Kris Chislett

HR 1161 Explained in Simple Terms

There has been a lot of information flying around the Internet the last few days regarding HR 1161, and I’ve had to do quite a bit of reading to get a firm grasp on it myself! The reason that it took me so long to fully comprehend was that with me being from England, the Government over there works ever so slightly different than it does in the U.S. For a start, lobbying isn’t really…

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How Many Calories in a Glass of Wine?

I recently spoke at a Chamber of Commerce event here in Jacksonville Florida, covering topics ranging from sulfites in wine, all the way through to the perceived health benefits of a glass of vino. On a side-note, I’ve really started to enjoy public speaking. It has always been one of those things that I steered clear of, but as I start to do more speeches I do think I’m getting better. As a youngster I…

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Grow your own vineyard!

Do you ever taste a wine and say, “I could make better wine than that!!!” Well here’s your chance! For the aspiring winemaker in you, why not try growing your own vineyard? These Cabernet & Chardonnay vines are planted in terra cotta pots in nutrient-rich soil, and enable you to grow grapes in the comfort of your own home without getting your feet dirty. I can’t promise how well they will do in our Florida…

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Taking the Barone Fini Pinot Grigio #TasteChallenge

Everyone likes to share a bottle of wine with a few friends, but Twitter has taken this to a new level! The Wine Twits have created a Taste Challenge involving the Italian Barone Fini Pinot Grigio and another leading Pinot Grigio that retails at twice the price. Anyone may join producer Giovanni Bonmartini-Fini live on March 24, 2011 at 8PM EST to blind taste and to share preferences during a Twitter powered virtual tasting.  It’s…

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Stressing the Vines

Grape vines are stressed in several ways. Poor soil, lack of water, and pruning are among the most important. So why treat the vines so badly? Why not give them everything they want? Common sense would suggest that happy vines make lots of happy grapes which in turn will make lots of happy wine to sell.

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Monty Python’s Flying Circus – "Australian Table Wines"

Taken from the album Monty Python’s Previous Record, 1972 A lot of people in this country pooh-pooh Australian table wines. This is a pity as many fine Australian wines appeal not only to the Australian palate but also to the cognoscenti of Great Britain. Black Stump Bordeaux is rightly praised as a peppermint flavoured Burgundy, whilst a good Sydney Syrup can rank with any of the world’s best sugary wines. Château Blue, too, has won…

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Chateau Pipeau, Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2008

  Grapes 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc – I’m kind taking an educated guess based on previous vintages, since they don’t currently have an updated tech sheet for the ‘08 on the Chateau Pipeau website. They should probably get on that.   Facts The family-owned Château Pipeau wine estate was founded in 1929. Château Pipeau is often viewed as a decent-priced entry into good Bordeaux. The wines vary in price and rating…

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Leasingham Cork Closures Experiment

  Ok, so what are we looking at? Well, what this photo is showing is 14 bottles of identical samples of Leasingham Estate 1999 Clare Valley Semillon, all cellared together for 10 years. They range all the way from watery pale to a dark brown. The bottle on the left, perfect in color (and reportedly in taste), was closed with a Stelvin (screwcap) closure!  The others have a variety of natural and processed cork or…

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Learn When to Keep Your Mouth Shut.

I’ve always been of the opinion (and maybe I’m in the minority on this one), but when tasting in a group, it’s best to say very little about what you taste as it relates to your overall opinion of a wine. To be totally brutally, I actually have very little respect for other people’s opinions. How arrogant does that sound!?!? I can of course see how you would think that is quite an egotistical statement,…

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