Nick Faldo Launches Wines

As if the world didn’t have enough celebrity “winemakers” …

The latest well-known name to dabble into wine production is golfing great Nick Faldo. Faldo has launched a new line of “easy drinking” wines, just in time for the Rhyder’s Cup golf tournament between the US and Europe (September 19-21). We can be certain that the wines’ release corresponding with the tournament is NOT a coincidence.

Interestingly, “Faldo Wines” have been around since 2000 — it is a special line produced by Katnook Estate in in Coonawarra, Australia. Are the wines any good? I have no idea, as I’ve not seen nor tasted these wines yet. I imagine they might have a “green” character …

If I can find the Faldo Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Shiraz, I will be sure to taste it head-to-head against the same wines from Greg Norman Estates and report the results here. It will be much cheaper than watching these two golfers compete in person, and certainly more enjoyable.

Website Review: Absinthe

Every once in a blue moon (the cheesey-looking thing in the sky, not the beer), I’m asked to do a review of a website in return for cash — what is called a “sponsored review” — via the ReviewMe! service. Whenever I am paid to do such a review, I make it clear upfront (as I’m doing right now). Please note that I never have, and never will, accept money to review a wine — so don’t bother asking. That said, the server fees need to be paid every month, so reviewing a website related to wine/food/spirits is, in my mind, a decent way to help pay the bills while retaining my integrity. (BTW I would love to hear your opinion — do you think it’s OK to do these sponsored reviews of websites or no?)

So, the website under review is called Buy Absinthe and it is place where, as you might guess, you can purchase absinthe, variations on absinthe, and absinthe accessories.

As soon as you visit the site, you can see right away that it was most likely put together by someone whose first language is French — in fact the top of the site is in French, and you have to scroll down a bit to get to the English text. The left sidebar offers images of absinthe products, each with a link underneath exclaiming “Buy it now!” … you can probably guess that those links lead you to an order page.

If you scroll down far enough, though, there are a few fairly useful links for those who want to learn more about absinthe. Specifically, there are three links for education: one, a thorough FAQ covering common questions (What does absinthe taste like? Is Thujone dangerous? etc.); second, a link to a page with a brief history of absinthe; and third, a simple explanation with image instructing you on the traditional way to serve absinthe. There is also a link to absinthe “accessories” (who knew?) for items such as spoons, glasses, and a “traditional absinthe fountain” (it’s not cheap).

The copywriting on all these pages leaves a bit to be desired — the wording was obviously translated and there are numerous grammatical and spelling errors. However, if you can get past that, and you are interested in absinthe, it’s a decent if general resource on the spirit.

In addition, there is a Buy Absinthe Blog. Again, the translation of the posts could be better.

As mentioned earlier, the focus of the site and the blog is to get you to buy absinthe, and you can do so easily by clicking on the following link: Buy absinthe here. However, I did not order anything from this site, so I cannot comment on the company’s shipping practices, the quality of their products, nor their customer service. Personally, when it comes to digestifs with mysterious backgrounds and hallucinogenic tendencies, my choice is Chartreuse.

Beaujolais Nouveau This Week

For those of you too snobbish to give credence to the “new wine” of 2007, please click away from here until next week.

For the more adventurous and open-minded readers, you may be interested to know (if you don’t already) that the first wine of 2007 from Beaujolais, France will be arriving in the USA this Thursday, November 15th. (Ironic, isn’t it, that it gets here exactly a week before Thanksgiving?)

Anyway, if you’re interested, I will be posting my tasting notes and overall impression of these first wines beginning just after midnight this Thursday. It appears that the first bottles I’ll be able to get my corkscrew on will be from Georges Duboeuf, and as young wines from other producers become available in my market, they will be reviewed as well.

If you’ve never had Beaujolais Nouveau before, understand that “it is what it is” : a new, young wine, produced from grapes picked and pressed only weeks ago. So don’t expect it to taste like a well-aged, barrel fermented Aussie Shiraz, Napa Cab, or Meritage. Instead, think of it as something between a rose and a “real” red wine. Enjoying Beaujolais Nouveau is all about managing expectations.

Come back here tomorrow to read “all about Beaujolais Nouveau” and early in the AM on Thursday for my first tasting notes.

Sokol Blosser Winery Awarded for Sustainability

In the spirit of Earth Day this week, Sokol Blosser Winery has been recognized by the City of Portland, Oregon, for its commitment to “green” practices. As part of the city’s 15th annual “Businesses for an Environmentally Sustainable Tomorrow”, Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development granted Sokol Blosser with the “BEST Practices for Sustainability—Small Company” award.

One of Oregon’s oldest wineries, the 80-acre property includes a 75-acre estate vineyard, wine production facility, and a tasting and retail sales room that are all dedicated to the principles of The Natural Step, and are the first winery in the world to have obtained LEED certification.

Their efforts go way beyond the usual recycling and use of unbleached paper products (though they do that, too). For example, they’ve recently installed 12 giant solar panels to provide about one-third of their energy needs — a move which reduces dependency on fossil fuels and reduces greenhouse gases. Their vineyards have been fully certified as USDA organic (since 2005), and are cultivated with farm tractors that use 50% biodiesel fuel. For more detailed information on their green practices (and their wines), visit the Sokol Blosser website.

