Today?s Headlines

Internal Affairs Will Be Keeping an Eye on Traffic Court to Stop Cops From Fixing Tickets (NYT, News) NYPD “Integrity Officer” Made a Copy of His Placard for Mom (News) Queens CB12 Members: Jamaica Bus Lanes Need Real Enforcement to Work (News) Days Are Numbered for the Gas Station at Broadway/Lafayette and All Its Curb Cuts (Observer) Responding to [...]

Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2011/05/19/todays-headlines-1145/

Innes Ireland Eddie Irvine Chris Irwin Jean Pierre Jabouille Jimmy Jackson

Stop and Smell the Wine

With the New Year and winter’s recalcitrance toward resolutions now giving way to spring and new life, I’ve been contemplating a wine-related information makeover.

Perhaps not so much, “Out with the old, in with the new” as simply an editing of the wine-related information I consume, which is to say:  There’s a lot of it and I need less of it.  It’s a diet, perhaps.

Hastened by the online wine world where over the last five years wine content has become free, easy and inexhaustible, a wine enthusiast can get sucked into a vortex of infinite information that is unwittingly counter to their ethos.

Simply, one morning, under the glare of ashen bathroom lighting, the wine boor that we all hate so much might be staring back at us in the mirror.

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This past week, I knew I might be in too deep, stuck in the trees and not able to see the forest, when I traded emails with some fellow wine writer’s.  The initial query obtusely referenced Antonio Galloni and his new for-profit venture into conducting events as an adjunct to his wine criticism at the Wine Advocate.

“Huh?” You might say with this tidbit entirely missing your radar.  And, that’s exactly my point. 

Less than two months ago a mention of Antonio Galloni would have registered little more than a furtive calculation against the mental file. “Innocuous” would have been an apropos adjective for Galloni.  Now, weeks later, Galloni, Robert Parker, Jr.’s successor, is the subject of top-of-mind conversation based on an interview with wine writer Mike Steinberger at his Wine Diarist blog, which itself is barely two months old.  The reason?  Galloni has set-up a company called All Grapes Media, LLC that is facilitating winemaker dinners with readers of the Wine Advocate (WA) and select wineries that have been reviewed by Galloni and WA.

This has raised questions anew about ethics …

While not the subject of this post per se, what struck me about my email exchange was that all parties on the email knew about this VERY minor revelation.

Regrettably, this smallest of details, which has zero implication on the enjoyment of wine, any wine, is something that people pay attention to, and even postulate about as a frame of reference.

I’m as guilty as anybody.

Yet, we all control our decisions.  Just as Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin famously said, “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are” the information we consume says just as much about who we are.

In the meantime, as we wax to drama, and let wine wane, we are living in a Golden Age of the drop – wine that is universally lauded and accessibly priced.  On the market today a wine enthusiast can access a nearly unlimited supply of not just information, but wine, glorious wine.  The ’07 Cabernet vintage from Napa is an all-time great.  The ’09 Rieslings from Germany are stellar.  The ’08 Pinots from Oregon are of incredible quality.

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These are all available to the wine lover who wants to do a bit of research and seek them out.

So, instead of getting into the proverbial weeds of very small wine-related detail, I’m taking just a small step back to enjoy this moment in time to use my information consumption habits to research and seek out wines, allocating some tax refund money to buying up a parcel of Napa Cabs, Oregon Pinot’s and German Rieslings for my cellar.

10-years hence, I won’t remember a small peccadillo about Antonio Galloni and some wine events, but I surely will remember when I had the foresight to buy up some wines that will pay me great dividends in enjoyment in the future.

You should consider doing the same.

Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/stop_and_smell_the_wine/

Al Keller Joe Kelly Dave Kennedy Loris Kessel Bruce Kessler

Scan wine flash sale sites, at a glance

A surplus of wine in the past couple of years has led to closeouts, which, in turn, has led to the proliferation of daily deal wine sites. But there are now so many that it can be hard to keep up with them all. Thus the new site winehoarder.com. Still in beta, the site aggregates [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/MAJyXiJHxVA/

Max Jean Stefan Johansson Eddie Johnson Leslie Johnson Bruce Johnstone

Alan Kerr?s Vintage?s April 16th Release ? Tasting Notes

New Zealand takes centre stage in this, the second release of April. The release has no wines one would call outstanding, but there is one or two that are worth seeking out. Unfortunately, due to the next tasting coinciding with exam week at school, I will miss the next tasting. Thus no notes for the [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/B9QHE5x6f3s/alan-kerr%e2%80%99s-april-16-release

Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica Nanni Galli Oscar Alfredo Gálvez

Ecclestone still high in Rich List

Bernie Ecclestone has retained his place as Formula 1's wealthiest person in the annual Sunday Times Rich List , as figures from motor racing showed well in the top sportsmen category. Ecclestone was estimated to have a worth of £2,500 million - an increase of £1,125 million on last year ? which puts him 23rd overall in the list of the top 1,000 British earners.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/ecclestone-still-high-in-rich-list/

Randy Joseph Lajoie Kevin Paul Lepage William Ashton Lewis Jr Sterling Burton Marlin Mark Anthony Martin

Great advertising is about message, not product

Many of my readers are not from the the USA, so may not have seen this advert (unless they happen to love American Football) but take 2 minutes and 3 seconds to watch this Superbowl advert: Now, think back about how often the logo, the car itself or anything recognisable as “the product” were shown. [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/NhZTCI9AzCA/

Horace Gould Jean Marc Gounon Emmanuel de Graffenried Lucas di Grassi Cecil Green

Jess Jackson, royal wedding, corks, riot police ? sipped and spit

RIP: Jess Stonestreet Jackson The founder of Kendall-Jackson died last week bringing to a close a remarkable life that included making one of the best-selling wines in America. [NYT, SF Chronicle] SIPPED: the unknown Which bubbly will the esteemed quests raise in honor of the Royal Couple? The official wine has not yet been unveiled, [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/Qq9aa6F0cJk/

Juan Jover Oswald Karch Narain Karthikeyan Ukyo Katayama Ken Kavanagh

Preparing to Wed?Grapegrower Style

I've always watched grapegrowers and their partners in crime, winemakers, with fascination when the weather threatens their well laid plans. Their regular glances into the sky, their consultation of the Farmers Almanac, their regular check-ins in with weather.com are just...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FermentationTheDailyWineBlog/~3/GKEs5aeifH4/preparing-to-wedgrapegrower-style.html

Nick Heidfeld Theo Helfrich Mack Hellings Brian Henton Johnny Herbert

Value Alert: 2007 Felsina Fontalloro

We got together with friends last night for one of my favorite traditions: Friday night pizza night with really nice wine. While some see pizza-pairing as suited for simple wines, I see it as an opportunity for a low-fuss meal at the end of the work week and a chance to let the wines shine. This week we ordered from Old School Pizza in Wellesley (review).

A while back, a friend introduced me to the 2006 Felsina Fontalloro. I was really impressed with the wine's versatile personality. It's elegant and plays well in a sit down situation, but it's got this incredible fruit-driven nose that's so friendly and appealing. It's hard not to like.

After tasting the 2006 I added it to my shopping list but never saw it come up at a price I couldn't refuse. Fortunately (especially lately it seems) there's always another great vintage right around the corner: The 2007 is even better.

The 2007 is young at this point, but like all great wines it's still enjoyable even if it hasn't fully come together. It's as if the wine is deconstructed into individual components and it's easier to understand now than it will be in a few years. Like watching a golfer's swing in slow motion.

The initial aromas are beautiful sweet fruit. I love the mouthfeel of this wine - it's rich and satisfying but not heavy. Acidity reveals itself on the sides of the tongue. Earthy/leathery flavors. Beautiful finish. So well put together.

It's readily available for around $45 at retail and for as much as I've bashed Italy as being a tough category for value, this wine makes me rethink that sentiment. There are gads of wines in Napa Valley that have no problems declaring themselves value plays north of $50.

I highly recommend this wine and would love to find more wines like it. Let me know in the comments if you have some similar value plays you'd like to share.

2007 Felsina Fontalloro
14% alcohol
3,335 cases produced
$55 release price

A beautifully put together wine that makes me think twice before paying $50+ for domestic wine. Such fresh vibrant fruit on the nose combined with ample acidity, earth and overall balance and deliciousness - this is really a tremendous achievement for a little over $40. Extremely highly recommended.

94/100 WWP: Outstanding

96 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
93 points Wine Advocate
92 points Wine Spectator

Where to buy:
Wine.com
Search for it on wine-searcher.com
Other opinions on CellarTracker

Question of the Day: Have you had this wine or prior vintages? What are some other value plays in this category you'd recommend?


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/j5HmqIBhnLA/value-alert-2007-felsina-fontalloro.html

Carel Godin de Beaufort Christian Goethals Paul Goldsmith José Froilán González Oscar González