Monday, November 30, 2009

Rhone History

It’s sometimes easy to forget, what with the typical focus on the details of the bottle in front of you, but wine ties us to our earliest days of civilization. Every time you open a Grand Cru Burgundy, for example, you’re actually benefiting from a thousand years or more of human endeavor in the Cote d’Or, of the meticulous plotting of the land by generations of monks and then, later on, hundreds of years after that fact, of the labors of vineyard managers, winemakers, scientists, and others.


An article that ran in this morning’s New York Times, about a recent archaeological discovery in the Rhone river, reminded me yet again how ancient the wine world really is. And while the article does not actually deal with wine at all--the discovery was of a bust of Caesar, made in the murky depths--the fact that it was found in the Rhone River is a reminder of just how ancient a land that home of Syrah, Grenache, and other great grape varieties really is.


This seems especially relevant around the holiday season, as the focus turns both to richer, heartier wines as well as to ones that don’t put too deep a dent in the budget. The wines of the Rhone fit this bill as well as any in the world right now; in fact, Wine Spectator recently ran a list of their top Rhone values for under $25, and it’s full of great wines that far outperform their low price tags, proving yet again that this slice of land in Southeastern France has been providing spectacular drinking pleasure for a very long time indeed, and that this is as good a time as any to explore all that it has to offer.

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Friday, November 27, 2009

Cognac and the Holidays

I ate too much yesterday, as I do every Thanksgiving. At this stage of my life, of course, I should know better, but logic doesn’t usually factor into my holiday eating routine. Rather, I tend to be guided by a more primal impulse that goes something like this: The food looks good so I think I’ll eat it all.


It’ll be like this through brunch on New Years Day, after which I’ll revert--like most people--to a healthier, more logical dining philosophy. In the meantime, there is one important step that you can take to minimize the discomfort that comes with all this overindulging: Treat yourself to a digestif after the day’s gluttony is over and done with.


The New York Times just ran a story on the benefits of Italian amaro. And while I enjoy them, nothing, for me, works quite as well as a nice glass of grappa, Cognac, or Armagnac. For soothing overworked stomachs and laying the groundwork for a better next morning than you otherwise would have had, they just can’t be beat.


Unfortunately, I failed to follow my own advice last night, and feel a bit sluggish this morning. If only I’d come home from dinner and poured a glass of Cognac, my Friday might feel less like a Monday than it does right now.


To compensate, I wandered around the Internet and found this excellent video on Cognac that ran on GrapeRadio.com last year. It’s long (about 17 minutes), but provides a very good overview of Cognac and its uses in cooking, cocktails, and on its own. It’s too early in the day to indulge in a glass, but tonight, I think, I’ll treat myself. After last night, I'm pretty sure I deserve it.


The Art of Blending from GrapeVisions on Vimeo.

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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Holiday Wines: Thanksgiving Edition

Last week, as part of my trip to California, I made an appearance on "View from the Bay," the afternoon talk show on ABC 7 in San Francisco. The segment, which focuses on unusual wines for the holidays, is below, and includes two wines that are available right here at Wine Chateau, the Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc - Viognier and the ForeFront Cabernet Sauvignon.







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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Time to Take Stock

I’ll be posting my Thanksgiving wine advice tomorrow, but today I wanted to focus on some end-of-the-year housekeeping. Because this week traditionally signals the beginning of the end of the year (that extended stretch between Thanksgiving and New Years often seems like one really long week, one really long meal), thoughts naturally turn to the past, and what we’ve accomplished (or, in this case, had to drink) in 2009.


Back in January, The Wall Street Journal’s Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher wrote a column called “For 2009, a To-Do List for Wine.” In it, they offer 20 achievable goals that will make your wine life better or, at the very least, more interesting. Some of my favorite items include trying a wine from a different country, opening a sparkler at home for no reason other than that you want it, attending a restaurant wine dinner, and trying wines that you haven’t loved all that much in the past.


