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Information and announcements from the world of wine will be posted here.

Quintessentially Wine, the New Bespoke Wine Service, Proves a Huge Hit as High Street Retailers Struggle with Discounted Prices and a Fall in Trade

Since its launch in November 2005, Quintessentially Wine, the new bespoke wine club from Quintessentially, the world�s leading private members� club, has proved a resounding success, promoting a highly personalised and individually tailored wine service with an honest pricing policy.

(PRWEB) January 25, 2006 -- Following a hugely triumphant first Christmas, where major single orders ranged up to �11,000, and average orders came to �16.00 a bottle (not including Champagne), Quintessentially Wine provided a much needed personal and expert service � a service widely missing on the high street.

Unlike many high street retailers, Quintessentially Wine is focused on the quality high-end wines only, with its wine list hand-picked by the UK�S leading wine expert Matthew Jukes. Whether it�s choosing a bottle for �9.00 or a rare vintage for �90.00, a customer of Quintessentially Wine can be assured that they are only being offered the best that's available at those price points.

Chris Orr, Managing Director of Quintessentially Wine says, �When you look at how the high street wine stores are struggling, especially with the recent demise of the likes of Unwins, it is encouraging that we�ve had such a positive response to our service. I believe it shows that there are a range of customers out there who are very focused on quality, but require the appropriate level of service to go with it."

In the pre-Christmas period, despite having heavy demand, Quintessentially Wine managed to satisfy 100% of its customer orders and has seen high levels of repeat custom in January - despite not taking part in the ubiquitous January �sales.�

Orr believes that as the big high street stores continue to struggle in the face of deep-discounting from supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury�s, there are more opportunities for wine companies that recognize the UK is increasingly becoming a service oriented society.

�Customers expectations are getting higher and higher and unless wine retailers meet those expectations they will find it difficult to snap out of the discount style of selling wine,� explains Orr. �At Quintessentially Wine we have an �honest� pricing policy, which is that we see no reason to mark up a bottle from �9.00 to �11.00, just so we can give a customer an imaginary discount. We�d rather price it fairly at �9.00 and be straight with our customers all year round. So far, we�ve found they�ve been incredibly positive in their response and I think this shows that there are better ways of selling wine than simply discount.�

�It�s also important to remember that despite people being willing to pay good money for wine, it is still quite an intimidating subject,� says Matthew Jukes, Quintessentially Wine�s expert and buyer. �That intimidation and nervousness can be compounded if you�re incredibly successful in all other parts of your life, but don�t have an in depth knowledge of wine. Part of what we do is reassuring Quintessentially Wine customers that it�s not only worth spending good money on wine, but also making sure they�re buying the right wines. So you could be spending �18.00 on a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but we�ve got a South African Sauvignon Blanc, Iona, which is just �12.00 and beats most Kiwi versions at the higher prices, hands down. Spending more doesn�t mean you don�t want great value for your money � at any level.�

Appellation America: Getting Beyond Wine Ranking to a Taste-of-Place

AppellationAmerica.com launched its Discovery Tasting Program, to explore the agricultural and environmental factors differentiating the more than 200 officially designated winegrowing regions in North America.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) January 29, 2006 -- AppellationAmerica.com, a leading internet wine portal, today announced the launch of its Discovery Tasting Program, which aims to explore the agricultural and environmental factors that come together to differentiate the more than 200 officially designated winegrowing regions in North America.

According to Appellation America�s Managing Editor, Adam Dial, the strength of the North American wine industry is found in the diversity of its winegrowing venues and the resulting wines.

�There are many factors that come together to create an identity for wine and wine making regions that simply cannot be calculated numerically,� said Dial. �It is the aim of the Discovery Tasting Program to explore each of these regions, with the depth and scope that they deserve.�

Currently available on AppellationAmerica.com are findings from Discovery Tastings held in Sonoma Green Valley, Dry Creek and Anderson Valley in California, as well as Hermann in Missouri and the Nova Scotia Appellation in Canada.

The Appellation Discovery tastings are not competitions, but rather discussion and notated descriptions about common and interesting taste themes in the wines. Wines are not scored or individually ranked. Well crafted wines which express the typicity of the region are grouped together under the designation Appellation Signature Wines. In short, it�s all about the place, not the individual wines.

