Napa Valley Travelers Beware ? Harvest is near

The most exciting and rewarding time of the year in the Napa Valley wine country, and for that matter all of wine country, is harvest time. This is what every winemaker, vineyard manager, and winery owner awaits throughout the vineyard year. Continue reading

Source: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/napablog/napa-valley-travelers-beware-harvest-is-near/

Nikki Cox Nikki Reed Norah Jones Noureen DeWulf

Northwest Totem Cellars: Standing Tall

Northwest Totem Cellars, founded by Mike and Kate Sharadin, is located on private property in Redmond, Washington, just outside of Woodinville. Kate Sharadin grew up in the Vancouver, BC, area so it is not surprising that the Sharadins settled in the Pacific Northwest. In 1996, they moved to the Woodinville area after careers had taken [...]

Northwest Totem Cellars: Standing Tall was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WinePeeps/~3/32x6eiSfeS8/

Marisa Tomei Marla Sokoloff Marley Shelton Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Ride Wine & Dine Event this Friday at The Boston Harbor Hotel

This Friday, September 9th, 2011 is the eighth annual Ride Wine & Dine Fund Raiser at the Boston Harbor Hotel. Proceeds benefit the Dana Farber Cancer Institute by way of the Pan Mass Challenge.

The event is sponsored by The Martignetti Companies (the wine and spirits distributor) and The Boston Harbor Hotel and includes food and wine from around the world along with a silent auction of wine and live entertainment. Here's the schedule:

6:30pm
Champagne Reception & Registration

7:00-9:00pm
International Wine & Food Tasting
Silent Auction Bidding

9:00pm
Close of Silent Auction
Begin Live Auction

9:30-11:00-pm
Music & Dancing


I attended the event last year so let me know if you have any questions on the format. The International Tasting consisted of about 6 different stations offering food and wine pairings from countries like France, Italy, etc.

The silent auction offers an opportunity to bid on an assortment of individual bottles and curated lots from around the world - all of which are available to take home that night. I noticed that famous brands tended to attract high bids while lesser known (but probably higher quality) wines could be had at attractive price points.

Towards the end of the silent auction I noticed fellow hard core wine geek deal hounds lurking around the table lording over the items they had their eye on. My bid $425 on this lot of Napa Cab was eclipsed at just the last moment but I did manage to score a signed magnum of 2007 O'Shaughnessy Cab for $150.

Over the last 7 years the event has raised more than $750,000 to fight cancer. Their goal is to raise more than $200,000 for the third year in a row.

Tickets cost $160 and are available online and at the door.
For more information visit: http://pmcwinebenefit.org


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/RwAZKGq4SH8/ride-wine-dine-event-this-friday-at.html

Kirsten Dunst Krista Allen Kristanna Loken Kristen Bell

A toast to wine freedom

In this 50th anniversary year of Amnesty International*, I propose a letter-writing campaign that might liberate wine stories from their digital prisons. ?Yet if these feelings of disgust all over the world could be united into common action, something effective could be done.? Peter Benenson Please feel free to employ this whenever you come across [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/MtLYXpJE_Jk/

Nicollette Sheridan Nikki Cox Nikki Reed Norah Jones

The Gentle Caress of Steve Jobs and Wine

When I heard the news that Steve Jobs, 56 (56!!), had died I was in the process of syncing my Apple iPhone to my Apple iTunes account via my Apple iMac, while uploading Apple Pages, Keynote and Numbers software to...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FermentationTheDailyWineBlog/~3/0V6vThqA460/the-gentle-caress-of-steve-jobs-and-wine.html

Paz Vega Penélope Cruz Pink Piper Perabo

Napa Valley Harvest 2011: Risk

This last Saturday, wine grape growers in Northern California got a taste of the underside of risk. Morning sprinkles provided a window into what could happen if a harvest already 3 weeks behind schedule is further effected by early spring...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FermentationTheDailyWineBlog/~3/T7IODDPkDzI/napa-valley-harvest-2011-risk.html

Rachel Nichols Rachel Perry Rachel Weisz Radha Mitchell

A Taste of 'Summer': The 2009 Heart & Hands Pinot Noir

The Finger Lakes region is most known for its Rieslings but the wine I wanted to try most after reading Evan Dawson's "Summer in a Glass" (review) was a Pinot Noir. Perhaps it's not surprising given how much I enjoy Pinot but the story behind the wines being produced at Heart & Hands Wine Company left an impression on me.

I appreciated Heart & Hands owner and winemaker Tom Higgins' focus on Pinot Noir and how he used his background in geology to seek out land rich with limestone because top Pinot-producing regions have a similar composition. He's intent on making world class Pinot Noir in the Finger Lakes.

I was reminded of the book after watching Evan's recent appearance on Gary Vaynerchuk's Daily Grape. They tasted a wine featured in the book - the 2007 Heart & Hands Reserve Pinot Noir. I cracked open a bottle of the 2009.

Here are my thoughts.

2009 Heart & Hands Finger Lakes Pinot Noir
12.6% Alcohol
Around $20

Purchased this after reading "Summer in a Glass" by Evan Dawson. The 2007 Heart & Hands Reserve Pinot Noir was featured, this note is for the 2009 non-reserve bottling.

I'm viewing this through the lens of most domestic Pinot Noir I've consumed - Oregon and California. If I were tasting this blind I'd absolutely guess it was from Oregon. Its woodsy, twangy nose seem aligned with aromatics I've found in Oregon Pinots.

Beyond that I liked the flavor profile. It seemed to strike a nice balance between sweet and austere. Balanced in that sense. Surprisingly flavorful given its relatively-low 12.6% alcohol level.

A really nice value. Nice package too with a reasonably hefty bottle and a unique glass cork I'd not seen before. I dig it.

88/100 WWP: Very Good

Online: http://www.heartandhandswine.com
On Twitter: @FLPinotGuy

Where to Buy: Heart & Hands Pinot Noir on Wine-Searcher


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/whMPj7HL878/taste-of-summer-2009-heart-hands-pinot.html

Kirsten Dunst Krista Allen Kristanna Loken Kristen Bell