This is the time of year to take stock of what you’ve done to improve your wine life in the eleven months that have passed since ’08 rolled over into ’09. (The Journal recently posted letters and emails from readers highlighting what they have done since the original column was published--it’s good inspiration.) Which is all to say this: Despite the advice you’ll inevitably get during the holidays (including here, starting tomorrow), it’s always a good idea to make some changes yourself. Break free from wine orthodoxy this holiday season, and get a head-start on setting yourself up for an interesting, tasty 2010. Experiment with wines and pairings. Explore the wine world. And, most of all, have fun every time you pop the cork of a bottle. After all, that’s (hopefully) why you’re opening it up in the first place.

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Monday, November 23, 2009

Back from California...and Weekend News Roundup

What an amazing experience. Last week, I had the opportunity to travel to California to attend the Harlan Estate 25th anniversary dinner at Poggio in Sausalito. I’ll be posting tasting notes and impressions here in the coming weeks, and will be writing a longer piece on the experience for John Mariani’s Virtual Gourmet (which I’ll link up as soon as it runs). But for now, it’ll have to suffice to say that everything about the experience--from the food and the wine to the people I met at the dinner--exceeded even my highest expectations. Wine highlights belonged to the 1999 Bond Vecina and the 1997 Harlan, though all of the bottles opened this past Thursday night were spectacular. Keep an eye out for tasting notes and photos in the next week or two.

As far as wine news, here are a couple of links to check out as you ease your way back into the work week--shortened though it may be by Thanksgiving...

The New York Times ran its annual roundup of wine books for the holiday season. They make great gifts for both wine lovers and people just getting into it. The link is right here.

Yesterday, The San Francisco Chronicle’s web site featured an article on American sparkling wines for the holidays. There are some great ones out there these days, and Thanksgiving week is the perfect time to start sampling them. For details, click here.

Finally, Wine Spectator has posted the videos for its top 10 wines of the year. The link for the number-one wine (produced by Columbia Crest) is right here.
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Thursday, November 19, 2009

Arrival in San Francisco

As I wrote here the other day, I’m in San Francisco for the Harlan 25th anniversary dinner at the restaurant Poggio in Sausalito tonight. But, of course, that doesn’t mean that I haven’t had the chance to experience some of what else the Bay Area has to offer beforehand.

After getting settled in my beautiful suite at the historic (and just renovated) Hotel Shattuck Plaza in Berkeley, I headed downstairs for drinks and snacks at Five, a fantastic new restaurant helmed by Executive Chef Scott Howard. If there’s a better way to relax in a new city than with a refreshing basil gimlet, orzo macaroni and cheese with tomato jam and crab, and chicken and waffles, then I haven’t found it yet. This was as comforting and satisfying after a cross-country flight as anything I’ve ever had.

Afterward, I met two friends for dinner at NOPA and, as always, was just blown away by the Pinot Noirs of Dutton Goldfield. In particular, the 2006 Devil’s Gulch bottling, with its deep cherry notes and gentle hint of smokiness on the finish worked perfectly with grass-fed-beef burgers topped with bacon and Gruyere cheese. The wine was light on its feet despite its concentration, and, after a brief stint in the decanter, just sang in the glass.

Friends, excellent wine, and fantastic food—what a great way to start the trip.
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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Harlan Estate Dinner at Sausalito's Poggio

I’m heading to California Wednesday morning on a very quick trip to San Francisco and Sausalito. Two nights and back, just like that.

But what a trip. I’ll be attending the 25th anniversary dinner for Harlan Estate, one of the greatest wines produced in the world and what Jancis Robinson has called “one of the ten best wines of the 20th century.” The dinner will be held at Poggio this Thursday night, and will feature not just Harlan’s wines but also a magnificent white truffle menu. I will be reporting on the trip in an upcoming issue of John Mariani’s Virtual Gourmet, and will be blogging about it right here on UncorkLife.com from California, so keep an eye out for details.

In the meantime, here is the menu with wine pairings. It should be an amazing experience.

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Monday, November 16, 2009

A Top 100 Standout

The big news this Monday is that Wine Spectator has come out with its annual list of the Top 100 wines of the year. Making the list can be a big financial boon for the producers, and, as it’s nearly holiday season, it also tends to play a reasonably significant role in the gift-buying habits of many consumers.

The link to the Top 100 list is here, and if you’re interested in seeing how the wines get chosen, take a look at the video linked up right here. It's from 2006, but the process is the same today.

