Cocktail Party Wine Tips

[From Ladies Who Launch Weekly Wine Tip]

You will most likely be attending holiday parties, gathering with family or wining and dining with friends over the next week so the Bon Vivant Wine Guide has provided some cocktail party conversation for you to keep in your back pocket. When the banter hits a lull, wow them with scoop, stats, and oddball facts about wine.

• Americans consume an average of 2.1 gallons of wine per person each year compared to 15 gallons for the average French person.
• California, New York and Florida are the top three U.S. states in terms of wine consumption.
• 5.3 million gallons of wine were lost in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
• Despite many myths to the contrary, the “legs” that form on the sides of your wine glass after you swirl it have nothing to do with the wine’s quality.
• You can be sent to jail in Kentucky for sending a bottle of wine as a gift.
• Shiraz and Syrah are the same grape.
• Champagne can be made from 3 grapes, 2 red and 1 white (Pinot Noir, Pinot Menieur and Chardonnay.)
• Wine is fat free and contains no cholesterol.
• It takes 600 to 800 wine grapes to produce one bottle of wine.
• Wineries are the second most popular tourist destination in California after Disneyland.
• The word "toast" originated in ancient Rome, where a piece of toasted bread was dropped into wine as a wish of good health.

To your health & happy holidays!

Happy Holidays

Cheers from the Bon Vivant Wine Guide Staff!

Broadbentism: 1991 Harlan Estate

"The first of five consecutive vintages tasted at Waddesdon Manor, December 2000. Very deep, intense; substantial fruit, after 50 minutes nose thick, rich; dry, spicy, tannic. Frankly, I didn't much take to it. Daphne was positively rude. Next, tasted at the Vintners' gala at Meadowood: swingeingly tannic and, frankly, undrinkable. Last tasted June 2001." - MB

Free Sample of The Bon Vivant Wine Guide's Printable Edition

Dear faithful blog readers,

If you haven't had a chance to navigate on over to the Bon Vivant Wine Guide, now is as good a time as any! Not only have we uploaded our December launch issue -- which is chock full of good stuff, including more than 90 wine reviews -- but we just published the printable pdf edition in the "interact" section. Click here for your free 11-page sample of the print edition or subscribe now and get the entire 41-page first issue.

Now you can tuck Bon Vivant under your arm on your way to the subway -- or anywhere else life takes you when you are not online.

Check it out and, as always, let us know what you think.

Cheers,
The Bon Vivant Wine Guide Staff

Cheap Booze

My friend Sophie, our across the pond ‘correspondent’ if you will, forwarded an interesting story last week regarding British wine retail group, Threshers. The retail chain owns over 2,500 wine stores in England and Scotland and they have, of late, been experiencing first hand the power of the Internet.

Just in time for the holidays, the chain put out a discount voucher for 40% off all wine and Champagne between November 30th and December 10th. The generous discount was intended for suppliers and friends but it soon hit the web en mass through blogs, e-mail forwards, chat rooms and the like. Lines of thirsty Brits formed outside of the Threshers’ stores and throngs of people visited their website causing it to crash.

What was intended as a ‘private’ sale turned into a run on holiday booze — it seems even the teetotalers were rushing out to their local Threshers, Wine Rack, Bottoms Up, Haddows or The Local to get a piece of the action. Threshers is hoping that the sheer volume of business will make up for the fact that the offer spun out of control. At last check, the BBC reported over 800,000 downloads of the now infamous voucher.

I guess at the end of the day this is all “too little too late” since it is 7 days past the coupon expiration date — but it’s good to know that viral marketing is alive and well in cyber land.

We're Live!

Well, it finally happened, we went live. If you’re reading this then you should know what we're talking about. Feel free to check us out as we are officially open for business. We have included our Editors' Letter to give you an idea of what it’s all about or you can go to http://www.bonvivantwineguide.com and take a tour. If for some reason you see the blog (http://drinkthegoodstuff.blogspot.com) after typing in our URL make sure you clear your browser's cache.

We are still speaking in a whisper about the site but we wanted to offer our loyal blog readers something for your interest and loyalty — for sticking with us through thick and thin. Sign up before the end of December 2006 and receive $10 off of the annual subscription price of $79.95 or $20 off of the already discounted two year subscription rate of $139.95 (your best value.) Just enter the code DTGSBLOG10 (for a 1 year subscription) or DTGSBLOG20 (for a 2 year subscription) when you subscribe. Not sure you are ready to commit? Jump in and grab our 3 month subscription and get your feet wet.

Remember it makes a great gift for the wine lover that has everything! :)

Cheers,
The Bon Vivant Wine Guide Staff

-------------------
[TAKEN FROM BONVIVANTWINEGUIDE.COM]
Editors' Letter
December 2006
Welcome to the Bon Vivant Wine Guide!

Well, like a thief in the night, we snuck in and flipped the switch to The Bon Vivant Wine Guide. This project has been a long time coming and we hope you like what you see. Remember, the Guide has been planned as a next generation, independent, wine research website focused on Bordeaux and California. There is a lot of information available to you and we tried to make navigation as intuitive as possible. Thankfully, there are no ads to distract you from the wine. Just the way we like it.

