There are many things to do to prevent “leftover” wine from going bad, but to check out what I believe to be the most practical/easy/EFFECTIVE way to do it, check out one of my favorite YouTube videos…starring….ME 
What to do with “leftover” wine
Stop wasting wines
January 25th, 2013Wine Wand – WOW!
November 5th, 2012Yet again, it has been a while since my last post…can’t say it has been writers block anymore. I have so much to say…
My infatuation with tasting wine hasn’t waned and I was recently in touch with a new friend, Jeff over at Vini Wine Bar in Davis, CA. He is one of the great ones in this business, making wine accesible to all & encouraging people to taste wine whenever possible, in his case by utilizing wine dispensing machines to enable small tastes of wine for people before they go ahead and purchase bottles. Great work Jeff…keep it up!
Though I’m primarily writing today as relates to wine aeration devices. I’ve previously spoken highly of one such gadget I really like, the Vinturi. I think it does a great job of helping young wines open up quickly, eliminating the need to wait for a wine to open up. But I was recently introduced to a very cool device known as the Wine Wand. While not inexpensive, this is a device like no other. Rather than force the wine through a device that introduces extra oxygen to the wine to speed up the aeration process the Wine Wand is a Philip Stein product. Philip Stein is best known for their watches and devices that work with “Frequency Technology”. Frequency technology is based on the idea “that natural frequencies (have) the power to improve one’s overall wellbeing”. The frequency technology in their watches “provide information to the biofield that makes the person more resilient and adaptable to stress”.
Getting back to the wine wand, I tried it last night for the first time and I was impressed. It seemed to accomplish what it set out to accomplish, specifically help a wine to open up and become more aromatic and soft within 2-3 minutes.
How does it work you ask??…from the Philip Stein website: “The Wine Wand has been created to accelerate the aerating process of wine by replicating the natural frequencies of air and oxygen, and infusing them into the wine. This process allows your favorite wine to be perfected and ready to drink in only 2 or 3 minutes. ”
Well, I must sadly admit that all this natural frequency stuff is way over my head. But I can tell you that the wine opened up nicely and showed REAL WELL when I used the wine wand.
So if you are in Davis, CA go visit Jeff at Vinibar and if you are looking for an elegant and unique wine “open-upper” (hey, its not an aerator) for the wine lover who seemingly has everything check out Philip Stein’s new Wine Wand.
Happy Wine Tasting!
WTG
“Uncorked” & Oregon Pinot at City Winery
March 30th, 2012I’m a big believer in the importance of tasting wine. It is the best way to learn about your wine “likes & dislikes” and whenever possible you should taste a wine before committing to the bottle.
Given the significance I place on tasting I was psyched to learn about and visit a GREAT new wine shop in the West Village called “Uncorked”, serving 40 wines (small but FREE tastes) from wine dispensing machines. The space is real intimate with about 250 offerings (all you really need) and the founder/owner runs it himself. A former finance guy, Paul invested his savings into building this store to pursue what had become a passion – wine. In my opinion he did and is doing a great job. Real Enthusiastic, official policy says he’ll give you up to 3 tastings gratis, but having met him I’d bet if you show him that you are serious about buying he’ll give ya more than that. So if you are looking to pick up a bottle and have a few minutes to try some wine head on down to Christopher street and check him out.
Speaking of tasting wine, friends at City Winery are hosting Oregon’s Willamette Valley Wine Association who are pouring their wines on April 16th. The “Sideways” effect brought Pinot Noir more notoriety, but what style Pinot do you like? As a Burgundy lover I tend to enjoy the somewhat earthy characteristic in some Oregon’s Pinots rather than California’s brighter & fruitier Pinot Noirs. Check out the tasting to see which you prefer. In addition to Pinot Noir, they are sure to be serving some great Pinot Gris as well as other varietals. $75 isn’t cheap, but it’s a great deal for the opportunity to taste wine from 50 Oregon wineries.
