According to Kansas City Wine Examiner Dennis Schaefer, WineOpinions released the list of the top seven wine bloggers according to the wine trade as:

1. Eric Asimov, N.Y. Times, The Pour 23%
2. Eric Orange, Local Wine Events 21%
3. Steve Tanzer, International Wine Cellar 15%
4. Jancis Robinson (tie), Jancis Robinson 13%
4. Alder Yarrow (tie), Vinography 13%
6. Tyler Colman, Dr. Vino 12%
7. Gary Vaynerchuk, Wine Library TV 9%

Again this was a survey of wine trade — meaning, the professional drinkers — and this list is who the trade says they visit “frequently,” as opposed to “occasionally”.

Schaefer had this comment on the list:

Interestingly enough, populist wine disciple, Gary Vaynerchuk, who has become a new media cultural icon, was rated dead last by the wine trade. This would seem to suggest that his popularity rests with regular wine consumers and those millennials and gen-xers who are looking to learn more about wine but in a non-old school, digitally direct way.

Taking that suggestion a step further, Vaynerchuck’s ranking probably has much to do with the fact that many people in the trade don’t see the value in visiting his blog (vlog, actually) — for their purposes, anyway. Vaynerchuck is, after all, a retailer whose focus is to promote his wine sales. I’m not sure exactly who in the “wine trade” was surveyed, but one would guess it included other retailers (Gary’s competitors). People in the trade generally read / watch influential, unbiased media for wine reviews — meaning, people who don’t have a motivation to rank a wine highly. If an unbiased critic / journalist such as Stephen Tanzer rates a wine as “94 points”, for example, it holds more weight than someone trying to sell the same wine. In turn, that 94-point rating can be turned into sales support materials (sell sheets, case cards, shelf talkers, etc.) that will help sell a wine to a distributor, a retailer, and a consumer.

In contrast, if a wine sales rep went to a wine shop and said, “hey, Gary V. says this wine rocks!”, there’s a possibility that the owner will throw the rep out of his store. That could change as time goes on, but right now, most people in the wine trade spend their non-sales / internet time researching information that can help them close their next deal.

More interesting about this list is that there are only two “true” bloggers — Alder Yarrow and Tyler Colman. Though, my definition of a “true blogger” is up for discussion. Asimov writes a “blog” but is really a newspaper journalist whose boss added a blog to his daily duties. That’s not to take anything away from Asimov — his blog is excellent and he’s one of the pros who “gets it”, in that he goes beyond just posting an electronic column, and will interact with his readers. But when I think of a “blogger” I think of an independent enthusiast without formal ties to a print publication. That said, I don’t see Jancis Robinson as a “wine blogger” — and I imagine she wouldn’t be happy to be described as such. Robinson is a longtime, highly influential educator, journalist, and book author (she’s edited such tomes as the Oxford Companion to Wine). Her “blog” is really more of an online magazine, and doesn’t even have comments (though it does have a forum and a “your views” section). Robinson’s website is excellent and informative, but I don’t see it as a blog. Same thing goes for Stephen Tanzer’s “blog”, which, again, is an online magazine. There might be a blog by Tanzer in there somewhere, but I don’t have a subscription to access it.

Similarly, how did Eric Orange qualify as a “blogger”? If he writes a blog on Local Wine Events, I can’t find it. That’s because his site’s focus is as clear as its title — it lists local wine events. There are articles on wine at the site, and a few videos, but it’s far from a “wine blog”. It is, however, a fantastic place to find wine events in your area, so if you are interested in wine tastings, winemaker dinners, and similar events, DO visit.

In the end, this list looks more like “the top seven internet resources” for the wine trade, which happens to include two or three bloggers. I personally would be much more interested in a list of the top wine bloggers — the independent enthusiasts and writers online to whom the trade and consumers are paying attention (regardless of whether WineWeekly makes the list!).

However, the deal only runs from now through Thursday, September 10th, and you have to enter a special code to get it.

Follow this link and instructions:

Get 1 cent shipping on any 12 bottles. Enter code SHIP12 in your shopping cart. Hurry, offer ends 9.10.09.

I’ll also keep a banner up on the top of the site between now and Thursday, for your convenience.

Mary is a Master of Wine (meaning, she’s a goddess among geeks) and the co-author of Wine For Dummies (as well as several other outstanding wine books) and the president of the International Wine Center.

This is a rare opportunity to hear a Master of Wine for free, and you will have the chance to call in with your wine questions. So if you read this in time, be sure to tune in to XM 157 or Sirius 112 at 9:30 AM EST today (Friday, September 4th).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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?