In the 1980s the family were pioneers in the wine industry and invested significant capital in buying new modern equipment.  Fabulous visit today to Familia Deicas winery today, home of some of the best Bordeaux style wines in the world. The family started in 1979, when Juan Carlos Deicas (Fernando's father)  purchased the property. 10 US.

That’s why we have industrial Rioja. We should discus much more what is industrial and what is artisanal, not oak or aging.” Telmo Rodriguez was in full cry when I met him in New York City recently. Although the 50-year-old “driving winemaker” studied enology in Bordeaux, worked a vintage at J.L.

Massachusetts is a state coveted by wine retailers: with strong tech and finance as well as other industries, major research centers and the jet-set destinations of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, it’s fair to say there’s a large population interested in wine. The Wine Bottega , 341 Hanover St, Boston. Waltham, MA.

rousing speech from Ettore Riello, President of VeronFiere, speaking about a number of economic issues relating to the Italian wine trade, which represents thirty billon Euros of the export market and has overcome the automotive industry in importance. so Vinitaly started out with a gorgeous day and lots of high energy. It started with.a

There’s something of a cottage industry that has emerged in trashing the reputation of wine experts. Richard Quandt of Princeton wrote an hilarious essay entitled “ On Wine Bullshit.” ” Bob Hodgson had his two devastating papers about wine competitions. The WSJ got in on the action too a while back. ” Oh noes!

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?

These exhibits together with the comprehensive ancillary program, the central tasting zone and the successful “Wine’s best friends” special delicatessen show, will make ProWein 2012 again an international business platform for the specialist trade, the food retail and catering/restaurant industry. News prowein 2012

The domestic industry is stepping up their game and in that regard Professor Li Demei is highly influential (Chinese Agricultural University) as well as Professor Ma Huiquin. Who wields the most influence on wine in China? As the year of the dragon kicks off soon, I put this question to various China insiders. Don St. China

Fishing villages line the rias and ocean coast, and fishing is a major industry. I have often mentioned that my favorite white wine is Riesling, especially those from the New York Finger Lakes region. Another that I discovered in the past year that rivals those favorites is the Albariño wines from the Rias Baixas region of Spain.

The commitment to the wine program is such that now, after just a few years, De Grendel is a firmly established key player in the South African wine industry with a number of accolades to their name. "So what's the story with these gorgeous horses?" I ask Charles Hopkins, cellar master at De Grendel wines in Cape Town. link]. News S.

Between 2001 and 2006, the number of sports fans who regularly tailgate has risen by 12% annually, making tailgating a multi-billion dollar industry. It’s also a serious source of revenue and a multi-billion dollar industry that hasn’t shown signs of slowing down even in the face of the recession — especially when it comes to college games.

The multi-milliion industry Malbec is today. Like Malbec? Few people today know the story of how this traditional Argentine grape, previously grown as a low cost bulk wine for the local market, ended up in some of the highest-priced restaurants in the world. The press loved the quality old vine Malbec, and voila! Related: Wines of Catena.

What do you think: should the wine industry move beyond scores? An item on Bloomberg yesterday detailed how Spaniards are drinking less wine, which has prompted Spanish wineries to pursue export markets more. But that sales strategy is sooo 1990s! It seems to me that today the trade clings to scores more readily than consumers do.

Are you interested in becoming a sales rep for a wine distributor with the area industry’s “highest salaries”? – currently available and posted over at the new wine industry jobs board that I am launching today. Or becoming a senior buyer at a chain of 78 wine stores grossing $1 billion? announcements

Here’s their marketing spokesperson : Nail wraps are the latest craze to hit the beauty industry. Has merlot rosé ever inspired anything? Apparently it has: scented nail wraps. The pink appliqués come from Gallo Family Vineyards to support their new merlot rosé in the UK. Lanzarote? Sicily?) have all the fun.

“I stopped because the AOC is for industrial wines as the rules permit everything: weedkillers, huge yields, additives etc.” His transgression? Goofing around with names. The biodyanamic farmer of 25 acres in Anjou told Jim Budd that he left the AOC system in 2003 because it was too lax. French wine wine politics

” In other wine and money news, Steve Grossman, Massachusetts state treasurer whose office regulates liquor sales, raised $45,000 from the industry at an event last month according to Boston.com. If this bill were to pass, it could impact wine shipments negatively and irrevocably. HR 1161 was written by beer distributors. wine politic

The New York Times magazine ran an infographic on Sunday that compiled the picks of 18 wine industry types. The category? Wines under $12. But the list raised questions for Ray Isle of Food & Wine, since he tweeted: The lack of California wines is understandable for a couple of reasons. What do you think? American wine Wine under $10

What intrigues me are the myriad unintended consequences of the policy, particularly for the wine industry. Prohibition dealt the American wine industry such a disastrous blow that it left a lingering finish that can be measured in decades (not seconds, as wine tasting notes sometimes include). Online wine sales have been hampered.