The Appellation Discovery Program seeks to identify threads of regional commonality and to pinpoint terroir based and regional stylistic signatures in the wines of each appellation, if such commonality exists, or is developing. The Discovery Process is centered on highly structured blind tastings, organized by AppellationAmerica�s regional correspondents and undertaken by leading winemakers of each region.

Appellation America�s Dial maintains that such a process of evaluation, where numbers are exchanged for words, allows for a much more thorough appreciation of wine.

�Our approach is to systematically explore for the taste of place and to make those discoveries an integral part of the public image and appreciation of each appellation,� says Adam Dial.

About Appellation America

AppellationAmerica.com is an online wine portal covering all wine regions in North America. Its mission is to work with the industry in each region to identify and develop distinct appellation identities, and then to build appellation consciousness in the broader wine consuming culture. With a unique focus on Appellation � wine place of origin � the site offers dependable, trustworthy descriptions of regional qualities, independent of ratings or spin, along with easy access to the wines that exemplify those qualities.

Paula: My husband and I are very interested in attending a wine tasting. We are from Western Pensylvania..any suggestions? Thanks!

There are some great wineries in Pennsylvania. The wine site has a section for Wine Tasting Events. Some are organized by location and others by dates. Take a look and you can probably find something that will fit your travel schedule.

Hundreds of Medal-Winners Announced from The Dallas Morning News Wine Competition

DALLAS (May 25, 2006) � The 2006 Dallas Morning News Wine Competition was the largest ever with a record 3,086 entries from 26 states and 16 foreign countries. This year�s annual event awarded 119 gold medals, 403 silver medalists and 795 bronze medal winners.

�Each year we seem to set a new record for entries, and this year was no exception,� said event founder and chairman Rebecca Murphy. �We�re pleased, certainly, but it�s perhaps even more gratifying to see how the event continues to grow in its reputation. The Dallas Morning News Wine Competition continues to be the largest of its kind in the Southwest.�

U.S. wines were awarded 88 gold medals, followed by Australia with 12 and France with six. For domestic wines, the most medals went to California with a total of 787 (72 gold, 230 silver, and 485 bronze). Washington produced 73 medal-winning wines (6 gold, 19 silver, and 48 bronze) with 44 medal winners from Oregon (3 gold, 14 silver, and 27 bronze).

Internationally, 81 medals went to Australian wines, 34 to Italy with France and Spain taking 28 medals each.

The public will have the chance to sample many of these award-winning wines along with some gourmet cuisine during the Dallas Wine and Food Festival, May 3-7. A complete list of events is available at www.dallaswineandfoodfestival.com.

A complete listing of the gold and silver medal-winning wines from the January event was published in Salut!, a special section in The Dallas Morning News and is now available at www.dallasnews.com/wine. For additional information about the wine competition and judges, visit www.dallaswinecompetition.com, or contact Rebecca Murphy at (214) 319-7000.

The following is a list of the gold-medal wines, listed in tasting order, including category, winery name, appellation, wine type and vintage.

2006 GOLD MEDAL WINNERS

Ruby Port

Quady's, California, Batch 88, Starboard NV

Vintage Port

Cockburn's, Porto DO, Quinta dos Canais, Vintage Porto 2001
Robert Hall, Central Coast, Vintage Port 2003
Woodbridge, Lodi, Limited Edition, Lot Number 597, Estate Grown, Portacinco 1997

Blanc de Blancs NV

Korbel, California, Methode Champenoise, Chardonnay NV

Blanc de Noirs NV

Korbel, California, Methode Champenoise, Blanc de Noirs NV

Brut NV

Chanoine, Champagne AOC, Grande R�serve Brut NV
Perrier Jou�t, Champagne AOC, Grand Brut NV
Thienot, Champagne AOC, Brut NV

Brut Rose NV

Chanoine, Champagne AOC, Cuv�e Ros� Brut NV
J, Russian River Valley, Brut Ros� NV

