Bill and I consider what may become of the tipping tradition in America's restaurants. The ever widening wage gap between front of the house restaurant employees and back of the house workers, pending government mandated wage increases and uncertainty of the direction in which current immigration policy may head, makes operating a restaurant, risky business indeed. Is restaurateur Danny Meyer a maverick altruist or does he have a crystal ball, has seen the future and is preparing for the changes.
Richard Jennings a Silicon Valley based wine blogger took over a year off from blogging and on his return has hit it out of the park, with a comprehensive review of 230 grocery store Chardonnays. He didn't just pick up his free samples at the UPS depot. He did the hard work, trekking to local Lucky, Safeway and Costco stores to purchase bottles. Yes, he spent $4,000 of his own hard earned cash to complete the project. If you shop for Chardonnay at the grocery store this is a must read. But wait, there's more. He's currently working on a grocery store Cabernet project. You can follow his progress on Cellartracker, Facebook and Twitter.
If you're a cheese lover Tia Keenan wants to introduce us to some of the wonderful products that are made here in the United States as well as from abroad.
Former owner of now defunct wine retailer Premier Cru looks to be headed to court again. This time the claimant will be Wells Fargo, who is looking to reclaim the 2016 ZO6 Corvette he purchased this year shortly before he declared bankruptcy.
Primitivo is a clone of a Croatian grape called Crljenak Kastelanski ( tsril/ yeh/ nak- kah/ steh/ lahn/ skee. Practice this pronunciation and you can wow your friends at your next gathering. You could also use it on that overbearing wine snob at your next mixer to get them to back off. Simplified, Primitivo is Italian Zinfandel. The Tormaresca Estate is operated under the umbrella of the Antinori Family. Winemaker Renzo Cotarella has the best of everything at his disposal all with the goal of showing the world, the best that the region of Puglia, in southern Italy has to offer. The flagship wine for Tormaresca is their 100% Negroamaro based Masseria Maime. Don't miss an opportunity to try it.
Rachel Signer has a list of ten things every woman should know about wine, but her list could apply to guys as well.
Michelle Locke offers up nine hacks to help you drink better wine by drinking it better. In the podcast Bill and I offer up a few ways to enhance your wine drinking experience as well.
Is the age of the Sommelier coming to an end? Some high profile somms are looking for a different experience and are moving into the retail arena.
Upscale wine merchant Premier Cru of Berkeley, California has finally folded amidst a plethora of accusations and lawsuits. The FBI is now actively involved and handling former customer and vendor complaints.
Napa County officials are flexing their muscles and threatening to shut down a winery in Calistoga that does not have their permits to do business in order.
We talked about this story on a prior podcast. Look who's saying 'My Bad'. Here's proof that Maureen Downey is smart and one tough cookie.
Thanks for listening and please tell a friend about us. Cheers!
VinoWeek Episode 25 - Lawsuits, Fake Wine and Saber Fun!
Roughly ten percent of the bottles in convicted wine counterfeiter Rudy Kurnaiwan's wine cellar were deemed fakes and were sent to Creedmore, Texas to be destroyed. There's a video of the process, but allegations of fake wine being sold at high end auctions continues to persist. Wine sleuth Maureen Downey and wine expert Gil Lempert-Schwarz are headed to court as Schwarz has asked the court to order Downey to stop defaming him. Unfortunately, there appears to be more than enough fake wine to go around. Caveat emptor!
New York wine retailer Empire Wine's ongoing lawsuit against the New York State Liquor Authority has taken a turn in favor of the NYSLA, after Governor Cuomo vetoed a bill that would have limited the state's power.
Bill Swindell reports for the Press Democrat on the legal problems facing Truett-Hurst. As shares for the company hover at low penny stock levels, it's a sobering reminder of how difficult the wine business can be.
E J Gallo increases its footprint in Napa Valley with the purchase of The Ranch Winery in St. Helena.
John Fox, owner of Premier Cru, a wine retailer in Berkeley, California, amid numerous lawsuits and claims of running a Ponzi scheme, has closed his retail shops' doors and elected to continue business through online sales only. All of the bad press of late must have made it very uncomfortable for him and his staff to conduct business face to face with the public. If you have made purchases and would like to pick your wine up, you can still do so by making an appointment.
This video may be as close as you can get to Champagne without visiting in person.
You left your saber at home, but you still want to show off to your friends. The guys at VinePair show that there's more than one way to open a bottle of bubbly.
57% Malbec, 18% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Syrah and 2% Petit Verdot - Opaque in the glass, aromas of black fruit, cocoa and spice, good concentration, smooth tannins and a long finish. Made by rock star winemaker Michel Rolland who collaborates with seven French partners at five different wineries in Argentina. An excellent value at $14 to $16. Break out the roasted meats and steaks.
In September I had the pleasure of attending a Colors of Soave Master Class hosted by Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein and Giovanni Ponchia, at Nostra Spaghetteria in San Francisco. Having attended last year's Soave class I was keen on seeing what was to be learned at Soave 2.0. Evan ever the professional did not disappoint. This class focused on the soils and site differences in the Soave region. Having worked at several wineries in Northern Italy, Giovanni serves as an enologist and marketing ambassador for the Soave Consorzio Tutela. The Soave Consorzio's mission is to promote Soave wines.
In San Francisco there are typically only a few handful of days where the mercury approaches ninety plus and this was one of them. I could not think of a better way to spend a sizzling afternoon than sipping the wonderful Cru Soaves that were on hand.
The Soave region twelve miles due east of Verona, in north eastern Italy, with the hills of Valpolicella flanking its left shoulder and Cru vineyard names like Castelcerino, Casette Foscarin and Salvarenza leading the charge for quality, is making a legitimate call for being recognized as a top producer of white wines. When one talks of Cru Soave it's important to note you are referring to the hills of Soave and not the alluvial flatlands. These hillside vineyards range in elevation from 125 to 1,100 feet.
Evan noted that Garganega based wines like Soave are very nuanced, and "if you're looking for a wine of place, Soave can be a fire hydrant directly out of the terroir into your mouth". The class started with a historical perspective of the Soave region and an explanation of the various types of soil that can be found throughout the region. How the different soil types impacted the style of wines produced became very clear as we tasted the wines. In general one could say the calcareous limestone based soils yielded more linear, citric, floral and austere wines. I think these wines would age more quickly. Conversely wines from grapes grown in the volcanic red and black basalt soils were richer, thicker, oilier with more texture.
2014 Cantina di Monteforte Soave DOC Classico "Vicario" Cantina di Monteforte is a cooperative with around 600 growers. 100% Garganega, basaltic soils, partially barrel fermented, vibrant peach, pineapple profile, medium bodied with good concentration12.5% abv $12 At twelve bucks this a no brainer case buy.
A tip of the hat to Limeng Stroh at Full Circle Wine Solutions, the staff at Nostra, Evan and Giovanni for putting together a fantastic event. If you want some basic knowledge of the Soave region and wines, please review our previous podcast on Soave. Cheers!