Posts Tagged ‘wine’

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Polaner Selections Spring Portfolio tasting

Thursday, April 17th, 2008

For the second year in a row I was fortunate to be able to attend the Polaner Selections Spring portfolio tasting.  This event has hundreds of wineries from countries all over the world, each one with at least one and at times as many as ten or more wines.  There were some great wines at this event as well as some amazing winemakers who come to the event to meet the people serving/selling their wines.

BUT, the event is simply too big & hectic.  I met a winemaker there whom I had met at a previous tasting.  The tasting he attends is a very small & varietally specific tasting.  The smaller tastings afford guests the opportunity to really taste through ALL the wines and speak with the respective winemakers.  The larger tastings, such as this one, while full of fabulous wines, are simply overwhelming.

I apologize to those of you looking forward to this post.  I’ll be leaving town within the hour and do not want to take my tasting notes with me.  I’ll post my standouts from the tasting in greater detail when I return in two weeks.  In the meantime I will post throughout my trip on other wine related STUFF.

Happy Passover, Easter or whatever you may be celebrating ( I hope you are celebrating something)!!

WTG

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BONDING over a shared love of wine

Wednesday, April 16th, 2008

I have long been a fan of “male bonding”. B.S.-ing with my buddies.  Yet I often laugh that men don’t regularly engage in deep heartfelt conversation. The bonding is usually over women, sports, or some other common interest. Yet bonding of this sort only lasts SO long (in my experience). Real bonding requires a great shared history &/or a common passion, one as intricate and complex as wine.

I have formed many friendships/bonds over wine the past few years. People I have met in Israel, Napa or NYC. The bond created by wine is very real and once formed, a bond that can be rekindled at any moment.

I bring this up today as I have had two great “wine bond episodes” this week. The first was a person I was randomly put in touch with as a fellow wine lover. After an email introduction I met this person at the Bordeaux tasting this week and had a “partner in crime” at the tasting. As seriously as I take tastings and as much as I don’t mind them alone, isn’t everything in life more fun when you can share it with someone who shares your passion?! (more…)

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“Today’s Bordeaux” tasting event

Tuesday, April 15th, 2008

I attended this event for the second year in a row at The Altman Building in NY city. The event features 100+ (they say 100, but I’m told it is closer to 110) wines from Bordeaux at reasonable (sub $30) prices. So no Margaux and no Petrus, but some very nice wines for wine professionals to consider for their bar, restaurant … or blog post as the case may be.

I really like this event for a few reasons. (more…)

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New World vs. Old World Wine

Saturday, April 12th, 2008

As I weave my way through the maze that is the wine world I often meet people who are lovers of EITHER “Old World” wine OR “New World” Wine. As I understand it there are two main distinctions between the “Old” & “New” world wine producing countries; history & style.

The first distinction is that “Old World” implies countries that have long traditions for wine production such as France, Italy, Germany & Spain. While “New World” locations, such as The US, Australia, New Zealand, South American countries (such as Chile & Argentina) and even Israel, have entered into the wine making fray within the last 20-50 years (or re-entered as the case is with Israel).

The other distinction between Old & New World, has to do with wine STYLE. Old world style wines tend to be less fruit forward, lower in alcohol, posses the capability for longer aging, and at times are not very approachable (read: drinkable) in their youth (as a result of overpowering tannins, high acidity, etc). While new world style wines are often fruit forward wines (grown in regions where the temperature/climate leads to ripe fruit), whose alcohol is higher (generally greater than 12-13%), ageability is questionable (if for no other reason than a lack of history to verify its age worthiness) yet are often more approachable in their youth.

SO, which is better???

(more…)

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European Wine prices going up – another good reason to drink Israeli wine

Monday, April 7th, 2008

OK, so who really needs an excuse to drink good Israeli wine anyway 😉

But seriously, with prices for wine increasing worldwide, now is a great opportunity to try some Israeli wines you may not have previously considered.  I bring up the “surge” in European wines as a result of reading an article in the NY Post.  The article quotes buyers who have called the price increases “insane” and talk about the “magnitude” of European wine prices.

