Winesmith

Gettin' Paid

2007-06-14T15:29:00.000-04:00

You wouldn't believe it by looking at the frequency I've been posting here, but blogging has actually become a significant part of my work week lately.

We just launched Regional Biz Blog at the office, and though the blog is still finding its voice and needs to do some outreach, Kim Hart of the Washington Post linked to our new blog from the Post's IT blog linked today.

Kim, who also wrote the bloggers and marketers article last summer, also linked to www.winesmithblog.com and noted that I'm happy to be getting paid to blog at work. Unfortunately, I won't be getting paid to blog for Winesmith.

However, Winesmith did score 5 lovely bottles of Cameron Hughes wine, though, as a media sample. I've had the two whites and the sparkler and will be writing about the experience soon.

Wine vs. Beer: A Clean Slate

2007-05-31T23:44:00.000-04:00

An article by Field Maloney published yesterday in Slate breathes new life into the wine snob vs. beer snob discussion from last year on Winesmith. Among other insights, Maloney notes how wine is now more strongly associated with passion (which anybody can have) instead of pedigree and refinement (which are associated with the privileged classes).

Winesmith thought the article fell short on talking about the democratization of wine, and chimed in during the online discussion hosted by the author on washingtonpost.com (also published on Slate.com). I brought up “critter labels” and the advent of wine blogging by wine enthusiasts as testament to this democratization.

Maloney agreed (and kindly included a link to this blog) but he disagreed with my second point about how more people now recognize that wine and food enhance each other, whereas beer is primarily a refresher that washes food down.

What do you think? Is a beer just a refresher...or does it match wine’s ability to pair with food?

Winesmith Turns One!

2007-05-29T23:40:00.000-04:00

Winesmith started this blog one year ago today. I was in Washington State with Mrs. Winesmith (then my fiancée) and we had just returned from visiting some wineries and tasting rooms north of Seattle.

I had been thinking about starting a blog because I needed a writing outlet and because I needed to learn about blogging and wine. So -- with the support and inspiration of Mrs. Winesmith -- I started Winesmithblog.com and set a couple goals: get free wine and get mentioned in the Washington Post.

In addition to accomplishing both goals, the past year has had many memorable moments, including:

So...thanks to everybody for a memorable year. I know Winesmith hasn’t posted much in the last several months, but I’m committed to keeping this blog alive. And after our beautiful Baby Winesmith gets a little older, I expect to return to more regular postings.

Thanks again for a wonderful year.

-Winesmith

Getting Crafty on Easter

2007-04-08T22:26:00.000-04:00

Winesmith got some practice “craft time” today. We colored eggs today with a kit we received as a gift, and here’s one of my creations. Not as cool as a peeps diorama, but I thought it was an image worth sharing.

A Sippy Cup to Suck On

2007-04-03T22:13:00.000-04:00

Winesmith is delinquent in providing a review of 1000 Best Wine Secrets, a book sent to me by the publisher. I should be posting about it within a week or so.

In the meantime, though, I thought I’d share an 2nd-hand review of Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay: And Other Things I Had to Learn as a New Mom. Mrs. Winesmith recently read this book, and it must be a good read...judging from the number of times my wife laughed out loud and then handed the book to me to read a passage.

I remember an anecdote about the author and her husband doing high-fives and tequila shots on the baby’s first birthday to celebrate that they and the baby survived the first year -- no birthday cake and streamers for the baby because she wouldn’t remember it anyway. And here’s a line from the promo at Amazon: "Your baby doesn't need to be making friends at three months old -- you do! But not with people you'll meet at Mommy & Me."

I didn’t read the passage that referenced sippy cups and chardonnay, but judging from the tone of the book, I wouldn’t be surprised if the author recommends putting a your vodka-n-tonic in a sippy cup.

Still Alive and Sipping

2007-03-27T23:00:00.000-04:00

In the last few weeks, Winesmith has received a few messages about the lack of activity on this site in recent months. Phred Firecloud left a message, a handful of people emailed me, and I’m sure my brother removed this site from his bookmarks.

I have a very good excuse for the lull, but the lull can't go on any longer because I miss blogging. Besides, I was recently asked whether I was available to speak on behalf of wine bloggers at a DC-area Wine 2.0 event...something I hope to do, but wouldn’t feel right about doing if I’m not still blogging.

