Archive for the ‘Wine Education’ Category
It takes equally large doses of humility and confidence to successfully participate as a judge in a wine competition. But perhaps more important, it requires an all too often lacking appreciation of the enormous diversity of wines that make up the totality of the wine world to be an adequate judge at a wine competition. I was reminded of all these things as I spent the weekend as a judge at the Long Beach Grand Cru Wine Competition. As with…
Noob: So when these wine experts taste wines, it's not just a matter of whether they just like it I see. It looks like there are 100 different levels of quality. Me: You mean the 100 Point system? Yes. Well, No. The 100 Point system is really a 50 point system because no wine is given 50 points. That's really the starting point. Noob: So when a wine is rated 88 Points out of 100 points the wine has really…
Biodynamics is about as intellectually coherent a philosophy for grapegrowing as Alchemy is a coherent source of precious metals. If you disagree, then read this formerly active, yet highly coherent, set of posts on the issue of biodynamic farming. One thing is for sure, however. Raymond Paccot, of Domaine La Colombe in Switzerland, as well as others at the recent convention of the Academie du Vin, will disagree. According to Paccot: "Biodynamic winemakers represent a 'resistance' movement. They are at…
The latest article at “Bigger Than Your Head”, a blog maintained by long-time wine writer Frederic Koeppel, is evidence of many things, not the least of which is Frederic’s talent to compose an excellent essay. It demonstrates why, after having won two Wine Blog Awards for “Best Wine Reviews”, his blog also ought to be considered for “Best Writing” on a Wine Blog. But this latest article, “Wine & Vulgarity”, also demonstrates the extent to which judgement of the most…
"Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" If this isn't one of the most monumental non-sequitrrs in the history of film and literature I don't know what is. The film, based on the book (which I read with a great deal of glee), is coming to a theater near you very soon. It will, besides offer another opportunity to see how vampires react when their heads are chopped off, provide something of an "alternative history" for students of Lincoln. However, the real prize…
