VINOGRAPHY: a wine blog
Wine and food adventures in San Francisco and around the world
~ Recently in Ramblings and Rants Category ~
Yeast: Part of Wine's Terroir or Its Mortal Enemy?
I'd like to point you readers to an interesting post by Clark Smith, at his GrapeCrafter blog, about Natural Winemaking (yes, capitalized) and the role of yeasts in the winemaking process. Clark spent some time recently at a wine industry event where panelists and the audience discussed the definition of what Natural Winemaking actually is. It comes as no surprise to me that the group couldn't achieve consensus around a concept that remains, as far as I am concerned, a broken metaphor (vinegar is natural, wine requires technological intervention). One particular sticking point arose out of a discussion surrounding the... continue reading 
- Posted by: Alder on May 5, 2008 9:20 PM
- Filed under: Ramblings and Rants
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Screaming Eagle Snubs The Wine Trade
The danger of a post such as this will be the fact that some of you, and perhaps the people concerned, will believe that I am simply whining. But let me assure you, though I am slightly disappointed, I am far more astonished at what seems to me to be a level of rudeness and arrogance that is thankfully rare in the wine world. Monday afternoon, April 28th, the Oakville Winegrowers Association put on a tasting of wines grown and made in Napa's Oakville AVA (American Viticultural Area) for the trade and the media. Such tastings are quite rare for... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on May 1, 2008 11:59 PM
- Filed under: Ramblings and Rants
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The Complete List of Wine Blogs
I never thought this day would come. Really. When I started Vinography more than four years ago, part of my inspiration was the fact that when I typed "wine blog" into Google, I got zero results. I did the same with all the major blogging sites/services and came up pretty much empty handed. There were one or two wine blogs that had been started several months earlier, but they had been abandoned. So I started tapping out my thoughts about in my own little dark corner of the Internet, assuming that in a while I'd have one or two friends... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on April 25, 2008 10:52 PM
- Filed under: Ramblings and Rants
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Wine Critics are Parasites, But That Doesn't Mean We Can Be Bought
One of the world's leading wine critics has just proclaimed that wine writers, journalists, and critics are all parasites. According to Decanter magazine, while being paid to hang out in a plush cliffside hotel in Ronda, Spain, Jancis Robinson took a moment out from tasting some of the world's best wines to admonish her fellow journalists, "We must always remember that we are parasites on the business of winemaking." From Websters: Parasite \ˈper-ə-ˌsīt, ˈpa-rə-\ . Noun. 1 : a person who exploits the hospitality of the rich and earns welcome by flattery 2 : an organism living in, with, or... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on April 23, 2008 11:36 PM
- Filed under: Ramblings and Rants , Wine News
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Wine Decanters Aren't Worth the Money or The Hassle
I'm sure that by the end of the week, Georg Riedel will have a contract out on my life, but no matter. This needs saying, and I'm ready to face the consequences. Fancy wine decanters are a waste of your money. They are also a royal pain in the neck. Oh sure, they're beautiful and elegant. They exude class and sophistication. Some of them even rise to the level of art. But when it comes to what they're actually good for, 97.9999% of them are a complete waste of money. Don't get me wrong. This is not a rant against... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on April 19, 2008 8:51 PM
- Filed under: Ramblings and Rants
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Lest You Forget That Wine is Business...
