Dr Vino's wine blog

From site reader Jim:

It’s opportunities like this that make me wish I did indeed have a blog, but I don’t, so I’m passing it to you. Go to butterflywineopener.com for the most asinine, pointless product ever: an opener for screwcap wines. If you look at the video, all you do is seal it over the screwcap…and then turn the top of the opener, just as you would the screwcap itself.

I discovered it in a full-page ad in Tasting Panel [home of the “exposure package“–ed.]…strangely, as you’ll see on the website, the only press they’ve received is in the Tasting Panel, who’ve mentioned it at least twice in different issues.

In January, I tasted one of Australia’s most well-regarded wines, the Jacob’s Creek, Steingarten Riesling. Unfortunately, the bottle was not showing well that day. But, fortunately, I was with Philip Laffer, the Chief Winemaker of Jacob’s Creek so I sat down with him and talked about Riesling. Given John Gilman’s previous comments about Australian Riesling on this blog, I had to ask him about screwcaps (Stelvin closures) and reduction (anti-oxidation). He also shared his thoughts how many years he likes on a Riesling, why “petrol” is a bad thing, and why Australia is a good place for Riesling.

In switching to screwcaps have you replaced one problem, TCA taint, with another problem, reduction?

Yes, in a sense. But in the main, I think we’ve managed the reduction problem by changing our yeasts and by making sure the wines are scrupulously clean when we bottle. Now, having said that, Read more…

We’re back with Part Deux of our interview with John Gilman, author of the newsletter A View from the Cellar (part one is here). John has offered a free issue from his backlist to any Dr. Vino reader so surf on over to his site and check it out. In this part of the Q&A, I had intended John to give a quick thumbs up or thumbs down on a number of hot-button issues in the wine world today as well as some things that I’ve heard him express unusual views about. In case you thought you were done gorging during the holidays, you can now feast on John’s 7,000+ words in this second part. So buckle up and get ready to hear his thoughts on what’s wrong with Riesling from Austria and Australia, screwcaps and their problems, the Loire, California cab then and now, indigenous yeasts, roto-fermenters, small oak barrels, wines over 14% alcohol and why he uses scores!

German Riesling
To my mind this is clearly the most singularly misunderstood and underappreciated region for great wines in the world. Read more…

The other day I gave a friend a bottle of red wine as a gift, complete with a Santa wine bag that I got on sale after last Christmas. As I was slipping it in the bag, I saw that the wine was closed wit a screwcap, not a cork. Suddenly, I thought that it diminished my gift. But it was too late to give it a second thought as we were already out the door.

What do you say? Even if you like screwcaps for your own wine, have screwcaps gone mainstream enough that they’re not a stigma for gift wine? Let us know using the snazzy new poll software!

[poll id=”2″]

Paul Pontallier is a curious, open, and humble guy. All the more so since he is he managing director and winemaker at Chateau Margaux, where he has been for 30 years, crafting the sublime yet supremely expensive wines.

Pontallier was in New York City last week and he brought suitcase full of treats Read more…

BREAKING: After thirty vintages, Noel Pinguet has decided to leave Domaine Huet, the world-class producer in Vouvray. La Revue du Vin de France cites differences with the owners about the role of dry white wine in the production. [larvf.fr]

SPIT: corks
Paul Pontellier of Chateau Margaux has been so frustrated with bottles under cork that have gone bad that the esteemed estate is seeking another closure has begun tests with screwcaps. Maybe he should follow Henschke and say bonjour to Vino-Lok? Also: Ch. Margaux is “very close” to being organic. [Decanter.com]

SIPPED: mmm, brand extensions
A “real” housewife of New York, who was probably thin to start with, is launching a low-alcohol wine called “Skinnygirl.” It builds on the success of her low-calorie ready-to-drink margarita. [Drinks Business] Related, Drew Barrymore is launching a new wine called, Barrymore. And, yes, it includes a pinot grigio! [HauteLiving.com]

Don’t cryo-selection for me, Qaurts-de-Chaume
A new grand cru designation has been approved in the Loire for sweet wines. Yet conflict has shaken the nobly rotten zone as one producer has sued to stop the process at the eleventh hour over “cryo-selection.” [NYTimes.com]

SIPPED: An insight into why White Castle is testing wine: “The burgers cost $2.49, the wine $18.” [WSJ.com]

SIPPED: R&R
Was on break much of the week with family…Back in full next week!

SIPPED and SPIT: journalists at sommelier competitions
Alan Richman participated in several events of the Best Sommelier in America contest. During the course of it, he nearly sets his suit on fire and leaves such a mess trying to open a bottle that he says, “It looked like Freddy Krueger had entered the competition.” Oh, and the last graf reveas that Alexander Lapratt of db Bistro Moderne was the winner. [GQ]

SIPPED: Royal Wedding champage
A press release stated that magnums of Pol Roger brut reserve were poured at the reception following the Royal Wedding. Did English bubbly make an appearance at any of the festivities? If so, hit the comments.

SPIT: more Bordeaux bubble data
“[Simon] Staples has remortgaged his home three times in the last 10 years (in 2000, 2005 and 2009) to buy Bordeaux. Last year he recommended that his mother-in-law buy five cases of a particular Bordeaux at £2,400. These are now selling for £7,800.” [Guardian]

SPIT: corks
A winemaker from New Zealand eschews screwcaps and bottles his wines bound for China with corks. Why? “Prestige.” [Stuff.co.uk]

SIPPED: regime change
Bloomberg analyzes the impact on California wine of the recent changes at the Wine Advocate. One winemaker’s take on Parker’s departure: “I’m kind of sad to see him go. You know what he likes and doesn’t like, and it made things easier for us.”

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, but Will Lyons at the WSJ guesses it will be Pol Roger while Eric Asimov goes to England and comes back speculating it will be English sparkling wine. They may both be right as there will be multiple events on April 29 for Prince William and Kate Middleton. One thing’s for sure, it won’t be beer, since it has been banned from the festivities.

SIPPED: corks
A NZ winegrower ditches screwcaps in favor of corks for his China exports. Why? “Prestige.” [stuff.co.nz]

SPIT: A truncheon analysis
French riot police no longer allowed to have wine with lunch [Guardian]

SPIT: Mommy
Two firms are engaged in a legal tussle over the term “mommy,” specifically whether the new “mommyjuice” wine infringes on the mark “Mommy’s time out.” Either way, they’re fighting a rearguard battle: the next front for this demographic is for cougar juice! [ThomsonReuters]