Taking the world one wine at a time.
Landmark Vineyards may have been founded in the Windsor area of Sonoma County in 1974, but its roots stretch all the way back to 1838. It was in Grand Detour, Illinois of that year that John Deere invented the steel plow – an event that revolutionized the business of agriculture. In 1989, John Deere’s great great granddaughter, Damaris Deere Ford, following the family tradition in agriculture, relocated Landmark Vineyards from Windsor, to a piece of…
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Grape 100% Torrontes [Tohr-ron-tez] You’re forgiven if you’ve never heard of the Torrontes grape, however expect to see it more and more over the coming years as its popularity increases. Torrontes really is to Argentina what Pinot Grigio is to Italy. Facts Cliff Raven was a pioneer in tattooing, he was one of the first to incorporate the Japanese style and infuse it with American iconic images creating a signature style that has influenced and…
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If you haven’t already seen them, QR (Quick Response) codes are one of the latest technologies that have started popping up on wine labels. Whilst not exactly new (they have been around since ‘94), I’m thinking that over the next year or two this type of technology is going to become extremely prevalent, especially in the wine industry. QR codes, which look like a pixelated black and white square, come to us from Japan (of…
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My Christmas tree took FOREVER to put up, but actually not that long to collect the bottles…
Read MoreWine: Cliff Raven Malbec Place: Patagonia, Argentina Price: $12.99
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Wine is already a complicated enough topic, and there is a good amount of lingo thrown around. One of the key terms that can confuse people is old world and new world. The difference between old world and new world wines, on the surface is fairly straightforward (with a lot of generalizations), but as you get a little deeper into the topic it can get more complex. Old World Wines Places like France, Austria, Germany,…
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There are a couple of things you should know about me before I start this article: firstly I actually don’t mind a little DIY, I can’t say I’m always that good at it, but I do like a challenge! Secondly if there a shortcut to be found, I’ll normally find it! Knowing all of that we can now continue…
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I chose this recipe knowing full-well that it would make a perfect pairing, and I wasn’t proven wrong! The recipe I selected was for Shrimp Tacos with Pickled-Red-Onion Salad. Not exactly a winter dish, but Torrontes isn’t a winter wine!
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The Meaning Supposedly, the word “Malbec”, comes from the surname of a Hungarian peasant who is attributed with being the first person to spread the variety throughout all of France. If you were to ever check-out the big-nerdy wine book that is The Oxford Companion to Wine, you’ll find 400+ different names for the Malbec grape. This proving that the grapes’ popularity isn’t just a recent phenomena. In Bordeaux, it’s also known by Côt or…
Read MoreCliff Raven was a pioneer in the field of tattooing. He was one of the first to champion the Japanese aesthetic and infused it with American iconic images creating a signature style that has influenced and inspired tattoo artists for 50 years. Cliff Raven Wines are 100% estate grown and bottled by Munoz de Toro Wines, under the guidance of Hector Durigutti, one of Argentina’s most sought after winemakers. For the next 7 days I’ll…
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Grapes Parellada, Chardonnay, Macabeo and Xarel-lo (traditional Cava grapes). Facts If you’ve ever seen the Cristalino before, you might notice that they’ve had a change of label. Why you ask? Well, they pissed off Cristal, that’s why! Let me take you back to 2006, Louis Roederer, producer of Cristal Champagne decided that Cristalino beared too much of a resemblance to their over-priced fizz. Long story short, Roederer won and Cristalino were forced to relabel…
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