Wanna take part?  All you have to do is drink a great bottle of Champagne and tell the world about it.   Use the #Champagne “hash tag” on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and many other social media sites.  Use the same hash tag to see what the rest of the world is up to.

Enjoy!

Wanna take part?  All you have to do is drink a cabernet-based wine (duh) and tell the world about it.   Use the #Cabernet “hash tag” on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and many other social media sites.  Use the same hash tag to see what the rest of the world is up to.

Cheers!

I don’t’ know about you, but I have a hard time imagining what a wine tastes like based on written descriptions alone.  Many people are reluctant to spend their hard earned money on a bottle of wine that the might not enjoy. Personally, I would much rather have a sample to form my own opinions.   Two new companies have emerged to help address this challenge.

Brixr.com, an offshoot of Crushpad in San Francisco, has stated selling and shipping “Tasting Packs.”  With the the help of a company, aptly named, Tiny Bottles, Crushpad’s winemakers can package and sell collections of small 50 ML samples of their varietal wines.  There are many different tasting packs to choose from allowing the consumer to explore a wide range of wines without spending an arm and a leg in the process.  For a different tasting experience, Crushpad also sells a product called Fusebox, which allows you to blend your own custom wine in the comfort of your own home.  I’m interested in getting a few of these for a wine tasting party!

TastingRoom.com is operation that is catering to larger, more well-known producers, but the concept is very similar to Brixr’s.  At the moment, the number of producers they represent is small, but the number is growing consistently.  Shipping is another story.  Currently they can only ship to a small number of states, but this number is growing quickly as well.

Cheers!

“Meritage” (rhymes with heritage) is purely an American word that is a combination of the words “merit” and “heritage.”  In 1988, a group of American winemakers got together to find a way to identify and market red and white wines made from the traditional Bordeaux grapes.  Through a contest they later chose the term “Meritage” to represent their style of wines, and thus the Meritage Alliance was born.

Why did they have to do this?  In the United States we prefer to see the grape variety on the label because it makes it easier for the consumer to identify and select a wine.  America’s complex labeling laws say that if you want to label the wine with the grape’s variety at least 75% of that grape needs to be in the bottle.  For a long time, winemakers knew that in many cases they could make better wines if they blended in some other varieties.  For instance, a wine with 100% cabernet sauvignon may be good, but if they blended in some merlot or cabernet franc it might be great!  The problem was that if the blend contained less than 75% of any one grape they were forced to label the wines as red or white “table wine” – not a very appealing marketing strategy.  Many producers turned to creating proprietary names to get around the legal obstacles.  Opus One, Dominus, and Aeros are just a few examples.  The Meritage Alliance exists to assist the producers in marketing their wines and helping to educate the industry and consumers about America’s Bordeaux-style blends.

It is important to note that not just any grapes can be blended together and be called a Meritage wine.  The blend must be a combination of the “nobel” Bordeaux varieties.  The red wines can contain: cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, malbec, merlot, petit verdot, and on the rare occasion St. Macaire, gros verdot and carmenère. The whites can contain: sauvignon blanc, sémillon or muscadelle. No single wine can make up more than 90% of the blend.  In addition to using the right grapes, the producers must also join the Meritage Alliance for a small licensing fee.

Cheers!

Among the 22 finalists for 2010 are several other wine bars in Milwaukee.  Among them are:

Click here to see the entire article, including the the entire list of Milwaukee’s bests bars and clubs.

Congratulations to all of the winners for 2010!

My recommendation this year is to buy domestic!  As much as  I enjoy French Champagne, there are plenty of American sparkling wines that a just as enjoyable at a fraction of the price. Let’s create our own stimulus package by supporting the wineries and vineyards here at home!

The following are ten budget-friendly sparkling wines (all under $25) that will fit in nicely at your next celebration.  Enjoy!

Korbel Brut Rose ($10) – From California’s Russian River Valley, this is a light-tasting and crisp, strawberry-flavored bubbly has just a hint of sweetness.

Gruet Brut Sparkling Wine ($14)- This is one of the more unusual wines on the list. Not because of how it is made or how it tastes, but where it is made – New Mexico!  This brut style sparkler is crisp, and full-bodied with fine bubbles and sophisticated apple and citrus flavors.

Domaine Ste Michelle Non-Vintage Blanc De Blanc ($15) - Blanc de Blancs are made from chardonnay and this one shows it off beautifully, with gorgeous pear and pineapple aromas and crisp green apple flavors.  A very affordable choice from the Columbia Valley in the state of Washington.

Domaine Chandon Brut ($15) - This wine scored highly with both the Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator.  It has rich and intense flavors of pear and citrus with a fine texture of crisp bubbles.

Gloria Ferrer Brut ($15) – Listed as one  Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2009, this is a lively sparkler with soft pear and citrus aromas.  Yeasty flavors of apples, spice, and minerals dance on your palate.

Piper Sonoma Brut Non-Vintage ($16)- This brut is crisp and bright, with distinct yeasty character. Packed with rich pear and apple flavors, it has a little more acidity than its peers.  This blend is primarily pinot noir, giving this wine nice body and good aging potential.

Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut ($19)- Northern California’s soil and cool climate are well suited for sparkling wine, good reasons for French champagne house, Louis Roederer, to expand operations to the US. Roederer’s style of sparkling wine offers rich apple aromas with hints of yeast and spice.  Complex flavors of vanilla and strawberries are laced with minerals and firm acidity.

Schramsberg “Mirabelle” North Coast Rosé ($20)- One of California’s oldest estates, started in 1862, Schramsberg make numerous styles of sparkling wine.  This rosé sparkler has a delicate pink hue with floral aromas of strawberry and spice. Crisp flavors of raspberries and apples, match well with undertones of toast and creamy vanilla.

2005 Domaine Carneros Brut  ($20)- Domaine Carneros, like Roederer Estate,  is also operated by a famous champagne house, Taittiger.   The brut style sparkling wine is a sophisticated blend of apple and raspberry aromas.  Crisp flavors of lemon and lime finish with lingering notes of yeast and minerals.

J Vineyards“Cuvée 20″ ($22) - Cuvée 20 was made in celebration of J Vineyard’s 20th anniversary.  Aromas of  lemon peel and honeysuckle  fill out the bouquet. Crisp green apple and tart grapefruit flavors are followed with notes of toasty almonds and finishes with a great balance of fruit and acidity.

Here’s to a better and brighter future with lots of new and interesting topics!

With that being said, try thinking of the rules as a “suggestion” or a starting point. There are numerous books, magazines, DVD’s, and websites devoted to this subject that can help get you started. Food & Wine Magazine or Perfect Pairings by Evan Goldstein are a couple of resources with great suggestions.

What if there was a way to make your favorite wine go with any meal? I just heard about a company that is doing just that. The Napa Seasoning Company has recently developed a line of spices and seasoning designed to magically meld your favorite foods and wines!

The idea of having rules at all seems ridiculous to me. Life is too short. If there is a certain combination of food and wine that you like, go for it!

I’m curious to hear about your favorite or unusual wine and food pairing. Send a comment and let’s break some rules!