This week we look a three wines that won’t be the easiest to find. The first is a Cabernet blend from Sorrenberg (http://www.sorrenberg.com/), a Beechworth winery who sell most of their wines via a mailing list. We follow this up with a Gamay from Roundstone (http://www.roundstonewine.com.au/), a winery that earlier this year was destroyed in the Victorian bushfires. To round things out we look at a Fiano, an Italian white grape variety, which is being made in very small batches by one of our favourite smaller wineries, Oliver’s Taranga (http://www.oliverstaranga.com/).

http://wineweek.com.au/

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I Drink Therefore I Am: A Philosopher’s Guide to Wine (Hardcover) by Roger Scruton
Product Description
The ancients had a solution to the alcohol problem, which was to wrap the drink in religious rituals, to treat it as the incarnation of a god, and to marginalize disruptive behaviour as the god’s doing, not the worshipper’s. Gradually, under the discipline of ritual, prayer and theology, wine was tamed from its orgiastic origins to become a solemn libation to the Olympians and then the Christian Eucharist - that brief encounter with salvation which has reconciliation as its goal. We are familiar with the medical opinion that a daily glass of wine is good for the health and also the rival opinion that any more than a glass or two will set us on the road to ruin. Whether or not good for the body, Scrtuton argues, wine, drunk in the right frame of mind, is definitely good for the soul. And there is no better accompaniment to wine than philosophy. By thinking with wine, you can learn not only to drink in thoughts but to think in draughts. This good-humoured book offers an antidote to the pretentious clap-trap that is written about wine today and a profound apology for the drink on which civilisation has been founded. In vino veritas.

About the Author
Professor Roger Scruton is currently visiting Professor of Philosophy at Princeton University and Research Professor at the Institute for the Psychological Sciences in Washington, D.C. His other books include The West and the Rest, England: An Elegy, News from Somewhere and Gentle Regrets (all published by Continuum).

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How would you pair French wine with braised abalone? A year after Hong Kong scrapped a 40 percent tax on wine, sales are booming, and the territory is positioning itself as the wine capital of Asia.

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Drink This: Wine Made Simple (Hardcover) by Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl

Product Description
Ever been baffled by a wine list, stood perplexed before endless racks of bottles at the liquor store, or ordered an overpriced bottle out of fear of the scathing judgment of a restaurant sommelier? Before she became a James Beard Award—winning food and wine writer, Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl experienced all these things. Now she presents a handy guide that will show you how to stop being overwhelmed and intimidated, how to discover, respect, and enjoy your own personal taste, and how to be whatever kind of wine person you want to be, from budding connoisseur to someone who simply gets wine you like every time you buy a bottle.

Refreshingly simple, irreverent, and witty, Drink This explains all the insider stuff that wine critics assume you know. It will teach you how to taste and savor wine, alone, with a friend, or with a group. And perhaps most important, this book gives you the tools to learn the only thing that really matters about wine: namely, figuring out what you like.

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Grumdahl draws on her own experience and savvy and interviews some of the world’s most renowned critics, winemakers, and chefs, including Robert M. Parker, Jr., Paul Draper, and Thomas Keller, who share their wisdom about everything from pairing food and wine to the inside scoop on what wine scores and reviews really mean. Readers will learn how to master tasting techniques and understand the winemaking process from soil to cellar. Drink This also reveals how to get your money’s worth out of wine without spending all you’ve got.

At last there’s a reason for wary wine lovers to raise a glass in celebration. Savor the insider’s viewpoint and straight talk of Drink This, and watch your intimidation of wine transform into well-grounded, unshakeable confidence.

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It’s to be expected of course. When you have the reputation as one of the best wineries in all of Australia you’re going to have people wanting your wine. So Rick Kinzbrunner at Giaconda (http://www.giaconda.com.au/) sells his wines a little differently. If you want a Giaconda, like the Warner Vineyard Shiraz from 2008, then you need to put your (considerable) money where your mouth is, and pay for it in advance. You’ll get your hands on it next year if you order now! If you’re more interested in something for right now, we check out a great low priced Shiraz from Seppelt, and a regular quaffer for both Danny and Brad: the Pewsey Vale Eden Valley (http://www.pewseyvale.com/) Riesling.

http://wineweek.com.au/

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Andrea Robinson’s 2010 Wine Buying Guide for Everyone (Andrea Immer Robinson’s Wine Buying Guide for Everyone) (Paperback) by Andrea Robinson (Author)
Product Description
Wine guides are designed to ease our anxiety at the wine shop, but with their complicated scoring methods and elaborate tasting notes, some can make buying a great bottle an even more daunting task. Enter acknowledged wine expert Andrea Robinson, whose excellent taste has made her a go-to resource for every lover of wine. In the latest edition of her best-selling guide, Andrea introduces wine buyers to over 800 bottles, offering user-friendly tasting reviews and scores as well as tips on food pairings. With an eye for value, this guide includes only those wines that offer excellent quality for the price, and Andrea’s down to earth approach to wine ensures that this book will be a boon to connoisseurs and novice wine-lovers alike.

