'Outlaw' sangria legalized in Virginia

That old evil sangria will become legal in Virginia on Tuesday, July 1.

Sangria? Evil? An illegal drink?

True. Since the 1930s, the wine- and spirit-based punch has been illegal under state regulations forbidding the mixing of wine with distilled spirits. The law was changed, thanks to state Delegate Adam Ebbin (D-49th District).

The Alexandria Gazette Packet, which inadvertently kicked off the campaign, reports:

"The time was 5:20 p.m. on a gusty December afternoon in 2006 when Special Agent Katherine Matikonis walked into La Tasca Restaurant on King Street in Old Town. She sat down and ordered sangria, a cocktail that was illegal at the time — forbidden under 1930s regulations encouraging temperance.

"Matikonis charged the restaurant with multiple code violations, initiating a widespread confrontation between regulators and restaurateurs that would culminate in a statewide legislative effort earlier this year. Fortunately for La Tasca and every other restaurant that wants to serve the traditional Spanish drink, the sangria legalization effort of 2008 was a success."

Richard Jarrouj, manager of the Piola Pizzeria in Arlington, told the newspaper. "This whole thing has been just totally absurd."

His restaurant had to take sangria off the menu earlier this year after getting a cease-and-desist letter from state regulators. "Our customers thought it was totally ridiculous when we told them ... ."

After being asked by the newspaper for his reaction to the ban, Ebbin met with several restaurant operators then crafted language that became House Bill 1269. It was passed by the General Assembly with little opposition.

As the Web site WineIntro.com explains it:

"Sangria recipes are the inspiration for many red wine punch styles. Sangria was created in Spain and made popular in the U.S. at the 1964 World's Fair. It normally has red wine, brandy, and fruit. However, it can be made in just about any style you can imagine. Sangria is based on the traditional red wine punch popular across Europe for hundreds of years. ... Sangria can be made in any number of styles, from spicy to mild to rich to bubbly. You can make sangria with red wine, white wine, and even sparkling wine. ..."

Go here for the particualrs of various sangria recipes, ranging from the simple to the complex.

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New England wine test crosses borders

Wines from five different states took double gold honors in the 3rd annual Big E Gold Medal Wine Competition, part of the annual exposition held in Springfield, MA.

The highest ranking wines form each of the New England states:

• Connecticut: Jones Winery NV Raspberry Rhapsody.
• Massachusetts: Obadiah McIntyre NV Strawberry-Rhubarb.
• New York: Torrey Ridge Winery NV Summer Delight.
• New Hampshire: LaBelle Winery NV Red Raspberry Wine.
• Rhode Island: Sakonnet Vineyards 2006 Vidal Blanc.
• Vermont: Putney Mountain Winery 2006 Rhubarb Blush.

Other "best" awards:

• Best Fruit Wine: Jones Winery NV Raspberry Rhapsody, Connecticut.
• Best Grape Wine: Sakonnet Vineyards 2006 Vidal Blanc, Rhode Island.
• Best Small Winery: LaBelle Winery, New Hampshire.

DOUBLE GOLD MEDALS

• Dr. Konstantin Frank 2007 Dry Riesling (NY)
• Sakonnet Vineyards 2006 Vidal Blanc (RI)
• Torrey Ridge Winery NV Summer Delight (NY)
• Obadiah McIntyre NV Strawberry-Rhubarb (MA)
• LaBelle Winery NV Red Raspberry (NH)
• Jones Winery NV Raspberry Rhapsody (CT)

GOLD MEDALS

• Obadiah McIntyre NV Shiro Plum (MA)
• Les Trois Emme 2006 Zinfandel (MA)
• Gouveia Vineyards NV Stonehouse Red (CT)
• Sharpe Hill Vineyards 2006 Riesling (CT)
• Jones Winery 2007 Pinot Gris (CT)
• Candia Vineyards NV Semi-Dry Riesling (NH)
• Glenora Wine Cellars 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling (NY)
• Lucas Vineyards 2007 Vignoles (NY)
• Jewell Towne Vineyards 2007 South Hampton White (NH)
• Putney Mountain Winery 2006 Rhubarb Blush (VT)
• Furnace Brook Winery 2006 Carbonated Muscat (MA)
• Torrey Ridge Winery NV Concord (NY)
• Plymouth Winery NV Blueberry Wine (MA)
• Obadiah McIntyre NV Blueberry Wine (MA)
• White Silo Winery NV Rhubarb (CT)
• Obadiah McIntyre NV Damson Plum Wine (MA)
• Hunt Country Vrds 2006 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine (NY)
• Hunt Country Vrds 2007 Late Harvest Vignoles (NY)
• Eden Ice Cider Company Vermont Ice Cider (VT)

