How about some Cabernet with that.... Hot Dog???

OK - so once in a while I come across something that hits me - and this is one of them. 5 sommeliers (the guy who makes that great recommendation at your favorite restaurant) had a round table on wines they would pick to go with that most American of foods - the Hot Dog. Now, the Hot Dog, done right, is some of the best eatin' you can find in this country, and to pair it with some nice wine - now you're talking.

here's the link (just copy and paste it) -
http://blogs.laweekly.com/squidink/wine-and-food-pairing/hot-dog-wine-pairings-sommelie/

SO, since we are heading into our pleasant fall weather, grill up some doggies and pop the cork!!!
Enjoy,
David

Everything you wanted to know about Federal Wine regulations....

...but were afraid to ask! The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (known as the TTB) has released an electronic copy of the information from their seminars this past spring
(download at: http://www.ttb.gov/pdf/compliance-seminar.pdf)
It is a wealth of information, especially regarding the reporting and record you have to keep regarding operations and such at you winery. Even if you are interested in starting a winery, this is a handy guide to have, as you can get a lot of your questions answered (without having to call, leave a message, etc.). Plus, having it in electronic format, it can live in your computer for handy reference, and save some trees to boot!
Hope you winery types find it useful!
Till next time
David

Why should the kids get all the summer time treats

We all remember those lazy, hot summer days when we were kids - eating a super cold pop-sickle before it melted from the heat. But now we are grown-ups and have developed a variety of tastes, and want something different, a little more...mature.
Well, here we go - Riesling Pops! This is a great idea for us in the over 21 crowd. Of course, it does give a whole new meaning to chewing your wine...
copy and paste the link -
http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=4974186270997429561
I think this is a STELLAR idea (even if summer is stubbornly trying to by-pass western Sonoma County this year). I will be finding some pop-sickle trays and sticks and trying this out over the next few days.
Enjoy -
David

Move over Japan - Here comes Canadian WINE fed beef

OK, so most of us are familiar with Kobe beef - originated in Japan, where the cows are given massages and generous portions of beer every day (and, though probably the most expensive beef on the planet, there is a reason people will save for weeks and months for it), those wacky neighbors of ours to the north are one-upping the Japanese: Canadian Wine fed beef.
Yes, you read that correctly.
You can read more about this in the article -
http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/08/05/i-think-youve-had-enough-maisy/
but the just of it is one company in BC is having a rancher finish his cattle with grain, grass and about a liter of red wine a day. No word on massages, but they apparently get a bit chatty after a tipple of the grape - not to mention they are apparently tastier. I will be seeing if one of my local specialty meat places can lay their hands on this, dare I say, "pre-marinated" beef.
If our Happy California Cows make better cheese, who knows what kind of happiness from red wine will do for that next Canadian burger!
Enjoy
David

Tasting California Riesling with Other Wine Professionals

This morning I had a chance to taste a couple of wines with the winemaker who worked on the wines, as well as other wine professionals, and compare and contrast our own observations about the wines.
The wines in Question - both from Sterling Vineyards, both Rieslings. We tasted the 2008 Monterey County and the 2009 Mendocino County. Giving us the back ground was one of the winemakers from Sterling, Alison Crary. She studied and made wine in Germany, so is one of the more familiar winemakers with Riesling in California these days. Joining the group was Tom Meadowcroft, owner and winemaker of Magito Wines; Damon Dudley, Operations Manager and Winemaker with Winesecrets; Domingo Rodriguez, VP and GM with Winesecrets; Petar Kirilov, winemaker with Magito, as well as consultant with other brands; and myself.
While you think the "land of vintages every year" as California might be seen, there was a striking difference between the two, and not just from a vintage standpoint. The 2008 Monterey was fuller, softer, much more like a Pinot Blanc, while the 2009 Mendo had big up front aromatics, crisper acids, and was, well for lack of a better term, playful on the tongue.
Another interesting note was that, while both wines came across very well, and would definitely be great food wines (the 08 I would say would with white flesh fish, and the 09 with shell fish, or even slightly spicy Asian cuisine, which would pair nicely with the fruity notes), both wines were at 14.2 alcohol - and did not come across as such! This shows that each of these wines was well balanced, and would be a welcome addition to the cellar this summer. It was also nice to take some time out of the usual routine and talk with other wine people and sit and focus on just a couple of wines and talk about the vineyards the grapes came from, the processes, and how each of us described them (in case you're wondering, both wines received high praises around the table, but it was a pretty even split when one had to be picked, so both wines were really winners).
Also was told that Sterling is having a special on the 08 this weekend (Memorial Day weekend), so if you needed an excuse to go to Sterling, here ya go!!
Hope you find some great wines this weekend,
Best
David