But the wine that really jumped out at me first on this year’s list is Number 2, the Bodega Numanthia-Termes Toro Termes 2005, an utterly delicious wine that always seems to be one of the best values out there, regardless of vintage. In fact, I posted a tasting video of the 2006 here on UncorkLife.com this past April and was extremely impressed with it. I’ll be tasting the 2007 soon, too, and will post my impressions of it here. But it’s a safe bet that it’ll be a winner and a heck of a bargain, just as it always seems to be.
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Friday, November 13, 2009

Closing the Circle

I received a call earlier this week from a friend of mine who I’ve written about here before—Scot Ziskind, the highly regarded custom storage, humidification, and cooling expert, owner of ZipCo Environmental Services, Inc. and My Cellar wine storage firm. A long-time client of his had recently passed away, and, as per his instructions, Scot was to open his locker, catalog the wines in it, and sell them off, with the proceeds to go to his wife.

Over the course of a couple of hours on a damp afternoon, we unpacked, cataloged, and repacked over ten cases—everything that this man had left of his collection, all the bottles he hadn’t had the chance to open with family and friends while he was still here. (The good news, Scot told me, is that his client had made a point of pulling his favorite bottles to share before it was too late.)

It was a bittersweet afternoon: This, after all, was all that was left of another man’s beloved wine collection, of another man’s passion. There was something touching and surprisingly intimate about the process: With the sale of the bottles he had left behind, his wife would receive a bit of a financial windfall; and on our end, we were handling (very carefully, of course) bottle after bottle that he had chosen himself, each, ostensibly, for a different reason that only he, ultimately, ever really knew.

And what bottles they were. With each case we sliced open, we discovered new, often unexpected treasures. Certain ones, of course, weren’t all that surprising: The bottles of Lynch Bages, the assortment of Ducru-Beaucaillou, the smattering of Cheval Blanc and marquis California producers and Gaja Barbaresco. We even found a single 1982 Lafite, which will benefit his wife immeasurably. But other wines were less expected, and spoke of a man who loved experiencing all that the wine world had to offer just as much as he loved collecting its most prominent examples (there’s often a big difference): JL Chave Hermitage Blanc, Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, a couple of older Echezeaux from Mongeard-Mugneret—wines whose value, despite their higher cost, are far more about idiosyncrasy and personal taste than anything else.

In the end, it took just over two hours to complete the project. The sale of the bottles shouldn’t be all that time consuming, either. But despite the brevity of the work itself, there was something undoubtedly intimate about it. I didn’t know the man who once sought out, purchased, and stored these bottles. In fact, I’d never even met him. But in helping to close the circle on his wine life—in helping to do the final accounting of the wines he left behind and, in some small way, contributing to the reward that the wife who survives him will ultimately reap—I feel as if I’m connected to him now in some small way.

Wine, perhaps more than anything else, has the unusual ability to bring people together that way. Even if they never knew each other.
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Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Thanksgiving...Already?!?!

Thanksgiving has snuck up on us again. Two weeks from now, many of us will be bracing ourselves for the traditionally gluttonous kick-off to the holiday season, and girding ourselves for the inevitable onslaught of meats, fishes, sides, and plateful after plateful of dessert.

Which means that the time has also come to consider that most traditional of Thanksgiving questions: Which bottles go best with the turkey-day feast?

As always, the major newspapers and magazines have begun publishing their advice and tasting-panel findings. Three recent articles have stood out, but they are by no means the only sources of advice out there.

In this morning’s New York Times Food Section, wine writer Eric Asimov reported on the findings of the annual tasting panel he convenes. He summed up their results: “The wines need to be versatile, to complement a wide assortment of dishes, including the idiosyncratic variations that every family knows and loves. They must be modest but confident wines that assert their flavors in harmony with the food rather than trying to dominate the proceedings. And they must be modestly priced.”

Highlights from the Times’ tasting panel included Austrian Gruner Veltliner from Domane Wachau, Napa Sauvignon Blanc from Charles Krug, and Sicilian Nero d’Avola, among others. The panel’s advice is excellent, and the wines they recommend wide-ranging. Make sure to take a look at the complete list for some very good ideas for your own Thanksgiving dinner wine pairings.

