Liquids ban is a headache for wine industry travelers - International Herald …

30 Oct 2006 at 2:56pm

Liquids ban is a headache for wine industry travelers
International Herald Tribune, France - 12 hours ago
In today's terror-worried business travel climate, the adage that wine does not travel well seems especially meaningful. The US ….
Take the Train, Bacchus New York Times
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Concern over monks' tonic wine - Hindu

30 Oct 2006 at 2:58pm

BBC News Concern over monks' tonic wine
Hindu, India - 12 hours ago
But such is the concern about Buckfast tonic wine and its popularity with binge drinkers that a United Kingdome Minister was meeting the drink's distributors ….
The monks' tonic that threatens to seduce a generation of Scots Scotsman
Executive accused of turning Buckfast into a 'cult' drink for …. Scotsman
Minister in talks with Buckfast distribution firm The Herald
Guardian Unlimited - Scotsman
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Wine Sales Debate Heats Up (WCVB TheBostonChannel.com via Yahoo! News)

30 Oct 2006 at 5:52pm

Should convenience and grocery stores be allowed to sell wine in Massachusetts?

Liquids ban is a headache for wine industry travelers (International Herald T…

30 Oct 2006 at 3:48pm

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration relaxed its liquids ban last month, but wine purchased outside the airport still cannot be carried on a plane. As a result, wine dealers have had to rethink how to get bottles to far-flung tastings.

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by:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEWineLovers’ Challenge™ is an entertaining new way for enthusiasts to enjoy a glass of wine and at the same time enhance their wine appreciation. During play, beginners to experts discuss different aspects of the wine’s character. Also featured are wine facts and trivia questions where players uncover interesting information that can spur entertaining conversations.Playing is as simple as rolling the numbered die. When a Sight & Aroma, Taste & Aftertaste or a Food Pairing question is selected everyone tastes the wine before considering their answer. All the players are encouraged to compare their thoughts and perceptions. During casual discussions a player may gain insight into the wine’s personality or how well it matches up with different food recipes. By focusing on tasting rather than drinking plus the group's input helps players to top up their wine appreciation skills. Another category Tips, Grapes & Trivia covers everything from winemaking practices to wine events around the world. Fun and exclusive to WineLovers' are movie dialogue and contemporary song lyrics questions that have a reference to wine (see sample below). Also unique to the game are the health related questions which deal with the effects of drinking wine. Even if aplayer has to guess at the answer, they will enjoy increasing their wine knowledge.The final category, WinePro, explores facts like the wine’s country of origin, the grape variety and whether it has been aged in oak. Because the answers to these types of question are typically on the wine’s front label, the game uses a blind tasting format. Thus a sheet covers the label, so only the person who brought the wine knows the answers. These questions stimulate lots of opinions, so until the right answer is found there is always lots of friendly banter.Excellent Icebreaker before Dinner WineLovers’ Challenge™ includes a Wine Taste & Aroma Chart as well as general wine information sheet on major wine grape varieties and regions in the world. Any wine; red, white, sparkling, fruit or dessert wine can be tasted and evaluated. When entertaining friends before dinner it is a great way to stimulate interaction. It can also be fun to play at a planned wine & cheese party or at a moment’s notice when friends drop in.                                     -30-SAMPLE trivia type QuestionWhich 2003 Grammy Awards nominated Song of the Year has this lyric?“My heart is drenched in wine….But you’ll be on my mind” a) Complicated b) Don’t Know Why c) The Rising d) A Thousand Miles For more informataction contact:Dave CouttsPhone Toll Free: 1-877-277-6655Greater Toronto Area: 905-278-8655

www.wineloverschallenge.com&nbsp

;  About Us:WineLovers’ Challenge™ and Real Fun Gifts Inc. are located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada with warehouse facilities in Niagara Falls, New York. WineLovers’ Challenge™ can be purchased via a secure on-line shopping cart at

www.wineloverschallenge.com

with Visa/MC processing in U.S. dollars or alternatively by phone at 1-877-277-6655. It is presently available in 13 states in the U.S.A. In Canada, there are the retailers from Halifax to Vancouver. Retailers with their names and addresses are on the web site page with new outlets are being added every couple of weeks.Answer b)Don’t Know Why, performed by Norah Jones, has this lyric and was chosen as Song of the Year as well as winning Record of the Year. It is from the album, Come Away with Me, which also won Album of the Year while Norah Jones, herself also took the honors for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance as well as Best New Artist. Other nominees for Song of the Year which indicated in the question were performed and written by a) Avril Lavigne c) Bruce Springsteen and d) Vanessa Carlton.

Seller of risky wine futures faces sentencing in LA in fraud case - San Jose …

29 Oct 2006 at 12:28pm

Seller of risky wine futures faces sentencing in LA in fraud case
San Jose Mercury News,  USA - 35 minutes ago
…. Wallace, 49, dabbled in wine futures, an established yet unregulated system that allows customers to purchase a specific vintage years before it's bottled and ….

