Truth and fiction: Ross Schwartz, screenwriter of Bottle Shock, the movie
Dr. Vino says:

“I was a lawyer for 25 years; I’m different than everyone else in this room because I am not interested in the truth.”

So Ross Schwartz told the assembled group at theSymposium for Professional Wine Writersin Napa last week. Schwartz, formerly an entertainment lawyer based in Los Angeles, wrote the screenplay for the movie Bottle Shock, which stars Alan Rickman and recently appeared on DVD. It loosely depicts the events of the Paris tasting of 1976 when a Chateau Montelena Chard

A Sense of Place
By Eric Asimov says: Tracking old vines in California.
The Passing of the American Wine Blog Awards
Tom Wark says:

This is probably as good as time as any to make a little announcement.

This will be the last year I host the American Wine Blog Awards.

Upon their conclusion this year, I will pass ownership on to theOpenWine Consortium, which will both own the rights to them and be responsible for their administration if they choose to continue them.

It's not a matter of the American Wine Blog Awards being too difficult to administer. Nor it is a matter of them taking too much time to administer. It's a ma

Malolactic Fermentation in February: Winemaker Journal for February 2009, by Jeff Miller

says:

byJeff MillerofArtisan Family of Wines(Red Côte Rosé, 7 Artisans, Sly Dog Cellars)

I haven’t written a journal entry for awhile, since things were pretty low key after the rush of harvest, and there wasn’t much to say. But things are beginning to pick up a bit.

For the 2008 vintage, it’s been something of a waiting game while the wines complete malolactic, or secondary, fermentation, the process where special bacteria convert the malic acid into lactic acid. For whites, differe

Bottle Shock shocked my enjoyment level… it was good!
vinesugar.com says: I’ve been far removed from the marketing noise of the wine industry and I prefer it that way. I hadn’t heard of the movieBottle Shockuntil I saw it at my local Blockbuster.

“Bottle Shock” is the story of Chateau Montelena in 1976 when it’s Chardonnay beat the French in a blind tasting. It was the major turning point for the American wine industry.

Any movie that centers around wine will inevitably get dubbed “Sideways 2″ which is unfortunate really. When you look back at Sideways, that movie was r

---

Late with a Late Harvest
Micheal Seraphin says: I realized that January had literally come and gone and I had not made an entry for the month. This evening I was in the mood for something sweet. Fortunately, or not, I noticed that I had nothing sweet to eat in my apartment. I did, although, forget that I had a wine in my basement, and some wine on the sweeter side at that. I didn’t think I wanted a port, and when searching through my wine stock, I found this 2005 Late Harvest Chenin Blanc fromTerra Blanca. This wine came in my latest shipme

I wanna know posted:


We went to a bar of mom-and-pop and ate a giant champagne bottle (empty) hanging on the walls. They seemed quite old, but I thought it would be fun for a party to buy a shed for a party. ¿It would be the cost is expensive, but how to go about buying an assumption that still make them? Thanks in advance

Sauvignon Blanc

RARE UNTREAT 0.36CT.EXPLODE TOP FANCY CHAMPAGNE DIAMOND 3.6mm/2pieces No Reserve

Waterford, Omega crystalline champagne flutes wine glasses, set of 4, #151726

Vinography Images: Grape Light
vinography.com says:

Grape Light
The grape consists of three primary elements, the skin, the pulp, and the seeds. The skin is actually several layers of material: the bloom, a wax and cutin layer that prevents dehydration of the berry and the epidermis, which contains the pigments and tannins so important to wine color, structure, and flavor. The pulp is a grouping of about 40 veined cells that are connected in a vascular network to a central structure known as the brush, which connects the inner part of the grape to

The Passing of the American Wine Blog Awards
Tom Wark says:

This is probably as good as time as any to make a little announcement.

This will be the last year I host the American Wine Blog Awards.

Upon their conclusion this year, I will pass ownership on to theOpenWine Consortium, which will both own the rights to them and be responsible for their administration if they choose to continue them.