SILVER MEDALS

Honora Winery & Vrd 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon (VT), Candia Vineyards NV Zinfandel (NH), Gouveia Vineyards NV Cabernet Franc (CT), Gouveia Vineyards NV Merlot (CT), Candia Vineyards NV Cabernet Sauvignon (NH), Candia Vineyards NV Viognier (NH), Palmer Vineyards 2007 Sauvignon Blanc (NY), Furnace Brook Winery 2006 Johannisberg Riesling (MA), Dr. Konstantin Frank 2006 Gewurztraminer (NY), Dr. Konstantin Frank NV Semi-Dry Riesling (NY), Neponset Vineyards 2006 Sauvignon Blanc (MA), Lucas Vineyards 2007 Dry Riesling (NY), Knapp Winery 2006 Chardonnay (NY), Jewell Towne Vineyards NV Orange Muscat (NH), Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards 2006 Chardonnay (NY), Connecticut Valley Winery NV Dolce Vita (CT), Obadiah McIntyre NV Riesling (MA), Priam Vineyards Salmon River White (CT), Walker Road Vineyards NV Red Table Wine (CT), Jewell Towne Vineyards 2007 Valvin Muscat (NH), Gouveia Vineyards Stonehouse White (CT), Glenora Wine Cellars NV Cayuga White (NY), Shelburne Vineyards 2006 Traminette (VT), Knapp Winery 2006 Vignoles (NY), LaBelle Winery Jalapeño Pepper Wine (NH), Torrey Ridge Winery Scarlet Red (NY), Knapp Winery NV Superstition (NY), Hardwick Vineyard & Winery 2006 Quabbin Native (MA), Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Bramble Berry (NY), Torrey Ridge Winery NV Niagara (NY), Torrey Ridge Winery NV Catawba (NY), Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards NV White Cat (NY), Hardwick Vineyard & Winery Yankee Girl Blush (MA), Obadiah McIntyre NV Black Gold (MA), Obadiah McIntyre NV Cherry Wine (MA), Obadiah McIntyre NV Crimson Gold (MA), White Silo Winery NV Cassis Black Currant (CT), Plymouth Winery NV Blackberry Wine (MA), Flag Hill Winery & Distillery NV Apple Cranberry (NH), Hopkins Vineyards Night Owl Vidal Blanc (CT), Chamard Vineyards 2002 Merlot (CT), Jewell Towne Vineyards NV Cayuga (NH).

BRONZE MEDALS

Knapp Winery 2005 Merlot (NY), Honora Winery & Vineyards 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (VT), Zorvino Vineyards NV Merlot (NH), Lucas Vineyards 2006 Cabernet Franc (NY), Knapp Winery 2006 Sangiovese (NY), Running Brook Winery & Vineyard 2004 Petite Verdot (MA), Oak Summit 2005 Pinot Noir (NY), Furnace Brook Winery 2006 Shiraz Special Reserve (MA), Sharpe Hill Vineyards 2006 Cabernet Franc (CT), Zorvino Vineyards NV Sangiovese (NH), Palmer Vineyards 2004 Cabernet Franc (NY), Glenora Wine Cellars 2006 Syrah (NY), Connecticut Valley Winery Black Tie Cabernet Franc (CT), Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards 2005 Cabernet Franc (NY), Cassidy Hill Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (CT), Newport Vineyards 2007 Riesling (RI), Shelburne Vineyards 2006 Dry Riesling (VT), Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards 2007 Riesling (NY), Hunt Country Vineyards 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling (NY), Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards 2006 Pinot Gris (NY), Candia Vineyards NV Chardonnay (NH), Knapp Winery 2006 Barrel Reserve Chardonnay (NY), Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards 2007 Sauvignon Blanc (NY), Running Brook Winery & Vineyard 2005 Unoaked Chardonnay (MA), Honora Winery & Vineyards 2005 Chardonnay (VT), Glenora Wine Cellars 2007 Pinot Blanc (NY), Lucas Vineyards 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling (NY), Miranda Vineyards Woodbridge White (CT), Newport Vineyards Tranquility (RI), Priam Vineyards Jeremy River White (CT), Sunset Meadow Vineyards SMV Twisted Red (CT), Jewell Towne Vineyards 2007 Leon Millot (NH), Taylor Brooke Winery Woodstock Valley Red (CT), Sharpe Hill Vineyards 2005 St. Croix (CT), Torrey Ridge Winery 2006 Lemberger (NY).