’nuff said…Happy Wine Tasting!
WTG
EXPERTS FAIL CHAMPAGNE TASTE TEST
February 2nd, 2012It has been forever since I’ve posted but I saw this and LOVED IT!
I guess I liked it because I still think too many people don’t trust their own pallets, instead preferring to rely on “experts”. Hogwash I say…check out this cool article about how much the experts really know…
EXPERTS FAIL CHAMPAGNE TASTE TEST
In a nutshell….”An experiment using a range of Champagnes served in black glasses showed that experienced tasters and wine commentators can’t distinguish different styles of Champagne, or indeed, red grapes from white.”
So there you have it folks…these are the experts whose opinions you are relying on.
Trust your pallet & ENJOY WINE!
WTG
Final post…(for now) – JUST TASTE DAMMIT!
November 16th, 2011Hey Wine Tasting Guy fans…
What can I say, I have neglected you over the past few months. I guess that is what happens when you are running the marketing (and PR) department(s) for a multi-million dollar food & wine importer/distributor (yes, gratuitously patting myself on the back).
But I digress…I want to leave you all with a final message.
As evidenced in the title, I am writing today to encourage you to JUST TASTE DAMMIT!
What do I mean…well, I believe people need to taste more wines. Shortly after getting into the wine industry a well known winemaker shared the secret to a good palate with me. She advised that I TASTE TASTE TASTE. Like anything, to get good requires lots of practice – or just doing.
Whenever possible taste wine. Go to wine bars, attend tastings, get together with friends and open several bottles, or just get together with a loved one and pop the cork on something special.
And most importantly…form your own opinions about wine. Stop looking at scores, reading tasting notes, asking wine store clerks or choosing a bottle based on the label.
Sure wine critics are useful. I learned a TON participating on a wine forum with a wine mentor (and good friend who recently passed away).
But all these critics know is what appeals to THEM…what wines THEY like…they have no idea if you will like the wine or not.
Try to find stores offering tastings or with Enomatic/Wine Station machines and taste the wine before you buy it…it is the best way to ensure you will love your wine!
Ohhh…one more thing – wine should be fun…remember not to take it TOO seriously!
Happy Wine Tasting!
WTG
Guest post: The Differences Between Wine Glasses
July 31st, 2011Given the busy schedule (and wine-writer’s block) I figured I’d post this guest piece passed along by reader Andy. I’m not sure that I agree 100% percent with all the content, but it is informative and provides some good guidelines. Enjoy…
WTG
The Differences Between Wine Glasses
Wines are notoriously varied and to suit your pallet effectively not only is it necessary to accompany a meal with correct wine, it is also equally important to ensure you drink the wine out of the correct type of glass.
Wines are notoriously varied and to suit your pallet effectively not only is it necessary to accompany a meal with correct wine, it is also equally important to ensure you drink the wine out of the correct type of glass.
The glass you choose to drink out of is not usually one of the first considerations but the difference between the glasses are carefully measured and created to suit the aroma or taste of the type of grape you are drinking.
Red wine glasses are created to enhance the aroma and the thick taste of the wine whilst allowing it to breathe and sit comfortably at room temperature. Of course different red wines have different characteristics and the different types of glasses can suit these perfectly.
Should you be a fan of the thick bodied reds in the vain of the Merlot and Cabernet, the glass of choice is the Bordeaux glass as it has the specifications to suit thick bodied red wine perfectly. A Bordeaux glass tends to have a tall and wide bowl that is intended to allow aeration and direct the wine towards the back of the mouth. Whereas the Burgundy glass tends to have a much larger bowl suited to more delicate wines such as Pinot Noir. The Burgundy glass is designed to contain the aromas much more effectively and direct the wine to the tip of the tongue. Both types of glasses are intended to help the wine remain at an even temperature even after being exposed to the body temperature of the hand holding the glass.
