Winemaker Interview – Kurt Beitler of Bohème Wines (Sonoma Coast)

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Jan 302013
 

Kurt BeitlerDuring the 2012 Aspen Food and Wine Festival we had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with Sonoma Coast winemaker Kurt Beitler of Bohème Wines. I was excited to meet the energetic and passionate young winemaker; if for no other reason than he is a grandson of one of the winemakers most influential in my early wine development, Charlie Wagner, co-founder of Caymus Vineyards. We waited for Kurt outside an Aspen restaurant, to find him wheeling up through the festival crowd on his mountain bike with a great smile on his face and even better wines in hand.

While Kurt learned much of his craft working with his uncle Chuck Wagner (co-founder of Caymus) and cousins at Caymus Vineyards, he ventured out a few years ago to create hand-crafted Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and Chardonnay under his own label Bohème Wines. Kurt’s five small-lot wines are exceptional examples of terrior-driven single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  Bohème Wines are available from their website and tasting room in Occidental, CA. For those who support small, family and artisan wineries…Bohème is a wine find that will definitely excite your palate and enhance your cellar. Continue reading “Winemaker Interview – Kurt Beitler of Bohème Wines (Sonoma Coast)” »

skybar™ ONE Wine System – Product Review

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Jan 122013
 

Skybar OneLet’s be clear… I do not like leftover wine. I’m the guy who walks into a wine bar and refuses a glass from last night’s bottle. I know… wine snob…too picky, etc. So when I tell you the skybar™ ONE Wine System really works to keep wine perfectly fresh for days, believe me.

While leftover wine is a myth in our home, many wine lovers  just want a single glass of great wine but hate the idea of the rest of the bottle going bad or simply losing flavor over a few days. Over time we have tried many wine preservation systems but none, in my opinion, really did the job for my picky palate. The skybar™ ONE Wine System changed my mind. However, it is expensive . The skybar™ ONE Wine System is available through the skybar™ website ($349 now on sale, normally $599), selected retailers and wine catalogs. We did find the skybar™ ONE Wine System for sale online for under $300. Continue reading “skybar™ ONE Wine System – Product Review” »

Winemaker Interview: Kathleen Inman of Inman Family Wines from Sonoma’s Russian River Valley

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Dec 232012
 

Kathleen InmanIn November of 2012, we had the pleasure of meeting Kathleen Inman of Inman Family Wines located just outside Santa Rosa, CA in the Russian River Valley. Her minimal-interventionist technique produces small lot Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays that are crisp, well-balanced and very terrior-driven. Each wine has a unique personality and vineyard voice worthy of your time and attention.

The new barn-style winery on Olivet Lane doubles as tasting room and winemaking facility. We were greeted by Kathleen and her friendly staff. While Inman Family wines is not quite a one-woman show, Kathleen is involved in all aspects of the winery including organic grape growing, sales, winemaking and even forklift driving. Continue reading “Winemaker Interview: Kathleen Inman of Inman Family Wines from Sonoma’s Russian River Valley” »

Holiday Wine Survey – Champagne and Sparkling Wine Lead the Way!

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Dec 212012
 

Wine blog, best wine blog

For many – the Holidays mean spending time with family.  Our Holiday wine survey definitely reflects that.  Results from the survey conducted by YourWineOpinion.com with Bacchus and Beery Wine Blog during the first two weeks of December reveal that 96% of respondents indicated they will be buying wine or bubbly for a Holiday celebration; almost half (46.1%) plan to purchase wine for a family dinner this year. Continue reading “Holiday Wine Survey – Champagne and Sparkling Wine Lead the Way!” »

The Vinamor and The Twist Adjustable Aerator – Excellent New Wine Aerators

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Dec 132012
 
Vinamor-Wine-Aerator

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 “The Vinamor and The Twist Adjustable Aerator – Excellent New Wine Aerators” »

The Rise of the “Wine Marketplace.” A Home for Craft Wines

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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 “The Rise of the “Wine Marketplace.” A Home for Craft Wines” »

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

New Survey Reveals What Wines Consumers Really Prefer

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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 “New Survey Reveals What Wines Consumers Really Prefer” »

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