Personal Wine Blog

Personal Wine Welcomes You to 2012!

2012-01-25T22:11:00.000-08:00

Its 2012, the year of the Dragon in the Chinese Calendar. The symbol of the Dragon in Chinese culture is not a symbol of a malicious beast, as the Western World has made it out to be. In ancient Chinese culture the dragon is a symbol of the divine beast, the deliverer of good fortune, honor and respect.

The Dragon, and people who share the Dragon qualities, include inhibition, confidence, ambition, fearlessness and generosity. There is the Dragon in all of us, big or small, and we're all survivors, winners, and people who want to give on some level. If you're on this site or know anything about Personal Wine, we're some serious Dragons over here. We breath fire, we hustle, and we dominate in the world of personalized wine because we have passion in making people happy with our wine, labels and service.

Whatever you choose to believe, symbolism is the most powerful tool in our society. Its applied, recognized and believed by all. You see it everyday when you hit a "stop", "yield" or "go" sign. You tune into the tv or internet and see it on the news whether its peace sign or fist. You pay the tab at your local coffee spot and rightfully acknowledge the dollar, euro or RMB sign. This year pay attention to three specific symbols... the Dragon, the plus sign (adding someone as a friend or connecting with a long lost friend or loved one) and most importantly the Heart symbol.

From myself and my peers at Personal Wine, we wish peace, prosperity, and good health to you all.

Alex Andrawes
CEO, Founder
(512) 476-9463 ext 301

Order by February 7th at 12PM CST to receive by Valentine's Day.

It takes 1-3 days to produce your order and 2-5 days to receive your order. Therefore you will receive your wine within 7-8 business days (Mon-Fri). If you want your wine to be delivered sooner, please select 2 Day or Overnight Shipping. If you need it delivered inside a range of dates, then please add that info in your order notes so we can accommodate your request.

Order Delivery Schedule for Christmas & New Year's

2011-12-15T13:00:00.000-08:00

Dear Personal Wine Customers,

Engraved Wine Orders are SOLD OUT FOR CHRISTMAS!
We are still taking orders for Labeled Wines and Label.

Our Holiday Delivery Times are as follows:

Christmas:

Custom Labeled Wine Orders placed before 12PM CST (NOON) on December 18th will arrive on or before Christmas, guaranteed.

If you place your custom labeled wine order after December the 18th at 12PM CST (16th thru the 20th) and you want it by Christmas, we can do it, but you will need to select 2-Day or Next Day delivery and you will need to order on or before 3PM on December 20th.

New Year's Eve:

All custom labeled wine orders placed on or before the 23rd will arrive in time for New Year's Eve

Personal Wine uses UPS Ground as a standard on all regular orders. It will take 3-5 days for us to produce your order and between 3 (Central US) to 5 business days (East and West Coast) to deliver your wine once it is shipped.

You can expedite your order online at check out using Next Day Shipping which means your package will be produced and will ship and be delivered within 3 business days. If you select Two Day Shipping, you will receive your wine within 5 business days from your order date.

Thank you very much for your business and we appreciate the opportunity to work with you this Holiday Season.

Best wishes, Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to you and your family,

Alex Andrawes
CEO, Founder
(512) 476-WINE

2011-12-06T09:58:00.001-08:00

Personal Wine Holiday Delivery Times: Estimated Ship Date is 5 business days from the date of your order, if placed before 2PM CST. If you place an order today, it will ship Tuesday, December 13th or sooner. All orders placed before December 15th will arrive on or before Christmas Day.

Personal Wine uses UPS Ground, It will take between 3 (Central US) to 5 business days (East and West Coast) to deliver your wine once it is shipped. You can expedite your order online at check out using Next Day Shipping which means your package will be produced and will ship and be delivered within 3 business days. If you select Two Day Shipping, you will receive your wine within 5 business days from your order date.

Is Wine an Appropriate Holiday Gift?

2011-11-02T07:34:00.000-07:00

Is giving wine for the Holidays or as a gift an appropriate gesture? First off, before we reach deep into the facts, let me say that most people would agree that history tends to repeat itself, especially when the results are good. This is how relationships go from good to great and how fortunes have been made. There is no doubt at the majority of all key client or family dinners over history have been at a table with a fine glass of wine in hand. So off we go, beginning with the facts...

History of Wine (6000 B.C to Present)

The history of wine spans thousands of years (as early as 6000 B.C) and is closely intertwined with the history of agriculture, cuisine, civilization and humanity itself. It was about this time that the amphorea, a massive jug, was invented to facilitate the transportation of wine across the Mediterranean or long journeys. Evidence suggest that the first designs of amphorea were actually invented by the Chinese, but no patent system existed and the West seized the opportunity...

The Greek Empire (1500AD - 1100AD) thought it helped make the good times even better so they even gave wine its own God - Dionysus. If you didn't have a glass in hand, you were not cool.

The Romans (27BC - 400AD) In ancient Rome, vineyard management was beginning to be take shape as Roman Emperors used wine as a thank you gift to their governors who collected taxes and wine's growing popularity resulted in the creation of their own wine god, so Bacchus was born.

In 1308 A.D. Pope Clement V moved the Papacy to Avignon in the Rhone Valley of France where he set up shop and had his monks teach viticulture to the locals, producing superb blends of wines including Chateauneuf du Pape and Gigondas (syrah, grenache blends).

Fast forward a few hundred years lets look at the Temperance Movement of the 1870's - 1920's in the United States and other Countries. Big business owners and Industrialists (yes, the grand 1%) felt as if alcohol may be the root cause of all evil. They viewed any alcoholic beverage as the cause of tardiness, laziness, malnutrition and would lead to the downfall of mankind. The end result: Prohibition, which lead to the temporary downfall of society in the United States with the origination of the Federal Income Tax System, a 78% increase in homicide and the rapid development of the Organized Crime System. Last but not least, the eventual outcome was the Great Depression... Fifty years of walking backwards seemed to have erased 7950 years of forward movement.

So the question that everyone has been waiting for... is wine an appropriate gift? Absolutely. Don't take my word on it. We hit the streets to get a few opinions and we hit 5 for 5...

PersonalWine - Latest News - August 5th, 2011

2011-08-05T07:44:00.000-07:00

PersonalWine TV: An Inside Look Into The Business

Get the latest PersonalWine news from CEO & Founder Alex Andrawes.

— FEATURED NEW ITEMS —

Personal Wine has added a new accessory to complement our custom labeled wine bottles! We now have available custom etched wine glasses which make the perfect addition to our custom labeled wines and champagnes.

Custom Wine Glass with Etching

Learn more about the laser engraving process now!

Personal Wine Thanks You For 11 Years in Business

2011-07-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

PersonalWine TV: An Inside Look Into The Business

Alex Andrawes, CEO and Founder of Personal Wine, introduces the company and talks about product and service offerings - custom wine labels, engravings and accessories - followed by some company history.

— FEATURED NEW ITEMS —

Custom Wine Glass with Etching

Learn more about the laser engraving process now!

Personal Wine Label Design Contest

2011-05-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

ABOUT THIS CONTEST

This is a contest of creativity. It is open at all, and all submissions are welcome. The premise is easy: design a wine label of your liking, get your friends and family to vote for it via any social networks and if you have the most votes at the end of the contest we will ship you 6 bottles of your very own personalized wine! Now start creating those labels!

CROWDTOGETHER BACKGROUND

CrowdTogether is an Austin, Texas-based company founded on the idea that communities with a shared interest can create better designs. They take the principles of crowdsourcing – like calling on a large group to complete a task – and make it a bit more personal. We bring it closer to home, allowing communities to design shirts and other work using not just any people, but their people.

Click HERE to take a look at the competition page

DAILY UPDATES:

May 17th: The Competition has begun!

This Month's Testimonials

2011-03-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

Over the ten years we've dominated the custom-label and engraved wine industry, we've had great feedback from our customers and we want to take a moment every month to not only thank these customers for their business, but publish what they have to say about us. We appreciate and welcome any feedback you can give us.

"Personal Wine is a great way to give a high quality personalized gift! Their selection of wine and champagne is fantastic and their service combines the recognition of a premium wine with a personalized, unique touch. Everyone at Personal Wine was extremely helpful throughout the process and all elements of my order were executed seamlessly. Most importantly, the gifts were a huge hit!"

- UBS

" I just wanted to write you a quick note to say, “THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!” the boxes I had personalized were AMAZING! People are still talking about my party favors! Your expertise and advice were a huge help to me! Thanks Again."

- J.M.

"Our son’s wedding took place this past weekend. The wine bottles that you created for us were the hit of the weekend. Our family and friends loved having a unique and personal way in which to remember the occasion. Thanks for making the process so easy and being so helpful. "

- Bridget

"We received our wine yesterday, and just like last time, we were very impressed. Our guests are going to love them. Well, at least the ones we choose to grave with one. I think we're going to hoard them 'cuz they're so cute."

-Spring Hill Suites

"The wines arrived safe and sound and look great!!! It was great working with you and I appreciate your great customer service not to mention your patience!! Look forward to working with you again in the future."

- Signature Homes

Greetings from SXSW Wine Interactive

2011-03-09T21:10:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends & Customers,

I would like to thank you for your support and your business. As the CEO, Founder I am a very hands on person with each customer so I would like to prelude this month's newsletter by saying that Personal Wine is a custom, luxury business and we aim to ensure 100% customer satisfaction.

We bring trusted premium brands to you which you can personalize using a custom label or engraving. Wineries like Tenuta Oreno, Gargiulo, Vilafonte, Constant, Flora Springs and Trocard have been critically acclaimed, award-winning vineyards having scored 90+ points by Robert Parker and Wine Spectator. Tenuta Sette Ponti Oreno even scored in the Top 100 by Wine Spectator of 2008.

This week we celebrate another great event. After many years, we have opened our first wine tasting room in Austin, TX with future plans to open in NYC, Los Angeles and abroad. Our Red Room is located approximately 30 yards from the Austin Convention Center. The purpose of the Red Room is to educate people about wine in hopes that people further develop their palates.

This week we will try three excercises which we will demonstrate at the South by Southwest Convention in Austin. It starts on the 11th and runs thru the 15th. At the booth we will direct traffic to our Red Room location for the following schedule of events:

March 11th - WineNot? - Blind tasting 1PM to 5PM. VIP Social Hour 5Pm till 7PM
March 12th - California vs. France - Tasting from 1-7PM
March 13th - California vs. France II - Tasting 1-5PM
March 13th - SXSW Blogger Meet Up, Tasting6-8:30PM
March 14th - Do you Know Wine? - Blind tasting. Contest 1PM to 5PM.
March 14th - Wine Down - 5:30 Sold out event by Wines.com, Jackson Family Wines, and Bakas Media
March 15th - Do You Know Wine? - Blind tasting. Contest 1PM to 7PM
March 16th - - Do You Know Wine? - Blind tasting. Contest 1PM to 4PM
March 16th - Texas Wine & Food Foundation - 5:30Pm - 7:30Pm Presenting Dan Gatlin, proprietor and winemaker of Inwood Estates. Texas' boutique producer, using Texas grapes to blend wines which rival the top producers of Alta Rioja, Spain and other parts of the world.
March 17th - Personal Wine Taste Testing Allowing our best customers and SXSW Participants to come in and preview new, upcoming wines that we have selected from Rioja, Diamond Mountain, and others.

Please call us at (512) 476-9463 for questions regarding any of these events, we look forward to visiting with you. We also encourage you to visit our sister site WINES.com if you are just now getting into wine and need some guidance or if you are searching for a specific wine.

Best Wishes in Life and Wine!

Alex Andrawes
CEO, Founder

photo credit by Rodolpho Gonzalez, Austin American Statesman

Holiday Gift Ideas (featured on the Today Show)

2010-09-23T12:54:00.000-07:00

Shopping for the upcoming holiday season? Need a gift that’s elegant, personal and decently priced? Don’t we all! Then consider Personal Wine your gift idea savior this holiday season.

Personal Wine website offers high-end, quality wines going for as little as $15 per gift can be ordered with the click of a button. Personal Wine offers wines from Australia, Argentina, California, Chile, and France. Our user-friendly website gives customers the ability to select a template or upload one of their own and attach it to a bottle of any wine from our vast selection. Customers also have the option to customize bottle engravings for only $5.

PersonalWine featured on the Today Show (Dec. 13th)

"Unique & creative gifts under $25. Us Weekly’s Jill Martin shows great gift ideas that won’t break the bank"

Thank you again for 10 years of business at Personal Wine and we look forward to serving you this holiday season! Cheers, Alex Andrawes - CEO and Founder

The PersonalWine.com Holiday Label Design Contest

2010-09-13T07:22:00.000-07:00

I'll start with the good stuff.

PersonalWine.com is hosting a Holiday Label Design Contest. Its incredibly simple, takes no time at all, and provides a nice distraction during your busy day. There are going to be 4 giveaways this holiday season!!! (Two bottle sets valued at $75 each) That means if you didn't win the first time, create a new label the next time and you could WIN too! (PLZ RT w/ #LabelDesign)

The Winner will receive:
   A Two Bottle set valued at $75
   Your Label Will be the Featured Label for sale on PersonalWine.com
   Your Label will be featured on WineCrushBlog (Wines.com's Blog)
   Your Label will be featured on the PersonalWine Blog
   Not to mention massive Twitter & Facebook exposure!!

-------------------------------------------------CALENDAR----------------------------------------------

General Holiday Theme
Post Blog: Monday Sept. 13th
Winner Chosen: Monday Sept. 20th
Label up on PersonalWine.com: Wen. Sept. 22nd

Halloween Theme

Post Blog: Monday Oct. 4th

Winner Chosen: Monday Oct. 11th

Label up on PersonalWine.com: Wen. Oct. 13th

Thanksgiving Theme
Post Blog: Monday Nov. 8th
Winner Chosen: Monday Nov. 15th
Label up on PersonalWine.com: Wen. Nov. 17th

Winter Theme
Post Blog: Monday Dec. 6th
Winner Chosen: Monday Dec. 13th
Label up on PersonalWine.com: Wen. Nov. 15th

------------------------------------------------HOW TO ENTER-----------------------------------------

I. Go to PersonalWine.com and create an account. Its fast, easy, and needed to start the designing process.

II. Then you can start the designing your Holiday Label. There is a in-house design program HERE where you can choose from templates, or you can start from scratch, or even upload images via the "Upload a Design" Button.

III. Once you have created a label Save It! (remember what you name it)

IV. Lastly email us at: garrett.bircher@wines.com
   In the Subject Line write "PersonalWine Holiday Label Contest"
   In the email include your:
   a) Name
   b) Email Address
   c) Name of the Label Design you saved

Good Luck & Have Fun!

Countdown to the Holidays!

