chardonnay

MooBuzz Wine

Filed under: Wine

The folks at Don Sebastiani & Sons always think up clever names for their wines. From the same guys that brought us Used Automobile Parts wine comes MooBuzz, a new brand that will focus on super-premium Burgundy grape varieties grown in the Sonoma Coast appellation. The brand will focus on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varietals. Why MooBuzz? it is a tribute to Sonoma Sebastiani calls the land of milk and honey (moo for cows, buzz for bees). The suggested retail price for the 2006 MooBuzz Pinot Noir is $25 and the 2006 MooBuzz Chardonnay will retail for $20.

[via Avenue Vine]

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Tags: chardonnay, moobuzz, pinot noir, sonoma, wine

Paul Newman Enters The Wine Business

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Celebrity Shopping, Charity

Following in the footsteps of Martha Stewart, Paul Newman becomes the latest celeb with a wine label. Newman's Own 2006 California Chardonnay and 2006 California Cabernet Sauvignon will be released next March. In the press release, Paul Newman notes that he originally bottles his first product, his salad dressing in old wine bottles with parchment labels, so the brand is coming full circle. Since that beginning 25 years ago Newman's Own has grown into a major brand offering pasta sauce, lemonade, salsa and more. Money generated from the products has allowed the Newman's Own Foundation to donate more than 200 million dollars to thousands of charities.

Newman worked with Rebel Wine Company, which also makes True Earth organic wine which we have previously profiled. The Newman wines are made from grapes sourced from coastal vineyards and are expected to sell for $16. An article in AdAge mirrors a question I had which is whether $16 is too high a price for wine's that have a celebrity name but not a lot of celebrity input. The True Earth wines sells for around $13 and Martha Stewart's wine is expected to sell for around $15. Newman's products generally seem to be a little pricer than others and consumers have been willing to pay a little more knowing that it goes to a good cause. Wine lovers, however, tend to purchase based on a complex variety of factors (including terroir and the recommendations of wine bloggers and critics) and might be a tougher nut to crack as they expect a lot from a bottle that veers toward the $20 bottle range.

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Tags: cabernet sauvignon, california wine, celebrity wine, chardonnay, expire-images:2008-11-6, paul newman, PaulNewman, wine

First Blush Varietal Grape Juice, Wine Varietals Without The Buzz

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Wine

I recently came across this product in Whole Foods and had to try it out. First Blush makes varietal grape juices: Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay, and a rosé juice made from Zinfandel. Each juice is made from 100% wine grape varietal without any added sugar. The 16-ounce bottles sell for around $4 a bottle. What does it taste like? I bought the Merlot and basically, it's just really good grape juice, sweet and fruit-packed.

[via Wines and Vines]

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Tags: cabernet, chardonnay, first blush, FirstBlush, grape juice, merlot, rose, varietal grapes, wine grapes

Martha Stewart Enters the Wine Business

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Celebrity Shopping

Honestly I'm surprised it took her this long but Martha Stewart is finally getting into the wine business. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. has announced a partnership with E.&J. Gallo Winery to create wines known as the "Martha Stewart Vintage." The first launch of 15,000 cases includes three wines: a 2006 Sonoma County Chardonnay, 2005 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvingon and 2006 Sonoma County Merlot. The wines will be available in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Denver, Phoenix and Portland starting in January and will sell for around $15.

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Tags: cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, gallo, martha stewart, MarthaStewart, merlot, red wine, RedWine, white wine, WhiteWine, wine

Whole Foods Launches Green Path Wines

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Green

The move toward the acceptance of wine in Tetra Pak packaging gets a big boost with the introduction of Green Path wines at Whole Foods market. The Green Path wines are made with certified organic grapes using a growing process with minimal environmental impact and "bottled" in Tetra Pak Tetra Prisma packaging. The wines being sold are a 2006 Chardonnay and a 2006 Shiraz from Australia, sourced from Organic One Wines. The wines sell for $12 each.