Also, Candia Vineyards NV Noiret (NH), Miranda Vineyards Woodbridge Red (CT), Jewell Towne Vineyards 2007 Seyval Blanc (NH), Glenora Wine Cellars NV Alpine White (NY), Jewell Towne Vineyards 2007 Vidal Blanc (NH), DiGrazia Vineyards NV Winner's Cup (CT), Knapp Winery 2006 Cayuga White (NY), Jewell Towne Vineyards 2007 Vignoles (NH), Gouveia Vineyards NV Cayuga White (CT), Shelburne Vineyards 2006 La Crescent (VT), Newport Vineyards Great White (RI), Lucas Vineyards 2007 Seyval Blanc (NY),
Jones Winery Woodland White (CT), Hunt Country Vineyards 2006 Cayuga White (NY), Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards White Stag (NY), Hardwick Vineyard & Winery 2006 Massachusetts Cranberry (MA), Taylor Brooke Winery Woodstock Hill White (CT), Sharpe Hill Vineyards Ballet of Angels (CT), Holmberg Vineyards Cortland Cider (CT), Bishop's Orchards Pearadise (CT), LaBelle Winery NV Cranberry (NH), Furnace Brook Winery 2006 Blanc de Blancs (MA), Obadiah McIntyre Nate's Hard Cider (MA), Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Red Cat (NY), Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Cabin Fever (NY), Knapp Winery Kat Knapp Pink Catawba (NY), Fresh Tracks Farm Little Piggy Pink (VT), Obadiah McIntyre NV Strawberry Wine (MA), Bishop's Orchards Blushing Beauty (CT), Baldwin Vineyards Raspberry (NY), DiGrazia Vineyards Blacksmith Port (CT), Sharpe Hill Vineyards Pontefract (CT), Priam Vineyards Essence of St. Croix (CT), Maugle Sierra Vineyards Essencia de St. Croix (CT), Shelburne Vineyards 2006 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine (VT), Prospero Winery 2006 Pinot Grigio (NY).

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Michigan companies battle over name

What's in a name? In Michigan, the Chateau Grand Traverse winery is trying to stop the Grand Traverse Distillery from continuing to use the name by filing a federal lawsuit.

It's not the first shot fired in the war over naming rights. When Grand Traverse Distillery filed a trademark application for its name, Chateau Grand Traverse filed an objection. The distillery, which has been getting a fair amount of press since introducing its True North Vodkas, contends there is no infringement.

“We’re keeping our name. We’re going forward,” said Kent Rabish, owner of Grand Traverse Distillery.

In its trademark and federal court filings, The Old Mission winery says it has used the name “Chateau Grand Traverse” since 1977 and the stylized, all-capital letters name since 1992. It formally registered the trademarks in January and February 2007, and was granted the registration later that year. Grand Traverse Distillery filed for trademark protection of its name in July 2005, acquired its license in June 2006 and began production in January 2007.

Rabish said searches prior to deciding on his company’s name uncovered no problems and that the local telephone book contains numerous businesses that use Grand Traverse in their name.

“No one had a trademark on Grand Traverse Distillery,” he told the Traverse City Business News. “You can’t trademark a geographic region.

“I didn’t call Grand Traverse Pie Company and ask them could I use the name. I didn’t call Grand Traverse Auto, and I certainly didn’t call Chateau Grand Traverse.”

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LA International competition goes local

A pair of California wines and a Dutch gin took top awards in the 2008 Los Angeles International Wine & Spirit Competition.