2010-09-08T04:54:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about the Fall, other than the weather and falling leaves, is the festive holiday season. Holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah just to name a few have a certain energy associated with them that is very much an ascending stairway to a climax that ends with fireworks, laughter, kisses and promises that we intend to keep.

I feel as if October, November and December are three months where you'll find the essence of the human spirit. My personal favorite other than Christmas is Halloween which to some is kind of absurd. Absurdity is the reason for my love of Halloween. Its the one day where we all dress up like something or someone else and play the part of the fool without having to worry about the consequences. At our office here in Austin, TX last year, we had a hermaphroditic gladiator, roman warrior, Pee Wee Herman all under the same roof. While some chose not to participate in dressing up, they certainly enjoyed the scenery. October is a good time to enjoy the last cold beer or chilled Sauvignon Blanc before you dive right into the warmth of red wine and champagne.

November and December are a time for family, friends and sharing. I love these two months not just because I love food (well that may be the big thing) but because I love to be with family and friends. Memories are everlasting and the joy of being with loved ones cannot be matched with material goods. Thanksgiving is so much fun because we eat five times in one day and pass out six times, only to be left with a week's worth of left overs. December is the climax. You have the gift giving of Christmas and Hanukkah, followed by New Years parties. This month is definitely wine month. Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot or perhaps a nice French Bordeaux to liven up the soul followed by some bubbly champagne to toast off the evening's itinerary.

Whatever you choose to do this Holiday Season, whether its with family or friends, we wish you the very best in life, health and happiness. We wish you good fortune. We are very fortunate to mark our 10th Anniversary Holiday Season at Personal Wine and we appreciate our followers, customers, vendors, and friends with much love and affection.

Best wishes,

Alex Andrawes
CEO, Founder
Personal Wine
alex @ personalwine d-o-t com
follow me on twitter @personalwine

In Wine We Trust...

2010-08-16T06:58:00.000-07:00

Every so often we get a chance to participate in a momentous occasion. Two weeks ago I got a call from a prospective customer who I'll call Sasha (Out of respect and privacy I changed her name). She crafted a nice email to me which was such an honor I asked her if I could use it on this blog. Sasha emailed explaining that me she had never in her life (she's 28 years old) tasted any alcoholic beverage, not even beer! She had managed to abstain from alcohol from college and through her 20's ... how she did so, I have no idea! Sasha must have been a angel to her parents and her husband-to-be is no doubt even luckier!

Sasha recently got engaged to the love of her life who is an avid wine drinker. As a wine lover, he has never asked her to share in a glass, nor has she been pressured to do so. Sasha explained that she really wanted to surprise her husband on their wedding day with her first taste of wine and she wants Personal Wine to recommend the suggestion, personalized engraving for the special event. In addition she wants a bottle to keep and cellar for 10 years so they can again re-live the experience. We selected a nice bottle of 2005 Remoissenet Bienvenue Batard Montrachet, not on the wine menu, which we picked up from an importer specially for the occasion. Since we can engrave any bottle out there, it opened up the selection to a much wider group of wines. Few white wines can cellar well past 5 years, but this wine can last as long as 15-20 if cellared properly.

Its always an honor to participate in such an occasion but this one really stood out as I want this to be as perfect for Sasha as she has entrusted Personal Wine with her first taste of wine (or any alcoholic beverage of any kind). So to Sasha I say this, thank you for the opportunity with all my heart and this is such an honor!

Best Wishes in Life!

Alex Andrawes
CEO, Founder
Follow me on Twitter @personalwine

Summer Ends and Fall Begins...

2010-08-10T10:13:00.001-07:00

Perhaps its too early to hope for Fall, but the Holidays are right around the corner. I spent the past several weeks sourcing new wines for Wines.com for the 2010 Holidays and we've managed to pick up several incredible new wines from the US, Chile and France. This coming Christmas and New Years, think about the special people in your life. Perhaps a friend is looking to retire from their career or maybe your sister just bought her first home. Do you have a friend getting married? Do you send out Holiday gifts to your clients?

I founded Personal Wine back in 2000 completely by mistake. I wanted to give gifts to my top customers for the holidays so I bought some wines from a store, soaked off the labels and re-labeled them with my design. The idea was so well received by my peers at the office, they asked me to do their Holiday gifts and my boss actually gave me a week off to do the whole Company's Holiday gifts. It was the most fortunate holiday I ever had because simple creativity went a long way and the response we got from our clients was enormous. I still speak with some of my clients today as our client relationship gravitated towards friendship. If your best customers support you, why are they not your friends? They should be!

The past two years have been extremely challenging for most people across the globe. People are watching their pocketbooks ever so closely. While I encourage you to save, please don't forget about the special people, even if you get them a card that tells them "Thank You." It will go a long way to keep you in your friends' thoughts! Let them know you care and they are on your mind.

I wish all of you the best in life and tremendous happiness. Feel free to reach out to me personally with any questions about our wine selections, label designs and don't forget I'm all over Twitter and Facebook too!

Peace, love and happiness!

Alex Andrawes
CEO and Founder
Personal Wine
(512) 476-9463 ext 304
Find me on Twitter @personalwine

Weddings on the Bottle...

2010-05-26T11:36:00.000-07:00

Last year in September, I married the gal of my dreams. I must admit that I was leery of having a traditional wedding, but we decided it would be fun to get everyone we knew into one room and throw it down big. We secured a beautiful location nestled within a valley with a sunset facing view which we felt would add to the ambiance of the DJ playing our favorite tunes.

Being a bit of a wine guy, I was compelled not to disappoint our guests with substandard food or wine. Our menu included an excellent garden salad with tuna carpaccio or sauteed portobello mushrooms in a balsamic reduction sauce. We paired these wines with Remoissenet Puligny Montrachet, a lovely chardonnay from the Burgundy region in France and Kenwood Sauvignon Blanc which went well with the table cheese plate (brie, blue, and truffled goat cheese).

Entrees included halibut seared in a raspberry walnut sauce with green beans or NY medallions tenderized in a molasses Worcester sauce combination served with grilled potatoes and veggies. Dinner was paired with 2004 Nadia (a Bordeaux blend from the Santa Barbara Highlands) and 2007 Laetitia Pinot Noir, a delicious red that displays notes of both Burgundy and California.

Food and wine are married to each other, if one part doesn't match with the other, there's going to be some friction. It makes dancing even more fun and really sets the tone for the evening. I really can't stress enough how important it is to make sure that your friends and family have some kind of reward for the distance they've traveled to send you off. Its the recipe for the total feel-good wedding!

If you or someone you know is getting married and they need a food pairing, then email me at alex at personalwine dot com and I will be happy to suggest a harmonious pairing.

And... don't forget to give them the gift of personalized wine! I can help with that too...

Best in life,

Alex Andrawes
Founder of Personal Wine

Personal Wine Mother's Day... Don't End Up in the Dog House!

2010-04-27T13:08:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day comes upon us this May 10th! Here's a nice Mother's Day personalized wine story that literally brought a ton of joy to my heart. This is the story about Melissa and Johnny. Johnny's mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease a few years ago. Melissa (Johnny's wife) called me to place an order for Johnny's Mother's Day gift. Because time was of the essence our team of label designers created a nice custom label featuring a vintage 40's picture of Johnny's mom and dad at their engagement party. Johnny knew his mom was not suppose to drink wine due to her condition. Mother's Day came, and Johnny and Melissa took the bottle over to the care facility to give to Johnny's mother. Upon receiving the gift Johnny's mom took a glance at the bottle and things popped into place for Elizabeth (Johnny's Mom). She immediately started to talk about her wedding day and those who attended as if the event was taking place before her eyes. For a moment, it was as if everything was normal and for Johnny, Melissa and Elizabeth it was the perfect moment... (written by Alex Andrawes, CEO of Personal Wine)

Oh My...Is it Wedding Season Already?

2010-04-05T16:44:00.001-07:00

Technically its already Spring and has been for a couple weeks, although winter has been particularly harsh this year. Wild flowers, birds chirping, short sleeve shirts and mini skirts are all popping up as April brings forth springtime fashion and... the celebration of Wedding Season! At Personal Wine, we're no stranger for the quest of the perfect personalized wedding gift.

If you've stumbled upon our site looking for information on the proper wines to serve at your wedding, then we'd love to help you with advice using a simple calculation that will save you time and money. The glass of wine is typically a two and a half ounce (2 oz) pour. There are 5 full glasses of wine inside every bottle. Unless your demographic is substantially different, you should forecast at least an 80% of the people at your wedding party will consume alcohol of some fashion. Most will have 1.5 drinks per hour, especially if dinner is to be served. This doesn't include champagne toast which is much easier to forecast using the same calculation above, except that you get 6 glasses per bottle. To make the process of understanding this much easier here is a simplified breakdown...

For a party of 100 people, lasting 4 hours, forecasting 80% of the attendees will drink wine, eighty (80) people will have at least one glass of wine per hour (probably a bit more) with a maximum of four-five glasses per person. To be on the safe side, without having too much wine at the end of the party, you should budget 60-70 bottles of wine. The most safe assumption is that 70% of all wine drinkers stick with red wine or move to beer & hard liquor. We recommend that parties of 100 purchase four-five cases of red wine and two cases of white. You'll need exactly 20 bottles of champagne or sparkling wine for the toast.

If the calculations above got you dizzy, the next part is the most fun. Every year, our wedding business gets substantially larger as brides and grooms stumble around looking for the best wedding favors at preferably favorable prices. Personal Wine has you covered! We'll label or engrave any wine in our menu at a price that's not only going to make you smile, it rewards your bridesmaid or groomsmen for their commitment you. At the end of the day, if you ask yourself "What would I want?" you'll hear yourself answering "Something I will use or enjoy." This is why at Personal Wine we always say that a gift of custom labeled wine is the gift of class and taste combined, that will surely be enjoyed by everyone...

Congratulations on your celebration, and we sincerely honor your business!

Alex Andrawes
CEO, Founder
Personal Wine
(512) 476-9463 ext 304

Our 10th Year Anniversary Officially March 5th!

2010-03-02T18:54:00.000-08:00

On March 5th, we celebrate 10 years in the personalized wine business. Our dedication and satisfaction at Personal Wine comes from the amount of joy we contribute to your special occasion. We honor the fact that you have chosen Personal Wine as your #1 Custom Wine company in the U.S. and we want to offer you a chance to tell us the "Adventure of a Personal Wine."

Please send us feedback and your stories and you'll have a chance to get a 20% off coupon on your next order and a chance to win a FREE CASE OF WINE for your next event. To better your chance of winning, send us a story about your occasion, and the reaction and feedback you got when you showed up with Personal Wine. Everyday we hear new and interesting stories and we want to hear from you!

Once again, thank you for 10 Years in Business. We will always be committed to service and quality to the most meticulous customer at Personal Wine!

Cheers,

Alex Andrawes
CEO, Founder
(800) 690-WINE

Personal Wine Celebrates 10 Years with You!

2010-01-15T07:39:00.000-08:00

The concept was conceived in a totally cliche way...A BAR NAPKIN with some writing. I wish I remembered to keep it but unfortunately that night was spent celebrating what has become a pretty great idea. It was 2000, and I had just graduated from college. I had a small business and did a little day trading, taking advantage of the dot-com boom. A few weeks after graduation a friend of mine who subsequently now owns the Texas Hunt Lodge in Kerrville, TX. Aaron and I spent the first few weeks finding Texas wineries to participate in the personalization of wines. Because wine laws had not changed since prohibition for the most part, it became a challenge to craft laws and interpret them to allow us to personalize labels. Wine labels are actually governed by Federal and State agencies. Eventually, 9 months later, we got the green light from the government.

We launched a site within a few weeks, bought a printer and actually returned a few too. Sporadically orders came in and we filled them, and shipped them out. It was a true start-up, self funded and we were two young punks in the wine business! Another cause for celebration...

The phones kept ringing about availability of other wines, Australian, California, Chilean and French wines. It took a lot of time to convince winemakers who have long fought to preserve brands to release in small quantities their premium labels but eventually we won the trust. The quality of the wines kept improving which was my goal all along. I realized very quickly that my other competitors had what we call "plonk" juice, wine unsold at the winery which was sold as blending wines to other wineries to increase production. In my opinion, that's cheating the customer, and you're never going to win their hearts by providing them with substandard product. Three years later we got our first massive order, 12,000 bottles for a movie premier, all labeled by hand. I had no fingerprints after that order, but I was a very happy man.

Fast forward to 2007 up to the present day. I know the three reasons for our success are attributed to the quality of the wines we select, the quality of the labels we use and the fanatical customer service that we provide. Our mission is simple: Provide the highest quality product to the most meticulous customer. As the CEO and Founder of Personal Wine, my team and I would like to thank you for 10 Years of Business. We appreciate and love each customer and we will continue to deliver what we feel is the best personalized wines on the market.

Wishing you health, prosperity and good wine in 2010,

Alex Andrawes (In the picture, far right, inspecting some pinot noir on the vine)

Design a Wine Label, Select a Wine and WIN BIG!

2009-11-28T11:47:00.001-08:00

QUICK UPDATE BEFORE YOU READ THE BLOG! ALL ORDERS PLACED ON OR BEFORE DEC 15th ARE GUARANTEED TO ARRIVE BEFORE CHRISTMAS DAY!

We're constantly adding all the new wine labels that have hit the "Wall of Fame" here at Personal Wine and we've noticed some interesting patterns of which we'd love to share some of the statistics. Every week, we get at least 6 wedding proposals on wine labels and at least 30-40 engagement themed labels. Over 200 custom designs for corporations and individuals using Personal Wine as a holiday gift. Over 60 custom designs featuring pets, mostly dogs and over 150 seperate birthday labels. As you can see there is no limit to the application of a personalized wine bottle. We associate each label like an adventure whether it be quitting a job, celebrating a new thrilling rollercoaster, supporting a cause like PAWS Animal shelter or perhaps playing with different Chistmas themes..

All I know is its pure entertainment these days at the warehouse. Creativity from around the country pours in and we continue to build a wall of interesting custom wine labels. Happy Holidays from the folks at Personal Wine! Again, there is a contest going on, design a cool label save it to your account, email us your submission by simply sending us an email from your registered account to contest @ personalwine dot com, and you'll be entered to win a free $200 case of wine with your design on it!

Best wishes, Alex, Stacey, Blake, Tony, Victor, Cindy, Annie, Buckley, the Two Justins, Dave Joshua and Mike!

And the Winners Are....

2009-10-30T07:52:00.000-07:00

Its November the 8th. We enter into the holiday season with serious love for all our fans! Our label design contest is on full swing and we have some winners. Again, anyone can enter and you don't have to order anything. Just create a sweet label design, register it to your account and then email me at alex@personalwine.com with "Label Contest" in the subject headline. One winner each week gets a free case of wine with their label design, up to $200 in value!

