The Wellesley Wine Press

Notes and Conclusions from the 2009 Hingham Wine Merchant Holiday Show

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:10:00 +0000

This past weekend, I attended my 3rd consecutive Hingham Wine Merchant Holiday event. We tasted through a really nice assortment of red wines and focused our time on Napa Cabs, Malbecs from Argentina, Italy, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Here are my notes...

Napa Cabs

We started off the evening at a table featuring mostly Napa Cabs. Dennis Gilligan was manning the table and I recognized him from a Robert Foley wine dinner at BOKX109 in Newton.

'06 Faust Cabernet Napa Valley
-Showing well and offered at a really good price. Bought 1 bottle.

'05 Ramey Cabernet Napa Valley
-I've been looking for Ramey wines at a good price since being so impressed with Hall Wines I tasted earlier this year and learning that David Ramey is a consulting winemaker there. This too was showing well and was offered at a price I'd expect to pay for his more affordable Claret bottling. Bought 1 bottle, maybe I should have bought more?

'06 Cade Cabernet Howell Mountain
-New vineyard and winery from the Plumpjack folks. Very impressive, but pricey.

'06 Switchback Ridge Cabernet Napa Valley
-Probably my favorite Napa Cab of the night, but pricey.

'06 Chappellet Signature Cab
-Showing quite well, and less tightly wound than when I tried it earlier this year (but it's hard to say in a quick tasting like this). Over the past 2 vintages, Chappellet has really done well with this wine, and if the '06 is like the '05, it really evolves nicely over the first year or two after release. Definitely a smart buy south of $40. Sure to be on the Wine Spectator Top 100 list (if not the Top 10).

'06 Chappellet Pritchard Hill Cab
-Beautiful wine, but very expensive. Not showing better than others at this point (but it's more of an age-worthy thing).

'06 Snowden Cabernet "The Ranch"
-Wow, this wine was showing amazingly well and was less than $40. A textbook example of what I'm looking for in Napa Cab with rich black currant, blackberries, and savory components. Bought 1 bottle. Fantastic stuff.

Dennis really knows his stuff- I always enjoy his descriptions. We took a break, and had some delicious beef tenderloin sandwiches with horseradish sauce (the food is always a cut above at these events) and then went off to taste some Malbec.

Napa Conclusion: Some say to skip '06 Napa Cab and wait for '07. I think there's value to be had at this point even in the '06s as $80 wines sell for $50, $50 wines sell in the $30s, and $30 wines sell in the high teens.

Malbecs from Argentina

This is a category I've dabbled in mostly at the $10-$20 price point. I've heard that although it's possible to find great Malbec for $10-$15 (indeed, I thought the Altos Las Hormigas at $10 was a fabulous wine) there is a lot of lousy Malbec out there in the market. Tasting through the Catena line-up (and some others) provided a chance to try a range of Malbecs from $10 to ~$100.

We tried the '07 Catena Malbec, '06 Catena Malbec Alta, '06 Catena Cabernet Alta, the '06 Catena Zapata Malbec Adrianna, and the '06 Nicolas Catena Zapata Cab/Malbec blend. It was really interesting climbing the ladder from ~$20 - ~$100 on these wines. I thought they were all really good, but somehow I'm not willing to spend big money on wines from Argentina. I consider it a value category, and I'm hard pressed to imagine an occasion where I can justify breaking out a $100 bottle of Malbec (or Cab for Argentina). Maybe that'll change in the future- these wines were really good.

'06 Ernesta Catena Alma Negra Bonarda
-Andy Gesell did a great job pouring and describing these wines and told us Bonarda was a more widely planted grape variety in Argentina than Malbec. Tihs wine was a 60/40 Bonarda Malbec blend and I thought it was really fascinating wine. Fruity and delicious, but still dense and serious. I bought a bottle.

'07 Pascual Toso Malbec Reserve
-I've had the '08 Pascual Toso (~$11) before, and thought it was "ok". However, this reserve bottling at $20 was quite nice. Although I didn't buy a bottle, I might in the future- it was a noticeable step up from the regular '08 bottling.

'08 Achaval Ferrer Malbec/'07 Achaval Ferrer Quimera
-I've seen these wines around but haven't tried them before. I think these are their entry level offerings (around $22-$45) and they didn't stand out for me in the tasting for whatever reason.

Malbec Conclusion: Gaining courage to spend more in this category but still hesitant to go north of $20 with so many great values around $10.

Italy

I've struggled mightily finding value in this category historically. So many lousy $30 bottles over the years. Last year this show, I didn't even make my way up to the Italian room on the 2nd floor but I've very glad I did this year because I found some wines I really liked (and some great pasta dishes as well)...

We started out a Masciarelli table with Debbie Pecce pouring mostly Montepulciano d'Abruzzos.

'07 Valori Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
-At $16, this wine was the value find of the night. Beautiful dried fruit aromas and a delight on the palate. A nice change of pace from the Malbecs. I bought a bottle and maybe should have bought more.

'04 Capanna Brunello di Montalcinio
-I was intrigued by a sub-$40 Brunello but disappointed with this wine. Bruenllo is killing me lately. So expensive and I'm so often disappointed. At this point in time, for me, Barbaresco is where it's at.

We bounced over to Liz O'Brien's Indigenous Selections table next. She offered up a couple of wines that really impressed:

The wines from Giorgio Rivetti's La Spinetta tend to have a rhino on the label, and I've heard "trust the rhino" before. I previously tried an '07 Langhe Nebbiolo that was very good but it didn't blow me away. I tried that wine again tonight, but it was the wine sitting next to it (also with a rhino on the label) that blew me away:

'05 La Spinetta Barbera d'Alba Gallina
-Such a rich and complex wine. Ripe dark fruits, smoke, and savory stuff. An absolute pleasure to drink. Might have been my "wow" wine of the night in terms of a category and a wine that really surprised me in a good way. Bought 1 bottle.

'04 Cigliuti Barbaresco Serraboella
-This was a gorgeous wine. Dried rose petals, earthy mushrooms, and cherry on the nose. A delight to drink, but for my wallet very expensive (nearly $60 for this one). I wanted to pull the trigger, but I remembered that I wanted to have The Wine Bottega be my Italian wine sherpa.

Italian Conclusion: Some of these wines surprised me, and I think I may be finding some paths into Italian wine that weren't the first I would have guessed to start with.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape

The 2007 vintage of CdP is probably the most heralded of any winegrowing region coming to market currently. John Junguenet did an awesome job walking us through wines in the $30-$50 range. He did an awesome job representing this unique region, and his eyes lit up when I told him my boy could pick a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape out of a line-up when he was only 2 years old (video). He gave us some temporary CdP tattoos!

These wines, as a whole, were drinking quite well at such a young age. I remember tasting through some 2005 Châteauneufs when they were about 2 years old and thought they were all closed aromatically and entirely unimpressive. Some of these 2007s are remarkably approachable already.

'07 Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape
-Although this wasn't the most fruit forward nor tastiest of the wines I tried, I bought it for it's reputation and the impressions of the pros. Nice looking bottle, famous name. Sometimes, that's how I buy wine (especially when it's the last category of the night and I've tried 50+ wines).

'07 Vieux Telegramme Châteauneuf-du-Pape
-Another nice looking bottle, this one with a famous more expensive sibling (Vieux Telegramme La Crau). I thought this one was nice too so I bought a bottle.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Conclusion: Check back tomorrow for a combined case purchase opportunity (only the 2nd we've done here) on a value-priced red CdP. Subscribe to the WWP and we'll send you an E-mail when there are new updates.

I've also been seeing a lot of wine deals come and go so quickly, I don't even have a chance to blog about them. However, I do have a chance to tweet about them. Follow me on Twitter (@RobertDwyer) so you don't miss out on these.

Question of the Day: What do you think of these picks?

90+ Cellars and The Greater Boston Food Bank Team up to Fight Hunger

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

90+ Cellars is partnering with the Greater Boston Food Bank to help fight hunger this holiday season.

Throughout the month of November, 90+ Cellars will host wine tastings during which the profits from every bottle of 90+ Cellars purchased will be donated to the Greater Boston Food Bank. No fancy dress or urbane knowledge of wine is required. Just stop by one of the locations below to taste some outstanding wine and learn about the many great undertakings the Greater Boston Food Bank is planning for the holidays.

Friday, November 6, 4-7 p.m. - Esprit du Vin, Milton, MA
Saturday, November 7, 2-5 p.m. - Vinodivino, Newton, MA
Saturday, November 14, 3-6 p.m. - Whole Foods River Street, Cambridge, MA
Saturday, November 21, 2-5 p.m. - Omni Foods, Weston, MA

I hope you'll get a chance to try these wines while supporting this worthy cause.

This weekend I'm looking forward to the Hingham Wine Merchant's Holiday tasting. HERE are my notes on last year's event if you're interested. I hope you have a great weekend! Any food or wine-related events you'd like to mention? Let us know in the comments section.

Auctioned Chef's Table Dinners: Deal or No Deal?