As wine lovers, we all belong to a club whose entrance criteria include passion and romanticism. We return to wine again and again for its magical ability to transcend what is in the glass, and to transport us in memory and experience to both favorite and new places. By far the most pleasurable and rewarding relationship with wine involves an affair of just these sorts of passions, blissfully ignorant of the facts which demand that wine also be understood in terms of economics, politics, and science. Many of us are content to live in a world where there is no... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on April 13, 2008 5:09 PM
- Filed under: Ramblings and Rants , Wine News
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Dirty Tuscan Laundry
What's a little bit of Cabernet between friends? Depends on who you ask. In California a little dash of Cabernet in your Merlot, or vice versa would hardly be cause for comment. Technically, in order to have the words "Cabernet Sauvignon" on the label, only 75% of the wine has to be Cabernet. In Italy, however, the largest wine scandal in decades has recently erupted over a little bit of Cabernet and Merlot mixed in with Sangiovese. In an incident that is already being referred to as Brunellogate, several prominent winegrowers in Tuscany are facing prosecution on charges of adulterating... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on April 8, 2008 11:22 PM
- Filed under: Ramblings and Rants , Wine News
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A Roundup of Today's Wine News
Some days are better for wine news than others, but today was particularly special, as the wine world was out in force. Here are some of my favorite headlines from today: New Movie In the Works about Robert Parker, starring Javier Bardem Based on the best-selling book, The Emperor of Wine, by Elin McCoy, the film will tell all about the man from Monkton. The Wine Spectator Opens New Wine Bar Now they have a glossy countertop for their glossy magazine. Apparently The Wine Spectator is set to open a brand new wine bar concept, featuring only wines that the... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on April 1, 2008 10:53 PM
- Filed under: Ramblings and Rants
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The 2008 American Wine Blog Award Winners
This morning, Tom Wark announced the winners of the 2008 American Wine Blog Awards, and I'm thrilled to share that Vinography was lauded for Best Writing and Best Overall Wine Blog. These aren't the first awards that I've won here, but in many ways they're the most meaningful. Three years ago, winning the Best Wine Blog as part of the Food Blogging Awards was great, but when there were only a handful of wine blogs, most of which were barely maintained, someone dedicated like me who knew how to use spell check didn't have much competition, so to speak. In... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on March 31, 2008 11:18 PM
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Letting Kids Drink Some Wine at Home: The Debate
If you haven't seen it already, I heartily encourage you check out an excellent article and blog post by Eric Asimov over the last couple of days about letting kids drink wine at home. As you might expect, this is a pretty heated topic in our moralistic American society, with people expressing strong feelings about whether or not it is OK to let kids have a little wine at home with dinner. Eric's blog post has received well over 300 comments already and I'm sure the discussion will continue. Like on many issues, we Americans seem all to quick to... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on March 29, 2008 4:59 PM
- Filed under: Ramblings and Rants
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My Next Wine Vacation: Paris Pawn Shops
As a kid, I badly wanted to be an archaeologist for a period of time. When I was twelve, I saved up until I could (with a little help from Grandma) buy a metal detector. I suppose I've never lost the fascination with buried treasure. Heck, I went to Egypt on my honeymoon. And if I had a TV, I would definitely watch the Antiques Roadshow. Which is why, I suppose, that I now desperately want to spend a few weeks canvassing the back alleys of Paris now that its pawn shops are accepting wine. OK, so it's not quite... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on March 26, 2008 7:58 PM
- Filed under: Ramblings and Rants , Wine News
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Stop Whining About High Alcohol Wines
It's time for my fellow journalists, winemakers, and opinionated wine lovers to stop whining about high alcohol wines. Along with so called "green" wines, this bandwagon of opinions is the topic du jour for wine journalists and wine personalities around the country, and in addition to being tiresome, it is just plan silly. Complaining about alcohol levels in wines is ridiculous for 5 main reasons. REASON #1 - Alcohol is Not the Sensation People Dislike Apart from the people who are just complaining that they want their wine to be less alcoholic so they can drink more (whom I address... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on March 25, 2008 11:29 PM
- Filed under: Ramblings and Rants
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Humbly Asking for Your Vote
The finalists for the 2008 edition of the American Wine Blog Awards have been announced today, and I'm pleased to announce that Vinography is up for two awards: Best Writing and Best Overall Wine Blog. I've been publishing this blog for a bit more than 4 years now, and one of the most satisfying aspects of this (second) job of mine continues to be the support that I receive from readers like you. That support manifests in many ways: the comments you leave on the site, the fact that you even bothering to come back here to read every day,... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on March 21, 2008 2:39 PM
- Filed under: Ramblings and Rants
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Why Are All Wine Studies Done on Mice and Alcoholics?
