March, 29, 2012 WINE TECH: Fans say oval fermenters make egg-ceptional wines

(WashingtonPost) - Do you like eggs with wine? How about wine IN eggs? Sounds a bit dicey, but it’s been happening more lately as winemakers embrace concrete egg-shaped fermenters as a way to add unique flavors to their wines.The eggs, which can be 6 feet tall or higher, have a cuteness factor ...

March, 29, 2012 Wine Sample Request Etiquette—for Bloggers and Others

(PalatePress) - The pipeline has dried up. Five or six years ago, almost any casual wine enthusiast could launch a WordPress or Blogger blog, write a post about each new wine he drank—from the plonk to the good stuff—and wait for wine samples to come pouring in. And pour in they did. At the ...

March, 29, 2012 O. Fournier offers 'dream' plots in Mendoza

(Decanter) - O. Fournier, the high-end Spanish-Chilean-Argentinian venture, has earmarked 140ha of vines in Mendoza to be sold to private individuals in small plots. O. Fournier Wine Partners, owner José Manuel Ortega says, is a project whereby one- to three-hectare plots, at Finca Santa Sofia in t...

March, 29, 2012 As Starbucks rolls out plan to sell beer and wine, some buzz is negative

(CSMonitor) - Starbucks is introducing beer and wine to its beverage list in select locations, calling it a response to consumer requests. But many café chain regulars say they fear a change to a bar atmosphere.Starbucks has been working hard on new beverages to sell, including energy drinks and a ...

March, 29, 2012 US: Researchers aim to help Northern vineyards, winemakers improve quality with new grape

South Dakota winemaker Dave Greenlee exudes pride as he pours a sample of a 2011 Marquette nearly ready for bottling. Wine connoisseurs who favor vintages from Bordeaux or Napa Valley might not have heard of the grape, but Marquette has been exciting Northern winemakers since a Vermont vintage won b...

March, 28, 2012 Beware of Skating on Counterfeit Ice Wines

(Forbes) - I only learned recently about “Ice Wine.” The hostess served a bottle at a dinner party to accompany the appetizer because “it goes so well with foie gras.” Ice wine is mostly consumed as a dessert wine. Sweet and aromatic, it’s considered a rare and exceptional wine, even i...

March, 28, 2012 US: Direct wine shipments approved in PA

(Stargazette) - A bill that would allow Pennsylvanians to have domestic wines shipped directly to their homes won the state Senate's unanimous approval Wednesday, but it faces obstacles in the House. Senators approved the measure 48-0 with little debate, but a spokesman for the House Republican m...

March, 28, 2012 US: SPOTLIGHT: Illinois has growing wine industry

(WTW) — In 1997, it was more likely that friends would gather at a bar for beers, while today, the trend is moving toward meeting at someone's home and uncorking a bottle of wine instead. Then, Illinois was home to 12 wineries. Today, there are more than 100. The movement to accept drinking ...