The Wine Cellar Blog» Robert Parker

Anthony Weiner and the Wine Industry Get Naked

admin — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 07:18:36 +0000

Whether it's personal or business marketing, it appears you need to get naked to get any attention these days. Sexting, sexy wine labels and sexy names all point to the growing need to bare it all to close the deal no matter what your selling. Sex sells, even in (or especially in) the wine industry. Just ask porn star Savanna Samson whose outrageously successful red wine Sogno Uno scored a 91 from Robert Parker and features a side view of her wearing only a see-through gown and high heels. Maybe porn star Ginger Lee can parlay her experience with Congressman Weiner into a wine label of her own. Stupid Bastard maybe (there's a Fat Bastard already afterall), wait that's not sexy. How about No Penetration, there's already a Penetration Cabernet Sauvignon by (you guessed it) Naked Winery.

In the wine world "naked wines" refer to unoaked wines aged in stainless steel instead of oak barrels. This matters because many of the flavors experienced by consumers of the finished wine are created by the oak itself, not the grapes. The vanilla, toast and tannin notes imparted by the oak often overpower the fruity or citrusy elements of the grapes and make the wine more difficult to pair with food. However, oak is traditional and preferred by highly influencial wine critic Robert Parker (the establishment), making unoaked winemakers rebels of a sort. The latest entry into this new wine category is Simply Naked by Constellation Brands. The Simply Naked inaugural collection launched June 1st includes the 2010 vintages of Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, all at a suggested retail price of $9.99. The term "naked wine" may not refer to anything risque, but that did not stop them from promoting it that way in a recent New York City Event complete with a half dozen half-naked men (Anthony Weiner would have been right at home). They probably should have kept the oak barrels.

This is a post from: The Wine Cellar Blog

Bordeaux’s Big Little Wines

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:42:52 +0000

Reviews of the just-bottled 2005 Bordeaux are coming in. This much vaunted vintage has everybody in the wine trade drooling. But to their chagrin, the less prestigious, lower-priced wines are getting all the praise. Influencial wine critic Robert Parker called wine from the famous chateaux "museum pieces" because their prices are so astonishingly high. And in what many consider a political statement, he gave out only two perfect scores (100 points), none of them to Medoc 1st growths. Just two points, (i.e. the difference between 98 and 100) can double the price of the wine, these developments may cost the wine trade hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales. Similarly at Decanter Magazine's tasting of 2005 Medoc wines, 25 were awarded 5-star status, only two were 1st growths. The star of the show was 5th growth Chateau Pedesclaux. Is this the shape of things to come? Click here for more information about Bordeaux wine appellations and classed growth system.

This is a post from: The Wine Cellar Blog

Hanni’s Theory

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:21:44 +0000

Ever have a 90+ rated wine that you thought was truly disgusting? If so, you probably think the discrepancy is due to your untrained palate. Well according to Tim Hanni, it may be your lack of taste buds, not simply your lack of taste. Tim Hanni is one of the first two Americans to pass England's prestigious Master of Wine exam. He recently put his theory to the test at the first-ever Lodi International Wine Awards. The results didn't always follow Hanni's hypothesis, but he certainly created an interesting, new way to judge competitions. The irony of Hanni's theory is that the big, bold, high-alcohol reds and oaked whites made popular by one highly-influential, American critic are the preferences of "tolerant tasters" or those with the least amount of taste buds. Maybe, Hanni's hypothesis is more social commentary than theory.

This is a post from: The Wine Cellar Blog

Red, Hot and Flabby

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:23:25 +0000

Wine is hotter than ever, in more ways than one. Sales are at an all time high, but at the same time alcohol levels are rising. Hot is winespeak for wine that is too high in alcohol and leaves a burning sensation in the back of the throat when swallowed. Back In the 1970s, red wines under 12 percent alcohol by volume were common. Today, Zinfandels higher than 16 percent are not unusual. Consumers seem to accept, even expect high-alcohol wines (many also believe this is due to the influence of wine critic Robert Parker). Is this a problem? Besides the effects of consuming more alcohol and calories in one serving, another consequence of high alcohol wine is often low acidity and a lack of structure, or in winespeak a flabby wine. Click here for more information on the high-alcohol wine trend and its effect on wine balance.

This is a post from: The Wine Cellar Blog