York magazine called self-serve wine tanks brilliant and highbrow. Fun as taps can be, let’s hope the cost savings are passed on to diners! NY mag ]. -
WHY WINE BLOG | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2010 Don Miguel Gascon Malbec 2009 Now, Ernesto Catena, a fourth generation winemaker, has brought the wines of Bodegas Escorihuela Gascón to high status in Argentina, and to prominence with critics and connoisseurs throughout the world. In certain times, certain wines become a fad. remember when I started enjoying wines that Cabernet Sauvignon was "thee wine to have." -
WHY WINE BLOG | TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2010 Time For Updating - New Links Page am always open for suggestions and I do always appreciate constructive criticism. When it became apparent that I would be out of work for at least three months, I thought it would give me time to look into and completely update the blog. Maybe today, it starts. also added descriptions to each link. keyword: constructive). Joe (joeshico -
DR. VINO | WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2010 Impossible food-wine pairing: Epoisses?!? So writes Sam Sifton, NYT restaurant critic, in a blog post about David Chang’s new restaurant, Ma Peche. (You ever eat Époisses after a huge meal? Life gets strange and fast. Époisses is like a drug. It’s the tequila of cheese.). Which would you choose? Or is it…impossible?!? Maybe his was a little too ripe? -
ALICE FEIRING | SUNDAY, JULY 11, 2010 Els Jelipins (part 2) Yet, the man grew unhappy using the recipe geared towards the big critic. In the beginning, Oriol who with his wife Gloria and wee daughter, Berta make up the GOB of the Penedes wine bottled as Els Jelipins, met Rene Barbier who said to him, "You're crazy like me." Oriol said, "At first I thought wine was poetry. -
BROOKLYN GUY LOVES WINE | THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2010 More Tales from the Dark Side: Wine Retail Horror Stories People love to criticize without any context regarding the object of their criticism. Ready for some more strange retail stories? Weird advice from the folks in the trenches? know I am. People love to answer questions, even if they have no idea of the factual answer. Here are a few recent tales, Wine Retail Horror Stories. he asked. -
DR. VINO | MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2010 Slate.com investigates the high-end wine market The cast of characters includes Hardy Rodenstock and billionaire Bill Koch as before, but expands to include a prominent merchant, auctioneers, collectors, and the critical role of Robert M. It is rare to see long-form journalism on the web. It’s even harder to find superb investigative journalism in wine writing. Parker, Jr. -
DR. VINO | MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2010 Going before the judge–at dinner The organizers wanted to tie it into my book, Wine Politics: How Governments, Environmentalists, Mobsters and Critics Influence the Wines We Drink. Have you ever met someone and talked with her about a topic, only to find out that–unknown to you–she is a key player in that very topic ? That happened to me about a week ago. -
ALICE FEIRING | SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 2010 In Which Our Heroine Meets With MrBigJ I had been seeing his updates telling of the Chilean wine tasting extravaganza he was taking Wine Advocate critic, Dr. Jay Miller through for upcoming wine reviews. I might be editing this version, adding fleshing, but before I boarded, I just wanted to leave you folks with a good one. Guess who I'm with and guess who wants to meet you." -
A WINE STORY | MONDAY, MAY 10, 2010 Sud de France Top-Scoring Wines at Maison de la Region Languedoc-Roussillon Today the trade had the tchance to discover and taste over 70 wines that were awarded top scores by esteemed critics so look for them in your wine shop or favorite restaurant soon. Arnaud Moynier. Recently, the intersection of 53rd and 5th has become a regular stop. Of course, the salmon color gave away the majority of Cinsault. -
DR. VINO | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2010 Bordeaux 2009: all over but the pricing For the number-obsessed, Bordeauxoverview has put together a grid of all the critics’ scores. Robert Parker posted his reviews of Bordeaux 2009 yesterday on his subscription web site. Many were accompanied by an asterisk, which indicate that they are the best wine from the estate that he has ever tasted as a barrel sample. -