• Best Wine of the Competition: Dry Creek Valley 2006 Zinfandel, from Armida Winery"'s Maple Vineyards
• Best Wine of the Competition, Limited Production: Paso Robles 2003 Nebbiolo from Martin & Weyrich Winery's Il Vecchio
• Best Spirits of the Competition: Zuidam Dry Gin, from Third Coast Importing, Holland

Platinum Awards went to:

• La Tordera, Prosecco, Alné, Veneto
• Borgo Maragliano, Moscato D’Asti, La Caliera DOCG, 2007
• Fetzer Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Valley Oaks, California, 2005
• Wood Winery, Cabernet Sauvignon, Jackson’s Vineyard, San Luis Obispo, 2004
• Concannon Vineyard, Petite Sirah, Captain Joe’s Reserve, Livermore Valley, 2005
• Summerland Winery, Pinot Noir, Monterey County, 2006
• Banfi Vintners, Super Tuscan Blend, Collepino, Toscana IGT, 2007
• Shingleback Winery, Shiraz, D Block Reserve, McLaren Vale, 2004
• Armida Winery, Zinfandel, Maple Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley, 2006
• C.G. Di Arie Vineyard & Winery, Zinfandel, Shenandoah Valley, 2005
• Testarossa, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC, 2004
• Hardy’s, Chardonnay, Nottage Hill, Australia, 2007
• San Simeon, Chardonnay, Monterey, 2005
• Husch Vineyards, Gewurztraminer, Anderson Valley, 2007
• Maddalena Vineyards, Riesling, Monterey, 2007
• Cantina St. Paul’s, Pinot Bianco, Exclusiv Plotzner, Alto Adige DOC, 2007
• Palliser Estate, Sauvignon Blanc, Martinborough, 2006
• Ovene Winery, Viognier, The Puzzle, Santa Barbara County, 2006
• Bonterra Vineyards, Organic Viognier, Mendocino County, 2006

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Michigan winery adds a grape vodka

For 87 years, the St. Julian Winery has been turning out a variety of table wines at its Paw Paw, MI, facility. Now it has joined the boutique vodka craze.

The state's oldest operating winery will be allowed to sell its own grape vodka next month, after getting state approval to do more than manufacture the spirit.

Dave Braganini of St. Julian said the company had been allowed to make vodka, "but we're not allowed to sell it. There's a quirk in the law."

That quirk was removed by the state senate last week and Gov. Jennifer Granholm is expected to sign the legislation into law in the next few days.

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Great moments in governance

The New York State Legislature, labeled by one analytical body as the most dysfunctional such bureaucracy in the nation, rarely acts swiftly to do more than cover its own collective butt, or swath it in more privilege.

But every now and then something so pressing, so important to the public good, so full of historic import comes along that the Legislature does act quickly and in concert.

Take the extremely pressing matter of keeping wine ice cream from being treated as a true alcoholic product. Both houses of the Legislature acted quickly and with virtually no debate to approve a bill allowing up to 5% alcohol by volume in wine ice cream, although makers and vendors will be allowed only to sell it to people 21 and over and must put warning statements on labels and menus.

William Magee (above right), D-Oneida, chairman of the Assembly Agriculture Committee, said in the sponsor's memo:

"There is no doubt that New York agriculture is steamrolling ahead with the creation, production and marketing of splendid and scrumptious new agrigoodies."

The Legislature also approved legislation to permit tastings at wineries starting from 10 a.m. to midnight on Sunday. Present rules prohibit sampling before noon, although sales are alowed from 10 a.m.In the sponsor's memo for that bill, Magee said:

"The current law makes no sense because it forces someone to buy an untried product which often, due to the limited production and limited marketing opportunities, cannot be sampled elsewhere because the wine may be only available through the winery itself."

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But has it aged well?

Photo courtesy Cyprus News Service

Finding an old wine in a cellar is one thing. Finding it at the bottom of the seas and realizing it is 2,350 years old is quite another.

Marine archaeologists have salvaged ancient wine vases, known as amphora, that were resting in the hull of an ancient cargo ship lying on the seabed off the southern shore of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, according to the island's Antiquities Department.

