December, 2011

Reviews December 17, 2011

Perrin & Fils “Les Sinards”Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone, France, 2007

  Grape 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre   Facts I do have to say, I’ve always had an affinity for Chateauneuf-du-Pape, even before I started really getting into wine. Maybe it’s because, for some reason,  I deemed it to be my first “serious” bottle of vino.  I’ve always thought of Chateauneuf to be almost stuck in time. Whereas most other wine regions of the world have seen at least a partial amount of modernization;…

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Pairings, Recipes December 16, 2011

Coffee-Roasted Duck Paired with HeartSmart “For Giving” Mount Veeder Cabernet, 2008.

With December being such a crazy month (my wife works in retail, and I work in a restaurant), eating at home has kind of taken a backseat over the last few weeks. Therefore, I do have to say that these food and wine pairing articles have also been a little sparse. Who wants to get home after working a 12+ hour shift, and cook? Not me! I’m sure we’re not in a minority on this,…

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Facts, News December 14, 2011

5 Gift Ideas for a Wine Lover (and 5 to Avoid) – Part 2.

Following on from yesterday’s post, here are my 5 gift suggestions for a wine lover: A Good Wine Opener Every wine lover needs a decent wine bottle opener! It doesn’t have to be anything crazy; I know there’s a bunch of electric and even gas powered gimmicks on the market, but I personally like to keep it fairly simple! If you’re looking for a quality opener that combines form, function, and practicality, I recommend a…

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Facts, Funny, News December 13, 2011

5 Gift Ideas for a Wine Lover (and 5 to Avoid) – Part 1

With Christmas being just around the corner, it seems that I’ve been getting asked daily as to what I would deem as a “good gift” for a wine lover. I originally started writing this article as just “5 Gift Ideas for a Wine Lover”, but then I realized that what’s even more important as what not to buy for a “wine aficionado”.This article is therefore a 2-parter. First, here are my suggestions on 5 wine…

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Funny December 13, 2011

A Public Service Announcement

Please, take care of yourself out on the roads this holiday season! A recent joint study conducted by the Department of Health and the Department of Motor Vehicles indicates that 23% of traffic accidents are alcohol related. This means that the remaining 77% are caused by a**holes who drink bottled water, Starbucks, soda, juice, energy drinks, and other crap like that. Therefore, beware of those who do not drink alcohol. They cause three times as…

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News December 11, 2011

This Week in Wine – 12/11/11

Wine Critic’s Representative Defends Deals The Spain-based representative for an influential Baltimore wine reviewer defended himself Wednesday amid accusations that he asked wineries for money in exchange for a visit from the critic. The wine world has buzzed for days over news that respected oenophile Jay Miller, former co-owner of Bin 604 in Harbor East, had resigned from The Wine Advocate after accusations that his Spanish contact had strong-armed payments from local wineries in exchange…

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Reviews December 10, 2011

HeartSmart “Great Dane” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California.

    Grape 100% Cabernet   Facts Peggy Rowan is the visionary behind HeartSmart. This Cabernet was inspired by her love for animals, and specifically the Great Dane breed. “They’re big, bold and beautiful—which happen to be the same qualities I love about Cabernet Sauvignon.” in Peggy’s own words. The 2008 Great Dane won the Gold Medal at this year’s San Francisco International Wine Competition. Ann Ruth, is the remarkable artist behind the HeartSmart wine…

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Facts December 9, 2011

The R Word.

According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BAFT – United States), the word “refreshing” can’t be utilized when describing alcohol beverages.

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Reviews December 8, 2011

Chateau des Capitans Julienas, Beaujolais, France.

      Grape 100% Gamay   Facts The Chateau des Capitans Julienas is made by the Beaujolais-pimp himself, Georges Duboeuf. He’s in his late-70’s now, but still heads the company. Must be all that wine he drinks! It’s estimated that around 1/3 of the entire harvest of the Beaujolais region is sold as Beaujolais Nouveau. Duboeuf produces over 2.5 million cases of wine annually. There are only 37,000 hectares (142 sq miles) of Gamay…

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News December 8, 2011

The Value of a Facebook “Like”.

I haven’t written a social media post for a while. I recognize that this is basically a wine website, but I like to throw in the occasional social media article, as it’s a topic that interests me greatly. Also, according to my stats, Facebook is my #3 generator of traffic, (right after organic Google searches, and direct traffic). So there’s a very good chance that if you’re reading this, you found me through one of…

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