 Check out Wine On The Road to explore the world’s most renowned wine regions with behind-the-scenes access to top winemakers and their incomparable wines. With Wine on the Road tours, professional wine writer and Chief Wine Sherpa Ben Weinberg has created the ultimate in wine-focused, behind-the-scenes wine country experiences, combining award-winning wines and exquisite dining and lodging with uniquely local flair and flavor. Our wine-focused, luxurious, behind-the-scenes itineraries are now available online. Go to Wine On The Road for more details.
Ben is the author of Weinberg's Wine Tech in Sommelier Journal and regularly contributes features, as well. Take a look at Sommelier Journal’s website for more information on this excellent behind-the-scenes wine magazine.
He is the Rocky Mountain Editor for Tasting Panel Magazine. Check out Tasting Panel’s website for more information on this wine industry powerhouse. Ben will continue to craft feature stories fpr Tasting Panel but will also be providing monthly briefs on Colorado restaurants for national publication. If you wish your restaurant to be considered for these articles please email him at:
benweinberg@
unfilteredunfined.com
Ben also pens "Politics Uncorked with Ben Weinberg" on a bi-monthly basis for the Colorado Statesman. Check out the Colorado Statesman’s website to learn what's going on in Colorado politics and wine.
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As I said in my last several Potpourri columns (see 2011’s Wine Potpourri Parts I – VII in the Index Section), I’m able to write about most of the bottles I like as part of a themed column. But occasionally wines are tasted too soon after a piece about similar juice. Others require a delay to allow importation into the U.S. of the current vintage. A few even occupy the niche of true oddball without compare. Because I’ll be penning several travel-oriented columns over the next few weeks as I tour Piedmont, Italy and Champagne, France (check out Wine On The Road, especially the Tour Talk section), I figured I should get in some of the quirkier wines I’ve recently tasted while I still can. [...]
As I mentioned in last week’s column, I spent a recent week in Champagne, France, the spiritual home of bubbly wines, as the guest of the Center for Wine Origins (CWO, www.wineorigins.com). Last week’s column detailed the first part of that week; this column relates my experiences during the remainder. I realize many of these bottles are not inexpensive, but Champagne comes in at all price points and I wanted to show a representative sampling. [...]
While my recent trips to northern California have been fun and rewarding there’s nothing like being in Europe, the cradle of wine civilization. I was able to spend last week in Champagne, France, the spiritual home of bubbly wines, as the guest of the Center for Wine Origins. Their mission is to protect and promote unique wines from unique locations, and all I can say is “wow.” [...]
As I said in my last several Potpourri columns, I’m able to write about most of the bottles I like as part of a themed column. But occasionally wines are tasted too soon after a piece about similar juice. Others require a delay to allow importation into the U.S. of the current vintage. A few even occupy the niche of true oddball without compare. Because I’ll be penning several travel-oriented columns over the next few weeks I figured I should get in some of the quirkier wines I’ve recently tasted while I still can. [...]
As I said in my last several Potpourri columns, I’m able to write about most of the bottles I like. But occasionally wines are tasted too soon after a column about similar juice. Others require a delay to allow importation into the U.S. of the current vintage. A few even occupy the niche of true oddball without compare. So what has the sample bin brought me lately? [...]
For those who consider fermented grape juice their main alcoholic beverage, corks are often pulled in harmony with the seasons. I’ve long waxed rhapsodic about how good it feels to open perfectly aged bottles that complement well-matched food. It’s just as fun to pour wines that evoke fall’s celebrations, winter’s soul searching and even spring’s hope. But summer squeezings are not as easy to pinhole. Not only is the heat quotient often oppressive (which limits the range of heavier reds) but foods are lighter, requiring a deft touch when pairing with wine. [...]
Chile, with its friendly but reserved people and orderly streets and villages, reminds me most of Germany and Switzerland. But Argentina seems most similar to Italy. In fact, 35 percent of Argentina’s population is of Italian descent, comprising one of the largest expat communities in the world. Although the language one hears is generally Spanish, most of the natives I’ve met use their hands as word substitutes, and here food and wine are major passions, subject to serious conversations between near-strangers. [...]
I spend a lot of time writing about how sparklers and dessert wines can be enjoyed throughout the year. However, even I know that most fizzy and sticky wines are consumed during the week up to and including New Year’s Eve…Perhaps this is because bubbles and sweeties are the perfect food-friendly vinous thirst quenchers at opposing ends of the meal. [...]
Rosé, pink wine that is relatively dry, usually gets short shrift. This is probably because we’re accustomed to thinking of wine as either white or red. In fact, there’s a whole universe of blush out there, and many of them rival the quality of those boring old whites and reds at a fraction of the cost. [...]
Such an immense amount of Cali coverage can be unfair to the wonderful wines that come from other places. Not only are there commercial wineries in all 50 U.S. states, but by far the majority of wine grape varietals originated in the Old World, specifically Europe. Limiting one’s self to juice from California is, well, limiting. So what follows are notes on some wines I’ve recently enjoyed, whether at parties, wine events or from samples, all of which were made somewhere other than California. [...]
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In reference to any wine prices I publish in my writings, they are based on the lowest generally available prices I find in the U.S. at the time of publication. I use commercially available wine searching software such as Winesearcher Pro and Global Wine Stocks in my analyses, and as such, these prices may not be available to consumers in all markets.
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