The website has been designed along the lines of a magazine with major updates scheduled monthly. Some things you can expect to see include an updated table of contents where you can navigate to any current item in the site. If you are lost just click on our logo and you are right back to the start.

As much as we like to say we are designed like a magazine, we still leverage the power of a website. There is a universal keyword search with specialized results, link through navigation for ease of cross referencing and a virtual cellar to keep track of wines you find on the site.

In our first issue, we have brought you over 90 Cabernet and Merlot based wines from Bordeaux, California and Tuscany as well as some site basics, wine news, monthly best buys and cellar buys, and your very own personal sommelier-- and that is just part of the site!

Remember, things are new and we are still kicking the tires so be sure to let us know if you find anything out of whack. We have our development team working on some issues we’ve found, but we need your input as well. This is your site and we will do everything to make it right.

Looking forward to next month, we are breaking open the dam. With 300+ California wines from 2003 up on deck, you can be sure you will be in the know. Don’t worry; there will also be more Bordeaux and some new sections to wet your whistle.

What else can you expect from us in the future? Along with some tweaks to the system, you can expect more functionality like an advanced “drop down” search to help you filter out what you want so you can get what you need, more interactivity with Bon Vivant Radio and the print edition coming online, and more wine from deep Bordeaux verticals to vintage wine updates to California finds.

We expect to grow and improve with every issue and we hope you come along with us for the best wine ride in town!

Please, let us know what you think!

Cheers, Jen & Taylor

Donate to Menu for Hope through 12/22

Don't forget to give to Menu for Hope and get your hands on some ridiculously sweet (or elegant or cedary or fruity as the case may be) prizes! The more you give, the better your chance of winning. The campaign runs through Friday December 22nd, 6PM PST (that's 9PM to you east coasters out there) so only 10 more days to place your bids! Chop, chop! Help Winemonkey and Vino Girl give to the cause by bidding for a one year subcription to The Bon Vivant Wine Guide, an $80 value. Come on, you know you want to!

Holiday Gifts for Wine Lovers

(Republished from the Ladies Who Launch Weekly Lifestyle Tip)

It’s that time of year again alright! The holidays are fast approaching and there are parties to attend, gifts to buy, and precious little time to get it all done. Well, you don’t have to run all over town tracking down gifts for your wine-loving friends and family members. Just sit down at your computer with these tips in hand (and a glass of wine if you wish – hey, why not?) and you’ll be crossing presents off your list in no time.

The Neophyte
Wine Lover's Journal Gift Set. Inspire the new-found wine lover with a gift that helps them remember their favorite bottles. Available at http://www.iwawine.com ; $40.

Rabbit 6-Piece Corkscrew Kit. Tasting wine is the key to learning. Uncork their knowledge with the essential Rabbit Corkscrew. Purchase at http://www.iwawine.com ; $70.

The Bon Vivant
Esperienze Wine Decanter. Wine appreciation at its best. To purchase visit http://wineenthusiast.com ; $40.

Sonoma Leather Wine Carrier. Let them BYOB in style with this handsome tote from http://redenvelope.com ; $100.

The Collector
The Oxford Companion to Wine, 3rd Edition. The latest version of this indispensable reference book. Available at http://amazon.com ; $40.

Chateau Laguiole Waiter Style Corkscrew. Now they can open their best bottles in style (maybe they’ll share!) with this beautiful corkscrew and leather case. http://wineenthusiast.com; $100.

The Enthusiast Who Has Everything
Riedel Sake Set. Turn them on to something new with glasses and a carafe from the preeminent glassmaker. Purchase at http://redenvelope.com; $38.

Sherry-Lehmann Gift Card. It won’t be re-gifted if they pick it out themselves. Send them shopping at the famed NY wine merchant, in-store or online. Available at http://sherry-lehmann.com ; $50 - $1000.

Of course, in due time you can get wine lovers the best gift of all -- a subscription to the Bon Vivant Wine Guide. Stay Tuned and happy cyber-shopping!

A Menu for Hope III

Well peeps it looks line vino girl and winemonkey are finally doing something productive! As participants in this year's A Menu For Hope, we hope you take full advantage of all of the raffle items being offered and going to a good cause. We'd love it if you threw out a $10 spot to try and grab a free one year subscription to the soon to be launched Bon Vivant Wine Guide (an $80 value mind you), but we'd much rather just have you give to a good cause. We have included Alder Yarrow's super post on the subject which you can also find over at Vinography.com and has all of the wine related prizes being offered. Instructions are at the end or go directly to the A Menu for Hope donation page

'Tis the season...
-The Bon Vivant Wine Guide Staff


[FROM VINOGRAPHY.COM]

Vinography: A Wine Blog
Wine and food adventures in San Francisco and around the world.

Longtime readers will remember the annual giving campaign that I participate in called A Menu For Hope. First organized by my friend and fellow blogger Pim after the 2004 Tsunami, this campaign has turned into a serious annual fundraising event that demonstrates the power of the food and wine blogging world. Last year we raised almost $18,000 for charity, and this year, I predict, we will raise well over twice that amount.

This year's event is structured differently than in past years. In addition to participating bloggers posting their prizes on their individual blogs and there being just a single location for listing them all, this year there are regional hosts for bloggers all over the world and one topical host for prizes of a certain, flavor, shall we say?

