Archive for the ‘Culture and Wine’ Category

Feb 10, 2006

California’s Zinfandel War: Part Deux

The story of Zinfandel being recognized as the California State Wine sure does have legs. The media is playing with this story right now and having fun with it. I think on the one hand they have interest in the inter-industry debate (fight?) the proposal is spawning. On the other hand, I think the media just likes the idea of seeing grape growers growl at each other. As I said yesterday, I love the idea of Zinfandel being named the…

Feb 9, 2006

California’s Great Zinfandel War

You know Chris Rauber of the San Francisco Business Times had a good time writing this story about a proposal in the CA State legislature to make Zinfandel California’s State Wine. Apparently some oppose the brilliant and obvious idea. Yet what other wine variety is truly "Californian" if not "American" if not Zinfandel. There is no other country on earth that supports this wine like we do. Zinfandel was the wine that put California’s wine industry in motion when it…

Feb 9, 2006

Author James Gabler: Interview with the Wine Historian

James Gabler has carved out a somewhat unique niche within the wine writing genre. His books and words do not describe wines or regions, but rather have focused more on the historical context of wine. Gabler is best known for his writing about Thomas Jefferson and his relationship to wine. This subject was fully exposed in his award winning book "Passions: The Wines & Travels of Thomas Jefferson." Gabler’s latest book (earlier reviewed here) remains focused on icons of America’s…

Feb 6, 2006

Valentine Wine thoughts

With the day of love quickly approaching, it makes sense to offer these observation on wine: “Wine heightens sexual desire in ways that other forms of alcohol cannot,” according to Dr. Geoff Kalish, who added that Pinot noir grapes have the greatest abundance of pheromones (aromatic substances markedly influencing human sexual behavior) of all popular wine grape varietals tested. ———————————————- "Pinot Noir has me in its velvet grip. Pinot Noir is sex in the back seat of dad’s station wagon,…

Feb 6, 2006

Drink….make money?

I’ve recently been researching alcohol consumption trends in the United States and came across some information that, well, is interesting: People who consume alcohol make more money than abstainers. To be specific, a study published in the Journal of Health Economics in 1998 found:U.S. males who drink alcohol make  7% higher wages than do abstainer. Women who drink receive about three                 and one-half percent higher wages than do abstainers. No, it’s not a significant…