Kris Chislett

News January 28, 2012

“Somm” Chronicles the Preparation for the Nightmarish Master Sommelier Exam.

Access to the Court Of Master Sommeliers has always been strictly regulated and cameras have never been allowed anywhere near the exam…. until now! “Somm” is the story of four Sommeliers attempting to pass the prestigious and extremely rigorous Master Sommelier Exam, a test with one of the lowest pass rates in the world. Getting the title of "Master Sommelier" is not something that can happen overnight. In order to qualify, one must take an…

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Facts January 27, 2012

Decoding Champagne Wine Bottle Sizes & Names.

It was the French Benedictine monk Dom Perignon (1638-1715) who proclaimed, “Come quickly! I am drinking stars!”, (NB: probably because Champagne makes everyone yell silly things) so it makes perfect sense that the range of Champagne bottles take their names from figures inspired by the bible. Before we get started, it’s worth pointing out that apart from magnum and jeroboam, very few of these names are ever been used seriously. However, I always seem to…

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Giveaway January 27, 2012

Happy Friday: Win a Soiree Wine Aerator!

I woke up this morning in a “giving” mood, I don’t know why, I just did. Therefore, I feel an urge to offload one of the Soiree Wine Aerator’s ($25 value) that have been cluttering up my office! Since it’s Friday I don’t want to make you work any harder than you have to, therefore I’ve made it simple to win. All you have to do is the following task: Go to the Soiree Facebook…

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News January 27, 2012

English Sparkling Come of Age, with a Little Help From the French.

The first English sparkling wine made by a French champagne maker is about to go on sale in England, signaling clearly that British “fizz” is starting to come of age. According to a report published in The Guardian newspaper, labeled as Meonhill, the British bubbles will be available early this year. It has been made from grapes grown from French rootstocks planted in Hampshire. The planned release of the first 5,000 bottles by Didier Pierson-Whitaker,…

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News January 26, 2012

Kendall Jackson Boss Goes Undercover.

Rick Tigner, President, Kendall Jackson Wine Estates, the largest family owned luxury/ultra-premium wine company in America, goes undercover this Sunday in the third episode of Season Three of Undercover Boss. This is the first time the CBS show has focused on an alcoholic beverage company. It’s also rare for a major wine company to put its day-to-day dealings under such a public microscope. “My thought was the positives will outweigh the negatives,” Tigner said at…

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News January 26, 2012

Scientist Who Studied Wine Accused Of Faking Data.

The University of Connecticut has accused Dipak Das, a professor and researcher who published studies touting the health benefits of consuming red wine, of falsifying data and is seeking his dismissal, according to a report in Wine Spectator. The university’s health center is citing extensive research misconduct in Das’ studies after a three-year investigation into research published in 11 scientific journals. “We have a responsibility to correct the scientific record and inform peer researchers across…

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Reviews January 25, 2012

Querceto di Castellina L’Aura Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy, 2008.

Grapes 90% Sangiovese, 10% Ciliegiolo Sangiovese [san-joe-vay-zee] is the main grape in Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Carmignano and Brunello di Montalcino.   Ciliegiolo [chee-lee-eh-joh-loh] is a much more obscure grape than Sangio, and it took a little research to find out some info! We’re all still learning, right? The name is apparently derived from the Italian word for cherry in Italian: ciliegi. Through clonal research, Ciliegiolo has been discovered to be the parent of…

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Pairings, Recipes January 23, 2012

Moroccan Spiced Lamb Chops Paired with La Griveliere Cotes du Rhone 2010.

Ever since receiving a set of insanely expensive Laguiole steak knives for Christmas, I’ve been dying to test them out. Truth-be-told, when I unwrapped the small rectangler box on Dec 25th, my heart dropped into my shoes when I saw the Laguiole logo on the wooden case. For one second I thought the Mrs. had dropped $100+ on a Laguiole wine opener. I don’t by any means want to sound ungrateful, it’s not that I…

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Funny, News January 22, 2012

World’s First Meteorite-Aged Wine.

Norwich-born Ian Hutcheon (NB: I KNEW it would be a Brit behind this!) has released a Cabernet Sauvignon called Meteorito, aged with a 4.5 billion-year-old meteorite from the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter. The “extra-terrestrial wine” was created at Hutcheon’s Tremonte Vineyard in the Cachapoal Valley in Chile, which he bought in 2009. “I’ve been involved in wines and astronomy for many, many years and I wanted to find some way of combining the…

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News January 22, 2012

New Drug Claims to Keep You Sober, No Matter How Much You’ve Had to Drink.

Chinese tree extract has long been used as a hangover cure. Now it is being turned into a ‘sobriety pill’ that could cure alcoholism. Imagine a pill that could instantly sober you up no matter how much you’ve had to drink, or a hangover cure that worked minutes after swallowing it. Hardened drinkers rejoice: researchers are about to begin human trials on an "alcohol antidote" that may soon offer a cure to alcoholism, reports New…

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