Wine News Review

Month: April 2008

  • Green wines, with “stronger terroir,” may be the next big thing

    What’s all this about organic wines — some kind of “sustainable” fad?

    Well, not quite.

    Until about a hundred years ago, you either drank organic wines — or you didn’t drink wine. Meaning that over thousands of years (a span of time during which wine was an extremely popular beverage), grapes were grown without pesticides, additives or preservatives, as Wine Enthusiast Magazine points out in a tight, bright little primer about the aptly named “green wines.”

    We also get an answer to the age-old question: But does it taste good???

    The answer is a resounding yes. Green wines are said to have a stronger terroir than conventional varieties. “Some feel that organic wines…taste more flavorful and ‘cleaner,’” says The Organic Wine Company’s Veronique Raskin. Combine that with the health benefits, and you’ll realize why green notes might be the next big thing.

    The article lists 10 labels to look for if/when you’re in the market for organic selections.

    Want to find a perfectly priced bottle of wine? Give the Smarter Wine Search a try.

  • Pinot Noirs ain’t just for movie buffs, and here’s a lucious list of the best

    Hey, it’s not that I’ve been brainwashed by Sideways — I really just like the welcoming taste and body of Pinot Noir. And maybe you do, too.

    So, aficionados: a don’t-miss piece by Food&Wine’s Ray Isle with four “star selections,” including a 2006 Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir for $20.

    Sure, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon still dominate sales. But, as Isle says:

    Pinot is undeniably America’s hot grape of the moment. Its sales have risen more than 20 percent a year for the past few years, and most top sommeliers sing its praises as a partner for food.

    Bonus: Isle sipped 147 Pinot Noirs to come up with a longer list of 30 that serve up “complex, intense aromas; textures that are somehow both firm and weightless; and flavors that seem to effortlessly balance the fruity (raspberries, cherries, strawberries) with the savory (earth, mushrooms, pepper).”

    Want to find a perfectly priced bottle of wine? Give the Smarter Wine Search a try.

  • New York City’s burgeoning wine bars offer an affordable adventure

    You may have no plans right now for a visit to New York, but you just might after reading this review of the city’s burgeoning wine scene by USA TODAY’s Jerry Shriver:

    “Among the noteworthy openings of the past year: more than two dozen eateries where the primary focus is on serving wine alongside finger foods, small plates and bistro fare. Luminaries such as Daniel Boulud, Alain Ducasse and Gray Kunz, all of whom earned world-class reputations with elite and expensive French restaurants, have embraced the trend and drawn the most attention.”

    Why’s this happening? Some “economic jitters” and a trend toward less formality in dining helps explain it. But “another key factor is that consumers’ interest in wine is rapidly expanding, as is their sense of adventure.” Six tempting spots are reviewed.

  • Wine substitute may be healthy – but likely not as tasty.

    Is wine the long-sought fountain of youth?

    A pharmaceutical company seems to think it may at least be the next best thing, according to this New York Times story that says British drug maker GlaxoSmithKline will plunk down $720 million in cash for shares in a company “pursuing the notion that a compound found in red wine might retard aging and let people live longer.”

    That may be well and good. But something tells me they’ll have a hard time making pills taste as delicious as, say, a fruity Sangiovese.