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Val de Vie (http://www.valdevie.co.za/) produces the most comprehensive range of Rhone varietals in South Africa, and in this film Michael tastes their GVC, a blend of Grenache Blanc, Viognier, and Clairette Blanche, an outstanding wine to enjoy chilled on a hot summers day.

http://www.winefilms.co.za/

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Parker’s Wine Bargains: The World’s Best Wine Values Under $25 (Paperback) by Robert M. Parker

Product Description

Yes, you can buy world-class wine on a budget. With Parker’s Wine Bargains, America’s most infl uential wine critic offers a guide to the world’s best wines priced at $25 or less.

Robert M. Parker, Jr., earned his international reputation and unprecedented influence as a dedicated consumer advocate — if a wine isn’t worth the money, he says so, regardless of the wine’s pedigree. In Parker’s Wine Bargains, for the first time he and his Wine Advocate team offer budget-minded wine buyers a handy guide to low-priced wines for both everyday drinking and special occasions.

Organized by country, the book lists more than 1,500 quality wine producers, as well as abbreviated tasting notes for more than 3,000 of the best value wines. Chapters include an overview of each country’s wine-producing regions, highlight up-and-coming or underappreciated regions, and detail when wines can be consumed. Also featuring a vintage guide and lists such as “the best of the best,” Parker’s Wine Bargains is an accessible guide from the expert the New York Times deems “the critic who matters most.”

About the Author
Robert M. Parker, Jr., has been the author and publisher of The Wine Advocate for over twenty-five years. He has won countless awards, including two of France’s highest presidential honors: in 1993, President Francois Mitterrand pronounced him a Chevalier dans l’Ordre National du Merite. In 1999, President Jacques Chirac signed a decree appointing Parker a Chevalier dans L’Ordre de la Legion d’Honneur, and in 2005, elevated his title to Officier. He is the author of many books about wine, including Bordeaux, Burgundy, The Wines of the Rhône Valley, and Parker’s Wine Buyer’s Guide. He lives in Maryland with his wife, Patricia, his daughter, Maia, and numerous basset hounds and English bulldogs.

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DALLAS–(Press Release)–In its first foray into global merchandising, 7-Eleven, Inc. (SEI) in the U.S. and Seven-Eleven Japan (SEJ) are jointly introducing two proprietary wines – a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon – today under the Yosemite Road label. These are California wines produced by The Wine Group exclusively for 7-Eleven® stores and its parent company, Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd. of Tokyo.

Also participating in the launch and carrying the new beverages are Ito-Yokado super- and hyper-markets, York Benimaru supermarkets in northern Japan, Shell Garden upscale grocery stores, Denny’s family restaurants, Seibu and Sogo department stores, retail outlets that, along with SEI and SEJ, are subsidiaries of Seven & i, a $57.6 billion corporation. Seven & i has annual wines sales of $127 million, and SEI’s yearly wine sales are $46 million.

After researching the most frequently purchased products at their stores, the merchandising counterparts under the Seven & i umbrella selected wine to inaugurate its global product development and procurement plan. Value-priced wines, those under $5, have been gaining in popularity and enjoying double-digit sales growth at 7-Eleven stores as consumers continue to search for value in their purchasing decisions.

Available in the companies’ collective 15,000 convenience, department and grocery stores, the introduction of the two California wines is the culmination of a collaborative, global merchandising effort for the world’s largest convenience retailer. The same-day launch marks the first global product designed and developed exclusively for Seven & i stores. Taking their experience and knowledge of product development to a new level, the companies’ international plan reduces provides a very reasonable sales tag for the consumer. Suggested retail price for a standard 750 milliliter bottle is $3.99 in the U.S. ($4.99 in Florida because of state taxes) and 598 yen in Japan.

“The development and production of Yosemite Road wines was a global team effort and is just the beginning,” said Kevin Elliott, 7-Eleven senior vice president of merchandising and logistics. “By using our collective purchasing power to negotiate product exclusivity and pricing, we can meet customer demand for quality and value, as well as differentiate our brand from the competition.”

The around-the-world venture began in earnest this year with a series of video conferences followed by multiple trips to California’s wine country. Leveraging its sheer scale and sourcing capabilities, 7-Eleven approached The Wine Group, the world’s third-largest wine producer, with the mission to craft two quality, affordably priced varietal wines.

Experienced, award-winning wine-makers John Willumson and Jim McDonald were tapped for the task. The winning vintners created a Chardonnay, described as fresh and zesty with notes of apricot, peach and honey, and a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with juicy plum overtones. Both are well balanced, offered at an affordable price and can be enjoyed anytime of the year.

