Dec 12, 2006
How do you know when your hometown has officially morphed from a place to live into a "lifestyle"? When a magazine is published that is named after your town. We have a new magazine in this neck of the woods. It is named, simply, "Sonoma". It is aimed mainly at tourists, though it is distributed to subscribers of the local newspaper, The Index Tribune. It will also be delivered to the rooms at "The Valley’s Finest Hotels". It’s a good…
Dec 6, 2006
Let’s presume this data is correct. Now, let’s speculate. What does it mean that there is negative correlation between between violent crime in the United States and wine sales? That’s what this graph shows. I don’t think we can suggest that is a causality between the two. Drinking wine may be a great thing on many levels but it’s doubtful that the more wine you drink the less crime you commit. However, it strikes me that that there is a…
Dec 4, 2006
Isn’t it interesting which wine stories tend to get picked up outside the food pages? Today the story with a wine focus that seems to be picked up all over the place is THIS ONE about a Catholic Church official who has planted a vineyard in a graveyard…not OVER the graves, but next door. This quote from the story making the rounds is the epitome of referencing the elephant in the room without actually mentioning the elephant:"While planting so close…
Dec 1, 2006
I think it must be more difficult to be a prince in this day and age, rather than, say, 400 years ago when princeliness actually meant something. These days your average prince can’t start wars, doesn’t receive entire regions as a dowry when they marry and generally has no good reason to off their mother or father. However, they do get to have their watercolors pasted on to First Growth Bordeaux. Decanter reports that Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales,…
Nov 30, 2006
A group of French lawmakers have issued a report recommending that school children be taught "how to appreciate wine" and the commencement of "education programs to inform young people about the origins, history and characteristics of French wines." Can you imagine the hysterical outrage that would be aimed at those who suggested such a thing here in America. The folks at MADD would…well…go mad. The justification for this proposal in France is pretty obvious. Their industry is ailing to a…