Archive for category Wine
Gary Vaynerchuk Talks About Banyuls On Wine Library TV
Posted by Justin Thorp in Online Resources, Wine on February 6th, 2010
My favorite episodes of Wine Library TV are the ones where Gary Vaynerchuk drops some knowledge and helps me expand my understanding about the wine world.
The latest episode is a great example. In it, Gary talks about the Banyuls region of France and their well known dessert wines. It’s an area that I’m not familiar with and am anxious to try.
Check out the episode and let me know what you think.
Six Wine Resolutions Everyone Should Take in 2010
Posted by Justin Thorp in Wine on December 26th, 2009
It really has been a blast to learn about all that is wine, since I started back during my Wines of the World class in college. It’s really cool to learn about how wine has played an important role in just about every culture, around the world.
Well, the Wall Street Journal has a great article where they put together 6 wine resolutions that you can accomplish for 2010. I think this is a great idea and a great way to expand your love of wine.
- Try wine from a different state.
- Next time you are making a special meal, go to two good wine shops and ask them to match the main course with a wine in a certain price range.
- Take a wine trip.
- Truly engage a sommelier at a fine restaurant.
- Do a little research on a wine before or after you drink it.
- Go to a mass tasting.
I feel like the more that I’ve slowed down and taken time to understand the food and drinks that I put into my mouth, along with the culture that goes with them, the better I’ve been able to understand the world around me. These 6 wine resolutions are good steps to keep pushing in that direction.
Special Christmas Day Cinderella Wine Deal
Posted by Justin Thorp in Online Resources, Wine on December 24th, 2009
Just got an e-mail from Gary Vaynerchuk & Wine Library that they’re going to be putting out a very special Christmas Day deal on their daily deal wine Web site Cinderella Wine.
At 9 PM on Christmas night, Cinderellawine.com will feature a special, very highly rated California Cabernet at a price of close to half off! Yes that’s right, this is a $100 “type” wine, (our normal selling price is a little lower) that we will offer a tremendous price on. You’ve been asking for more from California so we went out and found…a big one!Remember, this special offer will hit at 9 PM on December 25th on Cinderellawine.com. California Cabernet lovers get ready…this is our special holiday gift to all of you!!
Cheeky Tastings: “Gary Vaynerchuk”
Posted by Mark Drapeau in Wine on December 19th, 2009
Someone sent me some wine from Wine Library, as a gift. Turns out, one of the bottles is actually a collaboration between Gary Vaynerchuk and a winery.
The 2006 Chateau Sansonnet La Reserve (750ML) is absolutely delicious. Try some. The chateau’s cuvee is 82% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Franc. It’s fairly expensive ($50), but I’ve had worse for more, I suppose.
Further, I think it’s cool that Gary is actually working to make wines. According to the label, “In order for Gary Vaynerchuk to select a wine as worthy of the title ‘La Reserve’ it must exhibit excheptional breed and class as well as the potention to age gracefully and gain complexity over time.”
Good stuff, Gary. Thanks!
Wine Library’s Secret Packs Are Great For Gatherings!
Posted by Justin Thorp in Buying Food, Wine on November 27th, 2009
Another tradition that we’ve started for Thanksgiving is getting the Wine Library Thanksgiving Secret Pack of 4 wines and having a little wine tasting with a video from Gary Vaynerchuk.
How it works is that you order this pack of 4 wines from Wine Library. You don’t know what you’re getting but you know it’s been hand-picked by Gary. You know the value of the pack is more than what you’re paying for it. Plus the shipping is free, which is pretty great.
On Thanksgiving day, you start the video, pour the wines, and have fun drinking a long with Gary.
It really is a fantastic way to enjoy a bunch of different wine with friends. You have someone who’s an expert who’s walking you through it all, whom also has some personality and will make what you’re drinking accessible to everyone who’s sitting at the table.
The key is you have to watch the show, Wine Library TV, to know when the secret packs are coming out. Here’s the Thanksgiving Show that we watched together after eating the big meal:
Cheeky Tastings: “Papa Burgundy”
Posted by Mark Drapeau in Wine on November 9th, 2009
Editor’s Note: Welcome my friend Mark Drapeau to Justin Loves Food. He is a retired fruit fly brain surgeon currently hiding in sleepy Washington, DC. He spends his leisure time writing and eating. Here, he combines both skills.
