http://logabottle.com/home/images/alllogs_img.gif http://logabottle.com http://backend.userland.com/rss092 http://logabottle.com/ Wine news and wine logs from logabottle.com logabottle@logabottle.com logabottle@logabottle.com Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:00:05 GMT http://logabottle.com/home/story.php?t=The+Reds+of+the+Loire&uid=973 "Alright, all you fans of Loire reds, come out from wherever you are hiding. That’s right, I mean both of you! Look, I know that the cabernet franc wines of Chinon and Bourgueil are not among the most sought-after bottles out there. That, among many other things, is part of their charm. They are great values, not so hard to find if you have access to good wine shops, and the competition for bottles is slim. They are also the subject of my column this week." Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:10:29 GMT http://logabottle.com/home/story.php?t=The+Chronicle+Recommends%3A+California+Grenache&uid=972 "Grenache should be easy to like. Its typical bursts of bright berry fruit and warm spice are remarkably user-friendly, which has helped it find favor as the backbone of Chateauneuf du Pape and many Rhone wines. Yet, homegrown Grenache might be an even harder sell than Syrah." Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:00:51 GMT http://logabottle.com/home/story.php?t=A+Round-Up+of+Wine-Related+Links&uid=971 "If only to cheer myself up, I wanted to start the week by offering a few recent wine-related pieces highly worth reading. Stay dry!" Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:42:19 GMT http://logabottle.com/home/story.php?t=Glass+tops+win+fans+in+California&uid=970 "The Vino-Lok looks like a glass artist's take on a button mushroom. A smooth, thick disk caps a tapered, stubby stem. It is weighty in your hand, clear to the eye and smooth to the touch. To its fans, it is the future of wine closures. " Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:00:10 GMT http://logabottle.com/home/story.php?t=Santa+Cruz+vineyards+shun+popular+list+of+vines&uid=969 "There's more to a great vineyard than soil and site. Vines themselves need a pedigree. This point hit home during my recent travels in the Santa Cruz Mountains." Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:14:00 GMT http://logabottle.com/home/story.php?t=How+Important+Is+It+for+a+Red+Wine+to+Be+a+Dark+Color%3F&uid=968 "One of the most striking characteristics of the 2007 red Burgundies is their relatively pale color. The particular conditions of this vintage compelled most winemakers to treat their grapes with a light hand. That is, they did not try to extract lots of color and tannin from the grapes. As a result, you can easily hold a glass of a 2007, even a grand cru wine, and see your fingers through the wine on the other side of the glass." Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:33:30 GMT http://logabottle.com/home/story.php?t=+Paul+Draper%92s+forty+years+and+the+making+of+Ridge+Monte+Bello&uid=967 "Paul Draper is, without question, one of the world’s great winemakers. Even though he has every reason to be an egotistical blowhard, he remains humble and democratic in spirit, asking sincere questions of those around him and quick to point to his team as the reason for the winery’s success. It may sound absurd to think that a winemaker’s personality is as discernible in the glass as the terroir, but that combination of curiosity, humility, and respectful excellence comes through in the wines of Ridge Vineyards." Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:29:29 GMT http://logabottle.com/home/story.php?t=%27Pinotgate%27+controversy+gives+grape+a+bad+name&uid=966 "Could bungling by French vintners finally end our tortured love affair with Pinot Noir? The fallout of what we'll call Pinotgate began last month with 12 fraud convictions in a French court for selling to EandJ Gallo wine labeled as Pinot Noir that was nothing of the sort; it was actually Merlot and Syrah." Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:39:35 GMT http://logabottle.com/home/story.php?t=Better+know+a+wine+law%3A+Maryland%21&uid=965 "Maryland, the home of the Fightin’ Terps, threatens to turn its wine lovers into perps: The laws governing these five and a half million residents make it a felony to order wine online and have it shipped to their homes. To purchase wines, consumers residing Annapolis, Baltimore or along the Chesapeake must buy from a local store; comparison shopping through retailers on the internet or ordering directly from a winery is illegal." Sun, 07 Mar 2010 15:05:00 GMT http://logabottle.com/home/story.php?t=Local+Versions+of+Europe%92s+Everyday+Wines&uid=964 "Terms like “brutal” and “worst year in history” were tossed around with the release of 2009 sales figures at the nation’s largest wine industry trade show, a few weeks ago in Sacramento. For the first time in years, California shipments and sales dropped significantly. Wines over $15 a bottle were particularly hard hit. It’s not surprising that people are drinking cheaper wines. But why can’t they be better wines?" Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:58:31 GMT http://logabottle.com/home/story.php?t=Red+%26+White%2C+S.F.&uid=963 "Red and White: Having already scored great pizza, what Glen Park needed was a wine bar to call its own. Inspired by a Squaw Valley hangout, Peter Bell, an ad-industry refugee from Michigan, and his partner, Juliana Flores, a native San Franciscan, came to the rescue with Red and White, which opened in January." Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:33:48 GMT http://logabottle.com/home/story.php?t=A+Non-Action+Approach+to+Wine+Making&uid=962 "American popular culture loves the man of action, but wine lovers might prefer the man of “non-action.’’ That is how Paul Draper, the chief executive and winemaker at Ridge Vineyards, characterizes his approach to wine. Ridge, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this week, and Draper, who is marking 40 years with Ridge, are the subject of my column this week." Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:20:13 GMT http://logabottle.com/home/story.php?t=Santa+Cruz+Mountains+wines+reach+a+peak%2C+quietly&uid=961 "Next week, Paul Draper and his team at Ridge Vineyards will pause from their work at the legendary Monte Bello vineyard and raise a glass to 50 years of winemaking, high above the streets of Cupertino. Ridge's half-century history is a testament to the improbable." Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:57:01 GMT http://logabottle.com/home/story.php?t=Chilean+earthquake%3A+wineries%2C+tanks%2C+bottles+damaged+or+destroyed&uid=960 "Tragedy struck Chile overnight on Friday in the form of a massive earthquake that has displaced two million people, severed north-south bridges in the narrow country, and killed hundreds of people. . . . Chile has a large, export-oriented wine industry. Some of infrastructure, particularly in the regions of Maule and Rapel (including Colchagua), has been damaged or destroyed." Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:45:08 GMT http://logabottle.com/home/story.php?t=Behind+the+vague+name+claret%2C+some+good+Northwest+wines&uid=959 "While a lot of generic terms for wine blends are still floating around, causing confusion about just what they mean, a few things are clear: Meritage is now a trademarked term for a reserve-quality Bordeaux blend, and a winery must pay to use the name. And while claret remains one of the broader terms for the same thing, a few wineries have consistently turned out good wines under that name. Among those wineries are many in the Northwest, including Robert Karl, Abacela, Basel Cellars, Cuillin Hills, Gilbert Cellars and Nicholas Cole." Sun, 28 Feb 2010 16:45:56 GMT http://logabottle.com/home/story.php?t=What+to+sip+with+broccoli&uid=958 "It's often difficult to get excited about everyday vegetables that seem to know no season, such as broccoli. It's easy to take it for granted as a no-brainer accompaniment to dinner. Yet while the simple steam and serve version is all well and good, every once in awhile, this workhorse vegetable deserves the limelight " Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:39:01 GMT http://logabottle.com/home/story.php?t=The+Argument+for+Boxed+Wine&uid=957 "The issue of alternative packaging came up repeatedly at the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers, which I attended in Napa Valley last week. While opinion was mixed on whether this would be an important issue to follow over the coming year, the moaning was collective when the subject of boxed wines came up." Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:52:00 GMT http://logabottle.com/home/story.php?t=Astor+Wines+says+no+to+Styro%2C+yes+to+plastic+sleeves&uid=956 "got a few wines from Astor Wine and Spirits in Greenwich Village via UPS the other day. When I opened the box, there was no Styrofoam. There weren’t any cardboard inserts. Instead, each bottle was wrapped in an inflatable plastic sleeve." - Katie - Has anyone received wine in the mail in these inflatable plastic sleeves? Thoughts? Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:49:21 GMT http://logabottle.com/home/story.php?t=The+anti-flavor+wine+elite&uid=955 "Most of us probably have more practical ways to waste our time than following the political side of the world of wine on the Internet; but the latest digital tempest in a teapot, er, wine glass, is worth watching." Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:59:01 GMT http://logabottle.com/home/story.php?t=As+wine+blogs+mature%2C+what%27s+the+impact%3F&uid=954 ""Wine blogging is the attention-seeking barking of lonely poodles," says Ron Washam. Few wine bloggers would be surprised to hear him say it. Washam uses his own blog, Hosemaster of Wine (hosemasterofwine.blogspot.com), to skewer the industry in general and wine blogs in particular. If your mouse scoots to your browser's close box while reading a wine blog, Washam may be the blogger for you. " Mon, 22 Feb 2010 03:44:44 GMT