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

One of the more popular items at charity auctions I've attended lately is the chef's table. It sounds great, doesn't it? A delicious dinner for you and 7 of your closest friends at one of your favorite restaurants. There's something about the notion that seems to whip bidders into a frenzy. Maybe it's the idea of hosting your friends and spending time together, or just the general idea that everyone likes to eat out at a great restaurant. I've seen these go for several thousand dollars.

This past June, a group of friends and I went in on an 8-person Chef's Table at The Capital Grille's Newbury Street location as part of a WGBH Auction. I remember reading about it on The Passionate Foodie at the time and thought there'd be no way we'd win it at a reasonable price. However, we were pleased to win the item with a $1,000 bid. $125 a person seemed like a good price, depending on what exactly was included. I figured the restaurant would treat us well given that it was an auction item, but you never know.

The Capital Grille has long been one of my favorite restaurant groups, and their Newbury Street location is the best I've been to. It's got this great old-world Boston feel while still managing to offer refined upscale dining ambiance. The crowd is always lively and well-heeled, and we frequently manage a celebrity citing or two. A few years back, I asked my friend Michael if he'd ever seen a World Series ring up close. He said "no". I told him to turn to his right because seated next to us Charlie Steiner and his massive ring was quite a site. Derek Jeter was there that night too. More on celebrity citings in a bit...

Since it was Halloween by the time we were able to find a night we could all make it, we decided to declare it our holiday group dinner. We had an 8:15 PM dinner reservation, and our table was ready and waiting for us when we arrived. Something I've always been impressed with from the Capital Grill is how professionally they handle their reservations. There's never that awkward "hmm- I can't seem to find your reservation might it be under another name?" moment. As soon as you walk in they're expecting you and your table is waiting for you complete with any special pre-arrangements like anniversary hearts sprinkled on the table or a birthday acknowledgment. Very intuitive service a la the Four Seasons Hotel group. Love it.

When we were seated I noticed they had a couple bottles of Champagne and some white wine chilling along with 4 bottles of ZD Cabernet Sauvignon open and ready to go. I was curious heading into this how it would work. Was everything included? Or was there going to be a supplemental charge if we drank more than a certain amount of wine, or if we ordered dessert or coffee? What choices would we be able to make? As I'd soon discover, everything was included and then some.

We started off with some Roederer Champagne and our choice of Fiji or Pellegrino. Managing Partner Christopher Scott came by the table and graciously introduced himself, and said that Champagne was a good way to celebrate and that we had reason to celebrate because we were all there that night. He'd be our host for the evening, visiting the table at just the right times to describe the food and wines we were enjoying. He mentioned that he received an E-mail from George Miliotes, The Capital Grille's Master Sommelier. I pinged George on Twitter earlier in the week and asked if he could send some VIP love our way. I didn't hear back from George directly, so it was great to hear he took the time to send a note to Christopher on our behalf. The invisible hand of excellent guest service at work again.

The only choices we needed to make for the night were the salad and the entrée. Fortunately, two of my favorite items were on the list: The "Wedge" Salad with Bleu Cheese and Crumbled Bacon -and- the Kona Crusted Dry Aged Sirloin. Easy choice!

The appetizer course was presented with a 2008 Mason Cellars Pomelo Lake County Sauvignon Blanc and included:

Shrimp Cocktail
Wagyu Beef Carpaccio
Pan-Fried Calimari with Hot Cherry Peppers
Prosciutto Wrapped Mozzarella with Vine Ripe Tomatoes

I enjoyed the Sauvignon Blanc as a first-course alternative to Chardonnay, and I thought it was a nice clean start to the evening. The appetizers were all great (indeed, I find The Capital Grille to be strong across the whole meal rather than merely cooking up a good steak). I especially enjoyed the shrimp and the carpaccio. Others at the table thought highly of the calamari.

The pace of service was very comfortable, and multiple pours were offered of each course of wine. There was absolutely no skimping going on at any point in the night. Chris offered to cut the white wine offering short and move on to the reds if we wanted, but most everyone was enjoying the white. We ordered up an additional plate of shrimp and carpaccio which were promptly and cheerfully delivered with no extra charge.

The salads came out, and after devouring the lion's share of my Wedge I was stuffed. That's got to be the best salad in America. Delicious dressing, stunningly ripe tomatoes, and these awesome crouton-sized "nuggets" of bacon. My goodness. I could have (should have?) quit while I was ahead but we were only half way through the meal!

The featured wine of the evening was a 2006 ZD Cabernet Sauvignon. They picked a winner with this one. For a group like ours, the last thing I'd like to see is an obscure, austere, bitter French wine. The ZD was pitch-perfect with it's savory mocha and black currant aromas that everyone enjoyed. On the palate it was a very smooth low-tannin wine. Perhaps a bit one-dimensional and short on the finish, but again, for a wine that needs to appeal to a broad audience I thought it was an outstanding selection. More info on where the name "ZD" originates from here...

The ZD continued to flow and evolve as our steaks and side dishes arrived at the table. It seemed like half the wait staff concurrently descended upon our table so everyone's food arrived at exactly the same time, at the perfect temperature, and prepared to everyone's liking.

I've had the Kona Crusted Sirloin on few times, and this bone-in rendition didn't disappoint. I order steak "medium" and to be honest I'm not too picky about how well-done my steak is. It's important to me that the steak and sides be served hot however, and these indeed were. I especially appreciate the carmelized shallots that accompany the not-too-sweet coffee rub in this preparation. Quite a treat.

Other entrée choices included:

10 oz Filet Mignon
Porcini Rubbed Delmonico with 12-Year Aged Balsamic
Seared Citrus Glazed Salmon

In addition to the steakhouse-favorite Mashed Potatoes and Fresh Creamed Spinach, Lobster Mac 'n Cheese and a seasonal vegetable (Green Beans) were offered up. Each were spot-on, and I especially enjoyed the Lobster Mac 'n Cheese which I'd never had before.

As the table was cleared and prepared for dessert, we'd gone through more than a few bottles of red wine and although none of the glasses were completely empty they readily cracked open another bottle and topped off everyone's glasses. Little things like this reinforced how they were looking to give us the best treatment possible and impressed me quite a bit.

Two oversized trays of desserts were presented along with a 2007 Selbach Kabinett Riesling Mosel as a dessert wine. Interesting call on the Riesling. I thought it was a delcious wine, but I could have gone a little sweeter for a true dessert situation. This Riesling could have been served with the appetizers and salads. Some debate ensued at the table as to whether the wine was too sweet or not- I don't think there was a consensus. I can say for sure that I preferred it to a Sauternes or a Port (not a fan of either of those) so I say it was a safe choice that most people enjoyed.

Complimentary coffee, espresso and cappuccino was included, which I thought was a nice touch. It seems petty to me when you drop $100 on a price fixe dinner and then get soaked for $6 for a cup of drip coffee.

Remember that celebrity-citing aspect I mentioned earlier? About two-thirds of the way through the meal, Chris was describing the ZD Cab to us and Ben Watson from the New England Patriots was leaving the restaurant and walking past our table. Chris pardoned himself from our conversation momentarily, shook Ben Watson's hand and thanked him for coming in, and effortlessly picked up where he left off. I can imagine there being an instinct to fawn over/chase after the celebrity at the expense of the auction-winning set, but Chris handled it perfectly.

The chef himself made a brief appearance, but he wasn't a talkative type. That was fine, but it reminded me just a little bit that a Chef's Table experience conjures up images of sitting near the kitchen and hearing from the chef personally what went in to each course. That didn't happen, but I wasn't expecting it to given the nature of a the restaurant. The Capital Grille, for me, is about consistency across the restaurants in the group rather than shining a spotlight on the chefs at any one of their locations.

At the conclusion of the meal, no check was presented. Our valet tickets were taken so they could get our cars, and we were on our way. Gratuity was not included, so we left cash on the table for the excellent service. Our server and everyone we came into contact with were fantastic.

Conclusion:

I thought this was one of the most enjoyable dining experiences I've ever had. Not only was the food and service fantastic, but we were treated like VIPs. Most importantly, the generous all-inclusive nature of the event gave the evening a celebratory and relaxed feeling. Kind of like a cruise- when you don't have to think about the incremental cost of each decision you make it frees up your mind to focus on conversing with your friends and enjoying the occasion. I'd absolutely do this again, especially as a way of arranging a holiday dinner for a group this size.

Check 'em out:
The Capital Grille
359 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02115
(617)262-8900
Other locations...

Question of the Day: Have you ever done a Chef's Table you won at an auction? If so, I hope your experience was as good as ours. Either way, I'd love to hear about it or your experience with The Capital Grille.

A Simple and Effective Short-Term Wine Preservation Tip

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

This is a guest post from Todd Broderick, a fellow Boston-area wine enthusiast. I've received multiple E-mails looking for thoughts on how to easily and effectively preserve wine overnight and I think this approach is quite helpful.

So here is my dilemma, I like to drink wine with dinner but we’re having a baby so my wife is not drinking and I am probably not going to kill a bottle myself on a nightly basis. . .so what do I do with the rest of the bottle that I might not consume for a couple of days?

