The Wine Curmudgeon

Winebits 83: Scores and retailers, wine auction slump, regional wine poster

• Finding great retailers: W.R. Tish, whose disdain for wine scores is even greater than the Wine Curmudgeon’s, has written a near brilliant essay on the relationship between retailers, scores, and the Wine Magazines. “Perhaps most important of all, however, reliance on ratings has led retailers to surrender their own sense of authority,” he writes. And adds that we should reward those great independent retailers who still do business the way it should be done -- by assembling an interesting, eclectic mix of inventory and selling it with respect. It’s an essay that’s well worth reading.

• Napa auction slump: This year’s Auction Napa Valley, an important charity fund-raiser, saw its take fall by more than half, thanks to the recession. It raised 4.3 million, according to a preliminary count by organizers, compared to last year’s record $10.3 million. Said one participant: “If we weren’t in a recession, I would bid five times as much as I would otherwise. And it would be less of an economic decision and more of an emotional one.”

• Rosie the regional wine goddess: Sales have not been as brisk as expected for the wonderful Rosie posters, created by Joanna Purdy for Fox Run Vineyards in New York. This is too bad; it’s a wonderful effort (we’re using it with DrinkLocalWine.com) – and the posters only cost $6.

Technorati Tags: wine retailing,wine scores,W.R. Tish,wine auctions,Rosie poster,regional wine

Register now for DrinkLocalWine.com conference

Yes, we’re taking your cash for the Aug. 15 event in Dallas – and we can do it over the Internet, with credit cards. That’s actually quite amazing, given I’m the one in charge of technology.

The details are here. Your $35 gets you into three seminars, pays for lunch prepared by the chefs at the world-famous Cordon Bleu, and allows those of you older than 21 to participate in the Texas Twitter Taste-off. You’ll taste about 40 wines, and then Twitter or blog about your favorites.

Technorati Tags: local wine,regional wine,DrinkLocalWine.com

Wine terms: Palate

Everyone who drinks wine has a palate. Because, simply, all that means is that you can decipher what the wine tasted like and decide whether you enjoyed it.

Easy enough, eh? The catch – and this is where the wine snobs like to get involved – is that everyone’s palate is different. Some people like tannic wines. Some people like sweet wines. Some people like citrusy wines. Some people have been drinking wine for years. Some people have just started drinking wine. All of this plays into your palate.

And you know what? It’s OK that everyone’s palate is different.

Wine of the week update

In case you missed one, here’s a look at the previous half dozen (and just in time for Father's Day):

• Chateau Gaudichaud Blanc 2006: White wine for Father's Day.

• Pillar Box Red 2007: An Australian red blend at a great price.

• Vinho Verde: Portugal’s white wine.

• Ravenswood Sonoma County Old Vine Zinfandel 2006: Quality, old-style zinfandel.

• Fortant Merlot Rose 2007: Summer and rose – what more do you need?

• Bota Box Cabernet Sauvignon 2007: Four bottles and one low price.

Technorati Tags: wine reviews,wine of the week

Winecast 10: Texas wine trends

My pal John Bratcher and Alfonso Cevola, the Italian wine guy, joined me for a discussion about what’s new and interesting in Texas wine. (The podcast was originally recorded for Advocate magazines in Dallas, where I do the wine writing.) And, it turns out, quite a bit is new and interesting, including a number of wineries in Dallas -– urban wineries, no less -- that do quality work. The podcast is about 15 megabytes and 16 minutes. To download or stream it, click here.

Technorati Tags: Texas wines,regional wine,podcasts

Hear the Wine Curmudgeon on Internet radio

And the medium will never be the same.

I’m going to be a semi-regular guest on Olivia Wilder’s New Art of Living call-in show on Blog Talk Radio, which debuts its new format on 8 p.m. central on Sunday. (You can also check out her Facebook page.)

I should be live about 8:30. No surprise what I’m going to talk about – finding value in wine. I’ll see if I can find a couple of nifty wines we haven’t discussed here for my inaugural appearance. After this week, I should be on every couple of weeks.

And if you call in, be gentle.

Technorati Tags: Internet radio,Olivia Wilder,Blog Talk Radio

Father's Day wine 2009

The fascination – call it a preoccupation – that so many U.S. wine drinkers have with cabernet sauvignon has always surprised the Wine Curmudgeon. Yes, there are many fine cabernets from around the world, but it’s not like cabernet produces the only quality red wine the world makes. In addition, it’s not like there is so much quality, inexpensive cabernet.

So why is it not only the most popular red wine in the U.S., but (depending on the survey) close to the most popular wine of any color?

Call it stubbornness on the part of some wine drinkers, who just aren’t sure what else is out there and aren’t sure whether they should try it. Hence, as you prepare Father’s Day, three suggestions – only one of which is cabernet (and a cabernet that not many people would think of):