And Wine Spectator recently ran a story on sommeliers’ advice for Thanksgiving wine pairings. Click here for the link to the article. The magazine also ran a separate piece on its web site in which wine pairing options are broken down into categories: Sparkling wines, aromatic whites, rosés, and Cabernet Francs. Click here for the full article and recommendations.

Personally, I’ve always had good luck with Beaujolais Crus, good Champagne (especially rosé), still rosés, Chenin Blancs, and Sonoma Pinot Noirs. As Thanksgiving draws nearer, I’ll put together and post a list of specific recommended wines, but for now, take a look at these other pieces to get the gears moving.
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Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Gaja 2009 Harvest Report

There are few wines that I enjoy and admire more than Angelo Gaja’s. They are, year after year, among the most well-crafted, evocative, downright delicious produced in the world of wine.

Yesterday, I received in the mail the 2009 harvest report for Gaja Family Wine Estates, and the news is good. The report begins: “We are very pleased with the quality of the grapes from all three of our properties in 2009 and rate them very good to excellent. Though always reluctant to predict the quality of the wines this early, we are quite optimistic about this vintage.”

This is great news for fans of the wines that Gaja produces in Piedmont (under his eponymous label), Montalcino (Pieve Santa Restituta) and Bolgheri (Ca’ Marcanda). And though it will be a while until the 09’s are available, legends like the 2005 Costa Russi and the excellent 2002 Ca’ Marcanda Magari will certainly make the wait a bit easier.

Two years ago, I had the chance to visit Mr. Gaja in Barbaresco, taste his wines and then enjoy a spectacular dinner with him afterward. I wrote about the experience and the wines for John Mariani’s Virtual Gourmet; the article is linked up here.

And for more information, click here for an excellent interview with Gaia Gaja, Angelo’s daughter, that ran on Grape Radio in July of 2007.
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Monday, November 9, 2009

Wine Technology

No one really likes to talk about it, but technology plays an important role in a good bit of modern winemaking. And, in many cases, it is largely responsible for the significant uptick in quality around the world: Better conditions in wineries, a deeper understanding of what’s happening inside the grapes while they’re still growing in the vineyard, even the selection of yeasts and the environments in which they are allowed to do their magic: All of these, at some level or another, can be attributed to technological advances of some sort.

The question, though, is where does technology cease to be beneficial and start to alter the essential nature of wine to its detriment. After all, the interaction between grape and earth and climate that produces what is ostensibly a unique wine-expression year after year is a delicate thing; when it is too drastically altered, are the results desirable?

I ask this because of an article recently posted on forbes.com called “When Smoke Gets In Your Wine,” about an Australian company that has developed the technology to remove certain major flaws from the wines it processes. The article begins:

“Taking alcohol out of wine seems a bit like taking the fun out of a day at the beach—and certainly very un-Australian. But that is how Memstar, a Melbourne business, is making money. Memstar uses high-tech membranes (hence the first part of its name) to remove unwanted elements in wine, right down to the molecular level. Removing alcohol is the major use of the technology, but with a switch in the process other unwanted elements can be removed, including smoke taint from forest fires. Both problems, rising alcohol levels in wine caused by excess sugar in grapes, and smoke from such fires, have been blamed on a warming climate.”

Technological advance or unnecessary manipulation? The answer is likely to be as personal as your taste in wine. Either way, it’s worth thinking about, because this is a technology that could be here to stay, and will likely affect the wines we drink for a very long time to come.
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Thursday, November 5, 2009

Protecting Your Investment

I spent this past Sunday cataloging and reorganizing my wine cellar. And while my collection definitely falls into the modest end of the spectrum, it still took all day.

Literally. All. Day.

But it was 100% worth the effort. I found bottles I’d forgotten about but that still need time to evolve in the bottle. (I had probably tried to forget about them in the first place so I wouldn’t be tempted to drink them too early!) I discovered others that definitely need to be opened soon. And still others that I don’t remember ever having purchased in the first place.

All told, then, it was a day well spent. And it reminded me why I purchased a good cellar in the first place: To have a space for the wines I love (or one day hope to love, once time works its magic on the juice), and to know that they’re being kept in the best possible environment.

