Thanks to overzealous state legislators, wine may only be shipped to consumers in the following states:
Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
District Of Columbia
Florida
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Louisiana
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oregon
South Carolina
Texas
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
If you don't see your state listed above, you're outta luck!
Visit FreeTheGrapes.org and contact your congressional representative to ensure free wine trade between all districts and states.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Friday, September 01, 2006
Global Warming Could Affect Wine Producers
As the polar ice caps melt away, and the oceans get warmer by a degree or two, winegrowing areas such as Napa, Sonoma Valley and other warm climate regions could become unsuitable for premium grape growing. Some scientists predict that the average temperature in the southwest United States could rise by several degrees, making California a less than perfect region for growing grapes.
This may lead some to start stocking away their Napa Valley Cabs and Merlots. However, any such changes should occur gradually, and probably wouldn't be noticable for a century or more. In fact, the average temperatures in the southwest U.S. have risen by a degree or so in the last hundred years, and the principal grape growing areas have remained virtually unchanged.
This may lead some to start stocking away their Napa Valley Cabs and Merlots. However, any such changes should occur gradually, and probably wouldn't be noticable for a century or more. In fact, the average temperatures in the southwest U.S. have risen by a degree or so in the last hundred years, and the principal grape growing areas have remained virtually unchanged.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
PinotGris.Biz up and running
Hello all,
I have finally put up a full-fledged pinot gris site at www.pinotgris.biz
Much of the content you'll find in the pages of this blog will be listed there. I will continue to keep this blog up and running as long as it's practical.
Please visit the new site, and thanks for reading!
I have finally put up a full-fledged pinot gris site at www.pinotgris.biz
Much of the content you'll find in the pages of this blog will be listed there. I will continue to keep this blog up and running as long as it's practical.
Please visit the new site, and thanks for reading!
Thursday, May 25, 2006
A Pinot Gris Success Story
My e-zine article "Pinot Gris - The 'Other' White Wine" has recently climbed to Page 1 on Google for searches under Pinot Gris.
You can see the Google results here. I'm currently at the bottom of Page 1.
Read the article here.
You can see the Google results here. I'm currently at the bottom of Page 1.
Read the article here.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Fill it with Merlot, Please!
A GOOD wine is a terrible thing to waste. But sometimes even the French have no choice when the good stuff isn't selling. As painful as it surely must be in a country where the fruit of the vintner's labors is considered a fine art, winemakers are drowning in vats of surplus wine.
The worldwide glut has gotten so bad that for the first time in history French vineyards that produce quality wine several sniffs above the ordinary table brands are getting rid of it. They're distilling millions of bottles worth of reds and whites into - fuel. Mon Dieu!
Previously France had resorted to distilling surpluses of lowly table wines into vinegar and ethanol. But the quality wines were sacrosanct until bottles began piling up in vineyards and stores where shoppers could buy some for less than what it cost for bottled water.
Winemakers long deceased must be turning in their graves with the woeful developments. And yet their successors, some of whom took to the streets early in the year to protest the falling wine prices, have to survive somehow.
By the end of this year hundreds of wine-makers will turn their mellow Merlots and crisp Chardonnays into crystal-clear ethanol, which will be sold to oil refineries for use as an additive for gasoline. France already uses about 1 percent ethanol in its gasoline and that percentage is expected to rise to 5.75 percent in a few years to meet European Union demands for more use of renewable fuels.
In the meantime, France will continue exporting its wine-blended gasoline abroad to one of its biggest markets in the United States. Ironic, no? People who wouldn't touch a french fry in a patriotic huff could be pumping gas into their cars with a bit of France's best Beaujolais.
The reasons for the wine glut vary from new producers in countries like Australia and Chile to falling demand in France, where wine used to be abundantly enjoyed at lunch and dinner until a crackdown began against drunken driving.
"What's killing consumption is fear of the gendarmes," lamented one vintner before his doomed wine headed off to the local distillery.
The ruinous price decline of even top-shelf French wine will, by year's end, force millions of bottles worth to become full bodied gasoline at the tank. It could be the end of French civilization as we know it.
Instead of toasting the new year will motorists wonder how many miles per gallon the Gamay Beaujolais can deliver?
Article Source: Toledo Blade
The worldwide glut has gotten so bad that for the first time in history French vineyards that produce quality wine several sniffs above the ordinary table brands are getting rid of it. They're distilling millions of bottles worth of reds and whites into - fuel. Mon Dieu!
Previously France had resorted to distilling surpluses of lowly table wines into vinegar and ethanol. But the quality wines were sacrosanct until bottles began piling up in vineyards and stores where shoppers could buy some for less than what it cost for bottled water.
Winemakers long deceased must be turning in their graves with the woeful developments. And yet their successors, some of whom took to the streets early in the year to protest the falling wine prices, have to survive somehow.
By the end of this year hundreds of wine-makers will turn their mellow Merlots and crisp Chardonnays into crystal-clear ethanol, which will be sold to oil refineries for use as an additive for gasoline. France already uses about 1 percent ethanol in its gasoline and that percentage is expected to rise to 5.75 percent in a few years to meet European Union demands for more use of renewable fuels.