I have sometimes gone with the assumption that I am going to finish off that wonderful cab the next night, only to have it sit on the counter for 3 days with a vacuum stopper and end up barely drinkable. Over the course of the last year I have been on a mission to solve this problem, trying a variety of methods recommended by friends and professionals. My hope is that by sharing these experiences with you, I’ll help you savor just a little bit longer, that great bottle that you opened up on Tuesday night “just because.”

There are so many different ways to go about preserving your wine; you can use the cans of gas that put a protective layer of argon or some other gas in between the wine and the air in the bottle, you can use a special stopper that pulls the air out of the bottle, you can also fridge the leftover portion in hopes of slowing down the oxidation process. I have given most of them a shot and had varying degrees of success. I tried to combine the trial and error research I did with some basic logic and ended up with a pretty good result, that I think you might find helpful. I went under the premise that you want to limit the wines exposure to air and tried to keep the solution simple and inexpensive.

I had an extra half bottle (375ml) lying around and upon opening a new bottle for the night, promptly filled the half bottle, capped it with a vacuum stopper and put it in the fridge. 48 hours later I pulled the bottle from the fridge when I got home to let it warm up. By the time dinner was ready, I was able to give it a few swirls and enjoy a pretty good glass of wine. Here are a few other tips and observations worth noting:

Use a funnel to fill the half bottle up as much as possible, but be careful not to use one that aerates the wine as you pour.
The type of stopper used has not really made a difference; I have used both a vacuum stopper with pump and a standard one, and have had equally good luck. Here is a $1.95 alternative from Crate & Barrel (also available for $3 at Williams-Sonoma)
Two to three days seems to be a relatively safe time frame in my experiences, I’ve gone as long as four and the wine had clearly faded, but was still drinkable.
I wouldn’t advocate trying this with a really special bottle of wine that may need some decanting, but for a weekday wine it works well.
If you fridge the wine, which I would suggest if you know you are drinking it over 2 plus days, make sure to give it time to warm up.

I like this approach because it is pretty straightforward and did not involving buying any more gear. All you need is the empty half bottle, the funnel and a stopper, pretty easy, right? I’m up for trying other alternatives if anyone has a suggestion, feel free to email me. Until then, this is going to be my preferred method of getting that bottle to last just long enough to enjoy ever last drop!

Cheers,
Todd

Want a second opinion? Here's an interesting take from The Shopping Bags (including a freezing technique!)

Question of the Day: What do you think of the half-bottle approach? Have you tried it? Does it work for you?

Winners Announced in Wine Glass Towel Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Thanks to everyone who left a comment, tweeted, or subscribed to enter in the wine glass towel review/giveaway we ran last week. And thanks again to all of the vendors who submitted towels for review. I really appreciate it.

I took a quick video of the drawing:

Congratulations to @HeathStone and @troutmonster! I'll follow-up with you on Twitter to see which towels you'd like and I'll ship them out ASAP.

If you didn't win the drawing, I'd highly recommend you consider purchasing the Top Pick available at Wubeez.com. No affiliation for me on that one- just a great product.

We've got a great week of content ahead on the site. Tomorrow, we have a guest post on a simple and effective wine preservation technique. Later in the week, ever wonder if those dinners they auction off at charity events are a good deal? I'll review a Chef's Table wine dinner at a top area steakhouse I attended recently with friends. I'd love it if you subscribed via E-mail for updates.

Sideways Movie Night at Gordon's Waltham, MA

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

This event from featuring the movie Sideways at Gordons has been canceled. I'll leave my related commentary posted here- sorry for pointing you to a non-existent event.

One of my favorite wineries featured quite prominently in the movie is Sanford. It's one of the first tasting rooms Miles and Jack stop in. If you watch closely there's a few other wines that play bit parts that are a little harder to find. Specifically, I always enjoy the scene where they're enjoying dinner with Maya and Stephanie for the first time and they're cranking through way too many wines. A nice bottle of Burgundy, a bottle of Kistler...on and on. At around 42 minutes in is a Pinot Noir that I've wanted to try for a while and just recently did- Sea Smoke:

I wrote-up my impression of the 2004 Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir HERE. Really oustanding stuff I'd encourage you to buy if you see it around, and if not- seek it out.

I'm headed to a Chef's Table dinner tonight at one of my favorite restaurants- The Capital Grille on Newbury Street. Some friends and I won it in a WGBH auction earlier this year- really looking forward that.

Whatever your plans are, I hope you have a great weekend!

Store Review: Wine ConneXtion North Andover, MA

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:00:00 +0000

Just back from a soft opening of a new wine shop: Wine ConneXtion in North Andover, MA. I'll cut right to the chase and say that the pricing is the lowest I've seen in the state, with a product mix that compelled me to buy nearly a case of wine when I intended to limit my purchases to only 1 or 2 bottles. Here's what I bought:

'06 Martinelli Pinot Noir Bella Vigna $36.99
-I've never seen Martinelli in stores in MA. I think the release price on this is $60, and it's sold mostly through mail order.
'05 Chateau Montelena Cab $34.99
-$45 release price. 82 WS, but a CT median of 90. I think I've had this wine by the glass at The Capital Grill ad I loved it. And let's face it- a nice looking bottle. Strong brand.
'06 Groth Cab $34.99
-I thought the pricing on this was insanely low. $55 release price, 88WS, 91 CT median. Really beautiful brand and bottle. You always see this one at steakhouses for $100+.
'07 Ridge Lytton Springs $24.99
-I liked this '05 vintage of this wine at $32 ($40 less 20% discount for a case purchase). I gave it 93 points and thought it was the best Zinfandel I've ever had. I think at $25 this is an amazing buy.
'07 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Willamette Valley $23.99
-I thought this was a great price for a legit Oregon Pinot Noir I've been looking for based on comments I've gotten from friends on this site. Also have their Pinot Gris at a great price. UPDATE: This wine received 90 points from Wine Spectator with a release price of $32.
'08 Two Hands Angels' Share Shiraz $22.99
-This is a fantastic wine that's hard to find for less than $30 (the release price is $35). Also had the '07 Gnarly Dudes for $19.99 but I've enjoyed the Angels' Share more in the past.
'07 Grgich Hills Fume Blanc $13.99
-Not sure why I bought this one, other than it looking like a nice bottle of white wine from a producer I've visited and enjoyed wines from in the past. Just looked it up- 89WS and a release price of $30. Wow. I see a store in MA selling this same wine for $13.99- for a half bottle.
'06 Castle Rock Napa Valley Cab $9.49
-I tried this at a shop that was considering bringing in the '05 vintage. They said they were afraid to carry it because it would cannibalize sales of $15-$20 Cabs. WS panned this one- 79. CT users don't like it much more. May have been a mistake.

Although the selection wasn't deep in France (I'd say the store was probably two-thirds new world) I also bought:
'07 William Fevre Chablis $15.99
'07 Marcel Martin Vouvray $9.49

There are no case discounts offered on top of these low prices, and sales are subject to 6.25% Massachusetts state tax. I like the model where you don't have to buy quantity to get the best pricing. Some stores closer to me make it necessary to buy 2 cases to get the pricing down out of the stratosphere. Even after 20-25% discounts at other stores, the pricing isn't as good what I saw at Wine ConneXtion.

For the most part, wines are stored in on simple folding tables right out of the cardboard boxes they came in. They do have a small walk-in area (where I found the Martinelli) where they keep higher end wines:

They also have a tasting bar and a "Back Wall Deals" area. I was hoping this would be a close-out area, but it was more of a collector wall for 1.5L bottles of Meridian Chardonnay and such:

I had a chance to talk with Wine Director Sam Messina and his co-owner/sister Tina Messina about the store and their unique business model. They bring 40 years of experience (ie, they know how to pick good wines) and are hyper-focused on being the area's ultimate low-cost provider of fine wine. They even went as far as to consider efficient heating and lighting systems to further keeps costs down.

I learned that they used to run a more traditional liquor store at the location (lotto machine, nips, cigs, etc). They decided to re-vamp the way they do things as part of a revitilization of the First & Main Marketplace it's located in and I'd say they hit a home run. It's actually the closest thing I've seen in MA to one of my favorite stores in the country- San Diego Wine Co. Minimize the number of SKUs, focus on the wines people want that turn quickly, and offer them at unbelievably low prices.

I'll look forward to seeing the product assortment change over time. I'd also like to see them develop their internet presence so I can be aware of their inventory to justify the trip up there (it took me about an hour with traffic at 6:00 PM). I'm not looking for anything fancy here- just a monthly newsletter with their latest best deals and E-mail blasts with closeouts they're able to obtain. A simple reply to the E-mail if I'd like to take advantage of one of their offers is all I'm looking for- no e-commerce site is necessary. Effective use of Twitter would be nice too. It's how I like to shop.

I'd encourage you to check this store out. It may have redefined the baseline for rock bottom pricing north of Boston.

Interesting in reading more about this store?