And who is doing the brainwashing–the wine education/book publishing/bulletin board industrial complex?) Writing in yesterday’s NYT , Eric Asimov delivered wine education a puzzling broadside in the last paragraph of a story about beer: Beer consumers are a far more confident lot than wine consumers. Doing keg stands in college?

recent report from Human Rights Watch contends that the industry still has a long way to go for meeting a suitable minimum standard for worker conditions. Still, there are signs that the industry in the racially divided country is changing. I’m a day late to the theme of the Labor Day holiday. You only really have to want to.&#.

While the amount of bottles that Wine Bottle Renew can clean in a day still is a drop in the bucket of California’s wine production, it’s good to see that industry heavyweights Kendall Jackson and Sutter Home have invested in the company, which may indicate eventual broader usage. Stephens tells the Journal.

Heat damage might be the biggest silent killer in the wine industry–more even than corked wine, which has much greater renown. In our recent discussion on “cooked&# wine , Louise from eProvenance joined the discussion. percent of shipments as having perceptible damage. billion. business of wine

Dr. Frank’s vision, knowledge and determination are credited with elevating the New York wine industry from a state of happy mediocrity to a level that today commands world attention. am just interested in the cold wine. lowered my white wine zone in the fridge from 49F to 43F to chill down the wine to deal with the heat.

3) The NYT had a much-discussed, front-page article on a member of Congress who is close to an industry in his district. Was it: a) John Boehner and the spray-on tanning industry. b) Mike Thompson and the wine industry. c) Eric Cantor and the reinsurance industry. a) Luxury resorts. b) Walnut trees. d) Honeymoons.

With as much land under vine as the countries of Germany and South Africa, Algeria continues to maintain a wine industry with over 70 wineries in operation. Wine from Algeria! Who would'a thunk. Ok, for some reason I may have missed this in Geography class. When I think of Algeria, I think of desert, sand, sun and boiling hot! and 2nd Ave.

Apparently Mr. Merret was a pioneer in the nascent industry. The mere thought of “English wine&# may sound like an oxymoron. But 400 vineyards now produce grapes for wine, much of it sparkling. Should British bubbly be called anything other than “English sparkling wine&# ? What do you think? winespeak

During our conversation on this night I learned a lot about Austrian Riesling and changes in the Austrian wine industry in the 1980's. Well, the Austrian wine industry completely changed in 1985," he said. When this was discovered, the Austrian wine industry died, literally overnight," he said. We opened and decanted the wine.

Cristobal Undurraga Marimon is a member of the family known in the Chilean wine industry as “the pioneers,” who were among the first in the 1980s to bring the country’s fine, value-priced wines to the attention of the world. What's interesting about Christobal is that the family sold their original holdings in 1986. Kolye Reserve Syrah.

Held at one of their wineries or homes, the evening affords you an insider's look into the cellars and lives of some of the world's most-renowned names in the wine industry. I am so excited! just finalized arrangements for attending the Auction Napa Valley 2011! Last year, I was able to attend an excellent presentation by Hugh Davies. Helena.

But, I am not into or want to get into the wine business or industry going-ons. Another week gone by with out the taste of wine. Seven more days of anti-biotics and a party is about to break out. have found out a few things about my blog while on this state of being dry. did read a book. Sommelier, 3. Wine Connoisseur, 4. WINE SNOB ?

The allegations charged that they paid “slotting fees&# to get prime spots in Vegas–a practice not allowed in alcoholic beverages but common in other industries. is the largest in the TTB’s history of regulating the alcohol industry. SIPPED: plunder. Bernie Madoff’s wines will be auctioned this week. Kisco, NY.

Fermentation, The Daily Wine Blog This is where I go to find information on what is happening in or the current trend in the wine industry. I am stealing this article from Tom Wark. Tom is the author of one of my favorite wine blogs. He is also an advocate for the defeat of H.R. HR 1161 isn't merely special interest legislation.

Moreover, one of the unfortunate tendencies of the wine industry is to pretend that, because many wine professionals prefer dry wines over sweet ones, everyone else does too. Wines from Santorini. The focus of the tasting was the 2010 harvest, projected to be one of the best of the last decade. The next flight of five wines were oaked.

