Wednesday, November 30, 2011

12 Cool Suggestions for the #WineLover >>> Books and Wines (part 1)

Thinking of a present for the holidays (even if intention is to keep it to yourself) and a Penguin is not the easiest thing to find these days?

Well, here are some cool suggestions for books and wines:
 The Wine Bible

THE MOST COMPLETE WINE BOOK EVER. A must for anyone who loves wine, whether they are a pro or an amateur. Thorough, authoritative, and entertaining. (Robert Mondavi, founder and chairman emeritus of the Robert Mondavi Family of Wines)

"The most informative and entertaining book I've ever seen on the subject." (Danny Meyer, co-author of The Union Square Cafe Cookbook)

The essentials: The romance and intrigue of Burgundy of sauvignon blanc and the surprising elegance of Spain's top Riojas. Italy, one of wine's most enchanting and ancient homelands. What makes a great wine great? The reason behind Champagne's bubbles. The precise and food-friendly wines of Germany. California, wine's Camelot. The lip-smackingly good wines of Australia. The complexities of Port revealed. How a vineyard profoundly affects a wine's character.


 
Chateau des Moriers - Miss Vicky Wine Fleurie 2007 
This Fleurie is fresh, elegant, fun and sexy. You will love its feminine features and gourmand flavors of ripe cherry and red currant.  Soft and crispy in the mouth, it is also a bouquet of flowers to give you a breath of spring.  It would be a perfect accompaniment with summer dishes or on its own.  This wine goes very well with poultry, soups, lightly spiced dishes, goat cheese or Camembert.


The Oxford Companion to Wine
 
Published in 1994 to worldwide acclaim, the first edition of Jancis Robinson's seminal volume immediately attained legendary status, winning every major wine book award including the Glenfiddich and Julia Child/IACP awards, as well as writer and woman of the year accolades for its editor on both sides of the Atlantic. Combining meticulously-researched fact with refreshing opinion and wit, The Oxford Companion to Wine offers almost 4,000 entries on every wine-related topic imaginable, from regions and grape varieties to the owners, connoisseurs, growers, and tasters in wine through the ages; from viticulture and oenology to the history of wine. Tracing the consumption and production from the ancient world to the present day, the Companion is a remarkable resource for gaining further appreciation for a beverage whose popularity has only increased with time.

Now exhaustively updated, this third edition incorporates the very latest international research to present over 400 new entries on topics ranging from globalization and the politics of wine to brands, precision viticulture, and co-fermentation. Hundreds of other entries have also undergone major revisions, including yeast, barrel alternatives, climate change, and virtually all wine regions. Useful lists and statistics are appended, including controlled appellations and their permitted grape varieties, as well as wine production and consumption by country.


 
Kloster Eberbach - Assmannshauser Hollenberg - Spatburgunder trocken. 
A lovely Pinot Noir from the "Name of the Rose Monastery". Lots of red fruit both on the nose and palate with the finesse you would expect from Pinot Noir grapes grown in the cool climate of the Rheingau in Germany.


 

 Hailed by critics worldwide as “extraordinary” and “irreplaceable,” there are few volumes that have had as monumental an impact in their field as Hugh Johnson’s The World Atlas of Wine: sales have exceeded four million copies, and it is now published in thirteen languages.
World-renowned authors Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson once again combine their unrivalled talents to enhance this masterpiece of wine knowledge. There are now 48 extra pages, including 17 new color illustrations, 20 new maps, and—for the first time ever—double page spreads and full-page photos in the atlas section for maximum visual impact. New World coverage has been extended for both Australia and South America; some New World regions even have their own entries for the first time, including Rutherford, Oakville, and Stag’s Leap from California; Mendoza (Argentina); Limestone Coast (Australia); Central Otago and Martinborough (New Zealand); and Constantia (South Africa). And Old World coverage has grown too, with the addition of Toro (Spain), the Peleponnese (Greece), and Georgia. It’s a truly incomparable book, and an essential addition to every wine lover’s or professional’s library.


 Bonomonte Formichi - Chianti Classico 2006 
Looking for a nice Chianti Classico with a fantastic price? Look no further! For US$ 11.84 a bottle and the lively flavors of Sangiovese that will pair well with any red-sauce based meal that you prepare...  you will come back for more!
Find this wine on TheWineHub store


 1001 Wines You Must Taste Before You Die 

This highly opinionated, addictively browsable compilation of 1,001 "must try" wines offers the most enjoyable drinking experience for novice and connoisseur alike. Included in the list are classics as well as groundbreaking new up-and-comers from all major regions of the world. Divided into four sections: red, white, sparkling, and fortified wines. The informed selections offer a complete history of the most famous vintages as well as introducing the daring new blends and varietals that are exciting the cognoscenti. Special attention is paid to the world’s classic wine regions like Napa, Chianti, Barolo, Bordeaux, and Burgundy, but the book also takes very seriously recently established areas like Rioja or Australia’s Barossa Valley. Also, the book examines emerging regions just finding their place on the oenological map, like Argentina’s Mendoza, which can provide enormous pleasure at a reasonable price. Each entry comes with an authoritative yet opinionated description of its origin, history, and character as well as anecdotes about the winemakers, the vineyard and the region. This book will immediately appeal to wine fans everywhere and will be a perfect gift item.
Find this book on Amazon


 Borgo dei Posseri - Arliz 2008
This is a Gewurztraminer from the Trentino region in northern Italy. It has straw yellow color, pronounced, lingering bouquet, with hints of elder flower and passion fruit. Full, savory and lingering flavor. This may well become your new passion for Italian whites...
 Find this wine on TheWineHub store


