Archive for the 'Opinions and Commentary' Category

Many women (and some men) already know about the members-only designer and luxury flash sale site appropriately called Gilt. I confess I was a huge fan of the concept, especially when it was launched in 2007, but my obsession slightly dwindled when I finally came to the realization that my closet was bursting with garments and I couldn’t possibly fit another pair of shoes under my bed. Kinda like my wine cellar… although I always somehow manage to find room for more in that.

But then they threw me a curve ball.

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The holidays are undoubtedly a special time of year. What other time do you spend thinking about the cherished people in your life, thoughtfully planning out the best presents to get them, until you get so frustrated and/or annoyed that people seemingly already have everything and conclude there’s nothing you can give that they don’t already have? So you settle into familiarity with another bottle of that fabulous wine they love, or the newest, most innovative corkscrew to add to the collection, or some more fabulous stemware to fill the bar shelves. Joy to the world, indeed.
 

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Statistics released last week by the Beverage Information Group indicate that overall beer consumption in the U.S. is down, as it has been trending over the past few years. It would be easy to jump to conclusions and fret that the beer boom is over, but a closer look at the numbers shows just the contrary: Although the Light segment continues to decline and contribute to the overall losses in the industry, growth in the Craft and Import segments remain significant despite their higher-priced items.

What does this mean, in a nutshell? Americans might be drinking less, but we’re drinking better! Hooray for us!

That’s right: More Americans are trading in fizzy yellow stuff for flavorful, artisanal selections created by brewers both abroad and across our great nation, looking for exciting selections and interesting, complex flavors that they’ve never experienced before. And with the most domestic breweries the U.S. has had in over 100 years (since about 1905) producing the widest array of styles, we have more delicious options available to us than ever.

Of course, the fabulous breweries that started this current craft trend about 25 to 30 years ago deserve the majority of the credit, followed closely by their later-blooming brewing brethren, but I have to believe that education has played a major role here as well. Associations like the Brewers Association and their array of consumer-education driven events like the Great American Beer Festival (which is coming up next week in Denver, CO) and Savor, homebrew groups and competitions throughout the country, savvy restaurateurs and programs like the Cicerone certification, and yes, media outlets including newspapers, magazines and even television shows have all helped to get the word out to consumers that there’s a world of flavor to be had for beer lovers.

And it seems like the people have heard. We all knew with the economic turmoil over the past couple of years that this transition wasn’t going to be easy, but it seems apparent now that while people are not as willing to spend more on alcoholic products, as they maybe once were, they’re comfortable getting less quantity for overall better quality.

But there’s still so much to learn, and so many beers to try. So keep up the good work, America. Keep drinking new and exciting brews, especially those made by small brewers right here in the USA.

To celebrate tonight, I’m gonna head to my local distributor after work and pick up something I’ve never tried before.  I’d love to hear what’s in your glass!

Cheers!

Recently I tried something delightfully unique:  Moët & Chandon’s new “Ice Imperial” Champagne.  Ice Imperial is a traditional Champagne (a blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay) with a bit of extra dosage. The extra sweetness lends itself well to being supremely chilled. As such, it is meant to be served over ice. It comes in a “party pack” with a set of plastic glasses. I have tasted it twice now and frankly, it’s delicious. Let’s pause here for a moment. One of the finest Champagne houses in the world is now telling us to serve their Champagne on the rocks, with plastic glasses. In recent years this practice would be taboo and scoffed at by many wine drinkers.

It got me thinking. If Moët can give us permission to enjoy Champagne on ice in a plastic glass, perhaps we should all lighten up on other wine etiquette. Sometimes I wish we didn’t tiptoe so gingerly through wine’s various rules. Basic tenets such as proper swirling, holding a wine glass at its base and drinking at a certain temperature exist for a reason. But sometimes we simply want to relax!

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During summer’s hottest months, it’s tempting to stick to whites and rosés. Even the most insipid examples can be chilled to within a few degrees of freezing and provide simple icy refreshment.

But many reds are fated to be left slumbering in the cellar, waiting for cool temperatures to return, and rightfully so. The mere idea of trying to keep a bottle of 1982 Grand-Puy-Lacoste from getting too warm at a picnic or from having its sediment stirred up while bringing it to the beach is daunting. The thought of a big, beefy, alcoholic red at the end of a long day becomes unappealing when the mercury is over 80°F or so and the humidity is hanging thick in the air.

Still, there’s no need to let the hot, humid weather completely dampen your enthusiasm for red wines. For inveterate–or even just occasional–red-wine drinkers, here are a few suggestions that will allow you to scratch that itch while keeping your cool.

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This Monday, June 6th, marks the launch of the Sud de France Festival in New York. The month-long festival, now in its third year, encourages attendees to experience the spirit of the Mediterranean lifestyle, complete with fine wine, foods and entertainment from the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It allows people the opportunity to learn more about the culture and specialties of the region through a convivial approach of tastings and experimentation, all at exciting venues with welcoming ambiance and alongside local winemakers and artists.

For a region with so much to offer, the concept behind the annual festival couldn’t be more appropriate.

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With the Jewish holiday Passover starting tonight, this past weekend was filled with questions about what wine to pick up for consumption during the traditional Seder. I’m sure I’ll get my fair share of these questions today as well, as people make their way to their local wine shops to pick up some selections before sundown. I don’t mind answering these queries; in fact, I love when people ask and I get the opportunity to geek out a bit. What I don’t like is how these questions, especially when it comes to kosher wine, are proposed.

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I’ve sat by (mostly) quietly this week while listening to people complain about Valentine’s Day. It’s standard fare for the holiday: people either go gaga for it or completely despise the thought of it. When I was younger, it seemed clear that most of the people who didn’t share the joy were simply jealous because they were alone, and vice-versa those who treated it like the most important day on Earth were usually madly in love. Now, as I converse with friends, coworkers and colleagues alike, I find that those lines are, and probably always were, blurred.

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Every year, the CIVL (The Conseil Interprofessionel des Vins du Languedoc) organizes the Languedoc Ambassador Wine Tour, a trade and media tasting designed to promote the great diversity and superb quality of AOC wines found in the Languedoc wine region. This year is no exception, with fantastic wines announced today as the official CIVL Ambassador Wines of 2011.

It’s fantastic exposure for an oft-overlooked region.

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Public ownership of wineries is a relatively recent phenomenon–and one whose time is coming to an inglorious end. Recent press reports are that three huge multinational alcohol beverage corporations are shedding all or parts of their wine operations. Brown-Forman, Constellation Brands and Foster’s Group all seem to be at least somewhat disillusioned with the wine sector.

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