The Texas wine industry has received $4.2 SIPPED and SMASHED: Lafite empties. After tasting older vintages of collectible wines before an auction, the bottles are routinely smashed. An empty bottle of Lafite 1982 fetches $1,500. CNN ]. SIPPED: counterfeit bottle. Here’s hoping anyone else bidding on it also knew! Bloomberg ]. PR web ].

So the theory is that having an artisanal sake here, could keep demand flowing for the traditional industry. My wife and I were in Tokyo on September 11, 2001, preparing to come home the next day. Needless to say, our return was delayed. The tragedy in Japan over the past week is horrifying and I find it extremely dispiriting.

And our domestic wine industry, which makes about two-thirds of wines sold here today and is the fourth largest in the world, had yet to reach acclaim on the world stage. We did it! Congratulations, America! According to analysts Gomberg, Fredrikson , we are now the biggest wine consuming country in the world! hat tip: winebusiness.com ).

On the other hand, French oak is the wine industry’s “gold standard,” offering higher wood tannins and tighter wood grains which tend to have less influence on the wine’s aromatics and flavor concentrations than an American oak barrel, but are known to increase the wine’s overall palate presence and intrinsic complexity. Why Oak Wine?

“A generation ago, the New Zealand wine industry launched Sauvignon Blanc in Britain and put New Zealand wines on the map,&# says Bill Redelmeier of Southbrook Vineyards, who spearheaded the group effort to promote Canada’s cool climate Chardonnays to international media. First off, the seminar was very well organized.

It's too hard to get a real sense of the wines when you quickly taste 80 of them, especially amidst the cacophony of an industry tasting. I stopped into the Jenny and François spring portfolio tasting the other day to taste some of the new releases. Check out their new website , by the way - it's a million times better now.

spent fourteen years in financial services in a variety of marketing and business development roles in both the traditional asset management and alternative asset industries. There’s a new order at the Wine Advocate. Last month, Robert Parker announced editorial changes at the publication he founded in 1978. And NFL? Twice.

Don't come into the wine industry because it's crazy." 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.

Today top Manhattan-based journalists and members of the trade gathered at the elegant Four Seasons Hotel to hear the VinExpo commissioned report from the International Wine and Spirits Research (IWSR) about the state of the international wine industry. Things are looking up for the industry despite the recession. The big news?

And if you're ready to dispute this, thinking that the farming is Monsanto-style industrial, think again. I think that the lines that distinguish grower Champagne from big house Champagne are too rigidly drawn. If a producer farms their own grapes and makes wine from those grapes, we say that they are making grower Champagne.

and the positive note that the Boomers may save the wine industry. John Gillespie, President of the Wine Market Council, gave a rousing talk about Millennials and Baby Boomers today at the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan. It was a fun and energizing talk, a slightly different spin from previous years.

Off the L at Morgan Avenue, right on Bogart–a stark industrial landscape. At the corner there’s a wine shop–Big Tree Bottles; turn right on Moore, and there, stands Roberta’s a sweet spot with thin crust brick oven pizza (pesto, mushroom, artichoke–yum!), housed in what was once a garage.

Given that wines entered in the Air New Zealand Wine Awards must now be certified “sustainable&# , perhaps the industry will similarly provide some sort of carrot for other wineries to adopt carbon emissions labeling. Starting early next year, some consumers will be able to buy a wine with a carbon footprint analysis on the label.

Why would this graybeard of the Oregon wine industry and godfather to the biggest little wine town in Oregon (Carlton) be talking to a tech blog? Ken Wright of Ken Wright Cellars has a video interview on the tech blog Gizmodo. Depending on desired ripeness, picking before the rains may or may not be another option for avoiding bloated grapes.)

But the rate may actually be higher than with young wines since the cork industry has taken some steps to reduce cork taint in recent decades.) It may seem absurd to write a post in praise of mature wine–indeed, it’s one of those things, like sunny days and flowers in bloom, that people aren’t exactly rushing to oppose.

Utah’s Atty General calls a beer industry lobbyist who drafted his recent testimony on HR 5034 simply “a scribe or secretary.&# [ WSJ ]. SIPPED: wine on tap. Last week, New York magazine called self-serve wine tanks brilliant and highbrow. This week, their restaurant critics round-up the bourgeoning offerings of wine on tap.

