Posts Written OnMarch 2005

WBW #7 — Blau-whatish? (Channing Daughters Winery 2003 Blaufrankisch)

When Andrew of Spittoon fame emailed me asking to host an upcoming vintage of Wine Blogging Wednesday, how could I say no? He’s one of the most prolific wine bloggers out there and someone I’ve had some interesting conversations with via email. I knew he’d come up with something clever…and he certainly didn’t disappoint. His theme, "Obscure Red Varietals" is one of the more interesting ones we’ve had to date. I always try to not drink Long Island wines for WBW, and usually it’s easy because the themes don’t work out for L.I. wine anyway. I thought I’d have to…

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Women in Wine — Saturday, April 9, 2005

I get a lot of press releases about upcoming wine events, enough in fact that I could devote an entire blog just to them. I refrain from writing about most of them, but this one caught my attention. Women in Wine, sponsored by the Borgata in Atlantic City and Food & Wine Magazine, offers the opportunity to meet some of the growing number of women running the show in the wine world. Most are coming from California, but Jane Delaney of the Ravensvale Group in Greenwich, CT will also be there. I would have liked to see Theresea Dilworth of…

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Channing Daughters Winery 2004 Scuttlehole Chardonnay

Last week I wrote about Channing Daughters Vineyard’s 2003 Fresh Red. This week, I turn my tongue to one of their few white wines that are still available. In other words, the 2004 Scuttlehole Chardonnay hasn’t sold out like so many of their small-run creations. Eyes: This wine, which never sees oak in its creation, is a very pale, lemon yellow. Nose: Nena described this wine as "Grapefruity and grassy. Almost like a Sauvignon Blanc with a little fresh pear at the end." I agree with her but would add faint notes of white peaches and some mineral quality as…

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Reminder: Wine Blogging Wednesday #7 Is Two Days Away

Wine Blogging Wednesday is this Wednesday, March 9, hosted by Andrew of Spitoon. I know a lot of you are very excited and interested for this one, but in case you forgot, the theme is Obscure Red Grape Varieties. Remember, the key is obscure, but if you’re not sure what qualifies, check out Andrew’s post and the discussion after. This should be one of the more interesting editions of WBW…and, as always, the more the merrier!

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Sfida 2003 Rosso (Puglia)

Italian wines are challenging to really get to know. Different regions have different label conventions…and sometimes I find it difficult to decipher them at all. This wine (picture is on it’s way), isn’t like that. No doubt to attract New World drinkers, Sfida 2003 Rosso offers a simple label that tells you right away what is in the bottle…a blend of Primitivo (60%), Sangiovese (20%), and Cabernet Sauvignon (20%). I like trying interesting red blends, and at this price ($9 at Stew Leonard’s), I just couldn’t say no.

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Don’t Worry About Winery Consolidation

(This column appeared originally in the 2/4 issue of Dan’s Papers) Don’t Worry About Winery Consolidation HP and Compaq have merged, AT&T recently acquired Cingular Wireless and Verizon is buying WorldCom. Mergers and acquisitions are a part of every day life in the business world. And, no matter how romantic an image it might have, wine is a business. Big business. So, it should come as no shock that the big fish in the wine pond are gulping up smaller fish all the time, including many producers of the wines you see at your local wine shop every day. Fairly…

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Channing Daughters Winery 2003 Fresh Red

Channing Daughters Winery, located in Bridgehampton, is one of the most unique wineries on Long Island. While most around here focus on Bordeaux varietals like Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon…Channing Daughters is always trying new things. Think I’m kidding? Sure, they make Merlot, Cab Franc (only in good years though) and a few different Chardonnays…BUT they also make Blaufrankisch, Tocai Friuliano, a Fruilian-style white blend of Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco…and grow Dornfelder too. They also try just about every Chardonnay clone you can think of…with some always-interesting results. Truly an artisanal producer, they make extremely small lots, which almost…

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Wine…In Its Birthday Suit

Two of my favorite wine bloggers, Beau and Bill, have recently discussed wines that have a "sense of place"…and the "vin nature" movement on their respective blogs. Please check out their posts…I’m not going to rehash them in their entirety. As for my own thoughts…I think that terroir-driven wines are some the most interesting wines you can try. But it’s pretty easy to understand why more producers don’t make them a priority or even a goal. I don’t have any actual research to support this, but I’m guessing that at least 95% (propbably 99% actually) of wine drinkers just don’t…

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Now THAT is a Lobster

I’m a proud Pittsburgher…even if I’ve been in NY for over six years now. And, I always like to see what’s happening in my beloved ‘burgh…but this takes the cake. Have you heard about this 22-pound lobster at Wholey Market in the Strip District section of downtown Pittsburgh? And no, it’s not an area filled with "shaker joints"…it’s right on the river and is filled with markets, restaurants, bars and Wholey Market…a well-known mecca of everything seafood. I don’t eat lobster…but this is a fun story. A lobster over 100 years old…I guess that makes Bubba a crusty crustacean, right?…

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