[Yellow Tail] contest, Calistoga, Craggy Range, Tour d’Argent – sipped and spit
SIPPED: user feedback
[Yellow Tail], the ubiquitous Australian wine, wants your help! The producer has decided to open the naming of their new, unoaked Chardonnay up to readers. The contest may have risks as this article points out, the crowd sourcing initiative for naming the new blend of Vegemite and cream cheese (really, why ruin good cream cheese?) drew 48,000 entries, but the winner drew “near universal” condemnation. The [Yellow Tail] contest comes with a prize–[Yellow Tail]! Make your name suggestions in the comments here (sorry no, prize).
SIPPED: place names
Chateau Montelena and other wineries in Calistoga will soon be able to put Calistoga on the label. After a protracted struggle over whether wineries with Calistoga in the name would have to use exclusively Calistoga fruit, federal authorities granted AVA status to the area in the north of Napa. Wineries with Calistoga in the name have three years to begin using grapes from Calistoga. [SF Chronicle]
SIPPED: lightening up
When you have a collection of 450,000 bottles, is it time to lighten up? If you’re the owners of the Tour d’Argent restaurant in Paris, the answer is yes to the tune of 18,000 bottles, including some 18th century cognac and Corton from 1895. The auction today and tomorrow is estimated fetch about $2 million, which will aid the restaurant’s bottom line as it feels the tourist slowdown. Apparently, during the occupation, the owners built a fake wall in the cellar to prevent the Nazis from finding some 20,000 bottles. NYT, Telegraph]
SIPPED: Craggy Range
I participated in a kiwi Pinot showdown over at Forbes.com Tower. Eric Arnold has the story.
SIPPED: Green certification
A national certification program on various environmental factors have been launched for Australian wine. Quotage from Stephen Strachan from the Winemakers Federation: “The retailers more and more are requiring the companies that are selling to them to be able to come to them with certain proof in terms of their environmental credentials.” [ABC, WFA]
On December 7th, 2009 at 12:28 pm ,Damien wrote:
My entry for Yellow Tail:
“I Can’t Believe it’s Not Wine!”
On December 7th, 2009 at 12:45 pm ,Greg wrote:
So many ideas:
[Kritter Krap]
[Pygmy Possum Pee]
[Platypus Piss]
[Chard-oh-no]
[Down Under] by Crane Lake (oops, already taken!)
[iChard 2.0]
[Chard Based Wine Product]
[Alcohol Sugar Chard Water] (like hot ham water)
[Plonk]
On December 7th, 2009 at 12:55 pm ,Sarah wrote:
Tail Between It’s Legs
On December 7th, 2009 at 1:02 pm ,Jeff wrote:
How about “The Shart” Chardonnay? Because if you drink to much Yellow Tail, that’s what happens.
On December 7th, 2009 at 1:16 pm ,Damien wrote:
Of course the best names have already been proposed by Monthy Python:
Chateau Chunder?
Melbourne Old and Yellow?
Cuivre Reserve Château Bottled Nuit San Wogga Wogga? (With a bouquet like an aborigine’s arm pit).
http://new.music.yahoo.com/monty-python/tracks/australian-table-wine–38354283
On December 7th, 2009 at 2:07 pm ,Omniphage wrote:
“Vinegar Starter Kit”?
Yellow Tail (pardon, [Yellow Tail]) isn’t all bad…just…not good.
Also – If I may, and I don’t want to hijack the thread, could anyone point me in the direction of some info on wine industry career progression?
Short story: I have to choose between a handsome job or matriculating as an MS student in V&E (I’ve a microbiology background), and am wondering about the return on investment/if I am going to be impoverished for the next decade. How long do competent folks with degrees typically do cellar work before advancing to Cellar Master/Asst. Maker-type positions?
So as to not funk up the thread, email works: joelhaney at ymail dot com.
Thanks and apologies for the hijack – I just know of few other places where so many in-the-know folks can be found…
On December 7th, 2009 at 7:58 pm ,Mark Ashley wrote:
I appreciate your following their conceit of using the brackets in the name, but why not go all the way and spell it [yellow tail] with no caps, and add a ® ?… Thanks for your strict adherence to branding naming conventions. 😉
On December 7th, 2009 at 8:45 pm ,Thomas Pellechia wrote:
Yellow Stream
or
Yellow Shower
On December 7th, 2009 at 9:27 pm ,genevelyn wrote:
tailspin
On December 7th, 2009 at 11:46 pm ,The Wine Mule wrote:
Domaine Yenda
On December 10th, 2009 at 12:35 pm ,David wrote:
Chateau de Merde