Vinography is proud to be the host for all the wine blogging prizes for A Menu for Hope III. My job is to provide a summary of all the prizes donated by wine bloggers, and to point you out to their sites to check out the fabulous gifts, services, and yes, even wine, you can have a chance to win simply by doing something that we all should do around this time of year: donate to charity.
This year's deserving charity is the UN World Food Programme -- a fitting recipient of the goodwill from food and wine bloggers and their readers. I hope you will consider donating something. The smallest amount is a mere $10, which if you're sitting in front of a computer that you own, you most certainly can afford.

HOW IT WORKS:
The campaign is essentially a big raffle for prizes. You look through the prizes, figure out which one(s) you want to try to win, and then you buy "virtual raffle tickets" -- one for each $10 of donation you make to our cause on the special web site set up for that purpose.
When you make your donation, you simply specify the prize number(s) (each prize should have one) and the "number of tickets" your donation is buying. Donate thirty bucks, get three tickets, and use them for one prize, or for three. Just be specific in your request.
Here's the site to enter / donate.

THE PRIZES:
So first of all, remember that these are just the wine blog prizes. There are TONS OF OTHER PRIZES awaiting you over on our fearless leader's site. Go check them out too. But not before taking a look at these incredibly generous and creative donations from wine bloggers far and wide:

WB01 - Dinner with Eric Asimov, Wine Critic. Courtesy of The Pour

The ultimate wine geek experience: dinner with a world famous wine critic. One lucky person can join Eric Asimov, the New York Times wine critic for an intimate dinner in New York City. Spend an evening enjoying great wine and conversation with this down-to-earth and charming writer. Eric will pick up the tab for dinner and wine at a casual restaurant with a great wine list somewhere in Manhattan. Date and restaurant choice will be determined in collaboration with the winning bidder. Suggested starting bid: $100


WB02 - Vinography Is Your Sommelier for a Night. Courtesy of Yours Truly.

I will be your personal sommelier for a night for a dinner party of up to six people. You decide the menu (I can offer guidance), and I will select wines to pair with your dinner, including some from my personal cellar. I will bring the wines to your party, and serve as sommelier for you and your guests, pouring the wine and explaining it throughout dinner. We can make this as formal or as informal as you like (my wife tells me I clean up pretty well in a suit). Theoretically I am also willing to do this at a restaurant, but you'd have to pick up the tab for my dinner and the corkage fees. I'm willing to do this anywhere in the general San Francisco Bay Area, and farther afield as well if anyone wants to pay for travel. And before you get TOO excited, you should know my cellar is not filled with $300 bottles of perfectly aged Burgundy. I don't have any doubt, however, that I can offer wines to please anyone's palate, and will provide a thoroughly enjoyable evening for you and your friends regardless of your level of wine knowledge. Approximate value: $200.

WB03 - Fork & Bottle Specially Selected Artisan Wine & Cheese of Sonoma County. Courtesy of Fork & Bottle

Jack and Joanne of the Food and Wine site Fork & Bottle have put together a precious gift basket for any gourmet wine lover. Here’s your opportunity to drink two perfectly aged Sonoma County legends and enjoy local cheeses with them. Jack pulled two of our oldest Sonoma County bottles from our temperature controlled cellar for your drinking pleasure. Kistler and Rochioli have long been two of the five top wineries in Sonoma County.
2000 J. Rochioli Chardonnay Russian River Valley River Block
1997 Kistler Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
In addition the lucky winner will also receive four Sonoma County made artisan cheeses: from the likes of Andante Dairy, Two Rock, and Pug’s Leap. Joanne will personally make selections from what is showing best and is available at the time of shipping.

Wine will be shipped only to a reciprocal state – otherwise you'll have to come and pick it up! Approximate value: $250.



WB04 - Russian River Pinot Noir Pack. Courtesy of Pinotblogger

Josh, from Pinotblogger: the Capozzi Winery blog will be choosing three (3) of his favorite pinots from the Russian River Valley. Josh will include a short write-up along with his reasons for choosing each bottle - along with the wine of course! Indulge your pinot cravings for a great cause, and since most RR pinot retails for around $35 a bottle, this raffle is an absolute steal. Approximate value: $110



WB05 - 10 Wines from Wark Communications Clients. Courtesy of Tom Wark'sFermentation

Tom Wark, winery PR consultant and the owner of the Fermentations wine blog is offering ten (10) bottles of wine from his various client wineries:

-1997 Handley Cellars Brut Rose (Anderson Valley)
-2000 Schug Carneros Estate Pinot Noir (Carneros)
-NV Humanitas L’Huile Du Garagiste Red Table Wine (Napa Valley)
-2004 Cima Collina “Chula Vina Vineyard” Chardonnay (Monterey County)
-2004 Bucklin “Old Hill Ranch” Zinfandel (Sonoma Valley)
-2002 Astrale e Terra ARCTURUS (Atlas Peak)
-2005 Goosecross Cellars Chenin Blanc (Napa Valley)
-2005 Hook & Ladder Winery Gewurztraminer (Russian River Valley)
-2004 Saintsbury “Brown Ranch” Pinot Noir (Carneros)
-2004 Mayo Family Winery “Ricci Vineyard” Reserve Zinfandel—Old Vine

Approximate value of these wines: $350



WB06 - Northwest by Northwest. Courtesy of The Wine Offensive

I offer my favorite pairing in a box: Wild mushroom and hazelnut farro with Nebbiolo, the epitome of Northwestern Italy, accented with my favorite ingredients from the Pacific Northwest. I wanted to give something that paid tribute to my grapey goddess Nebbiolo, and took it from there. Not as high concept as it sounds, the hearty food tradition of Piedmont comes alive in autumn and worships mushrooms, truffles, and whole grains like risotto and farro. Up here in the Northwest, our dank autumns bring on a shroom cornucopia, and our truffles? Well, though not quite legendary, they are attainable.

