Dr Vino's wine blog

First there was POM, the bottled nectar of the annoying pomegranate, more seed than fruit. Now cider is trying to move in on the action. Cider!

What this Johnny-Appelseed-come-lately boasts with POM is they is high levels of phenolics, those life prolonging antioxidants. Morley Safer “discovered” on “60 Minutes” in 1991 that moderate consumption of red wine helped lower heart disease in a phenomenon known as “the French Paradox.” Ever since then various hangers-on in the world of drinks have been trying to one-up vin rouge. Red wine, particularly from high elevations, boasts high levels of phenolics.

The Economist recently reported that cider is the latest to extol it’s health virtues. Varieties of British cider apples have been found to have phenolic levels 10 times that of Golden Delicious (no mention of comparison with red wine grapes). But will they transfer to humans through cider? British researcher Serena Marks is doing a study to find out. The wine world will be watching. And we don’t want to have to put her on notice!

Related:
“Who’s threatening us now: robots!” [Dr. V]

wine woot! Have you discovered the loot?

I just placed my first order since I was unable to resist two bottles of 01 Pepperbridge Cab from Walla Walla for $59.99 + $5 shipping. It’s usually $50 a bottle. (find this wine)

After punching in my order the delivery message was a little cryptic about when I would actually get the wine. I doubt that Woot handles the inventory but somehow shipping is always $5. I’ll keep you posted as to how long my order takes to reach me in NY. This is, of course, the beginning of the frugal wine buyer’s window for shipping wine by ground across the country. The summer heat is gone and the tundra has yet to freeze.

What is woot? Besides being yet another made up name since all existing domain names were taken, they offer a deal-a-day on general merchandise and a deal-a-week on wines. So every Sunday at midnight, they put up a new deal and the old deal is gone forever. The writing is hilarious. To wit:

Hey, taxpayer! Get ready to hand over some more of your hard-earned wages to those clowns in Washington! Only this time we’re talking about ye merrie winemakers at Pepper Bridge Winery in Washington state. And if you enjoy ultra-premium, critically-acclaimed wines like the Pepper Bridge 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, this is one bill you’ll happily pay.

With a sales pitch like that it’s not hard to believe that the winery has sold 1200 bottles through Friday. I just stumbled on this news item where one of the Pepperbridge owners implies they are selling it as a loss leader, saying “Just given that it is a one week deal and nationwide exposure on a popular site to our wine, its been worth it for us.”

As of midnight tomorrow, though, the deal is over. And then the next one starts. Woot!

tags: wine | woot | online wine shopping

Chateau Turcaud, Entre-Deux-Mers, white 2005. $11 find this wine

The Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux is a misnomer. It’s not between two seas, as the name states, but between two rivers. This wedge of flat land between the Garonne and the Dordogne Rivers used to produce a lot of boring wines but the economic crisis in the area is starting to invigorate the area as a whole. This dry white, a blend of sauvignon blanc (50%), semillon (45), and muscadelle (5) is great value vino from Bordeaux. Luscious notes of pineapple layer on top of crisp acidity giving the wine a great mouthfeel. It’s an excellent companion to potato-leek soup. Mmm, fall is here. Consider this a wine for between two seasons, not seas.

Importer : Fleet Street Wine Merchants

tags: wine | wine reviews

Holy goose: A Chicago Rabbi invokes the wrath of God if the City Council’s two Jewish members vote to overturn the ban. The measure was passed 48-1 earlier this year. [Sun-Times] Related: Goose gitmo

French women do get fat: A study finds that a third of French woman are overweight. Is it the foie gras? Or fast food? [Daily Mail]

British wine writer Hugh Johnson is against “bodybuilder” wines calling them “boring, without any useful purpose.” They remind him of “steroid-packed bodybuilders, merely made to win competitions.” But what would the Governator say? [Sunday Times]

Getting bigger: the AOC Coteaux de Languedoc also had its boundaries extended taking it a step closer to a regional appellation. But with a new regional AOC Languedoc due to be approved in a few weeks, one wonders why the duplication? [vitisphere]

Four more: The national committee of INAO, the French appellation regulatory body, has granted four more AOCs in the Loire. Enough already with the far-flung regions! How about adding varietal labeling too?

tags: wine | France

A day after President Bush and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad clashed over nuclear issues from the same UN lectern, something other than uranium enrichment came between them: wine. Roll the tape:

The Iranian president, a strict Muslim, declined to attend a lunch for world leaders, including Bush, hosted by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, ostensibly because wine was on the menu. Other Muslim leaders attended. [Reuters]

The irony? BOTH the men are teetotalers! Maybe they would have bonded if Annan had served another beverage–Coke? Turkish coffee? Hmm, we need something neutral–Swiss Miss!!!!

From the archives:
“Leaders, wine and war: a taste test” [Dr. V]

tags: wine | diplomacy | Ahmadinejad | Swiss Miss

Arnold Kennedy, Christophe Baron’s dog, at Cayuse Vineyards in Oregon last week.

What caption would you put on this photo? Post a comment!

tags: wine | grape harvest

Victim: Rose City Wine Bar, Portland airport (PDX)

DOB: January 2005

Parents: Hilton Restaurant Group

Symptoms: Small, handsome wine bar with worthwhile local wines by the bottle and by the glass. Has small plate food; is a part of the casual Rose City Cafe next door. Since August it is on the wrong side of the law–the TSA that is. Dealt potentially fatal blow by the location just outside security. With longer lines and a liquid ban, few are likely to linger or buy vino to go.

Diagnosis: Deathwatch.

Deathwatch hat tip: eater

tags: wine | wine bars | airports | air travel | PDX

Will the good conditions of 2006 spell relief for Bordeaux vineyard owners? Ironically, no. The Observer quotes Mathieu Barbier, a Bordeaux-based winegrower as saying: “Whatever we seem to do we get it in the neck. All the climatic conditions have been perfect and the grapes are magnificent… but the harvest is so large that prices are just going to dive again.” It’s a situation that means many vineyard owners may go bankrupt. [Observer; related “La double vie de barrique” Dr. V]

Looking for an NYC wine bar? The NYT travel section has a round-up of a few–including Bar Carerra (pictured), the site of the last Dr. Vino offline! See them all plotted on my map of NYC wine bars.

Do you ever wonder what it would be like to buy all the wine in your land? Beau gets the juice from the wine supremo in the control state of Utah. Beau’s first blogcast–congratulations! [Basic Juice]

Finland’s Agriculture Minister Juha Korkeaoja said the new EU wine refrom “was supported by just about all member countries.” Hmm, 25 countries total, but who might object? Perhaps the major wine producers who formed a Mediterranean alliance? [IHT via AP]

Taking a taxi home from the airport after a trip to wine country? Don’t advertise it if your home is Minneapolis where Somali taxi drivers are refusing to take passengers who are visibly carrying alcohol. [Upgrade: travel better}

UPDATE: Aoccording to Decanter.com, there are reports of heavy rains in Bordeaux, which might jeopordize the vintage (and save Barbier, above).

tags: wine | wine travel | NYC wine