And just tonight, the good people at Twisted Oak (with the awesome blog -- and awesome wine -- at www.elbloggotorcido.com) let me know that they’ll be in the DC area next month. Hopefully we’ll be able to meet up. Unfortunately, it might be a bit difficult, and this difficulty is related to the reason I haven’t been blogging much in the last several months. I’ll give you a hint.

Free Secrets

2007-02-07T19:04:00.000-05:00

It's not as good as free bottles of wine, but a free wine book is nothing to sneeze at.

A marketing rep wrote Winesmith yesterday with a no-strings offer of a free copy of 1000 Best Wine Secrets, and she confirmed today that it’s on its way.

The hope is that I’ll post a review of the book, which I plan to do. And if it's good stuff, it might even become source material for additional postings.

A promo page on the publisher’s web site lists some sample secrets, including: “Knowing when to drink wine.”

I didn’t think that was a secret. Isn’t the answer every day?

DC Wine Fest Returns

2007-02-06T21:47:00.000-05:00

A marketing rep called Winesmith today to let me know that the Washington DC International Wine & Food Festival is returning in 2007. It’s coming in a different month (March) and in a different venue, but I’m sure that a few lessons from my Wine Fest Survival Guide from last year still apply.

Last year’s festival was one of Winesmith’s first public appearances, so I have a special fondness for this event. Unfortunately, I’ll be in Philly for part of the weekend, so I won’t be able to attend both days like last year. If you’re thinking about going here’s the details. And once again, there are some promo codes out there, so you might save a little if you search around.

DC Wine Fest Details
March 9 - 11
Reagan Building
One-day tickets are $65 before March 2; $80 thereafter.
Two-day tickets are $85 before March 2, $100 thereafter.
For $150 ($180 beginning March 2) you get the deluxe treatment at a Friday night party.
www.wine-expos.com/dc

Dr. Winesmith

2007-02-05T22:23:00.000-05:00

Winesmith played doctor this weekend. Some doctor friends were in town for a medical convention, and I posed as a podiatrist to accompany them at some of the social events.

The first event was an elaborate evening of wine and jazz. They poured at least a half-dozen wines, including a few small-production ones, to go with several stations of heavy hors d'oeuvres. Whoever was in charge of wine for this event earned their dollar. My favorite was a 2004 Paul Hobbs Chardonnay.

Then a laser company sponsored a Super Bowl party -- complete with buffet and open bar -- at a local pub, where Dr. Winesmith cheered for the Bears and sipped beer. I’d normally enjoy wine with football, but the craft beer selection was more intriguing than the Yellow Tail wines on the menu.

Anyway...these big-ticket events gave Winesmith some insight into high costs for medical care. But at least the organizers had the good sense to serve wine, so we could get our daily dose of wine’s health-enhancing qualities.

Working for a World Free of Poverty...and Selling Wine

2007-01-28T18:41:00.000-05:00

A job at the World Bank can include many perks...like no income tax. It also comes with access to the best workplace cafeteria. Every now and again -- like last Friday -- I get the opportunity to have lunch there.

The cafeteria has several stations offering a quality selection at decent prices. The cafeteria also has bottles of beer and indiviual-sized bottles of wine in the drink cooler. Unfortunately, Sutter Home was the only wine option I saw on my last visit.

But on my way of the cafeteria at “the bank,” I passed through an adjacent café that sells (in addition to espresso) World Bank cufflinks, mugs, and other mementos. They also sell bottles of wine. The bottles were nicely presented in this wine tree (pictured below) which I’d like to get if we had a bigger place.

Anyway, I thought you’d be interested to know that bottles of Penfolds and Sebastiani took up much of the wine tree. There were also several bottles of what I remember as Four River wine. But in searching online, I’ve only been able to find wine from Three Rivers and Five Rivers. So maybe I miscounted.

Worst Wine-Drinking Moment Ever

2007-01-23T19:04:00.000-05:00

There's nothing like sipping wine while watching a midget and Latoya Jackson play cops & robbers in Armed & Famous.

I can't remember what I was drinking, but the final, absentminded gulp was 80% sediment. I thought I loved all aspects of wine until I sucked down the dregs of this cheap-o bottle.