Blanc de Blancs Vintage

Gloria Ferrer, Carneros, Methode Champenoise, Blanc de Blancs 2002

Brut Vintage

Pol Roger, Champagne AOC, Extra Cuv�e de R�serve, Brut 1998

Semi-Sparkling, Muscat

Bricco Gaiano, Moscato d'Asti DOCG, Moscato D'Asti 2004

Semi-Sparkling, Red

Ca' De' Medici, Reggiano DOC, Cubista, Lambrusco Rosso Dolce NV

Barbera

Coulson Winery, El Dorado, Matson Vineyard, Reserve, Barbera 2004
Domenico, Amador County, Barbera 2003
Montevina Terra d'Oro, Amador County, Barbera 2003

Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003

d'Arenberg, McLaren Vale, The Coppermine Road, Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Dynamite Vineyards, North Coast, Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Hook & Ladder, Russian River Valley, Estate Bottled, Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Sonoma Creek, Sonoma County, Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Vino Family Vineyards, Napa Valley, Don Vino, Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Cabernet Sauvignon, 2002

Barlow, Napa Valley, Unfiltered, Barrouge 2002
Byington, Sonoma County, Alliage, Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Charles Krug Peter Mondavi Family, Napa Valley, Vintage Selection, Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Geyser Peak Winery, Alexander Valley, Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Louis M. Martini, Napa Valley, Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Orfila Vineyards, California, Coastal Cuvee, Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Ridgeline, Alexander Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

Cabernet Sauvignon, 1999-2000

Preston, Columbia Valley, Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon 2000

Carignane

Jessie's Grove, Lodi, Ancient Vine, Carignane 2004

Carmenere

Millaman Estate, Curico Valley DO, Reserva, Carmenere 2004

Charbono

OnThEdge, Napa Valley, Frediani Vineyard, Charbono 2003

Nouveau

St. James Winery, Missouri, Nouveau 2005

Merlot 2004 or Later

Three Thieves, California, Bandit Merlot 2004

2003 Merlot

Kendall-Jackson, Sonoma 77% and Napa 23% Counties, Jackson Estates Grown, Grand Reserve, Merlot 2003
Maryhill, Columbia Valley, Merlot 2003

Merlot, 2004 or Earlier

deLorimier Alexander Valley, Alexander Valley, Estate Bottled, Merlot 2002

Petit Verdot

Trinchero, Napa Valley, St. Helena, Estate Bottled, Petit Verdot 2003

Petite Sirah

Mettler Family Vineyards, Lodi, Petite Sirah 2003

Pinot Noir, 2004 or Later

Chalone Vineyard, Monterey County, Pinot Noir 2004
La Crema, Los Carneros, Pinot Noir 2004
MacMurray Ranch, Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir 2004
Night Owl, Monterey County, San Bernabe Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2004
Robert Mondavi Winery, Carneros, Pinot Noir 2004
Roessler, Santa Rita Hills, Sanford & Benedict, Pinot Noir 2004

Pinot Noir, 2003

Perbacco Cellars, Arroyo Grande Valley, Pinot Noir 2003

Pinot Noir, 2002

McKenzie-Mueller Vineyards & Winery, Napa Valley, Los Carneros, Pinot Noir 2002
Panther Creek, Willamette Valley, Shea Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2002
Robert Stemmler, Carneros, Ferguson Block, Pinot Noir 2002
Robert Stemmler, Russian River Valley, Nugent Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2002

Sangiovese

Eberle, Paso Robles, Filipponi & Thompson Vineyard, Tom Martin Vineyard, Wine Bush Vineyard, Sangiovese 2004
Engelmann Cellars, California, Sangiovese 2002

Syrah/Shiraz, 2004 or Later

Dusted Valley Vintners, Columbia Valley, Stained Tooth Syrah 2004

Little Boomey, South Australia, Shiraz 2004
Red Knot, Australia, McLaren Vale, Shiraz 2004
Yellow Tail, South Eastern Australia, The Reserve, Shiraz 2004

Syrah/Shiraz, 2003

Adelaida, Paso Robles, The Glenrose Vineyard, Reserve, Syrah 2003
Consilience, Santa Barbara County, Rodney Shull Vineyard, Syrah 2003
Firestone Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley, Syrah 2003
Foley, Santa Rita Hills, Rancho Santa Rosa, Syrah 2003
Greg Norman Estates, Limestone Coast, Shiraz 2003
Laetitia, Arroyo Grande Valley, Estate, Syrah 2003
Stonehaven, South Australia, Winemaker's Selection, Shiraz 2003