DR. VINO | MONDAY, APRIL 26, 2010 Alcohol, allergies, histamines and sulfites – reactions from an allergist Pity the wine tasters, critics and amateurs alike, that suffer from allergies who may be compounding their problems by tasting at certain times of the year. As pollen showers down this time of year, a question that many allergy sufferers may have is whether alcohol exacerbates sniffling and sneezing. heard back from Sumit Bhutani, M.D., -
DR. VINO | THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2010 Bobby Parkerchuk, tweeting from Monkton, NJ BP: I have the hustle of a 32 year-old businessman and the gout of a 62 year-old wine critic. BP: mowed the lawn.looks great,95 points…then watched Avatar (preview copy; all big critics get them) on my new 3D TV w the delicious Misha & cuddly DrBigJ…I wish i could clone them and offer them as a two pack on Cindy! -
WHY WINE BLOG | THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2010 Old Title, New Blog. am very good at handling constructive criticism. After a year of Why Wine Blog, I was contemplating leaving the Blogger platform and moving elsewhere. But, I like and have become accustom to what I had and I am not one for making major changes or starting over. Recently, Blogger as added a few new gadgets and a new template designer. -
DR. VINO | MONDAY, APRIL 5, 2010 Bordeaux 2009 en primeur — the dispatches! Over the past month, critics and wine trade buyers have been on the ground in Bordeaux, tasting the 2009 vintage before they go on pre-sale (as “futures ) in the coming months. Timatkin: Weird that the Bdx trade waiting for verdicts of two US critics before setting prices when most Europeans don’t agree with their palates. -
A WINE STORY | TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 2010 Media Clips Courting the Critics. Hundreds of D'Vari's features and articles are here on this web site, AWineStory.com. Please read more about Marisa's unique history as the producer/host of a Celebrity Chef TV show, her rare wine credentials, and more here. Published Articles. Marisa's articles have been published in. London's Financial Times. Tropez. -
A WINE STORY | TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 2010 Article views was Tastes critic for a while and if you click on the Tastes section [link] most articles are mine. I am sometimes asked about where my articles appear in addition to my online wine magazine, [link]. Virtually everything I write appears on the popular site [link]. Below is the latest breakdown of stats. NY Wine Pairing Examiner. Best, EO. -
DR. VINO | TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2010 Baboons, biting hands, Bordeaux disarray, sommeliers – sipped and spit Their criticism of the first category was so loud that it made paper (local and national)! SIPPED: headline writing. “Baboons give Chardonnay a thumbs up, was a recent headline on timeslive.co.za. How many baboon thumbs up could catch on as a new, powerful wine evaluation method. See our previous baboon coverage.). His reaction? -
SLAKED | TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2010 Antica Terra, Botanica, and Lillian But here I find that some of the romance -- the complexity and turbulence that marks unrequited love -- has been sacrificed for what is sure to be a wine to be taken seriously by critics and journalists. In short, Maggie's pinot noirs from Willamette Valley are not of this world. In 2007, in which it rained 9.5 The 2007 * is crazygood. spice?) -
DR. VINO | MONDAY, MARCH 8, 2010 Maryland wine shipping rides a wave of support–and pessimism Friday, we announced that we came to a critical common understanding with our opponents on this issue. Friday was a rare moment in the legislative sun for the subject of wine direct shipping in the Maryland, where, as we discussed, is a felony to ship wine. Consumers and wine industry experts gave testimony before a committee. Period. link]. -
DR. VINO | SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2010 Chilean earthquake: wineries, tanks, bottles damaged or destroyed Tanks laying, collapsed buildings, barrels and glass everywhere, winemaker Sven Bruchfeld told James Molesworth, wine critic for Chilean wine at Wine Spectator magazine. Chile has a large, export-oriented wine industry. Bouchon, “is safe but his beautiful old winery is leveled, Tieszen writes. Millions of liters on the floor. -
A WINE STORY | SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2010 Meadowood Chef Christopher Kostow Gets 4 Stars Michael Bauer, Restaurant Critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, did and the newpaper just released his four star review. It has been a while - perhaps more than a year - when I had the tasting menu at the fabulous Meadowood resort in the Napa Valley (click here to read the review). cost $500. Restaurant at Meadowood. Helena. -
