Sustainability by the wine trade

Everyone uses the term ‘sustainability’ these days, but what it means to everyone can vary enormously. From simple carbon reducing measures, such as using lighter glass bottles and renewable energy, through changes to vineyard practice including organics, and even wholesale regional programmes, the term covers many issues and different levels of commitment. When the issue [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/3FXnf5izCjI/

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Delaney Vineyard 1995 Cabernet Vintner?s Reserve

Delaney Vineyards 1995 Texas Cabernet Sauvignon Vintner?s Reserve A little over two years ago we first visited Delaney Vineyards in Grapevine, Texas. At that time who knew that we would end up with one bottle of this wine. At the end of our tasting experience our host offered everyone a taste and told us it [...]

Source: http://thegrapesaroundtexas.com/2012/08/14/delaney-vineyard-1995-cabernet-vintners-reserve/

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Proof is not in the bottle: Maker?s Mark waters down

Maker’s Mark has high demand, says Beam Inc., the bourbon brand’s owner. So high, that they will be lowering the alcohol in the bottle from 45% to 42%, or 84 proof. Hey, wait–I thought the consumer was the one who was supposed to add the (soda) water! This is clearly some sort of spin on [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/ABa9MX_bYqA/

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Cakebread Cellars Dinner at Legal Harborside

This is a good one! Legal Harborside is hosting a Cakebread wine dinner and Dennis Cakebread will be on hand to share the Cakebread story and describe the wines.

Long time WWP readers will recall that Cakebread is the wine that got me into wine. For more information on what makes the Cakebread brand special check out this in depth trip report. Cakebread is a great place to visit, but I'd recommend springing for something more than a quick tasting to get a feel for what they do.

Anyway, here's the info on this tasting which hasn't been posted on their website yet and is likely to sell out quickly. Check it out!


WHERE: Legal Harborside at Liberty Wharf
270 Northern Avenue, Boston

WHEN: Monday, March 11th at 7:00pm

COST: $125 per person (excludes tax & gratuity)

HOW: Reservations can be made by contacting 617.530.9470 or visiting www.legalseafoods.com.

WHAT: On March 11th, Legal Harborside will team up with Cakebread Cellars? Director of Sales, Dennis Cakebread, to host a wine dinner at Legal Harborside. This four-plus-course culinary adventure will highlight the best tastes from sea and vine. Cakebread Cellars has vineyard properties located throughout Napa Valley surrounding the production facility in Rutherford where it all began in 1972. Today, the winery owns 13 sites totaling 982 acres.

The menu will be presented as follows on Legal Harborside?s scenic second level overlooking Boston Harbor:

HORS D?OEUVRES
vol-au-vent, lobster, tarragon, mascarpone
geoduck clam, yuzu marinated melon, virginia ham
pickled sardines, dill crème fraîche, caraway and rye toast
merguez sausage, fennel vinaigrette and apple hash
Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay, Napa Valley, 2010

FIRST COURSE
tuna carpaccio*
bosc pear, wakame, serrano chiles, wasabi aioli and cucumber
Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, 2011

SECOND DOURSE
grilled shrimp
rosemary, smoked and braised chickpeas, chorizo and roast garlic dust
Cakebread Cellars ?Reserve? Chardonnay, Carneros, 2010

THIRD COURSE
cast iron skillet-seared duck breast
red rice, golden rutabaga, preserved walnuts and junipers
Cakebread Cellars ?Benchland Select? Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2009

CHEESE
mountain cheese and dried fruit
Cakebread Cellars Zinfandel, Lake County, 2010

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/WP3C4k6iMH8/cakebread-cellars-dinner-at-legal.html

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Field Notes from a Wine Life ? Story Edition

Odds and ends from a life lived through the prism of the wine glass…

Words aren’t enough

I give to thee…the worst wine ad of all-time and that’s without delving into the ponderous name of the wine or, why, inexplicably, the back of the laptop in the photo has a big sticker for Ass Kisser ales

…In the main visual, three people are huddled around the boss giving him “Ass Kisser” wine…Isn’t the point of being a brown-noser to do it subtly?  Who randomly gifts their boss right before their employee review? 

image

Even if you view this ad as schlocky hipster irony, it’s still bad and makes you wonder if the advertising sales guy at Wine Enthusiast couldn’t do a solid for his client and suggest creative that, well, actually makes sense.