The hulk was found about 150 feet underwater about 1.5 miles from shore. Last month, divers brought up for study several of the more than 500 terra cotta vases commonly used at the time to carry liquids and preserved foods.

In a statement released to the press, the department said, "Apart from the Chian amphorae, which form the overwhelming majority, there are also other types from islands of the north Aegean. ... The results of this study will shed light on the many problems of nautical and economic history," including commercial relations between the north Aegean and southeastern Mediterranean and how sea trade was organized.

Divers are scheduled to begin the next survey phase in October. The project is being undertaken by the University of Cyprus' Archaeology Research Unit and is funded by the Thetis Foundation, a private institution that protects underwater cultural heritage.

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Foreign Legion goes domestic with wines

Psst. Wanna help out an old Legionnaire and get a little something for yourself in the bargain?

The French Foreign Legion yesterday officially went into the wine business with an unveiling in Paris of its "Esprit de Corps" wines that will be sold online for about $11 US per bottle to raise funds for its veterans homes.

Its 2007 Cotes de Provence red and rosé vintages are produced from grapes grown in southern France on property purchased in 1953 to provide shelter for wounded and elderly Legionnaires.

The storied Legion, a 7,700-man elite military organization founded in 1831 and easily recognized for the kepi blanc, its famous hat, is made up of volunteers from 150 nations. It has often been a place of last resort for adventurers, fugitives and soldiers of fortune.

"Solidarity is not a hollow concept for us," Gen. Louis Pichot de Champfleury, the Legion's commander-in-chief, said during the ceremony. "The men we recruit often join because they have no other choice. They arrive brutally, they may have faced death, their situation is often delicate.

"When Legionnaires are forced to return to civilian life," he said, "it can be difficult, and when we hear of a Legionnaire in distress we fly to their rescue."

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Concours Mondial de Bruxelles results are in

The annual Concours Mondial de Bruxelles results are in, this year from a three-day judging session in Bordeaux, and the "Great Gold Medals" have been decided.

The international competition, founded in 1994, has as its aim "to offer optimal conditions for tasting wines and spirits from the four corners of the world, and to award the top-class products among them."

The jury is composed of around 40 groups of five to six tasters each. One of these groups is reserved for fortified wines (Porto, Jerez, Madera, etc.) and three others are dedicated to spirits, liquors, brandies and fruit wines.

The competition was founded by Louis Havaux, current president of the International Federation of Journalists and Wine Writers (FIJEV). Ezio Rivella, president of the jury for the inaurgual event and a past-president of the International Union of Oenologists and Committee of Denominazione di Origine of Italy, says, "I can affirm, without a doubt, that theConcours Mondial de Bruxelles has, since its first edition, become one of the foremost authorities among the best international competitions which can be counted on the fingers of one hand."

At the end of the tastings, each sample is allotted a mark out of 100 resulting from the application of the formula of computation accredited by the Statistical Institute of the Catholic University of Louvain.

The awards: Grande Médaille d’Or, 96 to 100%; Médaille d’Or, 87 to 95.9%; Médaille d’Argent, 82.5 to 86.9%. The sum of the allotted medals cannot exceed 30% of the total of the samples entered.

The Grande Médaille d’Or (Great Gold) winners, listed alphabetically by product:

• Agnes De Cleves Crianza: 2004
Country: Spain
Region: Navarra
Appelation: Navarra
Producer: Bodegas Piedemonte S. Coop

• Arboleda Carmenère: 2006
Country: Chile
Producer: Viña Seña S.A.

• Barón del Valle Crianza: 2004
Country: Spain
Region: Castilla-y-León
Appelation: Ribera del Duero
Producer: Viña Solorca, S.L.

• Botalcura La Porfia Carménère Gran Reserva: 2005
Country: Chile
Producer: Viña y Bodega Botalcura S.A.

