Dec 132012
 

A Review of The Vinamor and the Twist Adjustable Aerators

A wine aerator is used to introduce oxygen to the wine (usually red wine…but sometimes whites benefit, too). It is the same concept as decanting wine. The introduction of air helps the wine to “open up” so you taste the full range of flavors and aromatic bouquet while softening the sometimes astringent and bitter tannins found in red wines.

While there are many aerators on the market, some are more effective than others. A few years ago the Vinturi aerator became all the rage. It works by creating a venturi effect (think tornado) that introduces air as the wine is poured through the device into a glass or decanter. These have sold well and many wine lovers are familiar with the Vinturi.

For wine lovers looking for a new alternative… here are a couple of excellent choices. Continue reading »

Dec 062012
 
wine blogWinestyr and Amazon Wine Marketplace – A Comparative Review

So what is a “Wine Marketplace?” Think of the Marketplace like a Farmer’s Market for wine lovers and craft winemakers…with one simple checkout experience. This is the term being applied to a few websites where smaller boutique wineries can go to sell their craft wines directly to the public, bypassing the outdated and monopolistic three-tier distributor system. The Marketplace serves as a go-between by conveniently taking the orders, even for multiple wineries, in one easily navigated spot.

How does this differ from online wine sellers? The Wine Marketplace does not sell the wine. The wine actually comes to the buyer from the winery. The Wine Marketplace simply serves as a portal to bring wine lovers and winemakers together. Many of the wines found in the Marketplace are smaller production, unique and artistic craft wines you may not find in your local retailer.

To date, there are two main Wine Marketplaces Amazon Wine and Winestyr. They both have similar business models. The winery pays a subscription price to the site and a percentage of the online sales. In both cases the wines are priced very close to, if not exactly the same as they are at the winery website. The sites may offer promotions on certain wines when the opportunity arises. Both offer better shipping prices than you will often get from the winery itself. Wine shipping can get quite expensive. The few wines found on both Amazon Wine and Winestyr appear to have similar if not identical pricing. Continue reading »

A Wine & Food Affair ~ “Tasting Along the Wine Road” in Northern Sonoma

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Nov 202012
 

During the first weekend in November we had the opportunity to experience the 14th Annual – A Wine & Food Affair ~ “Tasting Along the Wine Road,” in the northern half of Sonoma County. A wonderful experience it was.

Orphaned Pinot Noir cluster at Inman Family wines

This is one of three annual events organized by Wine Road each year. The other two are the Annual Winter WINEland (Jan. 19-20, 2013) and the two weekend Annual Barrel Tasting (March 1-3 & 8-10, 2013). Wine Road is a winery association representing 190 wineries and 56 lodging members in northern Sonoma County, including the Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys. The Wine Road site is a great resource for winery discovery and trip planning as well as lodging reservations. Through Wine Road we were able to secure lodging in a wonderful restored vineyard farmhouse in the Russian River Valley at Inman Family Wines. Waking each morning in the vineyard really adds to the whole wine country experience. Sipping Kathleen Inman’s delicious single-vineyard Pinot Noir during a sunset vineyard stroll is as good as it gets. Continue reading »

Oct 282012
 

The holiday season will soon be upon us. Traditionally the season brings on a marked increase in wine purchases.

For wine producers and marketers alike, Bacchus and Beery Wine Blog and qSample has collected valuable insight into wine consumer’s buying habits. The survey was deployed to our wine enthusiast panel – YourWineOpinion.com.  Not only does the festive holiday season promote increased wine purchases, but wine consumption in the United States is up 26% in the last ten years with over 784 million gallons of wine being sold in 2010. Continue reading »

Oct 162012
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If this political season won’t drive you to drink…nothing will. If you’re going to drink wine, watch the debates, cheer for your favorite candidate or let out Joe Biden sighs at the “other guy,” here’s the perfect wine for you regardless of your political persuasion. Republicans and Democrats agree, wine pairs well with both political parties. Continue reading »