Included in this item, lovingly packed by moi:
one bottle of 2001 Roagna Langhe Rosso
handwritten recipe for Wild mushroom & hazelnut farro
and almost everything you need to make it, including:
organic Piedmontese farro, a wedge of Quillisascut Farm's aged Curado cheese, fresh-dried wild mushrooms from Seattle's Found & Foraged, Washington truffle salt from Found & Foraged, with container, Washington filberts, detailed tasting notes, a handmade gift card and gorgeous packaging, suitable for re-gifting., Approximate value: $100.

Maggie Dutton is author of The Wine Offensive and writes about booze and beer for the Seattle Weekly.



WB07 - Your Health and Wine: A Free Consultation. Courtesy of Dr. Enouch Choi

Dr. Enoch Choi of the Stanford Medical center is a physician by day, and wine blogger by night. He is offering a free 30 minute consultation about wine and your health, no co-pay needed! In this day and age of HMOs this prize probably has a real value of about $800!




WB08 - Personal Wine Blog Feed. Courtesy of Winecast

The winner of this raffle will receive their own personal blog (RSS) feed written by Winecast host Tim Elliott. There will be at least one post per week for a year on the winner's subjects of choice. Also included is a phone call, instant messaging session or email exchange to better understand the winner's interests in wine before starting. These posts can be read online, via an RSS reader such as Google Reader or Bloglines or via an email subscription. You can also share this feed with friends and family, if you choose.

Examples of posts are personalized wine recommendations, food matching tips, wine events of interest, wine education and perhaps a podcast or two. It will really depend upon what the winner would like to learn more about. Want to know more about Rhone wines? The best restaurants in Napa and Sonoma valleys? What wines will age well for your child's (or grandchild's) 21st birthday? What red wines are best with eel? Whatever you would like that is wine related is fair-game.



WB09 - The Italian Wine Guy is Your Sommelier for a Night. Courtesy of The Italian Wine Guy

I will be offering to be the sommelier at someone's private dinner party for up to six people in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas Area for an evening (or farther if someone wants to pay transportation costs). They will choose the menu to cook for their friends (or the restaurant to eat at) and I will bring the wine, including some from my cellar to match the cuisine and tell people about them. Approximate value: $200




WB10 - Free Subscription to the Bon Vivant Wine Guide. Courtesy of Drink The Good Stuff

Get online and become inspired by the great Cabernet and Merlot based wines of the world. This independent, subscription based wine website focuses on quality wines produced using traditional Bordeaux varietals. Bon Vivant brings you information on cult finds, hidden treasures, promising new producers, and how vintages are progressing. Not only will you receive access to a database of more than one hundred wines per month but you will be taken back stage to learn of the winemaker’s personalities and the wineries’ passions for producing the most talked about, collectable, and captivating wines. Find out more by visiting http://bonvivantwineguide.com and join Bon Vivant on their never ending quest to drink the good stuff. Offer valid January – December 2007. Approximate value: $80


WB11 - Cult Sake and a Sake Bar Tour. Courtesy of Tokyo Through the Drinking Glass
Sake fans take notice. The winner of this prize will receive two 180ml bottles of premium sake, guaranteed not to be available outside of Japan. This is the good stuff! And what's more, you'll also get a guided, insider tour of a locals-only sake bar in Tokyo, Japan, with the first drink paid for by your guide, Melinda of Tokyo Through the Drinking Glass. Plane fare and accommodations NOT included, but you don't have to wait 'til you visit Japan to get your sake.



WB12 - The Food and Wine Pairing Bible. Courtesy of The Corkdork

Longtime readers of The Corkdork blog know that one of the main reasons for starting to blog was to document great food and wine pairings. My donation to the Menu for Hope campaign benefiting the UN's World Food Programme is a new copy of Evan Goldstein's "A Master Sommelier's Practical Advice for Partnering Wine with Food"? (Hardcover) that I will do my best to have autographed by the author. While this does have many excellent recipes, it's real value is Evan's insights into the theory of why certain foods work best with very particular wine styles e.g., fruit-forward, dry bubblies (Brut style), earthy, minerally Chardonnays (Burgundy style), blended Sangioveses (Super Tuscan-style). He thinks the way I do...backwards. First you pick the wine you want to serve, then make a meal around it. I hope whomever wins this gets as much use out of their copy as I do from mine.



