TaylorEason.com: Foodies unite » Wine news

Online holiday and Christmas shopping: Five great wine and food gifts

Taylor Eason — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:03:37 +0000

Each year, it can be a struggle to find just the right gift... the right mixture between snarky and original yet useful. Frankly, if someone is into wine or food, gift selections are a bit less challenging and cheaper than an electronics nerd or car enthusiast but if you're going on ten years with a foodie, the gadgets might have run out. Or have they? I wrote about 25 pretty cool, unique items last Christmas that you might want to check out, but here are five food and wine items new to the market.

Wine news, Prohibition documentary and California grape harvest 2011

Taylor Eason — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 23:08:19 +0000

An update about what's going on in the business of wine, HR 1161 and consumer wine choices, California grape harvest 2011, Ken Burn's Prohibition documentary and how to get a job in the wine business.

Grape News Network: J Vineyards and Winery celebrates 25 years

Taylor Eason — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:58:01 +0000

Introducing Grape News Network, interviews and fun stuff from around California's wine country. Scott (www.smilingtigervideo.com and @videosonoma on Twitter) and I had a few minutes to chat with Judy Jordan, president of J Vineyards and Winery, and new winemaker Melissa Stackhouse at the J Vineyards' 25th anniversary party. Hear what they had to say about the winery's past and future. Yes, our lives are glamorous and fabulous. Don't be hatin' on us.

Wine video: Downfall of a cult (Napa) winery and Robert Parker

Taylor Eason — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 04:40:39 +0000

Hilarious video, especially if you: 1) Have a dash of wine geek in you; 2) appreciate European wines; 3) think Robert Parker just might be the downfall of American wine. Warning: quite satirical and about 4 minutes long.

Keeping wine fresh after opening – Wine Shield versus Vacu Vin

Taylor Eason — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:00:27 +0000

There are limited options of storing a half-drunk bottle of wine at the end of an evening (well, some people)...whose freshness might not make it 'til the next day. I've been using the Vacu Vin pump, a kitchen staple for many a wine lover, for countless years. It's a gadget with a rubber stopper and pump that sucks the damaging oxygen from a half-full wine bottle. You can buy it on Amazon.com for about $12. But a new product called Wine Shield wants a sliver of that wine-saving love.

How to make wine at home for fifty cents per glass – the result

Taylor Eason — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:00:11 +0000

A few weeks ago, I undertook a homegrown winemaking experience with a 64-ounce plastic bottle of Welch's grape juice, a packet of yeast and two finger crossed that the outcome wouldn't be completely offensive.

How to make wine at home for fifty cents a glass

Taylor Eason — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 00:02:30 +0000

Let's face it, with the number of people begging for money even in the Safeway parking lot in Santa Rosa, the economy remains bleak. We all need to save a buck or two and there might be a way to save additional funds by making your own wine. And this method doesn't involve buying a garage full of equipment or shipping juice across the country.

Survey: Why can’t wine bloggers make money with their writing?

Taylor Eason — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 17:37:14 +0000

Are wine bloggers not raking in the revenue because the critical medium isn't respected? Are the advertisers not willing to throw cash into the untested waters of wine blogs? Do bloggers simply want to get their thoughts out there, hopefully reaching more than 100 people beyond their circle of friends and family? Or is it that bloggers, who work full time and have families, don't have the time to devote to generating revenue beyond the piddly Google Ads trickle?

Life in California, part 5: Newfound popularity, food foraging and meeting James Laube

Taylor Eason — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:36:30 +0000

It's amazing how popular you become when you have a house in northern California. Even one with pink carpet and hideous rose-print wallpaper. I actually underestimated the power of a second bedroom in wine country. Out of the 60-something days in June and July, we have hosted (and will host) 18 nights with various guests, mostly from Tampa. And we love it...it's like having a little dose of "home" away from "home." It hasn't sunk in that we live here yet.

Wine industry news, tidbits and helpful hints

Taylor Eason — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:34:58 +0000

All the wine news that's fit for print, from McDonald's food and wine pairing to President Obama's wine consumption.

Seghesio Vineyards sells to Crimson Wine Group: New beginning or horrible ending?

Taylor Eason — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:38:12 +0000

It’s been the talk to the industry for the past several days, the famous Seghesio Family Winery selling to semi-corporate Crimson Wine Group. Seghesio has been growing and selling grapes as well as making wine for over a century in Sonoma County, California. They are the second oldest winery in Sonoma County, after Foppiano Vineyards, where

Survey confirms what we all know: Americans don’t drink wine with food

Taylor Eason — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 15:59:12 +0000

In a pretty "duh" moment that anyone could assess by going to a local wine watering hole, a survey recently revealed that most Americans drink wine raw and wild... without food. Just like our beer and cocktails. This excerpt from the Napa Valley Register, written by veteran wine writer Paul Franson, sheds more light on the situation.

Changing wine signs of the times: Consumer Reports recommendations from 2000

Taylor Eason — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:18:50 +0000

My Mom really belongs in an episode of Hoarders Gone Mild. Although far from the extremes of this psychologically disturbing reality show, she saves pretty much everything, including old issues of Consumer Reports Magazine. For giggles, she passed on an issue from 2000 -- the one celebrating the best wine deals. As I read through them, it shocked me how things have changed in 11 years.

Jarvis Winery and its eco friendly wine caves

Taylor Eason — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:47:55 +0000

I never think of Napa's Jarvis Winery as more than an über expensive, high-end Cabernet producer that I can't afford but they're doing some pretty cool, eco-friendly stuff with their wine production.

2010 harvest report: What will the chilly weather mean for wine?

Taylor Eason — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 17:01:13 +0000

2010 has been called "the worst ever harvest in California" with losses in the upper millions, and by some accounts, higher. Mother Nature gave the grape industry a devastating lashing.

Tim Hanni and his passion for wine consumers

Taylor Eason — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 15:12:05 +0000

1WineDude.com posted a pretty great interview with Master of Wine and consumer advocate Tim Hanni, whom I interviewed back in 2008. Hanni attests that each human brings a different set of taste buds and experiences to the table each night and the "arrogant" wine industry is trying to shove all consumers into one flavor box: dry wines. Some people just aren't made that way... literally.

K-Vintners and Charles Smith libel lawsuit moves forward

Taylor Eason — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 15:33:20 +0000

In a nod to the growing importance of wine bloggers, Charles Smith of K Vintners is suing anonymous commenters on a post published on Blake Gray's Gray Market Report. What do you think? Legitimate complaint or a bruised ego?

HR 5034 alcohol limitation bill in Congress takes a hit

Taylor Eason — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 14:21:52 +0000

An alcohol limitation bill written by the beer wholesalers and supported by wine and liquor distribution industries (and nicknamed “the wholesalers’ monopoly protection bill") took some hefty blows in a Congressional hearing on September 29th.

Wine Spectator 2010 video finalists – what you should watch

Taylor Eason — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:11:17 +0000

Each year, the venerated wine mag Wine Spectator invites its readers to get their inner vinous juices flowing with a 3-minute video contest. The finalists are chosen by the Wine Spectator editors, the winners are chosen by votes. Watch the three best.

HR 5034 bill that will effect our wine choices heats up in Washington

Taylor Eason — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 15:19:04 +0000

Last March, beer wholesaler lobbyists presented a bill... er, I mean, legislators presented a bill in Congress entitled HR 5034 or the CARE Act. It now has the support of 139 congressmen and might threaten consumers' choice of wine or beer.