Sometimes passing along the information does more good....

So, sometimes I find items that just strike me as "yeah - that's something that needs to have more people reading it", so today I pass along a couple of links that I found relevant to the current state of wine.
One is one How, even after 75 plus years, Prohibition still has sway over this country-
http://www.anotherwineblog.com/archives/4062

and another is on cork, and how closures seem to still be contentious in the world of wine-
http://wine-ophelia.blogspot.com/2010/05/put-cork-in-it.html
(just copy and paste into your browser). Hope you find them enlightening and entertaining.
Best
David

The future of Wine Selling and Marketing

I had a chance last night to speak to the E-Commerce class in the Wine Business program at Sonoma State University last night, on Direct Shipping of wine, and its associated regulations. As I talked to them about some of the items to remember when shipping wine direct to consumer (as, when it comes to wine, we are NOT the United States, one nation under whatever, but a patchwork of differing and sometimes conflicting regulations), I had a remarkable thought - these are going to be some of the people marketing wine over the next 25 years or so.
And, as we talked, how is most of this wine going to be marketed? - by electronic media - email, facebook, blogs, twitter and the like. This group of soon to be college grads turned wine professionals will be the most linked via electronic means than ever before. Since we can order wine, find out about wine, write about wine 24/7, what else might change about this?
My thought is that more web conferencing will happen over the next few years. For instance, it might be possible to attend a trade show by Skype (or some sort of web attendance), which would cut travel time and costs, while still being able to gather needed information. It might be possible to attend wine tastings (this is a little more of a logistical tightrope, but achievable). Many wineries already have virtual tours of their facilities, so I'm sure web tasting rooms are not far off.
Also in question is how this will all affect the experience of the winery visit. Will it replace the in person visitation of wineries? Well, not likely. There is still something ever so enjoyable and romantic about the whole winery experience, so even as this new generation of wine marketers comes into the industry, one thing the electronic medium can't replace is the human element. It can enhance it, but not replace it. Wine, as a very subjective element, will always have a human element associated with it.
Until next time, raise a glass to your direct interaction with the fruit of the vine,
Best,
David

More news from the TTB!

So, ever wonder how TTB gets their information out to the wine industry? They bring it out to the wine regions! See more about this year's seminars - from labeling to tax reporting to news rules and regs.
Copy and paste the following to an article I wrote, and is on the Wines & Vines website-
http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&content=73506&htitle=TTB%20Signals%20Closer%20Scrutiny%20of%20Wineries

