Keg Wines!
An old idea + new technology = a wine revolution* The most seasoned (read: oldest) of those reading this might remember ‘draft wines’ from the 70’s and 80’s. Usually in flavors of ‘Chablis’ and ‘Burgundy’ in 15 gallon beer barrels, they were innocuous, inoffensive (usually) wines that were great for places like sports arenas and […]
The Other 1,350 Grapes
Think you’re a Geek? Let’s talk about the ‘other’ 1350 grape varietals and see what you’ve got… Jancis Robinson, OBE/MW is irrefutably one of the greatest wine writers living (or dead for that matter). Her mastery of the subject matter is legendary plus she has a compelling writing style that is mid-way between pedantic and […]
Paper Palates
Wine is a wonderful thing. And taste is a highly subjective thing. These two tenets are what make selling wine fun: there are no finites and virtually every wine made has a potential fan somewhere (and likely a detractor or two as well). Because of this, we find it interesting (and frustrating) when we encounter […]
No Wood – No Good? “OAK-ALTS”
No, that’s not a new breakfast cereal or a dietary supplement, it’s the terminology used by and ever-growing number of winemakers around the globe when referring to what is more correctly known as ‘oak alternatives’. Oak barrels originally became part of winemaking for a single reason – they were a holding vessel, plain and simple. […]
SAY “YES” TO MICHIGAN!
Yes, we do sell Michigan wines, and we’re pretty sure that 90% of those reading this do as well, so what’s the appeal you ask? A few reasons: Due to our current economic challenges, there is a movement of sorts in our state to support all things Michigan. What better way – other than buying […]
The Wines of Chile (shaking up the wine world)
Wow. Timing is everything. We had planned on doing this feature on the fabulous, valuerich wines of Chile and just before going to print—bang! The strongest earthquake in recorded history hits smack dab in the middle of some of the veryy best growing regions. What this will mean to the industry short-term remains to be […]
If you love ‘Grower Champagnes’, we’re going to have to Burst Your Bubble
The Wine Geek was in one of his FAVORITE Michigan restaurants recently and during a casual conversation with the owner/manager/wine buyer, the owner stated “we are going to start offering ONLY grower Champagne on our list going forward; no more ‘Grand Marques’.” At the time, we thought nothing of it—this is a small, high-quality restaurant […]
Michigan is a Red State (as are the other 49 states it seems)…
Of course, lots of red wines (and whites for that matter) are a blend of several grape types; Bordeaux and Chianti are two notorious examples of multi-varietal wines. But even ‘varietal’ wines from California, Washington, Chile or wherever frequently have other grapes in the mix. Usually included to ‘soften’ a wine (ie less tannic Merlot […]
Biodynamic wines – Although it means different things to different vignerons, the emphasis is on…Dynamic!
If you are serious about serious wine, then you are at least a little bit informed about ‘Biodynamic wines’. BD wines are those produced following the agricultural and philosophical dictums of Rudolph Steiner, a late 19th/ early 20th century agronomist, philosopher, professor, activist and lecturer. Though only a sliver of his philosophies related to agriculture, […]