MP to talk with monk wine company - BBC News

28 Oct 2006 at 11:13pm

BBC News MP to talk with monk wine company
BBC News, UK - 14 hours ago
The Scottish health minister is to meet the distributors of a wine made by Benedictine monks, which has been drawn into the battle against binge drinking. ….
LET'S CALL TIME ON DRUNK CULTURE Glasgow Daily Record
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French wine swallows its pride to win back British drinkers (AFP via Yahoo! N…

28 Oct 2006 at 3:51pm

The French wine industry has pulled out all the stops at the country's biggest wine fair this weekend in an attempt to win back drinkers who have switched to bottles from the "New World."

Talks with monk wine company (BBC News)

28 Oct 2006 at 11:22pm

The Scottish health minister is to meet with the distributors of a wine drawn into the battle against binge drinking.

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Paris mayor opening city's wine cellar for auction - Houston Chronicle

29 Oct 2006 at 1:38am

Paris mayor opening city's wine cellar for auction
Houston Chronicle, United States - 3 hours ago
PARIS ? Only in France can selling wine be construed as a political act, but that is what the Socialist mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoe, is being accused of ….
Chirac's Wine Auction - A Successful Bidder's Story Emediawire (press release)
all 2 news articles

MP to talk with monk wine company - BBC News

28 Oct 2006 at 11:13pm

BBC News MP to talk with monk wine company
BBC News, UK - 6 hours ago
The Scottish health minister is to meet the distributors of a wine made by Benedictine monks, which has been drawn into the battle against binge drinking. ….
LET'S CALL TIME ON DRUNK CULTURE Glasgow Daily Record
all 2 news articles

French wine swallows its pride to win back British drinkers (AFP via Yahoo! N…

28 Oct 2006 at 3:51pm

The French wine industry has pulled out all the stops at the country's biggest wine fair this weekend in an attempt to win back drinkers who have switched to bottles from the "New World."

Talks with monk wine company (BBC News)

28 Oct 2006 at 11:22pm

The Scottish health minister is to meet with the distributors of a wine drawn into the battle against binge drinking.

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Rare wine variety to be grown in Orange schools project - ABC Online

26 Oct 2006 at 5:44pm

Rare wine variety to be grown in Orange schools project
ABC Online, Australia - 4 hours ago
A project in which school students will grow wine grapes has officially opened in Orange. A total of 1,600 vines are in the ground at the Anson Vineyard. ….

Wine industry icon debuts new label - Bizjournals.com

26 Oct 2006 at 7:27pm

Wine industry icon debuts new label
Bizjournals.com, NC - 2 hours ago
Wine industry icon Jess Jackson and wife Barbara Banke said Thursday they've launched White Rocket Wine Co., a new unit of Jackson Family Farms aimed at ….
US: Jackson forms unit for "millennial" wine drinkers just-drinks.com (subscription)
Vintners Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke Launch White Rocket Wine …. Business Wire (press release)
all 11 news articles

French wine on offensive to recapture British market (AFP via Yahoo! News)

26 Oct 2006 at 5:04pm

French wine, until recently the tipple of choice for Britons, is attempting a comeback at the expense of "New World" brands by selling itself in a simpler, more accessible way for the uninitiated.

Global warming may impact wine production (MSNBC)

26 Oct 2006 at 7:37pm

In the Napa valley, temperature swings from day to night help make world class wine, but a study published by the national academy of sciences predicts wine production here could disappear by the end of this century as Napa gets too hot.

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by: Ben Bicais

This is a very informative article about wine tasting. It was written by a Napa Valley resident webmaster. Enjoy

