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.
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News about wine
HR 5034 bill that will effect our wine choices heats up in Washington
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.
... Read More »Alcohol levels growing in domestic wine
A growing “controversy” in the wine world is the raised alcohol levels in domestic wines. Whether it’s due to global warming or a way to entice famous wine writers (read: Robert Parker) to give them a glowing review, winemakers are caving, leading to wine descriptors like “hot”, ... Read More »
Governor Schwarzenegger declares September California Wine Month
Seems to me there’s a “day” or “month” for everything: Official Macaroni and Cheese Day, National Cow Day and each calendar month has a disease attached to it. Some designations make sense to me (Cancer Awareness Month, although to not be “aware” of cancer ... Read More »
Kathyrn Morgan now 16th female Master Sommelier
n the world of wine, the Court of Master Sommeliers rules the school. There are only 106 Master Sommeliers in North America (171 worldwide) who have passed the four levels of exams needed to gain this prestigious title and it literally takes years of practice (and many tries, so I hear) to pass the ... Read More »
eProvenance tracks a wine’s temperature from the winery to the cellar
The bane of most winemakers is not knowing what their creation will taste like in your glass. These creative beings spend countless hours babying a wine, only to have the distribution system muck it up somehow. Despite every earnest effort along the way from winery to table, high temperatures (especially ... Read More »
NY Times echoes Americans’ lack of Bordeaux wine enthusiasm
A few months ago, I wrote a column about how Bordeaux is no longer relevant to general American wine drinking public. Sounds like the NY Times has caught on to this sentiment. An excerpt from Eric Asimov’s column last week:
“The hyperbole over 2009 Bordeaux began building even before ... Read More »
Sam’s Club releases its own wine label: Infinite 2008 Spanish Red
I suppose it was bound to happen. That partytrain known as wine sales had to arrive in Generica, stopping at the Sam’s Club station. Like the last guy at a party to realize his fly is open, Sam Walton’s masterminding crew has released its own private wine retail label. I should’ve ... Read More »
Taking recycling one step further: Reusing wine bottles
Reports say recycling glass bottles — although it makes us all feel pretty damn good while we’re doing our part — is not a long term solution. Turns out, the process pollutes the atmosphere more than it saves landfill space. So a company in California has embraced the inevitable ... Read More »
Biodynamic farming, as defined by Paul Dolan (video)
Paul Dolan is one of my wine heroes, who has almost single-handedly spread the use of biodynamic farming in California’s wine country. He sat down with with a wine writer from Wine Spectator and described what biodynamic means to him.
... Read More »Drunk and stupid: Cracking on wine vloggers (video)
How Youtube, how do I love thee? A film school nerd who makes fun of the numerous wine vloggers who swish, swirl and slurp. Classic. But please don’t let me end up on this guy’s film reel.
... Read More »Borat’s guide to wine tasting (video)
Borat has a little fun with two older wine “connoisseurs” from Mississippi. Watch their faces as he futzs with them and don’t miss the talk about slavery around 4:45 minutes.
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