Scientists are supposed to be really smart folks, aren't they? Then why, in their valiant attempts to understand the effects (good and bad) of wine on people, do they spend their time giving wine mostly to transgenic mice and serious alcoholics? The mice can't appreciate it and the alcoholics won't care what they're drinking. You'd think there would be legions of college students around the world falling all over themselves to be research subjects on studies that involved consuming three to five glasses of red wine per week on a regular basis. Especially compared to the alternative of rubbing lotions... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on March 16, 2008 11:59 PM
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Food and Wine Pairing is Just a Big Scam
Did I just say that? Yes I did. And increasingly I'm hearing it from wine professionals that I know -- spoken, of course, in hushed tones and off the record. Most professional sommeliers and wine writers wouldn't be caught dead uttering such terms in public, let alone publishing them. So I guess it's up to us bloggers to spread the word: wine drinkers around the world, you've been hoodwinked. Tricked. Bamboozled. Conned. Before you throw that glass at your monitor, let me explain. Wine has always gone with food. In fact, one of the first reasons that wine became popular... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on March 12, 2008 11:59 PM
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The Magic of Wine Aromas
One of the most enduring and compelling attractions of wine for me lies in the nearly magical array of aromas that I can find in a glass of fermented grape juice. These aromas, which are actually airborne molecules capable of interfacing with our exceedingly complex sensory apparatus, appear nearly infinite in their variations and subtlety. The science of smell, as it might be described, has gotten us to the point that we can isolate compounds in the air, and can associate some of them with objectively determined standards. We know, for instance, the exact molecular configuration that "is" the smell... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on March 8, 2008 6:14 PM
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My Life as Lawbreaker, Caught in the Crosshairs
You all remember WineGate, right? The brouhaha of eight weeks ago surrounding Wine.Com's actions against its competitors and consumers in general? Well just when it was starting to fade into memory, the infamous Mr. Wolf, recently immortalized in the New York Times as the upright spokesman for the WSWA (Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America -- the bad guys), released a press release and sent a letter to state governments all across America. Perhaps not so coincidentally, this letter was released on the same day that the Specialty Wine Retailers Association -- the good guys -- were having their annual... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on February 28, 2008 11:06 PM
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What Wine Goes with Recession?
If the election buzzphrase in the early 1990s was "It's the economy, stupid!" in 2008 that might be revised to, "it's the stupid economy!" Everyone is in a tizzy these days, and rightfully so. America is going through a rough patch that many believe is the culmination of decades of bad financial habits on a national level, not the least of which is our tendency to spend beyond our means on the level of the individual and the government. Housing prices plummet, foreclosures rise, the dollar weakens, consumer confidence wavers, and of course, all business sectors are beginning to think,... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on February 26, 2008 11:43 PM
- Filed under: Ramblings and Rants , Wine News
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All You Can Drink Wine Bars? I'm Moving to Germany!
OK. Not really. But Germany now seems to be the dream destination for either those who enjoy an evening with wine, or those with a serious binge drinking problem. According to a New York Times Travel section piece earlier in the month, an enterprising Berliner named Jürgen Stumpf has opened four wine bars in which patrons rent a glass at a price of one Euro, drink as much wine as they want throughout the evening, and simply pay what they think they owe at the end of the night. In paranoid and parochial America, this sounds completely insane -- a... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on February 22, 2008 5:24 PM
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Napa, at the Threshold of Spring
Today I am reminded why this is my favorite time of year in Napa. While the vines slumber, the rest of the valley moves visibly towards Spring. Already, the mustard lies heavily layered amongst the rows of vines, whose recently pruned silhouettes look like clutching fingers trying to escape their plush yellow beds. Piles of vine canes, the subtractions of last years growth, lie tied and sometimes burning in bundles at the edges of vineyards, and wispy plumes of smoke rise and fade in the still air. At this time of year, there seems to be no mid-day. The light... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on February 19, 2008 11:12 PM
- Filed under: Ramblings and Rants
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The American Wine Blog Awards Have Begun
You, dear reader, are here because you "get it." You understand (or if not you still hope to understand) what is the point of a wine blog in the first place. You're out there (here?) enjoying finding out about wine and exploring your passion in a new medium. Chances are, if you're like many readers, this is only one of several wine blogs that you read, or at least check in with from time to time. We wine bloggers thank you for your continued support, and in that spirit of support I would like to urge you to participate in... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on February 18, 2008 5:35 PM
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Oops, I Ordered Screaming Eagle.
