Wine

If you’ve ever visited a state-run wine shop in Pennsylvania, or had a tasting room employee bust out a huge 3-ring binder when you asked if you could ship wine to your aunt in Michigan, then you’ve likely experienced some of the anti-consumer regulations plaguing the wine, beer, and spirits industries. Even asking your favorite winemaker to sign that special bottle for you is a legal no-no. The days of prohibition are behind us, but in many respects, much of the fallout from that era continues to haunt us. This is because we as consumers have lacked any sort of voice when decisions and regulations pertaining to the sale and distribution of alcohol are concerned – leaving all the decisions and influence to be made by special interests best served by an antiquated alcohol distribution system. While we certainly think that wholesalers and a distribution system have their place and serve a valuable function, there needs to be equitable representation when regulations affecting consumers are concerned. The current anti-consumer regulations don’t just hurt sales for a winery and limit choice for a consumer, they hurt engagement. And wine bloggers know best, engagement is king. That is why the Wine Bloggers Conference, and organizer Zephyr Adventures, is pleased to support the launch of the American Wine Consumer Coalition. The American Wine Consumer Coalition (AWCC) is a new advocacy organization that aims to “ represent the interests of wine lovers and to help this unique group pursue their love of wine”. Spearheading efforts for the AWCC is Tom Wark. Tom has been a long-time advocate for the rights of wine consumers and runs Wark Communications and the well-respected wine blog, Fermentation: The Daily Wine Blog. He is also the founder of the Wine Blog Awards, and is founding member of the Wine Bloggers Conference Advisory Board (which he continues to serve on). When we asked Tom Wark about the motivations behind the American Wine Consumer Coalition, he said: The fact is, wine lovers across the country are still subjected to absurdly anti-consumer wine laws and a key reason for this is that consumers’ interests and views are not taken into account by lawmakers or regulators. Why? Because consumers have no advocates that can make their case. That ends with the creation of the American Wine Consumer Coalition. When an industry becomes overly-regulated or controlled by one-sided interest, free-market idealism (where consumer spending serves as the ultimate voice) can no longer be counted on as adequate. Up until now, the consumer has largely been dismissed as a relevant party when decisions are made and laws passed that affect the sale and distribution of alcohol. Horray for Tom Wark and the others at the AWCC for stepping up to the plate! If you’re interested to learn more about the American Wine Consumers Coalition, please visit their site, which launches today. To support the coalition, you can donate or join one of their membership options available for individual consumers, businesses, and associations. Individual consumers who wish to join the AWCC will not only be supporting a great cause, but will enjoy member benefits (namely in the form of discounts) that any eonophile will surely appreciate. In the words of Tom Wark, For the AWCC to be as effective as possible, it needs to gather under tens of thousands of wine lovers willing to band together for their own benefit and the benefit of other wine lovers. We hope to build a multi-thousand member coalition that can’t be ignored. The post Introducing the American Wine Consumer Coalition appeared first on Wine Bloggers Conference.

Any day now… Georgia P arrived nine days before her “official” due date. Baby P 2013′s due date is July 15 but the doctor says second-time mothers generally deliver early. So mutatis mutandis, Parzen family expansion could happen any day now. Little Georgia P doesn’t know how our lives are about the change and we’re really enjoying these last few days as a family of three. She’s such a sweet girl and she sure knows how to make her daddy melt with her smile…