A WINE STORY | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2010 Symposium for Professional Wine Writers 2010 Michael Bauer, the food and wine editor and restaurant critic for the SF Chronicle, will be attending as well (I wrote an article on tipping on wine for him). Every February I have been attending the symposium for professional wine writers in the Napa Valley. I'll try to post on the exciting wines I'm experiencing while I'm there! -
DR. VINO | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2010 Wine shops in states with supermarket sales – three views We write every shelf talker ourselves instead of relying on copy from wineries or critics reviews. Most wine critic’s points don’t take this into consideration and are typically skewed favorably toward wines that are more powerful and more cocktail-like. To their thoughts, after the jump! years, 2 months and counting. -
DR. VINO | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010 Blaufränkisch: from zero to 60 in fifteen years tasted through over a dozen of the top examples at a recent press event organized by David Schildknecht (pictured, right), critic and writer for Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. In 1993 Englebert Prieler, an Austrian vintner, decided for the first time to bottle a single-vineyard wine from the grape variety Blaufränkisch. euro) a bottle. -
WINE TASTING GUY | SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2010 Bad wine – what to say (or not say)? Tags: Uncategorized Wine critiquing bad wine KRWE VLOG wine critic wine review -
DR. VINO | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2010 Mayacamas Vineyards – tasting notes and more, from John Gilman However, such philosophy is not shared by the vast majority of cabernet producers in California today, nor many of the influential critics who form a key constituency for most wineries in this day and age. John Gilman, author of the newsletter A View from the Cellar , weighs in today with his thoughts on Mayacamas Vineyards. 2015-2050. -
DR. VINO | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2010 Visiting Mayacamas Vineyards, Napa Valley [guest post] Now, a growing number of critics and consumers, including those in California, are openly wondering if the Napa Cabernet train has come off the rails: commentator Dan Berger, for one, last week dismissed California Cabernet as “little more than a parody of itself.”. Today we have his thoughts. By Evan Dawson. Whither Napa Cabernet? she said. -
BROOKLYN GUY LOVES WINE | THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010 Brooklyn Blind Tasting Panel #3 - Manzanilla Sherry BrooklynLady and I were joined for this tasting by Eric Asimov , wine critic at the New York Times, Peter Liem of ChampagneGuide.net , and Rafael Mateo, owner of Pata Negra , the East Village tapas bar. I've been drinking a lot of dry sherry lately, and I think I've really caught the bug. And dry sherry is so inexpensive. -
DR. VINO | TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2010 Sarah Palin, impossible pairings, glasses, kiwi cuvee – sipped and spit Eric Asimov, chief wine critic at The New York Times, dismisses our impossible food-wine pairings as “sad and irritating–eegad!! SPIT: Tina Fey? The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers Association selects Sarah Palin as their convention speaker in Las Vegas. SPIT: impossible food-wine pairings! SIPPED: Physics! Apparently not! -
DR. VINO | TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2010 Imperfect storage, blogging, new critics, Johnny Apple – sipped and spit In other news, Wolfgang Weber, a senior editor at Wine & Spirits magazine and Italian wine critic, has announced that he will be leaving the magazine to join a boutique wine sales and marketing firm. SPIT: controlled storage. And it still turned out to be the best wine I have ever tasted. Most excellent! SIPPED: musical chairs. -
DR. VINO | MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2010 Eric LeVine of CellarTracker – Wine Person of the Decade! [poll results] We started with five days of your nominations for the wine person who most personified the decade 2000-2009. Although if you read Frank Rich or Paul Krugman , you might not exactly want to epitomize this decade, the Naughties.) And in the end, after 2,842 votes were cast, the winner was clear: Eric LeVine, founder of CellarTracker.com ! -
DR. VINO | SATURDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2009 John and Dottie bid farewell to the WSJ Tastings column When John and Dottie, as they were known to their readers, started writing the column, both came from news sections of the paper as opposed to wine, food or criticism. “This is our 579th—and last— Tastings column. The past 12 years—a full case!—have Thank you.. It was inspired and interactive. And it won them legions of fans. -