Hope you enjoy learning more about this wacky world of wine!
Best
David

How a Bill in Congress can kill small and medium size wineries in the US

So, usually my posts are pretty enjoyable, but this one is going to be me on my soap box -
Every one who enjoys wine - and it doesn't matter where in our country you live - should contact their Congress member and tell them that they need to come out in opposition to H.R. 5034. It is titled "Comprehensive Alcohol regulatory Effectiveness (CARE) Act of 2010" - it is nothing more than a grab by the wine, beer and spirit wholesalers to try to regulate how alcohol is available in this country - oh, and by the way, they want it to be them. This is not, at its heart, a states rights issue, it is a business issue. 6 - that's right, just 6 - distributors in this country control 50% of the wine, beer and spirits distribution in the United States. It forces small and medium size wineries to either sell to them at razor thin margins, or cut production (and if they have to cut back, then they have to cut jobs as well). The big six wholesalers are making huge profits (not like the oil industry, but they are all living large), and this bill would cut off the ability for wineries - of any size - to sell directly to consumers in any state. It would also curtail the choices consumers have to get the wines that they want, since in many states, the direct to consumer option might be the only way for a consumer to get their favorite wines. If these wineries go out of business - and it would hurt some of them to that point - then not only are wine jobs lost, but associated industries, such as grape growers, would be hurt, as the options for who they can sell their products to takes a severe hit, resulting in lost jobs in those businesses as well.
take this seriously - we all need to contact our Congressional representatives, and tell them that support of this bill amounts to opposition to their re-election bid (I have contacted mine, and let her know!). Don't let your choice be controlled by the wholesalers!!!!
Until next time,
David

As much as we like the folksy "family" winery image.....

A lot of us like the folsky image of a family winery, nestled into some idyllic corner of a vineyard, and there are a ton of them out there. But, in a recent news item on Wines and Vines, while the number of wineries in North America has passed 7,000, don't think for a minute that the production is relatively evenly divided up between them. 93% of the wine production is handled by 6% of the wineries. That would mean at least 93% of the wine (by volume) on the average store shelf comes from a relatively few wine producers.
I'm not saying that's a good thing or bad thing - it's just the reality that wine is big business, and most of the players are big companies. Even if they are family run, they are still big companies. Also, keep in mind that the name of the producer on the bottle could be a registered trade name of a larger company. Case in point. A number of years ago, when I worked for a large chain drug store, I would often be on the "floor" hand selling and helping people decide on choices of wine during the holidays. One store I was at, in Modesto, proved that most people don't know that a big company is behind that wine. A nice, older woman wanted some wine for having with a holiday gathering of family. After going over what food was going to be served and what kind of wine she normally has, we narrowed down to 2 relatively safe varietals - Chardonnay and Merlot, and started looking at ones in a price range she had. She looked at a Gallo brand wine, and said "oh, I would never have Gallo", then looked at a Turning Leaf bottle and continued "but that Turning Leaf wine would be nice." I asked her if she knew where it was made, which she didn't, so I had her look at the bottler statement on the back label. Seeing that it was Modesto, she queried "oh, I didn't know there was another winery in Modesto!" When I told her there wasn't, the light went on that it was just another product from Gallo, to which she couldn't believe she was buying Gallo. Now, I have had some nice Turning Leaf wines, but if you know that it's from a large producer, it is usually easier to accept that you may be feeding a corporate machine - and, if you enjoy it, then that's not necessarily a bad thing - it just is what it is.
If you ever want to know who the main producer is of any wine, you can actually look it up - you can go to www.ttb.gov (who are the guys that handle wine related regulations on the Federal level), click on 'labels', then click on Public COLA registry; from there, you can enter the name of the bottler, and see, from the registered approved labels, who the main company who made that wine is. Of course, this works best for centrally located wineries, producing under several labels. Over that past several years, large wine companies have been buying out wineries, and with different locations, you may not know if that winery is part of a larger corporation (a notable example would Robert Mondavi Winery, which is now owned by Constellation, the world's largest wine producer; the label approval would still show Mondavi, as long as it was bottled at the Mondavi facility).
Like I said earlier, wine by large companies is not a good or bad thing - it just is. But if you are looking for a small family producer, it probably won't be available by the pallet at Costco!
Let me know your thought
Until next time
David

This cat has got legs......