I write about this because of an interesting letter that was published recently on Wine Spectator’s web site. In it, the reader asks: “Would it hurt to put a white wine in a regular refrigerator for a year?” The response, from the magazine’s Peter D. Meltzer, is as follows:

“The principal reason why you cannot store white wine for up to a year in a refrigerator is because the humidity is too low. That could cause the hermetic seal between the cork and the neck of the bottle to deteriorate, potentially resulting in oxidation. There’s also the chance that ambient smells from other products in your refrigerator (onions, boiled eggs, or fish, for example) could alter the flavor of your wine. Finally, the interior temperature of an average refrigerator is programmed around 35° F, whereas a professional wine storage unit is set at 55° F. The extreme cold may cause a precipitate of tartrate crystals, a crystalline substance that forms in the bottom of the bottle that could cloud your wine when poured. Use your refrigerator to chill your wine, not to store it.”

Would life be easier (and cheaper) if we could all just keep our reds in a nice rack in the corner and our whites in the fridge? Absolutely. But it would also be a lot less tasty when the time came to actually open those bottles.

Four years ago, my wife and I had my parents over for dinner. My father brought along a bottle of Moet et Chandon 1979 that he’d found in the back of his cellar. Everything we read about it said that it should have died years earlier. But when we opened it, the entire living room filled with the scent of tropical fruit, rich nuts, and truffles. It was nothing short of majestic. Proper cellaring had saved it, and allowed it to evolve unexpectedly well.

The bottom line is this: Treat your wine with care, and it will reward you for years to come.
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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Chablis Pairing, and A Big Award for Trinchero

The farmers markets here in Philadelphia have lately been full of the kind of hearty, leafy greens that make such perfect seasonal salads in the autumn. Baskets of apples and pears overflow at every turn. The smell of fireplaces sparking to life colors the morning air. And contrary to what you might think, this is the perfect time of year for a crisp white wine like Chablis.

Not all white wines are the same. Some, like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, are pitch perfect for the spring and summer, their tropical, citric, and fresh-cut-grass notes elegantly mirroring the scents of the season. But now, as something smokier and more bracing comes into the air, is the time for Chablis.

Wine Spectator recently posted a very good video on pairing salad with Chablis, and this seems like the right time of year to consider what they have to say. Click here to watch.

And on the news front, Wine Enthusiast Magazine has named Trinchero the American Winery of the Year. According to a press release, “Trinchero Family Estates is being recognized for leading sustainable winegrowing and producing a diverse portfolio of more than 22 award-winning wines that represent quality and value.” The full text is available here.
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Monday, November 2, 2009

2009 Riesling, and The Origins of French Wine

As a bit of a follow-up to the Mosel Riesling tasting video from last week, a brief report on the 2009 harvest. Decenter.com is reporting that “Germany's 2009 vintage will be as fine as the excellent 2007 – but with less wine, vintners say.”

The piece continued, “Ideal weather in the summer and early autumn means quality will be very high but yields will be down because of uneven flowering in June…Helmut Dönnhoff of the Dönnhoff estate in the Nahe region said 2009 would be ‘another great vintage, on par with 2007,’ potential alcohol between 12.5% and 13.5%.”

This is good news for the ever-growing number of German Riesling fans, as it marks yet another in an already exceptional string of good years. (Take a look at the vintage chart on Robert Parker’s web site: Germany’s major wine regions, according to his assessment, have not had less-than-stellar vintages since 2000.) This just seems to reinforce the fact that German Riesling provides one of the most reliable, affordable, and food-friendly wine experiences available today.

Moving further West in Europe and on a more academic note, British newspaper The Telegraph is reporting that, contrary to popular belief, it was likely the Greeks who brought winemaking to France, and not the Romans or Etruscans.

The article notes, “The original makers of Côtes-du-Rhône are said to have descended from Greek explorers who settled in southern France about 2500 years ago, [the report] claimed.”

It continued: “The study, by Prof Paul Cartledge, suggested the world's biggest wine industry might never have developed had it not been for a ‘band of pioneering Greek explorers’ who settled in southern France around 600 BC.”

And while this may not have any real impact on your experience of whatever wine you pour into your glass tonight with dinner, it is yet another reminder of our ancient ties to the beverage. Really, every time you take a sip, you’re re-enacting a ritual that has gone on for thousands of years. No matter how you look at it, that’s an amazing thing.
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Best wine blogs and resourceshttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Best general wine blogs

Gabe's View Wine: Reviews, Thoughts & Culture

Vinography.com Wine and food adventures in San Francisco and around the world.