It's not a matter of the American Wine Blog Awards being too difficult to administer. Nor it is a matter of them taking too much time to administer. It's a ma

Malolactic Fermentation in February: Winemaker Journal for February 2009, by Jeff Miller

says:

byJeff MillerofArtisan Family of Wines(Red Côte Rosé, 7 Artisans, Sly Dog Cellars)

I haven’t written a journal entry for awhile, since things were pretty low key after the rush of harvest, and there wasn’t much to say. But things are beginning to pick up a bit.

For the 2008 vintage, it’s been something of a waiting game while the wines complete malolactic, or secondary, fermentation, the process where special bacteria convert the malic acid into lactic acid. For whites, differe

Bottle Shock shocked my enjoyment level… it was good!
vinesugar.com says: I’ve been far removed from the marketing noise of the wine industry and I prefer it that way. I hadn’t heard of the movieBottle Shockuntil I saw it at my local Blockbuster.

“Bottle Shock” is the story of Chateau Montelena in 1976 when it’s Chardonnay beat the French in a blind tasting. It was the major turning point for the American wine industry.

Any movie that centers around wine will inevitably get dubbed “Sideways 2″ which is unfortunate really. When you look back at Sideways, that movie was r

---

Late with a Late Harvest
Micheal Seraphin says: I realized that January had literally come and gone and I had not made an entry for the month. This evening I was in the mood for something sweet. Fortunately, or not, I noticed that I had nothing sweet to eat in my apartment. I did, although, forget that I had a wine in my basement, and some wine on the sweeter side at that. I didn’t think I wanted a port, and when searching through my wine stock, I found this 2005 Late Harvest Chenin Blanc fromTerra Blanca. This wine came in my latest shipme

My dream of owning a vineyard!
bacchus says: Someday in the extended future (and I mean EXTENDED!!) I have the dream of owning my own estate vineyard. I’m not talking about a huge vineyard or even a vineyard large enough to produce sufficient wine to sell on the market. Just a few simple rows of Cabernet or whatever grapes would be suitable for my soil. I would love to learn every aspect of viticulture and make wine for my family and start a legacy for my children. This will take quite an investment and I would need a great piece of land,

Truth and fiction: Ross Schwartz, screenwriter of Bottle Shock, the movie
Dr. Vino says:

“I was a lawyer for 25 years; I’m different than everyone else in this room because I am not interested in the truth.”

So Ross Schwartz told the assembled group at theSymposium for Professional Wine Writersin Napa last week. Schwartz, formerly an entertainment lawyer based in Los Angeles, wrote the screenplay for the movie Bottle Shock, which stars Alan Rickman and recently appeared on DVD. It loosely depicts the events of the Paris tasting of 1976 when a Chateau Montelena Chard

In Search of the Cynical Winemaker
vinography.com says:

I had a conversation the other night with a fellow wine writer that unsettled me. We were tasting a number of different wines, and comparing notes on a few that weren’t so hot, and that’s when she said something along the lines of “Can you believe how cynical these winemakers must be?”

At first, I wasn’t quite understanding what she meant, but as we talked, it became clear that she meant quite literally, that many winemakers in Napa are making wine that they know is bad, just because they think i

A Sense of Place
By Eric Asimov says: Tracking old vines in California.
The Passing of the American Wine Blog Awards
Tom Wark says:

This is probably as good as time as any to make a little announcement.

This will be the last year I host the American Wine Blog Awards.

Upon their conclusion this year, I will pass ownership on to theOpenWine Consortium, which will both own the rights to them and be responsible for their administration if they choose to continue them.

It's not a matter of the American Wine Blog Awards being too difficult to administer. Nor it is a matter of them taking too much time to administer. It's a ma

Malolactic Fermentation in February: Winemaker Journal for February 2009, by Jeff Miller

says:

byJeff MillerofArtisan Family of Wines(Red Côte Rosé, 7 Artisans, Sly Dog Cellars)

I haven’t written a journal entry for awhile, since things were pretty low key after the rush of harvest, and there wasn’t much to say. But things are beginning to pick up a bit.

