Kris Chislett | Blog Your WineBlog Your Wine

News March 31, 2012

Putting the Family Back in Dinners.

Research conducted at the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University has found that compared to teens who have frequent family dinners (five to seven per week), those who have infrequent family dinners (fewer than three per week) are almost four times likelier to use tobacco; more than twice as likely to use alcohol; two-and-a-half times likelier to use marijuana; and almost four times likelier to say they expect to try…

Facts March 30, 2012

Is it Possible to Pair Wine and Cigars?

Pairing wine with cigars is really not much different than pairing wine with food. I’m sure this is a subject that I could get in MUCH greater depth on in the future, but I may need to look for a little assistance from a true cigar connoisseur to examine their take on this pairing situation. I’m obviously coming at this from a wine perspective, and for now I have it categorized under the Facts section…

Pairings March 29, 2012

Korean Short Ribs Paired with Eroica by Chateau St. Michelle

My original plans were for a red wine with this dish, but I must have been out of my tiny little English mind when I thought that pairing up. The only way is white for this dish, so don’t even THINK about getting creative and going the red-route. It won’t work, mainly for the reason of the complexity of flavors in the short rib marinade. When was the last time you ate a pear? I…

News March 29, 2012

Top 30 Wine Brands of 2011.

This list always depresses me slightly. For the most part it reads like a who’s-who of generic tasting juice (obviously), but on the other-hand if you look at a similar list of the top 30 restaurants in the country, you’re going to be greeted with the same level of mediocrity. Right? To expect individualism on a list of this sort is not to be expected, since all of these wines are over 100,000 cases in…

Facts March 29, 2012

A Toast to Champagne Infographic

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: you (we) don’t drink enough Champagne! Understanding sparkling wine can be a slight nightmare though, as there’s about 5 different to give a wine its bubbles, not to even mention all the history details! Luckily the nice people at wine.com have put together this great little Champagne infographic for people looking to learn a little more about true Champagne. If after studying this whole thing from…

Funny March 28, 2012

30 of the Most Creative / Unique / Ridiculous Wine Glasses.

Just some of the most creative and unique (but most of the time just plain ridiculous) wine glasses that I could find on the interweb. I do have to say that I think my favorite (and actually the easiest to replicate yourself) is the red cup glass.

Facts March 28, 2012

A Guide to Wine Faults – Oxidation.

Oxidation Aeration opens a wine, but too much will result in oxidation and therefore spoilage. Similarly, if the wine has a cork that leeks in too much air, or if a wine goes through multiple temperature changes in the bottle over a long period, oxidation may also occur. I find oxidation to be one of the the most common wine flaws you’ll encounter, and is the main reason that I generally don’t drink wine by…

News March 26, 2012

Winery Cats Helping Sustainability Efforts in Sonoma.

News article taken from WineBusiness.com When Kathy Klopp of Klopp Ranch Vineyards in the Russian River Valley region of Sonoma found herself over-run with gophers in her vineyard and rats in her chicken coop, she introduced “vineyard cats” to patrol her property. “We have 25 acres of vineyards,” reports Kathy, “and even though we have an owl box program, it was still an issue. We also had a problem with rats eating our chicken food….

Reviews March 25, 2012

Fiftyrow Cabernet, Napa, 2007.

Grapes 100% Cabernet Facts Admittedly I’ve bit on a little “Napa-binge” lately, for which there is very good reason: I lost faith. Napa just hasn’t been “turning me on” much recently. There’s so much out there, but I think so many wineries are resting on their laurels, pumping out good (but not great) juice, slapping Napa on the label, charging a premium and hoping for the best. Fair play to them though,…

Funny March 25, 2012

What More Do You Need From a Wine Store?

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Facts March 23, 2012

What does “garrigue” mean?

The mere mention of the word “garrigue” brings back vivid memories of my childhood summers spent in the south of France. I’m just kidding. That never happened… The term “garrigue” actually refers to the low-lying vegetation on the hills that often surround vineyards on the Mediterranean coast. This wild brush is made up of herbs such as rosemary, thyme, sage, mint and lavender, as well as juniper. Therefore; when describing a wine as having an…

Funny, News March 23, 2012

Wine Road Barrel Tasting Drunkenness Shocks Healdsburg Merchants.

News article taken from Press Democrat. So it appears that the annual Wine Road Barrel Tasting in Sonoma may be uncorking a little too much rowdiness for the town in the center of it all! Healdsburg merchants are complaining that younger imbibers are getting carried away, transforming the event into a “frat party,” and even a “beer blaster.” “There’s incredible drunkenness,” Anne Marie Montecuollo, owner of a fine jewelry store, told the City Council Monday….