Cheers!
- Brandon
]]>In September 2010, Oregon Wine Press launched its Superior Cellar Awards to recognize restaurants whose wine programs place particular emphasis on Oregon wines.
The introduction of these awards honoring the best Oregon wine lists was timed to coincide with our annual restaurant issue in September, and we were delighted by the response.
For the program’s first year — 2011 — we focused exclusively on Oregon restaurants. After all, it is local dining establishments that embrace our state’s own wine industry with the greatest support and enthusiasm.
After an extensive evaluation of restaurant wine lists around the state, Oregon Wine Press selected 40 restaurants whose commitment to Oregon wines stood out.
Though breadth, depth and diversity were obvious considerations, well-selected smaller lists qualified as well.
For 2012, we are pleased to announce that we will be partnering with the Oregon Wine Board and, by extension, the Oregon wine industry. As a result, we are moving forward with the national expansion of the Superior Cellar Awards.
This will be an ongoing process, which over time we fully anticipate will see more and more restaurants within the state, throughout the region and across the nation prove worthy of being honored with an Oregon Wine Superior Cellar Award.
It stands to reason that Oregon restaurants will always offer a larger, diversified portfolio of local wines and place more emphasis on them than restaurants in other states.
However, the growing reputation of our industry, enhanced in particular by the prestige of world-class Pinot Noir, appears destined to extend its reach and increase its influence throughout the country.
Obviously, it remains vitally important to the strength and stability of our statewide wine industry for Oregon restaurants to put as much support behind it as possible.
That’s what they do in European countries, so much so that from one region to another, many restaurants are likely to offer primarily or even exclusively the wines of that region.
In that regard, for an Oregon restaurant to retain its position on the roll of Superior Cellar honorees from year to year, its wine list must meet a higher standard than elsewhere. Being Oregon-oriented both in selection and recommendation is mandatory.
Owing to the wide range of wines produced around the state, a restaurant’s wine list could be exclusively Oregon and still be able to offer every basic type — aperitif, sparkling, red, white, rosé and dessert.
Furthermore, by featuring local wines as well as farm fresh produce and locally raised meat and poultry, restaurants are truly presenting the best of Oregon’s bounty to tourists and other visitors.
As for our diversity of table wines, cumulatively around Oregon almost every major European wine region is represented through the propagation and production of their most popular varietals.
This includes France’s Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone, Loire, Champagne, Alsace and Provence, Italy’s Piedmont, Tuscany, Lombardy and Alto Adige, Germany’s Rhine and Mosel, as well as key varieties from Spain and Austria.
In our new relationship with the Oregon Wine Board, we are redoubling our efforts to seek out deserving restaurants in other states. However, it is inevitable that worthy candidates will be overlooked.
To that end, we welcome reader input. If you know of a restaurant in any state that would appear to meet Oregon Wine Superior Cellar award criteria, please let us know by e-mailing kklooster@oregonwinepress.com with the restaurant name and location.
This is an ongoing program and consideration of potential awardees will be conducted on a regular basis. To be named an award winner means the restaurant has risen above hundreds of contemporaries to emerge a champion of Oregon wines.
For 2012, only 60 elite eateries around Oregon have been selected as Superior Cellar Award winners. Of them, 20 new names now share the list with 40 current ones, whose level of excellence has earned them a continued place among the honorees.
They are joined by 10 elite eateries beyond our borders, whose commitment to Oregon is commended by the industry and is hereby recognized. We look forward to seeing many more earn the right to enter their ranks in the future.
Cheers!
- Brandon
Winery Investing Beyond Cashing-Out
Micro-lending and crowd-funding make opening a winery possible without needing a personal fortune.
By Janice Fuhrman
Today, possessing a large fortune is no longer the only means to start your own winery. While millions of retirement dollars or capital gains can score you the winery of your dreams in California, New York or Virginia, concepts such as crowd-funding and micro-lending could get you through the cellar door for much less.
Crushpad, a custom wine-making facility based in Sonoma, California, recently instituted its Syndicate program, which provides the business tools including private investment agreement and business and compliance models to start a wine brand.
Through crowd-funding, the leveraging of communities of investors, a small wine brand producing 50 to 2,500 cases annually can be formed using Napa Valley grapes for as little as $20,000.
“We’ve found that the more investors there are in a wine brand, the more people there are promoting the wine because they have pride of ownership,” says Michael Brill, Crushpad founder. “Our clients are very busy and even 50 cases require a lot of effort to sell. So if you’ve got 10 investors promoting it, you’re better off.”
