Archive for the 'Blogging' Category

You might have forgotten it in the hubbub over Valentine’s Day, or never even known about it (shame on you!), but Wednesday, February 16th, is Syrah Day or #SyrahDay. That said, I’m sure the organizers at Hospice du Rhône won’t mind if folks call it Shiraz Day in certain parts of the world. The idea behind these sorts of events is to get a large number of people cyberbuzzing about a topic and hopefully increase knowledge and engagement levels on a larger scale than if there were no particular focus.

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Photo @ Christophe Grilhé

Nearly every grape seems to have its own advocacy group these days: ZAP for Zinfandel, PS I Love You for Petite Sirah, TAPAS for Tempranillo. And why not? Every berry deserves a little love.

Grenache still doesn’t have a group of its own, but at least it has a day. This Friday, September 24, 2010 is International Grenache Day, an initiative born of the First International Grenache Symposium, which was held this past June in France’s Rhône Valley.

There are numerous local wine events being planned around the world focusing on Grenache, like the Hospice du Rhône-Paso Bowl event if you happen to be in Paso Robles. Retailers and restaurateurs elsewhere are also participating–just search the Web and you’re bound to find something. Better still is this Google Maps link I just got in from the Symposium.

If nothing else, plan to open a bottle of Grenache and post about it somewhere–on a blog, Facebook, Twitter–using the official #Grenache hash tag. Give this unsung grape a little love.

One of my favorite things to come out of the rise and proliferation of social media is the online or synchronized tasting. Whether it’s for wine, beer or spirits, online tastings have become one of the best ways to share the same bottle and informative experience with hundreds or even thousands of people simultaneously all over the world. Through the use of networking sites like Facebook and Twitter as well as personal blogs and organizational sites, people can share comments and opinions about a beverage and learn from participating representatives or producers all from the comfort of their home. Aside from being there one on one with the respective producer, what could be better than that?

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Hip…Or Just Tragic?
Decanter.com is reporting that Château d’Arche will be “bottling” the second label of its Sauternes in 100-ml test tube-like packages aimed at the nightclub market in the Far East. Are shots of Carruades de Lafite next?

Redefining Weekday Wine
Usually it’s an inexpensive bottle casually consumed alongside a family dinner—a nonevent. Why not make it an event by choosing a more elevated alternative? Monday evening I chose a 1999 Karl Lawrence Morisoli Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from the cellar, which turned a humdrum evening at home into a memorable night.

Dire Straits for Print Media?
As Appellation America found out, Internet readers balk at paying for content. Online advertising spending is growing, but evidently not fast enough to support all of the budding wine sites. As Tom Wark points out in his recent blog on the subject, print is where the money is—at least for the moment. Ultimately, people will pay for the best content and advertisers will pay to reach those audiences. Unlike in rock-and-roll, you can’t get “Money for nothing and your chicks for free” online.

Planning Ahead
Next week, our contributors will be gathering for our annual editorial conference, where we try to figure out what stories you’d like to read next year. But despite all that brainpower in one room, we inevitably overlook a few things. Write in below and let us know what you really want to read about.

I spent last weekend with thirty prolific and passionate wine bloggers on the North and South Fork of Long Island for a new event called, TasteCamp EAST. It was hosted by the king of New York wine blogging, Lenn Thompson. One of the many highlights of the trip for me was a flavor-filled lunch and vineyard walk at Shinn Estate Vineyards, on the North Fork. 

Owners Barbara Shinn and David  Page know a thing or two about food, after spending years building elegant restaurant Home on Cornelia Street, in Manhattan, which celebrates “farm to table” cuisine. They bring that same spirit to the cooking at the winery. David prepared a beautiful spread of dishes and laid out dozens of wines from Shinn, Jamesport, and Macari Vineyards. So, when assigned the difficult task of filling up a plate and pairing lunch with any wine you like, what does one do? I experimented to my heart’s delight.

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