Here’s a glass of wine I had in Fargo. I took a few other photos in NoDak, you can see them over at Flickr.
Archive for the 'Wine' Category
It’s no surprise I like vino. I’ve been searching for a way to keep track of wines that I own, and those that I drink, and for now I’ve settled on the website Cork’d. One of the coolest features about Cork’d is that they publish the list of wines that are in your cellar, as an XML feed.
This made it very convenient for me to create a new page here - my cellar.
The Molly Dooker is one of the most hyped wines in production. Robert Parker falls head over heels for it. So much so that it’s nearly impossible to find a bottle. The best wine store around got their shipments in this week, so I had to pick up a bottle, since I missed out on last year’s.
I won’t be able to drink it for a few months, because it needs to settle following the ride to the States, but here’s to hoping it’ll pay off!
Also, I created a new photo gallery with my prized wines. Take a peak.
The Washington Post has an interesting report on climate change’s effect on wine. In France, vintners are noticing that their harvests are steadily arriving earlier with each year.
The evidence, scrawled in black ink, is the first day of the annual grape harvest for the past three decades. In 1978, it was Oct. 16. In 1998, the date was Sept. 14. This year, harvesting started Aug. 24 — the earliest ever recorded, not only in (René) Muré’s vineyards, but also in the entire Alsace wine district of northeastern France.
Weather is one of the biggest factors that impact the taste of wine. Rainfall, temperature, wind, etc…all greatly impact each year’s production. Drying climates produce less fruit in the bouquet, or nose, of a grape. Wind can beat-up the wine producing tougher, more tannic wines.
To further complicate the issue, in France, wine-growing is controlled by regional boards that pass very strict laws on the types of vines that can be grown and the wines that can be produced from their region. As the article states:
Without (the) approval (of the wine board), planting different grapes would be “as illegal as planting marijuana” under French wine laws.
These laws may seem silly, but in most wine-drinking countries other than the US, the grape varietal (Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc…) is significantly less important than the region from whence the wine came. This is due to the impact of “terroir,” or geography on wine. Like climate, the soil composition (rocky, sandy, clay, etc…), elevation, sun-exposure, etc…influence the flavors in the wine. For instance, an older vine, grown in rocky soil will have a more-varied taste, because older vines dig deeper into the soil, and rocky soil will contain more minerals that influence the taste of the grape.
Combining the rigidity of wine-drinkers view of regional wines, with the influence of global warming presents a significant hurdle for the vintners of the world to overcome. It will be interesting to see if the regional wine authorities in France begin allowing grapes traditionally grown in warmer climates to be produced. If so, it could change the face of wine forever.
Check out some of the latest feline photos:
So last night, I tired an interesting recipe for steak:
Take a 12″ skillet, and brown steak in it. Remove the steak from the pan, then dump into the skillet about 1.5 cups of water and 1 cup of salsa and bring it to a boil. Place some noodles and the steak back in the pan, and cook until the noodles are soft. It’s pretty tasty! And pairing it with a grenache is perfect!
C.G. Di’Arie is a relatively young Shenendoah Valley vineyard based in the Sierra Foothills of California. Chaim and Elisheva produce some absolutely astounding wines. If you have a chance to drink the 2003 Syrah, I suggest that you purchase it and drink it immediately, for you will be tasting one of the best wines of the year (in the $30 price range), in my opinion.
There is a great history on their website, and if you have an interest in wine, it’s really worth reading. Their description of the terrior of the region is really interesting. I hope that I’ll get to visit them soon!
Wow. Now, I love Tuscan wines. I think they are certainly one of the more under-appreciated wines in the world. Granted, many of them are not cheap…although relatively inexpensive when compared with Bordeaux’s or Chateauneuf du Pape, but when compared to some Napa’s or Aussies, they are pricey. Anywho, the Vicchiomaggio Ripa delle More 2000 is a little pricey, between $40 and $50 retail. Amazing wine, unbelievably smooth finish, unbelievably wonderful nose…semi-fruity, yet my limited pallatte could be overstating some things as well.
Had the 2002 Passing Clouds Reserve Shiraz this weekend. It’s a fantastic little Australian from the Bendigo district. Graeme Leith is the winemaker of this wonderful full-flavored Shiraz. Definitely a wine that’ll be drinking well for the next several years.
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