Avenue Vine

Grapes Origin and Classification System for South Africa

fortna — 2008-07-05T14:15:42-08:00

The prevailing wine classification system in South Africa that defines areas of production is the Wine of Origin Scheme (W.O), established in 1973, which demarcates production units as Regions, Districts, Wards and Geographical Units, the latter coming into effect on 2 April 1993.

The legislation that introduced the W.O. scheme was aimed at providing a guarantee to consumers regarding the information contained on the label of bottles purchased. The Wine and Spirit Board is primarily tasked with overseeing the analysis and tasting of wines, before issuing a Certificate label. Part of the analysis includes sulphite levels, quality and varietal character.

Care and Feeding for Your Glassware

fortna — 2008-07-05T09:00:58-08:00

Caring for your glassware is an important part of the wine drinking experience. You’ve gone to so much trouble to select the right wine, purchase the perfect glasses, serve just the right food—it would put a damper on your dinner to serve in cloudy glasses with a faint odor. If you’re guilty of neglecting your stem ware...

There's no excuse for stem ware abuse!

The fact of the matter is that the way in which you wash and care for wine glasses has a direct effect on the taste of wine. Properly caring for your crystal will insure that your wines always taste their best.

Suggested Varietals Parings for Independence Day Grilling

fortna — 2008-07-04T07:30:17-08:00

With 4th of July Celebrations just a few days away, it’s time to fire up the grill and uncork a few bottles. You can’t lose with the old standbys--Cabernet Sauvignon with steak, Merlot with lamb, and Chardonnay with fish--but this summer try throwing a few new varietals into the mix.

While most people head straight for the reds, a few good whites deserve a place at your next barbeque alongside a platter of grilled seafood, pork, or chicken. Look for full-bodied, complex whites like an elegant Pinot Gris, Marsanne, Roussanne, or Viognier. Grilled scallops accentuate a lush Marsanne or Roussanne, while a lively Gewürtztraminer or Chenin Blanc will contrast with a spicy sauce or fruit salsa. Complement a platter of grilled vegetables with a grassy Sauvignon Blanc or a crisp, peppery Grüner-Veltliner. (Steer clear of the lighter whites; they’ll be overwhelmed by the bold flavors of the grill.)

*VIDEO: Spike Jones & The City Slickers - Cocktails for Two

fortna — 2008-07-04T06:00:10-08:00

HAPPY 4TH!...

The Man Who Ate the World–A BOOK REVIEW:

fortna — 2008-07-04T05:45:36-08:00

The title of Jay Rayner's search for the perfect dinner, The Man Who Ate The World (Headline, 2008), sounds like a cross between Jeffrey Steingarten's The Man Who Ate Everything and David Bowie's The Man Who Stole The World. Alas Rayner's world is far smaller than Steingarten's and less musical than Bowie's.

For Rayner, "a big-bellied peasant of Jewish stock with a taste for chicken fat, salt beef and green pickles" out of sixties agony aunt Claire, the world starts at Las Vegas and ends in Paris by way of Moscow, Dubai, Tokyo, New York and London which immediately confirms that this is no slow food sojourn but more pushing the buttons of the "restaurants of ambition". He slags off "Céline Bloody Dion" while sitting at her table enjoying a $350 per person (before drinks) freebie at Joël Robouchon's restaurant in the MGM Grand while Chris de Burgh's Lady in Red, background music at Sirena in Moscow, is mercilessly mocked.

July 2008 CDFA PD/GWSS Board Highlights

fortna — 2008-07-03T17:51:47-08:00

State funding for Pierce's Disease Control Program continues

In light of the state's large deficit, many programs took deep budget cuts. This was not the case for the PDCP, for which a $4 million appropriation was included in the Governor's proposed 2008-09 Budget Bill. The Governor indicated the reason for sustaining this funding was because of the financial commitment displayed by the winegrape industry through the PD/GWSS assessment.

Domestic Wine Industry Booming In India

fortna — 2008-07-03T13:18:30-08:00

A decade-old domestic wine industry in India is expanding rapidly as Indians acquire a taste for wine. But as Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, high import duties continue to remain a barrier for foreign wine producers in the Indian market.

When corporate executives threw parties ten years ago, they only stocked whiskey, vodka and beer. But as a growing economy and increasing affluence changes tastes, middle and upper class Indians make sure they have wine to offer when friends come over.

And those who do not know enough about wine are thronging to wine appreciation seminars and events to master the intricacies of which wines to serve with what.

Carbon Offset Credits as New Agro Cash “Crop”

fortna — 2008-07-03T11:59:46-08:00

Agriculture producers may have a crop they can cash in on without having to plant or harvest anything extra, Texas AgriLife Extension Service specialists said.