In the meantime, France will continue exporting its wine-blended gasoline abroad to one of its biggest markets in the United States. Ironic, no? People who wouldn't touch a french fry in a patriotic huff could be pumping gas into their cars with a bit of France's best Beaujolais.
The reasons for the wine glut vary from new producers in countries like Australia and Chile to falling demand in France, where wine used to be abundantly enjoyed at lunch and dinner until a crackdown began against drunken driving.
"What's killing consumption is fear of the gendarmes," lamented one vintner before his doomed wine headed off to the local distillery.
The ruinous price decline of even top-shelf French wine will, by year's end, force millions of bottles worth to become full bodied gasoline at the tank. It could be the end of French civilization as we know it.
Instead of toasting the new year will motorists wonder how many miles per gallon the Gamay Beaujolais can deliver?
Article Source: Toledo Blade
Friday, December 16, 2005
Don't Like Wine? Try Ice Wine
Even though wine's popularity is soaring everywhere, there are still a few people who don't care for grape juice in its more sophisticated form. Most of these individuals would say that it's the bitter taste that comes from the acidic/sugar balance that sets their pallets recoiling.
I'll bet most of those critics have never tried Ice Wine. Recently, I have given a few bottles away, and without exception, everyone has made it a point to tell me how much they loved the wine. The dessert wines usually come in 375 ml (half-size) bottles. Pinot Gris grapes are often used in the production of Ice Wine, along with Muscat and Gewurztraminer.
If you've never tried Ice Wine, look for it the next time you're in your local supermarket. if they don't carry it there, try a wine shop or a World Market.
I'll bet most of those critics have never tried Ice Wine. Recently, I have given a few bottles away, and without exception, everyone has made it a point to tell me how much they loved the wine. The dessert wines usually come in 375 ml (half-size) bottles. Pinot Gris grapes are often used in the production of Ice Wine, along with Muscat and Gewurztraminer.
If you've never tried Ice Wine, look for it the next time you're in your local supermarket. if they don't carry it there, try a wine shop or a World Market.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
What Wine Goes With Turkey?
"Which wine goes with turkey" is a question that comes up often during the holiday season. My personal choice would be a delicious bottle of Pinot Gris. However, your guests might prefer a red wine to a white. I'll list a couple of alternatives below, and let you make your own decision.
There are, of course, many wine selections that will go with turkey and traditional holiday meals.
If your guests prefer white wines, then Pinot Gris would be the natural choice for a match with turkey. There are many good ones, and you should be able to find a bottle or two at your supermarket in the $10 - $15 range. Another white wine that would win your guests over is a bottle of Viognier, which might be a little harder to find than the Pinot Gris, but is a crisp alternative to the ever-boring Chardonnay.
If you usually like wine with a little sweetness, try a White Zinfandel. If you think you'd like to try a dessert wine, you might look for a sparkling Early Muscat or a bottle of Vin Glace made with Pinot Gris grapes. The Vin Glace will usually come in the 375 ml bottle.
If your guests prefer red wines, consider a Pinot Noir to go with your turkey. It will have a richer fruit flavor than most white wines, but will match up well with the meal. Pinot Noir is traditionally very smooth, so it will not overwhelm the taste of the food.
Look for a bottle from Oregon, California, or France in the $15 - $20 range. Serve Pinot Noir very lightly chilled (about 60 degrees Fahrenheit). Put the Pinot Noir in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before serving, and you will bring out the fruit flavors and will remove the alcohol taste that can overwhelm when served at room temperature.
I would avoid any bold reds, unless the meal features some form of red meat. That means leave the Cabernet Sauvignon in the cellar for a more opportune time.
There are, of course, many wine selections that will go with turkey and traditional holiday meals.
If your guests prefer white wines, then Pinot Gris would be the natural choice for a match with turkey. There are many good ones, and you should be able to find a bottle or two at your supermarket in the $10 - $15 range. Another white wine that would win your guests over is a bottle of Viognier, which might be a little harder to find than the Pinot Gris, but is a crisp alternative to the ever-boring Chardonnay.
If you usually like wine with a little sweetness, try a White Zinfandel. If you think you'd like to try a dessert wine, you might look for a sparkling Early Muscat or a bottle of Vin Glace made with Pinot Gris grapes. The Vin Glace will usually come in the 375 ml bottle.
If your guests prefer red wines, consider a Pinot Noir to go with your turkey. It will have a richer fruit flavor than most white wines, but will match up well with the meal. Pinot Noir is traditionally very smooth, so it will not overwhelm the taste of the food.
Look for a bottle from Oregon, California, or France in the $15 - $20 range. Serve Pinot Noir very lightly chilled (about 60 degrees Fahrenheit). Put the Pinot Noir in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before serving, and you will bring out the fruit flavors and will remove the alcohol taste that can overwhelm when served at room temperature.
I would avoid any bold reds, unless the meal features some form of red meat. That means leave the Cabernet Sauvignon in the cellar for a more opportune time.
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