Moral of the story: pay attention when pouring the bottom the bottle into your glass. And if you pour too much, take your eyes off the tele before that last gulp.

Be Careful What You Google For

2007-01-04T19:26:00.000-05:00

The inner geek in me (you don't have to look that deep) loves looking at the stats on this blog, which usually tell me how people come to winesmithblog.com. You'd be surprised at how many people search for “Jay Z vs Cristal” or "tequila cold remedy" or "turning water into wine" or even "expensive boyfriend."

Seeing these searches generally make me smile. But this morning I was saddened when I saw that this blog was the top result for some poor soul who googled "cutting back on drinking wine."

I was relieved, however, when I saw the result: "Keep drinking wine!"

Red Long Johns and Red Wine

2007-01-01T22:08:00.000-05:00

If I ever run for political office, this photo will come back to haunt me. But if this photo helps me get a bottle of free wine, I'll take the risk for a short-term gain.

Josh at Pinot Blogger sent t-shirts to several wine bloggers, who can get on a samples list for his first vintage by donning the shirt and snapping a photo. I should've been wearing the shirt "around town" to qualify, but I was at a cabin in rural West Virginia, so the front porch was about as public as I could get.

For the record, my wife and I packed up the car and drove to a cabin West Virginia for New Year's weekend. The owners of the cabin left some unusual items in the closets, like these snappy long johns.

And thanks to all of the Winesmith readers for being a big part of my 2006. Here's to a happy and healthy 2007 for all.

Cheers!

Gift of Grand Cru

2006-12-28T19:43:00.000-05:00

In June I blogged about a Chicago Tribune article suggesting a $688 case for newlywed wine lovers and a $230 case for novices.

Just in case any of my readers were invited to the wedding and thinking of splurging on a case of wine for us, I suggested the $230 case and $450 in cash.

Now that the wedding bills are all paid, I have no gripes about the recent gift of a case of Chateau Malescot St. Exupery (2000) we received as a belated gift from a very generous friend. I'm sure it'll be the last case of Grand Cru Classe wine we receive for a long while.

We're very tempted, but we're waiting for a few months before we open our first bottle. If we have the patience, we'll try to sip these bottles slowly over the coming years.

Georgian Wine with Prime Minister Nogaideli

2006-12-19T22:30:00.000-05:00

Last week Winesmith had a special invite to a (very DC-style) wine reception featuring the Prime Minister of Georgia, Zurab Nogaideli, and Laurent Guinand of GiraMondo Wine Adventures speaking about Georgian wines.

There were a number of diplomats, journalists, and representatives from various nonprofit organizations in the room. Judging from the people I met, most people were there for the networking and free wine, but the brief wine lecture was enlightening.

Winesmith also appreciated the opportunity to sample several Georgian wines. I’m not yet ready to start recommending Georgian wines to the brave few who ask me for recommendations, but I personally appreciated the Teli and the Saperavi. The Tsinandali and the Mukuzani were not pleasing, though.

As an aside, I’ll add that -- in the past six months or so -- Winesmith has noticed a surge in the bottles of Georgian wines on the shelves of nearby wine shops. Either Georgian wine is developing a following or the Georgian wine marketing folks are quite effective.

Red Snow!

2006-12-07T17:31:00.000-05:00

With a name like Snow, you'd think that the White House Press Secretary prefers white wines.

But when Winesmith asked Tony Snow today what he prefers, Snow responded that he likes reds. He then added that he’s "pretty eclectic after that." He also asked what I like. I should've told him to visit winesmithblog.com or handed him one of my magnets, but I wasn't prepared.

Anyhow, Snow gave the keynote at an event we had at work today, and I was on "Snow Patrol." Walking him from the hotel entrance to the ballroom, we had our little wine chat. Here's an action shot.

Photo credit: Julie Upham

A Strike Against Scratch-n-Sniff

2006-12-06T22:06:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, Winesmith jokingly suggested adding tear-away scratch-n-sniff labels to wine bottles. Judging from the reaction, though, it seemed like the idea could get some traction.

Then, with the appearance of cookie-scented milk advertisements Monday in San Francisco bus shelters, the idea of aromatic wine labels suddenly seemed like a no-brainer.

Until the next day when the city ordered the milk ads removed, citing public health concerns and economic disparities.

