Archive for the ‘Wine Gossip’ Category
10 Things I've learned So Far at the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference 1. The wine bloggers conference confirms what many bloggers already knew: There is a strong sense of community among bloggers. 2. The good folks at the Secret Sherry Society has convinced me that Fino Sherry is an interesting substitute for the vermouth in a Manhattan and I'll be investigating this idea fully. 3. Downtown Walla Walla is absolutely charming. 4. The European Bloggers Conference will next be in…
Silicon Valley Bank, (SVB) one of the leading lenders to the wine industry, has released its "State of the Industry" report and is estimating that fine wine sales will increase this year by 8% to 12 percent. However, they warn that wineries selling bottles that cost $50 or more “will again find 2010 a difficult year." This is what I've been telling everyone: 2010 will indeed be substantially better than 2009. I don't have the financial data that SVB possesses…
Based on reports from Las Vegas this morning, (and here) Sarah Palin gave a keynote address to the attendees of the Wine & Spirit Wholesalers Association's (WSWA) Annual Convention. And as suspected, she had nothing to say about the issue of wine and spirits. Again, this is not a surprise. No one expected Palin to be educated on issues of the three tier system, the history of wine and spirits in America, the constitutional and legal issues that surround directs…
It's practically an annual affair: W.R. Tish's annual April Fools Parody of all things wine. If Randall Grahm is the Court Jester of the American wine world, then W.R. Tish is its Jon Stewart. This year, Tish presents: "The Daily Feast" You may recognize a few names, find familiar fodder for parody and laugh like it's April 1st. Tish was even kind enough to include me in his annual joke. I'm honored. I think….
I'm always interested in Awards. I like Awards. I think they have meaning when meaningful deliberation is put into choosing who should be nominated for and given an award. The James Beard Awards have for many years been recognized as the premier presenter of awards focusing on restaurants and journalism related to food and wine. I'm always particularly interested in the James Beard Award for Writing on Spirits, Wine or Beer. This year, three articles were nominated for this award:…