Before the current economic downturn, Sonoma vintner Ross Halleck attempted to use micro-lending to raise money for Halleck Vineyards through Prosper, a person-to-person lending marketplace. Previously, he came up with only $1,000 from micro investors, which he turned down because “it wasn’t worth the trouble.”
Today, Prosper reports that its small business loans jumped 83% in the last six months, including loans to wine-related ventures. The recent trend is for small business owners to seek personal loans and use the capital to fund small businesses, notes Prosper spokesman Laurie Azzano.
Small investors can also buy into the wine business by acquiring shares of publicly-traded wine companies, such as Constellation Brands or Treasury Wine Estates. “You have more fluidity with a publically-traded company and it’s easier to buy and sell,” says Richard Hogan, a managing director with Merrill Lynch in San Francisco.
For those who envision the scale of Napa or Sonoma wineries, the economic downturn has created buying opportunities, though not exactly fire-sale prices. Rob McMillan, founder of Silicon Valley Bank’s wine division in St. Helena, California, says, “As we make the long, hard slog out of this recession, people are buying and selling wineries, and financing is available.”
About Corx Wine Bags
Corx Wine Bags was founded in 2005 by two friends who had passion for wine. One of them being a self proclaimed klutz and the other a self proclaimed sewing master, they sought to create the ultimate wine bag. After several prototypes the “Tre” 3-bottle wine bag was born. A wine bag of the highest quality that prevents bottles from breaking in transit for those klutz’s out there, while keeping your wines at proper storing temperatures during your trip to your favorite BYOB restaurant, picnic location or bringing bottles home from your favorite winery. For more information about all of our wine bags please visit us at www.corxwinebags.com
Cheers!
- Brandon
Some bars make a name for themselves by stocking an amazing selection of beers, wines or bourbons. Here are some worth a visit.
Bd's Mongolian Grill
2309 Sir Barton Way. (859) 264-0686. Gomongo.com. Food: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun.-Thu.;, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fri., Sat. Bar: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun.-Thu.; 11 a.m.-midnight Fri., Sat.
This bar looks like an afterthought. It's inside the much larger make-your-own-stir-fry restaurant. But it earned plenty of devoted regulars with its longtime $1 price for select drafts, including Kentucky Ale. It recently raised the price to $2 a pint, but management quickly offered a happy hour — 3 to 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. to close daily — that returns the local favorite and eight other brews to their more beloved price.
Noteworthy: If you're not into creating your own stir-fry, try appetizers like the wham bam shrimp.
The Beer Trappe
118 Euclid Ave. (859) 309-0911. Thebeertrappe.com. Hours: 4 p.m.-midnight Mon., 11 a.m.-midnight Tue.-Sat., 1-10 p.m. Sun.
In an issue early this year, The Beer Enthusiast's Draft: Life on Tap magazine named Lexington's craft-beer mecca one of the 100 best beer bars. From the bar, eight rotating rare craft beers with esteemed names including Avery, Founders and Chimay can be poured in flights, pints or a growler to go. Also a specialty beer package store with 400-plus bottles from more than 20 countries, the Trappe offers a comfy leather chair where you can enjoy your brew or create your own six-pack to go.
Noteworthy: Want to be a hop-head but need an education? Attend Beer School, with themed tastings led by an expert. Sessions are $10 and are limited to 16 people.
Bluegrass Tavern
115 Cheapside. (859) 389-6664. Hours: 5 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Mon.-Wed., Fri.; 4 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Thu.; 8 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Sat.
Modeled after an old-fashioned saloon, this deep, narrow joint tries hard to be Kentucky's best bourbon bar. Behind the long 1896 bar are more than 100 expressions of Kentucky's (and America's) native spirit. There also are 16 beers on tap. The bar has a diverse crowd and is often packed on weekends and after Thursday Night Live out front in Cheapside Park.
Noteworthy: The bourbon selection i ncludes many rare and no-longer-made brands that can go for $100 or more a shot.
The Chase Tap Room
135 N. Broadway. (859) 309-9300. Chasetaproom.com. Hours: 2:30 p.m.-2:30 a.m. daily.
If your downtown bar binge begs for a brew, duck into the chummy Chase on the northeast corner of Victorian Square. Sure, they can mix you a drink, but the real draws are the 22 beers in the on-tap rotation. It's in the boisterous center of downtown, walking distance from everything. There's Mexican food next door, the opera house across the street, sometimes open-mike comedy, and an easy-going clientele.