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Tags: australian wine, chardonnay, organic wine, shiraz, tetra park, wine

Blackstone Launches New Sonoma-Based Wines

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Like Kendall-Jackson, Blackstone winery is seeking to seek the next level of the wine market with a new line that appeal to a different price point than their main line which is generally under $10. The Blackstone Sonoma Reserve is produced at Blackstone's Kenwood Winery in the heart of Sonoma Valley and includes a Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Bordeaux-inspired red blend, Rubric. The wines use grapes sourced from premium vineyards found upon the hillsides, benchlands and coastline of Sonoma County and are made by winemaker Gary Sitton.

The 2005 Sonoma Reserve Chardonnay uses grapes from the cool climate areas of Russian River Valley and Carneros, with small percentages drawn from the Sonoma Coast and sells for $16.99. The 2005 Sonoma Reserve Merlot uses grapes from the Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Sonoma Valley and also sells for $16.99. The 2005 Sonoma Reserve Pinot Noir uses fruit from the Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley region and is aged for 12 months in French oak. It sells for $18.99. The 2005 Sonoma Reserve "Rubric" is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Petite Sirah. It is matured in a combination of French and American oak barrels and sells for $18.99.

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Tags: blacstone wines, BlacstoneWines, chardonnay, grapes, merlot, pinot noir, PinotNoir, red wine, RedWine, sonoma, white wine, wine

Waring Pro Wine Chiller

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets, Wine

As the weather gets warmer the need for a chilled bottle of white wine increases. Waiting for your bottle to chill can be frustrating and the old shove-it-in-the-freezer trick can be both risky and haphazard. Instead the Waring Pro Chiller can handle the task. And you don't even have to think about what temperature your varietal should be set at. The chiller has 33 preset varietal temperatures for reds, whites or sparkling so that your wine is at the optimal drinking temp. The electric device is attractive enough to due duty at the table keeping your wine cool on a warm summer night. It sells for $99.95.

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Tags: chardonnay, chiller, waring, white wine, wine, wine chiller

True Earth Organic Wine

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Just in time for Earth Day, the wine brand The Three Thieves have launched a new organic brand called True Earth. The wine is made from organic grapes. There are two True Earth wines, a red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petite Sirah, and a varietal Chardonnay. Both are made from California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) vineyards in Mendocino County, using no pesticides, herbicides, or conventional synthetic fertilizers. The wines contain minimal amounts of sulfites which are used in the winemaking process to preserve freshness. The first release is 5,000 cases of each type and the wines sell for $12.99.

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Tags: california, chardonnay, grapes, mendocino, organic, red wine, true earth, TrueEarth, white wine, wine

Princess Diana's Butler Sells Wine

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Celebrity Shopping

Here's a new twist on celebrity wine. Paul Burrell, whose claim to fame is being the late Princess Diana's former butler has released a line of wines. The Royal Butler Wines are an Australian Chardonnay, a Shiraz and sparkling rose which sell for from $12 to $18. Apparently they are flying off the shelves at the Publix stores in Florida. The wines were created by winemaker Philip John at Hunter Valley winery Hungerford Hill and there are 100,000 cases of the 2006 vintage. Burrell is also planning a line of California wines called Royal Butler Jewels. Burrell has an entire line of Royal Butler products selling in places like the Home Shopping Network, has published a series of books about his life with the royal family and appeared on the UK TV reality show I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.
The Decanter article also references the fact that Seamus Quigley of Vintage Wine Management, Burrell's US-based global sales and marketing agency is working on a wine project with Bono. Now that might be a wine worth checking out. As for the butler, I think I'll pass.

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Tags: chardonnay, paul burrell, royal butler wines, RoyalButlerWines, shiraz, sparkling rose

2005 ZD Wines Reserve Chardonnay

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

On the hunt for a great Chardonnay? You may want to put your order in now for the 2005 ZD Wines Reserve Chardonnay. This wine is a blend from two vineyards located in Napa, the dry farmed, organically certified deLeuze Family Estate Vineyard in the Carneros and the Soscol Vineyard which hails from a similar cool growing area. The grapes were hand harvested and barrel fermented without malo-lactic fermentation. It has been aged for 15 months in American oak barrels. The tasting notes reveal a wine with pineapple, pear and lime aromas and a fruit-forward tropical taste. It is selling for $55.

