Chono, Syrah Reserva 2008 originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/HsVdxhGlz5M/

Spelt Whole wheat Spices & Herbs

Odds and ends from a life lived through the prism of the wine glass …

Deb Whiting / Red Newt Cellars

Over the last several years, life has been good for Red Newt Cellars in the Finger Lakes in upstate New York.  Dave Whiting’s wines have been winning an increasing and persistent amount of critical acclaim, including universally high praise for nearly his entire Riesling line-up in the current issue of Wine & Spirits magazine, and his wife and business partner, Deb Whiting, continued to astonish guests and earn high praise for her locally-focused, farm-to-table cuisine at her Red Newt Bistro, adjoining the winery. 

When news spread on July 1st that Deb died in a car accident, my heart ached for Dave and their family.

I met them but once, eating and drinking as a guest at the Bistro in the spring of 2010.  That experience was enough, however, to turn me into a fan and an admirer.  Dave’s quirky charm and Deb’s friendly intensity made them an endearing pair and there’s no questioning the divine alchemy that occured when their wine and food were paired together.

Just two weeks ago, I ordered Red Newt Riesling for my Mom as a belated Mother’s Day gift.  You would do well to buy Red Newt Cellars wine, as well. 

People that achieve through dint of vision and hard work frequently turn to their work as solace from the wounds of tragedy.  No doubt, Dave will do the same.  I can think of no better tribute then for Riesling fans the country over to tune in and turn onto the labor of the Whiting’s love and buy some of their wine.  It’ll only take one purchase to turn you into a brand ambassador.

While you’re at it, pick up the the Verjooz, a playfully named rendition of the classic verjus—tart, unfermented grape juice that is wonderful whenever you might use vinegar – a fitting tribute to Deb who so wonderfully brought the joy of food together with wine.

My heartfelt condolences go out to Dave Whiting, their family and the extended Red Newt Cellars family in this time of grieving.

Domain Names

Many readers may have seen recent tech headlines about domain names.  It made the nightly news, garnering sufficient enough mainstream mindshare.

The crux of the situation is that anybody with $185,000 can apply to have their own domain name extension. Instead of having a .com they can have a .brandname

I covered this topic and its applicability to wine (or at least my idea of applicability) in late 2009.  If you missed that series of posts, you can find them here and here.

The Champagne Schooner

I covered the “Champagne Schooner” recently in this post.  It’s truly a fascinating story to follow in this day and age of news cycles that seemingly last eight hours.  The post-cap to my post is the fact that a new world record for an auction sale was set when the country of Åland auctioned off a found bottle of Veuve Cliquot for $43,630.

Geophagy

I’m starting a trend today and you can take part.  I’m now suggesting that Old World natural wine and “Terroirista’s” may have Geophagy and should be called, “Pica’s,” the term for eating non-food items.  Consider it a friendly alternative to Parker’s, “Anti-flavor wine elite.”

Who Buys Wine?

I’ve covered this on a number of occasions, but it’s always interesting reading.  Big brand marketers rely on Claritas Prizm demographic research to understand their target markets.  Wine marketing should begin with a market and build out and people, empirically, show their characteristics by where they live. 

Claritas breaks this down.

Want to have some real insight into you and your neighbors or that person you can’t get your arms around at work?  Do some Prizm segment research and search for demographic types by zip code.

Ed. Note:  I’m on vacation this week.  A bottle of 2007 Hunter III Sauvignon Blanc was materially impacted whilst writing this post.

Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/field_notes_from_a_wine_life_headline_update_edition/

Romaine lettuce Sea vegetables Spinach Squash, summer Squash, winter

Source: http://la.eater.com/archives/2011/07/15/ludomania_reaches_peak_diners_trading_tables_on_craigslist.php

Dill Ginger Mustard seeds Oregano Parsley