Hedges C.M.S, Columbia Valley – Washington State, 2008
March 9, 2011
Grapes
48% Merlot, 46% Cabernet, 6% Syrah
Facts
The name C.M.S. comes from the blend of grapes they use i.e. Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah. This makes sense considering they are the leading the grapes in the Columbia Valley region. The Hedges estate also make a white blend of Chardonnay, Marsanne, Sauvignon Blanc.
The CMS has been made since 1987, and is recognized as one of the big value-driven wines coming out of Washington State.
Top 30 Momentum Table Wine Brands of 2010
March 9, 2011No huge surprises here, with Cupcake taking the #1 spot and appearing for the first time ever in the top 30. The top 10 sees a dominance of Californian wines, with the Argentinian Alamos (Gallo) brand ranking the highest of all imported brands. Only 4 imported wines appear, with 2 being from Italy, 1 from Germany and the Alamos from Argentina. 14 of the top 30 brands came in at under $8, with the largest number of brands (9) coming from the $8-$10.99 price tier.
Read full article at WinesandVines.com
Posted in News | Tagged Research | Leave a comment //Las Brisas, Rueda – Spain, 2009
March 7, 2011
Grapes
50% Verdejo, 30% Viura, 20% Sauvignon Blanc
Facts
The main characteristic of Verdejo is its freshness and acidity. It therefore makes sense that the majority of Verdejo based wines never see exposure to oak, so as not to detract from the natural flavor of the grape. The Las Brisas was therefore fermented and aged in all stainless steel.
Viura (otherwise known as Macabeo) is similar in style to Verdejo in that it’s fresh and fruity. It’s made into a variety of wines ranging from 100% of the grape, right the way through to being blended into sparkling Cava wines.
Posted in Reviews | Tagged Rueda, Sauvignon Blanc, Spain, Verdejo, Viura | Leave a comment //Wine Nerd Alert! What is Pyrazine?
March 7, 2011
Pyrazine is a heterocyclic aromatic organic compound.
Got that? Good!
For those of us who don’t have a degree in Chemistry (me included), the relevance of Pyrazine to wine is that it gives it a “green” taste / aroma.
It doesn’t take much for you to detect it either, around 2 parts per trillion to be exact.
It’s stated that a single grape amongst tonnes of grapes will change the aroma of the entire batch of juice. Powerful stuff indeed!
If you want to get REALLY nerdy about it (and I’m sure you do) there are a few types of Pyrazine found in fruit and veg:
Isobutylmethoxpyrazine – found in bell pepper
Isopropylmethoxpyrazine – found in green asparagus or peas
Sec-butylmethoxpyrazine – found in beetroot
If Restaurants Were Honest
March 6, 2011
Just a little Sunday fun…
Posted in Funny | Tagged Restaurants | Leave a comment //
Why I Don’t Put Much Faith in Vintages
March 3, 2011This is a point (in a long line of other points) that I‘ve been meaning to address. Let me start out by saying that (in case you haven’t noticed), I really skew my voice (and therefore my content) on this website toward what I see as the majority of the wine buying public. The masses, if you will! This audience being; people who obviously enjoy wine, people who want to know more about wine, but at the same-time, people who don’t necessarily want to spend $30+ on every wine bottle purchase. The casual drinkers!
To confirm this, I received one of my greatest compliments in November of last year when a fan of the website approached me in public (I was wearing a t-shirt with the website logo on at the time), and he stated “I love your site! It’s a wine guide for the rest of us!” That comment was one of the first times that signaled to me that I am headed in the right direction with this content.
I will go on record and state that there are plenty of other wine sites out there if you’re looking for a little more poetic license, or wine tasting notes which wax lyrical. But I personally just don’t have it in me to write in that style. I also have to say that it has found me a little while to find my true voice on this website. I hate to say that I’ve been holding back, but I guess I have, so for that I apologize.
Glad I got that out of the way…on to the article!
I am often asked “Was this a good year for this wine?” or “Is it true that XXXX was a bad year for this region!”
Posted in News | Tagged Vintages, Wine Spectator | Leave a comment //← Older posts Newer posts →