Since 2000, Personal Wine has dominated the personalized wine market simply because we select awesome wines available for your custom labeling. You can order one bottle or more and custom label the wine with no design, set up fees. We source only the highest quality premium brands, and all of our wines come with the original winery back labels so your friends, family, and clients know exactly what they are drinking. Buy personalized wine from PersonalWine.com this month and get free shipping by the case of 12 bottles or if you buy 1-6 bottles, we'll include FREE organza mesh wine bags with each bottle.

Oh yeah, lots of people are asking...do you include gift messages with the bottles? Yes, that's done in the checkout phase.

Second most asked question... are you including receipts in boxes? NO! We assume all orders are gift orders so no receipts or bills are in our boxes.

AND THE WINNERS FOR OUR LABEL DESIGN CONTEST ARE...

Brandon Sopinsky - winner on the week of October 17th! Wins a free case of wine up to $200 in value! Brandon created this ultra cool modern day romance label for a buddy's wedding. Anyways he didn't even know about the contest until I emailed him and said..."you gotta enter this one in. Its really cool!"

Pat Lawson from Scottsdale Arizona! I love dogs (and cats too). This watercolor using a beautiful golden retriever hit home for me. I too have a Golden and I know the love a pet can bring. Well done. Its simple and classy! You get a free case of wine $200 value!

2009 Personal Wine Design Contest!

2009-10-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

73 days to Christmas! We're going to kick off our 10 year anniversary a little early this year with a contest! The good news is that you need not buy anything to win. All you need to do is to use our label designer to create a cool label design, and email your first, last name directly into contest@personalwine.com for a chance to win a free case of wine (value up to $199) with your design. We're going to award one winner each week. Each week we'll blog about last week's winner!

Use your imagination, be creative and you'll save yourself $200 worth of holiday gifts! Oh and if you want to keep youself in tune with our latest contests, we're always up to something on Twitter @personalwine so follow me! This year is the perfect year to cut your holiday gifts to under $15 using a bottle of personalized wine. Win it or buy it, you win either way. Please feel free to email me and let me know how we are doing!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, New Year's or Happy Holidays!

Alex Andrawes
CEO, Founder
Personal Wine
(512) 476-9463 ext 304

Give Back, Kick Back and Save BIG this Holiday Season!

2009-10-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

Here at Personal Wine, we work triple time to make sure you get your personalized wine bottles on time, everytime. What has allowed us to rise above the rest is the quality of our wines. Search the competition and see for yourself that there are plenty of companies who will personalize a bottle of "mystery" juice. At Personal Wine, we source the finest premium brands from world-reknowed vineyards and wineries. The wines we choose deliver excellent quality and price and we make sure the labels look great! Every recipient will know exactly where the wine came from, and what they are receiving because the back label says it all. There is no mystery as to the quality of the wines we select.

This holiday season you can be the hero. A bottle of personalized wine, if ordered by the case, can cut the cost of your holiday thank you and Christmas gifts down to under $20 per gift. You will receive a "WOW" you haven't heard in years, at a price that won't break the bank. The best part is that when you order from Personal Wine, you get one-on-one service with our sales and graphics team. Give us a shot, and we promise to over-deliver at a phenominal price.

Have a Happy Holidays from Personal Wine!

Alex Andrawes CEO, Founder

(512) 476-9463 ext 304

Countdown to the Winter Holidays...T Minus 10 Days

2009-09-21T08:12:00.000-07:00

The winter holidays are fun, dynamic and hectic here at Personal Wine. As we enter into our 10th year in business, we celebrate our 12,000th customer. The most interesting thing about this customer is that they wanted personalized wine for a memorial party, celebrating the live and death of a World War II pilot who lived a grand life after several near-death experiences in the Pacific front. We'd like to say that everyday we get cool label designs, but this one hits home. After 9/11, we all look at veterans and our armed forces as people who have sacrificed their lives and the lives of their families to better the lives of those abroad and those here at home. We'd like to say thank you, and we love you to guys and gals who wear bear Stars and Stripes. Now our business officially kicks into high gear in October as individuals and companies rush to find that perfect holiday gift. Tickets to the theatre, lavish dinners, and trips have fallen way-side as we all practice financial responsibility.

At Personal Wine, we are no different. We've lowered our prices, up to 40% off regular price, and created special packaging to ensure that your holiday, wedding, or birthday gift can be personalized using an award-winning wine under $25 with shipping inclusive. Shop with confidence that you will receive award-winning customer service and know that you're buying a wine that people will enjoy at Personal Wine. This holiday season, you will be the hero. All you need to do is sit back and listen to the praise which will kick start 2010 on a positive note!

Celebrity Wines & the Price Quality Ratio Conundrum

2009-09-21T07:16:00.000-07:00

What do Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, and Dan Ackroyd have in common? They all have their own wines. How a celebrity (some posthumously) can create and market their wines leaves some mystified and curious. Just last week, Frank Sinatra himself resurrected from his grave to launch his own wines. He specifically told the press via email that he was "unavailable" for comment after a particular member of his entourage spilled the beans stating that "Ol' blue eyes like Jack Daniels, not wine." While its always entertaining to see how a celebrity can yield their powers towards charity and enterprise, few actually have anything whatsoever to do with the actual wine-making, simply lending the name in the spirit of private enterprise. Whether the wines are good or unpalatable, should be left up to the fans to decide. Please do leave comments and tell us what you think about their wines!

Two most important factors in choosing wines are price relative to quality. Quality Price Ratio is a term that industry people, collectors and simple wine enthusiasts look for consciously or subconsciously when buying wines. Independent reviews lend a hand to oenophiles by slapping a 0-100 point score on a wine, but is there really a difference between a 90 point wine at $20 and a 90 point wine at $100? Is the difference substantial to warrant such a difference and is the enjoyment? When a wine buyer selects inventory for their store, QPR and availability should be the two largest factors in their buying decisions. An inexpensive wine is only good if it passes a set of criteria that gives it credibility as a "best buy." Best buy wines are characterized as "bang for your buck" and exhibit the characteristics of the wine varietal with excellence at a relatively low price point. In the coming weeks as we enter the full swing of Fall with High Holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years (just to name a few), step into your local retailer, and ask the question... "I am shopping for price and quality, where is your best buy in Red, White or Sparkling?" If they can't answer you with reason, you are buying wine at the wrong place. As a wine enthusiast, you'll secretly be toasting success at the next dinner party.

Back to Wine School Sale!

2009-08-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

Its August right now, many of us are entrenched in family vacation, sports, travel, and best of all drinking great wines. We're seeing lots of great deals on wines coming this fall including some Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet, and a few others to accentuate the wine list on Personal Wine. We're very excited to prices low, service high while most importantly setting a high benchmark for quality in wine, labels, and etchings. Whether you are looking for a custom wedding gift, retirement party favor, launch party gift, or convention swag, we've got it here on Personal Wine. The results you get with Personal Wine is so good you can literally taste it.

As we roll into September, October, November, December we invite you to take advantage of pre-purchasing your holiday gifts at Personal Wine. We've got almost everything on sale, and discounted 30% off most items, even up to 50% off with free shipping on some of the higher end wine selections. Did you know we can easily send out one bottle to one customer starting under $30? In a year like this, we want to show gratitude, while not overdoing it. Its important to show business partners, employees, family and friends that we care enough to send a thoughtful gift. Even better when it doesn't break the bank and it tastes great. I guarantee you that a bottle of wine, personalized with a label or etched will impress and give you a good headstart in 2010.

Written by Alex Andrawes CEO, Founder (512) 476-9463 ext 304 (that's me on the right, glass in hand inspecting the future)

Adventures of a Personalized Wine Part IV

2009-08-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

Its August, I get married in less than a month. Am I nervous? Not at all. Why? Well we've helped so many brides/grooms with their personalized wedding wines and champagnes that we kinda got a good idea about what to do. Tiramasu layered cake, a jazz band, some incredible catering and a suit (no tux) so I can wear it at my biz meeting the following week. Since we're going with halibut and filet mignon, we're choosing the Castle Rock Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Its got the beautiful color of a fruit forward, jammy Pinot. There is some nice minerality and texture with a well balanced and polished finish. The tannin levels are moderate so its diverse meaning you can eat it with cheese dishes, poultry, even meats, but its going to pair best with that Halibut Filet. Post dinner, we're cracking into the Charles de Fere Blanc de Blancs. We've got them in a mini bottle format which is great because we know we are getting exactly how much we need ($). I'll keep you posted on the events and some pics and I appreciate all the well wishes that have come our way.

Adventures of a Personalized Wine Bottle Part III

2009-07-21T17:27:00.000-07:00

We're approaching 10 years in business! Personal Wine has seen some really incredible looking wine labels for just about every occasion. Celebrating the birth of a new family member, even the departure of a loved one. Celebrity singers, corporate executives and the guy/girl next door, each looking for that special occasion gift. I will tell you that I am a Personal Wine frequent customer. It gives truth to the saying that When in Rome, do as Romans would do. I come to work at Personal Wine everyday and frequently leave with a gift for a friend, just like any good citizen of Rome would do!

I am 32 years old, about to marry the perfect woman, and all my friends are wondering what will be served at my wedding? Personal Wine of course! We're going with the mini champagne bottles, personalized for the grab bags. For out of town guests, we're going to do two bottles in each room - Groom Shiraz (a beautiful 96 pointer) and the Morgan Chardonnay (a consistently dry, oaky production from Santa Lucia Highlands). The toast will be given using a Brut Rose (not personalized, from Wines.com). Email me at alex at personalwine dot com, tell me about how and why you use Personal Wine. If we feature your story, we'll give you a free gift certificate to Personal Wine! By Alex Andrawes, Founder and President

Sauvignon Blanc - Wine Tasting 101

2009-07-21T17:05:00.000-07:00

Sauvignon Blanc is a white grape, originating from the Loire Valley in Central Western France. These days, SB is being produced by just about every major wine appellation, including New Zealand, California, Washington, South Africa just to name a few. Sauvignon Blanc is a dry (not overly dry like a chardonnay) white wine with distinct apple, apricot, gooseberry flavors. This wine is widely available as a single varietal or as a blend with Semillon.

SB is typically light to medium-bodied, crisp & rich with acidity that makes this a fantastic food wine. What can you expect from your typical Sauvigno Blanc? Mineral tones with notable flavors of citrus and tropical flavors like gooseberry, apricot, and a hint of earth or grass. Its acidity makes this wine a great opportunity for some interesting food pairings.

Sauvignon Blanc loves to be accompanied with appetizers like spinach artichoke dip, garlic heavy foods, or Italian creamy dishes. Try a SB with a Greek or Caesar salads. Thai foods, fish (sushi), and poultry dishes pair well and its always refreshing to drink poolside with no food at all! Got a question about Sauvignon Blanc or any other wine varietal? Visit our Wine Forum for tips, suggestions of just to talk wine! We're not snobby, we just love wine!

Favorite Things for Father's Day - By The Succulent Wife

2009-05-22T07:50:00.000-07:00

The Succulent Wife's Favorite Things by Audrey van Petegem, Contributing Editor

I realize I may be getting ahead of myself worrying about Father's Day (June21), since Mother's Day just past, but I tend to do this when I’m looking to buy a meaningful gift for father of my children. I know that I'm not the only one who thinks “what do you get for the man who does not seem to need anything!” Being married to him for 23 (blissful) years and having his three children makes me think I know him pretty well, but when it comes to buying him something, for any occasion, I still panic!!! He is truly the hardest person to buy for. One thing I do know about him is that he loves great wine. So I was thrilled to discover www.personalwine.com. I loved the idea of personalizing a bottle of wine, just for Father’s Day.Their selection of wines is impressive; from high end to moderately priced. They carry a wide variety of reds, whites, blush and sparkling wine from the US, as well as a selection from Italy, Chile, Spain, Australia and France. I liked that all their wines have great descriptions with suggested meal pairings, so that although I am not a Wine Spectator reader, I know that I’m making an“educated” selection. Someone has done their homework and I get to take advantage of it! Some wines have their points rated with dates of maturity...

Adventures of a Personalized Wine Bottle II w/ Coupon Code!

2009-03-30T07:59:00.001-07:00

Spring is held dear by the guys and gals here at Personal Wine simply because we understand the importance. We honor family and friends, in particular the ones we hold dearest, our Mothers and Fathers. Our parents love small gifts, in particular ones that hold meaning, not ties and golf balls. They love things with taste and class, but they want it to come with the message of love and care. Check out our labels this year for Mother's & Father's Day, simply put it is the coolest and most cost effective gift to give this year.

If you are headed to a wedding this year, think about giving a gift of customized wines. We now etch wines as well as label them. For under $15 per bottle, we can deliver a nice bottle, custom labeled with your greeting, sure to be enjoyed by the bride and groom. For a few bucks more, we'll etch those bottles.

GET FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS OVER $500 using coupon code XWXNGJ. Call us for bulk deals and don't forget we have mini bottles as well for give-aways!

Adventures of a Personalized Wine Bottle Part I

2009-03-03T20:02:00.000-08:00

As Personal Wine approaches its 10 year anniversary, I invite my customers to share what memories were created with their custom label wine. Here are two stories that stand out in my mind.

First, a CEO of a Texas based company was approaching a big milestone, over 50 years in business. Even after the company morphed into a large multi-franchise environment with hundreds of employees and assistants, he personally ordered a 50th anniversary company gift. It was a two bottle custom label wine set with the Delicato line that was beautifully packaged in a custom etched wood box. When he came to pick up his personalized wine, I saw pride in his accomplishments and excitement about his order. Personal Wine enjoys helping others celebrate joyous occasions.

Second, I spoke to a wonderful lady who vacationed with her husband in Florida every summer. A few years ago, a hurricane destroyed her home. Luckily, two of her prized possessions were salvaged. One is a bottle of 1982 Chateau Margaux, which is considered to be one of the most collectable years of the 1980's. The other is a bottle of personalized wine bottle that we created to commemorate her 60th wedding anniversary.

This is why I love my job. Personal Wine helps people celebrate memorable events. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your special day.

Pretty and Pink from the Penedes

2009-02-03T08:08:00.000-08:00

The Penedes wine region in the Spanish province of Catalonia is that nation's epicenter of art, literature, philosophy, gastronomy and culture. More importantly, for wine drinkers, it's where Spain's famed cavas are made. Cavas, named for the caves within which they are aged.