For the 2008 vintage, it’s been something of a waiting game while the wines complete malolactic, or secondary, fermentation, the process where special bacteria convert the malic acid into lactic acid. For whites, differe

Bottle Shock shocked my enjoyment level… it was good!
vinesugar.com says: I’ve been far removed from the marketing noise of the wine industry and I prefer it that way. I hadn’t heard of the movieBottle Shockuntil I saw it at my local Blockbuster.

“Bottle Shock” is the story of Chateau Montelena in 1976 when it’s Chardonnay beat the French in a blind tasting. It was the major turning point for the American wine industry.

Any movie that centers around wine will inevitably get dubbed “Sideways 2″ which is unfortunate really. When you look back at Sideways, that movie was r

---

In Search of the Cynical Winemaker
vinography.com says:

I had a conversation the other night with a fellow wine writer that unsettled me. We were tasting a number of different wines, and comparing notes on a few that weren’t so hot, and that’s when she said something along the lines of “Can you believe how cynical these winemakers must be?”

At first, I wasn’t quite understanding what she meant, but as we talked, it became clear that she meant quite literally, that many winemakers in Napa are making wine that they know is bad, just because they think i

Worth the Effort
By Eric Asimov says: Asian restaurants should make a greater effort to improve their wine selections.
Oily Fingers and the Demise of an Intellectual Paradigm
Tom Wark says:

Word thatthe San Francisco Chronicle may close downif it can't find a buyer or lower its expenses considerably hit me like a ton of bricks. The news is emblematic of the general trend for daily newspapers in the face of increased competition from on-line information sources and the failing economy.

Still, being an avid consumer of media, the notion of the daily paper, pulp and all, going away strikes me as having considerable consequences for how we imbibers of information and news do our con

Malolactic Fermentation in February: Winemaker Journal for February 2009, by Jeff Miller

says:

byJeff MillerofArtisan Family of Wines(Red Côte Rosé, 7 Artisans, Sly Dog Cellars)

I haven’t written a journal entry for awhile, since things were pretty low key after the rush of harvest, and there wasn’t much to say. But things are beginning to pick up a bit.

For the 2008 vintage, it’s been something of a waiting game while the wines complete malolactic, or secondary, fermentation, the process where special bacteria convert the malic acid into lactic acid. For whites, differe

Bottle Shock shocked my enjoyment level… it was good!
vinesugar.com says: I’ve been far removed from the marketing noise of the wine industry and I prefer it that way. I hadn’t heard of the movieBottle Shockuntil I saw it at my local Blockbuster.

“Bottle Shock” is the story of Chateau Montelena in 1976 when it’s Chardonnay beat the French in a blind tasting. It was the major turning point for the American wine industry.

Any movie that centers around wine will inevitably get dubbed “Sideways 2″ which is unfortunate really. When you look back at Sideways, that movie was r

---

Late with a Late Harvest
Micheal Seraphin says: I realized that January had literally come and gone and I had not made an entry for the month. This evening I was in the mood for something sweet. Fortunately, or not, I noticed that I had nothing sweet to eat in my apartment. I did, although, forget that I had a wine in my basement, and some wine on the sweeter side at that. I didn’t think I wanted a port, and when searching through my wine stock, I found this 2005 Late Harvest Chenin Blanc fromTerra Blanca. This wine came in my latest shipme

Wine on the web, Bordeaux, values, Parmigiano – sipped and spit
Dr. Vino says:

SPIT: the French Paradox!
“The consumption of alcohol, and especially wine, is discouraged,” state new government guidelines. Where? France! Sacre bleu! The National Cancer Institute has a new brochure out that also discourages consumption of red meat, charcuterie and salt. [The Times of London]

SPIT: wine on the web
The French Parliament recently debated a bill that included “a ban on free wine tasting, more specific health warnings on bottles, and the legality of mentioning wine on the

Cast Your Vote in the 2009 American Wine Blog Awards
vinography.com says:

The finalists for the 2009 edition of the American Wine Blog Awards have been announced, and I’m pleased to report that Vinography is up for three awards: Best Writing, Best Wine Reviews, and Best Overall Wine Blog.