That's right - we talked about it here last week - and it's getting more pr - that's right, Hello Kitty wines. It has now been on the "Today Show", and more recently, the "Colbert Report" - copy and paste for Dr. Colbert's take on it (along with some other antics -
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/270017/april-07-2010/tip-wag---hello-kitty-wine---pig-s-blood-filters
With the marketing juggernaut of Sanrio, it won't be long until you see this at Target!
Enjoy!
David

It sounded like a good idea in French.....

OK - so this may be even more bizarre than the "Hello Kitty" wines we talked about earlier this month.
A very large and well known French cooperage house (i.e. barrel maker) is launching a new campaign - the idea is good - an on-line platform for the company to engage with winemakers, both marketing to them, getting feedback, sharing best practices, yadda yadda. I'm sure it sounded good in French; but they should have maybe run it by some people here in the states to see if the campaign title might not be the best -

"Winemakers for Good Wood"

Yes, this is really the name for it; they even have a website (www.winemakersforgoodwood.com), and you can also see the press release if you copy and paste the link (http://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataid=72923). You can even go on their website, and if you give them your name, etc., they will send you a "Winemakers for Good Wood" bumper sticker! So, while I have to say that it is a great idea to get more discussion about uses of barrels and such, next time, maybe test drive it first to see how it might play in the US.
More tales of the weird world of wine as I get them,
Best
David

Yes, there is a lot of paper work in the wine business...

Many of you think of the wine business as romantic, crafting fine quality nectar from the bounty of the land -
Ok, so it is that, too -
But there is a fair amount of regulation that comprises the industry, and I have an article that just came out in one of the magazines of the trade - Wines and Vines - so if you want a little more insight into this wacky life we love (and sometimes hate), copy and paste this for more:

http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=features&content=72278&ftitle=Overcome%20Fear%20of%20Filing

Hope you enjoy, and have some great wine today!
David

OK - now it's getting out of hand.....

So - in follow up to the earlier post this morning, the NBC affiliate in Los Angeles has picked up the Hello Kitty wine story!!!!!!!

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/around-town/food-drink/Cat-Lovers-and-Wine-Lovers-Rejoice--Hello-Kitty-Wine-is-Here-89565852.html

(copy and paste it)

Amazing even for the world of wine!!!
Enjoy,

David

And what would you serve these with????

OK - this is an actual story, so here goes:

Hello Kitty is coming out with wine.

Yes, you read that right, Hello Kitty, that scarily cute imp is really all grown up now, and ready to go to the city and party with her own wines. Made by an Italian firm, it includes 2 sparklers, a white and a red (see link for more - http://www.wineindustryinsight.com/RSS/index.php/hop/latest/hello-kitty-gets-her-first-catthemed-wine-cnet-asia/21718). If this is not one of the signs of the apocalypse, or at least there's too much wine out there for any one to buy and slap a label on, I don't know.
So, hum a happy tune and contemplate that one!
Until later,
David

It's Groundhog Day, so come out of the burrow.....

No, we're not talking about what wine goes with Groundhog, but we are going to look at some of the people, wines and wineries you might be overlooking if you stay in your burrow this time of year. Yeah, the weather, no matter where you're at, has not been the greatest of late, but if you don't venture out, you might miss something good.
Here's one to look for - Castoro Cellars. Located in the Central Coast region of California, they have been making "dam fine wine" (they're catch phrase, which goes along with the beaver on the labels) for some 25 years now. Castoro has something for everyone, with more than 20 wines to choose from, from light, floral whites to big full bodied reds, and everything in between. They are also priced well (most in the teens and low twenties), and they ship to many locals, so if you can't find them in your local wine shop, you can order up on-line.
Castoro also has been very conscious of farming responsibly and sustainably.As they say on their website - "Sustainability is the act of incorporating environmental responsibility, social equity and economic viability in all aspects of the winemaking process in order to ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy the fruits of the land as we enjoy them today. In its purest form sustainability is the act of living and doing business in ways that do not deplete the natural environment and its precious resources." This right thinking practice has lead to proprietor Niels Udsen being named Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance Person of the Year (you can read a little more from the article at the Paso Robles Press website - A Nod to Niels).I happen to know Niels, and this honor for him shows the kind of dedicated person he is, not only to wine, but to the greater good of the community at large. So, if you are looking for some great wine at good prices, from people who have the whole picture in focus, check out Castoro Cellars through their website at www.castorocellars.com.
Until next time
David

And now for something a little different.....