Have you ever ordered the wrong wine accidentally at a restaurant and ended up paying the price? If you eat out enough and order wine off the list, chances are this has happened to you at least once. However it takes a certain amount of carelessness to accidentally order a $2000 bottle of wine accidentally instead of one that costs $110. But that's precisely what a New York diner did a while back, and they recently wrote to the New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni, to ask what was the appropriate thing to do in this situation. Specifically, what... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on February 13, 2008 11:05 PM
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Wine Marketing Techniques That Need to Stop
OK industry folks, listen up. You've all got products to sell. You need to make a living and feed your kids. But there are good ways to market wine, and there are stupid ways. It's time to end the stupidity. California Wine Month, Year, Decade, Day, Afternoon Which brilliant lobbyist or bored politician came up with this idea? For years I've been trying to figure out what the hell the idea behind this non-event actually is. So let me get this straight. The governor puts his signature on a piece of paper (which he probably doesn't even read). Then a... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on February 11, 2008 11:24 PM
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Why Do Wines Go On Sale?
I get a lot of e-mails from readers, most of which are cheers (and a few jeers) but surprisingly (and perhaps thankfully) I don't get a lot of general questions about wine. I, like every wine writer, definitely get the occasional "I found this bottle in my attic of 1979 Gallo Chablis, is it worth anything?" but not that many people write in with interesting questions like this one I got yesterday:I've been a regular reader of your blog, and thought maybe I could suggest to you this question that has sort of nagged me for awhile. So here goes……... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on February 4, 2008 4:00 PM
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Wine's Inversion of Effort
I'm pretty stressed out these days. My favorite metaphor for stress has got to be those incredible acrobats that get all those plates spinning on the end of their sticks, and then have to keep them spinning through contortions, contrivance, and concentration. Spinning plates, balls in the air, irons in the fire. Sometimes it seems like we're all bumping up against the limits of what our little brains can manage. The reasons for my stress are all the usual excuses -- a surfeit of work coupled with a general tendency to be more responsible than I should, multiplied by a... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on January 30, 2008 11:53 PM
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Science Confirms Gold Plated Wine Bottles Are Best
From now on, I'm only buying wine if it comes in a gold plated or platinum plated bottle. I want my wine bottles encrusted with jewels, and preferably as expensive as possible. Perhaps we can convince Damien Hirst to come up with something called For The Love of Wine? My newly expensive tastes are, of course, the result of some new neuroscience that has gotten a large amount of press in the past two weeks. I don't know what it is, exactly, that the mainstream media love about wine related science, but the recent experiments from some folks down at... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on January 20, 2008 10:37 PM
- Filed under: Ramblings and Rants , Wine News
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Join Vinography at The Aspen Food & Wine Classic '08
Today I am quite pleased to announce that I will be leading two wine seminars at this year's Aspen Food & Wine Classic in Aspen Colorado. This is, of course, quite exciting on several fronts. The first is obviously the honor of being asked to participate in such a fantastic event, alongside some pretty amazing folks from the wine and food world. Perhaps less obvious, but equally fun, is the fact that Aspen is my home town. I grew up there from the age of 3 until I went away to college. As a teenager, I worked at a catering... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on January 15, 2008 12:17 PM
- Filed under: Ramblings and Rants
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