| Abbey releases 2 new wines | | Posted Thursday, January 25, 2007 1:26:34 PM by Blog57 Team | | CANON CITY - The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey, 3011 U.S. 50 East, has released two new red wines that are stellar examples of the state's wine and vineyard industries. The 2005 Colorado Cabernet Franc is made from grapes harvested Sept. 29, 2005, at the Avalanche Vineyards in Palisade. It is a full-bodied red wine loaded with bright cherry/berry fruit and hints of American and French oak. The 2005 Colorado Merlot features two Merlot grape varieties grown in Palisade, which were harvested at Talbott Farms and Whitewater Hill vineyards. The Merlot is the winery's signature product. It has loads of luscious fruit complemented by black cherry, berry and spice as well as a subtle oak nuance. The Merlot can be aged for four to six years.... | |
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| | | Spirited Glass: Wis. roots take hold at coast winery | | Posted Tuesday, January 23, 2007 3:16:48 PM by Blog57 Team | | When winemakers Chad Johnson and Corey Braunel begin using barrels made of Wisconsin oak to age future vintages of their Washington state varietals, they will bring their influence full circle and a much-needed touch of home to their Dusted Valley Vineyards winery. The pair, along with wives Janet Johnson and Cindy Braunel, are all Northern Wisconsin natives who have been making wine in eastern Washington's Walla Walla Valley appellation since 2003. The chance to age their wines in Wisconsin oak grown along the Rib River in Marathon County, where three of the four grew up, will forge a stronger link with their former home state, which has yet to see any of their wines on its shelves. "The oak is from trees that I played cowboys and Indians in as a child," said Braunel, who grew up on a cultivated ginseng farm near Marathon, just west of Wausau.... | |
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| | | WA company redesigns the wine bottle | | Posted Thursday, November 23, 2006 1:14:03 PM by Blog57 Team | | WEST Australian winemaker Palandri Wines believes it can boost its export earnings by $32 million within two years after developing an alternative to the traditional wine bottle. Palandri has spent the past 18 months developing the fully recyclable plastic/aluminium packaging which it has tagged the "Cheer Pack". The winemaker is touting it as an "innovative new wine product designed to suit modern lifestyle and address environmental issues". CEO Darrel Jarvis said the winemaker was in discussions with a major international airline interested in space and weight saving alternatives to wine bottles on long haul flights. "They recognise the Cheer Pack as an innovative and important development in the wine industry," Mr Jarvis said. "The Cheer Pack's innovative design is small and convenient to carry, takes up far less space than a wine bottle, and also meets a lifestyle requirement." Palandri will make its first shipment of newly packaged wine next week, exporting 3,500 cases to Canada.... | |
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| | | Overtime | | Posted Tuesday, November 14, 2006 7:13:00 PM by Blog57 Team | | What is the world coming to when Bill Walsh is seen shilling for Coors Light on television, and Mike Ditka is out promoting his own brand of pinot grigio? As it turns out, Ditka and his famous "Grabowskis" were actually a bunch of wine-sippers. Ditka, who claims to be a lifelong red wine aficionado, has partnered with Mendocino Wine Co. to produce five Ditka wines to be shipped to retailers this week. Ditka's pinot grigio and merlot will sell for $10 to $12 a bottle. His chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon will go for $15 to $17. And his high-end bottle, a zinfandel-syrah-petite sirah blend will sell for $40 to $50. "Looks can be deceiving," Ditka told the Chicago Sun-Times. "I've drank red wine my whole life. There's no wine ever made that I didn't try." An updated version of the old "Da Bears" skit on "Saturday Night Live" would certainly look different now.... | |
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| | | Paul Gregutt's print-and-save wine list | | Posted Sunday, November 12, 2006 11:13:59 AM by Blog57 Team | | Brian Carter Cellars 2004 Oriana White Blend; $24. Cedergreen Cellars 2005 Sauvignon Blanc; $18. Bonair 2004 Riesling; $9. Wineglass Cellars 2005 'In The Buff' Chardonnay; $13. C.R. Sandidge 2004 Viognier; $19. 2005 Apex II Sauvignon Blanc; $11. Chinook 2005 Sauvignon Blanc; $17. Thurston Wolfe 2005 PGV; $15. Willow Crest 2005 Pinot Gris; $10. Willow Crest 2005 Chenin Blanc; $10. Pontin Del Roza 2005 Pinot Grigio; $17. Pontin Del Roza 2005 White Riesling; $10. YAKIMA VALLEY RED WINES McCrea 2003 'Boushey Grande Cte' Syrah; $42. DeLille 2003 Harrison Hill Red; $68. Bunnell Family Cellar 2004 'Boushey-McPherson Vineyard' Syrah; $33. Brian Carter Cellars 2002 L'Etalon; $30. Sheridan Vineyard 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon; $45. O- S Winery 2004 Dineen Vineyard Syrah; $42. Columbia Winery 2001 Red Willow Vineyard Syrah; $27.... | |