Dr. Steve Amosson, AgriLife Extension economist in Amarillo, said carbon sequestration is getting a lot of attention of late. Carbon sequestration is defined as the capture and secure storage of carbon.

It is estimated that U.S. agriculture could sequester 275-900 million tons of carbon dioxide annually through processes such as no-till or conservation tillage or rangeland improvement, as well as reducing methane gas emissions, Amosson said.

Bighorn Is Proud to Announce the Official Launch of the 'Case for a Cause' Charity Program!

fortna — 2008-07-02T15:45:39-08:00

Previously available to our Bighorn Reserve Society members only - this innovative program allows anyone shopping on our website to purchase specially selected cases of wine at a fantastic discount -- of which $100 to $200 will be donated on behalf of the customer to the charity of their choice!

New Wine Institute Slated for India

fortna — 2008-07-02T07:44:17-08:00

Viticulture is facing severe skilled-labour crunch. To improve matters, the country's first ever wine institute will be set up in Narayangaon, around 80 kilometres north of Pune--a region considered as the hub of wine production in India.

Australia-based University of Adelaide and India's largest wine maker Champagne Indage have signed a memorandum of understanding to set up this institute--Indian Institute of Vine and Wine (IIVW)--on a 65-acre piece of land with an investment of Rs 100 crore.

DIFFERENT GRAPES, DIFFERENT STYLES: 2007 LAKE SONOMA WINERY CHARDONNAY AND PINOT GRIS

fortna — 2008-07-02T06:17:46-08:00

The 2007 Lake Sonoma Winery Chardonnay and 2007 Lake Sonoma Pinot Gris are both white wines from vineyards located in the cool Russian River Valley, but that’s where the similarity ends. These two wines – though equally fine – are at opposite ends of the white wine spectrum - separated both by intrinsic character and winemaking.

Someone once observed that Chardonnay is white wine for red wine lovers and in a sense, whoever said it is right. Chardonnay’s powerful, complex character and rich texture are unusual for a white wine grape. That power and richness gives Lake Sonoma’s winemaker the freedom to ferment Chardonnay in small oak barrels, leave it on the yeast lees for months and allow it to undergo malolactic fermentation. All the aroma and flavor elements these techniques impart complement the concentrated fruit and structure of the finished wine. Pinot Gris – though by no means weak or ethereal – displays a fresh, light, subtle character. It is a character that oak, yeast lees and malolactic fermentation would quickly overwhelm. At Lake Sonoma, the key with Pinot Gris is to use free-run juice exclusively,

Avenue Vine July 02, 2008 Performance Report:

fortna — 2008-07-02T04:02:33-08:00

This graphic report shows the trends of recent activity on the AvenueVine website in terms of Successful Hits* over time, i.e.: Months--(January 01, 2008 through June 30, 2008) left click image to enlarge

2007 Pölka Dot Riesling Unveale by Gallo

fortna — 2008-07-01T21:48:10-08:00

E&J Gallo Winery, has unveiled the 2007 edition of its Pölka dot Riesling wines. It will be the second year of production for the Pölka dots, which were launched in June 2007. The wines’ Riesling grapes originate in the Pfalz region of Germany and have been transformed into two offerings: Medium Sweet and Medium Dry.

Gallo has produced roughly 120,000 cases of the The 2007 Medium Sweet, which is a 10.7% abv product, and 30,000 cases of the 12% abv Medium Dry. Both wines will retail for around $12 per 750-ml. and are packaged in screw top bottles, allowing Gallo to present customers a premium wine with a casual attitude.

Honey Bee Disorder A New Focus for Georgia Scientists

fortna — 2008-07-01T08:21:23-08:00

Almost half the bee colonies in the United States died last winter. Many were the result of a disorder that causes the colony to literally collapse. Using a $4.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, scientists at the University of Georgia hope to find solutions to the problem that is killing bees in 36 states.

“Our long-term goal is to restore large and diverse populations of managed bee pollinators across the U.S. to sustain natural and agricultural plant communities,” said Keith Delaplane, an entomologist with the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

The “Aspen Effect” In Napa!

fortna — 2008-07-01T06:59:29-08:00

A populist frustration increasingly finding voice in Napa County is that the wine and hospitality industries are pulling in services and attractions that cater principally to upscale vacationers and tourists, while neglecting any sense of a local living wage and inadvertently threatening the very Ag preserve that those industries depend on through, among other things, jumbo-sized developments and hotel mega-resorts in areas that were once only the purview of B&B’s.