DR. VINO | MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2009 Vote now! Wine Person of the Decade [the Naughties] Robert Parker : Critic who popularized the 100-point scoring system; as winemaker Randall Grahm put it in the comments: “His influence on winemaking styles world-over is massive, a bit like the light-bending properties of a ginormous black hole on nearby astral bodies.. Now it’s voting time! You can only vote for one person. -
SLAKED | TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2009 California Cult Wines Review of 2009 Some of the best wines in our tasting are unheralded by the major critics, and this is a good thing. In New York, if you’ve survived the 2009 onslaught, then in Frank Sinatra’s words, “You can make it anywhere.” He was young and rich. It’s not expensive,” he said. Really?” I said. How much?” Oh … $50 or $60?” he responded. What about $300? -
WHY WINE BLOG | TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2009 Joeshico Wine Review: Agent For Change Zinfandel 2006 Because I am not a wine critic, but write a more or less personnel blog and only post what I find in wines that I like, I am surprised, but feel honored that I was chosen to write my opinion on their wines. It can also be disappointing when the wine received is one that I don't normally drink or one that I have a hard time with. -
DR. VINO | WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2009 Why do some food writers equate wine and pot? Even though there are many varieties of marijuana and one Colorado newspaper may soon hire a marijuana critic , the different varieties all appear (as I found out from some googling, ahem) to create intoxication to a greater or lesser degree, faster or slower. voiceover from clerk: "More dreamy".] You look at this scene and you marvel at it. -
DR. VINO | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2009 “Hocus-pocus” – The Taste Makers in the NYer The flavorists had this to say about wine tasting: During a meeting with several flavor professionals in New Jersey, I compared a flavor chemist’s ability to break down the structure of a soft drink to the skills of Robert Parker, the wine critic. The team seriously geeks out over smells. was quickly corrected. -
WHY WINE BLOG | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2009 Back to Work!!! am not a wine critic. Been a couple of weeks, but I've been away enjoying and celebrating life with my four brothers. thought I knew everything about my dad, but when friends and relatives start reminiscing about the past, it's refreshing to know that he he enjoyed life (in his way) to the fullest. R.I.P. dad. Gotta be the worst ever! bottle. -
DR. VINO | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2009 Department of Greenwashing: Ceci La Luna lambrusco Critics? Are some in the wine trade exploiting consumers’ willingness for environmentally friendly products when the practices don’t measure up to more than a pile of manure? Consider an example. In late summer, The Moment blog at nytimes.com wrote a paean to lambrusco, the purple fizzy wine from Emilia-Romagna. Wine shop owners? -
BROOKLYN GUY LOVES WINE | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2009 Corked Wine Etiquette - Poll Results and some Thoughts The host made those things, and it obviously would be unacceptably impolite to criticize the host's cooking. Here is the question I initially asked : You and several other guests are at some one's house for dinner. The host serves a wine that is corked. What do you do? The choices were: 1) Immediately inform everyone that the wine is corked. -
ALICE FEIRING | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009 Kant Would Have Something To Say/Vin Naturel & Suckling That said.the Wine Spec Critic who lives on the property of a famed super Tuscan producer and I have a friend in common. I'm not sure opposites attract. Most of my friends seem to connect over similar palate, I mean my close friends 'get' the wines I love. Or at least I do, maybe I'm peculiar that way. with a high success rate). -
DR. VINO | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2009 Liquid Memory by Jonathan Nossiter – reviews He offered this warm beer as criticism: “Nossiter didn’t completely win me over. Jonathan Nossiter’s new book, Liquid Memory: Why Wine Matters , has gotten two major reviews in the first two weeks since publication. One was lukewarm. The other was a kick in the solar plexus. Sideways was north of $100 million , by contrast.) | |