by Stuart George
The US TV series The Killing, first broadcast 2011-2014, has three main storylines: The police investigation into a murder; a family’s attempts to deal with their grief; and the fluctuating electoral fortunes of a political campaign that becomes embroiled in the murder case. In episode 12 “Beau Soleil”, Councilman Richmond offers a glass of Petrus 1977 to Detective Linden when she visits him at home. It’s an odd choice of vintage – unless price was the major consideration, in which case this is the least expensive vintage of Petrus currently available. It was probably the worst year of a difficult decade for Bordeaux. There was serious frost damage in Pomerol in March, followed by a wet summer. By early September it was looking as though it would be a write-off, with t...
by Stuart George
Although it was unsuccessful when released in 1987, the British black comedy film Withnail and I has become a cult classic. Written and directed by Bruce Robinson, who has always been a fan of fine wine – or of drinking, at any rate – the plot follows two unemployed actors, Withnail (played by Richard E. Grant) and the never-named “I” (Paul McGann) who share a delapidated flat in Camden Town in North London in 1969. Needing a holiday, they obtain the key to a cottage in the Lake District belonging to Withnail’s eccentric uncle Monty and drive there. The weekend holiday proves less recuperative than they expected. Withnail and I is saturated with alcohol. There is only one specific wine reference: Château Margaux 1953, which Withnail has purloined from Monty’s cella...
by Stuart George
I am honoured to present the wine label art of my late friend Valentino Monticello. Born in 1933 in Piovene Rocchette, near Vicenza, Italy, Valentino moved with his family to the town of Thiene at the age of five. There he was raised in a world of food, wine, art and music. His passion for opera had an early start. At the age of six, the artist played Trouble in a local production of Madama Butterfly. He was soon attending opera recitals at the open-air theatre in Verona, making the 90km journey by bicycle. His gifts for line and composition were evident from an early age. At 11, he was awarded first prize in a portrait competition organised by Professor Guerra from Trasche Conca. By 14, he was creating posters and labels for Distillery S. Giorgio of Bassano del Grappa. Valent...
by Jen Reyneri
When Luis and I went on our first date over two decades ago, his knowledge for wine was apparent. Oh, the way he swirled that glass of malbec! Holding the deep, reddish-purple liquid on an angle to the light, sticking his nose in the glass for a whiff, and proceeding to describe ripe notes of plum and berries were all indicators that this man really knew wine. Frankly, I was intimidated. My experience with wine was limited to communion. Shyly, I asked, “excuse my ignorance, but I thought wine was made from grapes?” He smiled, perhaps chuckled, and his passion for wine — sharing his knowledge and experiences expressed through a bottle — began to waft through the air like the ripe notes of dark fruit. I listened to his adventures through ancient French wine vineyards and dining by ca...
by Claire L. Torbeck, Certified Sommelier
Do you feel special when someone hands you a glass of bubbly wine in a pretty flute? It is festive and fun...and totally confusing when you are tasked with the job of purchasing sparkling wine for a holiday party, dinner or just because. To make your selection easier, let us look at some sparkling wine basics to enable you to buy with a measure of confidence. First, you are asked to buy ‘Champagne’ because that term is just like every tissue is called a ‘Kleenex.’ To cull the herd of production styles of wine, we will limit this to sparkling wine crafted by the time honored ‘traditional method’ (there is also sparkling wine made by tank method – Prosecco, for example – and others by infusing with carbonation, but, these, in my opinion, while less expensive, can be less...
by Claire L. Torbeck, Certified Sommelier
Just like Dorothy and her cohorts in the Wizard of Oz, there is a lot of chatter about the virtues of these wine ‘styles.’ Are these just marketing terms to capture our discretionary wine dollars or is there real substance and value? First, let us look at a bit of history. Once upon a time, vineyards were planted, fertilized, and protected by using manure and other animal by-products. After World War II, the focus was on growing food rather than on the production of munitions. It began the age of science in wine making which served to give people the illusion that everything could be controlled, and perfect wines could be crafted. That is, until the realization that using a lot of chemicals for any type of food production was not a good thing, for the health of the people or for t...
by Tim Leiwig
During these different and sometimes difficult times, it is likely the place(s) you were going for wine tastings are currently not offering them. We need to explore alternatives. This is a great time to seek out wines from other regions in the USA or countries or other regions in other countries that perhaps you have little or no knowledge. You can do some research online about the area of which you have interest and learn about the wines they make and if they are available where you live, or can be shipped to you. While you certainly can try an international grape variety from somewhere else (international grape varieties are grown in numerous places throughout the world, i.e. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir); consider venturing out and try a grape that is indigenous to...
by Julia Menn - The Wee Tipple, Llc
Sparkling wines are one of the great joys in life. Easy to pair with all sorts of food, perfect for any occasion (and I recommend enjoying the bubbles even when there is no “special” reason), they come in white, rosé, and red, can be sweet to bone dry, with all sorts of flavours like citrus, red cherries, or yummy pastry. Did you know that there are different ways to make sparkling wine? And that different regions have different laws governing the naming of those wines? Let’s start with the most well-known sparkling wine out there: Champagne. This is a region in France and the sparkling wines produced must follow stringent legal guidelines in order to bear that title. Only wines made following these rules and produced in Champagne, France may be called Champagne (although many...
by Mark Aselstine
Rarely, if ever has there been such a large disconnect between what people think is happening with my business and what is actually happening. Right now, everyone seems to think that my business, as well as, all small wineries must be selling more wine than ever before. In fact, we’re basically closed because our wine sits at a location, which is non essential, so no, I can’t even sell you any wine, even if you wanted to buy some from me in the first place. Here’s three things that I wish people understood about the current wine market in the time of Covid. Small brands are hurting, certain large brands are getting all the new sales and online sales aren’t necessarily the panacea we thought they’d be for the industry. 1) No, the one small winery whose email list you happen to...
by Claire L. Torbeck, Certified Sommelier
With SIP and not being able to wander the wine aisles, what are you buying and what are you drinking? Personally, I love strolling the aisles in the ‘candy store’ (AKA wine shop) and touching the merchandise. It’s frustrating not being able to do so as I do a lot of reading and I always feel as if I hit the jackpot when I stumble upon a wine I have been reading about. It’s the thrill of a treasure hunt with an unexpected silver lining. By using Zoom as a way of sharing a glass of wine (or a cocktail), we have been labeling our chats as a ‘virtual wine tasting.’ That puts the pressure on me to try and choose a wine to ‘share’ that will be agreeable to a broad range of palates while not losing sight of the fact that there will not be a meal to accompany the offering. ...