Well, it’s Summer — and Wednesday, a bit late for the Wine of the Week, sorry — and we need a wine that’s crisp, bracing, racy, filled with nerve and energy, so I’m thinking sauvignon blanc and the eastern Loire Valley, where the soil rests atop vast reaches of limestone dense with marine and shell fossils deposited some 150 million years. You think this Jurassic Park of mineral plenitude doesn’t lend character to the grapes and the wines made from them? Think again, Grasshopper! The best-known region, perched on the east bank of the Loire River, is Sancerre, easy to pronounce, easy to find, but a wine whose popularity has driven up the price. Let’s look instead inside the great curve that the Loire makes here to a lesser-known appellation called Reuilly (“roo-ee”), one of several Sancerre “satellite” appellations clustered about the city of Bourges on the Cher, a tributary of the Loire. Reuilly was granted AOC status early, in 1937, for white wines made from sauvignon blanc; in 1961, red and rosé wines made from pinot noir and pinot gris were added. Today we look at the Domaine de Reuilly Les Pierres Plates 2012. The domaine goes back to 1935, when Camille Rousseau, the grandfather of present proprietor Denis Jamain, first planted vines. The estate, certified organic in 2011, consists of 17 hectares (about 42 acres), 11 planted to sauvignon blanc, 4 to pinot noir and two to pinot gris. Annual production is about 11,000 cases. As the name implies, Domaine de Reuilly Les Pierres Plates 2012 derives from a specific vineyard whose sauvignon blanc grapes go only into this wine. The color is pale straw-gold; the bouquet is a fragrant but very subtle amalgam of roasted lemon and lemon balm, freshly mowed grass, a touch of hay, spare hints of jasmine, pear and juniper and pungency driven by a profound limestone and flint element. What did I assert as the requirements in the first sentence of this post? A wine that’s crisp, bracing, racy, filled with nerve and energy, and boy does this model fulfill those parameters. This is very dry, crisp and lively, a wine animated by vivid acidity and the scintillating presence of limestone-based minerality; it feels cleansing, lithe and chiseled, yet, for all that, exceedingly pleasant and inviting, with real personality. At 12.5 percent alcohol, you could drink a bunch, sitting out on the porch or patio, with a hunk of goat cheese and slices of crusty bread or a platter of grilled shrimp. Now through 2015 or ’16. Excellent. About $20. Imported by Kermit Lynch, Berkeley, Calif. Tasted at a trade event.

I recently went to Burgundy for the first time and have [...]The post A visit to Domaine Jean Francois Rapet ets Fils, Burgundy appeared first on The Wine Sleuth.

A collection of links from the reporters and editors of the Dining section.

craig.camp posted a photo:

craig.camp posted a photo:

Riesling has become known as Washington State’s signature white variety. Washington is the largest Riesling producing state in the United States. And, Washington State’s own Chateau Ste. Michelle is the largest Riesling producer in the world. Chateau Ste. Michelle is Washington State’s founding winery with its roots dating back to the repeal of Prohibition. In 1976, Ste. Michelle built a French-style chateau in Woodinville, just northeast of Seattle. While all of Chateau Ste. Michelle’s vineyards are located on the east side of the Cascade Mountains, all of their white wines are made in Woodinville. Riesling is one of the most versatile grape varieties. It can be made in many different styles from bone dry to very sweet, reflect the regional character of where it is grown, and is extremely food-friendly. And, it is probably the most age worthy of all white wine varieties. We recently had the opportunity to taste a couple of Chateau Ste. Michelle Rieslings in a blind samples tasting, the 2012 Dry Riesling and the 2012 Harvest Select Sweet Riesling. Both wines are very good, so no matter your preference on the sweetness scale, Chateau Ste. Michelle has you covered. And with suggested retail prices of $10, and which can frequently be found for far less, these wines deliver serious bang for your buck. 2012 Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale straw yellow. Beautiful nose with white peach, citrus, and floral aromas. White peach and lime come through on the palate. Dry and light-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with a very long, refreshing finish. Residual Sugar: 0.71% Quality: 4 stars (out of 5) QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5) Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $10; Available elsewhere, $6 to $12 2012 Chateau Ste. Michelle Harvest Select Sweet Riesling (Columbia Valley, Washington): Very pale, straw yellow. Aromatic with peach blossoms and honeysuckle on the nose. Peach, apricot, and floral notes come through on the palate. Medium sweet and light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a very long finish. Residual Sugar: 4.71% Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5) QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5) Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $10; Available elsewhere, $8 to $10 Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling: Something for Everyone was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

A June Monsoon of Maroon, Um, WineAll the flavors you've dreamed about having in a soda... but with alcohol ALREADY MIXED IN!!!Time for another parade of wines and the accessories that love them. If you haven't seen our special summer wine shipping policies, get familiar with them before you roll out the barrel. It's just one more way we make summertime the season of wine.

A June Monsoon of Maroon, Um, WineBig Bordeaux was one of Jack Kirby's New Gods, wasn't she?Time for another parade of wines and the accessories that love them. If you haven't seen our special summer wine shipping policies, get familiar with them before you roll out the barrel. It's just one more way we make summertime the season of wine.