Whoever it is (and one person in the industry tells me he’s working on it), they can certainly be assured a lot of media coverage. Do you want a self-serve tank that dispenses low-priced wines in a store near you? The reception was very positive with many comments akin to “I am moving to France–TOMORROW.&# Safeway?

While this story is well-known, at least within the industry, what’s less well known is that white Zinfandel had been made before that time. Sutter Home and white Zinfandel are practically synonymous. The Trinchero brothers of Sutter Home started making the sweet, pink wine from (red) Zinfandel grapes in the mid-1970s.

However, the brothers in the New Yorker story are actually Charles and David who still control Koch Industries; after acrimony came to a head in the family company, they bought out William (and his brother Freddie) in 1983. But who wants a Tea Party when a Wine Party would be much more fun?

That also saves producers costs, although industry figures in the story say that the bottle is not cheaper–unless it is widely adapted, which would drive down costs. Have you ever lifted a bottle of champagne and thought, “Wow, that’s heavy!&# And, of course, there’s a little bling factor to the bulk.)

In order to determine the extent of this, I examined reports from the Treasury’s TTB unit, which regulates the alcohol industry. How often is the alcohol level stated on the label consistent with what is actually in the bottle? Wines are allowed a certain fudge factor between what appears on the label and what is actually in the bottle.

Winemaker and oenologist Haridimos Hatzidakis, was lucky enough to work in large Greek wine industries before finally settling in Santorini and renovated an old 'canava', near Pyrgos village. Crave an exotic island rarely seen by American eyes? The trip also introduced the magic of the Santorini Vines.

They can also be a signal for a virus that's giving the wine industry a migraine. My articles are usually warehoused in the articles section, but I though this one on Leafroll Virus in the vineyards of California was worth taking up space here. New story in the San Francisco Chronicle Leafroll: A quiet threat in the vineyard. Helena. Worried?

2,4,7,9-Tetramethyl-5-decyne-4, 7-diol "is used as a wetting agent, de-foamer, rinse aid, viscosity reducer, penetrating agent, and lubricity additive in industrial applications as well as consumer products." saw it on the shelf and let it sit there as I browsed the rest of the selection. What does it even mean to say that food is organic?

Nielson reported yesterday that " Despite Improving Economy, Alcohol Beverage Consumers Cautiously Indulge." Wine Business Monthly chose to highlight the sub-title of the article, which I found somewhat misleading, " Consumers Who Trade D own Satisfied with Quality, Likely to Continue to Buy Less Expensive Alcohol Beverages." emphasis supplied).

To add a touch of spice he recently opened his after-hours tasting room in his not too cozy industrial part in Santa Rosa. NPA going to be the only tasting room in an industrial park? Love the wines. Love the guy. The '09 Sauvignon blanc is brill. Unlike Gideon he uses liquid S02, 6%, because it's easy to control. Whatever.

have a difficult time accepting the reality of California's new world the industrial approach to winemaking, the surrogate mother approach to winemaking, the disconnected approach to winemaking. To hell with local and industrial, if it's local and hand tended, I'm interested. It's on going. We corresponded.

The California wine industry would produce few bottles of wine if it weren’t for the work of Mexican viticultural laborers. Last night, the Obamas welcomed President Calderón of Mexico and Mrs. Margarita Zavala to the White House for a state dinner, the second of this administration. Citrus Vinaigrette. Paul Hobbs?] alcohol Chardonnay!

An Adelaide business paper publishes a scathing opinion column on the state of the Australian wine industry, using the lens of the National Wine Centre of Australia. SPIT: paying bills. few years ago, the New Yorker profile of Gordon Ramsay let drop the nugget that wine was the real profit center at The London. SPIT: red wine stain remover.

The Silicon Valley Bank released their annual report on the California wine industry. SPIT: extortion. In what seems to be a caper ripped from the pages of a Peter Mayle novel, a bumbling criminal tried to extort Domaine de la Romainée Conti for about $1.5 million by threatening to poison vines at the revered estate. Telegraph ].

The Sud de France Festival is an international campaign conducted by Sud de France Export, an agency which promotes the wines, culinary products, and industries of the French region of Languedoc-Roussillon in the world. Yet well over a dozen journalists did just that on May 4th to celebrate the start of the Sude de France Festival.

What I do care about is 1) misleading the drinking public by making them believe an industrial is natural. I've been emailing with Dave McIntyre about his WAPO piece. hate being written about so I can't blame him if he was peeved, but you know what? He was a complete mensch. He did sign off the last email by saying. actually don't care.