  
How to Taste: A Guide to Enjoying Wine by Jancis Robinson

Hailed by Jerry Shriver in USA Today as "the woman who makes the wine world gulp when she speaks," J. Robinson created in How to Taste a classic for connoisseurs of all levels and the first introduction of its kind to focus on practical tasting exercises. Now fully revised and updated, Robinson's renowned guide proves once again that learning about wine can be just as engaging as drinking it.
Written in Robinson's trademark accessible style, the new How to Taste features thoroughly updated vintages and producers as well as up-and-coming wine regions and styles. Incorporating wines that are both easily obtainable and reasonably priced, Robinson's lessons are separated into complementary portions of theory and practice to help you both learn and taste your way to wine expertise.
Find this book on Amazon


 
Ca'Nova Estate - Vigna San Quirico 2003
Bright Ruby, brilliant. Perfume of dark cherries, slight chestnut, and hint of vanilla;, sweet licorice and rhubarb, after a short aeration, neat mineral notes typical of the High Piedmont terroir. Nebbiolo grapes showing their perfumed character, intense fruit, and a very solid frame. You will love it with your favorite steak.


 

At one time, Italian wines conjured images of cheap Chianti in straw-wrapped bottles. More recently, expensive “Super Tuscans” have been the rage. But between these extremes lay a bounty of delicious, moderately priced wines that belong in every wine drinker’s repertoire.

Vino Italiano is the only comprehensive and authoritative American guide to the wines of Italy. It surveys the country’s wine-producing regions; identifies key wine styles, producers, and vintages; and offers delicious regional recipes. Extensive reference materials—on Italy’s 300 growing zones, 361 authorized grape varieties, and 200 of the top producers— provide essential information for restaurateurs and wine merchants, as well as for wine enthusiasts.

Beautifully illustrated as well as informative, Vino Italiano is the perfect invitation to the Italian wine experience.
 Find this book on Amazon


 La Gigliola - Camporsoli 2005
Ruby red colour with garnet reflections. The wine has a fruity aroma of wild berries with spicy scents of black pepper and vanilla. A soft flavourful approach with long aromatic finish.
Lovely Sangiovese from Tuscany. Got pasta?



That's it for now... 

A very happy (and healthy!) Holiday Season to you and your family!

Cheers,
LA

http://www.thewinehub.com/
One of the pillars of TheWineHub is Wine Tourism. Whether you are a wine maker, or a wine drinker, we all enjoy having discoveries...
TheWineHub exists to help you with that.


Monday, November 28, 2011

Vineyard expansion in Europe? What are they thinking???

It came as a real surprise to me to see this article in the Decanter magazine this morning: "European wine growing regions are battling European Commission plans to allow massive vineyard expansion." Full article here: Decanter.com

After years of pulling off vineyards and converting excessive wine production into ethanol for fuel - The European Union has distilled millions of hectoliters of wine into industrial alcohol because producers in Europe have been making more wine than they can sell - it is hard to believe that the EU wants to go in a total different direction.

The Decanter.com article says: "To boost the wine sector’s competitiveness by reducing production costs, the EU has included an amendment to liberalise planting rights, from January 2016, within proposals for the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) - a policy which one lobbyist said would have 'catastrophic' consequences."

Really? Are they saying that planting vineyards in the Douro Valley in Portugal or in Rioja in Spain (where production costs are very high) is going to help with the competitiveness of the European wine sector by reducing its costs? My gosh! What are they thinking???

Someone said that "the effect of this could be catastrophic". Well, I couldn't agree more, but I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Cheers,
LA

Brought to you by:
 
http://www.thewinehub.com/
One of the pillars of TheWineHub is Wine Tourism. Whether you are a wine maker, or a wine drinker, we all enjoy having discoveries...
TheWineHub exists to help you with that.




Friday, November 25, 2011

Wine lovers unite! #winelover


My dear wine loving friends,

As you know, I have been very active in twitter... and it has become a big part of my day to post things that I find relevant to people that love wine. The problem is... there's so much out there that it has become almost impossible to keep track of the people (and postings) that would matter to you.

I stole this paragraph from http://www.ehow.com to explain my point:

"Twitter is a Democracy
  • Advantage: You can follow anyone on Twitter, and anyone can follow you. Although there is an option to block someone from following you, unlike with Facebook, you don't have to actively accept someone's friendship in order for them to see your updates. It's easy to accumulate followers passively, and common for strangers to follow your feed.
    Disadvantage: Without the advantage of selectively specifying your target audience, your message is in danger of being diluted among the masses. Chances are that most of the people who follow you on Twitter aren't really paying attention to what you have to say."
We that in mind (not many people are paying attention), I thought it would be a good idea to create a filter - #winelover - that will help us (wine lovers) to select the people that we want to follow (every wine lover should include #winelover in their twitter bio). Also, the messages we are going to pay attention (favorite, retweet, reply) should include the #winelover hashtag.

By the way, every relevant message with the #winelover hashtag will be retweeted! Just another way to help you spread your message to fellow wine lovers of the world...
Wine lovers unite!

Can I count on you to make this happen?

Cheers,
LA
Brought to you by:
 
http://www.thewinehub.com/
One of the pillars of TheWineHub is Wine Tourism. Whether you are a wine maker, or a wine drinker, we all enjoy having discoveries...
TheWineHub exists to help you with that.

40 Years of Winemaking at Russian River Valleys Sonoma-Cutrer by Philip S. Kampe

 Innovation in Winemaking at Sonoma-Cutrer began forty years ago. The focus has always been innovation for this Russian River Valley winery....