Noteworthy: Excuse me? Could it be that the Chase allows your canine companions, as long as they behave? How laid-back is that?
DeSha's and The Horse and Barrel
101 N. Broadway. (859) 259-3771. Deshas.com. Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon.-Thu.; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fri., Sat. (If there's a crowd,w Horse and Barrel stays open until 2 a.m.)
Sitting in an 1870 building at the prime corner of Main Street and North Broadway, deSha's has long been a cozy spot to experience an antique vibe, English fare and Southern hospitality. The same goes for its sister bar next door, The Horse and Barrel, which Whisky Magazine named one of the best bourbon bars in the world in 2008. Select from one of the best bourbon cabinets in Lexington, with as many as 100 choices. The H&B features live music Fridays and Saturdays.
Noteworthy: The signature Kentucky margarita features Maker's Mark bourbon, Grand Marnier, sour mix and Rose's Lime.
Dudley's on Short
259 W. Short St., Suite 125. (859) 252-1010. Dudleysrestaurant.com. Hours: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. daily; 5:30-10 p.m. Sun.-Thu.; 5:30-11 p.m. Fri., Sat.
It can feel like an event to eat at Dudley's, one of the top dining establishments in Lexington. But the atmosphere in the bar, with huge windows looking out on Short Street, is downright neighborhood-y, with many diners and drinkers seeming to be familiar faces to one another. The bar can whip up drinks as classic as an old-fashioned or as intriguing as a "steeple," with Absolut Citron, muddled strawberry and basil. Dudley's also has an extensive wine list and consistently wins an award of excellence from Wine Spectator magazine.
Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2011/08/17/1848814/lexington-bar-guide-2011-beer.html#ixzz1VOatlICi
About Corx Wine Bags
Corx Wine Bags was founded in 2005 by two friends who had passion for wine. One of them being a self proclaimed klutz and the other a self proclaimed sewing master, they sought to create the ultimate wine bag. After several prototypes the “Tre” 3-bottle wine bag was born. A wine bag of the highest quality that prevents bottles from breaking in transit for those klutz’s out there, while keeping your wines at proper storing temperatures during your trip to your favorite BYOB restaurant, picnic location or bringing bottles home from your favorite winery. For more information about all of our wine bags please visit us at www.corxwinebags.com
When it's 90 degrees out AND the sun is out, I don't drink wine.
Don't hate me cause' I love cold beer on a hot, summer day!
On a hot summer day, I love to grab my Corx Wine Bag, load it up with beer and snacks, and head down to a cool river. Life doesn't get any better than wading in cold river water with a great beer in your hand!
Well, I didn't get down to a river this weekend...but I did drink a Anderson Valley Poleeko Pale Ale after 2 hours of yard work in 90 degree heat. And guess what? It was fantastic!
I have been drinking Anderson Valley Boont Amber and IPA for years, but this pale ale is new to me. Not my favorite of all time, but very, very good!
Cheers!
-K
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If you're looking for a great wine review site, check out winegeeks.com.
Here 's some info about Winegeeks.com:
Ryan Snyder teamed up with wine aficionado Sunny Brown in 2004 to create Winegeeks. They were studying to become certified sommeliers through the Court of Master Sommeliers, and used Winegeeks as a means of recording all of their wine education and tasting notes penned in each of their weekly tasting sessions.Winegeeks is a place for wine nerds and newbies alike to discover information about the world of wine. We encourage you to rate the wines you taste, so your friends and the Winegeeks community will easily filter through the swill to find the best wines to please their palates.
So next time you want to learn more about wine, check out winegeeks.com.
Cheers!
-K
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Going to a summer concert series? Grab your Corx Wine Bag, and enjoy a great picnic!
]]>The notorious Undurraga family is back in the wine making business. This is another reason the world needs to take notice of Chile's ever growing international wine presence.
Cheers!
- Brandon
Wine: Chile's Undurraga family back in wine business
By FRED TASKER — McClatchy Newspapers
Chile's pioneering Undurraga family has been in the wine business since Francisco Undurraga planted his first vines in the foothills of the Andes Mountains in 1885. By the 1980s, it was one of Chile's biggest producers and most popular exporters to the United States. By 2005 it was making 1.5 million cases a year.
