I’ve been taken to Napa and Sonoma to tour some of it’s most prestigious vineyards and wineries; I’ve been put up at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood for showing certain brands some love.  All on the distributor’s dime.  Not to mention endless free product to quench my thirst.  Recently I’ve made the move from restaurants back to the retail side, in a small boutique wine shop.  We have a strong clientele, especially the neighborhood folks who enjoy our free wine tasting and great customer service.

The competition is a bitch.  Being a small wine shop, we can only do so much volume.  One of our biggest competitors is Argonaut, a massive warehouse-style liquor store.  They often have things priced cheaper than we can get them at wholesale.  All the distributors can say is “sorry, you don’t spend millions of dollars with us per year.  They do.”

I understand economic times are hard, but it is important to support your small, local family owned shops.  They’re almost a thing of the past, strangled by low internet prices and the huge warehouse liquor stores.  And here’s a little secret.  In the big liquor stores, there’s lots of people waiting to help you with your wine selections.  Guess who they work for.  The distributors.  They’re the reps, waiting to push their product on you.

This whole concept goes against everything that wine stands for.  Wine means sharing, community, and a general connection with the earth and environment.  Not mafioso-style “arrangements.”

The rich get richer, while the real people struggle.  Go buy some wine from people who actually care about wine.

Rant over.

If you want to read through the entire article, it can be found here: http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_HR_5034.html

I strongly oppose this bill, as do many small family owned wineries.  Ultimately the bill requires all alcohol be handled by a third party distributor before reaching your hands.  This makes it more expensive for both consumer and winery to get their juice to you.  Contact the appropriate representatives to voice your opinion.

If you’re on Facebook, friend this group: http://www.facebook.com/STOPHR5034.

The design of the champagne flute is meant to hold more of the carbonation in, while leaving no space to capture the aromas of the wine.  So with a cheap bubbly that tends to go flat quickly, the champagne flute will increase its longevity .  With high end sparklers, the carbonation is well integrated, so it won’t go flat quickly.

One of the best ways to judge the quality of a sparkling wine is to look at the bubbles.  High quality bubbly will have many tiny bubbles, which usually form many intricate streams in the glass.  It should have so many bubbles, you couldn’t possibly count them.  The cheap stuff has large bubbles, usually because the wine is artificially carbonated.

SPARKLING WINE SERVICE TIPS:

• Get the sparkling wine ice cold, as it will retain its carbonation better
• Remove the foil, and twist the cage free (usually 6 turns) so it’s loose.  But DON’T completely remove the cage
• Using a small towel, cover the cage and use it for grip
• Hold the bottle at a 45° angle, pointed away from anyone
• Gripping the towel and cage tightly, slowly twist the bottle, not the cork
• As the cork begins to push out, let it out slowly.  The goal is to release the cork with absolutely no pop, only a little “hiss”

Traditional absinthe is distilled with the plant Grande Wormwood (actually categorized as a noxious weed here in Colorado).  Banned in the US for many years, people  believe it is this ingredient that causes hallucinations.  Wrong.  Others think it’s because of a compound called Thujone which exists in Absinthe.  While research has deemed this compound a neurotoxin, it would take extremely large amounts before you would even notice it’s effects.  The US doesn’t allow any spirit with more than trace amounts of Thujone.  Absinthe has been clouded in mystery, but there is nothing in modern absinthe that causes hallucinations, blindness or insanity.

For a period during the 1960’s, many European absinthe producers would actually add chemicals like cyanide to achieve a hallucinogenic effect.  Playing off the false misconception, these producers wanted to appeal to the young tourists visiting Europe.

Ultimately, quality absinthe is available from many small producers here in the US.  And it won’t make you “trip” any more than a moldy piece of cheese would.  So if you’re adventurous, and love the flavor of anise, go get yourself some.

[EDIT]  An old colleague of mine suggested I add a little about the service of absinthe.  This could be an entire article in itself, but no matter what, you must dilute the absinthe.  Most absinthe ranges from 60% to %70 alcohol, or 120 to 140 proof.  This stuff will literally blister the back of your throat, so dilute with at least 50% water.

Cabernet Sauvignon glass

I first started becoming aware of wine glass shape from Riedel, a popular producer of Austrian crystal.  They were the first to commercially release a line of stemware that had different shaped glasses for different grape varietals.  The basic concept is this: some grapes are fuller bodied than others, and have more pronounced aromas (such as Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon).  These grapes need a glass with a wider mouth, so the aromas can dissipate.  This allows you to pick up subtle nuances in a wine.

For wines with a lighter nose, you need to capture the aromas.  Stemware

Pinot Noir glass

for grapes like Pinot Noir have a thinner mouth, and a wider body.  Riedel has also accounted for where they want the wine to hit your palate.  The different curves of the stemware’s lip will place the wine in a specific spot in your mouth.  Many beer glasses are also available for specific types of beers, made with the same concepts in mind.

Don’t believe me?  Test it out for yourself.