The Wine Curmudgeon

Book review: The Wineslinger Chronicles: Texas on the Vine

Russ Kane knows more about Texas wine than all but a handful of people, and that knowledge is more than evident in his new book, "The Wineslinger Chronicles: Texas on the Vine" ($29.95, Texas Tech University Press). Equally as important, the book is a snapshot of the modern Texas wine industry at one of the most important times in its history -- as it makes the transition from first to second generation of growers and producers, as it changes from wine made with traditional grapes to a more terroir-based approach, and as it tries to find ways to cope without state-sponsored research and marketing.

Few are as qualifed as Kane to do this. He is the proprietor of the Texas Vintage wine blog, which is one of the oldest and most well-read in the state. And, like so many in the industry he loves, Kane comes to wine from a first career; he was a technical writer before discovering Texas wine. More, after the jump:

Buy tickets for DLW 2012: Colorado

Tickets are on sale for the fourth annual DrinkLocalWine conference, set for April 28 in Denver and focusing on Colorado wine. All you need to know is here, along with the link to buy tickets.

We're excited about this year for a couple of reasons (besides the usual amount of fun we always have). We're going to stage a Colorado Blind Challenge, in which several big-time wine experts taste similar Colorado and California wines and try to tell them apart. In front of a cheering audience, no less. The other reason? The event is being held at St. Cajetan's in Denver, which used to be a church. Which means we can get a member of the clergy to bless the Twitter Taste-off.

By the way, we're giving this away -- $35 a session, and $65 for both, which includes lunch. I got an email the other day for a similar event in Texas, and the prices start at $85. And I know they don't have as much fun as we do.

DrinkLocalWine visits Denver, and Denver is thrilled

One of the difficulties with trying to figure out where regional wine is in relation to the rest of the wine world is the Wine Curmudgeon's natural curmudgeonliness. Yes, the National Restaurant Association can say, for the second consecutive year, that local wine is a top priorty for restaurants. But I'm the kind of guy who looks at that and tries to decide if the survey was rigged. In other words, I'm not only waiting for the other shoe to drop, but expect it to hit me on the head.

So what happens when I'm in Denver last week doing some groundwork for DrinkLocalWine's fourth annual conference, set for the Colorado capital at the end of April? Almost complete and total enthusiasm, not only for what we're doing but for local wine. More, after the jump:

Why regional wine matters (and other good stuff)

DrinkLocalWine's fourth annual Regional Wine Week ends tomorrow, and the blog will return to its normal programming next week. Full disclosure: The Wine Curmudgeon, for those who haven't noticed, is a co-founder of DLW.

Interestingly, the blog set a record for cancellations this week, which is probably a good indicaton that regional wine still has a way to go to reach the winestream. But that's OK. I love a challenge. Wrapping up regional wine week after the jump:

Winebits 198: Regional wine notes

• North Carolina wines produce: Money and jobs for the state, that is, to the tune of a $1.28 billion impact, reports the Winston-Salem Journal. The Wine Curmudgeon, during his years in the newspaper business, was sceptical of economic impact studies. But having seen Fredericksburg, the heart of the Texas Hill Country's wine region, before and after the growth of Texas' wine industry, I'm more inclined to believe the studies. When I started going to Fredericksburg in the early 1990s, there was one motel. Today, there are a dozen, and more bed and breakfasts than it's possible to imagine. Fredericksburg was always a pleasant tourist town, focusing on its German heritage. Now it's a tourist town, where restaurant prices are on par with any big city in the state.

• What legislators don't understand: Too many state and local officials don't see the economic impact of wine (like my pals at the Texas legislature). So they should read this: A winery in Cody, Wyoming, is opening in a location that used be a company that made metal fastenings. This is the kind of thing that those of us who believe in regional wine keep insisting is going to happen as the world we live in changes economically and culturally. Because if it can happen in Cody, Wyoming, imagine what a little support could do in places like Texas and Virginia.

• New Georgia winery: And its owner wants it to be part of the local food movement: "My goal is to have a glass of wine, fresh bread from [the local bakery] and fresh sausage from [the local butcher] all in one place." This is refreshing to see. Too often, local wine is seen as the step-child of local food, as not quite good enough for all those tomatoes and pork.

7 things you need to know about regional wine

This is DrinkLocalWine's fourth annual regional wine week, which means all sorts of goodies and festivities at DrinkLocalWine.com, including the 47-word essay contest and voluminous links to regional wine stories, photos and interviews. The blog will be all regional wine this week; but don't worry, it won't hurt.

That's because, to paraphrase my partner in the locapour movement, Dave McIntyre, local wine is no longer a novelty. There are thousands of regional wineries, they're in each of the 47 states that aren't California, Washington, and Oregon, and the quality of the wine has improved dramatically in the past decade. But that doesn't mean that regional is as respected as it could be, or that nearly enough people know about it. So, after the jump, seven things you need to know about regional wine:

My 47-word regional wine week essay

DrinkLocalWine is holding a 47-word essay contest to promote Regional Wine Week, which starts Sunday. My effort is below. It's not as good as Dave McIntyre's (but don't worry -- Dave, my partner in locapour, can't win any of the terrific prizes we have this year). But I think it's better than my haiku last year.

The average August temperature in Texas is in the 90s, and 100 and higher is common. The Burgundy average temperature is 68. What's more surprising: That we have so much trouble growing chardonnay and pinot noir or that it only took 20 years to figure this out?