A ?Zinful? Experience

Last Saturday I was lucky to be able to attend the Zinfandel Festival at Fort Mason in San Francisco. ZAP, The Association of Zinfandel Advocates & Producers celebrates Zinfandel America?s Heritage Grape and is dedicated to preserving the history of Zinfandel through the Heritage Vineyard at UC Davis. It is the largest single varietal tasting [...]

Source: http://blogs.fairplex.com/blog/wine/?p=36

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Summer Hill Country Photos

  About a year ago I started a Facebook group with the same name as my Blog.  I posted a few photos from our summer vacation down in the beautiful Texas Hill Country.  I will be posting more here soon and on my Flickr photo page.  If your on Facebook would love to have you […]

Source: http://thegrapesaroundtexas.com/2011/07/10/summer-hill-country-photos/

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QPR Wines of Distinction

The sample boxes from our distributors were backing up at the retail operation in which I was, until recently, gainfully employed, so we divvied up the take and went our separate ways to taste and report back. Happily, the six I took home are all from our good friends at Wines of Distinction/J&J Importers and [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/Z7WQ4IQNJn4/qpr-wines-of-distinction

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The pork belly contract is dead. Now pair it with wine.

As of today, the venerable contract for pork bellies is no longer trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. So important was the contract at one point, the CME was once known as the “House that Bellies Built.” But it was Eddie Murphy who cemented the contract in popular culture using it in his explanation of [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/qYX6HEqGw-Q/

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The wines from Pierre Usseglio I

Domaine Pierre Usseglio is first and foremost a maker of Chateauneuf-du-Pape but has also a couple of vineyards just outside the appellation. From these they make a good value Côtes-du-Rhône and a Vin de Table, where Merlot makes up 80 % og the blend.  I gave the 2006 Côtes-du-Rhône 2006 88-89 p. which makes it a good value. It’s a sort [...]

Source: http://www.wine4freaks.com/44/wines-from-pierre-usseglio-1/

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Caption this: horn & cask edition

There are some fun pics from last year’s harvest festival on Madeira over on Flickr. Madeira is a fortified wine built to withstand the abuse of sea voyages, so this cask-over-the-shoulder approach is probably child’s play for the beverage. For your, amusement caption the one to the right. While we would probably all approve of [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/il7F2EAO-Hw/

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Wine Deal: 2007 Cigliuti Barbaresco

Friends of the WWP will remember my wine of the year last year - the 2005 Cigliuti Serraboella Barbaresco. It's amazing to see the notes pour in on CellarTracker for this wine. I think it's stunning and rated it 96 points but I'm actually on the low side of recent tasting notes. People are regularly reaching up between 97 and 99 points. Unprecedented for a wine just over $50 if you hunt around and interesting since there were no strong buy indicators from pros on the wine - WA 92, WS 89.

Since the 2005 came and went I've been looking for the 2007 vintage. Early reviews of 2007 Piedmont are very positive. The 2007 Cigliuti Serraboella Barbaresco has been slow to appear on Wine-Searcher but made an appearance on Lot18 Monday. Lot18 is a private invitation flash sale site offering up a limited assortment of wines at a discount.

They're offering a two-pack of Cigliuti's Barbareschi - one from the Serraboella vineyard ($72 release price) and another from Vigna Erte ($57). The Serraboella comes from older vines and is the premier wine from Cigliuti, but the Vigna Erte is outstanding as well. I rated the 2004 Vigna Erte vintage between 91 and 94 points across a couple bottles. Either of this wines present a compelling taste of outstanding Barbaresco.

They can't ship to MA but it's worth finagling a way to ship this one to friends in a neighboring state. Pro tip: If you want to hold shipment until the weather is cooler ping service@lot18.com with your request. 

Click here to check out the deal on Lot18


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/j9rZ2VH9aHA/wine-deal-2007-cigliuti-barbaresco.html

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Visit us on the Access Zone

For the next three days we will be bringing you the Wine Conversation live from the London Wine Trade Fair and the Access Zone on stand F70 If you are coming to the event, do come and visit us for a good chat, coffee (courtesy of Thierry’s), free wifi and lots of content and networking [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/scvS65tZFY0/

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Massachusetts Lawmakers to Hear Testimony on Wine Direct Shipping, Tuesday, May 10th

Everyone once in a while I get an E-mail I've been waiting a long time for and knock out a blog post immediately. Just now I received this press release from Free the Grapes about an important hearing this coming Tuesday in Massachusetts.

MA HB 1029 would finally, mercifully, allow direct shipment of wine from out of state wineries to Massachusetts residents.

Here's a quick Q&A with Free the Grapes:

WWP: What would you suggest MA wine consumers do to right now to help MA HB 1029 pass and allow direct shipment from out-of-state wineries to MA consumers?

Free the Grapes: We encourage Massachusetts wine lovers to express their support of wine direct shipping in their state by sending letters to the committee?s leadership through our website. Next week we will update the distribution list beyond the committee to include all MA legislators, in order for us to broaden the message. http://capwiz.com/freegrapes/issues/alert/?alertid=34295506

WWP: If the bill passes, how long until direct shipments become a reality?

Free the Grapes: It?s too early to tell. Like in other states, the licensing parameters and common carrier approvals precede issuing winery licenses. To use Maryland as an example, the bill will be signed by the Governor next week on 5/10, but the comptroller?s office is prepping documents and regulations to meet the law?s effective date of 7/1/11. This is common.

WWP: Would the bill allow direct shipments from out of state retailers to MA consumers?

Free the Grapes: No. The bill allows for wine shipments from licensed wineries directly to Massachusetts consumers.

From the press release:

May 6, 2011, Napa, CA ?  On Tuesday, May 10 the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure will hold a public hearing to discuss House Bill 1029. Passage of this bill would mark an end to the state?s archaic ban on wine shipments from licensed wineries directly to Massachusetts consumers, according to Free the Grapes!, the national coalition of consumers, wineries and retailers. www.freethegrapes.org

Hearing Details:

What: House Bill 1029
Who: Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure
When: Tuesday, May 10, 2011; 1:00 PM Eastern Time
Location: Massachusetts State House, Room A-1, 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02108
Bill Information: http://www.malegislature.gov/bills/187/house/h01029

HB 1029 conforms to the ruling Family Winemakers of California v. Jenkins, which was upheld by the 1st Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in January 2010. The lawsuit successfully challenged a 2006 Massachusetts statute banning winery-to-consumer shipments from wineries and wine companies producing more than 30,000 gallons per year, and who retain a wholesaler. The 30,000 gallon capacity cap was ruled to be discriminatory and the legislature was tasked with developing a remedy.

Introduced in February by Representative David M. Torrisi, HB 1029 is similar to the model direct shipping bill that is the foundation for statutes in the majority of U.S. states, providing legal, regulated direct shipping to consumers. Among other provisions, HB 1029 requires wineries to purchase a state-issued shipping license, to mark boxes as requiring an adult signature at delivery, and limits the quantity of wine shipped to individuals to 24 cases per year. The basis for HB 1029, the model direct shipping bill, was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court and supported by the Federal Trade Commission.

Thirty-seven states and Washington D.C. ? but not Massachusetts ? allow licensed wineries to ship directly to consumers ? those states account for 83% of US wine consumption. Massachusetts is the seventh largest wine consumption state in the U.S. however it is one of 17 states that continue to ban winery-to-consumer direct shipments. Maryland Governor O?Malley is scheduled to sign House and Senate Bills later this month to allow winery direct shipping, which will make Maryland the 38th state to allow winery direct shipping.


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/s7hQwJrULRk/massachusetts-lawmakers-to-hear.html

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