Check 'em out:
Wine ConneXtion
117 Main Street
North Andover, MA 01845
Follow @WineConneXtion on Twitter

Tasting Report: 2007 Paraiso Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

One of the top values in Wine Spectator's 2007 California Pinot Noir report was the 2007 Paraiso Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir. Of the 384 wines they tasted, only 8 earned 90 points or more and carried a release price of $30 or less. The Paraiso retails for $25, so I was ecstatic to receive an E-mail offer from one of my favorite local wine merchants offering the wine at $20. I bought 3 bottles.

Over the past month I've had all 3 bottles, but not because I thought the wine so great. Because they were all so different. The first bottle was, for me, entirely over-ripe (and I love big California style wines typically). It went beyond ripe fruit straight to raisins. Not good.

The second bottle was dominated by dill aromas. I'm told that dill is commonly imparted by American oak, and in moderate levels I can enjoy dill nuances. But in this bottle it was so overpowering I couldn't notice any thing else about the wine.

The third bottle was fine- a very good California Pinot Noir. I'd probably rate it 88 points.

After tasting these bottles, I'm left thinking about bottle variation. I don't know of any flaws that lead to over-ripe or exessive dill aromas, so I'm assuming these bottles were all solid. Further, I assume they all came from the same lot (since I bought them at the same time from the same retailer).

I'm thinking of 2 people tasting the same wine from different bottles at the same time. Like during TasteLive sessions- 2 people can get entirely different impressions of the same wine at the same time and I typically chalk it up to different palates. Maybe sometimes the wine is significantly different between different bottles?

2007 Paraiso Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands
11,618 Cases
14.4% Alcohol
$25 Release Price
92 Wine Spectator (subscription required)
90 CellarTracker
Click here for more info from the winery

Further Reading:

Question of the Day: If you've had this wine, what did you think of it? Either way, what are you thoughts on bottle variation?

Cakebread Wine Dinner at Morton's Back Bay

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

As self-appointed chairman of the (non-existent as far as I know) Boston Cakebread fan club, it's my pleasure to pass along a heads-up about a paired wine dinner at Morton's Back Bay Boston coming up this Wednesday November 4th, 2009.

Bruce Cakebread will be on hand and the event includes an opportunity to bid on some large-format bottles of Cakebread wine with proceeds going to Feeding America. Here's the menu:

Reception
Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes
Oysters on the Half Shell
Tuna Tartare, Diced Tomato and Avocado
Sauvignon Blanc, 2008, Napa, Cakebread Cellars

Salad
Mixed Field Greens topped with Grilled Colossal Shrimp, Toasted Walnuts, Blue Cheese and Apple
Chardonnay Reserve, 2006, Napa, Cakebread Cellars

Entree
Filet Mignon
Chive Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Tomato Stuffed with Saut�ed Spinach
Shiitake Mushrooms
Cabernet Sauvignon, Dancing Bear Ranch, 2004, Napa, Cakebread Cellars

Cheese Course
Green Hill (Jersey Cow Milk Cheese)
Roasted Wild Rice (Gouda)
GoreDawnZola (Gorgonzola)
River's Edge Full Moon (Goat Milk)
Zinfandel, 2006, Red Hills-Lake County, Cakebread Cellars

Dessert
Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
Taylor Fladgate, LBV

For more information, visit the Back Bay location's events page HERE.

Reminder:
There's a Morton's Cookbook Tour event at the Boston Seaport location *tonight*. More info HERE.

Further Reading:

You can follow @Morton's and @CakebreadWines on Twitter.

Wine Glass Towel Review

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Giveaway! Scroll down to the end of this post to see how you can win your choice of these wine glass towels...

Everyone likes drinking out of a sparkling clean wine glass and while it's not the most important purchase decision you'll ever make, finding the right wine glass towel can really make a difference in how clean your wine glasses are. You'd think it would be easy to design a great wine glass towel. It's just a matter of finding the right fabric and slapping a logo on it, right? It must be harder than it seems because my testing revealed tremendous differences in the performance of the 5 towels tested.

Over the past year I've been testing every wine glass towel I could find. After purchasing a set from Wine Enthusiast, I've been able to track down a total of 5 towels specifically designed for cleaning wine glasses. Of the 5, I'm able to give positive recommendations to 2 of them, and one receives my top pick.

How I Use Wine Glass Towels

Although they're dishwasher safe, I don't run my wine glasses through the dishwasher. They're too large and awkward, and the dishwasher is usually full of regular dishes (and sippy cups). I typically wash my wine glasses by hand, turn them upside down on a dish towel for just a moment to let the water run off, and then I dry them with a wine glass towel to remove water spots.

I've tried using a regular kitchen dish towel, but the towels tend to be wet and dirty from regular kitchen use. If I do pull out a fresh kitchen towel, it tends to leave lint residue on the wine glasses. For these reasons, for me, dedicated wine glass towels are a legitimate accessory.

What I'm Looking For in a Wine Glass Towel

Lint-free The primary reason I sought out dedicated wine glass towels in the first place was because my kitchen towels left lint residue. This is the most important characteristic of wine glass towels because the last thing you want is a glass with lint residue that ends up making the glass look dirty -or worse- leaves lint floating around in your wine.
Odor-free Fortunately, none of the towels I tested left a noticeable odor.
Absorbency If the towel isn't absorbent enough it'll take a long time to get the water off the glasses.
Size/Weight It's the combination of the two that is important because you want a towel that's large enough to substantially fill a large Bordeaux-style glass so that you can spin the towel around and clean out the inside of the glass. If the towel is too small, it will be difficult to reach the bottom of the inside of the glass. If the towel is large but thin, it just collapses in the glass.
Pliability If a towel is too rigid it'll be difficult to to drape it around the glass and remove all of the water.
Grabby-ness/Buffing Quality The best towels I tested not only got the glasses dry and clean, they seemed to have a buffing quality to them.
Towels-per-package I think a 2-pack is the perfect size. If you have 2 towels, you can have one being laundered while the other is being used. Or if both are clean you can have a back-up in case you need to dry off a lot of glasses all at once.

How I Tested

I tested all of the towels over a period of months. I put them each through multiple laundry cycles with other towels and often with baby bibs with velcro. As I noticed flaws in each of the towels, I'd use it less and less. After a while it was clear to me what my preferred order was and when I'd go back and try one of the non-preferred towels I was instantly reminded why I stopped using it.

Here are my thoughts on each of these towels, written up in the order in which I discovered them. With the exception of the 1st towel that I purchased, all of the towels were samples I solicited.

Wine Enthusiast Suede Microfiber Wine Glass Towels

These are the first towels I tried. I was not happy with them.

Strengths:

Due to their small size and pliability, good for cleaning eyeglasses.

Weaknesses:

Major large-lint problem. Left nearly as much lint as kitchen towels.
Not absorbent enough. Takes a long time to dry and clean each glass.
Too small. Very difficult to reach the inside of large glasses.

Recommendation: Not recommended.

Where to buy: Discontinued, but here's a link to where they used to be sold on Amazon:

Wubeez Glass Polishing Cloths (1st Generation)

I first heard of Wubeez from THIS REVIEW on The Second Glass. I received a sample of the towels and I was *very* impressed. This towel worked very well.

Strengths:

Perfect balance of absorbency, weight, and pliability. They seemed to get the material just right on this one.
No lint- very good.
Very good buffing characteristics. Leaves the glasses sparkling.

Weaknesses:

Design isn't the most elegant in the world. Looks a little bit like a shop rag.
Just a little too small- hard to fill up a Bordeaux glass with one of these.
Edges become frayed after several washes- especially prone to getting snagged on velcro:

Recommendation: Favorable, but this product has been replaced with a new towel. See 2nd Generation review below.

Riedel Large Microfiber Crystal Cloth

This is strong entry from the Riedel wine glass company (rhymes with needle) . The product is thoughtfully designed and marketed consistently with their industry-leading glassware products (see my review of Riedel wine glasses HERE).

Strengths:

Size. This was the largest towel of the group.
Aesthetics. This was the most refined and elegant looking towel I evaluated. Its white background makes it easy to see when the towel has gotten dirty and needs to be washed. Its red trim with black Riedel logo look crisp.
Pliability. The Riedel towel's silky material enables it to easily drape over and around a glass

Weaknesses:

Absorbency. It takes me a couple of passes to dry a wet glass with a dry towel.
Weight. Although the towel is by far the largest, the lightweight material it is made of collapses on itself when you try to bunch it up inside a large glass.

Recommendation: Recommended.

Where to Buy:
Directly from Riedel USA

Wine Enthusiast Microfiber Wine Glass Towels

I really had high hopes for this one. I was ready to fry the first Wine Enthusiast towel when I noticed that Wine Enthusiast was carrying this new towel.

Strengths:

Lowest per-towel price of the group. These are sold in 4-packs.

