Archive for the ‘wine’ Category

Jul 19, 2006

The Role of the Wine Critic

I sat back in my chair. Somewhat stunned. I had just read what amounted to a "hit piece" on a few wineries by a wine critic. The gist of the article was, "these guys just don’t cut the mustard". Being the sensitive type I had to wonder what the point is of raking these wineries over the coals. It’s a question that could only be answered if I knew the inner workings of the wine critic’s mind. Who knew how…

Jul 17, 2006

The Trouble With Screwcaps!

As a rule we don’t like to make fun of people here a FERMENTATION…unless they deserve it. So in that spirit, the name attached to this email I was forewarded will be left out. That said, a winery forwarded me an email they got from a customer who has a very important inquiry. The message is short and to the point: "I would like to ask how you recommend opening the bottles that have a very heavy foil that I…

Jul 13, 2006

The Soul of Wine?

I’m not real sure what to make of Sondra Barret’s "microscopic portraits" of wine beyond the fact that she is completely sincere when she wonders if these art pieces truly are "expressions of style, personality, and perhaps the ‘soul’ of the wine." A former medical researcher, Barret’s technique for exposing the "soul of wine" seems pretty straightforward. Apparently she uses a microscope to photograph wine on a molecular level, revealing what are some pretty nice looking images. However, I’m not…

Jul 11, 2006

Wine Industry Destroyed!!…News at 11

Who writes these headlines? Chicken Little?  Jonathan Swift?  Publicists for the beer Industry ? "Global Warming Destroys Wine Industry" I say we just pack it up and pull out the vines…whadda ya say? I almost detect a sense of glee in this headline that comes from a story produced by the San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center. The above headline communicates a slightly different story than this headline, doesn’t it: "Napa Threatened By Global Warming" The story that goes…

Jul 11, 2006

10 THINGS…That Keep Me Living In Sonoma Valley

10 THINGS….That Keep Me Living In Sonoma Valley 1. AN EPICUREAN LIFESTYLEWe all set priorities, some more important that others. The idea of putting epicurianism high on the list is a choice that is better than many. Just recently a cheesemonger and a chocolate maker opened up not more than 3 minutes from my house. I can purchase the best meat in the world at local markets. The restaurants in Sonoma Valley rival those of any town north of San…