I recommend the Marques de Monistrol MPX Brut Rose' Cava. While this pink sparkler is certainly not expensive, it is a shining example of the overall wine value potential available from Spain. Pink and pretty from the Penedes, the MPX Rose' Cava has a soft, creamy style with a well-integrated mousse. This Cava is crisp and elegant on the palate with intense red berry fruit flavors. While the fruit is there, this is no sweet affair. Minimal residual sugar on the back of the palate shows a restrained "dosage", or extra sweetness added to the sparkling wine with a bright cherry note woven into the fabric here.

On sale through Winter for $11.99 and free shipping on a case at Wines.com!

Luxe Riesling

2009-01-28T08:27:00.001-08:00

We've been huge fans of crisp 21st century rieslings here at Wines.com since they started pouring into the states at the dawn of the new century. Today's wine du jour hails from the Moselle River Valley in the sleepy state of Luxembourg. We've come across a nice parcel of the Clos Rochers Mussbaum Vineyards Grand Premier Cru 2005 Riesling, & we've even put it on sale! This is no sweet apple-bomb. This gem is an atypical riesling with ample mineralized lemon zest, even zingy lemongrass. As a food pairing, Spicy Grilled Snapper comes to mind. NOT sweet, just bracing and refreshing. Food-friendly, crisp, mineral-focused, unlike any riesling you've ever tasted. This rare and unique wine is available for a limited time here at Wines.com.

Russian River Valley Chardonnay

2008-11-26T09:01:00.000-08:00

Located at the foot of Sonoma County, the Russian River Valley has become the source of some of California's finest chardonnay. While the chardonnays coming from Monterey County and the Central Coast seem to be tasting more on the tropical side, the Russian River Valley wines tend to exhibit more traditional fall and stone fruit flavors. The over-riding theme here is lean, Burgundian restraint. This is in part a result of the blanketing, cooling fog drawn inland from the Pacific.

Two really stunning Russian River Valley chardonnays that we have recently aquired here at Wines.com from Rutz Cellars. The 2004 Maison Grand Cru is fat and rich, showing honeyed vanilla notes. This wine went through complete malolactic fermentation and over six months maturation resting on lees. For the layperson, the ultimate effect of all of this is a big, lovely, lush chardonnay. Toasty oak notes weave through the spicy pear, honey, apricot & nectarine flavors. This full-bodied wine is nonetheless perfect with elegant poultry dishes, say, roast turkey. On sale at Wines.com for $15 per bottle (typically $30).

The 2005 Bacigalupi Vineyard Chardonnay comes from Wente clone vines planted in the fog belt of the RRV. These low-yielding vines produce fruit of great intensity and focused minerality. The fresh, crisp acidity of this wine surrounds a midpalate rich with vanilla and peach. The understated oak component serves as a delightful, enhancing counterpoint to its natural, refreshing, lengthy finish. This vintage truly is one of California's best efforts. On sale for $29 per bottle at Wines.com (usualy priced $60-$70).

Parducci Organic Winery

2008-11-18T09:19:00.000-08:00

Nestled amongst the rolling hills of Mendocino County you'll find a true family success story, in the form of the Parducci Winery. Located in Ukiah, Parducci has certainly seen its ups and downs. But it's certainly riding the crest of a big "up" right now. My friend Tim Thornhill, a partner in the current operation, was determined to "reunite our extended family on several hundred acres of land where we could grow something". That was 2002.

In a few short years the family turned around a winery that needed turning around, and today the Mendocino Wine Group, based at Parducci, produces nearly a quarter of a million cases of wine. Parducci purchases grapes from local family farms, who pride themselves on protecting the environment through certified farming practices; exercizing carbon neutrality (America's first) and extensively utilizing solar power, renewable energy, placing emphasis on re-use and recycling, using earth-friendly packaging- these are but a few of the reasons why Parducci was chosen by the team here at Wines.com to lead off our National Wildlife Federation Organic Wine Club. Plus, we love their wines & think that they are a steal at their modest price-points.

The Pinot Noir offers distinct Mendocino spicy mintiness, with ripe berry and chocolate undertones. The refreshing Sauvignon Blanc provides aromas of lemon and tropical fruits with zesty citrus and melon flavors. Bright flavors of juicy pear and ripe apple define their Chardonnay, wrapped lightly by a creamy oak accent.

Tim views Mendocino County as a great, undiscovered land where history, agriculture, fresh air, natural beauty and warm-spirited people create a comfortable lifestyle. "I see Parducci as a way for our family to work together to benefit the community while improving things environmentally". Having recently been the guests of the winery, seeing and tasting the fruits of their efforts, I wholeheartedly agree. We here at Wines.com support their efforts, and invite you to do so by subscribing to Wines.com's National Wildlfe Federation Organic Wine Club, with some of the proceeds from each subscription going to support the NWF.

Hawk Crest Cabernet Sauvignon

2008-11-12T10:42:00.000-08:00

We here at Wines.com are always seeking ways to please our customers, and well chosen second labels often prove to be successful. The Stag's Leap Wine Cellars second label, Hawk Crest, is a great case in point. We've come across a nice quantity of Hawk Crest 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, and it's yours for a sweet, crazy-low price. This wine hails from Cali's Red Hills AVA(pictured) adjacent to Napa Valley and is made by the great winemaking team at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. This 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon has moderate grip and approachable tannic structure, featuring red cherry, currants and smoky blackberry notes on the fruit palate. This is a "house wine" and then some. Whenever we find a deal as good as this, we're happy. No second guessing this second label vino. It's just an unbelievable deal for unbelievable times. How unbelievable, you second-guessers ask? This wine can be found variably 'round the web in the high teens, and it's well-priced there. The Hawk Crest 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon is on sale for $109/case(+ tax) and free shipping at Wines.com.

The Power of Diversity

2008-11-03T09:33:00.000-08:00

There are few wineries that consistently produce a wide variety of great wines at great prices year in and year out. One of our perennial favorites is the Peter Lehmann Winery. Making wonderful wines in Australia's Barossa Valley, few wineries can offer as many acclaimed wines at such reasonable prices. Given my affinity for red blends, it's no surprise that I've been a huge fan of Lehmann's Clancy's for many years. A bold, robust mix of cabernet sauvignon, shiraz and merlot, Clancy's really over-delivers at it's modest price-point. With the 2004 vintage scoring 90 Wine Spectator points, and the 2005 coming in a great vintage year in Australia, this is a wine not to miss. Lehmann's '05 Shiraz garnered a 91 pt. WS score, and the shiraz component of the '05 Clancy's is clearly the headliner of this star-studded show. A variety of dark fruits is proffered, with black cherry and plum predominating. The spice palate is shot through with everything from allspice to white pepper. Aussies are well-known for blending the distinctly diverse flavors of cab and shiraz, and Lehmann does so to great effect. The merlot component softens the package, providing finesse with it's rounding qualities. It is on sale at Wines.com for $13.99/bottle (typically $20) with free shipping on a case. Call 800-690-WINE and mention the "Diversity Special".

Al Lageder Rocks

2008-10-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

Had the great pleasure of meeting one of my "Wine Heroes" last week. Not just meeting Alois Lageder, famed Italian winemaker, but participating in a mentored tasting of a number of his single-vineyard biodynamically produced wines from Alto Adige. He makes over 20 different wines in the highlands of the Dolomites. He carefully chooses which grape will be planted at which particular site, reaching such decisions by considering the whole terroir, the complex and total array of all of the natural factors that determine the uniqueness of any given locale. He has been at the forefront of biodynamic agriculture for many years, with the long-term goal being to strengthen the vineyards' biological equilibrium. By increasing the vitality of the vines, their resistance to parasites and disease is enhanced. Allowing full ripening of the grapes, and utilizing gentle vinification processes (such as relying upon gravity vs. the use of pumps), Lageder is able to produce wines of singular typicity. These elegant wines truly taste of their origin. Two of my favorites from the tasting were the 2007 "Benefizium Porer" Pinot Grigio & the 2007 "Haberle"Pinot Bianco. The PG was a shining example of the often-flat varietal. Super-clean, stunning minerality, just enough acidity and some creaminess for balance. Just a hint of lime for the minimal fruit component. The Pinot Bianco, on the other hand, could not have packed more fruit onto the palate. This dry, fresh, vibrant fruit-bomb washed starfruit, green melon, grapefruit, and tart green apple over my beaming tastebuds. Chockfull of fruit flavors and fully supported by crisp minerality. This is the best Pinot Bianco I've ever tasted. This man is a genius, and I hope that he is able to create wines this good for many years to come. While the PG would be great with anything with flippers from the sea, the PB is a super "stand-alone" wine, simply calling for the good times to roll. We are very proud to be able to offer Alois Lageder's wines here at Wines.com, and we wish he and his family continued Great Success.

Cheers, Buckley Wineholt

Whatta Whole Lotta Bubbles

2008-10-16T07:33:00.000-07:00

Capital gains? Capital pains! There are big-time, big-money French Champagnes to lubricate the rich (you two still out there?) and there are scads of plucky sparklers made 'round the world for the other 99.99% of us workin' stiffs. I'm a big fan of Prosecco and I've even had a Spanish Cava or two that I dug. Honestly, I've never been wowed by the Cali bubblies that I've tried. Tasted scores, never wowed. Until August. On a day laden with waaay too many pinot noirs and gewurt's in Anderson Valley/Mendocino, I stumbled across a Reveletory Sparkler. Scharffenberger Cellars first began making wines in 1981, with varying levels of success. Fast forward to 2008, they're currently owned by famed French Champagne house Louis Roederer, and are making what I belive to be Cali's best sparkling wine. And It's not French at all. It's composed of 65% pinot noir & 35% chardonnay, and while the pinot is clearly driving the bus here, the chard shows it's elegant face shiningly. Fruit forward, with the AV pinot bringing creamy strawberry/raspberry, cherry and brambly plum in. The chardonnay component undergoes 100% malolactic fermentation, enhancing the vanilla creaminess. Twenty-first century Cali tropicality brings exotic mango, lychee and pineapple fluff notes. Two years rested on lees, the chard brings a yeasty toastiness, dense with pastry shop butterscotch brioche and lemon chiffon flavors. Sweet this is not, true brut dry-finishing with a crunchy mineral backbone. All for under sixteen smakers, price-specialized for your drinking pleasure. Being from Mendocino, serve Scharffenberger Brut with whatever you eat when you get the munchies.

Cheers, Buckley Wineholt

Enjoyin' the Ride

2008-10-15T08:17:00.000-07:00

Never drink Champagne on a roller coaster. The bubbles will wreak havoc on your sinuses. Never drink red wine on a roller coaster. You'll never get the stains out, and the passengers behind you will fear that you are bleeding out. Never drink heavy, oaky white wines on a roller coaster. They're just not applicable to the wild ride. Never drink sweet wines on a roller coaster. What with all of the cotton candy and all, you've had enough sweets. While riding a roller coaster, be sure to drink a light, crisp white wine. Something Italian. The Italian winemaking regions known for their great whites range from Trentino-Alto Adige (producing the world's best pinot grigios) and the Veneto in the northeast, through Umbria (and it's Orvietos) down to Campania (Greco di Tufo & Fiona di Avellino - these are arguably Italy's best whites). A Sicilian Vernaccia would ride very well in a roller coaster. While you're having a wild ride, it's important not to splash these wonderful whites on your fellow passengers. Although it's true that there's enough soaking to go around these days, you don't want to add to it. Savor your wine while you ride the roller.

Cheers, Buckley Wineholt

Worth the Wait

2008-10-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

On the other side of the pond, blended wines are the norm. Back when we Americans regularly slaked our thirst with locally brewed ales, the French, Italians and Spanish were imbibing rich, well-developed blends of cultivated grapes grown to complement each other in finely crafted wines. Today's vino babble focuses on one such wine from Bordeaux's Medoc. One of the wines that I had the pleasure of drinking this past weekend was the 2000 Chateau La Bessane from the Margaux A.O.C. in the southern Medoc. Side note - Wine Spectator gave the 2000 Left-Bank Bordeaux vintage 99/100 points, "Postmodern classic, Benchmark Bordeaux". It gave this particular wine 90 points. The wines from Margaux have been described as being "like an iron fist in a velvet glove". This wine is no exception. It is a very unique composite of 60% petit verdot, 20% cabernet sauvignon and 20% merlot. Petit verdot (petit because of the small berry size) is a very late-ripening grape, and wines made from it take years to reach maturity/drinkability. The 2000 vintage in Margaux was a very long one, allowing for the petit verdot's full development. This 2000 drank beautifully, and would have been great with a big, juicy Ribeye. The 2000 Chateau La Bessane Margaux is fully developed, and still richly tannic. Lush and silky with deep, dark red fruits finishing with spicy oak. I happen to know where to get some of this for under $20 a bottle. As they say, the best things in life are worth waiting for.

Cheers, Buckley Wineholt

A Trilogy of Blended Pleasures

2008-10-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

Why are Americans so afraid of blends? Our nation serves as a shining example of the power of the melting pot, gaining strength from our diversity. You'd think that we would be crazy for wines that expertly blend a number of varietals. We're not. Certainly in the cheap wine stratum, people accept that they'll be getting blended plonk for their pennies. At the other end of the spectrum, giant proprietary blends, especially from Italy and Australia (and Cali) are the most sought after reds. It's in the middle, where real, everyday wine drinkers purchase wines that blends are anathema. In my decade-plus experience selling wine, I've found general reluctance on the part of wine buyers when it comes to blends. White blends can tend towards the loony/loopy (see"Battle of the 'Poor Man's Conundrum'"10/08/08) putting too much in your mouth. Red blends, at least the well-made, well-balanced ones, tend to be synergistic affairs, with the wine's strength equalling more than a sum of its parts. All Bordeaux wines are blends, most Super Tuscans. In reality, Cali "single varietal" wines usually don't contain more than 75% of the stated varietal. One that recently hit my Tastemaker Radarscreen is the 2005 Flora Springs Trilogy, composed of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc, in true meritage style. This edition of this world-class master-blaster of power and grace marks Flora Springs 30th anniversary of fine winemaking. Exhibiting cassis and dark cherry on the nose, the palate is pleasured with black cherry, cocoa, coffee & toffee. A stunning red to be cellared and enjoyed over the coming decade. This Rutherford/Napa gem is a blend that Americans can proudly consume, proud of the diversity that abounds here in the Good Old U.S. of A. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate agrees, giving this vintage 93 points. Also, a little bird (parakeet, actually) just informed me that the 2005 Trilogy can be found hereabouts at a deep discount. Look upon it as a safe investment, if you will. Serve this wine with cuts from the recently slaughtered Bull Market.