WB13 - The Cal-Mid Wine Gift Pack. Courtesy of The Good Grape

You've heard of Cal-Ital's? This is a "Cal-Mid" wine gift pack. Mid as in Midwest. This fantastic offering includes one bottle of the '99 Heitz Cellars Cabernet, Martha's Vineyard designate. Scoring a 92 by Wine Spectator, this legendary California Cabernet can be found on various sites on the Internet for $130 + dollars a bottle. From WS: Spicy mint and bay leaf aromas mingle with ripe currant and black cherry fruit, turning smooth and elegant on the palate while displaying richness, depth and concentration; finishes with a full chorus of ripe fruit flavors and firm yet supple tannins. Drink now through 2012.

Complement your Napa Cab experience with a bottle of the 2004 Cabernet from Olivery Winery in Bloomington, IN. The winery crown jewel of the Midwest, Oliver creates compelling value-based wines using estate grown fruit and grapes from long-time contracts in California. Priced at $22 a bottle, you'll get a wine that tastes like a $50 bottle priced for the Midwest market. Previous vintages have been medal winners at the Indy International Wine Competition, the 2nd largest wine competition in the country. Enjoy this brooding wine with moderate tannins and dark fruits after decanting for 1/2 hr. or use it as a conversation piece--a superb wine from the home of basketball that is barely in distribution.

While you're pouring yourself a glass, turn the pages on Cabernet by Charles O'Rear. A beautiful coffee-table style book with color-drenched photo's of the vine, the grape, and the people that make the wine this book will find a welcome spot in your home for you and guests to browse through for a 15 minute vacation. A $30 value.

Total Approximate value: $210

WB14 - The Ultimate Wine Reference Book. Courtesy of Dr. Vino

Hailed as "the most useful wine book ever" by Slate, this third edition of the Oxford Companion to Wine, edited by Jancis Robinson, tips the scales at 800 pages and 4,000 entries. Donated by Tyler Colman of DrVino.com, a contributor to the volume. Approximate Value: $40



WB15 - Custom Washington Wine Tour Itinerary. Courtesy of The Seattle Wine Blog

Gene Stein, founder of the the Seattle Wine Blog, Washington's leading wine blog, will use his extensive knowledge of Washington wine and Washington's 400 plus wineries, to help you plan an exceptional tour of Washington's Wine Country. After understanding your taste preferences and travel dates, Gene will recommend which of Washington's AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) to visit and will provide you with an itinerary of which wineries to visit. This can include small little known wineries where you will be able to taste and purchase wines that are not generally available. Gene will help you make your wine country vacation unforgettable. Please note that this auction item includes consultation and information only. Buyer will be responsible for making their own reservations and travel arrangements. This item will expire one year after the close of the auction.




WB16 - The Two Ultimate Wine Reference Books. Courtesy of Purple Liquid

Both are edited or co-edited by one of my favorite wine writers Jancis Robinson. I use these two books constantly. The atlas is indispensable if you want to understand why and how vine grow in the great wine regions of the world. And I love the 180 or so detailed maps that are included in the book. The Oxford Companion has more than 3,000 entries on anything that is related to wine. The information is so broad and detailed at the same time that I have never been disappointed; I have always found in the book what that I was looking for. Approximate value: $80




WB17 - Taste the Hamptons Wine Basket. Courtesy of Lenndevours

Long Island's Hamptons are best known for the celebrities who summer there and the lifestyle they bring with them. But, two of Long Island's best wineries, Channing Daughters Winery and Wolffer Estate Vineyards, also reside there. With a slightly cooler and shorter growing season than the North Fork, white wines rule the Hamptons. Taste and experience these delightful wines for yourself with the "Taste the Hamptons" basket, which includes:

One (1) bottle of Channing Daughters Winery 2005 Vino Bianco

One (1) bottle of Wolffer Estate Vineyards 2003 Reserve Chardonnay
A free tasting for four (4) at Channing Daughters Winery's tasting room
A VIP Tour and Tasting for two (2) at Wolffer Estate Vineyards
Four (4) tickets to a summer performance at the Southampton Cultural Center
Approximate value: $250



WB18 - "Big" Reds of Long Island. Courtesy of Lenndevours

The word "big" is a relative term in the world of wine. You won't find any 15% alcohol, big tanning, ultra-ripe red wines on Long Island. Rather, winemakers craft smooth, refined and nuanced wines made with restraint. This basket, which includes two wines from 2001 -- one of the best Long Island vintages ever -- and the red that was named Long Island's red blend last summer at the 2006 New York Food & Wine Classic. These wines are the "big" reds of Long Island both for their flavor and because two of the bottles are large format. This package includes:
One (1) 3-liter bottle of Raphael 2001 First Label Merlot
One (1) Magnum of Castello di Borghese 2001 Merlot
One (1) 750ml bottle of Roanoke Vineyards 2003 Blend 2
Approximate value: $295



WB19 - A Romantic Getaway for Long Island Wine Lovers. Courtesy of Lenndevours

Long Island's North Fork is one of the most beautiful, bucolic places in New York. With beautiful vineyards stretching from Great Peconic Bay to the Long Island Sound, quaint villages and rustic tasting rooms, it makes the perfect spot for a romantic getaway -- especially for wine lovers. This package includes a bottle of sparkling wine to toast the person you love, a night at one of the North Forks best bed and breakfasts -- including a gourmet breakfast -- and a van wine tour for two with one of Long Island's most knowledgeable tour guides.
One (1) night at Harvest Inn B&B, including gourmet breakfast the next morning
Tour for two (2) with Vintage Tours, which includes a 5-hour tour of at least three wineries and a gourmet picnic lunch
One (1) bottle of Martha Clara Vineyards Brut Sparkling Wine
Approximate value: $425



