Bordeaux 08, London vines, red wine stains – sipped and spit

SPIT and SIPPED: Bordeaux 2008
After better-than-expected but still largely tepid reviews, Bordeaux 2008 took a shot in the arm form Robert Parker who raved about it. All the action is summed up nicely, with charts of price action, on FT.com’s Alphaville blog. Quotage from Simon Staples, aka BigSiTheWineGuy and a buyer at Berry Bros and Rudd in London: “He [Parker] went crazy about 2003 (all on his own) He missed 2005 (everyone else loved it) He’s now potty about 08(a few very nice wines)Plot?Lost?”

red_wine_spillSIPPED: wine growing
Wine in London, yes. But vines? Apparently so. But a terroir de double decker diesel may be avoided: Decanter reports that a horticultural college about 10 miles north of St. Paul’s has planted 1,500 vines.

SPIT: red wine stains
A South African winery blog posts with the results of their tests on various red wine stain removers. The winner: hydrogen peroxide! It’s a cost-effective result considering hydrogen peroxide costs something like 99 cents a gallon at Duane Reade. [ht: Tasting Room]

SIPPED: plastique
Wolf Blass, an Australian producer, announced two new wines in plastic (PET) bottles that resemble a traditional glass bottle.

SIPPED: fighting garden thievery
The BBC reports that Hugh Johnson, renowned wine writer and avid gardener, had “a late 17th Century astronomical sphere and urns [stolen] from his historic garden.” He has posted a £1,000 reward for information leading to the return of the items.

11 Responses to “Bordeaux 08, London vines, red wine stains – sipped and spit”


  1. Um, why is a cheap way to get out red wine stains a “spit”?


  2. Sally — the “spit” is just a way of saying “no” to red wine stains. Perhaps you might better think of it as “Sipped: Cheap way to remove red wine stains.”


  3. […] möhläys oli Bordeauxin vuosikerta 2008:n hehkuttaminen liki yhtä erinomaiseksi kuin 2005, muiden viinikriitikoiden ja itse viinitilojen ollessa huomattavasti maltillisimpia. Arvostelijoiden mukaan Parkerin […]


  4. Hmmm, Simon Staples is more fond of himself than facts apparently. Parker certainly did not miss 2005.

    In spring 2006, when Parker first tasted the 2005’s in barrel, he wrote an article called, “Is 2005 the Perfect Vintage?” He expressed some reservation with the huge tannins and potential pricing, but wrote, “Overall, 2005 is unquestionably a remarkable as well as consistent vintage.” And he rewarded massive scores.

    The esteemed merchant, BigSiTheWineGuy, has a vested interest in this issue. I’ll trust Parker on this one. That said, I am in no hurry to buy 2008 BDX.


  5. Thanks, Corkdork. Also, for a moment, I thought Dr V was applauding Hugh Johnson’s garden thieves. Lesson learned- NO COMMENTS BEFORE 2nd CUP OF COFFEE!!!!


  6. Well, at least criminals have taken their interests toward an academic study of the stars.


  7. To remove red wine stains, use mineral water (same as club soda). Pour it on the stain liberally, let it sit about 1 minute, soak it up with a cloth. Stain gone; no bleaching; no discoloration! It works for Brunello; it will work on any red wine.


  8. When I was waiting tables, I used to use white wine on red wine stains to keep the color from setting before a guest could get the piece of clothing properly cleaned.

    My understanding is that the acids in the white wine keep the red stain from setting in the fabric. Combined with a little seltzer for a preliminary cleanup, and everyone always walked away pretty much clean.


  9. We (or guests) have spilled an entire glass of red wine on our beige sofa, twice, and this always works:
    equal parts peroxide and dish detergent (like Dawn) blotted with a white cloth/dishtowel. There’s no bleaching or anything and the sofa still looks new. And it’s cheap.


  10. […] stain remover Bruce Willis has also been sued over wine, in this instance, for returning a rug with red wine stains in it. Bruce, here are some suggestions for the next time: white wine, salt, Wine Away, hydrogen […]


  11. Umm, my grandmother taught me boiling water from a height. It has never failed – on cloths, carpets, whatever. Boil a jug. Put the stained item on the ground, climb on a chair, pour the boiling water directly on the stain. By the time the steam has cleared so has the stain. This only works for young stains though.


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