As Concannon enters its 127th harvest, the pioneering winery continues to provide industry leadership in preserving an agricultural way of life by protecting vineyards from urban development. Recently, the wife and I have been discussing a possible trip to California next year. few of the issues are for how long and where. must buy!

Before the grapes were even harvested, some commentators and industry participants had hailed this vintage as superb, everyone making parallels to 2005 and some even invoking the storied 1947. So how did things pan out in the glass? There is always a dash to opine first and Twitter has allowed that to happen in real time. Overall. Lafite 100.

movement that has had such power over the wine industry only has 64 certified wineries and vineyards in the world? I was reading this months Wines & Vines something struck me about the piece entitled California Wineries Get Certified.' For a moment they had me. But I questioned my own knowledge. How is that possible? It wasn't possible.

“The wine itself costs considerably more but thanks to widespread discounting in the industry today, we were able to source this Pinot Noir from prime vineyards in the Languedoc region of France.&#. Today, Trader Joe’s launches a value wine that riffs on history. and a $9.99 price tag. The inspiration for “Th.

While excise taxes might be the type of strong brew that a few politicians can raise, it’s unlikely that voters would really want to raise these taxes in such a drastic manner both out of their own self-interest and protecting the local industry. Could California’s wine excise tax increase 12,600 percent? If Josie and Kent M.

Some one else is annoyed with how disrespectful and impolite competitors often are at industry tastings. The other day I was lucky enough to attend the luncheon honoring Levi Dalton, the head sommelier at Convivio who is now moving to Alto. drank some things I've never had before and I want to share a few thoughts. Not at all, my friends.

Roger Boulton, Stephen Sinclair Scott Professor of Enology and chemical Engineering, Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California recognizes the need for the wine industry to improve business practices in regard to sustainability. We've been watching the industry as it adopts innovative packaging, e.g., Stelvin caps.

As a chaser, check out Tom Wark’s “manifesto for change in the wine industry&# over on Fermentation. The aftershocks of the earthquake that rocked Chile and its wine industry continue to be felt. SPIT: reform in Maryland. Read the autopsy of reform over on Baltsun.com. SPIT: business as usual. SIPPED: turning tide?

Especially when a good chunk of them are in the wine industry. Delivering a lecture to about 200 about terroir is a little unsettling. I'm better than Q&A than in the body of delivery, but what could I do but get up there and try to measure up. hit some pressure points. couldn't avoid them. Oddly enough, it was not. They get

Consumers and wine industry experts gave testimony before a committee. 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. Largest contingent of consumers I’ve ever seen at such a hearing. Yet, there is pessimism. Delegate Dereck E.

Working in the wine industry has afforded me many opportunities to taste wines. Ahhh…Israeli wines. A combination of two things I most cherish (along with my wife & family of course) in this world; Israel & wine.

Seeking to jump-start the domestic wine industry after Prohibition, the US Department of Agriculture turned to this mid-Atlantic state, opening an experimental winery in Beltsville, Maryland. Small wonder neighboring DC is the thirstiest non-state in the nation.). Maryland is also home to 38 wineries today. House Bill (80/141).

Chile’s wine industry is digging from the massive earthquake. They state that the industry’s exports “will return to normal within a very short period of time and without major difficulties.&#. SPIT: volume (how vial!). The goal is to send samples more easily from wineries to consumers. Ziploc, anyone? PRweb.com ].

Industry? Friday, she came to the Expo to drink Hoping to shed cells like snake’s skin Because toxic memories aren’t worth being kept And it’s better to spit venom (and not wine) When vexed. Sunday, a day for the trade Yo Frank! Meet me at Orange Julius! New World at the Expo North America [.].

“ Eco-labeling Strategies and Price-Premium: The Wine Industry Puzzle.&# Why don’t green-minded vintners and vignerons always display their eco-friendly methods on the label? They explain the premium for certification largely as the good will recognition akin to club membership. Delmas, M. and Grant, L. Forthcoming.

Chile has a large, export-oriented wine industry. Another source told him, “Big damage to the industry. Tragedy struck Chile overnight on Friday in the form of a massive earthquake that has displaced two million people, severed north-south bridges in the narrow country, and killed hundreds of people (see coverage on nytimes.com).

The Chilean wine industry attempted a concerted move upmarket a few years ago. shocking piece on Slate.com reveals that during Prohibition, federal officials “ordered the poisoning of industrial alcohols manufactured in the United States, products regularly stolen by bootleggers and resold as drinkable spirits. LA Times ]. NYT ].