Weaknesses:

Poor durability, especially in conjunction with velcro items in a laundry cycle.
Leaves noticeable fibrous lint remaining on glasses after use. Take a look at this picture below (and click on it to increase the resolution). It was a little difficult to capture in a picture, but the glass on the left was cleaned with the towel that was my top pick. The glass on the right was cleaned with the Wine Enthusiast Microfiber Wine Glass Towel. The Wine Enthusiast towel consistently leaves an obvious and problematic amount of lint on the glass. The nature of the lint is different than the first towel I mentioned in this review, and also different than what I see from regular kitchen towels or paper towels. The lint is small and fibrous (as opposed to more of a natural cloth-like lint). Very peculiar and definitely not good.

Recommendation: Not recommended.

Where to Buy:

Wubeez Glass Polishing Cloths (2nd Generation)

Mid-way through my testing, just as I was getting ready to write a fairly positive review of their 1st Generation towel and mention some areas for improvement, Wubeez contacted me and told me they had a new version of the towel they were releasing. I received a sample of this new towel and it addressed all of the areas I noted for improvement.

Strengths:

Same great fabric as their 1st generation towel, but this new version is more elegant and refined.
Larger than the original, this new version fills a large Bordeaux glass nicely.
The border of the towel is stitched more cleanly and it no longer gets frayed in the laundry in my tests.
Dries glasses quickly and easily. The perfect balance weight and absorbency while still being pliable.

Weaknesses:

For better or for worse, this product hasn't reached wide distribution yet.

Recommendation: Top Pick (and a suggestion to Wine Enthusiast to evaluate this towel)

Where to Buy: Wubeez.com

The towel was developed by Robert Hendrickson, who works in the hospitality trade in California. He was frustrated with how long it took to dry/clean glassware with the towels he had available so he created his own. The towel is sold to consumers, but also makes a good fit for restaurants and wineries. Here is a prototype of what the Wubeez would look like with a custom logo:

Summary

Like many wine accessories, glass towels aren't a necessity. They do make for a nice stocking stuffer, small item to pair with a gift of a bottle of wine, or small item to round out Amazon Free Super-Saper Shipping. If you drink wine a few times a week they're definitely nice to have. If you work in a restaurant or a winery tasting room, you'd probably agree they're a must. Either way, I hope you found this review useful.

I'd like to thank all of the companies that submitted towels for review. I truly appreciate it.

Giveaway! If you have a question or a comment, leave it below by the end of the week and you'll be entered in a random drawing for your choice of any one of the wine glass towels featured in this review. If you don't live in the continental US I'll send you a $25 Amazon gift card.

Spread the word about this giveaway on Twitter and you'll also be entered in the drawing. If you leave a comment -and- spread the word on Twitter you'll get 2 entries: Click here to pre-populate a Twitter status update (you'll have a chance to edit the tweet and click "Update" before the tweet is sent): Tweet this

If you're not into Twitter, or want an even better chance of winning, subscribe to this site via E-mail for yet another chance to win.

The more interest, the more towels I'll give away! I'll announce the winner(s) Monday November 2nd, 2009.

City Winery NYC Hosts an Evening with Kermit Lynch

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Who says this site only focuses on Boston events? Here's one for our friends within striking distance of New York City. Wine importer Kermit Lynch (love his 2005 Chateau Aney by the way- delicious stuff if you ever see it around) has released a CD and will be promoting it at this upcoming event:

On October 27th, City Winery, New York’s first functioning winery in over 40 years and innovative concert venue, welcomes wine importer extraordinaire, Kermit Lynch, to celebrate the release of his new CD Man's Temptation. The music and wine extravaganza will feature a tasting of twelve distinctive Kermit Lynch wines imported from all across France, and Lynch will share music from his brand new album Man’s Temptation distributed by Dualtone Music, as well as talk about his many adventures as proprietor of the Berkeley, California based Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant that is currently celebrating its 37th year anniversary.

Copies of the new CD Man’s Temptation, as well as both of his best-selling books Inspiring Thirst and Adventures on the Wine Route, will be available for sale that night, and Lynch will be on hand to sign autographs.

The event will begin with a forty-five minute walk-around tasting followed by a ‘Charlie Rose’ style interview with Kermit Lynch and a special guest celebrity emcee.

“This is a party for all my friends and long time customers to celebrate thirty-seven extraordinary years of wine adventures,” Lynch says. “We’ll try to make it a night to remember: full of delicious wines and some fine music.”

Tickets are required, and space is limited. The event is scheduled to begin at 6 PM. Tickets are $25, which includes entry to the tasting; or $35, which includes entry to the tasting and a copy of Lynch’s new CD Man’s Temptation. To reserve tickets, please call (212) 608-0555, or visit www.citywinery.com

Bin Ends Flea Market to Benefit Hugs for Healing

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Bin Ends Wine in Braintree, MA (the area's premier off-price wine retailer) is holding their now-monthly fine wine flea market this Sunday October 25th, 2009 from 1-5PM. This time, they've selected a charity to benefit from the festivities- Hugs for Healing.

I asked Bin Ends Managing Partner Craig Drollett for some additional information about the event. Here's what he had to say:

Question: It's great to see the event provide support for a local charity. How did you chooose Hugs for Healing, and why is the cause special to Bin Ends Wine?

Craig Drollett: The charity was actually chosen by our store manager Dan Comer who has a family member dealing with cancer. He came to us with the idea back in August, and we wanted to do everything we could to help support the cause.

Question: How can people support the cause at the event?

Craig: There will be multiple ways to support. Representatives for Hugs for Healing will be here in the store accepting donations, we'll have special wine offers throughout the day that the proceeds will go towards the cause and there will also be a very exciting raffle in which we'll be giving away large format bottles, (via a giftcard) and gift cards to local businesses.

Sounds great. I'll look forward to attending the event and I hope you will too.

Click here for more information about the event

5 Can't-Miss Sonoma Winery Recommendations

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

This is part 2 of a 2-part guest post from Todd Broderick. Check out Part 1: Essential Tips for a Great Trip to Wine Country.

Now for some wineries I think you will enjoy, some more well known than others but worth the stop. These are all in northern Sonoma County, not because that’s the only place you should try, just because it’s a good starting point! Not in any particular order:

Forchini
Run by the Jim and Anita Forchini. The wines are fantastic; the tasting room is attached to their home on the vineyard property. They have some really interesting red blends and it is always cool to talk to the people who make the stuff not just sell it! Call ahead.
Follow @forchinicom onTwitter
Silver Oak, Geyserville
Now, I know you are thinking, come on – everybody knows Silver Oak, why would I want to go there. I’ve got 2 reasons; 1) A great tour, that doesn’t make you feel like an idiot for being a novice and 2) Unbelievable cabernet, they are usually pouring current release and something from the library that you likely wouldn’t find by the glass anywhere. Call ahead.
Follow @SilverOakWine on Twitter
Zichichi
Run by the owner, Steve and his staff. They do barrel tastings on a regular basis, for a moderate fee you can try some interesting wines, tasting room is nice, good views. . .a little boring, but damn good wine. The pre-release purchases I made arrived in April this year were exceptional. Try the petite syrah and the zinfandel.
Ridge, Lytton Springs
There are always some very good and interesting wines you will only find in the tasting room. The staff has never been particularly engaging and there are no tours, but do the tasting and take a walk around outside, the vineyards is beautiful. To sum it up great wines and amazing scenery. The gnarly old zin vines and the afternoon sun are a thought that always makes me smile.
Follow @RidgeLS on Twitter
Mazzocco Winery
Right down the road from Ridge, not exactly what I would call a terribly impressive facility, but they don’t need one, the wine speaks for itself. Simply put, the wine was awesome and the tasting room staff was great. I made it there in the fall of 07 the first time, and tried the first vintages from their new winemaker, and have found consistently great wines very time.

So with that, I wish you luck in your travels and encourage you to explore, talk to people and taste something new. When you get back, email me your favorite!

Further Reading:

Question of the Day: What are some of your favorite wineries in Sonoma? We'd love to hear about them.

Essential Tips for a Great Trip to Wine Country

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

This is a guest post from Todd Broderick, a fellow Boston-based wine enthusiast.

It’s October and it is snowing in Boston. . .oh, how I long for a visit to the beautiful hills of wine country.

Over the past several years I have been fortunate enough to make several trips out to wine country from Boston with my wife and friends. We usually stay in Sonoma for 3 or 4 days and make our way over to Napa, up to Healdsburg and Dry Creek and several other stops throughout the region. I find that I love traveling there virtually any time of year, but if you have never been, the fall is a beautiful time to go. Depending on the weather that year, you’ll catch the end of harvest or you will be in the midst of crush, either way both valleys are awash with activity. Even for those that don’t have an obsession with wine; it is still a pretty cool sight to see the magic happen from grape to bottle!

I could write about both Sonoma and Napa for days, but I’ll keep this brief for the benefit of all, and focus on Northern Sonoma. When traveling to wine country, you can’t lose, even if you choose to spend your time on what I call the “auto-mile of wineries” known as route 29, running though Napa. However, the advice I have given friends is to take the less traveled path and make your way through Sonoma. You will be enamored with the sense of place and the spirit of the people and you will leave with a definite plan to return. This is not meant to be comprehensive, by any means, I am simply making an effort to provide one possible starting point for your travels. If you ask friends who have been, to recommend their favorites, you will get just as many differing opinions back as inquiries made. I tried to base the advice below on my experiences over multiple visits. I feel like this takes out some of the emotional ties to a place based on who you were with, the weather that day, the extra large pour from the tasting room host, etc.

