Maldivian sunset takes Taj Exotica Resort & Spa to a dreamland

The magnificent sunset of Maldives can be best experienced from the private villas of Taj Exotica Resort & Spa which stretches along the sandy beaches of the Emboodhu Finolhu Island. This unforgettable resort has over 27 acres of private beach which offers an exclusive retreat of peace and solitude while offering guests uncompromising comfort and [...]

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Laetitia Casta Lake Bell Larissa Meek Laura Harring

Alan Kerr?s Vintage?s July 9 Release ? Tasting Notes

It?s that time of the year again when the LCBO boffins come out full tilt with the critically acclaimed big boys, otherwise known as the ?Top Marks 90+ Wines?. Vintages has assembled a few liquid treats from around the wine world that have been blessed and highly touted by some of the most influential wine [...]

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Rachel Perry Rachel Weisz Radha Mitchell Raquel Alessi

Field Notes from a Wine Life ? Inexplicable Edition

Odds and ends from a life lived through the prism of the wine glass…

The Green Card Cometh

I would be remiss if I didn’t offer a public congratulation to Johannes Reinhardt, winemaker at Anthony Road Wine Company in Penn Yan, New York in the Finger Lakes (FLX) wine region for earning his green card.  Not that he’s waiting for my congratulations, by the way.

However, I do think it’s important to honor professional excellence, integrity and the pursuit of the American dream in a period of time when our national mood is drenched with political acrimony and institutional cynicism.

Sometimes things work out the way they should…

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First reported by Evan Dawson at the New York Cork Report in the first week of September, Reinhardt has earned his permanent worker status, a way station on the way to a permanent green card.

Reinhardt’s back-story is well chronicled in some circles (here and here) and his story is a notable chapter in Dawson’s recent book, Summer in a Glass, but it’s also the kind of workaday footnote that barely blips on the radar of the larger wine consciousness, even if it should.

The summary of a longer narrative is Reinhardt initially came to the U.S. from Germany over a decade ago, leaving his family winemaking legacy behind, to do the same on U.S. soil.  Working on a string of visas while seeking a permanent green card (a green card that has proven difficult to obtain as he faced rejection after inexplicable rejection), Reinhardt carved out an enviable leadership position in the collegial Finger Lakes winemaking community helping to elevate it to the world-class status it now enjoys for its Rieslings, while also doing the same for his employer, the aforementioned Anthony Road winery.

For those that don’t follow immigration law, which is most of us, the difference between a visa and a green card is most akin to the labor differences in between the NFL and the NBA.  In the NFL, you can get cut and lose your job at any time.  In the NBA, you have a guaranteed contract.  A green card acts as something of a guaranteed contract in the U.S. in that you’re not at-risk to have your ability to be in our country yanked or not renewed (deported). 

With permanent worker status and a green card in his future, Reinhardt can now seek citizenship should he choose to do so, or, at the least, get on with building a life in the U.S.

I sat adjacent to Johannes and next to his wife Imelda at a wine dinner in the spring of 2010 while his wines were being poured.  With just brief interaction, his meticulous work effort, charisma, collaborative spirit and genuine desire to achieve excellence as a winemaker in the Finger Lakes shone through.  I’m happy for him, his wife, and most importantly, I’m happy for wine enthusiasts who will continue to enjoy access to his fantastic wines. 

You can toast Reinhardt by buying some Anthony Road wine at the winery web site or at a New York-based online retailer (I use Marketview).

Just in time for Harvest

“It takes a lot of beer to make good wine,” as the saying goes.  Joining the Winepod, a high-end home winemaking system that was launched a few years ago, comes the WilliamsWarn Personal Brewery launched by a couple of Kiwi’s in New Zealand.  Promising craft brewery beer quality at home and priced at around US $5000, the WilliamsWarn, which includes an all-in-one tap for dispensing your brew, looks like the perfect accompaniment to the Winepod and one of the commercial grade espresso machines that are available.

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Now all I have to do is figure out how to scrape together $14,000 of disposable income to buy all three…

More information here (initiates a download of the WilliamsWarn product details sheet).

As Seen in Sommelier Journal

The July issue of the Sommelier Journal (you are a subscriber, right?  You should be…) features a blurb about a new service that allows Sommeliers to create wine clubs for their guests and consumers interested in their wine finds. 

Powered by the unimaginatively named company “Wine Club Shipment,” the firm handles all web site development, shipping and logistics and the Sommelier does what they do best – find unique and interesting wines.

Sign me up.  For two reasons, this is a fantastic service:

1)  With all of the mojo that the craft brew scene and mixologists are earning, I’m very ready for the wine world’s bright young Sommeliers to take a step forward into the limelight by curating selections.