Should you be a fan of the thick bodied reds in the vain of the Merlot and Cabernet, the glass of choice is the Bordeaux glass as it has the specifications to suit thick bodied red wine perfectly. A Bordeaux glass tends to have a tall and wide bowl that is intended to allow aeration and direct the wine towards the back of the mouth. Whereas the Burgundy glass tends to have a much larger bowl suited to more delicate wines such as Pinot Noir. The Burgundy glass is designed to contain the aromas much more effectively and direct the wine to the tip of the tongue. Both types of glasses are intended to help the wine remain at an even temperature even after being exposed to the body temperature of the hand holding the glass.
White wine glasses are slimmer and the difference between the large glass and the small glass tend to be negligible. Both are designed to reduce the heating effect of the hand, especially when you consider that Rieslings are best served at around 7 degrees Celsius and full bodied or high quality wines tend to be served at around 10 degrees Celsius to keep the temperature right you either have to drink it fast or ensure the quality of the glass.
As any connoisseur will tell you, the smaller the serving, the better the taste, so now we won’t be forced to drink 175ml as the smallest measure, we can start to enjoy a selection of different wines of an evening without feeling them the following morning. Full information of the amendment to the Licensing Act can be found in this “Wine Shots” article.
The differences between the wine glasses may seem negligible, but once you have been to a wine tasting event and understand the chemistry behind the aeration and flow of fluid you will recognise the reasoning behind these subtle differences between wine glasses. All in all these different glasses have been created as a way for us to enjoy our favourite tipple that little bit more.
Andy is a novice wine connoisseur that has done a lot of research on the subject. Follow his Twitter and why not ask about his current favourite wines on the high street @andym23
Hard to find HERZOG wines
July 25th, 2011As many of you may know, I presently am employed by the Herzog family handling Marketing/PR for Royal Wine Corp.
For the first time last week I took a trip up to Marlboro, NY to visit the Kedem Winery.
NO, I am not here to tell you that you need to check out the Kedem Concord wines (though the facility is pretty cool), I am encouraging you to take a trip up to Marlboro, if for no other reason than to buy WINERY ONLY items.
YES, Herzog Wine Cellars wines that are ONLY AVAILABLE in Oxnard at the winery (or via a Herzog Wine Cellars club membership) are apparently AVAILABLE at the Kedem winery.
Even more good news (for NY State residents)…if you can’t make the trip up to Marlboro (or are concerned this post will lead to sold out wines) they are able to ship wines WITHIN NY STATE.
To call the winery and/or order wines call Tara at 845-236-3651
Happy hard to find Herzog Winery wines!
WTG
$110,000 bottle of Champagne!
June 19th, 2011I’m going through another of my writing slumps. But as an NBA fan, when I read about the bottle of Champagne Mark Cuban bought to celebrate the Mavericks NBA title I found something to share
From the Wine Enthusiast Blog…
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban spent a whopping $110,000 while celebrating at the trendy nightclub Liv at Miami’s Fontainebleau after winning the NBA Championship against the Heat on Sunday night. Cuban spent $90,000 on an oversized bottle of Armand de Brignac Champagne for teammates Dirk Nowitzki, Brian Cardinal, Jason Terry and Shawn Marion in celebration of their victory, which they finished in a mere four hours. But that’s not all. When the bill arrived, Cuban left an additional $20,000 tip for the wait staff. According to Forbes, he’s ranked 459th on the “World’s Richest People” list and has a net worth of $2.5 billion.
We should all be faced with such wine purchasing decisions…
Congrats Mavs!
Happy $5,000 a sip Champagne tasting!
WTG
Toast of the Town & am I becoming a wine snob?
May 12th, 2011Once again I had the good fortune of attending the Wine Enthusiast Toast of the town. This was my 4th year, but this was the first time I attended as a vendor as opposed to as a journalist (OK, blogger).
In a new location (Avery Fisher Hall instead of Koch Theater) within NYC’s glorious Lincoln Theater, Wine Enthusiast put on its annual Toast of the Town event this past Thursday May 5th.