While all of Sonoma is beautiful, if you head north into the Healdsburg and Geyserville you will be rewarded with beautiful landscapes and phenomenal wineries.

But before we get to where you might want to start, I’ve got a few general tips to make your trip a little more pleasurable:

Call ahead. Think about the wineries you might like to stop by and give them a call. Many have open tasting rooms, but if you are not sure, give a ring and see. Most of the people I have encountered have been great and many are willing to set up a specific tasting and/or tour, which can make the visit a lot more interesting. You may get the winemaker or owner on the phone, which has resulted in some of our best visits.
Start with a plan! If you aim for 3 to 4 wineries in a day you will give yourself plenty of time and not feel rushed or stressed. It also leaves you time to make random stops at places that look good along the way.
Bring some cheese! Always stop for a good lunch and dinner, the quality of the food is as amazing as the wine. But you should definitely start your day with some snacks for later. Find a cheese shop or deli and grab a hunk of cheese, a loaf of bread or some crackers (some water can’t hurt either) when you head out in the morning, you’ll be thankful by noon that you did. Don’t forget to pick up a little knife to cut the meat and cheese. Aside from trying some of the best artisanal breads, cheeses and cured meat you will ever taste, it is worth keeping your stomach full and your palate refreshed with something other than Zinfandel. The cheese factory on the plaza in Sonoma and the Oakville Grocery in Healdsburg are two great spots for provisions.
Bring a portable GPS! Especially if traveling with a spouse or someone that likes to navigate. Shell out the $200 if you don’t have one already, or the extra $10 in the rental car and program in your destinations. You will see some beautiful roads and not be distracted by a map!

This story is continued here:
5 can't-miss recommendations for wineries in northern Sonoma County.

I'd like to thank Todd for contributing this piece. He can be reached via E-mail at: todd.broderick@gmail.com

Question of the Day: Any other tips you'd like to share to make a trip to wine country more enjoyable?

Blanchards West Roxbury, MA Grand Wine Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Blanchards Wine & Spirits in West Roxbury, MA is hosting their semi-annual Grand Wine Experience tonight, Wednesday October 21st, 2009 from 6PM- 9PM. This is a free tasting of more than 100 wines, each on sale at a 20% discount. Click HERE for more information.

I attended their similar event earlier this year and thought it was great. I wrote up my thoughts HERE. There's some really excellent people who work at Blanchards. As a result of their helpful nature, the wines they carry, and their competitive pricing, the shop has earned a large portion of my wine spend in the past year. I'd encourage you to check them out.

Legal Sea Foods Vina Errazuriz Wine Dinner at The Prudential Center

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Legal Sea Foods is offering a paired wine dinner featuring the wines of Vina Errazuriz at their Prudential Center (Boston) location Wednesday October 21st, 2009. The dinner costs $75. Click HERE for a menu and more information.

This event caught my attention because earlier this year I had a chance to taste through 8 Chilean wines as part of an online tasting conducted by Wines of Chile. The wine of the night, for me, was a 2007 Errazuriz Single Vineyard Carmenere at $26. I thought it was *fantastic*- definitely look forward to that wine in particular if you go.

If this date or location doesn't work for you, you might be interested in these other dinners featuring Chilean wines at other Legal Sea Foods locations (like Garden State Plaza, Tyson's Corner and Kendall Square).

The WWP Celebrates 1 Year (or: What to Expect in Your First Year of Wine Blogging)

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

The image above is a picture of what this site looked like when it was born. A year ago today, I launched this site with an announcement on our family blog:

"I started The Wellesley Wine Press for a few reasons. First, I have a lot of information about wine running around in my head and increasingly it felt unbalanced to include all of that content on Casa Dwyer. Second, I wanted to try my hand at launching a website and making a tiny bit of money on small ads and product links. I don't have grand visions for making a fortune- my goal is to pay for the $8 domain registration within the first year."

I was amazed, flattered and humbled to receive 109 page loads from 72 unique visitors on the first day. Traffic died down quite a bit after that initial push (when mostly family and friends checked the site out once). Some days the site received as little as 4 visitors:

But I kept at it, and was encouraged to see gradual growth. It was exciting to see Google index a piece I'd written and people finding their way to the site as a result of a search. As we entered the holiday season, and I added more and more content (usually about 3 new posts a week) I was really starting to see some encouraging growth. It seemed that the more new content I posted, the more new search engine traffic I was receiving:

Things slowed down a bit at the beginning of the year (wine interest always peaks during the holidays) but after that there's been steady growth in traffic over the course of the year. On a monthly basis, here's what it looked like over the year:

The dip in traffic in August was due to there being only 8 new posts which was coincident with our discovering Mad Men. Gary V is right when he says "Stop watching Lost" if you want to be successful online. It takes work, and work takes time, and the time has to come from somewhere.

A typical day on the site is now around 200 page views. There are days when it spikes up, and days that are a little slower. What's interesting about watching traffic is that it's all relative to what you're used to. For some people, these numbers are so small they're a joke. For others, they're amazing. For me, it's still pretty amazing to think that there are enough people out there on the Internet who are interested in the subjects I'm writing about that they find their way to the site. My point: I think about every person who visits the site like they're a customer. I'm always thinking- is there anything I could do to be more useful to someone who's visiting the site?

I'm still flattered when someone sends me an E-mail to ask my opinion of a product I've reviewed. Or a winery sends me an E-mail asking if I'd like a sample of their wines. Or a PR firm sends me an E-mail asking if I'll mention an event they're promoting. I appreciate all of these things. But the most precious thing to me, in terms of this site, is people who subscribe to my site via E-mail or in their feed reader. I think about them every time I publish a piece. Is what I'm writing good enough to warrant triggering an E-mail to these people who have shown enough interest in what I'm doing that they subscribed to updates? If you've subscribed to the site over the past year: THANK YOU. It really means a lot to me.

Looking back on my goal of recovering the $8 I spent to buy the domain "wellesleywinepress.com"... A lot of people I talked to when I launched the site were surprised to hear that I was interested in monetizing a blog. While making money is not my primary goal with this site, the exercise of learning how a blog works and how money can be made online has been fascinating to me. Blogging is far from passive income. In fact, it's probably the lowest hourly wage I've received for anything productive I've done in my life. More on that later, but for now I wanted to share an annual report on income and expenses for those of you who might be interested in starting your own blog (whether it be about wine or not).

Total cash expenses for the year came to about $50. This included domain registration/renewal (I switched from Name Secure to Go Daddy because I found Name Secure difficult to work with) and business cards (I've used Overnight Prints). I use a number of free services to run and/or promote this site:

Blogger (I still haven't found a need to switch to WordPress yet)
StatCounter (everyone seems to like Google Analytics, but I'm a fan of StatCounter)
FeedBurner
IntenseDebate (I've been really pleased with IntenseDebate over Blogger's default commenting mechanism. The commenting interface is more meaningful than the blogging platform in terms of user experience in my opinion.)
PostRank
CellarTracker (Huge fan of CT and glad I made the switch last year- it'll enable me to pull some interesting year-end reports on where I buy wine.)
Twitter/TweetDeck/TwitPic (huge fan of Twitter over Facebook fan pages for reaching a wider audience in a non-annoying way)
YouTube (moved away from Viddler for the most part as YouTube improved and Viddler annoyed with their revenue program)
PrintFriendly

Total cash income for the year totalled about $700. This included a combination of:

I've been very pleased with the Amazon Associate program. It's very easy to use, and it seems like everyone enjoys shopping through Amazon online.

A quick aside on affiliate links... Around the time I started this site, I was in the market for a webcam. I didn't want to spend a lot of time researching the purchase, and as I started looking online I quickly found a website dedicated to webcam reviews: Cowboy Frank. I loved the hyper-focused no-nonsense easy-to-understand reviews he provided and it was a no-brainer to purchase a webcam through one of his Amazon Associate links. It was the least I could do! I hope my wine accessory reviews are similarly useful to people, and judging from the number of wine aerators that have been purchased through affiliate links on this site they have been. I'm genuinely pleased each time I see a purchase made through a link, and especially when people reach out with questions about wine accessories I've reviewed. I hope to continue this focus in the coming year.

I've dabbled with a number of other affiliate programs but they've not generated meaningful revenue. Although I've looked into a number of them, I haven't found a good wine affiliate program. I attribute this to a combination of the fragmented wine shipping laws from state to state in this country -and- the lack of a well-run wine affiliate program. I'm hopeful that Amazon will sell wine some day because I like their affiliate program and would love to be able to link to wines sold through an Amazon Wine store. Maybe some day.

