April, 2012

What’s the rule for how long a wine should be left to breathe in a decanter?

Tough one, and not with a very straight-forward answer! But this is wine, right? And if there’s one thing to be learnt from the world of vino, it’s that nothing is straight-forward! Ever! When it comes down to it, it’s really a matter of preference for how long a wine should be left in a decanter before you serve it: – If a wine is young and bold, an hour or two should suffice. Any…

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Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre, Veneto, Italy.

Grapes 70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 5% Sangiovese   Facts Oh sure, I’d like to drink Amarone every day! But with what I consider a “decent” bottle starting at $50, and going swiftly upwards from there, my current budget just doesn’t permit those kind of extravagances. Side-note: I may get a part-time job…  So, if you’re in the same position as me (financially that is), Allegrini might have the perfect answer for Amarone-addiction you with their…

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10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Start a Blog – Part 2 of 2.

The 2nd part of my 10 questions to ask yourself before you start a blog…   5. What are you really hoping to achieve from starting a blog? Money? Fame? Credibility? Free stuff?Without defining your purpose from the get-go, you’ll have no clear direction and/or achievable benchmarks on which to measure your performance. These benchmarks don’t always have to be money-based; for example, one of the goals I set myself early in my blogging, was…

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Are Bloggers Disclosing their Relationships with Companies?

News article taken from Libation Law BlogMost people are probably very unaware, but the FTC has very strict guidelines regarding the disclosure of any relationship a company has with someone tweeting or blogging reviews of their products. The Federal Trade Commission’s guidelines “Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” are a pretty short read.  Which is interesting given that they can amount to some extremely hefty penalties for any winery or brewery that…

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10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Start a Blog – Part 1 of 2.

As is the way with these types of posts, I started writing this article hoping to try and fit it all into one, and soon realized that it just wasn’t going to happen. In reality, this post could have probably been 10x the length it is right now. What follows is part 1, and part 2 will probably be posted sometime over the next few days. These are my 10 questions to ask yourself (in…

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A Guide to Wine Faults – Brettanomyces

Brettanomyces [Breht-tan-uh-my-sees] Brettanomyces (or “Brett” if you want to sound like you know what you’re talking about) is a yeast that is found on grape skins, in barrels and in the winery itself. Brett can be found mainly in red wines, as the color is extracted from the skins of grapes during red wine fermentation, although Brett can and does occur in white wines, and can sometimes be attributed to sloppy (unhygienic) winemaking. Brett is…

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Waterbrook Sangiovese Rose, Columbia Valley, Washington State.

  Grapes 100% Sangiovese   Facts Ok kids, so since the weather has started warming up (at least here in Florida), we can start to break-out some rosé reviews! Rosés really are quintessential “patio wines”, but some guys have a problem drinking it (for the same reason they that have a problem wearing pink) i.e. they think it threatens their masculinity. Therefore, it’s my hope in this review to kill two birds with one stone,…

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Gallo Adds Brancaia to Portfolio.

News article taken from Shanken News Daily A little-known small family-owned winery in California (you probably haven’t even heard of them) E&J Gallo has confirmed they’ve added Tuscany’s Brancaia label to their portfolio. The label was formally part of the Hess Collection.The Brancaia portfolio includes Brancaia Tre, a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon; Brancaia Chianti Classico; Brancaia Ilatraia, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Petite Verdot; and Brancaia Il Blu, a blend of…

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