It was bigger than its ever been before with a ton of wine and lots of great restaurants. This year there were also spirits and beers being poured.
I attended this year on behalf of Israel’s Barkan Winery. The Barkan lineup this year was a pretty cool one.
The 2007 Barkan Superieur Pinotage is a very cool & interesting wine. Rich chocolate, toffee & ripe fruit… A great wine that really makes you go “hmmmm”.
Speaking of going hmmmm, we also poured the 3 wines in the “Altitude” series. The altitude represents vineyards at different heights above sea level, representing different terroirs. The wines also come from different regions, so the altitude isn’t the only difference. But the 3 wines (a 412, 624 & 720) are basically all made the same way – so like an experiment with the winemaking as the control. It was lots of fun to hear the people, most of whom had different favorites amongst the 3.
I did try to hit up a few other tables while I was there and I managed to taste about 30 wines.
In no particular order, I liked the following:
Perry Moore: A 2008 Napa Cab & 2008 Beckstoffers vineyard Oakville Cab that reminded me a lot of the wines I got to work with when I lived in Napa and worked in the lab.
Don Sebastiani & Sons 2007 Aquinas “Philosepher’s Blend” had great acidity balancing out its ripe fruit.
A Greek wine, the 2004 Oenoforos Lanos Cabernet Sauvignon had dusty fruit & a good earthiness that reminded me of an aged Israeli wine (which makes some sense as they are both Eastern Mediterranean).
The 2004 Batasiolo Vigneto Cerequio Barolo was a WOW wine with great liveliness, subtle burgundian fruit and cola flavors.
Of the whites the one standout for me was a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (which when done well I find to be so refreshing…I can drink LOTS of NZ Sauv Blanc) the Matua Valley 2009 which had fresh pink grapefruit.
Sooooo….what do I mean by “Wine Snob”? Sure I prefer good wine to mediocre wine, but the reality is that most wine these days (and surely almost all being poured at events such as this) is pretty good. I guess I felt like a bit of a snob at this event more because I’m tough to impress. I’ve come to expect most wine to be good these days. But good isn’t good enough anymore, it needs to be interesting. And in the end, very little of the wine that I had the opportunity to try was truly interesting.
Happy Interesting Wine Tasting
WTG
Expensive wine & upcoming TOTT & Riesling tastings
May 1st, 2011I had a story forwarded by a reader I thought I’d share. Also want to give a heads up about two of my favorite tastings of the year; first the annual TOTT (Wine Enthusiast’s Toast of the Town) & next week’s Riesling (Wines of Germany) tasting. I expect to attend both and hope to write about each shortly thereafter…
In the meantime, enjoy!
“Expensive Wine Indistinguishable from the Cheap Stuff”
The case for boxed wine just got stronger. In a blind taste test at the Edinburgh International Science Festival, 578 volunteers tasted wines ranging from 3.49 British pounds (or about $5.78 in American dollars) per bottle to £29.99 (just shy of $50). They were told that they were drinking one cheap wine, classified as being under £5 per bottle, and one expensive wine that cost £10 or more, and asked to identify which was which. Read on to see how they fared.
As reported in The Guardian, the volunteers managed to identify the more expensive wine only 53% of the time, and even less than that (47%) when the wines in question were red. Essentially, you’d have an equal chance of guessing an unborn baby’s gender or calling a flipped coin mid-air as you would of determining which wine is of higher value by taste alone. The wine with the highest accuracy rate was a pinot grigio, and that with the lowest was a claret, for which 61% of tasters thought the £3.49 bottle cost more than its £15.99 counterpart.
The moral here seems clear: If you want to drink free wine, sign up for more European science festivals. Also, if there is a costly wine you legitimately love, by all means, go ahead and splurge. But don’t venture down the wine aisle hoping to stumble on something tasty using price alone as your guideline, particularly with reds. Time to stock back up on that Two Buck Chuck.