Yosemite Road is currently a limited-edition wine that will be available while supplies last.

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South-West France: The Wines and Winemakers (Hardcover) by Paul Strang (Author) & Jason Shenai (Photographer)

Product Description
Between Bordeaux and the Spanish border, reaching east to the Massif Central and the river valleys of the Dordogne and Lot, and south to the foothills of the Pyrenees, lies a unique and little-known viticultural landscape. South-West France is a wine lover’s paradise that cultivates an astonishing array of grape varieties, many that grow nowhere else, and produces a fascinating assortment of wines. In this book, Paul Strang covers the South-West with enthusiasm and keen expertise, providing a history of its wine industry, including a near collapse and unlikely rebirth, and introducing readers to a region that seems to defy globalization. The outstanding local wines–made by idiosyncratic growers motivated by a passion for their profession–range from inky Tannats to honeyed late-harvest Semillons. Intrepid readers are invited to rediscover this beautiful part of France, already well known for its cuisine, castles, and cave art, for its earthy and intriguing wines.

About the Author
Paul Strang is the author of Wines of South-West France, which was named one of 1994’s best wine books by Decanter magazine, and Languedoc-Roussillon: The Wines and Winemakers, as well as Take 5000 Eggs: Food from the Markets and Fairs of Southern France.

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VITICULTURE : Château Maris (http://www.mariswine.com/).

http://www.ecranlocal.com/

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Spectacular Wineries of Sonoma County: A Captivating Tour of Established, Estate and Boutique Wineries (Spectacular Wineries series) (Hardcover)
~ LLC Panache Partners (Editor)

Product Description

From chardonnays to petit syrahs, this guide covers the wines and vineyards of Sonoma Valley’s most prized residents. Each winery offers a new story with unforgettable vintages, varietals, and blends. Winemakers and proprietors share their philosophies, showing a range of terroirs in this small but diverse region that offers growers an even wider array of soil types than France.

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No corkscrew? No problem. CNN’s Jeanne Moos learns how to use a shoe and a phone book to uncork a wine bottle.

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The Finest Wines of Champagne: A Guide to the Best Cuvées, Houses, and Growers (The World’s Finest Wines) (Paperback)

Product Description
Champagne is synonymous with celebration and success–but have its festive associations detracted from its status as a fine wine in its own right? Drawing on his intimate knowledge of a classic but rapidly changing region, Michael Edwards takes a radically different approach in this unrivaled, terroir-based guide to the world’s best sparkling wines. Ninety in-depth profiles of the best small growers as well as the greatest houses are organized geographically–from the finest producers of the great city of Reims, wine towns of Epernay and Aÿ, and the leading villages of the Marne, and to the rising stars of the Aube (Côte des Bar) and beyond. Edwards also discusses the culture of Champagne, reviews trends in viticulture and winemaking, and investigates controversial solutions to the current crisis of success in a region that cannot satisfy global demand for its wines. Additional sections explore the gastronomic traditions of the area, give advice on pairing Champagne with food, survey the vintages of the past 20 years, list the wines with the best price-to-quality ratio, and more, making this extensively illustrated work a true connoisseur’s guide to the most glamorous and perhaps the most enigmatic of French wines.

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The south of England could soon rival France as a wine-growing region, as experts warn against climate change.

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Living with Wine: Passionate Collectors, Sophisticated Cellars, and Other Rooms for Entertaining, Enjoying, and Imbibing (Hardcover) by Samantha Nestor & Alice Feirin.

America’s love of wine has spurred a collecting and entertaining phenomenon.

Some of America’s most passionate oenophiles have re-invented the wine cellar as an inviting and beautiful part of the home.

True collectors love to share their passion, and this book offers a tour of their distinctive cellars. Created with the help of some of the best designers in the field, these rooms blend luxurious design aesthetics with ingenious storage solutions. The thirty stunning spaces featured include a traditional wood cellar finished with rich paneling and ornate lighting; a cathedral-like space that showcases ironwork inspired by the French Quarter of New Orleans (and has a secret entry from a library inside the house); an inviting living room lined with temperature-controlled wood alcoves behind insulated glass; and an Old World terra-cotta cellar–within a sprawling entertainment center that includes a wet bar, a billiards table, and a tasting room.

Living with Wine reveals the details that make the cellars a welcoming place to return–from the materials, artwork, lighting, and cutting-edge preservation technology to the way the space harmonizes with the rest of the house. From the Bay Area to Boston, Napa to New York, homeowners such as Nancy and John Lasseter, the founder of Pixar Studios; American Idol host and TV and radio personality Ryan Seacrest; and entrepreneur Rick Ryan share insights into what they collect, why they started collecting, and how they designed their spaces to fit their passion.