I’ve been publishing this blog for more than 5 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 ev

Worth the Effort
By Eric Asimov says: Asian restaurants should make a greater effort to improve their wine selections.
Oily Fingers and the Demise of an Intellectual Paradigm
Tom Wark says:

Word thatthe San Francisco Chronicle may close downif it can't find a buyer or lower its expenses considerably hit me like a ton of bricks. The news is emblematic of the general trend for daily newspapers in the face of increased competition from on-line information sources and the failing economy.

Still, being an avid consumer of media, the notion of the daily paper, pulp and all, going away strikes me as having considerable consequences for how we imbibers of information and news do our con

Malolactic Fermentation in February: Winemaker Journal for February 2009, by Jeff Miller

says:

byJeff MillerofArtisan Family of Wines(Red Côte Rosé, 7 Artisans, Sly Dog Cellars)

I haven’t written a journal entry for awhile, since things were pretty low key after the rush of harvest, and there wasn’t much to say. But things are beginning to pick up a bit.

For the 2008 vintage, it’s been something of a waiting game while the wines complete malolactic, or secondary, fermentation, the process where special bacteria convert the malic acid into lactic acid. For whites, differe

Bottle Shock shocked my enjoyment level… it was good!
vinesugar.com says: I’ve been far removed from the marketing noise of the wine industry and I prefer it that way. I hadn’t heard of the movieBottle Shockuntil I saw it at my local Blockbuster.

“Bottle Shock” is the story of Chateau Montelena in 1976 when it’s Chardonnay beat the French in a blind tasting. It was the major turning point for the American wine industry.

Any movie that centers around wine will inevitably get dubbed “Sideways 2″ which is unfortunate really. When you look back at Sideways, that movie was r

---

Cast Your Vote in the 2009 American Wine Blog Awards
vinography.com says:

The finalists for the 2009 edition of the American Wine Blog Awards have been announced, and I’m pleased to report that Vinography is up for three awards: Best Writing, Best Wine Reviews, and Best Overall Wine Blog.

I’ve been publishing this blog for more than 5 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 ev

Worth the Effort
By Eric Asimov says: Asian restaurants should make a greater effort to improve their wine selections.
2009 American Wine Blog Award Finalists
Tom Wark says:

I am very pleased to announce the finalists in the 2009 American Wine Blog Awards and that the voting is open.

CLICK HERETO CAST YOUR VOTE IN SEVEN CATEGORIES.

The Finalists In Each Category Are:

BEST WRITING ON A WINE BLOG
IN VINO VERITAS
THE POUR
DR.VINO
VINOGRAPHY

BEST GRAPHICS & PRESENTATION ON A WINE BLOG
THE GOOD GRAPE
HOSEMASTER OF WINE
CHATEAU PETROGASM
WILMA'S WINE WORLD

BEST SINGLE-SUBJECT WINE BLOG
BESOTTED RAMBLINGS
LENNDEVOURS
GOOD WINE UNDER $20
NAPA VALLEY WINE BLOG

BEST WINERY BLOG
MICHEL-S

Bottle Shock shocked my enjoyment level… it was good!
vinesugar.com says: I’ve been far removed from the marketing noise of the wine industry and I prefer it that way. I hadn’t heard of the movieBottle Shockuntil I saw it at my local Blockbuster.

“Bottle Shock” is the story of Chateau Montelena in 1976 when it’s Chardonnay beat the French in a blind tasting. It was the major turning point for the American wine industry.

Any movie that centers around wine will inevitably get dubbed “Sideways 2″ which is unfortunate really. When you look back at Sideways, that movie was r

---

Late with a Late Harvest
Micheal Seraphin says: I realized that January had literally come and gone and I had not made an entry for the month. This evening I was in the mood for something sweet. Fortunately, or not, I noticed that I had nothing sweet to eat in my apartment. I did, although, forget that I had a wine in my basement, and some wine on the sweeter side at that. I didn’t think I wanted a port, and when searching through my wine stock, I found this 2005 Late Harvest Chenin Blanc fromTerra Blanca. This wine came in my latest shipme

