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Most recent blog entries
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Getting the Most out of Wine Tastings -- what to look for |
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Notes from Wine Country
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By Lorena on
1/21/2008
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It’s mid-January, we’re back on track after the holidays, and with one major New Year’s resolution to share with you – get out of the wine rut.
Ever find that happening to you? You’re drinking the same wine because either you don’t know what to try next, or you can’t imagine that there’s anything you’d like as much, so it’s easier to keep drinking what you’ve been drinking – maybe trying a new label, but not a new varietal. After all, if you like Super Tuscans, why bother trying a structured Cabernet or anything that isn’t a red.
The thing is, when you do try somethin ...
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Port |
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Notes from Wine Country
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By Lorena on
12/17/2007
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Central Florida had its first cold snap of the season yesterday, which means we can talk about wintry things without having to turn down the air conditioning first. So … eggnog. Brandy or rum?
Just kidding. Actually, it seems like a good time to talk about Port. Especially since we’ve got this great Warre’s Vintage vertical for sale in our catalog. I was just looking at some of the descriptions the other day for an entirely different reason, and it brought to mind some very holiday-ish images.
There’s something about Port that brings to mind roaring fires in big stone fireplaces, holiday meals, spices, that sort of thing. I think it’s the descriptions … raisiny, dried fruits (especially plums), concentrated berries.
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Sparkling Holidays |
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Notes from Wine Country
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By Lorena on
12/10/2007
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What would the holidays be without Champagne? In fact, I just saw an article that said Champagne vintners are in the enviable position of not enough supply and lots (there’s no such thing as too much) demand. Clearly, everyone’s favorite bubbly is more popular than ever.
A couple of things to clear up about Champagne. First, just because it sparkles, it isn’t necessarily Champagne. Strictly speaking, Champagne comes only from the Champagne region of France&l ...
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Pretty Palate: Macallan Scotch makes history |
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Notes from Wine Country
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By Lorena on
12/10/2007
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I love Scotch. Not the taste of it, I’ll admit – I’ve yet to acquire that. Although when we had a tasting session with Bunnahabhain, I learned a lot about HOW to taste it, and that helped. But more on that another time.
It’s the romance of Scotch that I’m crazy about. The history of it, the smell of it, the way people (including me, for that matter) are about wine. And I love the way distillers, like vintners, are passionate about the art and science of what they create. Go to the web site of just about any distiller of Scotch, and you’ll see what I mean. To the Scots, water and soil and wood are every bit as important as they are to the creators of fine wines.
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Party Planning |
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Notes from Wine Country
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By Lorena on
11/27/2007
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We probably do more entertaining this time of year than the rest of the year combined. Is it stressful? Or have you created the perfect party format? Can you finish the evening with no one going hungry or thirsty, and with little to no leftovers? Or are you likely to have an entire bar's worth of spirits, a case of wine, and too much beer to drink before the next football Sunday?
For some people, this isn't a problem -- they know their guests, they limit choices (although that can still leave you with leftovers), or they entertain often enough that it doesn't matter. But for those of you who entertain rarely, here's what you need to know:
First, how many people?
Second, how long is the party?
Estimate one drink per hour per person. If that sounds low, it's not (we've tried this, many times). For most social events, some people will drink less, some people will drink more (we trust ...
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Do classic dishes need classic wines? |
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Notes from Wine Country
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By Lorena on
11/21/2007
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Following up on Monday’s mini-post. The question came up last week as I was choosing a couple of bottles of wine to take to a dinner party. I knew the menu – more or less – and I knew what I wanted to spend. I knew what kind of wine I wanted – a Cabernet, preferably from California. Maybe a Merlot to back it up, since there might be someone who preferred the softer style of Merlot to the elegance of a Cabernet. This is why I talk to wine people who know what they’re talking about, and fortunately we have a lot of them.
So here we are, trying to find a California Cab that fit into my parameters. Finally, after a significant number of suggestions from Brad ...
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"New World" vs "Old World" and other questions -- do classic dishes need classic wines? |
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Notes from Wine Country
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By Lorena on
11/19/2007
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This question came up for me last week, as I was looking for the perfect wine (two, actually) to take to a dinner party. However, as I started to answer it today, I realized I was going to get myself into trouble if I did it without a little digging. Especially after I called one of our wine supervisors and got his opinion. So here's the question: do classic wine/food pairings mean that much? If you break away from Champagne/caviar, or Cabernet/steak, Chianti/pasta, etc, what happens? I'm going to think for a bit on what I found out today, and supply what I think is the answer tomorrow. But what do you think? Feel free to comment ahead of my posting.
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Wines for Thanksgiving Dinner |
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Notes from Wine Country
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By Lorena on
11/12/2007
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Red with meat, white with fish? You’re probably past that simple food pairing by now, but with some big food holidays coming up, we thought you might like some ideas on what to pair up with your Thanksgiving feast (for starters). And if wine is new to you, well, this is how you’ll wow your guests.
If you’re doing a traditional Thanksgiving dinner:
Some of the most popular wines for this holiday are Riesling and Gewurztraminer, which both work well with not only turkey, but with all of the other dominating flavors of the most traditional side dishes. You might try a Gewü ...
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Harvest time, harvest wine -- Beaujolais Nouveau |
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Notes from Wine Country
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By Lorena on
11/5/2007
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It’s that time – time for Beaujolais Nouveau to make its way from Beaujolais producers (traditionally, actually IN Beaujolais, but there are some American producers) to the harvest table. So what’s so special about this wine?
Considered the “First Wine of the New Vintage”, Nouveau Beaujolais is a festive red wine produced from the early crop of Gamay grapes in the Beaujolais area, south of the Burgundy region in France
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Notes from Wine Country
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