1winedude.com Serious Wine Talk for the Not-so-Serious Drinker.

Another Wine Blog Joe and Amy's take on all things wine.

The Tasting Note A quirky wine blog.

Cellarette Eileen chronicles her attempt to become a master of wine.

Seattle Wine Gal Tips for Seattle Area wineries and wine shops

Whitley on Wine Robert Whitley's Wine Blog.

The Passionate Foodie - Richard discusses good food, wine, saké & spirits.

Mano a Vino Food, wine, and travel.

Scordo.com Vince Scordo on how to live the Italian way, which of course includes wine.

On the Wine Trail in Italy Alfonso follows the trail of the vine as it winds through Italy and beyond.

Wine Life Today Adventures and opinions on wine, technology, and marketing.

Michael Stajer Focused on issues in wine and technology and where they intersect.

Fork & Bottle Jack & Joanne's guide to eating, drinking, and living.

Sowine A French blog on the art of looking sideways.

Wine Conversation A wine blog written by a worker in the U.K. wine trade.

Wilma's Wine World An insider's look at the "wine country" life.

Cork Jester Jennifer Rosen's award winning blog.

Wine90 An Italian wine blog.

My Wine Education Michelle blogs about Cincinnati wine and dining.

Wine Foot Stomping the snob out of wine.

Winexpression Jathan comments on and reviews wine.

Saignée The crushed grape, crying out for revenge.

Vino Vixenz Celebrating wines.

Arte Vinos Puros - Italian wine blog dedicated to pleasure in art, wine, and cigars.

Fermentation - Tom Wark's daily blog on wine public relations
.

Wine Lovers Page News and forums for wine lovers.

Jim's Loire - Concentrating mainly but not exclusively on the Loire's vineyards, its vignerons and their wines along with places to eat and stay.

Wines & Vines - The voice of the wine industry.

oenoLogic - Wine is thought.


Wine Terroirs - Wine tasting, vineyards, in France.


Alice Feiring - Blog of the James Beard award winning wine writer Alice Feiring.

Best wine review blogs


DrinkHacker.com The essential blog for the discriminating drinker.

The Good Wine Guru Wine reviews, tips, and advice from an excellent wine reviewer.

2 Days per Bottle David's wine review blog.

Wannabe Wino Tasting adventures from the DC Metro area and beyond.

Tastes of Life Victoria reviews fine wines.

Wine Peeps An independent wine blog specializing in Washington State wines.


DrinkHacker.com The essential blog for the discriminating drinker.

What to Drink Tonight Wine review site details a quest for tasteful wines on a low budget.


Other wine related sites

Wine Storage Cave Facility The first...fine and rare wine storage facility located in a cave on the North American continent, in New York.

Kroatische Weine Global directory of wine resources.

WineLabel.com Custom wine labels.

Stardots.com Food, cooking and dining resources, including wine.

Encyberpedia Food and beverage company listing, including wine.

Internet Wine Guide Instant access to all major wine sites of the world.

Legend Cellars Orange County, California's premier wine storage facility.

Saucy Joes Food, Wine, Fun and Cooking.

Southshore.com Bull Shoals Lake, Arkansas, includes food and drink resources.

German Wine Page Information and resources for German wine.

British Club Worldwide Links to wine retailers.

Rendezvous Cafe

Wine-Wall.com Wine Racks & Wine Accessories.

The Personal Wine Curator User friendly, versatile and comprehensive wine cellar software. Wine cataloging. Wine and food pairing. For PC and Mac.

Planet Grape A wine consulting firm providing education, content, and sommelier services.

Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman Walla Walla Wines and Gourmet Gifts.

Fourcade & Hecht Information for the beginning wine drinker, virtual wine tasting, and more.

Vinternet Blog about the wine business, in French.

Adegga.com and AVIN (ISBN of Wine).

Nuyaka Creek Winery A vineyard and winery in Oklahoma.

Italiansrus.com Your guide to Italy and Italian culture on the Web, including wine.

WineBase The Ultimate Cellar Management and Wine Reference Software.