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Tags: carneros, chardonnay, napa valley, wine

Kistler Chardonnay Collector Pack

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Some say that Kistler Chardonnay, which is consistently one rated one of the best Chards in the U.S. is overpriced. Among those people would probably not be the emperor of wine, Robert Parker, who has given the new Kistler Chardonnays a Classic 96+ points rating. The wines defy the California stereotype of highly oaked and buttery Chardonnays. They generally have mineral and pear notes that make them a hit with those who prefer White Burgundies.

Porthos is selling the 2004 Vine Hill VIneyard Kistler and the 2004 Home Vineyard Kitstler for $99 each. Expensive yes, but if you are one the quest for the perfect Chardonnay, you may have found it.

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Tags: chardonnay, kistler, wine

2004 Clos Du Bois Reserve Chardonnay

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Although we are square in the thick of red wine drinking season right now, I actually ended up with a white last night (what can I say it was in 80-degree territory in Southern California). I ended up trying out the 2004 Clos du Bois Reserve Chardonnay. The wine is priced around $15 making it a nicely priced weekday wine. I like that it wasn't the usual golden yellow I often see in California chards, instead it was a pale straw color with very crisp pear and apple notes. The wine hails from the Russian River Valley and is 100% Chardonnay grapes. Prior to bottling, the wine was aged for nine months in French and European oak. It's not an overly memorable wine and a bit oaktacular for my taste but a good value.

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Tags: california wine, chardonnay, clos du bois, wine

Tiglat Chardonnay

by Anne Metz (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Now that summer has officially begun, I've officially switched from sipping red wine to white wine. One of my favorite warm-weather treats is a cool glass of Austrian Chardonnay. My favorite this year is the Tiglat -- which is named after Austrian wine-maker Heinz Velich's oldest vineyard. Planted in 1959, this Chardonnay vineyard is one of the oldest in all of Austria.

At any rate, these old vines create a beautiful wine with good fruit and fine mineral notes. Velich utilizes very strict selection when picking the grape. Half of the wine actually spends 18 months in oak barriques, later to be joined with the rest of the wine in steel tanks for an additional two months. You can order a bottle or a case on-line through Winemonger.com. Price: $54.99

Tags: Austrian wine, AustrianWine, Chardonnay, white wine, WhiteWine

Hyde de Villaine Wine Tasting At The Beverly Hills Hotel

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Yesterday I had the chance to attend the Hyde de Villane vertical tasting at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The wines are a collaboration between the Hyde family of Napa and the de Villaine family from Burgundy bringing together California grapes with French practices. They believe that gentle handling of the grapes and minimal intervention leads to a superior product. At the winery they use equipment which uses gravity to minimize mechanical pumping. Overall, the grapes are lovingly babied.

The luxury of a vertical tasting is the sense of sinking into a wine. The same winery, similar grapes but often such different results. It's a bit like having a friend that you have known through the various decades of life from the foolish teens to the mature forties. After the jump, my notes on the wines along with more photographs from the tasting and a few glamour shots of the Beverly Hills Hotel.

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Tags: beverly hills, cabernet sauvignon, california wine, chardonnay, merlot, syrah, wine, wine tasting

Continue reading “Hyde de Villaine Wine Tasting At The Beverly Hills Hotel”

U.S. Wine Drinking Habits Indicate California Love

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Decanter has the results of two interesting studies that explore the choices U.S. consumers make regarding wine. In terms of domestic consumption, California is king. Two out of every three bottles sold in the U.S. are from California. The Supreme Court decision to permit wineries to sell directly to consumers and the "Sideways" effect are believed to have contributed to the rise in sales. "Premium" wines, which are considered to be those over $7 were two thirds of the sales. Another market research study from Chicago-based Information Resources Inc (IRI) reports good news for wines from Europe and New Zealand. The study, called The 2005 Table Wine Top 30 Brand Performers, found that European table wines grew 9.4% last year . The sales of Spanish table wines was up 23.1% and German wines are up 18.9%. The really good news is for New Zealand wine producers. Their sales were up 190.5%.

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Tags: california wine, chardonnay, new zealand wine, pinot noir, sideways, wine, wine consumption, wine drinking, wine habits

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