In April of this year, I met Joe Roberts from 1WineDude at Wine Riot. I was talking with him about how hard it was to make money off ads on a wine blog. He pointed out that I might want to consider the retail value of wine I received as samples as a benefit of wine blogging. I hadn't received any samples at that point, but he suggested that samples would come if I kept blogging long enough. Indeed, he was right.

Shortly after that conversation, I started receiving wine samples. To date, I'd estimate the retail value of wines received as samples at about $1,500. I don't make wine reviews the main focus of this site but I do enjoy trying wines I wouldn't normally try if not for samples. My thanks to the wineries that have sent samples to date. I hope that my occasional wine review has been fair and thoughtful. I'm always afraid of boring readers with mundane descriptions of wines received as samples. Looking forward to next year, I'd like to bring more focus to tasting reports, and a large part of that is going to be establishing a more regular review cycle which enables me to compare a number of wines from the same category. More on that in a future post. For now, if you happen to be in the wine trade and would like to send samples please have a look at my sample policy HERE.

In addition to wine samples, I felt fortunate to be invited to a number of wine tasting events and dinners. Retail value of events attended was around $600. My favorite part of these events was gaining access to events normally reserved for those in the wine trade. Increasingly, as the year went on I felt like I was straddling the fence between "consumer" (which is indeed the unique perspective that I hope I bring to the wine conversation on this site) and "trade". More on that in a moment.

Back to income- direct advertisers are where it's at. Earlier in the year, I came across THIS ARTICLE in the Wall Street Journal about traffic levels on blogs and income. I use information in this article to determine pricing levels for direct ads placed on this blog. The reason blogs like this one are smart money for advertising is because they have the potential to target such a precise audience. For example, where else can you find so many Massachusetts wine consumers interested in 90-point wines at bargain pricing? Where else can you find authentic, unbiased discussion about wine accessories? If you're interested in advertising on the site, please contact me. I'd love to chat with you about how advertising on the site can make sense for both of us.

There were 3 people who were particularly influential/inspirational/helpful in getting this site started. I probably wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for these people:

The reason I want to thank them, and this ties back to a couple of points I left hanging previously, is that blogging isn't about making money. It's about giving you a reason to go deeper into a hobby that already interests you. That's been the reward I've discovered over the past year, and I'd encourage anyone who's passionate about a hobby or an interest to start blogging. It has accelerated the rate at which I've tasted new wines, learned new things, and connected with people in the wine trade I would have never connected with. I've been amazed at the generosity and kindness of so many people I've come across online and in person of the past year. It's really given me a chance to do things I never would have otherwise done.

There have been some amazing highlights (and lowlights) over the past year that I never wrote about. I got to meet with one of the most influential wine critics in the world in his tasting office. I was threatened with a lawsuit. I requested interviews that were granted and some that were ignored. I visited wine shops trying to convince store owners to work with me unsuccessfully, and wine businesses that I never heard of reached out to me. Wine businesses that are adverse to publicity still confuse me.

In the coming year, I'd like to push in a number of directions I hope you'll find interesting. I'd eventually like to take on one or two more contributors to get the site to the point where it's publishing new content every weekday. I've got a couple of people in mind, but it's hard finding people with similar sensibilities and an interest in devoting time to wine writing. If you'd be interested in contributing to the site (even on a single-post basis) please drop me an E-mail. I'd love to chat with you. I'm looking forward to continued growth and continuing to provide useful information to people. It's in my blood- I want to provide people with helpful information.

In closing, a sincere thank you to each of you who's visited the site, subscribed, linked to me on your site, re-tweeted something I've said, sent me a wine sample, advertised on the site, clicked on a link, bought a product through one of my links, made an introduction, invited me to an event, helped me write a piece, responded to an interview request, drank wine with me, participated in a product test, invited me to check out your wine shop, or otherwise made me feel part of the wine community.

And especially to my wife and kids for giving me the time to devote to the site. I really appreciate your support and enthusiasm for what I'm doing.

Tasting Report: Forrest Wines from New Zealand

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

New Zealand is an exciting wine region and a promising area to explore for value hunters. In addition to their notable Sauvignon Blancs, they're producing excellent Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in addition to Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurtztraminer. I had a chance to taste through 3 wines from Forrest Wines over the course of a week. My notes are below.

2008 The Doctors' Riesling Marlborough
20,000 cases produced
8.5% alcohol
$17.99
My Notes:
I don't think I've ever seen a wine label so spot-on in its description: "Lime sorbet and juicy green apples...some lovely sweetness balanced by the fine acidity..." Indeed. This was the first of the 3 bottles I tried and I was on a major Riesling kick at the time. Comparing this wine to (what else) a German Riesling, this one didn't quite have the density or "zing" that my favorite Germans bring.
A touch of sweetness for sure, which I liked, but more flavor and weight and I would have enjoyed it more. Still, a very enjoyable bottle.
87 Points WWP: Very Good

2008 Forrest Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
1,500 cases produced
13.5% alcohol
$17.99
My Notes:
Okay, now we're on to a grape variety that New Zealand has done very well with. Although the classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc delivers intense, pungent aromas, this wine showed restraint. In discussing this wine via E-mail with Trevor Loomis from Forrest Wines, he described the wine as one that bucks the trend in New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs and goes for a more Loire Valley style wine. Yeah- I can see that. I could easily mistake this for a Sancerre blind. Very clean, nice acidity, and enjoyable citrus aromas and flavors. Really nice stuff.
89 Points WWP: Very Good

2007 Forrest Pinot Noir Marlborough
3,000 cases produced
14% alcohol
$23.99
My Notes:
I'm thinking of going on a New Zealand Pinot Noir kick after trying this (and other wines) recently. If I tasted this wine blind and had to guess whether it was from Burgundy, California or Oregon I'd likely guess Oregon. It's lower in acidity and more full-bodied that red Burgundy, yet it brings enjoyable mushroom/forrest floor aromatics that I really enjoy. I don't find these characteristics in most California Pinot Noirs I've tried.
I would have rated this one a little higher if it delivered more flavor, but what I tasted I liked very much.
88 Points WWP: Very Good

Where to Buy:

These wines are available in the following states:

California
Nevada
Arizona
Texas
Southern Illinois
Iowa
Ohio
Washington DC
Pennsylvania

Gary Vaynerchuk Book Tour Comes to Boston

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:00:00 +0000

Gary Vaynerchuk from Wine Library TV will be signing books at the Boston University Bookstore on Friday October 16th, 2009 from 1:00-3:00 PM. For more details click HERE.

I haven't picked up a copy of Crush It! yet, but I bet I'd enjoy it. I liked his first book (which was more of a Top 100 Wines list). Especially the introduction where the writing was more biographical and insightful.

Stop by and check it out if you're in the area.

Want more GV? Check out THIS EVENT from 6-10PM.

Hall Wine Dinner at Upstairs on the Square

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

What are you doing Thursday night? Here's another one of those events that brings together a number of things that I really like. I gushed on and on about a couple of wines from Hall Winery earlier this year, in particular the 2006 Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon. I gave it 96 points calling it "one of the most enjoyable wines I've ever had". Wine Spectator loved it too- the wine was pictured on the cover of this month's Cabernet issue.

Upstairs on the Square in Cambridge, MA is hosting a wine dinner featuring Hall Wines this Thursday October 15th, 2009. I attended a previous wine dinner at Upstairs on the Square featuring wines from Hirsch Vineyards and thought it was fantastic. Upstairs on the Square is a great restaurant and they price their wine dinners very reasonably. Click here to learn more about this event.

Check 'em out:
Upstairs on the Square
Call 617-864-1933 for reservations

On Twitter:
@UpstairsOnTheSq
@HALLWines

Thanks to reader DK for the tip on this one. Appreciate it.

Questions of the Day: Are you planning on attending this dinner? Are you a fan of Upstairs on the Square or Hall Wines?

Morton's Boston October Events

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Two events at Morton's Boston locations coming up for your consideration:

Roses & Reds for Ribbons

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Morton’s Back Bay will host a four-course dinner paired with fine wines donated by Ruby Wines. 100% of proceeds from the silent auction (post-dinner) will go to the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure. Some auction items include a pink, leather Beijo ribbon purse, a baseball signed by Kevin Youkilis and an official NHL hockey stick brandished with the Boston Bruins players’ signatures, among several others. $95/guest (includes tax & gratuity). Monday, October 19th, 2009. Learn more...

Cookbook Tour Event

Celebrating the release of its second cookbook, Morton’s Seaport will host VP of Wine & Spirits and celebrated Cookbook Co-Author Tylor Field on the last stop of the corporation’s 41-city tour. On Tuesday, October 27th, 2009, the tour will stop at Boston’s Seaport location for a benefit and book signing event. For this tour, Morton’s has launched its 'Recipes for Feeding America' campaign. They’re hosting cocktail receptions and silent auctions at Morton's locations from coast to coast, with proceeds benefiting the local chapter of Feeding America. $59/guest – includes array of signature dishes and wine & cocktail pairings from Morton’s The Cookbook. 100% of silent auction proceeds and a portion of ticket cost will be donated to Feeding America. Learn more...