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| | | T.G.I. Friday's(R) Restaurants Announces New Wine List | | Posted Thursday, November 09, 2006 11:30:28 PM by Blog57 Team | | Building on its beverage heritage of innovation and fun, T.G.I. Friday's restaurants today announced a new Wine List, adding five fun new wines. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060907/DATH025LOGO) "Who says wine can't be big and bold?" asked Terri Snyder, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Carlson Restaurants Worldwide, parent of T.G.I. Friday's restaurants. "Friday's will demystify wine for our guests by giving them a new fun and hip Wine List." New featured wines include the popular Barefoot brand (available in Merlot, Chardonnay and Cabernet), which will serve as a great entry level option, the light and refreshing Jewel Un-Oaked Chardonnay and Smoking Loon Cabernet, a hip new classic Cabernet. There are 833 T.G.I. Friday's restaurants in 56 countries.... | |
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| | | Wine Awards Announce Gold Medal Winners | | Posted Tuesday, November 07, 2006 11:33:34 AM by Blog57 Team | | The quality of wines judged at the Air New Zealand Wine Awards will ensure New Zealand continues its popularity on the international stage, according to chairman of the judges, Brent Marris. "We saw exceptional wines across all classes during the three-day judging," he said. A total of 89 gold medal wines will go on to vie for 18 trophies at the prestigious Air New Zealand Wine Awards on Saturday 11 November in Hawke’s Bay. Managed by New Zealand Winegrowers, with naming-rights sponsor Air New Zealand, the awards attracted 1,737 entries this year. A panel of 18 local and two international judges awarded wines with 89 gold medals, 261 silver medals and 592 bronze medals. This year a record 328 entries were received for Sauvignon Blanc, the highest in the awards’ history.... | |
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| | | Want to learn about wines? N.Y. group has Internet resource | | Posted Saturday, November 04, 2006 11:31:20 PM by Blog57 Team | | The New York Wine & Grape Foundation has made learning about wine varieties easier. It recently unveiled a free Web-based educational and promotional resource for wineries, wholesalers, retailers, restaurants and consumers. Visit www.newyorkwines.org, click on "Information Station" and then "Hot Topics" to find "New York's Great Grapes." The Web page includes information on the 18 most common varieties of wines produced in New York, including Riesling, Merlot and Pinot Noir. Click on a PDF file and find brief descriptions of each variety accompanying photos of the grape cluster, the wine in a glass and a typical food pairing. There are also scales of sweetness levels, from dry to sweet and intensity levels, from delicate to robust to help guide in their selection of wines. The various formats highlighting these grapes, wines and complementary foods will include: a standard shelf talker, a large ceiling sign, a small case card, a price card, a poster, a table tent and an 8-panel brochure.... | |
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| | | CATHERINE RABB | ON WINE: Restaurateurs raise a glass to Chilean wines | | Posted Thursday, November 02, 2006 7:21:46 PM by Blog57 Team | | Most restaurateurs who need tasty and affordable wines to pour by the glass have been fans of Chilean wines for years. For those in the know, Chile delivers a quality punch for the price, providing likable and tasty wines that drink like more expensive bottles. The good price-to-value ratio makes this a fun region for experimenting. Chile is paradise for grapes. The country is long -- 2,700 miles -- but very narrow, 96 miles at the widest point, and physically isolated from its neighbors. The Pacific Ocean to the west brings breezes that keep humidity low. The towering Andes mountains to the east are visible from all the vineyards and provide irrigation. Snow melt from these spectacular slopes is funneled to the vineyards for irrigation through a series of channels.... | |
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| | | Find the right merlots to tame cranky cheeses | | Posted Thursday, November 02, 2006 1:50:07 PM by Blog57 Team | | I put this question to two of my favorite Portland cheese mongers. One is Jeremy at Whole Foods Market, the other is Steve of Steve's Cheese, which is in a tiny corner of Square Deal Wines. Oddly, both recommended similar English cheeses -- from the same supplier. Neal's Yard Dairy of London produces its own cheese, but more importantly, it collects dozens of rare farmhouse cheeses from around the English countryside. Of the two Neal's Yard products recommended, one is a classic English cheddar. With all due respect to our friends near the Oregon Coast, the Montgomery's Cheddar is a true one: dense, earthy, dry, remarkable -- in other words, not orange. The Neal's Yard Lincolnshire Poacher, while similar, is slightly more fruity than the cheddar, with a pronounced caramel flavor, but it's still plenty earthy.... | |
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