Other factors leading to higher prices throughout the industry are the drought in Australia and the illegal worker act in California.  All these factors are leading to higher costs that are now being passed along to the consumer.

Back to Israeli wines for a second, these too have slowly risen in price of late.  But aside from a few standouts many of the best Israeli wines found in the US today have remained at a steady price point.  Also, keep your eyes out for new wines from Israel being brought into the US over the next several months.

Sorry to be the barer of rough news, but their is always a silver lining.  Discovering that new “hot” region before it gains public recognition and its prices subsequently increase –  means trying lots of new wines, and who doesn’t enjoy that?!

Happy new wine region tasting!

WTG

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Wine – Is it really THAT intimidating?

Sunday, February 17th, 2008

I ran a private wine tasting last night.  It was in a couple’s apartment, and the husband hired me for his wife’s 50th B-day party.  There were 3 other couples there, so 8 people in total.

The guests were all great.  Very interested in wine, asking lots of questions, really giving the full evaluation of wine a chance – as opposed to wine tastings where the guests just want to get SLOSHED.  But I noticed something.  Several of the guests, both the men and women, felt the need to qualify many of their questions by first stating that “I know nothing about wine but how/why/what…etc…”.  Why the qualification?  You may not be a wine expert, but how many people really are.

One of the issues I constantly try to hammer home is the idea that people need to trust their palate with wine, just as they do with food.  How many people seek out scores when deciding what dish to order or how to have it prepared.  Sure we have all been EATING longer (and with greater regularity) than we have been drinking wine, but any time someone has a new food/beverage introduced to them they simply try it and decide if they like it or not.

I suppose that if/when people start trusting their palates TOO MUCH when it comes to wine I might not be “needed” anymore.  But at the same time I still think people are unjustifiably insecure when it comes to wine.  Yes, i am happy to answer any question, provide some VERY PARTIAL advice (drink Israeli wine!), or help you drink that special bottle of wine you purchased many years ago.

But what I guess am trying to say is wine should be fun.  Unless you are just drinking it to get a buzz, think about the wine, how it makes you feel, how it tastes with the food you are drinking it with, how long the flavor sits on your palate, what smells/tastes you are reminded of when you are drinking it.  Don’t worry about being wrong – there is no such thing.  Whether you are smelling berries, nuts, cats pee or sweaty socks, how can someone tell you “no you are not”?  They can’t!  Whatever the wine smells like, tastes like, reminds you of, etc – YOU ARE RIGHT.  Enjoy it.  Wine is a beautiful & special thing.  Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!

Happy Presidents weekend & drink a wine YOU love!

WTG

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Drinking Wine Linked to Lower Risk of Lung Cancer

Thursday, December 27th, 2007

Just got the news from good ole’ Wine Spectator.  (http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,4171,00.html)

Of note however is that beer & spirits led to elevated risk.  “Drinking wine is associated with a lower risk of developing lung cancer, according to a meta-analysis published in the November issue of Cancer Epidemiological Markers & Prevention. Those who consume more than one serving of beer or spirits in any amount, however, were found to have an elevated risk.”

Yeah, I know, “THEY come out with a new study every day”…but hey, we believe what we want to believe anyway right?

So drink away friends – it is good for you (in moderation of course)!!!!

Happy Almost New Year!!

WTG.

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Wine Ingredients (part 2)

Monday, December 24th, 2007

I blogged this when Bonny Doon first released the news that they would be including ingredients on their labels.  They have just released more specific information, and have indicated that they will be including 2 types of ingredient notifications.   The first are for those ingredients that remain in the wine, and the second, for those that are used in the winemaking process but are then REMOVED from said wine.