2007 Karlsmühle Kaseler Nies’chen Riesling Spätlese
bacchus says: I honestly believe that this is one of the best Rieslings in the world. I have tasted a few hundred over the course of my short wine career and this one stands out as one of the very best. Terry Theise is a brilliant mastermind of German wine imports and this is one of the stars of his illustrious portfolio.  The bouquet of this wine is truly magnificent with it’s stunning aromas of mandarin orange, white blossom, honey suckle, slate, mineral, nectarine, dried apricot, lime peel, and probably a

Vote Vino! Wine blog award finalists announced
Dr. Vino says:

Voting is now under way for the 2009 American Wine Blog awards! This blog has been nominated in two categories, best wine blog and best wine blog writing. Head on over to theFermentation, check out all the blogs since it can be a good way to discover new ones, and then cast your vote!

And while you’re there,be sure to Vote Vino! Yes we can!

The past year has been a great year and I thank you for your participation in making this blog lots of fun. Looking forward another year of wine talk tha

San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Tasting: February 28, San Francisco
vinography.com says:

If there is one public wine tasting event that rivals San Francisco’syearly ZAP Zinfandel tastingfor sheer size and chaos, it could only be the annual Chronicle Wine Competition Tasting. Every year theSan Francisco Chronicle(with a lot of help) holds a wine competition, judged by more than 60 wine professionals, inwhich they award medals to their top choices from among over 4,700 wines from all across America. This competition has grown over the last 8 years to be the largest competitive tasting

Worth the Effort
By Eric Asimov says: Asian restaurants should make a greater effort to improve their wine selections.
2009 American Wine Blog Award Finalists
Tom Wark says:

I am very pleased to announce the finalists in the 2009 American Wine Blog Awards and that the voting is open.

CLICK HERETO CAST YOUR VOTE IN SEVEN CATEGORIES.

The Finalists In Each Category Are:

BEST WRITING ON A WINE BLOG
IN VINO VERITAS
THE POUR
DR.VINO
VINOGRAPHY

BEST GRAPHICS & PRESENTATION ON A WINE BLOG
THE GOOD GRAPE
HOSEMASTER OF WINE
CHATEAU PETROGASM
WILMA'S WINE WORLD

BEST SINGLE-SUBJECT WINE BLOG
BESOTTED RAMBLINGS
LENNDEVOURS
GOOD WINE UNDER $20
NAPA VALLEY WINE BLOG

BEST WINERY BLOG
MICHEL-S

Bottle Shock shocked my enjoyment level… it was good!
vinesugar.com says: I’ve been far removed from the marketing noise of the wine industry and I prefer it that way. I hadn’t heard of the movieBottle Shockuntil I saw it at my local Blockbuster.

“Bottle Shock” is the story of Chateau Montelena in 1976 when it’s Chardonnay beat the French in a blind tasting. It was the major turning point for the American wine industry.

Any movie that centers around wine will inevitably get dubbed “Sideways 2″ which is unfortunate really. When you look back at Sideways, that movie was r

---

Late with a Late Harvest
Micheal Seraphin says: I realized that January had literally come and gone and I had not made an entry for the month. This evening I was in the mood for something sweet. Fortunately, or not, I noticed that I had nothing sweet to eat in my apartment. I did, although, forget that I had a wine in my basement, and some wine on the sweeter side at that. I didn’t think I wanted a port, and when searching through my wine stock, I found this 2005 Late Harvest Chenin Blanc fromTerra Blanca. This wine came in my latest shipme

San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Tasting: February 28, San Francisco
vinography.com says:

If there is one public wine tasting event that rivals San Francisco’syearly ZAP Zinfandel tastingfor sheer size and chaos, it could only be the annual Chronicle Wine Competition Tasting. Every year theSan Francisco Chronicle(with a lot of help) holds a wine competition, judged by more than 60 wine professionals, inwhich they award medals to their top choices from among over 4,700 wines from all across America. This competition has grown over the last 8 years to be the largest competitive tasting

Put Pen Down, Pick Glass Up
By Eric Asimov says: Pausing at a wine writers symposium to try some California wines.
2009 American Wine Blog Award Finalists
Tom Wark says:

I am very pleased to announce the finalists in the 2009 American Wine Blog Awards and that the voting is open.

