Argentine Malbec Madness Tourney Style
Let’s try a little word association game. I say Malbec you say <fill in the blank>. Let’s continue, I say value $10 and under wine, you say <insert thoughts here>. I would venture to guess that the same words might apply to both for a good majority of wine drinkers. Argentinian Malbec has crushed the “value to quality” category over the last few years becoming the fastest growing wine category. For years Argentinians consumed 90% of the wine they produced (which was a lot at the tune of 60 bottles per capita). This decade has seen a massive shift in […]
A Piece of Italy in Temecula Valley
I’ve never been more compelled by a winery brochure and web site than when I started thumbing through and surfing the pictures of South Coast Winery. The grounds are breathtaking and the whole concept of a relaxing get away weekend with spa, pool, and Tuscan villas had me immediately daydreaming and planning my escape. A previous review included tastings of their GVR white blend, 06 Meritage blend, and Ruby Cuvee sparkler. Each wine showed very well and at attractive price points too. Voted California winery of the year (twice) and 2010 Winery of the Year, South Coast Winery, you may […]
Did You Know Bordeaux is its Own Planet?
Email – “Wanna drink some Bordeaux?” Response – “Duh, winning!” Email – “Okay, we’ll send ya some to drink online with other blawgers and the Frenchies.” Response – “Killer!” This is a rough synopsis of the interchange that happened between Balzac Communication and Marketing and Nectar Wine Blog (me) a few weeks back. I love Washington wine, but I’m always looking for opportunities to expand the travels of my palate. Being that the event was on a Friday night, I was running the risk of being called away by paying customers but anticipated a 4pm start time to be plenty […]
Cana’s Feast – A Marriage of Washington and Oregon
Three things draw me to Cana’s Feast Winery; 1) the biblical tie to their name with Jesus’ first miracle as he turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana, 2) An Oregon winery that uses lots and lots of Washington fruit, 3) Tamara Belgard – a friend I met on Twitter who used social media to land a marketing job at the winery! Cana’s Feast Winery is located about an hour south and west of Portland, OR sand south of the Yamhill wine area. Located in a Tuscan style villa in Carlton, OR, Cana’s Feast focuses on several Italian […]
Beyond Biodynamics Smith Madrone Wines in the Spotlight
Smith-Madrone winery has been making estate grown and bottled wine for 40 years! Founded in 1971 by brothers Stu and Charles Smith, Smith-Madrone makes about 4000 cases per year farmed from their 200 acre ranch in St Helena California. A visit to the winery will always be accompanied by a tour from one of the Smith brothers. In 2010, Stu Smith became somewhat of a wine world personality with the launching of his www.biodynamicsisahoax.com web site. From the opening paragraph of the web site: “I challenge any Biodynamic farmer or supporter to defend the writings of Rudolf Steiner. I submit […]