Casa de Sezim A historic estate in Portugal that makes its own wine.

Wine Beers and Spirits
A list of online resources devoted to wines, beers and spirits.

Classic Wines Find wines for sale from stores all over the web, manage tasting notes, and more.

WineZap Buy wine by comparing wine prices from U.S. retailers at WineZap.com.

FamilyWok.com Family cooking the Chinese way.

BobCampell.co.nz Bob is instructor of a wine diploma course, has wine reviews, and more.

Okanogan Estates Vineyards A hidden treasure in the Okanogan's premier grape region of North Central Washington State.

Vinophoria Offers exclusive wine, food and cultural tours for travelers in Spain.

Best Wine Websites A listing of the top wine related websites.

ZOQY Zeitgeist, opinions, questions, yatter + wine – corbieres – languedoc and life in France.

Italy Wine Tours Italy and Wine offers wine tasting tours for individuals and small groups and can organize custom-designed private tours in Italy. You can find out several itineraries along Tuscany, Piedmont and Veneto.

Honeycreek Vineyard and Orchards A winery nested in the upper Ozarks region of Missouri, Warrensburg.

MyCaliforniaWinery.com Info on California wineries and their wine.

Southwest France Travel, cuisine, and wine info on the South of France.

The Wine Attic Resources for California tasting and touring.

Vino Vixenz Wine tutorials on wine tasting, weekly wine reviews, and more.

100 Best Wines Information on wine racks, cellars, gift baskets and more.

WineRecipes.com A great source of recipes to use while cooking with wine.

Vinivino All you need to know about wines, powerful wine tools and wine social network.

2BA Snob How to be a beverage snob with coffee, tea, wine, and beer.

Captain Plaid Progressivism meets an ornery Scot.

Santa Carolina Santa Carolina wine information.

The Naked Grape Great selection of wine resources including an award-winning wine course.

BizWeb Alcohol Page Great collection of alcohol-related resources.

Culinary Software Services Provides restaurant and foodservice software.

The Hungover Gourmet The Journal of Food, Drink, Travel & Fun!

The Savvy Host Great resources for entertaining with food and wine.

Shaboom's Kitchen Recipes, cooking suggestions, wine and more.

Macrothesaurus Wines and wine industry links.

Food Management Search
- Food Industry Recruiting.

GourmetSpot - Gourmet cooking and wine reference site.

Long Island Vineyard Tours - Vineyard tours of the Long Island wine country.

PleasureCooker.com - An excellent home cooking and wine blog.

Smartlife.com - 45+ Places To Buy Beer, Wine, And Spirits Online

A taste of the Southwest - Great Southwest food resources including beer and wine.

Wine Beers & Spirits of the Net - Online resources dedicated to these drinks.

Air au Vin Wine Breather - Breathes your wine by gently bubbling air through it.

b2bWine.com - Business to business wine directory.

Snooth.com - A new way to discover and understand wine.

eRobertParker.com - The independent consumer's guide to fine wine.

Decanter.com - An upmarket magazine on wine and spirits.

French Scout - Wine tutorials and reviews.

Wine Enthusiast - Great wine-related products.

Grape Radio - Internet radio program, James Beard award-winning.

Wine Intro - Lisa Shea's Basic Wine Tips, FAQs, and info.

Wine & Alcohol Stores - Carnegie Mellon list of wine and alcohol stores.

Vino Vessel - US Manufacturer of concrete wine and storage vessels.

Other useful sites

Tabloid Column Sensational daily news headlines.

E-Cookbooks.net A great resource for recipes to go with your wine.

Radok News Daily news by Radok.

Putting Facets on the Web An Annotated Biography

Chocolate Links Great resources for buying chocolate.

PeterMe.com Thoughts, links, and essays from Peter Merholz.

Culinary.net Great culinary suggestions to go with your wine.

The Info Service - The web's best resource!

Rocky Dickerson - Rocky's personal page.

The Sun's Financial Diary - Great ways to spend and save, including wine.Link
Vernon Frazee - News, information, and reference links.

Jordanas - Mother of pearl dining wear, picture frames, and more.

WaitersWorld - Resources for professional waiters.

Grape Seek - The World's fastest growing wine industry portal.
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