Follow @Morton's on Twitter, and while you're at it a @SommelierSara who works and tweets from one of their Chicago locations.

Riesling: The Wine Everyone Can Agree On

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

I had a great time last Friday night taking part in TasteLive's Wines of Germany online tasting. We had a chance to taste through 4 Rieslings from S.A. Prüm and they were, like many German Rieslings, fantastic. At this point, I'm having had a hard time finding a $15-$20 German Riesling I don't like. It's an outstanding category full of value.

The thing that's great about Riesling is this: It's fruity and delicious and therefore a delight to drink. Even people who normally don't like the taste of wine like Riesling. However it's no White Zinfandel- wine geeks get really excited about Riesling for its complexity and balance.

Another nice feature: It tends to be lower in alcohol than other wines so you won't get parched and wake up the next morning slow-moving after drinking a couple of glasses.

One of the few things I don't like about German Rieslings is that their labels can be maddeningly confusing. Although German wine labels are full of information, it's extraordinarily difficult to track down a recommendation. If I told you to go buy a "Prüm Riesling" that could be referring to any one of a hundred bottles of wine. For these reasons, German Riesling reminds me of Claudia Schiffer: Beautiful, but perhaps a bit difficult to approach. (and hey, who doesn't like a blog entry with a pretty picture at the beginning?)

Some German wine makers seem to be taking an interesting approach in this respect: They maintain traditional labeling for their estate/higher-end bottles while offering easier to remember wines at lower price points. Like the "Dr. L Riesling" or the "S. A. Prüm Essence Riesling".

That said, you may be able to find these wines in stores near you. Here are my notes on each of the wines we tasted:

2008 S. A. Prüm Essence Riesling Mosel

The nose reminded me of an old candy I used to enjoy: Certs Mixed Fruit. Imagine crushing some of these up and smelling them- you get minerality and fruit.
On the palate, nice heavy fruit. Apricots more than peaches.
I think this wine would be great to serve at a gathering. It's a crowd pleaser.
WWP 86/Very Good around $12

2007 S. A. Prüm Blue Riesling Kabinett

This one is more serious than the Essence, and offers more of what I'm looking for in a German Riesling. Wet stone, green apples and citrus.
WWP 88/Very Good Around $19

2006 S. A. Prüm Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Kabinett Mosel Estate Bottled

The first bottle I reached for the day after the tasting and my favorite wine of the night.
Stunningly pure. Here's what I mean by that: You let some of this wine rest on your tongue to get a taste and it radiates a delicious sunbeam of Riesling goodness. Radiant.
Just the slightest hint of Petrol. A textbook example of what Riesling can be.
92 WWP/Outstanding around $20

2007 S.A. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett Mosel Estate Bottled

The only wine that came with a cork enclosure (the others were screw cap).
Too much Petrol for my taste, but otherwise a very good wine and similar to the Urzinger.
89 WWP/Very Good low $20s

Recommendations: If you haven't had a German Riesling, seek one out for between $15 and $25. If you've had German Rieslings but haven't tried wines from S.A. Prüm then give them a go.

Further Reading: 1 Wine Dude's take on this event (including Kung-Fu comparisons!)

Check back soon (or better yet subscribe!)- I'll be offering up my opinions on Finger Lakes Rieslings after tasting through a dozen of them recently. In the mean time, head over to The Passionate Foodie to read his take on Finger Lakes Rieslings.

Thanks to Wines of Germany the chance to taste through these wines.

Photo Credit: Tammy Manet

Question of the Day: What are some of your favorite Rieslings?

Event Report: Taj Boston Loire Valley Tasting

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Last Wednesday, the Loire Valley Wine Bureau hosted a tasting on the top floor of the Taj Boston. What a venue to taste through an interesting collection of wines, and meet some great people. I had the pleasure of meeting the following folks from the Boston wine community for the first time:

Rebecca Rethore columnist for Wicked Local and wine blogger at Pour-Favor
Richard from the wine blog Silene's Cellar
Adam Japko from the wine blog WineZag

Judging from the wines presented at the tasting, the most popular wines from the Loire Valley are made from Sauvignon Blanc (Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé), Chenin Blanc (Vouvray) and Cabernet Franc (Chinon and Bourgueil).

I'd estimate that close to 75% of the wines at the tasting were white, so if you're more into red wines at this point this region may not be for you. With the exception of their earthy (and sometimes downright barnyardy) Cab Francs, there isn't much red wine to speak of from the region.

I enjoyed tasting through the Sauvignon Blanc based wines from Sancerre and Pouily-Fumé. Not a whole lot of difference between the two, but a huge difference between these wines and Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Whereas SB from New Zealand is more pungent, these wines are more restrained aromatically. On the palate, they have wonderful minerality and acidity- very food friendly.

They say these wines are a value play, but unfortunately New Zealand is hard to undercut on price in this category. You can get a really tasty bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc for around $10-12. Still, if you're more of an old world type these are the benchmark by which all Sauvignon Blancs are measured.

Recommendation: Try a Sancerre in the $15-20 range if you like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc but are looking to switch it up a bit or serve it with a light dinner.

I've enjoyed Vouvray in the past, and the ones I tasted at this event were no exception. Such an intriguing, multi-faceted wine. One I tasted in particular brought some amazing asparagus/vegetable components, but at their core the wines were more fruity and flavorful than the Sauvignon Blancs. More of a crowd pleaser I think.

Recommendation: Definitely try a bottle of Vouvray next time you see one in the store. It shouldn't be hard to get a good one for $15.

I only tried a few of the Cabernet Franc-based reds at the tasting. They weren't nearly as barnyard the first one I tried (which was so funky that I'm still avoiding the category). The wines I tried were reasonably enjoyable, although I'm in no hurry to seek them out. I'm still hard pressed to pass along a recommendation in this category.

Recommendation: Watch this Wine Library TV episode to learn more about what to expect from Loire Valley Cab Franc.

Question of the Day: What do you think of Loire Valley wines? A source of value in France? A category you'd like to learn more about? Been there/done that?

Robert Parker Tastes Blind (for once)

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

There was a really interesting post on Dr. Vino's wine blog last week about blind tasting 2005 Bordeaux with Robert Parker. The piece is generating quite a buzz (coming up on 100 comments) because Parker normally does his tasting privately and therefore nobody really knows whether he tastes blind or not. Click through and read the piece to see how Parker fared in this tasting.

I left a comment mentioning that the thing my mind wandered to while reading was the matter of whether The Wine Advocate's stated blind tasting policy aligns with how they taste in practice. I blogged on this subject earlier this year at length. Since then, The Wine Advocate restructured their tasting methodology statement (probably because of pressure generated from Dr. Vino as described in this piece) to have different standards for Robert Parker vs. other people who write for him. Though they now reveal that others who taste for the magazine do so both blind and non-blind, Parker still maintains that he tastes blind "when possible" which technically could mean "never". I'm still not satisfied with this disclosure and that's why I don't subscribe to the Wine Advocate. I do subscribe to Wine Spectator because they're more forthcoming in describing how they taste and I believe they actually taste the way they say they do.

At any rate, I thought to mention this piece in case Dr. Vino's blog isn't yet on your radar screen. It's a good example of why he's one of the best.

Da Vinci Boston: The Connoisseur’s Tour of Italy

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Da Vinci Ristororante in Boston is offering a 5-course wine dinner this Thursday October, 8th 2009: The Connoisseur’s Tour of Italy.

Park Square’s premiere Italian eatery Da Vinci Ristorante and Domaine Select Wine Estate’s Northeast Division Manager Daniel Burgio will combine forces and host “A Night of Perfect Balance.” This five-course specialty Italian wine dinner will reveal an extraordinary evening of Executive Chef Peppino’s masterful culinary creations expertly paired with Burgio’s vineyard choices for the perfect wine compliment. Daniel Burgio will introduce each course and provide a brief commentary on the selections, alongside Chef Peppino.

This complete five-course menu is available for one-night only and will be presented as follows:

1st COURSE
Voltini Tuna
Filled with cucumber, fennel and frisee, finished with red onion caper black olive vinaigrette
paired with Fantinel Ribolla Gialla

2nd COURSE
Duck Confit and Foie Gras Ravioli
Duck demi glaze and English pea sauce, finished with pea tendril
paired with Fontanafredda “Eremo” Barbara Nebbiolo

3rd COURSE
Snapper
Pan seared and crusted with almonds, sundried tomato and parsley, served with wild mushroom cake and finished with shrimp bisque sauce
paired with Il Volano, Rosso di Tuscany

4th COURSE
Venison Rack
Grilled and roasted yam potato, sautéed Tuscan kale, finished with port wine apple juniper berry sauce
paired with Borgo Tesis, Cabernet Sauvignon

5th COURSE
Pumpkin Gelato
Finished with homemade caramel
paired with Fantinel Prosecco

Cost: This complete 5-course menu with wine pairings is available for $65.00 per person.

Check 'em out:
Da Vinci Ristorante
162 Columbus Avenue
Boston, MA 02116

For more information or reservations, please call 617-350-0007 or visit www.davinciboston.com.