But when the fifth generation came along in the 2000s, there were 12 brothers and sisters, only four of whom were really interested in the grape. So the family board voted to sell the business in 2005. It left family patriarch Alfonso Undurraga and sons Alfonso, Max and Cristobal with pockets full of money and great wine reputations but nothing to do.
"For the first time in our lives we were out of wine," says the younger Alfonso Undurraga, co-owner. "We were lost."
So they started not one, but two new wineries, both in Chile's cool Colchagua area, both now entering the U.S. market.
One of them is Terrapura, making value-priced wines in the $10 range, aiming at 300,000 cases within five years.
The second is Vina Koyle, making premium to super-premium wines in the modest $17-to-$25 range, aiming for 30,000 cases.
Terrapura's wines are made in the international "fruit-forward" style with little oak aging, focusing on tasting like the grapes from which they are made, Undurraga says.
Vina Koyle's wines aim for greater elegance and complexity, with aging in French oak barrels, giving the terroir - the area in which they are made - its chance to influence the flavors.
Both wines are made in the Colchauga, Curico and Maipo areas of Chile, about 100 miles south of Santiago in the low foothills of the Andes at altitudes of 1,200 to 1,600 feet, seeking the cooler weather and more powerful sun at relatively high altitudes.
Both wines aim at crisp acids, light-to-medium body and restrained levels of alcohol, making them easy to drink with food, more likely to persuade the diner to order a second glass.
"It's better to sell three bottles than one," Undurraga says.
Highly recommended:
2007 Koyle Cabernet Sauvignon Royale, Alto Colchauga, Chile (85 percent cabernet sauvignon, 13 percent malbec, 2 percent carmenere): a classic bordeaux-style red wine with complex flavors of cassis, black plum and bitter chocolate, full body and bright acids; a great steak wine; $26.
2007 Koyle Syrah, Maipo and Colchauga, Chile (87 percent syrah, 13 percent carmenere): opaque purple color, hint of oak, flavors of black raspberries and spice, hearty, creamy, long finish; $17.
Recommended:
2007 Koyle Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo and Colchauga, Chile (88 percent cabernet sauvignon, 12 percent carmenere): hint of oak, flavors of black raspberries and milk chocolate, soft tannins, long finish; $17.
2010 Terrapura Sauvignon Blanc, Central Valley, Chile: light and crisp, with tart pear and green melon flavors; $10.
2009 Terrapura Merlot, Central Valley, Chile: light body, very dry, black raspberry flavors, firm tannins; $10.
2009 Terrapura Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Valley: classical cab flavors of cassis and licorice, light and fruity, spicy finish; $10.
Read more: http://www.centredaily.com/2011/08/08/2871760/wine-chiles-undurraga-family-back.html#ixzz1UUu208xx
About Corx Wine Bags
Corx Wine Bags was founded in 2005 by two friends who had passion for wine. One of them being a self proclaimed klutz and the other a self proclaimed sewing master, they sought to create the ultimate wine bag. After several prototypes the “Tre” 3-bottle wine bag was born. A wine bag of the highest quality that prevents bottles from breaking in transit for those klutz’s out there, while keeping your wines at proper storing temperatures during your trip to your favorite BYOB restaurant, picnic location or bringing bottles home from your favorite winery. For more information about all of our wine bags please visit us at www.corxwinebags.com
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The week before last, Erika and I were heading to our friends for dinner. We offered to bring wine, and they accepted (knowing my obsession with wine). Since we were having salmon, I selected the Chalone Monterey County Pinot Noir.
With light black cherry and little tannin, it was the perfect wine for the night. At $19.99 it isn't cheap, but it a great wine to share with good friends!
Cheers!
-K
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If you love to travel with wine or go to BYOB restaurants, the Corx Wine Bag is the perfect wine bag for you! Check it out at corxwinebags.com.
I picked up my second bottle of this Pinot Gris from Veneto. It is has a light citrus taste, and it is perfect for a sipping on a summer night or paired with fish. At $7-10/bottle, it is a great buy.
Cheers!
-K
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Pinot Grigio is the quintessential Italian white wine and has been a part of the Veneto landscape in north east Italy for centuries. The Veneto is a diverse region, nestling in the foothills of the Alps, with vines stretching from Venice to Verona and surrounding the shores of the beautiful Lake Garda. The Pinot Grigio grapes for Cara Mia are selected from vineyards on hillside slopes in the northern part of the Veneto. The combined influence of the mountains and Lake Garda give a perfect microclimate for grape growing, with cool nights and days, which are not too hot.