Or, maybe being horrible was the plan – like a movie that becomes a cult hit a decade hence…so bad that it becomes a lofty ideal for bad, enjoying a following because of its campy nature. 

Bad Week for Eric Asimov?

On both Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, Eric Asimov, the New York Times chief wine critic was taken to task for different reasons by Matt Kramer at Winespectator.com and Steve Heimoff at his blog of the same name.

This is interesting because wine writers of a certain stature very carefully call their shots amongst their peers.

Normally the shots are fired up (Parker) or down (bloggers), but usually never sideways amongst writers in the same strata. 

To watch Asimov, as seemingly decent of a guy as you’ll find, called onto the rug by two notable wine writers, to me, speaks to something much bigger.

With Parker stepping aside and Antonio Galloni receiving glancing admiration for hitting a stand-up triple by dint of his current position at the Wine Advocate, at the same time that the wheat and chaff are separating with wine bloggers, somebody has to step into the fray as a public foil for other wine writers to target.

Unwittingly, it might be Asimov for reasons entirely opposite of Parker’s hegemony.  Asimov’s palate for wine seems food-friendly and balanced; he takes an egalitarian approach to wine for the people without pretense and he doesn’t score wines.

In other words, Asimov is bizarro Superman to Parker’s swashbuckling empiricism and, perhaps, even a greater danger to the Ivory Tower of legacy wine media than the mere jealousy that passed for poking at Parker.

Just a thought…

It’s all about the story

The wine business has always been excellent at storytelling.  Virtually every winery has their origin story and that of their dirt down pat, even if not very compelling.

So, it is with interest that I’ve been watching Facebook’s recent changes keeping in mind that founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has emphasized emotional resonance, narrative and storytelling – factors that extend well beyond consumers using Facebook to “Tell the story of their life,” as Zuckerberg noted.  This will be inclusive of the brands that use Facebook for engagement, as well.

I was further intrigued after reading parallel news reports that Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), is singing the same song.

He notes in an article in Advertising Age, “Technology innovations are irrelevant to the future of advertising and marketing unless a more fundamental activity is understood, honored and advanced: the craft of storytelling.”

A quick Google search for “Mark Zuckerberg F8 Keynote” and “Randall Rothenberg MIXX Keynote” will yield a number of stories all occurring in September.  There’s no question about Facebook’s influence and the IAB is the thought-leader for digital advertising.  Between the two of them, they present an imposing shadow of influence on digital marketing.

If I were a winery with an understanding that digital marketing is a tsunami of change that is important, I might start revisiting my winery story for some fine-tuning…

Two books that I recommend to bone-up on the elements of good business storytelling are:  The Story Factor and Made to Stick.

On Sweet Wines

In an article this week from the San Francisco Chronicle called “Beginner drinkers get a crush on sweet red wines,”  E.&J. Gallo VP of Marketing, Stephanie Gallo, noted:  “There is a major shift going on in the U.S. wine drinking culture.  First, we noticed that regional sweet red blends were doing particularly well in Indiana, Texas and North Carolina. Second, our consumers were asking if we produced a sweet red wine after tasting our Moscato at events.”

Good Grape readers had the scoop on this months ago when I wrote:

How Sweet it is – The Growing Sweet Wine Trend in early October, 2010

And

Move over Moscato and Make Way for Sweet Reds in February of this year

Just saying…

Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/field_notes_from_a_wine_life_story_edition/

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Wine of the Month Club

Are you interested in wine? Do you find that wine stores are too stuffy and pretentious for you to have an enjoyable shopping experience? If so, finding a quality wine of the month club might be a good fit for you to not only learn about wine, but also to have some truly outstanding wine [...]

Source: http://winewithmark.info/archives/670

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November 25 ? 2012 ? Florida Jim Cowan?s 2012 Tasting Notes Archive

The 2012 archive is presented by date the notes were compiled and submitted. Prior year?s tasting notes may be found here. November 25, 2012 2002 Dom. Michel Voarick, Corton-Renardes: Very pretty cherry, horehound, beet root aromatics that are a little sweet and a little savory but not very expansive; tastes of Corton as it is [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/nUQeMMr7YtY/jim-cowan%e2%80%99s-2012-tasting-notes

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