Syrah/Shiraz, 2002

White Oak Vineyards & Winery, Napa Valley, Syrah 2002

Syrah/Shiraz, 2001 or Earlier

Meador Estate, Monterey, Arroyo Seco, Maverick Syrah 2001

Tempranillo

Vallobera, Rioja DOC, Crianza 2001

Zinfandel, 2003

Montevina Terra d'Oro, Amador County, Deaver Vineyard, 100 Year Old Vines, Zinfandel 2003

Meritage or Bordeaux Blend

Casa Ronde�a Winery, New Mexico, Cabernet Sauvignon 20% - Merlot 50% - Cabernet Franc 30%, Meritage 2004
Hahn Estates, Central Coast, Meritage 2004
Lyeth, Sonoma County, Meritage 2003
Robert Hall, Paso Robles, Hall Ranch, Meritage 2003

Red Rhone Blend

Curtis, Santa Barbara County, Grenache 46% - Syrah 2% - Mourvedre 18% - Cinsaut 4%, Heritage Series, Heritage Cuvee 2003
d'Arenberg, McLaren Vale, The Cadenzia, Grenache-Shiraz-Mourvedre 2004
d'Arenberg, McLaren Vale, The Ironstone Pressings, Grenache-Shiraz-Mourvedre 2003
Rosemount Estate, South Eastern Australia, Diamond Label, Shiraz Grenache 2004
Zaca Mesa, Santa Ynez Valley, Estate Grown & Bottled, Z Cuvee 2003

Other Red Varietals

White Hall Vineyards, Monticello, Touriga 2004

Chardonel

Tabor Hill, Lake Michigan Shore, Chardonel 2003

Chardonnay, 2004

Barefoot Reserve, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley, Chardonnay 2004
Chalone Vineyard, Monterey County, Chardonnay 2004
Charles Creek Vineyard, Sonoma County, Las Patolitas, Chardonnay 2004
Geyser Peak Winery, Alexander Valley, Reserve, Chardonnay 2004
Geyser Peak Winery, Russian River Valley, Chardonnay 2004
Jamesport, North Fork of Long Island, Estate Bottled, Chardonnay 2004
Kendall-Jackson, Monterey 52% and Santa Barbara 48% Counties, Jackson Estates Grown, Grand Reserve, Chardonnay 2004
McWilliam's Hanwood Estate, South Eastern Australia, Chardonnay 2004
Serenity, Santa Barbara County, Unoaked, Reserve, Chardonnay 2004
Wattle Creek, Mendocino, Chardonnay 2004

2003 Chardonnay

Dutton Goldfield, Russian River Valley, Dutton Ranch, Chardonnay 2003
Peters Family Winery, Carneros, Sangiacomo Vineyard, Chardonnay 2003

Chardonnay, 2002 or Earlier

Gallo of Sonoma, Northern Sonoma, Estate, Chardonnay 2000
deLorimier Family Winery, Alexander Valley, Clonal Select, Chardonnay 2002

Gewrtztraminer

Kathy Lynskey Wines, New Zealand, Marlborough, Single Vineyard, Gewurztraminer 2005
Thomas Fogarty, Monterey, Gewurztraminer 2004

Riesling

Yellow Tail, South Eastern Australia, Riesling 2005

Pinot Gris

Clos Des Rochers, Moselle Luxembourgeoise AOC, Wormeldange Nussbaum, Grand Premier Cru, Pinot Gris 2004
Hogue, Columbia Valley, Pinot Grigio 2005
Meridian, California, Pinot Grigio 2004
Vin du Lac, Yakima Valley, Pinot Gris 2004

2005 Sauvignon Blanc

Crossroads, Marlborough, Destination Series, Sauvignon Blanc 2005
Kumala, Western Cape, Sauvignon Blanc 2005

2004 Sauvignon Blanc

Block 13, Monterey County, Sauvignon Blanc 2004
Grgich Hills, Napa Valley, Dry Sauvignon Blanc, Estate Grown, Fum� Blanc 2004
Q, Sonoma County, Sauvignon Blanc 2004
The Jibe, Marlborough, Sauvignon Blanc 2004

