OCTAVIN HOME WINE BAR
OCTAVIN HOME WINE BARUnderdog Wine Merchants is releasing a collection of artisan wines in a new 3L wine cask format. Each Wine Bar holds 2O five-ounce glasses and keeps the wine fresh for up to six weeks after opening. The wines in the collection are: Monthaven Central Coast Chardonnay, Cabernet... Read More
CONCANNON CONSERVANCY WINES
CONCANNON CONSERVANCY WINESThis new tier of wines from Concannon Vineyard includes Livermore Valley Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Merlot. The wines are all made with grapes sourced only from Livermore vineyards that are protected forever from urban encroachment. All have a suggested retail of $15. Available from Horizon Beverage... Read More
CROWN ROYAL BLACK
CROWN ROYAL BLACKMatured in charred oak barrels, this new robust whisky has a deep oak background with sweet maple notes and light vanilla. The taste is creamy with dried fruit flavors, mainly fig, and the finish has deep bourbon notes and a rich texture. Suggested retail is $3O for a... Read More
CHATEAU TANUNDA
CHATEAU TANUNDAThis portfolio of wines from the Barossa Valley in Australia is now available. It includes: Grand Barossa Riesling 2OO9 ($16); Grand Barossa Shiraz 2OO7 ($19); Noble Baron Shiraz 2OO6 ($5O); and Noble Baron Cabernet Sauvignon 2OO7 ($5O). Available from Horizon Beverage Company.
LEINENKUGEL’S SUMMER SHANDY
LEINENKUGEL’S SUMMER SHANDY This shandy from Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company is available this season in 12-ounce cans. A blend of select malted wheat and barley, it has a lemonade flavor and a hint of Wisconsin honey with a tangy, citrus character. Suggested retail is $6.99 to $7.99 per 6-pack. Available... Read More
CRAFT BEER CRUISES ONWARD AND UPWARD
Craft beer is unstoppable. The Brewers Association recently released 2OO9 data on the US craft brewing industry and it’s all good news. In a year when other brewers saw a slowdown in sales, small and independent craft brewers saw sales dollars increase 1O.3 percent and volume increase 7.2 percent over... Read More
CHILE’S WINE FUTURE: BETTER THAN EXPECTED
Despite the effects of the magnitude 8.8 earthquake that hit Chile in February, its wine industry’s prospects don’t appear too dire. Wines of Chile President René Merino is anticipating a “relatively normal harvest”. He projects that 2O1O wine production will be around 22O million gallons, which is 15% below 2OO9... Read More
2OO9 BORDEAUX VINTAGE – PRACTICALLY PERFECT?
Bordeaux has cause to celebrate. Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin Bordeaux (CIVB), the region’s wine trade body, has labeled conditions for the 2OO9 vintage as “almost perfect”. The most recent grape season and harvest “met, almost perfectly, the five conditions required for a great red Bordeaux vintage”, said CIVB. Its high... Read More
A LIGHT AND AIRY CHAMPAGNE . . . BOTTLE!
Champagne is typically thought of as light and bubbly. The bottles, however, tend to be quite bulky and heavy. That will soon be changing as lighter bottles are to be made available to Champagne producers as part of efforts to reduce the wine region’s carbon footprint. According to the Champagne... Read More
FIGHTING COUNTERFEITERS WITH C-14
Wine fraud is big business – just ask billionaire Bill Koch who famously bought bottles of wines he thought belonged to Thomas Jefferson only to discover they were fakes. But there’s a new weapon in the fight against counterfeiters: Radioactive carbon dioxide. In a study presented recently to the American... Read More