Cheers, Buckley Wineholt

Sustainability

2008-10-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

I'm no farmer. Most wine drinkers aren't. Most of us don't know much about the various agricultural practices employed by wineries. Increasingly, many of us are rightfully concerned about the actual impact of how what we consume is produced. We are increasingly concerned about the deleterious affects that corporate agricultural practices have had on the land in the past 50 years. I don't presume to know much about the "healthiest" agricultural practices that a winery can employ, but I'm learning. As we concerned wine consumers are all learning about the correct, intelligent, healthy ways that grapes can be grown and wine can be made. You'll be reading a great deal here, and elsewhere, about organic, sustainable and biodynamic growing practices that wineries chose to employ. To me, the over-arching concern must be sustainability, in a larger sense. It is important to consider both the environmental and the economic sustainability quotients. If the land is farmed using the smartest, healthiest methods, and good (or great) wine is produced as a result of this, and the wine is marketed effectively, then economic sustainability should follow. Sure, there's weather, labor issues and a million other " Murphy's Law" factors to consider. I'm no farmer, nor am I an economist. I'm just another wino with righteous concerns. The wineries that address these concerns have a better chance of surviving than those that don't. They're unsustainable.

Cheers, Buckley Wineholt

Battle the "Poor Man's Conundrum"

2008-10-08T20:35:00.000-07:00

Most fans of domestic white blends are familiar with Caymus' second label Conundrum, a unique propietary blend of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, muscat, semillon and viognier. Wildly complex and vibrant with honeysuckle, peach/apricot nectar and floral-citrus notes, the precise blend changes with each vintage. Lovers of the wine hold "Conundrum Parties", with each guest attempting to guess the exact varietal composition. A lesser known, and lower-priced option is the Chenin Blanc-Viognier from Pine Ridge. Somewhat more restrained, unlike it's crazy cousin Conundrum, featuring pear,lychee, melon and grapefruit notes. While both wines do have a citrus component, the muscat in the Conundrum can really make the train fly uncontrollably off of the tracks. It's just too much. Surprisingly, both wines come from producers of high-dollar, powerhouse Rutherford/Napa reds (Conundrum did just open it's own facility in Monterey County in 2007 to be closer to its Central Coast-sourced fruit). These whites sell for nearly a quarter of their big red brothers. My understanding is that they are something of a "loss leader" for both wineries, in order to introduce the brands to customers. Hence their prevalence on restaurant menus. Another crazy cousin white not to be missed, if you like this sort of thing, is the Evolution (formerly Evolution#9) from Sokol-Blosser in Dundee Hills/Willamette Valley. I'll spare you the gory 9(!!!)-varietal details, but this wine takes the cake for crazy complexity & "Where'd I leave my hat?"-taste-profile insanity. Look for intensely perfumed honeyed-floral aromas, a delicately spiced herbaceous character with melon, peach, green apple and grapefruit on the palate.Oh, and nutmeg (gewurtraminer, you so crazy). Honestly, though I've joyously quaffed Evolution numerous times (once while strolling the very vines from which the wine springs), I culled the preceding description from the website's flavor descriptors for the nine varietals that compose the wine. Did that just to show you how loopy these folks are. I DARE you to pair these wacky whites with your wildest culinary creations. Great "ice-breaker"/hostess gift wines. All three, real head-turners. - Buckley Wineholt

Land of the Giant Wine

2008-09-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

Legend has it that shiraz originally came from ancient Persia. Sadly, present-day Iran has outlawed the production of wine. So regardless of its true origins, the much heralded grape has no home there. My first experiences with wines made from the syrah/shiraz grape were rather infamous. Nasty, tight, low-end Croze Hermitage, from France's Northern Cotes Du Rhone do not do the grape justice. In the late-90's, I sumbled upon Australia's Giant Shiraz. D'arenberg. Henry's Drive. Jim Barry. The list is seemingly endless. Spicy, robust, long-lived and full-bodied, these not-so-gentle-giants will change the way that you think about wine. Not for the faint of heart, these masculine wines pair favorably with rich, spicy lamb and game dishes. All peppery meat dishes fare well alongside these monsters, with berry-fruited +/or mint-scented sides. Keep your eyes peeled for deals on two giant shiraz, Barossa Valley's Hazyblur and Killibinbin from Langhorne Creek. These 90+ rated wines would be a worthy addition to any cellar.

Cheers, Buckley Wineholt

1977 Graham's Vintage Port Millenium

2008-09-04T13:36:00.000-07:00

Last August, I received the gift from a friend who mistakenly thought I was born in 1977. Of course, I didn't say anything because the gift was really outstanding.... 2 magnums of 1977 Graham's Vintage Port in pristine condition. I thought about putting them into my collection but hey, temptation got the best of me. I have an affinity to colheitas however after reading about 1977, I must say this person did well indeed in terms of gift giving. In no way do I expect gifts as it sometimes makes me feel uncomfortable but..... The 1977 Graham's is outstanding. Its still a bit young, but definitely complex, jammy, with a floral bouquet on the nose which really surprised me. On the palate its got structure and definitely displays hints of ripe plum, dark berries, anise, and some earth tones that really made this port finish well, however I think it could use a couple more years of cellaring so I vacuumed it up and put it back into safe keeping. Its really unlike any other port I've had with the exception of the 2003 Taylor Fladgate which I do not intend to open for another 20 years. If its on the shelf, and you have some extra bones in the pocket, snag it quickly!

2005 Robert Craig Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon

2008-08-28T08:53:00.000-07:00

Some tasting notes on Robert Craig's 05 that has yet to be released... A focused nose of deep blackberry and cassis, laced with white chocolate, a touch of anise, smoky cedar and tobacco. Flavors: Mouthfilling mountain fruit and cassis predominate, underlain with mocha, bay leaf and licorice. Finish: The full palette of Mt Veeder flavors carries through on a long finish, bringing forth more dark fruit, supple tannins and notes of tobacco and vanilla. General: A powerful, balanced and complex wine with well-integrated, ripe tannins. Decanting recommended. It will hopefully be released early next year. (yes the pic has the wrong vintage)... Wines.com Tasting Team

2006 Groom Barossa Valley Shiraz - Magnificent!

2008-08-20T07:08:00.001-07:00

David Groom is the former wine maker from Pensfold Grange, Australia's darling vintage that is highly sought after. David Groom has been involved in some very high end wine consulting, wine making gigs, including one that is currently underway in San Francisco. From what I understand he's taking the old Presidio property and converting it into the Foggy Bridge winery, which will no doubt be a success. Today we received a sample of the 2006 Groom Barossa Valley Shiraz from his property in Barossa Valley, Australia. This wine is hands down the best Australian Shiraz I have sampled in 8 years. Its got great texture with silky tannins that will no doubt dissipate with some cellaring. It has nice fruit (the right amount of fruit forward) and hints of anise, peppers, blackberries and most important a dash of vanilla. I believe that David Groom has the ability to transform grapes into art. Recommended for anyone looking to make an impression at a rack of lamb or osso bucco dinner. Recommended buy on this one as it will improve substantially with about 5 years in the cellar.

2004 Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto

2008-08-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we sampled the 2004 Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto. The Guidalberto is the sister wine to Sassacaia, the mother of all Super Tuscan wines. Guidalberto is a blend of 45% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Sangiovese. Like its big sister, Guidalberto is produced from hand selected grapes, meticulously sorted and blended together to produce this immediately drinkable masterpiece. Most Super Tuscans are just like my good Italian friends, a little sparky upon immediate introduction, but passionate and a pleasure to be around. This wine is unusual because unlike others, this wine opens up with soft tannins, an outstanding bouquet, and a very clean and lasting finish. Basically most Super Tuscans that are young, need some aging, but this one is a cut above the rest. This is a great wine that will cellar well over the next 3-7 years and should be part of any collector's portfolio. The best news is that this is not out of reach like most Bordeaux classified growths, its available for about $65 per bottle at most locations. Enjoy with Friends!

Rosé Champagne ... A brief biography!

2008-08-12T06:16:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me yesterday in a brief phone call about Rosé Champagne. Before we go into the production level discussion, its first important to state that all grapes are white on the inside, its the red skin that gives red wine it color. The skins in white wines or champagnes are removed so a Blancs de Noir is basically the white of the Pinot Noir grapes. Producers looking to make Rosé, include the skins of the grapes in the tanks or barrells for around 3-5 days, and then bleed the systems to flush out larger particles of skin or tannins, leaving a small amount of skin causing the wine to appear pinkish. Rosé Wines are produced with Rhone grapes like Syrah, Grenache and Carignan and develop well in hotter regions such as Provence, the Languedoc and Australia. In France, Rosé has now exceeded white wines in sales. In the United States many farmers who did well with the 2005 crop decided to increase the production of Rosé wines and champagnes instead of dumping crop. While historically its not my favorite, I recently attended a wine tasting by the Moet Hennessy. These guys produce the best champagnes in my opinion (my b-day is coming up...hint) and their portfolio includes the top three sellers: Veuve Clicquot ($50), Dom Perignon ($110) and Moet ($45). FYI, the best value in Rosé Champagne is produced by Moet. Its supple, perfectly dry with a hint of residual fruit sugars. Another fantastic champagne is the Moet Nectar Imperial.

Prosecco for the Party

2008-08-06T08:11:00.000-07:00

Whenever I start a new job, I like to celebrate. Who doesn't ? When you walk in on the first day, your emotions are a turbulent mix of fearlessness and trepidation. You honestly don't know what to fear, if anything. But oh, that night, the libations they do flow. My choice of celebratory libation, you ask ? Prosecco. Hailing from the Veneto region of northeastern Italy, Prosecco is a crisp sparkling wine that lends itself well to wild celebration. Soft, slightly off-dry and perfect for frothing-at the-mouth, I just think that Prosecco is perfect to liven up the party. Sure, big fat French Champagnes scream, " Congratulations ! " when you pop the cork. Prosecco is a little more on the down-low, softly, yet confidently whispering," Enjoy, but don't get a big head, hubris isn't very becoming.". My ultimate Prosecco is Carpene Malvolti, but the more widely available Bisol is a great second choice. The drier the better.

Cheers, Buckley Wineholt, Wines.com

Chateauneuf du Pape - A brief history...

2008-07-23T06:19:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends, people keep asking me "What the heck is Châteauneuf-du-Pape?", so let me give you a brief history... Chateauneuf du Pape translates as "New Castle of the Pope" and the name does in fact have a direct meaning with Middle Age Christianity in Europe. In 1308, a former arch bishop from Bordeaux called Clemente was crowned Pope and decided to relocate the papacy to the city of Avignon in France. He bacame known as Clemente V and his subsequent successors "Avignon Popes" were said to be lovers of Burgundy wines, bless their souls, and they did much to promote these wines during the seventy-year + duration in Avignon. First known as "Vins du Pape" which translates to "Wines of the Pope" it became later known as Chateauneuf du Pape which carries the unique symbol of the castle in the town less than kilometers from the banks of the Rhone River. Now which are my favorite Chateauneuf du Papes? Chateau La Nerthe (its the least pricey and always incredible), Beaucastel is always the top leader but a little more expensive, and there are a few that are always pretty good and moderately priced like Roger Sabon's Les Olivers Chateauneuf du Pape which retails around $40 or so. Anyways, Chateauneuf du Pape is one of those wines that is immediately drinkable, however it is recommended to age between 4 and 6 years to acheive its pinnacle in taste. Its my favorite wine in case you are looking for my upcoming birthday present (hint, hint).

Cheers - Alex Andrawes Wines.com and PersonalWine.com CEO

Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs...

2008-07-18T12:35:00.000-07:00

Today our CEO Alex came back from an event with two fabulous bottles of pinot noir. One of them was Castle Rock's Willamette Valley (Oregon) Pinot Noir. You should have seen the looks on everyone’s faces when he gingerly asked us if we wanted to have a glass or two to make the day go by. Needless to say it was a no-brainer.
Upon first opening the bottle and pouring it into our glasses there was an immediate fruit explosion. The color of the wine was what a red wine should be. You could tell it wasn’t watered down and that it would have excellent body. We all agreed that it had an appealing plum, cherry, and spice aroma. I was pleased to find that it was not extremely “oaky” or “woody” like many pinot noir’s are tending to be these days.
Do you guys have any favorite pinot noir’s or any other types of wines for that matter out of Oregon? I feel like I haven’t really touched on that region in awhile, and after having this glass of wine today I feel bad, like a negligent grandmother, and now I need to spoil it. So please, spoil Oregon. Make it feel like the favorite grandchild. Put it on a pedestal and tell me about your favorite wines from Oregon. It’s almost the weekend… : )

Wine Storage II....On the Go!

2008-07-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

In lieu of the tips we gave a few days back on wine storage, I wanted to share with you this very interesting endeavor by a couple in Paso Robles. Part of the appeal of traveling through Northern California’s Wine Country is the ability to transport yourself into a world where you can try wine that is normally inaccessible by most people in “big city,” USA. Also, a trip to wine country means coming home with bottles that were special to you on your trip which makes sharing with friends extra special. The issue with buying vintage wine and wine that should be stored while on vacation… where are you going to store it?
Safe Haven offers wine country travelers a place to store wines for an extended period of time so that way they can choose to drink the wine whenever they so choose, or have it shipped to their house safely once they return from vacation. I love the concept of Safe Haven, and see this place being quite successful for a number of reasons. For one, I can see many wineries teaming up with Safe Haven to accommodate their customers in order to get their name out. Also, the base price of Safe Haven is rather affordable to begin with.Next time you are on a trip through the wine country, perhaps you should look up Safe Haven to safely store your favorite find.

Wine Storage 101

2008-07-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

For the wine freak, like myself, I have wines that I need to store for 6 months to over a year. If you consume the wine you buy within one month, you can store it in room temperature or up to the mid 70's. For long term storage, you'll need something more robust. There are a handful of factors that will kill wine including light, prolonged exposure to heat, humidity (or lack thereof), and of course the wine and cork themselves.

For long term storage, you will want to keep your wine stored between 55 and 62 degrees Fahrenheit, with a relative humidity of 60-70 percent to protect the corks. Dehydrated cork can let oxygen enter into the wine accelerating its maturity and rendering it bad after a very short time. This is most evident in bottles with low neck levels or even on the cork when you find that its been saturated thru the entire cork.

If you are building a storage closet, use insulation and be sure that you are using a proper AC unit, not a window unit. Vinotemp and Breezaire make relatively affordable units that you can put into your cellar. Be sure to lay the bottles sideways as thats the most optimal way to store wine and use racks if you have them available. Don't stain the wood as varnish carries toxins that can seep into the wines over time. If you're building racks, use spanish cedar, oak or pine.

Its a lot of work, and can take a whole weekend, but will be worth your time and investment! Have a great weekend! - Alex Andrawes, CEO Personal Wine and Wines.com.

Wine at the County Fair? Sure, why not!