2)  Wine clubs, in general, get a justifiably valid bad name for unloading plonk on unwitting consumers.  Anything that can stem that tide with a quality orientation is a good thing

The company web site is scant on detail, but you can get a sense for the service at the A16 wine club site.

Even a Blind Squirrel…

On the heels of my recent post called, “Palate Tuning and the Permanent Record” in which I discussed disparities in critical wine scores and the hypothetical development of a meta-database that weighs variables in critics palates to create a sort-of super wine score, comes, well, you guessed it – something pretty darn close to that.

I published my post on the 15th and then, via Lewis Perdue’s Wine Industry Insight wine news round-up on the 16th, I saw an article published on the web site Inside Toronto that details a company, WineAlign, in Ontario that has a similar concept with the twist of taking major critical reviews and overlaying that on Liquor Control Board Ontario (LCBO) wine availability in Ontario, Canada. 

It can be done in the states, but the magic is in hardcore number crunching and weighting critical palate preferences to create a meta-score that can map to an individual consumer preference reliably.

Johannes Reinhardt Photo Credit:  Morgan Dawson Photography

Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/field_notes_from_a_wine_life_inexplicable_edition/

Mia Kirshner Mía Maestro Michael Michele Michelle Behennah

Reminder: WBW 71 Is This Week!

It seems like is was just a few days ago that I announced the next edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday but it has been nearly 3 weeks. So just a friendly reminder that WBW 71, “Rhones Not From The Rhône,” is in just two days. And it’s easy to participate; just pick up a wine [...]

Reminder: WBW 71 Is This Week! originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

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Shiri Appleby Sienna Guillory Sienna Miller Simone Mütherthies

The Tu-Tones @ Landon Winery McKinney, Tx

Tonight Was a date night.  A weekend night to close the week of our vacation.  With a little take out dinner from Spoons Cafe & Bar in Downtown Mckinney we cross the street to Landon Winery with some great food and dessert  to some great wine and music provided by The Tu-Tones with a nice […]

Source: http://thegrapesaroundtexas.com/2011/07/09/the-tu-tones-landon-winery-mckinney-tx/

Olivia Munn Olivia Wilde Padma Lakshmi Paige Butcher

The Capital Grille Offers: A Generous Pour

With locations across the country, The Capital Grille is offering a unique wine tasting opportunity - The Generous Pour. From July 12th - September 4th, 2011 you can enjoy 9 different wines from around the world with your meal for $25. In the Boston area there are a couple of additional events this month that conspire to make this offer even more compelling. More on that in a moment...

To kick off the event, Capital Grille locations invited bloggers and members of the media for a preview. Master Sommelier George Miliotes hosted the event via live simulcast and then answered questions via Twitter (you can follow him @TheWineExpert). Click on the image below to get a feel for the event:


The evening started out with a taste of hors d'oeuvres accompanied by a white sparkling wine from the Loire Valley - the Marquis de la Tour Cremant de Loire Brut. I'm not much of a sparkling wine drinker so for me the wine set the tone for the event. The wines chosen provide an opportunity to taste delicious, high quality wines you'll enjoy from categories you don't normally explore alongside wines you're likely more familiar with. I thought this wine was outstanding - clean crisp apple, melon, and peach. It accompanied the food amazingly. Highly recommended.

I asked George about his selection philosophy. Here's what he had to say...

Wellesley Wine Press: You have a knack for finding wines that appeal to wine enthusiasts interested in discovering delicious new wines without stretching too far out of their comfort zone. In a nutshell, what?s your philosophy for choosing wines by the glass for The Capital Grille or for events like this one?

George Milotes: "For me, it is all about wines that are well-made and taste good.   As solid winemaking practices have spread around the globe, there is a greater pool of diverse and tasty wines to choose from.  We love to find areas or wines that are overlooked or underappreciated.  Hence, the Tarima Hill Monastrell is part of The Generous Pour Wine Event this year.  Monastrell is the greatest underappreciated red in the world today from a growing area (Alicante) that is barely known in Spain, let alone here in the US.   We feel privileged to introduce the wine to the U.S. while showing our guests something new and delicious."

From there we moved on to a dining room table for a sit-down appetizer course. Their Pan-Fried Calimari and Prosciutto Wrapped Mozzarella were served with a classic California Chardonnay (Chateau St. Jean) alongside a 2010 La Cana Albarino from Rias Baixas Spain.