WB20 - Learn About and Taste Wines on Long Island. Courtesy of Lenndevours

One of the greatest things about wine is that you can always learn more. Expand your wine knowledge with one of Long Island's most dynamic wine education organizations, Grand Cru Classes, spend the night at a bed and breakfast and enjoy two bottles of wine from one of Long Island's smallest, most hands-on wineries. This special package includes:
One (1) night at Red Barn B&B for two, including a country breakfast in the morning
Two (2) gift certificates for two (2) people to take classes at Grand Cru Classes (4 classes total)
One (1) bottle of Waters Crest Winery Reserve Merlot
One (1) bottle of Waters Crest Winery Reserve Chardonnay
Approximate value: $520




WB21 - Taste the North Fork of Long Island. Courtesy of Lenndevours

Long Island is making some of the most exciting wines in America today. Get a taste from many of the region's best wineries with this basket, which includes tastings, and in some cases, tours with winemakers:
A free tasting for two (2) at Paumanok Vineyards and a 35% discount on wine purchases up to $500
VIP Tasting and Tour for four (4) at Bedell Cellars, which includes a behind-the-scenes tour of the facilities, a wine and cheese pairing, and tastes of their premium wines
A Private Tasting at Martha Clara Vineyards at their private tasting bar
A Private Tour and Tasting for six (6) at Waters Crest Winery, conducted by the owners and winemaker
A Tour and Tasting for four (4) at Shinn Estate Vineyards, conducted by the owners
Four (4) Cuvee Tasting Flights at Macari Vineyards and a $25 gift certificate for the tasting room
Approximate value: $400




WB22 - Personal Tour of Long Island Wine Country. Courtesy of Lenndevours

Anyone can drive around Long Island's East End and visit wineries, but where should you go? What wines are the best? Who is pouring the latest and greatest releases? There's nothing better than tasting through wine country with a local wine expert.

Win this lot and enjoy a personal tour for two (2) of Long Island wine country with Lenn Thompson of the Long Island Wine Gazette and Lenndevours.com. He'll talk to you beforehand to customize the itinerary to your wine tastes and then join you as you visit some of his favorite wineries and taste his favorite wines.

Approximate value: $200




WB23 - Wine Label Poster. Courtesy of http://www.winewaves.com/

Winewaves.com,, the photographic wine blog, offers one lucky prize winner a signed poster sized print of any of Jerry Hall's detailed wine label photos. Select from over 500 labels currently on display at Winewaves.com, and your approximately 24 inch by 36 inch glossy color mounted poster will be delivered to you. Large format printing is courtesy of Nashville, Tennessee based Advantagraph.com




WB24 - A Signed Vertical from Puriri Hills Winery. Courtesy of GenevelynSteeleSwallows

A vertical from the Puriri Hills Winery, vintages 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 , signed by the winemaker Trudy Fowler.
This is an ABC wine (Authentic- Bourdeaux-style- Claret) from New Zealand. If you are a lover of unusual, well-made clarets hailing from unexpected places such as Long Island, then this is your prize. If you are in possession of a kick-ass wine collection of signed bottles, then this is your prize. Or if you are just interested in what Genevelyn Steele does actually swallow with regularity, this is your prize.

Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazine says this about Trudy Fowler's wine:"Puriri Hills has consistently made Clevedon's best red wine since its first vintage in 1999." August 2006. Approximate Value $250.00



THOSE INSTRUCTIONS, ONE MORE TIME:

Here's what you should do...
1. Go to the donation page.

2. Make a donation. Each $10 will give you one raffle ticket toward a prize of your choice. Please specify which prize or prizes you'd like in the 'Personal Message' section in the donation form when confirming your donation. Do tell us how many tickets per prize, and please use the prize code -for example, a donation of $50 can be 2 tickets for WB01 and 3 for WB02.

3. If your company matches your charity donation, please remember to check the box and fill in the information so we can claim the corporate match.

4. Please also check the box to allow us to see your email address so that we can contact you in case you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone. We swear.

5. Check back on Chez Pim on January 15 when we announce the result of the raffle. (The drawing will be done electronically. Our friend Derrick, the code wizard at Obsession with Food, is responsible for the wicked application that will do the job.)

Thanks for your support.

Affordable Bubbly from France and California

Vino Girl landed a gig writing weekly lifestyle tips for Ladies Who Launch, a network for motivated female entrepreneurs. Given that wine is my lifestyle, we will be reposting the tips here at Drink The Good Stuff after they appear in the Ladies Who Launch weekly e-mail and in the magazine lifestyle section of their website.

So, here goes the first weekly tip, appropos for the holidays...

