Dr Vino’s wine blog

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A reader writes in: “I’m flipping through the channels and “The Jerk” (Steve Martin) is on… and there’s a scene with him pulling wine from dispensers. Lafite 66!”

Funny image indeed! (Note wine glass in top left corner.) Hit the comments with your caption!

This photo comes from site reader Jennie along with her own rant:

I have been composing a blog ever since I took that pic re the manifest lack of thought in the architecture. Whoever is responsible should be SHOT! They go on and on about the 360 panoramic views (which there are outside) and yet the tasting room has one “picture” window with one table in front of it and aside from that you’re sipping your tasting glass on bar stools either looking at the wall or looking at the bartender - I mean REALLY. Don’t you often think the world would be a better place if you ruled it?!

In a follow up email, she admitted to not really having her own blog. Too bad!

So, where in the wine world was she? UPDATE: Read more…

Where was I when I took this picture? Although I blurred the name in the sign with photoshop, it seems that the sign itself had some damage done to it in the real world. Must be a rough neighborhood. (Hint?)

No prizes this time, just respect and admiration.

UPDATE 2/14: Read more…

Talk about low yield per acre! Hit the comments with your thoughts on where this striking mystery vineyard is. First one to get it right wins our respect and admiration–and a link back to your site if you have one.

UPDATE 1/28: Congrats, Andrea! Unfortunately I included a link to the image initially, which may have given some people an advantage. But thanks to those who commented!

Indeed, it is the very impressive growing climate of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, specifically the valley of La Geria. Only 100 miles or so from Africa, the vines are planted in black, volcanic soil in slight recesses to capture the scant water and protect against the winds, as the semi-circular stone walls also do. Extreme wine making! Has anyone ever tasted the wines? Or visited? See more shots of the vineyards.

Reader Steve De Long sent in this photo from his travels. Where was he?

I’ll check back on Tuesday morning. Of those who guessed correctly, I’ll throw your names in a hat to be eligible to win one of Steve’s excellent little Wine Tasting Notebooks! I have two to give away!

This ancient land was known for precious metals and wine–a fine pairing for any society! If we were teleported there right now, we could try wine from gold or silver vessels while wearing gold-spangled robes. And you thought wine and bling was sooo 2007!

In fact, some residents were so rich that they were buried with their gold wine service. And some were so kinky as to be buried with their servants or horses. But that doesn’t concern us.

Get a load of that silver cummerbund thing above! The scene depicts some grand poobah, complete with five o’clock shadow, getting served wine. Peeled grapes coming up next, no doubt.

Archaeologists have also unearthed a shrine to the god of wine complete with a large, ornate bronze cauldron presumably filled with the fruits of the vine.

Where was this ancient land? And why is it timely now? Win our respect and admiration–and a link back to your site if you have one–by being the first with a correct answer in the comments below.

UPDATE: We have a winner–in record time! Read more…

Time for a holiday edition of where in the wine world are we?! Although no vines are in this shot, it is in the heart of a wine region. And one where they know how to celebrate Christmas in style, as you can see.

Win our admiration and respect with a correct guess in the comments below!

UPDATE 12/26 with location revealed!: Read more…

Paris Hilton endorses Rich prosecco (which comes in a can, find this bubbly). Caption this photo from the promotional materials below!

Quotage from the press conference in Berlin: “I changed all the light bulbs to energy safe light bulbs and I’m buying a hybrid car right now,” Hilton said, adding that she also turned off the lights at home, didn’t leave the TV on or the water running when she left the home. “Little things that people can do every day to make a huge difference.”

Where was the small man with the big hat? Or was it a big man with a small hat–and even bigger vines?

I stopped by the Cavas Wine Lodge in Mendoza, Argentina last spring after it had just opened. Proprietor Cecilia Diaz was showing us around the new lodges interspersed among the vines with breathtaking views of the Andes. This guy rode out and started doing his thing but posed for me to take a picture. Cecilia said that he had worked there forever so they kept him on when they bought the property and gave him a new bike. And, no, he wasn’t very tall, in fact.

Nice guess, Luiz, with Zuccardi in Mendoza! In fact, I took another photo of Jose Zuccardi gesticulating wildly under his similar trellis system. They grow them vines big there!

It was a wide range of guesses that emerged in the comments including: Golan Heights; Bekka, Lebanon; Brazil; Rias Baixas, Spain; Greece; Portugal; California; the Swan and Barossa Valleys of Australia; Thailand; and “the outback region of Mukwonago, Wisconsin” (thanks, Gary!).

There were good captions for the photo too, including “Frodo Baggins better destroy that damn ring or I’m going to be making wine for that sulky serpent Saruman!”

So without further ado, thanks to a roll of the dice at random.org, the winner of The Emperor of Wine is: Philippe Newlin! Congratulations, Philippe! And thanks to all for the participation and humor.

You can read more on my trip to Argentina. And send in a photo if you’d like to stump us the next time.