2008-07-09T11:43:00.000-07:00

Ahh the county fair. A time for cotton candy, sodas, rides that have barely passed safety inspections, and miniature animals. But a time for walking around with a glass of wine? Not really what I remember from my childhood.
However, this year at the New York state fair they are allowing participants of the fair to walk around with 10 ounce cups of wine. Quite interesting if you ask me. At many of the county and state fairs I have been to beer has always been allowed in certain areas of the fair, but you never really saw people walking around with it.
So here comes the big question…why? According the article that I found, Senator John DeFrancisco hopes that by allowing people to drink the wine wherever they please, it will “encourage more of the fair-goers to sample New York’s wine varieties.”
I like the idea, and I hope it works. I am all about getting people to try new wines. So good for you New York, and I hope it works! Way to be the wine guinea pig for us all...

Fire and Wine!

2008-07-03T13:15:00.000-07:00

It really is everywhere. Not just in Southern California, but now Northern California, Las Vegas, Arizona, and a number of other Western states. The effects are devastating not only to the people that live in these areas and the ecosystems, but the economies.
One particular industry that is starting to get extremely worried about their well-being because of the fires is, as you may have guessed, the wine industry. While many vineyards haven’t been directly hit by the fires, they are getting closer and closer. Each day more and more vintners wake up see a sheet of layer of smoke on their vines from the fires, a sign that danger is quickly approaching. The layer of smoke, on top of the fog from the smoke has affected the way that the grapes are ripening, and in turn will affect the taste and outcome of their wines. Glen McCourty of The University of California Cooperative Extension farm said that “the secondary buds were three weeks late in the photosynthesis process because of the smoke” in an article for Wines and Vines. Three weeks, while it might fly by in our world, makes a HUGE difference in wine making.
Another problem that the fires bring into wine making is that the smoke and the fire leave a pungent taste and smell that is extremely difficult to get rid of. It is often describe of as a bacony flavor, and to most, if not all wine drinkers, it is not something pleasant.
So for now, California winemakers are taking every pre-caution to not let their wine be exposed to the smoke and the fire. However, when it is all around, what can you do? If you live in the ocean, you can’t avoid water can you? I guess we will have to see what may come.

Step-a-side Sideways, Merlot is back and kickin'!

2008-06-30T20:43:00.000-07:00

I saw the movie, I liked it. It was witty, intelligent, informational. However, no matter which way you looked at it Miles was not a Merlot lover. Well, Merlot is looking to make a comeback in its on respect with the movie Merlove. You probably guessed it from the title, but this movie glorifies the Merlot, putting it in a more favorable spotlight. Here is a summary of the movie off of its website: “Merlove is a documentary celebrating Merlot wine in response to the movie Sideways. Have the courage to embark on your own wine adventure. Merlove will help you learn more about wine, but it is your own experience that will guide your personal journey. As you try new wines you will gain love and appreciation for the gifts that wine can bring. Like anything in life, wine can be enjoyed and enhanced by sharing it with others. The bottom line is good wine is good wine and bad wine is bad wine, but that should not stop the adventure. The message of Merlove is that no single grape varietal should be singled out as superior or inferior to others. Enjoy as we interweave documentary style film making with the animation of a bottle of Merlot wine named “Merlove” who must find a way to fill itself with love when aimlessly tossed into the ocean of mediocre Merlot wine.

We want people to know that Merlot is ready to be loved again by all and remember that every vintage has a new story to tell…” I think the movie has a great message. Don’t knock something ‘till you try it. I think that should apply not only to Merlot’s, but the wine world in general. People sometimes get their mind set and can’t break out of the box. However, when you open up your mind and your palette you just might be surprised. If you go check it out, please comment and let us know!

French Wine or California Wine? by Denman Moody

2008-06-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

It sometimes makes me crazy to see articles by wine writers telling consumers that they should not like big, rich, opulent California wines. Sure, I can't stand over oaked wines. And when a wine is 16% alcohol and out of balance, I don't want it--with food or not. but these nuts who say we should never produce a wine with more than 14% alcohol are nuts themselves. Because of nature (as in GREEN), our wines many times don't reach phenolic ripeness until 14% alcohol or more. To pick grapes just because they've reached the sugar levels that some of the revered wines of France reach just before picking, is absurd. Sometimes, in Europe, they couldn't attain our degree of ripeness if weather conditions there were perfect.

Sometimes I think they are so down on our wines because THEY CAN'T MAKE WINES LIKE OURS! I think the 1976 Paris tasting, in which our wines kicked their wines' tails (with all French judges), was certainly an eye opener. Even the judgings much later have proved our wines age much better than anyone ever thought. And now I read from some writer that since our wines have so much alcohol, that now our wines won't age anymore, and will lose the blind tastings. Bring them on!

My main point is that I love great Bordeaux wines. I also love great California wines. You can drink the ones you like, and you can write about the ones you like. But quit telling people what they should like. Of course you should experiment. And you should drink different wines with different foods. But your palate is the best palate on earth for you. And don't let anyone tell you differently. Denman Moody, owner of http://www.corporateeventwines.com/.

Red Hot For the Summer

2008-06-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

Last week I shared with you some of my favortie Chardonnay’s and Pinot Grigio’s to chill out with in this hot summer heat. In light of your feedback and recent articles I wanted to do another posting on bargain summer wines. Not only some other white ones, but some reds as well. With a little bit of research you can find a cabernet sauvignon that will fit right into your backyard bbq, and you won’t feel like you are eating the bark right off your oak tree.

The first wine is one that I tasted a while back so I’m trying to draw memory from my palette on that glorious day…but bear with me. It was Eden Vale Winery’s 2003 MidSummer’s Eve. I was at a wedding in New York (this wine isn’t sold in most grocery stores here in Texas). At the wedding it was paired with red meat, but I remember thinking that it could also go with a seafood pasta. ($14)

I have personally always been a fan of Roses’…when they are done right. Done wrong it can start tasting like Kool-Aid mixed with alcohol and you are headed straight for a headache. However, one rose that I have always enjoyed is Chateau Ste. Michelle 2006 Neillie’s Garden Dry Rose. This wine was originally released exclusively for the wineries Vintage Reserve Club Members, but thanks to all their praises, it is now on the market for all of us to enjoy! Serve this chilled at your next backdoor BBQ with berries to bring out the flavors. ($11)

And for a white. I decided to choose a Riesling because they are traditionally not “oaky.” I choose to talk about Nearly Naked Snoqualmie 2004 Riesling because this vineyard specializes in using 100% organic grapes. Many people would dare to say that it would hardly make a difference in the taste, but it actually does make the wine more refreshing. Just what we need in the summer heat. ($10)

You Booze, You Loose!

2008-06-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it’s been a few weeks since California “17/20” winemakers lost their right to make direct shipments into Illinois, and well, neither side is too happy about it. Californian winemakers have lost millions of dollars in sales, and the numbers are continuing to grow, and the people of Illinois are upset about not getting their wine.

In case you haven’t heard the background on this dilemma, many wineries in CA hold “17/20” licenses which basically means that they don’t have their own winemaking facilities, but rather do their winemaking at other places or at “custom crush” facilities. The scope of these wineries ranges from boutique wineries to larger, mass distributed wineries. However, since they are classified as retailers and distributors, this goes against the House Bill 429 of Illinois. The HB429 was passed back in the first week of June and had an immediate negative effect on the California wine industry.

Sadly, it seems like Illinois is sticking to its’ guns despite all the negative attention the state is receiving from all sides. Personally I think it is a shame when we start banning and stop supporting our own country’s efforts at wine, almost like the French did by saying no advertising on the internet. Just like almost EVERYONE on any cooking show says now days…”support your local market!” Well heck, at least support your country’s wine market. What are your thoughts on Illinois’ decision?

Israel Is On The Move

2008-06-23T13:33:00.000-07:00

What do Israel and California have in common? Their wine-making philosophies. While they are hundreds upon thousands of miles away from each other geographically, Israeli wine connoisseurs have to deal with many of the same weather issues as Californian vintners do and they base much of their wine philosophies off of California grape growers.

What really compelled me to write about this is that I love hearing about up and coming wine regions. Like when I wrote about British wines and their rising popularity a few weeks ago. While I always love knowing that I can fall back on my favorites, you can’t just stick to those. Trying new wines is the key to developing your palette.

One quote that I saw in an article in the San Francisco Chronicle said “[Israeli wineries] advocate growing wine, not growing grapes.” I must say that is the way to go. While grapes are the bread and butter of wine, there is still so much more that goes into the wine process and I think that sometimes vintners loose that. They stray away from the basics, from what they know. Perhaps this is the main reason for the recent focus on Israeli wines. They don’t stray, they use their knowledge to do what they do best.

I must say, I am excited to go out this week and find some Israeli wines and have a little tasting myself. Do any of you have some recommendations for me? I would love to hear them. I will comment on this entry later with my finds and what I thought about them.

Playboy Collectors Edition Wines

2008-06-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

The 2008 Playboy Collectors Edition Wines takes the showcase vintage from unique garagista and cult wineries worldwide, paired with vintage Playboy Magazine Covers hand selected by the wine makers and transformed into a limited edition run of 500 bottles. Each label showcases the year and month of the centerfold that wine makers feel best personifies that particular vintage style.

The inaugural vintage begins with 2005 Janzen Napa Cabernet Sauvingnon, produced by Nils and Kirk Venge, with the February 1962 centerfold. This 2005 vintage has produced outstanding results in it's fitness and depth. Possessing aromas of dark cherry with hints of cedar, cassis, raspberry, plum, black current and vanilla. This Cabernet clearly defines the perfect combination of fruits and tannins inter-winded with hints of oak, and a balanced structure and finish, just like Playboy's February 1962 cover.

Wineries participating in this unique and exciting collection include Gargiulo Money Road Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Supery's famed Dollarhide Cabernet Sauvignon, Shug Estate Heritage Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, a South African Villafonte Series S, an Italian Tenuta Sette Ponte Oreno, and many other high end limited production, highly sought after wines. The Playboy Collectors Edition WInes wines will be available by subscription only at www.personalwine.com.

Chill Out With A Bargain

2008-06-19T11:53:00.000-07:00

With the temperatures rising and not showing any signs of letting up, I have been more apt to opening up a chilled bottle of Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio lately. I don’t know how the weather is in your neck of the woods, but here in Austin we have had record breaking heat for the past week…meaning the temperatures have been in upper 90’s, breaking 100 at the hottest point of the day. Thank the high heavens that I do not work outside during the day, and I only subject myself to that extreme heat when I choose to lounge by a pool or float in a river.
On that note, I thought I would like to share with you some of my favorite Chardonnay’s and Pinot Grigio’s for under $20. The list is in no particular order, and I tried to include wines from various regions.

Growing up in Texas my parents often took trips to Texas vineyards. One of their favorites, and in turn one of mine, is Messina Hof's Barrel Reserve Chardonnay It is rich, woody, and buttery, and at $12 it won’t break the bank.

For those of you who prefer fruitier Chardonnay, try Robert Mondavi's Napa Valley Chardonnay. Its a steal at $20. It got a 90 from Wine Enthusiast, and is quite refreshing with it’s lively acidity and abundant fruit flavors.

Personally I don’t check to see if the grapes that go into a wine were grown organically, but I know that a lot of people do now days. So here is one organic Pinot Grigio that I tried about 2 weeks ago with my friends, and was rather impressed by. It was Luna 2006 Pinot Grigio. The nose is filled with the aroma of pear, peach, and apricot, and those flavors blend flawlessly with oak into a nice smooth finish. At about $18 a bottle maybe I should go organic!

I hope my suggestions helped you out. I will probably add some more later on this week/next week. I would love to hear some of your favorite bargains, so comment away.

Cork & Co.

2008-06-18T13:51:00.000-07:00

So I am a big fan, as I am sure most of you are, of enjoying a nice glass of wine (or two or three) amongst friends in a nice relaxing environment. Since I have lived in Austin for quite some time I have had the opportunity to scope out quite a few places to do this. I have to say that one of my favorite places to go any night of the week, whether it’s the middle of the week to just let out a little steam, or a Friday night to start out the night, is Cork & Co. on Congress Ave. The atmosphere is just perfect. They won the award for “Chill Scene 2006” and they offer classes during the week to learn more about pairing and tasting.

But beyond all of this they offer what they call “flights,” which are a trio of three wines that have some sort of theme. Their staff is always extremely friendly and is very knowledgeable so they can help you out. It is great for people with refined or beginner palettes and allows you to try a variety of wines in one night without having to buy so much wine. And just in case you weren’t sold on it yet…since Cork & Co is also a retail store they can sell their wine at retail price making everything much more affordable. Every time I go there I end up going home with a bottle of wine because I know I can get that same bottle for about that price at the store. Fantastico!

I plan on going there sometime this week and will try some new wines for yall so be on the lookout for updates!

Don't Judge a Book by It's Cover

2008-06-17T14:20:00.000-07:00

Being a marketing major myself I have learned a thing or two about what the consumer wants to hear/see/buy. So needless to say all this jabber lately about wine labels has really caught my attention. Aside from the controversy over what companies are putting on labels, I want to focus on the labels themselves. Let’s take a journey back, o I don’t know, maybe 10-15 years ago, and most wine labels looked alike. You had the name of winery, the type of wine, and some other pretty cursive writing, and that was about it. Some might have put a flashy gold stamp or something on the front, but other than that the label was just there to tell you what the wine was.

Now the game has changed. Enter the younger consumer. Now wine companies are hiring people to come in and design labels so that way when people go to restaurants and order their wine, they will remember it the next time they hit the grocery store. How does this work? Well I remember there was this wine that my parents used to always buy whenever I still lived at home. On the label there was this old red truck on it. When I first moved out my roommates and I were having our first dinner and wanted some wine to go with it, so I suggested that wine. When we got to the store I couldn’t for the life of me remember what it was called so I just searched the isles until I saw the truck. And what do you know…it was called Red Truck…I’m a genius.
However, I must warn you…just like they say “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover,” DO NOT JUDGE A WINE BY IT’S LABEL! I was watching this video by Gary Vaynerchuk the other day (go check out more of his videos…they are hilarious and informational) and he said “Many people think that just because a winery spends a lot of time on their label means they spend a lot of time on their label.” Not necessarily true. The cool label guy can be just as good or just as bad as the next…but you will remember it.

Some of my favorite cool wine labels are:

Red Truck

Marilyn Merlot

Voga Wine (not necessarily a cool label, but the company thought outside the box on this one...you will see what I mean.)

Home Grown

2008-06-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

No silly I’m not talking about that…get your mind out of the 60’s! What I’m talking about is home winemaking. With all the tools out there today at our fingertips, almost anyone with the proper mixture of knowledge, passion, and tools can make their own wine. Not to say that it is going to wow all the neighbors and score you an 86 at the next tasting, but hey, at least you did it! And in California all the neighbors make their own wine, and then have nice little friendly competitions. However, according to this article, these little competitions and home tastings might not be quite legal. Unless the vintner is producing less than 200 gallons a year for their own consumption, it’s illegal.

