Are New Wine Brands Targeting Women Low on Substance?
May 18, 2012 
Does the wine industry really know what women want? Not according to writer Elin McCoy, as she wrote recently in an article on Bloomberg.com:
According to the new “girly-wine” brand marketers, women wine drinkers want to be super-skinny, to toss their hair playfully as they choose their bottles to match moods, not foods. They also crave an easy-sipping flavor profile with a naughty edge of sweetness.
In the past few years the wine world has finally discovered that women drinkers are a coveted customer niche, which isn’t rocket-science since women represent nearly 60% of U.S. wine consumers, according to the Beverage Information Group’s 2011 Wine Handbook.
Most wine marketers are targeting women 21 to 34, but their efforts often treat this audience as if it had no more sophistication than a bevy of sorority sisters on spring break.
Cercius, Cotes du Rhone, France.
May 17, 2012
Grapes
85% Grenache, 15% Syrah
Facts
- You’ve probably read countless times that “…you should never choose a wine based on the label!” Well, I call BS on that! If anything, France needs to step-up their wine label game (as is beautifully demonstrated here) and start getting more creative if they plan on rising from the ashes!
To me, a great label and overall good packaging are sometimes the only way a producer is going to get recognized. I have no problem point out that the label was the main reason I picked up this bottle.
- The importer details on a wine label are most-often ignored by consumers, and for good reason! They’re boring! However, once you start recognizing a few of the big names, I won’t go so far as to say a trusted importer is a guarantee that you’ll personally enjoy a wine, but it’s a very good indicator of quality!
- When dealing with European wine importers, there’s three that I’d like to throw your way as they’ve never let me down: Kermit Lynch, Jorge Ordonez, and Eric Solomon -which the Cercius is part of. Just look for their information of the back label.
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Grenache is a key component to the reds from the Cotes du Rhone region of France, usually blended with Syrah for wines such as Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Cotes du Ventoux, Cotes du Rhone Villages and Gigondas.
Passive-Aggressive Wine Store Owner Helps a Customer Choose a Wine.
May 16, 2012
170 Year Old Shipwrecked Champagne up for Auction.
May 16, 2012
Paris auction firm Artcurial Briest–Poulain–F.Tajan has been selected to sell-off Champagne bottles that have spent the last 170 years in a shipwreck at the bottom of the Baltic sea.
The shipwreck and its cargo are the property of the Åland Islands (NB: don’t worry, I had to Google them as well). The origin and name of the schooner remains a mystery, although the Åland government is carrying out extensive research in order to piece together its final voyage.
Whereas a number of the bottles are being kept for museum purposes, the rest will be auctioned off over the next few years, with all proceeds going towards Baltic marine conservation.
Jacksonville King Street Farmers Market – Every Wednesday.
May 15, 2012
The Jacksonville King Street Farmers Market is a great addition to Riverside! Definitely worth checking out!
Study Finds that Great Wine Tasters are Born that Way!
May 14, 2012
Is an ability to taste wine come from our DNA? A new study has concluded that certain individuals are born with a heightened sensitivity that gives them the edge when it comes to tasting wine.
“Wine Expertise Predicts Taste Phenotype,” by Profs. John Hayes and Gary Pickering separated over 300 participants into two groups—”wine experts,” (professionals in the wine industry), and regular consumers—and gave them a paper disk treated with drops of the chemical 6-n-propylrhioueacil (PROP). They were then asked to taste it.
Some people find PROP tasteless, and others mildly or extremely bitter. The Professors wrote that PROP testing “…has been widely adopted as a marker of genetic variation in taste” and that some recent studies showed “…those who experience PROP as being intensely bitter not only experience heightened overall oral sensation, but also may be more acute tasters, with the ability to discriminate smaller differences between oral stimuli.”
Wine On A Plane!
May 14, 2012
Thinking about taking wine on a plane? Here’s a few things to consider…
The Problem with Wine by the Glass.
May 12, 2012
BTG (or wine By-The-Glass) can be a great way to sample a few different wines in a restaurant or wine bar without committing to the whole bottle. I would like to state, though, there are a number of pitfalls, namely;…
The Selection Usually Sucks.
I’m mentioning this first, as I think it’s the biggest problem! A solid wine by-the-glass list is hard to come by, for a number of reasons:
- I don’t know of a single corporately-branded restaurant that hasn’t sold their soul to at least one wine distributor / wine brand.
