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30 Second Wine Advisor

The universal turkey wine

Remember the old science joke about the "universal solvent"? An eager student rushes into the professor's office, jumping up and down with excitement. "I've invented a universal solvent," the student exulted. "It will dissolve anything!"

"Really," mused the prof. "So what do you intend to keep it in?"

Happily, today's Thanksgiving quest - the search for a universal wine to accompany all the meats, poultry and other goodies that load the holiday table - may be a difficult challenge, but it lacks the fatal flaw of the universal solvent. It can be done.
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WineBlueBook

For the holidays - Champagnes compared by score and price

In this special issue just in time for the holidays, WineBlueBookcompares over a thousand Champagnes, by score and price, based on recent scores from at least two of the major wine critics. While some prices have risen from three yers ago, a good number of Champagnes have dropped in price. Click here for an overview, or use the following link for direct information on WineBlueBook.

Randy Caparoso

Chicken and wine matches

Everybody loves chicken dishes, right? "Chicken must be eaten with wine because that's what elevates it – no matter how it's made," writes Randy Caparoso. There are thousands of chicken recipes – and wines to go with almost all of them.
Read this article in the Denver Wine Examiner. | More of Randy's Denver Wine Examiner articles | Randy's Culinary Wine & Food Adventures.

Vino e Cucina d'Italia

Great Wine and Food in the Italian Alps

Neil Duarte, back from a recent trip to the Italian Alps region, reports that the wines of Valle d'Aosta are a hidden jewel, matching the local food.
Read article. | Neil Duarte's Vino e Cucina d'Italia page.

WebWineMan

A Shelter in the Storm

Richard Fadeley and his tasting panel check out a number of his favorite wines – white burgundies. Here's his report on some good values.
Read article. | More of Richard Fadeley's columns.

Vino 101

Harnessing Your Enthusiasm

When Jorge Eduardo Castillo went out to dinner and asked his server about a specific bottle of wine, he was told about the soil the grapes grew in, the aging (both years and barrels), the winery's history, the wine's rating scores, and the winemaker's resume. Too much information?
Read article | More of Jorge Eduardo Castillo's columns

Doug MargerumSchaefer on Wine

Doug Margerum has left the building

In Santa Barbara County winemaking circles, Doug Margerum is nearly legendary. In the 1980s, his wine shop and restaurant, Wine Cask, was ground zero for the emerging Santa Barbara County wine culture. But all that is now gone, writes reporter Dennis Schaefer — and Doug Margerum is making his own wine.
Read article. | More of Schaefer on Wine.

Amazon.com Wine Bookshelf

Hugh Johnson's wine bookHugh Johnson's 2010 Pocket Wine Book

If there's one indispensible reference for the wine lover, it's Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book. Updated annually, this handy guide packs an incredible amount of information into a pocket-size volume. Thousands of wines are rated, described, and listed with coding indicating which vintages are preferred and which are ready to drink. I buy the new edition every year, and highly recommend it. The 2009 edition has just been published, with new and updated information. You can buy it now through WineLoversPage.com for $10.19, a 32 percent discount.

You'll find all the best wine books for beginners and experts - and the top wine magazines too - in our Amazon.com Wine Bookshelf.

Italian Wine Guide

Top Brunello di Montalcino Estates

Tom Hyland has just finished his tastings of the bottlings of Brunello di Montalcino from the 2004 vintage and says that happily, 2004 was a great vintage for Brunello. Here's his report.
Read article. | More of Tom Hyland's Italian Wine Guide.

forumWineLovers Discussion Group

Cheese with red Burgundy

Epoisses is the cheese that tradition matches with red Burgundies. But surely that's not the only good match? Wine Lovers Discussion Group members have some ideas and opinions about this one.
Read and join the discussion!