So what do we think about this? Personally, I feel like it is just a formality that California feel like it needs to have in place. After doing some research on the rule, it seems that the only time the rule is really acted upon is when someone says something to the Department of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) or when a winemaker themselves asks for permission out of naivety. It’s like the code I had with my older brother when I was younger…”Well I won’t say anything if you don’t say anything” and vice versa.

The reason I bring this up is because one winemaker did ask, and got shut down by the ABC. An out of towner, who didn’t know the code. So what do we do in this situation? I do agree that there needs to be some sort of regulation, but what is the point of having a rule if everyone breaks it? Rules without enforcement are no rules at all. So where does the ABC go from here? Tell me your thoughts.

Update!!!

2008-06-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

About a week ago I wrote about the scandal that was going on with Brunello di Montalcino wines and, as promised, I am here to update you on what is going on with that. In a recent article by The Associated Press it was stated that a panel of experts has been selected to investigate the suspicious wine. In case you don't remember why this wine is suspicious, go back and read my earlier post. The panel has been set up by the Agricultural Ministry and the Minister, Luca Zaia, hopes that this will "relaunch the most prestigious Made in Italy brand." Well, I hope so too. As much as we all want to be the next big thing, you never want to see a legend crumble right before your eyes. Like in the movies, when the main character does everything you and they know they shouldn't do, and the whole time you are just sitting there, thinking to yourself, "Why?" Every move they makes you just cringe and you are just hoping they can pull it all together (even though you know they will...come one now...it's the movies)

Anyways, enough of my tangent. I want to send my best wishes to Brunello di Montalcino, and I hope the whole affair goes down smoothly. I like the way my laid back summer is going, so let's keep it that way!

And no worries, I will let everyone know when I know what happens!

Give me a Schug

2008-06-12T13:46:00.000-07:00

Some friends of mine recently had the opportunity to take a trip to Schug Winery in Sonoma, California. He graciously sent me some pictures that he took on his trip there and shared some of his thoughts about the vineyard. I couldn’t wait to share them with all of you, and then comment about one of my favorite wines from the Schug Carneros Estate Winery, the 2004 Heritage Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

At about $50 a bottle it is a little bit pricey, but well worth it. Now what I love about this Cab in particular is its perfect blend of fruit and spices. Not too overpowering in either category, not leaving you wanting more taste, but wanting that next sip! The rich texture and long finish of the wine make it a great match for some of my favorite foods, like a good piece of meat or a hearty stew. My friend was told that this wine would be one that you could drink now, or stick in the cellar/cabinet for a rainy day about 5 to 7 years down the road.

I wanted to share the picture that my friend took of the scenery at the vineyard. He had some other ones that were fantastic, but this one took the cake!

Now go and try some of the other wines from Schug Carneros’ marvelous selection. Maybe buy one for your dad for Father’s Day? You didn’t forget did you?

The British Are Coming!

2008-06-11T14:15:00.000-07:00

Perhaps the reason this caught my eye is because my roommate’s boyfriend is here for the summer and he is from London, so I wanted to read it in order to pass on my new found knowledge. Or perhaps it caught my eye because there just aren’t too many articles out there about English vineyards, so I figured it would be notable. While England might be a great place to get a good brew and some fish and chips while watching a fútbol match, it is not the first place I would think to travel to get a top notch glass of wine. Well, what many of us are trying to prevent might actually help the British in their wine ventures…Global Warming. Who would have known? For anyone that has been to England they know it can be rather chilly and it rains ALL THE TIME! While the rain isn’t so much of a bad thing, there is always the threat of a frost that can ruin their crops in the spring. With the climate change, the frost would not be as much of an issue and they will hopefully have a longer ripening period similar to that of grape growers in California. All in all, this means that the quality of English wine should increase over time as the wine makers adjust to the new temperatures. So be on the look out for the British…cause THEY’RE COMING!

Rising To The Top

2008-06-09T12:10:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to comment about this article for awhile now, and some of you might have already read it, but I want to share it with the rest of our friends out there. There are always going to be the Frank Sinatra's of the wine world, the ones that never go out of style. Your Robert Mondavi's, your Joe Heitzs', your Louis Martini's...I think you get the picture. These men will always be known for the wonderful things they have done/will do for the world of wine. However, I also think it is important to look out for and know the up and coming winemakers. Parents and politicians are always saying "Children are the future." Well, the same holds true for these new "cult" wines. This article from the San Francisco Chronicle identifies 10 wineries to watch out for in the upcoming year, as well as a list of wineries that will most likely be on this list next year. I encourage you to go read it, and then go out and try some of the wines on the list. Some of them are kind of pricey, I know. However, many of them are not. And if you do go out and splurge on the pricier ones you will not be disappointed.

I really want to know what you guys think about the list. Are there any wineries you think should be on here? Any you are surprised that made it? Tell me!! Tell me!!

Wine Storage...By Land or By Sea?

2008-06-05T12:09:00.000-07:00

I’ve never really been into science. It never really “clicked” for me in school and I hated studying for it. It was just so tedious and the one thing that I really had to work at in school. However, I can’t deny the fact that wine making is a science, a rather fascinating one at that. And as much I hate having to learn about science, I love hearing about what other people discover in the scientific world, especially when it benefits me. So when I came across this article I couldn’t help but be intrigued. Louis Roederer has decided to place several dozen wine bottles 15 meters under water to see if the wine will taste better after discovering that the water in the bay is the ideal temperature, 10 degrees Celsius, for ageing wine. The wine will be left underwater for 12 months, and then Roederer will hold a tasting to see if the wine aged the normal way or aged underwater has a more satisfactory taste. I am looking forward to the results of the test and will keep you updated! I hope you guys are excited as I am.

There's Something in the Water...or the Wine

2008-06-04T13:12:00.000-07:00

Well at least the French aren’t making the headlines this time. Travel a little Southwest and you will find the next scandal brewing! Brunello di Montalcino, one of the top Italian Brunello wine producers, has gotten themselves into quite the scandal. Brunello wine, by law, is supposed to be made only with Sangiovese grapes, and, well Brunello di Montalcino is being accused of using other non-permitted grape varieties. As much as I love to give people the benefit of the doubt, I just don’t know if I can on this one. By adding the other grapes, the company was trying to make their wine slightly sweeter to appeal to the North American palette. However, I feel that a truly good wine is like that adorable old couple you see once in a blue moon. If what you got is good, why change it?

As for now, the sale of 2003 vintage Brunello has been halted and some 600,000 bottles of wine have been impounded while the investigation continues.

Reputations are at stake here for sure. What are your thoughts on the investigation?

What's the Real Deal?

2008-06-03T11:32:00.000-07:00

Well, in case you haven’t already heard after the busy weekend, France has outlawed all Internet advertising and promotion of wine. ANPAA, France’s National Association for Prevention of Alcohol and Addiction, really pressed the issue in court. For the sake of comparison, the ANPAA is like MADD (Mother’s Against Drunk Driving), and when heard by the right people, can have quite an influence in the courts and amongst the authorities.

My thoughts on this decision: ABSURD! France is, as most of us know, a global wine competitor. So why would a country that is so in love with wine and that cherishes it so much not want their companies to be able to get the word out about their products? Especially through mediums that most people use on a daily basis? And let’s all ask ourselves one question…when they banned cigarette advertisements did it really make everyone stop smoking? So do the French think that taking away the advertisements is going to help their country’s alcohol problems? Perhaps the problem lies somewhere else, eh?

Not the rose of your misspent youth!

2008-06-03T08:06:00.000-07:00

Chef Scotty came over on Sunday, and he recounted a banquet he threw for a bunch of good ol' boys, in the awl bidness. He had paired the wines with the courses, and he greeted the execs at the door with a glass of chilled rosé.

Eyebrows were raised. Looks were askance. "Gotta beer?" was a typical response. He held firm. But Texas boys of a certain age are just going to have that reaction to rosé. In our misspent youth, we guzzled saccharine sweet rosé like it was kool-ade. What was it called, Mateus? Boone's Farm? I think it came in a cute bottle, always a prerequisite for wine selection.

Even until recently, I have personally been biased against rosés. When Gladys and I visited Napa in January, we went o the Sattui winery, and the tour host offered a glass of this rosato, the 2006 North Coast rosato. Gladys and I both had to be talked in to trying it.

Really spectacular! Chef Scotty's story reminded me we had this in our "cellar" (no one really has cellars in Houston, we have wine rooms). I am going to chill it and savor it. I remember that it was crisp, dry, just a hint of sweetness, and a delicious slightly acrid flavor like the dusty residue of crushed grape pips. I notice that the winery took the precaution of putting the word "dry" on the label.

Chef Scotty says the awlmen loved the rosé. He said the topper though was when he told them that all the wines he served were CostCo's proprietary line of meritage wines, Cameron Hughes, which are all priced around $10 or so. Even in these flush times, awlmen love a bargain.Even in these flush times, awlmen love a bargain. - Posted by Enrico Hale

Charles de Fère Blanc de Blanc

2008-05-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

It’s Friday so I thought I would write about something that will kick start all of our weekends…a “value-priced” bottle of Chardonnay. Less than $10 that is. On top of that, it tastes rather fantastic. You might be thinking to yourself, well what is the name of it…the suspense is killing me! Well wait no longer my friend, it is Charles de Fère Blanc de Blanc. This sparkling Chardonnay has profound, rich flavors of apple, spice, and butter, with a smooth texture and intricate finish. I love to start out my night with this or drink it with my appetizers. So go ahead and get your weekend started with a refreshing glass of wine without worrying about breaking the bank! Cheers!

2004 Fife Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

2008-05-29T11:55:00.001-07:00

In the blind tasting we had at our office the other day I had the opportunity to try a fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon. I sampled the 2004 Fife Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. 420 cases is definitely not enough for this wine, as it impressed all the staff here at Personal Wine. Much of the credit should be given to the fantastic climate that the Fife Vineyard is located in. The Cabernet grapes grow in well-drained soil with good sun exposure, in a moderately warm climate. This means excellent Cabernet Sauvignon! The wine has a long abundant finish, with aromas of dark chocolate and dark berries. An excellent wine with steaks or just by itself.

2006 Truchard Chardonnay

2008-05-28T11:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I gave you a little lesson on Chardonnay. Today, I am going to review one particular California Chardonnay to show you how to use some of the skills that I taught you yesterday and apply them. The wine I will be looking at today is Truchard’s 2006 Chardonnay. Many California Chardonnays are either crisp and refreshing, or filling and satisfying, depending on the climate where the grapes are grown. You might have figured out that crisp Chardonnays grow in cooler climates and filling grow in warmer climates. What is unique about Truchard’s Chardonnay is it is a unique blend of satisfying and refreshing because of the Carneros region where its grapes are grown is cool for much of the morning and rather warm throughout the day. It has a consistent and harmonious flavor that is pleasing to many palettes. I would recommend this wine with seafood dishes or poultry because of the ripe fruit flavors that are mellowed out by the vanilla and spice. Cheers!

Chardonnay 101

2008-05-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

Even for the somewhat knowledgeable, Chardonnay’s can be a difficult wine to decipher. Chardonnay comes in many variations, depending on what region it comes from, and has the ability to blend smoothly with a variety of other grapes. Chardonnay can be a component of French Chablis, Champagne, and more commonly Burgundy. Because Chardonnay is used in so many other wines it is often difficult for wine drinkers to recognize its flavor. When drinking Chardonnay it is important to note how to recognize the quality of your wine. High quality Chardonnay has the ability to be served at just below room temperature and remain tasty. An average Chardonnay needs to be chilled quite a bit more, and so on and so forth. Chablis goes well with seafood, particularly delicate fish, because it is the driest. California and Australian Chardonnays are much fruitier, so I wouldn’t try them with seafood unless you are cooking it with a lot of flavors. I think that California Chardonnays are even great with poultry on the grill. Just give it a go! Cheers!

Morgan Double L Vineyard Chardonnay - Dynamite!

2008-05-24T19:57:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I held a blind tasting with three chardonnays that I consistenly can attest to being outstanding year after year. I sampled Bernardus, Truchard and Morgan's 2006 Double L Vineyard Chardonnay. The Morgan took the vote with their select grapes from their organically grown Double L Vineyard, their choice lots. The Chardonnay is a knock out, exhibiting minerals, hints of apple, pear with a hint butter making the finish crisp and rich texture. Although I recommend all three highly, I say the Morgan is an absolute dynamite chardonnay. It goes well with seafood or chicken pasta dishes. - Alex Andrawes, Wine Blog Board Member

2000 St. Mary's Cabernet Sauvignon

2008-05-22T18:57:00.000-07:00

A case of 2000 St. Mary's Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia mysteriously ended up on my lap yesterday. The perfect excuse for an afternoon blind tasting at the office for the folks at Personal Wine. The reviews of this wine don't do it justice. Perhaps 8 years has provided ample time to turn this wine into the shining star it is today. It opens up with a well-balanced fruit bouquet. It has hints of vanilla, pepper, and wild berries. Its not too dry, which shouldn't be surprising since the tannins have had plenty of time to break down and dissipate. All in all during the blind tasting this afternoon, this wine won. I quickly made a phone call to my supplier and bought the last 14 cases in the state!

Tom Wark's Daily Wine Blog

2008-05-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

I love when I meet someone or see somewhere that someone is as passionate about wine as I am. Yesterday was one of those days for me. I was browsing the net, doing some internet research, when I came across Tom Wark's wine blog. It drew me in because of his choice of offbeat topics, yet he still knew when he needed to just stick with the basics. I mean anyone can just go and write a blog on how they think wine tastes and other nonsense, you just have to do a little internet research. However, Tom really puts his heart into it, and I love that. I urge you to go check out his blog and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Cheers!
http://fermentation.typepad.com/

Toast to Robert Mondavi

2008-05-19T14:15:00.000-07:00

As most of you know by now, Robert Mondavi, Napa and America's Ambassador for Wine, recently passed away at the age of 94. Mondavi changed the course of the U.S. wine industry which, in 1966 (when he started Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville) was made up primarily of generic jug wines.

In 1968, Mondavi introduced Fume Blanc (1966 vintage) as a varietal. It (Sauvignon Blanc) is the grape of Pouilly-Fume and Sancerre in the Loire Valley, France, but Mondavi's rendition revealed a unique, gorgeous ripe fruit quality that was exciting to experience, and which was the forerunner of the great Sauvignon Blanc wines now coming out of California and other parts of the new world.