Here too we see a characteristic of the event worth mentioning - comparison opportunities. While the California Chardonnay was rich and full-bodied, the Albarino revealed a clean palate-cleansing nature I appreciated. The Prosciutto was salty, and the Albarino accompanied it brilliantly. Green apples, mango, kiwi, and lemon-lime with soft edges yet apparent acid. quite nice:


From there we moved on to the main course for a choice of Filet Mignon, Salmon, or their Bone-In Kona Crusted Dry Aged Sirloin with Shallot Buttter. The first time I heard of a coffee-encrusted steak I was concerned it would be overly sweet. However, I've had this steak a half dozen times over the years and I can safely say it's the best treatment I've ever tasted. They offer the Kona rub on other cuts but I've found it plays best on the sirloin. Unconditionally recommended:

We had a taste of the red wines recommended for pairing with entree courses for the event. The 2009 Byron Santa Barbara Pinot Noir was deep red with a full mouthfeel. A little spice. Very good. Lots of people at the table really liked the wine.

The big dogs - two Cabernet Sauvignons - were the 2006 Chalk Hill Estate Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2003 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Bosche Rutherford (pronounced "bow-shea"). I thought the Chalk Hill was tasty but bright and a little young...especially compared to the 2003 Freemark Abbey which was a beautiful wine. At 8 years I thought the Freemark was drinking at its peak with rich, round fruit, a little leather and nice supporting structure. For pure enjoyment this was probably my wine of the night.


WWP: You?ve run a similar event the past couple years in the form of the Master Wine Tasting Event. What have you learned from putting together those lists that went into the wines selected for The Generous Pour Wine Event?

George Miliotes: "The main thing we learned is to have a fun mix of familiar and new wines that all taste really, really good.  For example, we aim to keep a Cabernet drinker interested with Freemark Abbey Cabernet Bosche 2003, but also give that drinker a chance to break out and try a Vistorta Merlot 2006 (from the Friuli region of Italy).  This way, every guest has the chance to experience the best of both worlds.

The other exciting thing that we have learned is that guests will enjoy any wine that tastes good, especially if our team educates them about it.  Two years ago, we introduced Bonarda (a popular red varietal in Argentina) to our guests.  We were sure we would sell minimal amounts.  To our surprise, that was not the case, as guests were more than excited about tasting this tannic red with our dry aged steaks.  As a result, each year I try to find something completely new or different."

Right behind these big reds were a couple of wines a little more off the beaten path. Like the 2006 Conte Brandolini Vistorta Merlot Friuli-Venezia Giulia. I thought it was distinctly old world yet still approachable.

Perhaps the most highly anticipated wine of the evening, based on George's earlier description of Monastrell as being the most under-appreciated grape variety in the world, was the 2009 Tarima Hill Monastrell from Alicante, Spain. Refreshingly fruit-forward after the Cabernets. Kind of reminded me of the 2008 Betts & Scholl Grenache I tried at the Wine Spectator event a couple months ago. I definitely need to try more Monastrell and Grenache.

The entrees were accompanied by Sauteed Spinach and Lobster Mac 'n Cheese. Every time I've been at a table where the Lobster Mac 'n Cheese was served it's the side that people seek out for seconds. It's ridiculously good.

Rounding out the evening along with dessert was RL Buller "The Portly Gentleman" from Australia. I'm not much of a port guy but I liked the way this one avoided the medicinal flavors sometimes present in Port and offered an interesting does of blueberry flavors which I enjoyed. The table was divided on their opinion of this wine.

I attended the event at the Capital Grille's Newbury Street location in Boston but this offer is available at locations across the country.

WWP: The Capital Grille has locations all over the country. What differences do you see in red vs. white wine consumption across those locations seasonally?

George Miliotes: "We certainly see red wine consumption go up when cold weather settles in, and there is a smaller movement towards white during the summer.  Our guests tend to gravitate towards reds, due to our dry aged steaks.   As one would think, there is plenty of white enjoyed at our West Coast locations, due to the higher temperatures and light dishes such as our fresh seafood."

Bottom Line: This event provides an opportunity to try wines you otherwise might not be willing to take a risk on at an affordable price point with excellent food and service.

Further Reading:

Next Steps

I mentioned that in Boston there are a couple of other events that coincide with this offer that make this year's Generous Pour even more compelling. The first is Boston Restaurant Week which runs August 14-19 and 21-26, 2011. According to http://www.restaurantweekboston.com the Chestnut Hill and Burlington locations are participating this year. Stack a three course meal for $33.11 along with this wine offer for $25 and you have one of the best bargains in steakhouse history.

A second compelling event is that the Newbury Street location is relocating to a new location nearby (900 Boylston Street in the Hynes Convention Center not far from Towne Stove & Spirits) on August 24th, 2011. Having celebrated so many special occasions at the current location I'm sad to see it go, but the new decked-out location is going to be twice as big with a bar area that opens onto the street for warm summer evenings. Stay tuned for more information on the new location but in the mean time take this opportunity to visit the classic Newbury Street restaurant one last time. It will be missed.

Question of the Day: What are some of your favorite Capital Grille memories? If you've never been, what are some of your favorite steakhouses in the country?


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Melania Trump Melissa George Melissa Howard Melissa Joan Hart