OK, so I'm not the best about regular posting, and this blog is typically about wine, but those of you who know me know that I and a bit of a foodie as well (I mean, hey, gotta have something to go with the wine, right?). So, last night, we were among the lucky to see Anthony Bourdain up here in Santa Rosa(that's right, all the Tony, without the bleeps). If you're not familiar with him, he spent more that a quarter century as a professional chef, most recently at Les Halles in New York (most of those as executive chef), wrote the wildly successful book, "Kitchen Confidential", which then lead to the whole travel-around-the-world-exploring-food-and-the-people-behind-it kind of thing, all the while being taped on TV (which he freely admits, he has the best job in the world), and has followed up with a number of other very successful books on his travels.
Most people know him as "the bad boy chef gone to television", and, while that my be true, he is also one of the most genuine, well-read, open, honest people I've had the pleasure to watch, read, and, now see in person and meet. His first foray into the travel-TV thing was via Food Network, and while still some good TV, his stay over there was, oh, let's just say he has some very specific opinions about a lot of what goes on there, and maybe that's why he has been on Travel Channel for the last 4 years or so. One thing that strikes me is that he really gets that it's not just about food - it's about the people behind it, the place that's it's in, and a connection to one another. It's about history, pride, giving and sharing, and telling it like it is.
Over the last several years, he has been pretty much to the corners of the world, and in some pretty scary situations, including having knifes pulled on him, held at gun-point (including via AK-47 with safeties off, no lees), and of course, the Beirut episode from 2006, where they had to be airlifted out because of the Israli-Lebanon conflict that erupted while they were there (for those who know the Emmy-nominated episode - he and the crew are going back there soon, to follow up and be able to show more of the people, food, etc.). And even with all of that, he says the scariest situation he has been in involved Sandra Lee (from Food Network) at last year's premiere for the film "Julie and Julia" - I can't even do justice to how he described this encounter with her - let's just say, I'm sure I'll have nightmares just from listening to it (I think Sandra Lee would scare Tanya Harding). He also shared some of his other stories from his travels, about the people, food, friends he's made; his family (after all, since becoming a dad almost 3 years ago, he's the "new, softer Tony" - yeah, right); Food Network people he actually likes (including Ina Garten - one of my favorites as well); PETA; Ronald, the King, the Colonel, and how the American meat industry might actually be trying to kill us a little at a time; and why American tourists are mostly hated around the world (mostly, because we act like, well, us, instead of how we should, as a guest).
Plus, after almost 2 hours of incredible stories and the like, the chef also signed books for those who had them, which appeared to be the entire crowd of a nearly sold out house at Luther Burbank/Wells Fargo/whatever you want to call it. I have to say, he was still entertaining and nice, even by the time I got to the front of the line to have a couple of books signed, almost a hour later. If you missed his visit, he will most likely be back around in the summer, when his new novel comes out - and I'll probably be there again, hungry for more.
Until later
David

Start the New Year with expanding your knowledge!

So, it's been a while, but have been developing a course through Sonoma State University in Federal Compliance - here's a link to the site and this course description. Other courses are offered through this program, as well as the Wine Business program at SSU - including the FIRST Wine MBA program (which just got a large scholarship endowment). This is a great program, so check it out at www.sonoma.edu/winebiz/.

Here's the link to the class I'll be teaching (I'm also doing some guest lecturing in the undergrad program this spring as well) -

http://www.ssuexed.com/course.php?id=1918&sem=Spring&year=2010

More later,
David