For those who follow a strictly organic diet, and/or have a strong affinity for buying products from socially-responsible companies, you herewith have a selection of fine wines from an Earth-friendly winery. Even if you’re not a member of Greenpeace, you can still enjoy Sokol Blosser wines — there’s just as tasty as other Oregon bottlings — and in the process feel like you’re doing your small part in saving the Earth.

Free Wine for a Name

A new winery is playing their version of “Name That Tune” … except, the game is called “Name That Winery”.

The Washington Wine Company is running a contest to name their new winery, which is scheduled to open in Woodinville Wine Village, Washington State, in 2008.

The contest runs from April 6–May 30. The winner of the contest will receive two cases of the winery-to-be-named-later’s best wine each year for a decade. The prize will also include an annual private wine tasting hosted by winemaker Jeff Schackman when the winners come in to pick up their yearly cases of wine.

Go to the Washington Wine Company website for details and to enter your suggestion for a winery name. Who knows, you may win two free cases of wine for the next ten years. Good luck!

Wine Classes in Spanish

Good news for Spanish-speaking wine connoisseurs in the New York City area — the International Wine Center (IWC) in New York City will be offering an Intermediate Certificate course “en Espanol”.

The eight-week program covering the major grape varieties and wine regions of the world as well as the fundamentals of grapegrowing and winemaking has been taught in English by the IWC since 1995. Beginning in mid-May, the same course will also be offered in Spanish — instruction, course materials and exam included.

Students who successfully complete the course will earn the WSET® Intermediate Certificate in Wines and Spirits, an internationally-recognized credential awarded by the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET), which is the world’s largest wine educational organization. International Wine Center is the U.S. headquarters of WSET.

“Considering the important role that Spanish-speaking individuals play in the wine, food and hospitality trade in New York City, it is only appropriate that a serious wine program be available to them in their native language,” said Mary Ewing-Mulligan MW, who serves as Executive Director of WSET programs in the United States, as well as President of IWC. “We are honored to be able to provide this opportunity to them.”

The Spanish WSET Intermediate Certificate Course begins on Thursday, May 17 and concludes on July 19. Classes meet weekly from 6:00 to 8:00pm at International Wine Center, 350 Seventh Avenue, Suite 1201. The fee is $668.

For detailed information on the WSET programs, call 212-239-3055, email info@internationalwinecenter.com or visit www.internationalwinecenter.com.

Another Way to Score Wines

Fans of the WineWeekly rating system, it looks like Vino Joe has been ripped off — by the snobs, no less !

Check out this post on the excellent wine trade blog, Fermentation. It explains that a new publication put together by sommeliers is adding up points for Aroma, Flavor, Structure, Length, and Balance (sound familiar?).

Unlike the WineWeekly system, they use a 15-point scale for all characteristics except Balance, where they use 40 points. Interesting math. Also unlike WineWeekly, the people creating the ratings are professional sommeliers, while Vino Joe is a professional … er … wine blogger?

Free Wine Charms

Kumala — a winery in South Africa — is offering free wine charms to those who successfully complete the Kumala Safari Challenge, which is an 8-question quiz pertaining to facts about South Africa. Offer is valid only in the USA, and the questions are pretty easy.

I’ve never had anything from Kumala so can’t comment on the quality of the wine. But the charms might be nice, especially for your next wine party — this way you’ll know which glass is yours once it leaves your hand.

Free Wine Spectator Access

Wine Spectator magazine is offering free access to their “subscriber

You can try getting free access without giving your email here, but if that doesn’t work, you’ll have to go to the Wine Spectator website and sign up the legitimate way.

The access is only good till the end of October, so you’ll want to take advantage sometime this weekend. What you’ll get is access to all of the wine reviews (instead of a small part of their database), their “insider blogs”, “Advance” and “Insider” newsletters, and any other section of the site that you normally wouldn’t be allowed to see without paying a subscription fee.

Vines Grapes and Wines

Vines, Grapes and Wines - the wine drinker’s guide to grape varieties

This book was first written in 1986, and hasn’t been updated since 1992, so it’s a little outdated — and that’s a shame.

However, it is still an excellent reference for those interested in learning more about different types of grapes, and at less than twenty bucks is a bargain compared to the newer and shinier books available.

Do not buy this book if you want to see beautiful photography — there isn’t any. All the images are hand-drawn illustrations, mostly of wine maps and grape bunches (including leaves). DO buy this book if you are an intellectual, and looking for a “textbook” on grapes. Author Jancis Robinson — a Master of Wine and one of the most respected wine educators in the world — does a great job of presenting hard facts intertwined with bits of opinion in this remarkably researched book. No grape goes unturned, as Robinson describes nearly every vine variety on the planet, and its relationship to the soils and regions.

Though it would be nice to see a new edition of this wine book, it has several timeless qualities. The first, 38-page chapter (”Where Grapes Grow and Why”) is fundamental to understanding wine and essential reading for anyone looking to further their wine education. Along the same vein (or vine?), Robinson fully profiles the “classic” grape varieties, going into great detail regarding history, development, and characteristics of each.

Bottom line — this is will be somewhat dry for those looking for light reading and pretty pictures, but is an excellent reference for people who are serious about furthering their wine education and getting a more intellectual understanding of wine.

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