CLICK HERETO CAST YOUR VOTE IN SEVEN CATEGORIES.

The Finalists In Each Category Are:

BEST WRITING ON A WINE BLOG
IN VINO VERITAS
THE POUR
DR.VINO
VINOGRAPHY

BEST GRAPHICS & PRESENTATION ON A WINE BLOG
THE GOOD GRAPE
HOSEMASTER OF WINE
CHATEAU PETROGASM
WILMA'S WINE WORLD

BEST SINGLE-SUBJECT WINE BLOG
BESOTTED RAMBLINGS
LENNDEVOURS
GOOD WINE UNDER $20
NAPA VALLEY WINE BLOG

BEST WINERY BLOG
MICHEL-S

Bottle Shock shocked my enjoyment level… it was good!
vinesugar.com says: I’ve been far removed from the marketing noise of the wine industry and I prefer it that way. I hadn’t heard of the movieBottle Shockuntil I saw it at my local Blockbuster.

“Bottle Shock” is the story of Chateau Montelena in 1976 when it’s Chardonnay beat the French in a blind tasting. It was the major turning point for the American wine industry.

Any movie that centers around wine will inevitably get dubbed “Sideways 2″ which is unfortunate really. When you look back at Sideways, that movie was r

---

Late with a Late Harvest
Micheal Seraphin says: I realized that January had literally come and gone and I had not made an entry for the month. This evening I was in the mood for something sweet. Fortunately, or not, I noticed that I had nothing sweet to eat in my apartment. I did, although, forget that I had a wine in my basement, and some wine on the sweeter side at that. I didn’t think I wanted a port, and when searching through my wine stock, I found this 2005 Late Harvest Chenin Blanc fromTerra Blanca. This wine came in my latest shipme

2005 San Luigi Chianti Classico
bacchus says: This Chianti Classico is composed of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot and has a soft ruby red color which is quite typical for Sangiovese based wines. The aromas of this wine are quite expressive of the region and show great fruit complexity combined with a textbook Tuscan soil composition. I really enjoy the cherry cola, plum, and cranberry notes that are intertwined with soil, leather, and cinnamon infused dark chocolate. On the palate this wine is soft and seductive but has a perfect balance of

There are many reasons people might try making homemade Citrus Wine and until a few short years ago, for many it was a closely guarded family secret. However, in recent years more and more people have found that making homemade wine may be little work and take some time, but they really enjoy kicking back and delighting in the taste and texture of their own home brew. As a result, this expanding interest equipment and ingredients are readily available in many stores and through online outlets.

Depending on the type of wine being made, with grapes being the most common fruit used in making homemade wine, the fruit has to be closely inspected to ensure the tastes of the wine and using a hydrometer can predict how sweet the wine will be. The hydrometer is used to measure how much sugar is in the most that is the initial juice squeezed from the grapes. The stems and seeds have to be removed before placing the most in the first fermentation container to avoid bitterness and harsh tastes.

It is always best to have all the ingredients and equipment necessary for making homemade Fruit Wines on hand and ready to go before starting. The types of grapes used, as well as the color will determine the appearance and flavor of the finished wine.

Starting Scratch Or Using Commercial Kit

Nearly every person with experience making homemade wine has their own recipe they use, based on time-tested wines made in the past. However, for who are new to the process of making homemade wine, kits are available to improve the odds of producing a quality product the first time out of the blocks. Following the initial attempts, recipes can be adjusted to meet the tastes of the winemaker.

One word of caution when making homemade wine is that all equipment needs to be clean and sanitized before starting the wine making process. With the low price of corks, once they have been removed from last year’s batch of bottles, do not attempt to use them over. Throw them out and start with new ones. Bottles can be used over and over, provided they are properly cleaned and sterilized.

Allowing the bottled Rose Wines to age appropriately is important to the flavor of the wine. White wines should be aged at least six months before cracking the cork and red wines at least one year. However, those making homemade wine will typically open the fruit of their labor much sooner, typically