This elegant volume shows what it means to love and collect wine.

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (Press Release) The Champagne Bureau, the U.S. representative of the Comite Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) (http://www.champagne.fr/), is proud to announce that two visionary U.S. wine producers, Schramsberg Vineyards (http://www.schramsberg.com/) and Beringer Vineyards (http://www.beringer.com/), have been awarded the first annual Truth-in-Labeling Award of Excellence.

The Truth-in-Labeling Award of Excellence is given to leaders in the wine world who demonstrate a commitment to the integrity of wine place and origin. In the case of these two producers, their commitment to truth-in-labeling has included significant labeling changes that ended the use of terms associated with other wine growing areas, and proudly supports the grape locations where their wines come from.

“Wine labels that truthfully depict the wine’s appellation or place of origin ensure that consumers receive clear information and are a further sign of the winemaker’s pride in the location from where the wine comes,” said Champagne Bureau Director Sam Heitner. “Schramsberg and Beringer’s consistent leadership in proudly proclaiming the origin of their grapes, educating consumers about the importance of truth-in-labeling and making business decisions based on these beliefs makes them perfect recipients of this award. We look forward to highlighting numerous other examples of similar leadership throughout the U.S. wine community in years to come.”

In the last year, these two wineries took their commitment to truth-in-labeling a step further. In July, Beringer and Schramsberg formally requested that the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) delete a total of thirteen old Certificate of Label Approvals (COLA) from the government’s database. Despite not having been used in years, the COLAs had still been registered to these companies and included the term “Champagne.” Such a step was necessary since unlike trademarks COLAs never expire and can even be sold or transferred, a disregard for the spirit of the trade agreements.

Both wineries are located in Napa Valley, an original signatory of the Joint Declaration to Protect Wine Place & Origin. The Declaration was the beginning of a multi-year effort to educate policymakers and consumers around the world about the importance of wine place names. Today, the Coalition has grown to 13 members including Sonoma County, Paso Robles, Oregon, Washington State, Champagne, Port and Sherry among others.

Wine is uniquely tied to its place of origin. The land, air, water, soil and weather where grapes are grown are what make each wine unique. Consequently, it is vital that wine labels reflect the geographic area where they were produced in order to allow consumers to make an informed choice and protect the integrity of great wine-growing regions like Napa Valley, Walla Walla Valley, or Champagne.

Yet today, a loophole in U.S. law allows some domestic winemakers to use the place names of 16 internationally recognized wine regions on wines that are not produced in those regions, potentially misleading consumers who have a right to know from where their wine actually comes.

Consumers are asked to join these wine regions, groups like the National Consumers League, producers like Schramsberg and Beringer, Members of Congress, and all those who support fair and accurate wine labeling by signing a petition at http://www.protectplace.com/. For more information, please contact Shira Levy 202-777-3516 or slevy@clsdc.com.

Source: The Champagne Bureau

CONTACT: Shira Levy, +1-202-777-3516, slevy(~AT~)clsdc.com, for The Champagne
Bureau

Web Site: http://www.protectplace.com/

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I Am Drinking Stars! A History of Champagne (Hardcover)
~ Gerhard Steidl (Editor)

Product Description
Dom Pierre Perignon tells the story of the world’s most luxurious champagne, tracing its circuitous history across four centuries, arranged in three chapters–one each for the seventeenth, eighteenth and twentieth centuries. Beautifully produced, in keeping with its subject, this page-turning luxury object unravels the myth of Dom Perignon champagne, beginning with its namesake–the pioneering Benedictine Monk Dom Pierre Perignon–who set out to create the best wine in the world. Offering glimpses of the champagne-infused hedonism of Louis XV’s court at Versailles, Marilyn Monroe’s glamorous affiliation with the beverage and Karl Lagerfeld’s recent advertising campaign for the brand, this volume incorporates a spectrum of artifacts, including texts, drawings, paintings, photographs and film stills from artists and writers such as Francois Boucher, Denis Diderot and Jonathan Swift.

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Gary Vaynerchuk tastes two wines to pair with the ultimate airport fast food while on his book signing tour.

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Hong Kong opens its first winery, despite having no vineyards or land. CNN’s Pauline Chiou reports.

http://www.the8estatewinery.com/

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Buying wine can be a tough decision. That’s why Wine Chat TV is here. Can you take a guess on what we suggest as the best way to pick your wine? It’s not the type of grape. It’s not the region that the wine comes from. No, it’s who is producing it or even who is importing the wine. Join us as we touch on these topics and help you pick your next bottle of wine.

http://winechat.tv/

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Gary Vaynerchuk tastes a Canadian wine from the mini bar of his hotel.

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Mark reviews the Non Vintage Melik 13 from Bulgaria today.

http://www.1337wine.com/

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