The highlight of this afternoon was a dynamic talk by Vic Motto, Chairman of Global Wine Partners, on the current recession and ideas of how the industry can dig its way out of a "recession mentality." so on my previous post I mentioned I have been coming here for years to catch up with fellow professionals throughout the world.

BW : No, not just the industrial ones, genetically modified yeasts. This wraps up my recreation of our conversation, and I hope it's been half as interesting and edifying to read as it was to actually sit and talk with Becky and Peter. BG: What is the biggest change in Burgundy from 30 years ago until now? BW : It's a generational change.

BG: Wow - that's the same kind of bundling that's in the news now with the cable television industry. More conversation with Becky and Peter Wasserman: BG: By the way, thanks for spending so much time talking with me. BW : It's my pleasure. All of this is pre-obituary and it's good for me to do. How do you decide the prices for each bottle?

Further proof, if any was needed, that it is futile to try to really understand wine at a large industry tasting: Almost two years ago, I think it was, I tasted this wine alongside the 1990 vintage at one of Dressner's tastings. remember being interested in both wines, not loving either of them, and finding the '90 to be more inviting.

But unlike our own (ig)noble experiment, at least they haven’t crippled a burgeoning wine industry, the effects of which took generations to repair. An reader mail came in last week from Centcom in Iraq–not the usual place of people needing wine help! Dr. Vino, Greetings from Basrah, Iraq! Again, it’s about context.

dissertation about the political economy of the wine industry in France and the US. Domestically, the boutique wine industry got a shot in the arm from the 2005 Supreme Court decision that paved the way to opening up shipping from wineries to consumers. Everyone’s looking back! Oh, yes, researching my Ph.D.

The New Zealand wine industry faces challenges, as bulk exports rise and prices fall. SIPPED: number crunching. Wineries that advertise in Wine Spectator have their wines score better–but only by less than one point. Such is the finding in the lead article in the new issue of the Journal of Wine Economics. Revolutionary!! Bloomberg ].

Fifty percent of the profits from these wines are donated to community-based organizations that deliver healthcare to uninsured and underinsured workers in the wine industry." 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. Now Cabs I have no problem with.

The modern wine industry has in the main decided that tartrate stabilization is preferable to consumer education.&# What’s happening in this glass? The winemaker practices minimal intervention and uses no sulfur. So one theory is refermentation, which can come from excessive heat exposure. What do you think?

Winemaker notes: The Cayalla brand has been created by a team with over 75 years of experience in the Pacific Northwest wine industry. From the Columbia and Walla Walla Valley in Oregon comes this tasty blend made from 35% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 14% Syrah.

And apparently for decades, Chinese wine was made in “enormous, state-run industrial wineries [that] blended grapes with chemicals and coloring.&# Donald St. Pierre, an American and a prominent importer of wine to China, receives an extensive profile in the current issue of the New Yorker. The family was Canadian by birth, but St.

Wine bloggers, writers, and wine bulletin-board junkies from as far away as San Francisco, North Carolina, and Wall Street made the pilgrimage to this, the Mecca of industry tastings. It was more like a festival - think Cannes, Burning Man, or Fashion Week, perhaps the G8 Summit. People came from all over the world to participate.

One industry observer suggests 20,000 hectares need to come out of production. SIPPED: hype. The Telegraph in the UK runs a story with the headline: “2009 Bordeaux vintage ’set to be best in 60 years thanks to perfect weather.’&# ’&# The 2005s are mad. UPROOTED: vines. Adelaide Now ]. SIPPED: seasonal drinking. WSJ ].

Events will range from walk-around tastings and the Grand Tasting presented by ShopRite among others, to educational wine and food pairing seminars led by the industry's biggest names, to kids-oriented interactive cooking experiences, to local events incorporating the businesses in the host area, the Meatpacking District.

At a recent industry tasting I had the chance to taste the 2006 Chandon de Briailles Corton-Bressandes. You know what I realized the other day? have never purchased a bottle of wine, cellared it for long enough so that one would consider it "ready" to drink, and then drunk the wine. simply haven't been collecting wine long enough. Maybe not.

Although some, or even many, journalist in the industry may not agree with the competitions or their value to the winery, I believe they can be a great asset. I read two very interesting articles yesterday about Wine Competitions and the awarding of Gold Medals. Wine Competitions , published by American Association of Wine Economists.

Not only did this give the gun manufactures a sideline which became very profitable, but it allowed the wine industry to increase dramatically. This is a re-post from November, 2008. This is part 1 of 2. Gun manufacturers in 17th century England, sold an accessory with their muskets and pistols called a bullet removing "worm".