It's really a shame, though, that we won't have scratch-n-sniff wine bottles anytime soon. Pictures of people pressing their noses against bottles in the store would go a long way toward countering images of wine snobbery.

Where's the Liquor Lobby When You Need It?

2006-11-30T07:55:00.000-05:00

That's what North Korea's Kim Jong Il must be asking after the passage of U.N. Resolution 1718, which attempts to deny the rogue nuke tester his precious luxury goods.

Looking at Kim's $800,000 annual cognac budget and a "hankering for French vintages," the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to hit him where it hurts: no more brandy snifters, Riedel stems, Hennessey or Bordeaux.

But if Kim and his cronies really spend that much on cognac and wine, somebody's sales will take a hit...and they might not sit quietly aside.

Or do you think that a guy who can secretly build nuclear bombs and defiantly test them can also smuggle a case of Chardonnay?

Nationally Known Expert

2006-11-29T23:29:00.000-05:00

A news article recently described a co-worker as “a nationally known expert.” I think he’s a smart guy with some excellent skills, but I’m pretty sure there are people down the hall who don’t even know who he is.

Anyhow...the article got me thinking: Maybe Winesmith is a nationally known wine expert.

I have friends in DC who have read Winesmith once or twice. A couple wine makers in California read this blog, and so do my parents in Washington State. Phred Firecloud in Florida is a devoted reader, too. And my brother in Ohio asked me for Thanksgiving wine recommendations.

That pretty much covers the nation, doesn't it?

A Fortnight to Forget

2006-11-27T22:57:00.000-05:00

Winesmith clearly can’t live up to past expectations of posting everyday to this blog. It has now been two weeks since my last post.

I can assure you that I haven’t cut back on my online time or my wine time. But my blogging now has to share space with other priorities...like practicing Tongan.

I learned Tongan as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tonga from 1999 to 2001, and for reasons I can’t explain, I’m now dedicating time to refreshing my Tongan skills.

My new plan is to post 2 or 3 times a week and to hopefully resume reading other fine wine blogs.

And now for a little multitasking (for my sake, not yours) ...here’s the above in Tongan.

Ko e ongo uike ‘e ua ke ngalo
‘Oku mahino ko Winesmith ‘oku ‘ikai ke lava ke toe blog faka’aho. Ko e ‘aho ni ‘oku uike ‘e ua mei he positi fakamuimui.

Na’e ‘ikai ke u fakasi’isi’i ‘eku taimi initaneti pe ko ‘eku taimi uaine. Ka ‘eku taimi ‘oku vahevahe ki he’eku blogging mo e ngaahi me’a fo’ou...hange ko e ako lea faka-Tonga.

Na’a ku ako ‘ae lea faka-Tonga lolotonga ‘eku ngaue’ofa ‘i Tonga mei he 1999 ki he 2001, pea ‘i he taimi ni ‘oku ou tauhi ha ki’i taimi ke u akoako ‘ae lea ko ia neongo pe ‘oku ‘ikai ke u lava ‘o talaatu ‘ae ‘uhinga ki ai.

Ko ‘eku palani fo’ou ‘oku peheni: Te u positi tu’o ‘e ua pe tolu he uike pea ‘amanaki ke u toe fakahoko ‘a ‘eku lau e ngaahi blogs fakauaine kehekehe pe.

A Gimmick to Remember

2006-11-13T21:13:00.000-05:00

How’s this marketing trick from Yalumba? A peel-away portion of the label to remember the wine next time you go to the store.

Winesmith repeatedly hears people say they can never remember whether they liked a wine, so it’s like starting from scratch each time they buy a bottle. And this little tear-away seems to address that. Though I can’t imagine holding onto this slip of paper for any length of time.

I track the wines I sip in my WineLog account, which has been very helpful. But unless I can get online at the store, I still need to rely on my memory. If I go into a wine store with a varietal or a region in mind, I can usually have a positive experience...especially if the staff is knowledgeable.

Here’s a different idea: tear-away scratch-n-sniff labels. Take it to your local wine shop and have them find a wine that matches the label

Wine Country Highlights (and one not-so-highlight)

2006-11-12T22:31:00.000-05:00

After our stay at the Jordan Winery, we stopped in Healdsburg for lunch and visited tasting rooms for Gallo and La Crema.