I was recently turned on to Burgundy wine by a friend. It’s generally lighter than what I usually order, but it was wonderful at a meal in New York with a vegetarian pasta appetizer followed by a light scallops dish and bread pudding. So when I returned to Washington, I thought I’d try a couple more bottles at reasonable prices (these were both about 20 bones).
I had them with the new Papa Johns “Perfect Pan” pizza with six cheeses. Yup, pizza. Seriously, it’s okay to pair wine with things like pizza, hot dogs, and McDonald’s, just as it’s okay to pair a beer with a steak – you just have to do it right. Anyway, the first wine was a 2006 Jacqueson Rully Chaponnieres, and the second was a 2005 Martin Michel Chorey Le Beaune.
First, the Jacqueson Rully. This was a lovely, fruity wine that was light to the lips. It smelled light as well, and was somewhat like what I had expected from New York. It paired really well with the cheap pizza – just enough to break through the oil and fruity enough to overpower my senses briefly. The Martin Michel, on the other hand, tasted nice but had a more earthy flavor. It was light like a Burgundy of course but was too deep for the pizza.
Burgundy can work with pizza. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the 2006 Jacqueson Rully Chaponnieres.
- Mark Drapeau
Drink Sparkling Wine More Often!
Posted by Justin Thorp in Wine on November 3rd, 2009
Last week, I was at a Halloween party out a DC bar and ordered a glass of sparkling wine from the bartender. A few of my friends looked at me like I was very strange. It wasn’t because I was drinking wine. It was because I was drinking sparkling wine.
Popular culture has unfortunately labeled sparkling wine as something that you only drink during New Years or birthday parties, which is SOOO unfortunate. Sparkling wine is so good that it shouldn’t be relegated to just a couple of times per year. Let it be something that you drink all the time.
Or… you could take my approach to sparkling wine. When you drink it, think about all the great blessings that you’ve received throughout the day and celebrate that. Use it as an opportunities to celebrate all the great gifts that God has given us.
Looking for some good sparkling wines? Check out one of the latest episodes of Wine Library TV. Gary Vaynerchuk takes two sparkling wines head to head…
Review of CinderellaWine.com – New Wine Deals Everyday
Posted by Justin Thorp in Online Resources, Wine on October 9th, 2009
As I mentioned earlier, this week saw the launch of a new site from Wine Library TV star Gary Vaynerchuk, CinderellaWine.com. It’s kind of like woot for wine. They put up some kind of crazy deal but it only lasts while they still have inventory.
I thought I’d give a try and then a quick review so that you all know whether or not you should try it.
The first two deals were awesome but still pretty expensive. Yesterday’s came in around $20 off from $40. I jumped on it and grabbed two bottles. When I clicked the order button, it pulled me over to the Wine Library web site, where I could complete the order. I’ve bought many bottles from Wine Library, so it had all my info and made ordering a snap.
Even though it says that you only get free shipping with 3 or more bottles, I didn’t get charged for shipping which is awesome.
Today’s deal was $10 regularly $22. I almost jumped on it but I knew that if I kept getting pulled into these deals that I’d have no more money left for anything else.
If you’re looking to try something different or try a bottle that you normally wouldn’t get or be able to afford, it seems like CinderellaWine.com is a fantastic place to look. Plus it comes with the amazing custom service & support of Wine Library, which is definitely a HUGE plus.
Wine Library TV’s Gary Vaynerchuk on Dolcetto
Posted by Justin Thorp in Wine on October 6th, 2009
Yesterday, Wine Library TV’s Gary Vaynerchuk had a pretty rockin’ episode where he dished some knowledge about the grape varietal Dolcetto that’s predominately from Northwestern Italy.
It’s definitely a wine varietal that I need to dive into more. When you think of Itallian grapes, all too often you just see things like Sangiovese and Chianti.
If you’re a Dolcetto nube like me, this episode is a great place to start.
Have you tried Dolcetto wines? If so what do you think?
Gary Vaynerchuk and Adrian Lenegan on Wine as an Investment
Posted by Justin Thorp in Wine on September 14th, 2009
Wine Library TV’s Gary Vaynerchuk had Adrian Lenegan of Provenance Fine Wines from England on his show as a guest. They talk about wine as an investment.
I’ll be honest. Investing in wine isn’t something that I’ve thought as much about but this show definitely makes me think twice about i.
Watch and let me know what you think.
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