The holidays are a time for celebration and what better wine to make merry with than the bubbly stuff itself — sparkling wine or Champagne. The big name French Champagne houses — Krug, Dom Perignon, Moet & Chandon — have their place at many a special fête but, as we all know, this caliber of revelry doesn’t come cheap. That’s where this week’s tip comes in. You don’t have to spend all of your hard earned money to enjoy a spectacular bubbly. Whether your sparkling wine tastes are more inclined to France or California, there are some hidden gems out there that won’t break the bank, especially when you are entertaining a crowd.

From France, Duval Leroy is a little known estate that produces a sophisticated Champagne for approximately $30 retail. The Duval Leroy Non Vintage Brut is a dry, rich and full-bodied Champagne with toasty, citrus flavors and a mouthwatering froth. From California, Scharffenberger Brut (yes, of chocolate fame!) makes a remarkably classy sparkler with a creamy consistency and refreshing flavors of fruit and caramel. The Scharffenberger Brut Non Vintage can be found at retail for under $15. Grab a case of these value sippers and enjoy the season. For stores in your area visit Wine Searcher.

Broadbentism: 1988 Cos d'Estournel

"...the '88 very impressive, still immature, violet-tinged; nose crammed with fruit and mouthwatering acidity, opening up, like Concorde, reaching cruising altitude, attaining rich fragrance and depth." **(**) - MB

L'Atelier Joel Robuchon Paris

L'Atelier Joel Robuchon is not only a heavenly dining experience in Paris but a conspicuously different one as well. Although I had only been to Paris on one other occasion, I did remember the Parisians getting pretty gussied up for dinner. Since it is basically easier to find a smoke free environment in Paris than to score a reservation (and they do take reservations) at L’Atelier I speculated and agitated over what to wear to dinner.

We had a reservation for 8 people at 6:30pm (how bourgeois!) which was actually perfect because, having just arrived that day, some good food and wine would help to put me to sleep and get me on track for the remainder of the weekend’s festivities. We arrived at Atelier at 6:29pm and, embarrassingly, could not figure out how to get in. Alas, they do not even open the door for dinner until 6:30pm so we were made to stand outside.

Before I had time to get annoyed we were ushered in to our seats at the bar. The bar, you say? Yes, the restaurant is set up in two squared off U-shaped bars surrounding the theater style kitchen. The seats are giant red stools and, in fact, the predominant colors throughout the restaurant are black and red giving the whole place a decidedly Japanese feel. So much for my fancy jacket and my contemplation over what to wear. This was no old-fashioned suite and tie French establishment. This was the new guard — and a hip looking, designer jean-wearing new guard at that.

Now down to brass tacks. The waiters were all very friendly and quick to help us navigate the menu (très important) and get the Champagne flowing (le plus important.) Even though we had some pretty stellar French speakers in the crowd, we needed some help with food translations (I for one did not care to end up eating brains.) Everything sounded so delectable that we ended up going for the tasting menu. A great choice! I can’t even remember how many courses they served us but the portions were good sized (another French stereotype shattered!) and they were all absolutely delicious.

We played a little game with the wine ordering, which is to say that we started with the ‘exceptionnel’ section of the wine list and worked our way down to the ‘régulier’ selections. Surveying the crowd we had only two restrictions — all red and no Pinot Noir. The baton was first passed to me and I was thrilled to be able to order from the ‘exceptionnel’ list. I ordered the 1995 Chateau D'Armailhac, a Bordeaux from a solid vintage and a wine I tend to like. We were off to a great start. The next wine ordered was a 1998 Chateau Montrose and, although ’98 was a variable Left Bank Vintage, this St. Estephe was drinking beautifully. Our third was a 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape. This would not have been my choice as I have a certain disdain for ’03 Rhones but, as the decision maker noted, “YOU try and find a wine at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon for under 100 euros!”

All in all, Atelier was a memorable experience. Next time you are in Paris, get a hold of a reservation, don your True Religion Jeans and enjoy. Oh, and leave your cigarettes behind — this is a no-smoking environment.

Address:
Hôtel Pont Royal
7, rue de Montalembert / 75007
Chef Joël Robuchon
Phone: +33 (0) 1 42 22 56 56

PS: We are having trouble uploading pictures which is killing me!

What, No Wine from Paris?

Much to the disappointment of Winemonkey, I did not bring any wine back from Paris. What of this ludicrousness you ask? Well, my fellow Americans, have you looked at the exchange rate lately? One Euro is equal to approximately 1.33 U.S. dollars. Although it is certainly a romantic notion - returning with bottles of French wine from the city of lights - it simply costs more, not to mention the hassle of packing liquid in checked luggage.

I did peruse the magnificent wine stores while I was in town and checked out a few prices while I was at it. I looked into The 1998 Chateau Montrose, which I tasted at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon (ooh la la for another post) and it would have cost me at least $10 more to buy in gay Paris. The 2000 Chateau Margaux would cost me hundreds more to bring back in my suitcase. Voilà, no wine!

Certainly if I had visited Champagne or the Loire Valley, Burgundy or Bordeaux, I would have been lured into a few or more bottles and might also have been able to get my hands on things we do not see even in New York. But, alas, that is for another trip. (I woudn't even think of visiting Bordeaux without Winemonkey - the horror!)

Until my return I will just have to savor the food and wine, lights and bridges and that je ne se quai of Paris in my memory - and perhaps a bottle of good Bordeaux purchased right here in NYC. Sante!

