Dr Vino's wine blog

Le Petit vin d’avril, NV $9. Find this wine
Father and son team of Paul and Vincent Avril of Clos des Papes make great wines. The only trouble is that their 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape is about $40-for a half bottle! If you can find it, that is, since it snagged the #2 WS wine of the year (yoink–not as if that means anything to us). The Avrils have made this excellent nonvintage “table wine” that is exemplary in two ways: a light-hearted label and punching well above its weight. The wine is light in color and has the gentle sweetness that is characteristic of Grenache as well as dark berries and a faint spice. It is balanced with a mere 13% alcohol—I’m heading back to the store where I got it and stocking up! Importer: Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ.

Technorati tags: wine | wine tasting notes

What would it take to get you to spend $29 on a bottle of non-vintage Pinot Grigio. Or, eegad, $25 on “unwine”–dealcoholized wine?

CelebrityCellars is hoping that you will by sticking an image of pop star Madonna on the label. They also have two other reds for $25 and $40. Labels are influential in consumers buying decisions but do they make the whole decision?!? Apparently so.

As a vintner, this may not actually be her very first time. Her dad Silvio Ciccone, started Ciccone Vineyard & Winery in Northern Michigan, the area where she grew up, several years ago with her backing.

But are her new celebrity wines kosher?

Technorati tags: wine | Madonna

In your spate of resolutions for the new year, why not include some wine classes? (It beats going to the gym) I’m teaching three in New York this winter/spring:

Technorati tags: wine | wine classes | New York

Dominique de Villepin is listening.

No, not in that creepy eavesdropping way that’s all the rage in Washington. He’s listening to French winemakers.

On December 20, the French Prime Minister received 14 regional representatives of the wine trade and Minister of Agriculture Dominique Bussereau. “We’re getting started right now and I think we could, in about two or three months’ time–maybe sooner–present a [restructuring] plan,” Bussereau said after leaving the meeting.

The Prime Minister’s office issued a press release after the meeting saying that it expected the imminent announcement of measures to “recover lost markets” and “make the industry adapt” in terms of quantity and quality. The communinqué underscored the 45 million euros in aid already distributed to the industry in 2005.

Although France is still the world’s largest producer of wine by value, the French wine trade has been beset by falling exports and declining domestic consumption. Frustrated wine growers in Bordeaux recently sealed the entrance to a wine trade association with bricks while disaffected growers in the Languedoc have resorted to violence, which may restart.

Denis Baro, president of the Bordeaux cooperative Rauzan, said after the meeting “at least the Prime Minister and the Minister of Agriculture were listening to us.”

Another grower said he was “neither pessimistic nor optimistic.” Does that make his glass half-full or half-empty?

Technorati tags: wine | Wine news | French wine trade

Just a reminder about the wine quiz happening right now. Start the new year off right–the grand prize is a case of wine! (There are several other prizes too.) Competition ends January 4.

And while I am nagging you about things, don’t forget to put a pushpin, an image or a link to you in the reader map!

Great cover of the current Economist! (she’s holding a Champagne flute)

Kermit Lynch will be awarded the French Legion d’Honneur. Excellent news for this Berkeley-based importer of fine wines! Julia Child, Robert Mondavi, and Robert Parker are other American food and wine luminaries who have received the honor. [SFC]

In a wide ranging decision, a judge ruled that the way wine is sold in Washington state must change by April 14–pending action of the legislature. The retailer Costco Wholesale won a battle against the Washington State Liquor Control Board in US district court. The judge ruled “that Costco has demonstrated that Washington’s posting, holding, minimum markup, delivered pricing, uniform pricing, ban on volume discounts, and ban on credit sale requirements are irreconcilably in conflict with federal antitrust law.” [SPI]

France is targeting Mexico as a new market for wine exports. Um, the same Mexico that has 0.04 gallons per person in wine consumption? Growth market!! [JV]

What goes around comes around: six new winemaking practices are now allowed in Europe, including use of oak chips, wider use of ascorbic acid, a new type of protein to stabilize wine, limited use of active coal for red wine (previously only allowed for white), use of dimethyl-bicarbonate (huh?) (DMDC) to stabilize primarily sweet wines. Um, yikes! [Vitisphere]

“It ain’t old world vs. new world. It ain’t intellectuals vs. hedonists. It is real wine vs. spoof.,” says importer Joe Dressner in a provocative blog posting.

OK this has nothing to do with wine but I just had to share it with somebody: Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google and a net worth of $15 billion, drives what kind of car? According to today’s Financial Times, a Toyota Prius! And it is leased no less! Claims to fuel efficiency were undermined, however, by the fact that he and fellow co-founder Larry Page have just gone in on a Boeing 767 together for personal use. Mileage: 4 gallons of jet fuel per nautical mile.

And while we’re not talking about wine (thin edge of the wedge, eh), my techie brother showed me this hilarious remake of a movie trailer for The Shining. For writers everywhere!

Take the year-end wine quiz and qualify to win a case of wine. Through Jan 4.

Technorati tags: wine | wine news | Sergey Brin

Panning for gold just got a whole lot more fun. Gold 2005 (find this wine), a wine made from a blend of white grapes from Australia’s 2005 harvest, is bottled in California under the supervision of cult producer, Hundred Acre. I have yet to try the wine, which is apparently aromatic and unoaked. It certainly doesn’t merit any aging–except for the fact that gold has been one of the best performing assets of 2005. Probably best to pour this wine with strainer in hand and then stash the 24 karat gold!

1800 cases produced. Read more about Gold 2005.

Technorati tags: wine | gold

Are you tired of wrapping presents for your uncles and cousins? Or you don’t want to party the night away on New Year’s Eve? Then put away this full case of 12 questions on wine esoterica that allow you to show off your wine knowledge in the 2005 wine quiz! With several prizes, multiple winners will be rewarded. Forward it to your friends: there’s plenty to go round.

Grand prize: a case of wine! Yes, an excellent mixed case (12 bottles) of wines in the Dr. Vino price range, including wines from the Old World and the New. This prize is awarded to one randomly selected participant with a 100% score on the quiz.

I am donating all the prizes—consider it my way of thanking you for your support and returning some of the measly $0.02 click-through ads that I have accumulated over the year. I will contact a retailer near the random quiz winner or send a case from a retailer who will ship there. All participants must be 21 years old.

Second: Michelin Red Guide New York, this book was released to some controversy earlier this year–see for yourself!

Third: The Accidental Connoisseur, by Lawrence Osborne. An irreverent look at the wine world.

Fourth: Sharpen your sensory evaluation with an Aroma Wheel!

All submissions must be received by January 4, 2005. Winners will be drawn from the best scores at random. Correct answers will be posted January 5–be sure to check your email that day.(Hint: Google!)

So, without further ado, corkscrews ready…Go!

www.drvino.com/winequiz2005.php

Technorati tags: wine | wine quiz