VARIETAL 100 % Pinot Grigio
APPELLATION Delle Venezie IGT
ALCOHOL 12% vol
PH 3.52
TA 6.00gr/l
UPC 8003545999121
“Fresh and thirst quenching.” Disarmingly bright and refreshing, Cara Mia reminds us of why we fell in love with Pinot Grigio in the first place. From her bright citrus nose through her pure and mouthwatering finish, Cara Mia Pinot Grigio is a delightful and sophisticated bottle of wine. Cara Mia is an incredible aperitif to enjoy on the patio as the sun sets, or pair her with elegantly prepared fish or poultry.
]]>Spicy, Jammy Reds, Blended To Yummy, Goodness!
I was introduced to Rosenblum Cellars by my father. The wine he shared with me:
Richard Sauret Reserve Zinfandel, Paso Robles
Owned and managed by Richard Sauret, a farmer for over 60 years, this vineyard is meticulously maintained and produces exceptional fruit. Located on a hilltop on the west side of Paso Robles, at the base of the Santa Lucia Mountains, the vineyard has two plantings: the House Plot, an 11-acre parcel planted in a bed of limestone, shale and clay, and the Hill Top Vineyard, 12 acres of rolling vines planted with St. Peter’s Church budwood on clay soils and calcareous outcroppings. This low-yielding vineyard is composed of Zinfandel, Alicante and Petite Sirah, most of which is old vine and head pruned. https://www.rosenblumcellars.com/wine-shop/2008-richard-sauret-reserve-zinfandel-paso-robles
I was hooked once I tried this juice. Juicy, spicy, balanced...exactly what you would expect from old-vine zin. Also, this was my first exposure to Paso Robles.
Here is more info on Rosenblum:
About Rosenblum Cellars
At Rosenblum, we’re famous for being all about Zinfandel – Old Vine Zin, High Altitude Zin, Single Vineyard Zin, BIG Attitude Zin. We love Zinfandel so much, we make over 20 different types. Rosenblum Cellars has some of the highest rated, most-awarded Zins from California’s most highly regarded vineyards. Not just Napa and Sonoma, but all over the state. And while we are a founding member of the Zinfandel Advocates & Producers group (ZAP!), we do make other amazing wines, including Rhône-style red wines like Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache, as well as Rhône-style white wines and dessert wines. We’re like a collection of 30 small wineries rolled into one large hanger in Alameda, California. https://www.rosenblumcellars.com/about-rosenblum
In short, grab some Rosenblum! Their single vineyard old vine zin is especially yummy. Don't forget about their Rhone-style reds, as well.
Cheers!
-Kevin
PS - If you're in the Bay-area, grab your Corx Wine Bag and head over to Rosenblum. They are located in the east bay.
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Polyphenols, plant chemicals abundant in dark chocolate and wines, dilate blood vessels, speeding the supply of blood to the brain.
The theory follows two Northumbria University studies into the effects of polyphenols on the mind. In the first, healthy adults were set a series of tests after taking a capsule packed with resveratrol, the 'wonder ingredient' in red wine.
Scans showed a marked increase in blood flow to their brains after taking the supplement.
"Greater improvements may be seen in the elderly," said doctoral researcher Emma Wightman from Northumbria, because blood flow to the brain naturally decreases with age.
Unfortunately for wine lovers, the quantities of resveratrol used in the study would equate to drinking crates of the stuff. But it is easy to get the same amounts from supplements sold in health food stores.
"And with resveratrol credited with abilities from extending life to burning off junk food," Wightman says. "There is nothing to stop people from stocking up."
"There is research showing quite a lot of health benefits and there is nothing to suggest there are any adverse effects. You are not going to come to any harm," she said.
About Corx Wine Bags
Corx Wine Bags was founded in 2005 by two friends who had passion for wine. One of them being a self proclaimed klutz and the other a self proclaimed sewing master, they sought to create the ultimate wine bag. After several prototypes the “Tre” 3-bottle wine bag was born. A wine bag of the highest quality that prevents bottles from breaking in transit for those klutz’s out there, while keeping your wines at proper storing temperatures during your trip to your favorite BYOB restaurant, picnic location or bringing bottles home from your favorite winery. For more information about all of our wine bags please visit us at www.corxwinebags.com
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