Some Blog Voting Help from the Peanut Gallery

It seems the people over at local wine events have created a bit of competition and they are calling us out! We're a little behind as we just found out about it. But we are figure we will skyrocket to the top in no time.

So, we’d love it if you would vote for our blog at the site below (Yeah, alright you can vote for Alder too). Just click the link or copy and paste it in your browser and then press the vote button and you're done!

http://www.localwineevents.com/Blogs/blog-81.html Vote, baby, vote!

For those that don't know, be sure to get the skinny on your local wine scene on the main part of the site.

The Wither Hills Wine Scandal

Seems like a storm is brewing in the other down under of New Zealand. A region famed for its bright, citrusy Sauvignon Blancs is having a bit of a scandal more associated with Robert Parker and the Bordeaux Boys.

According to a number of kiwi news sources, it seems that the 2006 Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc has been accused of sending bottles to both Cuisine Magazine and the New Zealand International Wine Show that are different than the ones on store shelves. Uh-Oh!

The winemaker responded by....agreeing. "It was very difficult to produce every bottle exactly the same when the winery was producing 100,000 cases of Sauvignon Blanc," the winemaker has been quoted as saying.

The former five star wine has been given the axe by Cuisine and has been stripped of the coveted gold medal it won in New Zealand's biggest wine show. The wine show coordinators followed up with a chemical analysis who were quoted by the New Zealand Herald as saying, "Both wines were sent for testing at the Institute of Environmental Science and Research, which found they had different levels of alcohol, acidity and sugar and were described by a senior scientist as "completely different wines".

Right now we are on the fence.

But you know what they say... bad press is better than no press.

Cheers!

Broadbentism: 1975 Chataeau Mouton Rothschild

"One might have thought it could cope with fromages affines, but it didn't." At best **** (just). I think it worth requoting my Jayne Mansfield analogy: 'mean, moody and magnificent'. MB

What was Mouton thinking?

By now you may have heard that Prince Charles was selected as the artist to adorn the top 1/3 of the famous Chateau Mouton-Rothschild wine label. Yes, yes, he is a good water colorist and it looks to be a fine picture, and the fact the Baroness has basically selected a non-artist for the artist label is not what I have issue with.

No people, look closely at the picture atop the label. See anything missing. Hmmmm.... HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO WINE OR THE CHATEAU? Oh man, I had to shout that one out. As decanter put it, "The chosen watercolour, of pine trees at Cap d'Antibes on the Cote d'Azur, was not painted specially for the chateau." Isn't that the whole point. I can concede the birthday tribute labels, and who among us does not appreciate the 2000 golden ram? But this choice my friends is just not right and no inscription afterthought about the 100th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale between France and England is going to make it better.

To be fair, I also have issue with a number of other Mouton labels that run up against the same problem lest the Prince thinks I am just picking on him.

Let's just hope Thomas Kinkade is not up in 2005.

That other Paso Robles Wine TV Show...

“Corkscrewed: The Wrath of Grapes” begins airing on Fox Reality, Wednesday night at 9:30, Pacific time. Whatever! While your winemonkey feels it is his moral wine drinker's responsibility (I probably took an oath or something after knocking back one too many wine glasses) to inform you of an upcoming wine-related TV show, it is only because I will now mock it.

Corkscrewed will follow the hi-jinks of two American Idol producers and the disaster that awaits them as they throw $6 million of their own money into running a successful Paso-Robles winery into the ground. The hollywood reporter says, "Bottom Line: Contrived and ludicrously self-indulgent." I say the only good thing is that some eyes will be turned toward the up and coming Paso Robles wine making region where another (and no doubt much better) wine reality TV show gets its start.

Is your winemonkey bitter? Nah. I'm just joshin'. The more people looking to feed their wine and TV fix the better. Just remember me and the Wine Makers over on PBS when the time comes.

Gay Paris and More!

Well, vino girl is officially off to dance in the City of Lights. Our intrepid editor-in-charge is hobnobbing it with the glitterati and will be back early next week. Until then, you are stuck with your ever humble winemonkey. Let's hope she brings back some wine.

Lots o' work on the other side of things has kept our wine blogging to a minimum and for that I apologize, especially after blathering on about all the fine postings we have in store for you (which is still the case, BTW). Look for more wine bars, more Broadbentisms, more Wine Makers info, and more general wine chatter. We will also have something special just for our blog readers very shortly- but more on that in another post.

Readers interested in our other calling should perk up here. The Bon Vivant Wine Guide is once again (tell me about it) on the verge of going live. It looks like with vino girl out of the way some real work will get done around here. Seriously, she is off to party because we are wrapping up the first issue and well, frankly, becuase she is the boss. When are we going gold? We're all mum on that as we've cried wolf enough, but hopefully sooner than you think.

Your winemonkey has been reading PerezHilton, TMZ and Page Six lately and it has gotten me all giddy over gossip. Why I am I reading that idiocy? The lack of sleep probably, but in any case here is a scoop. It looks like your very own vino girl is launching out with the uber-networking group "ladies who launch". A weekly wine tip write up for their site is in the works that will surely see some post-post airplay here. More info as items are finalized.

Cross your fingers and keep it dialed in here.

Cheers!