His reserve Pinots and Cabernets rivaled the greatest early Napa wines such as Heitz Martha's Vineyard and B.V. Private Reserve. He was an indefatigable visionary and marketing genius. I remember numerous occasions in the late '70s and throughout the'80s when he or his son Michael would open one of these great reds alongside a Grand Cru Burgundy or a First Growth Bordeaux, not to obtain flattering remarks, but to see what I thought about how they were doing by comparison. Proof of their success came when we entertained Isabel and Michael Mondavi in our home in the '90s, and among other wines served Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir Reserve 1985, Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 1985 and Chateau Margaux 1985. Although very different wines, all agreed there was no perceptible difference in quality!

The next time you have a glass of wine with a friend, please raise a glass to toast Robert Mondavi. There may never be another one like him!

Written by Denman Moody, President of CorporateEventWines.com

Fall Creek Meritus 2004, by Denman Moody

2008-05-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

Fall Creek Meritus 2004 - Susan and Ed Auler are proprietors of Fall Creek Vineyards in the Texas Hill Country. Even though Ed had been making wine for years, he asked me around 1987 who he should get to do some serious wine consulting to improve the already high quality of his wines. I arranged an introduction to my friend and top wine consultant in the U.S., Andre Tchelistcheff, a man who fled Russia just before the 1917 revolution, and kick-started the entire California wine industry in the '30s and '40s with his B.V. Private Reserve Cabernets. Unknown to most - even other Texas winemakers - Andre helped Ed for several years. Zooming to the present, Ed asked me to taste a wine blind recently. I guessed it was the 2004 B.V. Private Reserve Cabernet. Ed was proud to unveil the bottle and it was the 2004 Fall Creek Meritus!! The student learned from the master!

-Denman Moody, owner of CorporateEventWines.com & acclaimed wine writer

St. Supery Dollarhide Cabernet Sauvignon

2008-05-03T17:35:00.000-07:00

I tried the 2003 St.Supery Dollarhide Cabernet,a limited edition estate cabernet from Napa from the famed Rutherford region. They have an impressive estate winery growing Bordeaux reds including Merlot, Cabernet and Petit Verdot. Their wines are quite impressive with the pinnacle being the Dollarhide cabernet. It opens with an impressive bouquet, just the right amount of fruit, with hints of blackberry currants and a mineral but pleasantly rounded finish. Definitely one for the cellar. Here are the winery notes:

A rare 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Selected from some of the original plantings on St. Supery's estate, Dollarhide, this wine has voluptuous aromas of plum, crème de cassis and tobacco. Flavors are rich and intense with blackberry and truffle with espresso notes. It drinks well now with sizable tannins but has the balance to age for the long haul. Drink now – 2013.

An Interesting Events Coordinator Website and Blog

2008-05-01T07:56:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while a unique and catchy website comes along and strikes my eye. I was surfing the internet the other day and landed on www.thepartygoddess.com/blog site. Marley runs the Party Goddess, a company that specializes in event coordinating. Last night, in the middle of my restlessness, I decided to try out her recipe for the Milky Way Martini. It was excellent and put me to sleep after a few giggles.

Ingredients
6 ounces of freezing Absolut Vanilla vodka, 1 Milky Way candy bar sliced into smallish pieces, 1 tablespoon of sweet chocolate shavings, 2 slightly chilled Martini glasses, A well chilled, stylish martini shaker.

The mix:
Put the sliced candy bar into your microwave oven and heat until it melts.
Pour the vodka into your cocktail shaker, which is half full of cracked ice.
Shake, shake, shake. A good dozen vigorous shakes should do the trick.
Let your shaker rest while you prep your glasses.
Spoon 1 teaspoon of the gooey candy bar into the bottom of each glass.
Strain the vodka equally (make mine a bit heavier--of course).
Top each glass with some chocolate shavings.
Spin the cool tiki beats of King Kukulele & the Friki Tikis...sip and enjoy!

Denman Moody's Wine Blog Report

2008-04-28T17:14:00.000-07:00

Tom Jordan has silently turned over CEO duties for his Alexander Valley winery to his son John. To his credit, it doesn't seem that John has changed anything. I imagine his theory would mirror mine: Why **** up a good thing? I'll be visiting John this summer to get a little more in-depth on this issue. I was actually one of the first writers to rave about the first release, 1976. Most California Cabernets were around $4 or $5, and were not very good. The better ones, like Heitz Martha's Vineyard, were over $20, but needed some bottle age. The fabulous '76 Jordan, which I served blind to change Francophile's minds into the early '80s, was gorgeous, ready to drink and about $10 at Spec's in Houston. One writer said I overscored it because he didn't think it would age well. My response, "So don't age it--drink it now--it's fabulous!" The '78 was even better, and for the last umpteen years, Jordan Cabernet has been in the top 5 (usually top 2 or 3) Cabernets sold in fine restaurants in the U.S.

Denman Moody's Report: Stags' Leap Winery

2008-04-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

As the wine consultant (voluntary) for the Grand Wine and Food Affair in Sugar Land/Houston, I was fortunate, on April 23rd, to be able to introduce Kevin Morrisey, Director of Operations at Stags' Leap Winery at a black tie, $250 each gourmet dinner at the gorgeous Trevisio Restaurant at the Houston Medical Center. Kevin's goal at this historic property is to make the best wines possible, while being a good steward and using sustainable farming techniques, so that when his grandchildrens' grandchildren come to visit, nothing will have changed. While Stag's Leap Wine Cellars - singular possessive - is famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon which won the famous Paris Tasting (rush to buy George Taber's book about it), Stags' Leap Winery makes not only a great Cabernet, but also a fascinating, bone dry Viognier, the quintessential Petite Sirah (the '04 was unbelievable) and a rich, plumy Merlot. - Denman Moody, Consultant to Personal Wine and Owner of Corporateeventwines.com (photo by Kelly S. Howell)

New Website Feedback

2008-04-23T18:58:00.000-07:00

I am very excited about my new website. I added many more cool labels that you can choose from and personalize. Also, I have selected new quality award-winning wines, coming from quality grapes and credible vineyards giving you a better selection. Please check out my website: www.personalwine.com. I would appreciate feedback.
Cheers,
Alex

2005 Janzen Napa Valley Cabernet...Marvelous!

2008-04-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

I've seen some incredible vintages come from Rutherford in 2005 but this along with the Gargiulo are perhaps my favorites to date. This cabernet was in my opinion much better than the Napa Reserve from Harlan and at a better price point as well. On the nose it opens up with aromatic hints marmalade, pepper, and well rounded floral bouquet. The perfect balance of fruit combined with hints of pepper, slight earth tones as well as a not-too dry, well balanced finish. Blended from the fruit of the famed Georges III vineyard in Rutherford with near-legendary To Kalon. Made by legendary wine makers Nils and Kirk Venge.

Gargiulo Vineyards Visit

2008-04-13T13:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we visited Gargiulo Vineyards, our newest addition to the Personal Wine line up that we are featuring in an upcoming promotion. Garguilo is located on Oakville Crossroads nestled between Rudd and Screaming Eagle and across the street from Harlan's property. I was very fortunate to get April Gargiulo to give us a personal tour. The winery itself is new and constructed from organic and recycled materials giving it tremendous charm and personality. April was kind enough to taste us on their Pinot Grigio, which was clean and crisp with a gentle bite. I tried their Chardonnay at room temperature and was pleasantly surprised at its texture and complexity, not too dry, and definitely not buttery. The highlight was the Money Road Cabernet which had just the right amount of fruit, medium body, and some deep earth tones with a hint of licorice. This wine is absolutely fantastic.

When Wine Meets Fashion....Very Cool

2008-03-30T16:35:00.000-07:00

So its pretty understandable why a fashion designer would want to launch his or her own wine, heck lots of people are doing it like Mike Ditka. Well I met with Bevmax CEO Mike Berkoff and he told me about a project that he brought back from the dead. A Vins de Pays combined with Christian Audigier's unique fashion sense, brings Cool Wines. Its being distributed by Southern Wines, so you can expect them in stores near you. They'll be bottling wines under this brand, but sourcing from vineyards world wide. Expect varietals from New Zealand and Chile next...

One Amazing Wine Find!

2008-03-17T20:25:00.000-07:00

Well sometimes life gets tough and you're having a rough day, then you find something remarkable. Something like Grahams Vintage 1994 Port, 1998 Taylors Port (10years in mood), Port Pocas 2000 Vintage Character Tertium Millenium, 1989 Grande Duchene Cuvee Especiale Champagne Officiel du Bicentenaire.

These kind of finds are rare, but precious. We'll be cracking these open pretty soon and I am hoping for the best on the champagne, however we all know port is always good. I forgot to mention two bottles of Macallen 18 year!

2000 Guyon, Gevrey-Chambertin Les Platières

2008-03-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

Dark, oak-edged very traditional burgundy. Decent concentration, ripe fruit and fine acidity. Good intensity in the mid-palate too. Needs to open a bit, but once it does its aromas are fruity with hints of pepper, oak, berry.

Call me if you want any. It retails for $40 per bottle. I have it on sale for $20.00 per bottle. Well stored at 55 degrees constant. (512) 476-9463 ext 304

Frog's Leap

2008-03-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

Gladys and I went out to Napa in January and toured a few wineries. In our dotage, we are obliged to sip and spit lest we become comatose on the ride home. Even though we had taken the precaution of hiring a car and driver, we had plans for the evening and did not wish to pass out.

The absolute stand-out of the touring was Frog's Leap. I guess I have toured more than twenty wineries, but never have I received such an education about the philosophy, the zeitgeist, the politics, the life-spirit-embodiment of a winemaker as during this tour. Frog's Leap is an organic winery, so no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. They have an impressive solar panel installation, which I think if I remember correctly they said provides all the electric power used by the winery. They keep their own bees, and they run chickens, pigs and cattle on a small scale, but in the old-fashioned farmer's yard manner.

The guide explained things, simple things I suppose, but things I had never really focused on. She said, for example, that when a someone says a wine is "peppery," really what they're saying is that it has a relatively high alcohol content. High alcohol in a wine is perceived by the throat, palate, tongue and nose as peppery flavor. She said that Frog's Leap worked to keep the alcohol level of even their big cabs down to a reasonable level, and seeks to impart flavor through other less blunt techniques.

I have never tasted a merlot like Frog's Leap's. I have come to expect a watery thin beverage when presented with a merlot, but Frog's Leap's merlot is anything but thin.

I cannot recommend too highly this tour.

Top 10 Wine Regions

2008-03-07T13:46:00.000-08:00

Andalucia

This south-western Spanish providence produces an array of fine wines but most renowned for its dry to sweet amber sherry. This regions has more vineyard acreage than anywhere in the world.

Cape Winelands

The Cape's striking wine country, just 45 minutes northeast of Cape Town, in South Africa, is the seventh-largest wine producing region in the world, comprising some 417 square miles of vineyards.

California

The largest wine-producing area in the US, wine-tasting tourism in California has exploded in recent years, having been particularly bolstered by the release of the popular film Sideways (2004), which showcased the state's Santa Barbara wineries. Small, family-owned, boutique wineries are tucked away in the scenic rolling vinyards.

Hunter Valley

This is arguably the most beautiful wine region in the world in the famed fertile valley of the sinuous Loire River where regal chateaux meet a long viticultural tradition. The Loire's numerous vineyards are most famous for their production of white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadet, and Chenin Blanc.

Mendoza

Flourishing vineyards in Argentina are nestled in the foothills of the snow-capped Andes, the highest peak on the South American continent. The annual harvest festival, Vendimia, kicks off in January and brings folkloric celebrations, grape-blessing ceremonies, and many other merry events.

Niagara

Moderate temperature and rich soils allow dozens of wineries in Southern Ontario, Canada to turn out excellent variety of vinefera grapes harvests every year, from Chardonnay to Riesling to Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc. The region is known for its icewines, a delicious, intensely flavored wine created from grapes harvested after the first winter frost. The area is one of the only wine-producing regions in the world to produce the coveted product with such consistency and quality.

Oregon

Many speculate that if it were not for the state's more longstanding stint with Prohibition, Oregon would be the de facto forerunner in the United States wine-producing industry today. As it is, the state currently lays claim to the third-greatest number of wineries of any state, and turns out more than 40 varieties including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot, Riesling, and Syrah. The Williamette Valley is its thriving center, and the largest region, luring connoisseurs with its internationally acclaimed Pinot Noir and plethora of charming wineries that occupy some 100 scenic miles between Portland and Eugene.

Porto

Porto's biggest claim to fame is the sweet fortified wine that bears its name and which has been aged here for centuries, in nearby Villa Nova de Gala with over fifty port lodges.

Tuscany

Italy's best-known wine region is divine, especially during the autumn harvest season when you can really get in on the grape-stomping action and taste the fruits of labor. Tuscany's highlight is no doubt Chianti, the source of the country's most famous wine, which is decked out in gothic bastions, olive groves, and 10,000 acres of sprawling vineyards in the shadow of protective mountains.

a very touching testimonial...

2008-03-07T11:27:00.000-08:00

I want to share this touching testimonial that I just received from a customer...

"In December, my 53 year old wife of 20 years died of ALS. A few years ago my 81 year old father died of cancer. My family appreciated wine. I ordered custom label wine to commemorate them. I am giving Orlando e Carla wine in a wooden box to my family as a keepsake. My father was our family's strength (forza), my wife was the beauty (bello). The president of your company called me to thank me for my order. I thank you for making this service available. It's the perfect remembrance of these two fine people."

-Pete Bruno

What wine pairs well with rattlesnake?

2008-03-04T18:04:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I get the oddest requests from my clients. Today I got one from a customer who went fishing and instead caught a 5ft diamondback rattlesnake. He decided since he didn't catch any fish, and spent $400 on the private fishing tour, that he would instead eat the rattlesnake and I thought that was interesting. When he proceeded to tell me that he wanted some advice on wines that paired well with snake, I had to really think about it so...

I called my friend and wine writer Denman Moody in Houston and this is what he told me "With the rattlesnake, I'd make a wine reduction brown sauce, then pair it with Zaca Mesa Syrah."

Well there you go. I can't wait for the next stumper question!

From a Bar Napkin...

2008-02-27T09:10:00.000-08:00

Stopping by to give a "Shout Out" to the P-wine Blog. I've known Alex of Personalwine from the very beginning, actually before the beginning, back in College at UT.

Personalwine began with an idea on a bar napkin when Alex and I were attempting to determine the directions our lives would take. At a bar in Austin in/or around 1999, we created the idea, name and the processes that Personalwine uses today.

Since those early days, Alex has taken Personalwine to a level that I could have only imagined. From landing accounts including HBO, Playboy, Maxim, and various Universities, to growing to the amount of volume he moves each year, he has surpassed all of my expectations of what the company could do.

Great Job P-wine Crew! Keep up the great work.

AB