How Would You Improve 1000 Corks?
I'm in Portugal attending the European Wine Bloggers Conference. One of the primary themes of the conference is learning from your readers/users.
I'm also, coincidentally, planning what features to add to 1000 Corks in 2010. I feel like we've done a good job building out a stable platform in 2009, and that should allow us to add some great new features.
So, what features do you want added to 1000 Corks? What would you like us to improve?
Get Advice From Michel Rolland For Free
Vines of Mendoza is having a live conference call with Michel Rolland on October 27 at noon (EST).
This is your chance to ask any question you want to the guy who the New York Times characterized as "the world's most famous wine consultant - perhaps the world's only famous wine consultant."
Get the details here and then sign up.
Speaking of which, if you've always wanted to own your own small South American vineyard (and come on, who hasn't?) you'll want to talk to Vines of Mendoza about their private vineyard estates.
Just think about how much fun it will be at your next cocktail party to talk about how great your harvest was this year; and how thankful you are for the advice that Michel gave you!
Wine Trip To Spain
This is just a quick note to thank everyone for the Spain Trip.
I'll be attending the WineFuture conference. The organizers have graciously allowed me to fly in two weeks early so I can also attend the European Wine Bloggers' Conference.
I have so much more to post about this, but, unfortunately, this week is quite a busy one for me. I'm finishing up a consulting project for a client through my boutique firm The Penguin and The Python and moving to Santa Barbara.
After I unpack next week I'll have much more to post about my plans. In the meantime if you have any suggestions as to what to see in Spain and Portugal, please add a comment!
Don Melchor
Dan Green, special correspondent for 1000 Corks
"Creosote. It reminds me of the smell of Creosote". Thus began Christopher Hoel's description of his tasting of my beloved Don Melchor 2003 at the French Laundry.
I had cherished the bottle since purchasing it in Chile several years ago after it appeared as number four on the Wine Spectator Top 100 List of 2006. Don Melchor and I went way back…back to 1994 when I first visited Chile as a college student on an exchange program and my parents and I visited the Concha y Toro winery that makes Don Melchor.
At the time, my budget couldn't afford it; I was limited to $7 a bottle "late harvest" whites, which, by the way, tasted terrific to a twenty-one year old.
The sommelier's words initially pained me but he went on…"It has a wonderful earthy quality and is so young. I can't believe how dark the color is. This wine is a superb example of what a Chilean red should taste like." Whew, I felt redeemed.
Don Melchor is Concha y Toro's flagship red, a wine known for its big bouquet, full body and consistency. Year in and year out Don delivers. Several years ago, it was a fantastic value at about $35/bottle. I remember seeing it at Trader Joe's at the time.
Now, alas, its recent success among wine critics has led its winemaker to raise prices - it now will set you back around $55-60/bottle at Costco. But to my mind it still delivers on every penny.
It's a wine that is not for the faint of heart. It is tannic and full-bodied, best served with a bife de chorizo or some other choice cut of red meat. It is a deep and vibrant red. But for me it is the perfect example of what a high-class South American wine should be.
Don Melchor is a wine very much worth cherishing during a special meal with friends or family. And, even at current prices, a wine that continues to deliver good value.
Bonny Doon
When I think of Santa Cruz I don't normally think about wine. That is a shame because there are more than fifty wineries located in the greater Santa Cruz area, and they are doing some really interesting things.
Leading the pack is Bonny Doon. In 2006 they went from producing over 400,000 cases a year to 35,000 cases a year by selling off their Big House and Cardinal Zin labels. This allowed Randall Grahm, the founder and winemaker, to return to making wines he was passionate about.
Randall has a new 220 acre property in the San Juan Bautista area where he will be making wine in an "old-fangled no water way", trying to manipulate grapes as little as possible.
The great thing about Bonny Doon is the varietals they use: Sagrantino, Rousanne, Grenache, Dolcetto and many, many more you don't normally associate with California wines. Apparently they once had a wine called "tutti frutti", which was made up of more than 100 varietals.
I had a chance to try their wines at their annual wine maker dinner.
The most intriguing wine of the night was their 2004 Ca' del Solo Nebbiolo, made...
Continue Reading...WBC Favorites #5 and #4 - Gustafson Wines
Gustafson Rosé of Syrah 2006
Gustafson Petite Sirah 2007
This year's wine blogger's conference was awash with two different types of wine.
- Young pricey Cabernets that given a few years to age will probably be pretty good.
- Young pricey Pinot Noirs that even after a few years of aging will probably still be mediocre.
Against this background...
Continue Reading...
