December, 18, 2011 US: Value Added: Potomac’s Total Wine

(Washingtonpost) - I have always been interested in the business — and consumption, mind you — of alcohol products during the holiday season. So, no surprise that I was drawn to the origin and economics of a giant retailer right in Washington’s back yard: Potomac-based Total Wine & More. Wh...

December, 18, 2011 How to avoid 'Vintage Hysteria' and give your wine some room to breathe

(Poughkeepsiejournal) - A year ago, local wine experts and enthusiasts spoke to the Journal’s Hudson Valley Connoisseur section about the excitement surrounding the release of 2009 Bordeaux – which was (and still is) considered a banner vintage for the supreme French blend. Today, 2009 Bordea...

December, 18, 2011 US: Wineries abound in Alabama: Your guide to 13 of them

(AL) - "Buy local” is the mantra of the moment. Grocery stores tout local produce and sprout Alabama specialty food sections. Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday comes Buy Local Saturday. Why not also pick up some local wines, particularly when it’s so much more fun to go shop at a pictures...

December, 18, 2011 U.S. approves Naches Heights, Washington's 12th wine region

(Tri-cityherald) - As Washington's wine industry grows in size and stature, grape growers and winemakers continue to define the best places to plant vines. The newest federally recognized viticultural area is near Yakima. On Wednesday, the U.S. government announced it has approved the Naches Heig...

December, 18, 2011 AUS: Bitter taste when smoke gets in your vines

(SMH) - SCIENTISTS have identified more than 20 chemicals that make smoke-tainted wine taste like leather, disinfectant and other unpalatable flavours in a new research project that aims to limit the damage to the wine industry caused by smoke. Researchers hope that the findings, part of a $4 mil...

December, 18, 2011 US: California's sparkling wine: sunshine in a bottle

(Stltoday) - There's a legend that Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk in France's Champagne region, was experimenting with ways to improve still wine in 1693 when he stumbled upon a total surprise: bubbles. "Come quickly; I'm tasting stars," he supposedly shouted as the effervescence fizzed across...

December, 17, 2011 US: Oregon rethinking liquor business

(Registerguard) - Oregon state officials hope to avoid losing control of liquor sales, as happened in Washington state this fall, by opening up the state-run retail operation, including giving grocery chains a chance to open “store within a store” outlets. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission...

December, 17, 2011 A vibrant journey through Spain

(Guardian) - Spain is one of the most inspiring places in the world. It is a country full of expressiveness, generosity and authenticity, and one that leaves a print on all who visit it. On every street corner, Spanish people live a "life uncorked" – chatting, laughing and flirting in a way that s...