Dry Semillon

Peter Lehmann, Australia, Barossa Valley, Semillon 2003

Seyval Blanc

St. James Winery, Missouri, Vintner's Select, Seyval 2004

Vidal

Ferrante, Grand River Valley, Estate Grown, Vidal Blanc 2004

Viognier

Renwood, California, Select Series, Viognier 2004
Vin du Lac, Columbia Valley, Viognier 2004

Ice Wine

Magnotta, Niagara Peninsula VQA, Limited Edition, Riesling

Icewine 2002

Mission Hill Family Estate, Okanagan Valley VQA, Reserve, Riesling Icewine 2004

White Dessert Wine

King Estate, Oregon, Pinot Gris Vin Glac� 2004
Late Harvest Semillon
Ch�teau Suduiraut, Sauternes AOC, 1999
Rose, Rhone Style
Robert Hall, Paso Robles, Hall Ranch, Ros� de Robles 2005

Sake

Momokawa Brewing Japan, Japan, Tanrei Junmai Sak� NV
Momokawa, Oregon, Junmai Ginjo, Dry, Silver Sak� NV

Wine & Spirits Magazine Launches Hot Picks National Event Tour Tastings of Critics� Top 50 Value Picks to Kick Off in Seattle on August 23rd

Wine & Spirits magazine has announced plans to present their Hot Picks national tour, a series of wine tasting events focused on 50 great wines selling for under $25. The first Hot Picks event will take place in Seattle on August 23rd at the Palace Ballroom from 6 to 9 pm.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) June 6, 2006 -- Wine & Spirits magazine has announced plans to present their Hot Picks national tour, a series of wine tasting events focused on 50 great wines selling for under $25. The first Hot Picks event will take place in Seattle on August 23rd at the Palace Ballroom from 6 to 9 pm.

This inaugural event will offer young Seattleites a taste of fifty great, affordable wines hand-selected by Wine & Spirits� critics. Hot Picks also features local foods from top Seattle restaurants and the chance to rub elbows with six of Seattle�s most talented up-and-coming wine professionals. In keeping with the Wine & Spirits� mission to raise awareness of water conservation issues, a portion of the event proceeds will benefit the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, who will also be on site during the festivities to offer hands-on volunteer opportunities and education about the region�s water quality.

According to Joshua Greene, publisher and editor of Wine & Spirits, �Wine is 85% water, and as water resources become threatened by development or misuse, we have become more proactive in working to protect a resource that is essential to sustainability in the wine industry. What better way to save water than to drink wine?�

The Hot Picks tasting event is scheduled to visit seven cities in the next two years, with a selection of the world�s most interesting and affordable wines and local foods; the events will bring recognition to America�s top young wine professionals as well as heightened awareness of water conservation. Host cities will include New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, among others. In Seattle, restaurant partners include Caf� Campagne, Monsoon and Union, while retail partners include Pike & Western, Portalis and The Spanish Table.

Tickets for this exclusive tasting will go on sale on July 5th. Tickets start at $50 (VIP level tickets are also available; all proceeds will go to the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance) and may be purchased at www.acteva.com/go/seattlehotpicks. Space is limited so advance purchase is recommended.

Founded in 1982, Wine & Spirits is published eight times a year and read by over 200,000 members of America�s wine community. Consumers and wine professionals read the magazine for information on wine and spirits, including articles on established and up-and-coming regions and producers, the art and science of viticulture, restaurant and industry happenings and food and wine pairing. Wine & Spirits is the only American wine publication to win the James Beard award three times for excellence in wine writing.

www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com

Here's an interesting article regarding advertising.

http://live.psu.edu/story/18538

Wine tasting is wonderful. After a wine tasting or great dinner I take the empty bottles and use them to make beads and wonderful pieces of jewelry. I call the small necklaces Rowena's Wine Drops and the larger pieces all have names like "Loves Merlot, Loves to Dance. I am a lampworker and I have found what I love to melt best. www.rowenaart.net
Rowena

I would like recommend to you a very interesting book
about wine.

It's written very simple and easy to follow way and
including the most important information how, where
and why.

The name of this book is " The everything wine book"
and it's written by: Danny May and Andy Sharpe.