This can happen to different extents, with the outcome being the BTG selection features only “the usual suspects” i.e. big wine brands. - Restaurants usually stay fairly generic with the wines available by the glass. With anything too eclectic, there’s a chance the wines won’t sell and will inevitably be wasted.
My Advice: It’s very rare that I order by-the-glass in restaurants, with my reasoning being (as the heading states): the selection usually sucks.
It’s often suggested that dining at small locally-owned restaurants will overcome the problem of wine lists that are essentially “owned” by a particular wine distributor. This couldn’t be further from the truth and if anything it’s just as likely that they are receiving “sweetened” wine deals from the big boy distributors.
Depending on the State you live in (for legal reasons), I would recommend just buying a whole bottle, pouring your two glasses, corking it and taking the rest home with you.
Restaurants Rape You on Mark-up
The old wine industry saying goes that: “the glass pays for the bottle” i.e. the price you’re paying for the glass is usually the wholesale price of the bottle.
Some people have a tendency to go ape-sh*t when they see that a restaurant is charging only a few $’s less than what they can buy a bottle of for from a grocery store.
If you’re one of these people, I would suggest you stay home and drink your grocery store wine. It’s usually the same people that are quite happy to pay $2 for a Coke that contains 10¢ of post-mix, while they wear their $80 khakis that cost $4 to make in Indonesia. Weird!
My Advice: I’ve started bringing my own wine to a lot more restaurants and quite happily pay the corkage fee. If that’s the route you want to take, a few things to bear in mind:
- If the bottle cost under $20 (retail), don’t even bother. Of course this is a free country and you’re more than able to take a bottle of $7 Australian Pinot Grigio to enjoy with your meal at a high-end steak house. Just know that everyone is judging you!
- Make sure you’re not bringing a bottle that isn’t already on the wine list. That would be referred to as a “dick move”.
- Offer the Sommelier/Server a glass. It’s just good etiquette.
The Only Thing Better…
May 10, 2012
Orlando Science Center – Second Annual Science of Wine.
May 10, 2012
Join the Orlando Science Center on Saturday May 19th, for their second annual Science of Wine event.
The Science of Wine is a unique wine and food tasting with an educational twist. More than a hundred wines from all of the major regions of the world will be represented. Local gourmet restaurants and caterers will also be present to pair the wines with a variety of delectable dishes. Click here for more details.
Sponsors will enjoy a Champagne Wine Tasting from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. and the Grand Tasting will take place from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
In addition to an exquisite food and wine selection, there will be interactive educational wine experiences.
- Great Vineyards of the World on Science on a Sphere hosted by Craig Lopus, Certified Wine Specialist & Sommelier, Tim’s Wine Market Windermere. Tasting of wines from the Southern & Northern Hemispheres. (Kim Crawford vs. Robert Mondavi Napa Sauvignon Blancs)
- Weather & Wine with WFTV Certified Meteorologist Brian Shields & Wine Expert, Tim Varan of Tim’s Wine Market. Vertical tasting of the Markham Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, CA.
- From Vine to Bottle featuring how wine is made in Dr. Dare’s Lab. Tastings of old vs. new world wines.
- Vinturi Demonstration of the benefits of aerating your wine. Tasting of Chateau St. Michelle Athos Syrah.
- Cheri’s Art Uncorked featuring wine related art.
- Big Reds contrasting Cabernet Sauvignon to Merlot and Red Wine Blends.
Washington State Wine Facts Infographic.
May 9, 2012
My first ever infographic! Not too bad for a first attempt…
White Balsamic-Braised Chicken with Leeks and Peas Paired with a Chardonnay Trio.
May 9, 2012
“What’s with all the recipes you’ve been making with peas? You know I hate peas!” said Mrs Chislett.
This was news to me. Or maybe not! Maybe it’s just been that long since I actually used peas in cooking, that it completely slipped my mind!
Peas always remind me of school dinners, with the only reason that I find myself using them again here is I had a bag leftover from the last pairing and I knew I wasn’t going to use them any time soon.
If you’re cooking for a family, this recipe will quite easily feed everyone. However, if you’re only cooking for 1-2 people (as I was), be prepared for leftovers!
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