The basics of tasting wine are relatively simple to learn. Once the fundamentals are mastered, the nuances and details can be enhanced over a lifetime. Like any other skill, tasting wine requires practice, and consistency is probably the most important factor. One helpful strategy an aspiring wine taster can pursue is tasting with a friend that has superior knowledge. Questions can be addressed, and you will quickly become comfortable with this unnecessarily intimidating subject. Another important strategy for a beginning wine taster is to taste several wines side-by-side that share at least one common variable. This could be the varietal, style, AVA of origin, or any combination of the three. Tasting blind will minimize any prior opinions or stereotypes. You may be surprised to discover that less-expensive wines are more pleasing to you. The Essentials of Tasting Wine It is imperative that you taste in spotlessly clean glasses. The most common contaminants in unclean glasses are invisible molecules left behind by cleaning products. Even high-end restaurants can be guilty of this faux pas. It is best to thoroughly hand wash glasses with unabrasive soaps and hot water. It is beneficial, but not necessary to use varietal-specific glasses when tasting wine. Research has shown that the shape of glasses really does make a difference in the sensory experience. Overview of the Tasting Process Wine tasting employs much more than just the taste buds, although they are very important. Your palate is a term for how taste buds on your tongue translate particular flavors to your brain. The palate can perceive only four basic flavors: sweetness, sourness, saltiness, and bitterness. Most of the subtle flavor components of wine are actually picked up by one's sense of smell. Although many of our daily perceptions are unconscious, making a concerted effort to pay attention to several things makes the tasting process more educational and rewarding. Despite the mystique that surrounds many wine "experts", tasting wine can be broken into simple steps. Wine knowledge usually stems from practice and confidence, not any inherent superiority. Of course, some people have more developed senses than others. An extreme example is Robert Parker, widely regarded as the most influential wine critic in the world. Mr. Parker's tasting ability is derived from his natural ability to be keenly aware of his senses. It is within the grasp of the vast majority of people to confidently differentiate varietals, styles, flavor profiles, and flaws when tasting wine. Tasting wine requires not only a grasp of your senses, but also the ability to articulate (with the proper vernacular) your thoughts about a particular wine. Relevance of Sight in Tasting Wine Your sense of sight will reveal a lot about a particular wine before smelling and tasting it. Immediately after pouring, check to see how clear the wine is. While haziness may simply indicate a full-bodied, unfiltered red wine, in any other style it is usually cause for concern. Wines will often taste the way that they look (an unrefined look may indicate a clumsy, unfocused wine). Viewing the color of the edge of a wine in a glass will give you an indication of its maturity (or lack thereof). Mature, aged-worthy reds will have a deep crimson, or even brownish look. Too much brown usually means that the wine is past its prime. the rim of a white wine will generally be light yellow in youth, and and progress to an amber color with age. After your initial visual impressions, swirl the wine in your glass. While this may be tricky at first, you will pick it up quickly. This reveals the "legs". The more wine sticks to the side of a glass, the higher the alcohol content. The Role of the Sense of Smell During Wine Tasting As mentioned earlier, many of the subtle "tastes" of wine are actually perceived by your sense of smell. While there are only four perceptible tastes, there are thousands of different scents. Revealingly, sinus congestion will stop even the most experienced and accomplished wine taster in his/her tracks. Smell is perceived through the upper nose as well as through the back of the throat. Molecules of different scents are registed by the olfactory bulb in the sinuses. Before smelling a wine, swirl the glass again to reveal the aroma. When smelling a wine, attempt to put any familiar aromas into the context of previous tastings. This is the fundamental basis for increasing your knowledge of tasting wine. After smelling the wine, the majority of registered perceptions occur very quickly. Sense of smell is very delicate and easily overwhelmed. Smelling the same thing repeatedly becomes less and less revelatory in rapid succession. If you do not immediately pick out the array of aromas in a wine, relax for a minute or two, then try again. The Actual Tasting Begins After experiencing the aroma of a wine, it is logically time to taste. Swirl the wine once more, and then swallow a small sip. After your initial impression, take a slightly larger sip and make an effort to coat your entire mouth. This is called, "chewing" the wine. Before swallowing, aerate the wine in your mouth. While this makes a slightly strange sound, the enhanced flavors and aromas that are released are more than worth it. Another important component in the tasting process is touch, or how the wine feels in your mouth. Major variables to be aware of are the body of the wine, serving temperature, and astringency. The body of a wine includes the depth of flavor and alcohol content. If these components are underrepresented, a wine will taste dilluted. Serving temperature is an important variable that mainly hinges on the varietal(s) that compose a particular wine. A crisp Sauvignon Blanc will taste flat at room temperature, and should be chilled. On the contrary, a well-aged Cabernet Sauvignon will not reveal its true complexity when served too cold. The incorrect serving temperature for a wine will adversely affect both the aroma and flavor. Astringency is basically a synonym for bitterness, and is caused by excessive or unmellowed tannins. Great red wines often taste astringent in their youth, but develop into opulent masterpieces when mature. I hope that you believe that proper wine tasting skills are within your reach; because they certainly are. Mankind's ancient enjoyment of wine is largely derived from the fact that our senses, feelings, and preferences are the basic components of what makes us human.

Ben Bicais lives in the Napa Valley and is the webmaster of

http://www.california-wine-tours-and-accessories.com

..

ben@california-wine-tours-and-accessories.com

French are turning wine into soda water - Unison.ie

26 Oct 2006 at 5:25am

French are turning wine into soda water
Unison.ie, Ireland - 8 hours ago
FRENCH vineyards that are unable to sell their wine to an increasingly sober nation have begun selling vine soda, grape beer and other low-alcohol products ….

Taking wine sales fight to the 'burbs - Boston Globe

26 Oct 2006 at 5:01am

The Phoenix Taking wine sales fight to the 'burbs
Boston Globe, United States - 8 hours ago
…. been making presentations to officials in some local towns, urging them to oppose a statewide ballot question that would allow more supermarkets to sell wine .. ….
Letter: Don?t be scared of wine in markets Needham Times
Vote could add 25 wine permits to Cambridge Cambridge Chronicle
Please visit these local CapeCodToday sponsors: Cape Cod Today
Hamilton-Wenham Chronicle - Lexington Minuteman
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Taking wine sales fight to the 'burbs (Boston Globe)

26 Oct 2006 at 9:29am

Liquor store owners have been making presentations to officials in some local towns, urging them to oppose a statewide ballot question that would allow more supermarkets to sell wine.

Reasons to end wine monopoly (Boston Globe)

26 Oct 2006 at 8:22am

In regards to Question 1 ( "A grape debate uncorked: Ballot question on sale of wine sets package stores against supermarkets," Globe South, Oct. 15), I favor it for the following reasons:

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