Randall Grahm Discloses All on New Labels

SANTA CRUZ, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Bonny Doon Vineyard labels will disclose all wine ingredients beginning with the 2007 vintage white and 2006 vintage red wines. As of 2008, consumers will note that all ingredients are listed in two sections on the back label of each bottle of Bonny Doon wine. The first section highlights the wine‘s basic ingredients, i.e. grapes and sulfur dioxide, a preservative, found in the wine. The second section will point out ingredients used in the production of the wine such as bentonite, (a type of clay used to clarify wine prior to bottling) that essentially no longer remain in the wine.I’m writing about this as I really find it to be a real breakthrough for the wine industry (specifically as someone who prefers to know what it is that I am eating/drinking).  I wonder how others who restrict certain ingredients from their diet feel about ingredients used strictly for clarifying wine – meaning the ingredients are added and then removed.  If you were trying to avoid said ingredients and were told it was added and then removed, how would you feel about it???

I welcome comments and at some point if I ever get an “email me” button up, I welcome direct contact as well.

Happy holidays.  Drink wine, but DO IT safely!!!!

WTG

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Wine Ingredients – should they be posted on the label???

Monday, December 10th, 2007

Bonny Doon, of Santa Cruz CA thinks so. I’m a fan of Bonny Doon wines and I LOVE this move!

“Randall (Grahm – owner of Bonny Doon) feels that it’s important to openly share with consumers any additions made to the wine, and by extension to make other winemakers responsible for [acknowledging] their own additions and interventions,” explained Alison Davies, marketing associate at Bonny Doon. “We hope for a number of results: by stating all the ingredients, this could lead the industry in the direction of full disclosure and encourage winemakers to be more hands-off and less interventionist.”

I’ve stated on several occasions that I observe kosher dietary laws, but when it comes to wine, whose production MAY include problematic products (used for clarifying wines) I have looked the other way, figuring these problematic ingredients are removed from the wine before bottling. And there is virtually no way of knowing which wines are made using some of these problematic items. Until now!

I’ll be thrilled if Bonny Doon is in fact successful in getting other wineries to follow suit and begin to list ingredients on their wines. And who knows, this may become law – which would be GREAT for vegetarians, vegans, kosher consumers, etc…

Have a wonderful week!

WTG

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Non-“Kosher” ingredients in Wine

Thursday, November 29th, 2007

This is a very detailed and technical discussion, the kosher aspect of which I touched upon in a friends blog a few weeks ago regarding wines from Israel. That post can be found at http://vinoverve.blogspot.com/search/label/Israel. The topic was also touched upon by a new cyber friend at http://israelwine.wordpress.com/2007/11/19/israeli-is-not-a-synonym-for-kosher/

The reason I am re-visiting this topic again here is that I received one of the many emails I get from Wine Spectator today, this one being their “Wine & Healthy Living” email.

Contained in this email is a question from “Jane”, whereby Jane asks about ingredients in wine which Vegans might not want to consume. The exact question and answer should be contained in the following link, but it appears not to have been posted there yet http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Free/WS_Health_QA_Index .

Since it has yet to be posted, I’ll include it here: “How could a vegan find out which wineries use egg whites for fining their wines?“.

For the record, wineries also use other products for “fining” which are problematic for both kosher observers as well as vegans.

As someone who observes a KOSHER diet (albeit leniently), this is a question which I have researched and that has led to a tremendous dilemma – one I still grapple with.

To keep things as succinct as possible, the truth is that many wineries use one of a few ingredients in SOME wines to “fine” or “clarify” the wine. While this is most common in whites, it is done with many reds as well. How do you know when one such ingredient was used? Well, as Wine Spectator answered Jane, “Current labeling regulations do not require the producer to list the fining agents on the bottle“.

Without getting into the gory details of what ingredients are at times used as fining agents, I’ll end this post with the url provided by the fabulous people over at Wine Spectator. I am not sure how much of a help it is, but it allows me to sidestep this topic for the time being.

www.vegparadise.com

Happy Holiday Season…

WTG

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Posted in wine - kosher, Wine News | 3 Comments »

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