by Darryl Beeson
Bordeaux- the name evokes status and maybe Old World class. The region rests on the 45th parallel and the prime meridian. This, being spring, could be the perfect time to enjoy soft, elegant reds and crisp, vibrant whites. Exchange rates are not so good, but genuine values still exist. The Bordeaux Wine Bureau has announced "Today's Bordeaux", a list of 100 classic, contemporary, affordable wines. The list of 100 wines offers cool whites, balanced reds, and even a sweet wine, all priced between $8 and $25. "Today's Bordeaux's 100" wines are readily available across the country and offer value and a wine that fits perfectly on the American table, with balance and finesse. Pick up one of these 18 crisp Sauvignon Blanc blends: 2004 St. Savin, Bordeaux, $8.99 2004 Mouton Cadet Blanc, Borde...
by Darryl Beeson
Where are top chefs and cooking schools looking to find new inspiration, from wine to food? Spain. This past Fall, two of the most prestigious cooking schools in the U.S., the French Culinary Institute (now the International Culinary Center) in New York City, and the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa, CA, dedicated major symposiums on Spanish wine and food for students, chefs, media and culinary educators. Spain's most innovative chefs and winemakers flew in to conduct detailed workshops, inspiring wine tastings, and dramatic cooking demonstrations. Both events drew capacity audiences. Michael Green, wine and spirits consultant for Gourmet Magazine and a frequent lecturer on wine concludes that Spanish wines have reached, what he calls, "the sipping point." "Spanish wi...
by Pamela Heiligenthal
I am certain many of you have heard the statement, "I can't drink wine because I get headaches from sulfites", or "I can drink white wine but not red because I am allergic to sulfites". It is an interesting and debatable subject, but to be quite honest, I am not convinced that sulfites are completely to blame. On the contrary, I empathize with folks that suffer from some sort of reaction from drinking wine. I, myself do not experience allergic reactions, nor suffer illness or headaches while consuming red (or white) wine. However, the subject intrigues me none-the-less. Herein I will describe the facts and misconception about sulfites, which will hopefully educate and entertain you along the way. What are Sulfites? Sulfites (also called sulphite or sulfur dioxide) by definition are c...
by Marc Hinton
It has come to my attention how much wine styles have affected wine tasting by professionals and how little we (wine tasting reviewers) realize that consumers need just the facts. It became evident during a conversation I had recently with a fellow wine tasting colleague. They were second-guessing their own qualifications while reviewing a wine of extremely high caliber that had been produced in a style that this particular producer had not embraced in the past. The idea for this episode of "I Don’t Buy That" presented itself when we were comparing notes on some wines we both had recently reviewed. There were two new wines from the same producer with a considerable price difference. I had given a better score on a wine that was half the price from a high profile producer that had rece...
by Marisa Dvari
Are you curious about what wine to order with your cheesecake? Intimidated by five-hundred page wine list at a top restaurant? Downright scared when the sommelier comes charging toward your table? Relax. Authors Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page have created a resource that helps even the ‘average Joe or Jane’ understand the principles of wine and food pairing. They take the conventional, canned, old-school advice of “red wine with meat, white wine with fish” to an entirely new level, based on insights learned from their previous books on cuisine, as well as interviews with America’s top, cutting-edge sommeliers. In many ways, the format of What to Drink with What You Eat resembles a substantial wine/food pairing encyclopedia specifically designed to be quickly skimm...
by Ron Kapon
A romantic past- An exciting present- A golden future. Grape cultivation first appeared in the Black Sea area around 8,000 years ago. From there it spread south-eastwards to Mesopotamia, Syria and Egypt, and then across the Mediterranean to Greece and Italy. Cypriot Archaeologist Dr.Vassos Karageorghis stated- “the archaeological evidence permits us to say that the cultivation of the grape vine started in Cyprus some time in the second millennium BC”. When the Greeks settled in Cyprus around 1200 BC, it is likely they found wine already there. Thus, it is likely that there has been a wine industry in Cyprus continuously longer than anywhere else in the world. Legend has it that the first mortal to be taught to make wine was Ikarios, whose teacher was Dionysus, the God of wine. Homer a...
by Richard Manton
Move over media room, adults are seeking their own space and one of the hottest trends in upscale housing today is the addition of wine storage in the form of closets, rooms or wine cellars. This coincides with Americans growing fondness and appreciation of the whole wine experience. Wine consumption has been increasing in the United States 2- 5% per year for the past decade and according to the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) the United States will overtake France in wine consumption in three years. Yes, in a few years American consumption will be approaching four billion bottles per year. As Americans become more aware of wine, its’ health benefits, sophistication and complexity they are also experimenting with more varieties. More people are collecting wine as...
by Marc Hinton
The biggest and best wine Expo in the United States has now come and passed for this year and Enobytes was present. Our East Coast Tasting Judge attended and his observances were recorded by an interview that consisted of questions prepared by an envious West Coast Tasting Judge and the answers may or may not have been altered to protect the innocent and down play the debauchery. J Mac, our East Coast Bureau representative attended the function that Enobytes was so graciously invited to by Ed Hurley and the wonderful folks at Resource Plus. Arriving at the Expo via the “T “, our tasting judge chose the wisest method of transportation available. A decision supported by all involved and recommended for anyone who attends a wine tasting event where the option of public transportation i...
by Pamela Heiligenthal
I don’t know if you have had the experience of having to return some wine to your local supermarket lately but it seems to fall into two categories. (1) They have the “Wine? You’re trying to return an opened bottle of wine?” I usually reply “Yes, it was corked; so I would like a replacement bottle”. They usually retort with “Of course it was corked; I can see the cork has been pulled out, anyway it’s against the law to give refunds on alcoholic beverages”. If you are lucky you might get the other response (2) “I don’t really know anything about wine; I’m going to have to get a manager”. When the manager arrives they most often take scenario #1 as their position. Now you are back to square one, let’s try this again folks. If the store is lucky enough to have a w...
by Jennifer Rosen
“Cody, honey, you want your sandwich now, or a cookie? Or how about walking up the aisle again? It’s time to stop screaming now, Cody, OK?” The frazzled mom in the row behind me pleads with her toddler, offering choice after choice. Cody, exhausted to a state of mania after hours of transatlantic flight, would clearly benefit from having his choices limited to, “Either you go to sleep this minute or the other passengers will kill you.” I know how Cody feels. I get the same way when confronted by a giant wine list. Although I seldom scream and throw food, still, as it thumps down in front of me, my heart sinks along with the table. Thirty pages of wines I can’t pronounce, fathom or afford, and that’s just the Italian section. If I find this daunting, what’s it ...