Gallo surprised me with all of the wines they offer, including several small production wines. A local woman joined us in the tasting room; she was sampling wines to figure out what to serve at Thanksgiving. How cool is that? I know I could do the same at wineries nearby in Maryland and Virginia, but somehow it doesn’t feel quite the same.

La Crema earned a special place in my heart for taking a keen interest in my wine blog. They even offered me a “trade discount” on the Pinot Noir I bought there. For being so cool, they earned some Winesmith schwag -- one of my magnets -- in return. I'll let you judge who got the better deal.

The following day, Halloween, we rode the Napa Valley Wine Train. I posted yesterday about that experience at WineLog. After the train ride, Mrs. Winesmith drove us to Prager Winery & Port Works. We had heard good things about the place, but I was too numb from the train ride to properly enjoy the visit. We did get a couple bottles of lovely port, though, and I think Winesmith now has a favorite port producer.

The next day we completed the wine portion of our trip with a stop at Imagery Estate Winery. I became an instant fan of their WOW Oui, even if the name is a little corny.

Strange anecdote: Sonoma, CA is a pleasant town...and apparently a boring one for the local youth. We were walking from dinner back to the inn on Halloween night when a woman said, “Let me guess, you’re dressed up as preppies.” A half-block later, a young guy in a minivan passed us and yelled "scumbags!" I don’t think our clothes were particularly noteworthy that night, so it was strange to hear these completely opposite comments.

Jordan Generosity

2006-11-07T22:25:00.000-05:00

When I started blogging about wine, I never thought it would lead to the kind of generosity that welcomed Mrs. Winesmith and me at the Jordan Vineyard & Winery last week.

Hearing that we’d be spending part of our honeymoon in Sonoma County, John Jordan offered us the “lake house” for a night. As it turns out, Jordan and his family showed up at the vineyard that night and bumped us out of the lake house.

No fear, though, we stayed at “Wildwood,” another house on their 1,300-acre property near Healdsburg, CA. Wildwood is a comfortable home, which came with a bottle of their 2004 Chardonnay and some fine nibbles.

After a delectable dinner at Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg, we returned to Wildwood to relax and make use of the fireplace. The next morning, after a run through the vineyard, we went joined some others for a tour and wine tasting led by John Kozubal, Jordan’s wine educator.

When John learned it was my birthday, he gave me a Jordan photo book, a nice memento of our stay there. And when we started talking about my blog, the conversation turned to Chinese wine. Then John took me to his office where he showed me a couple bottles of Chinese wines, including one from Grace Vineyard, he was saving for a tasting with some Jordan staff.

The stay at Jordan was a real treat and a wonderful honeymoon experience. Many thanks to Josh at Capozzi Winery (and www.pinotblogger.com) who helped make our stay at Jordan possible.

PS - On this election night, I’m drinking Wrongo Dongo, which features a ‘W’ on the label. I’m tempted to pour it out and pick another bottle. But it's a very sip-able wine and a good value so I'm conflicted.

Dim Sum, Chardonnay and Chicken Feet

2006-11-05T19:53:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Winesmith introduced me to dim sum last week at Yank Sing in San Francisco. It was a tasty and memorable experience that was enhanced with some Chardonnay. (I think it was Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay, but can’t remember.)

Dim Sum Tip: When you're at a dim sum restaurant, you need to manage your table because the constant parade of tempting food make it easy to get more than you can eat.

And that’s exactly what happened to us: We didn’t finish our bowl of chicken feet.

Home from Sonoma

2006-11-03T23:14:00.000-05:00

Winesmith and Mrs. returned home yesterday after a red-eye flight from San Francisco. We spent 5 days there, with three of them in wine country.

We visited fewer wineries -- and brought home fewer bottles -- than you’d probably guess, but it was still a wine-infused experience.

Our trip was full of surprises, good food and generous people. We also had a couple odd moments, like the preppy scumbag incident. More on that and other moments in the next few posts. In the meantime, here’s a photo of me relaxing in the vineyards at Jordan Winery with a glass of their 2004 Chardonnay.

Quick Travel Tip: Before recent travel restrictions, I would've taken all of the wine in my carry-on luggage. This time, though, I bought a cardboard box with some foam inserts for wine bottles and checked it with my suitcase. No problems and no money lost on shipping costs. I am letting the bottles rest for at least a few days before opening any of them, though.