Golden KaanRobin Garr's Wine Reports

Golden Kaan 2006 Western Cape Pinotage ($10)

This signature South African wine offers plums, berries and subtle spice, an attractive fresh-fruit aroma. Sour plums on the palate, high acidity makes it a winner with red meat at the dinner table but a bit tart for sipping as an aperitif. Its 14 percent alcohol is sturdy but does not manifest as undesirable harshness or heat. Simple but clean and well-made, Pinotage in the modern style.
View full tasting report | Robin Garr's Tasting Notes Index. | Find this wine on Wine-Searcher.com

Bucko's Wine Reports

Spring 2009 Releases

Spring is in full force in much of the Northern Hemisphere. It's time to start charcoaling those steaks and smoking that brisket.

Randy "Bucko" Buckner offers some big Zins, crisp whites and more as he presents his monthly report on 100 new wine releases.
Read article | More of Bucko's wine reports

 

Wine-Searcher
BUY WINES ONLINE! Check sources, compare prices and, if you like, order these recently reviewed wines from online merchants through Wine-Searcher.com using the hotlinks below:

Oxford Town Wines

Blending in

Is it OK to blend wines from different bottles? John Juergens does it all the time — as part of his wine-tasting class. Here's why. Read article. | More of Oxford Town Wines.

Dibbern on Wine

Lean Times and Leftover Wines

Lots of wine drinkers enjoy having wine regularly with dinner, but don’t plan to finish a whole bottle. In this month's column, Donald Dibbern offers some options for keeping "leftover wine" - useful advice in these lean economic times.
Read article. | More of Dibbern on Wine.

Amazon.com Wine Bookshelf

Hugh Johnson's wine bookHugh Johnson's 2010 Pocket Wine Book

If there's one indispensible reference for the wine lover, it's Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book. Updated annually, this handy guide packs an incredible amount of information into a pocket-size volume. Thousands of wines are rated, described, and listed with coding indicating which vintages are preferred and which are ready to drink. I buy the new edition every year, and highly recommend it. The 2009 edition has just been published, with new and updated information. You can buy it now through WineLoversPage.com for $10.17, a 32 percent discount.

You'll find all the best wine books for beginners and experts - and the top wine magazines too - in our Amazon.com Wine Bookshelf.

Rogov's Ramblings

The Wine Bars of Paris

As a young man, Daniel Rogov learned that some of the best schools for learning about and enjoying the wines and foods of France were the quaint and cozy bistrots à vin found throughout Paris. He offers us this loving remembrance, with details about a half-dozen favorites.
Read article. | Rogov's Ramblings on WineLoversPage.com.

Amazon.com Wine Bookshelf

The 30 Second Wine Advisor: The book

The 30 Second Wine AdvisorIt has been almost nine years since I sent out the first edition of The 30 Second Wine Advisor, and since that day early in 1999, almost 2,000 columns have gone out to a growing Email list that now numbers some 40,000 wine lovers in more than 100 countries around the world.

Over those years, quite a few of you have asked a frequent question: "Why don't you assemble a bunch of these articles into a handy learn-about-wine book?"

Makes sense to me! Have a look at our new book, "The 30 Second Wine Advisor: Learn about wine in 30-second tastes - quick, easy & fun."

 

Wine Grape Varietal Table

Wine Grape Varietal Table

The most innovative wine-enthusiast publication of the year, Steve and Deborah De Long's Wine Grape Varietal Table mimics the familiar periodic table of the elements to categorize a world of wine grape varieties. It's a great gift for a wine-loving friend ... or yourself. Click the image or link above to buy it today!

For The Love of Port

Roy's 2004 Port Wine Forecast

"The times they are a'changing" in Portugal's Douro Valley, as the increasing appearance of Single Quinta Vintage Port (SQVP) starts to blur the distinction between "classic" vintages and the more frequently released "second labels." This trend is here to stay and it looks to be a positive, for both the Port trade and consumers, says Port expert Roy Hersh, who offers this extensive report on the Vintage Ports of 2004.

Burghound.com

Burghound.com Selection of the Week

Each week we feature a different Burgundy rated as a top value by Burghound. While there will be a mix of vintages, most wines featured will be those that can normally be found at a variety of fine wine retailers. Each wine will be described and rated with a suggested window of peak drinkability indicated after the numerical score. Click to view this week's selection.

 




All contents © copyright 1981-2009 by Robin Garr, www.WineLoversPage.com