• Callabriga: 2005
Country: Portugal
Region: Alentejo
Appelation: Alentejo
Producer: Sogrape Vinhos SA

• Carinvs: 2006
Country: Spain
Region: Aragón
Appelation: Cariñena
Producer: Bodegas San Valero (Grupo BSV)

• Castello D'Alba Reserva: 2006
Country: Portugal
Region: Trás-os-Montes
Appelation: Douro
Producer: VDS - Vinhos do Douro Superior, Lda

• Champagne Charles Heidsieck Brut Rosé Millésimé: 1999
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Appelation: Champagne
Producer: Champagnes P. & C. Heidsieck

• Champagne Château de Bligny Grande Réserve Brut
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Appelation: Champagne
Producer: Château de Bligny les Beaune

• Champagne François Secondé Blanc de Blancs: 2003
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Appelation: Champagne
Producer: Champagne François Secondé

• Château Berthenon Cuvée Chloé: 2006
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
Appelation: 1ères Côtes de Blaye Rouge
Producer: Henri Ponz GFA

• Château Le Sartre: 2005
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
Appelation: Pessac-Léognan Rouge
Producer: SCEA du Château Le Sartre

• Château Millegrand: 2006
Country: France
Region: Languedoc-Roussillon
Appelation: Minervois Rouge
Producer: SCEA Château Millegrand

• Château Monlot Cuvée Prestige: 2005
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
Appelation: Saint-Emilion Grand Cru
Producer: SCEA Vignobles Rivals

• Château Tuyttens: 2005
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
Appelation: Sauternes
Producer: Scea du Clos de la Vicairie

• Comenge: 2004
Country: Spain
Region: Castilla-y-León
Appelation: Ribera del Duero
Producer: Comenge Bodegas y Viñedos, SA

• Cortes de Cima Touriga Nacional: 2005
Country: Portugal
Region: Alentejo
Appelation: Vinho Regional
Producer: Cortes de Cima

• Dogma Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah Reserve: 2006
Country: Chile
Producer: Viña El Aromo

• Domaine Sainte-Marie des Crozes Cuvée Hector & Juliette: 2006
Country: France
Region: Languedoc-Roussillon
Appelation: Corbières Rouge
Producer: Domaine Sainte-Marie des Crozes

• Elderton Ode to Lorraine Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz-Merlot: 2005
Country: Australia
Region: South Australia
Appelation: Barossa Valley
Producer: Elderton Wines

• Ermitage Flétrie: 2007
Country: Switzerland
Region: Valais
Appelation: Valais
Producer: Antoine et Christophe Bétrisey Vins

• Estampa Reserve Carmenère-Cabernet Sauvignon-Cabernet Franc: 2005
Country: Chile
Producer: Viña Estampa S.A.

• Falernia Carmenère Reserva: 2005
Country: Chile
Producer: Viña Falernia SA

• Fox Gordon Hannah's Swing Shiraz: 2006
Country: Australia
Region: South Australia
Appelation: Barossa Valley
Producer: Fox Gordon

• Gramona Impérial: 2004
Country: Spain
Region: Cataluña
Appelation: Cava
Producer: Gramona SA

• Kavaklidere Egeo Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot: 2005
Country: Turkey
Producer: Kavaklidere Wines Co.

• Kleine Zalze Shiraz Family Reserve: 2006
Country: South Africa
Region: Coastal Region
Appelation: Stellenbosch
Producer: Kleine Zalze Wines

• Kratistos: 2004
Country: Greece
Region: Peloponnese
Appelation: Nemea
Producer: Lykos Winery

• Ktima Papaioannou Microclima: 2003
Country: Greece
Region: Peloponnese
Appelation: Nemea
Producer: A. & G. Papaioannou Vineyards-Winery

• Ktima Papaioannou Terroir: 2004
Country: Greece
Region: Peloponnese
Appelation: Nemea
Producer: A. & G. Papaioannou Vineyards-Winery

• La Croix de Pérenne: 2005
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
Appelation: 1ères Côtes de Blaye Rouge
Producer: Bernard Magrez Grands Vignobles

• La Mauny VSOP
Country: Martinique
Producer: Bellonnie Bourdillon Successeurs

• Mitis Amigne de Vétroz Réserve: 2004
Country: Switzerland
Region: Valais
Appelation: Valais
Producer: Jean-René Germanier

• Morandé Reserva Chardonnay: 2007
Country: Chile
Producer: Viña Morandé S.A.

• Murviedro Reserva: 2004
Country: Spain
Region: Valencia
Appelation: Valencia
Producer: Bodegas Murviedro S.A.

• Pago de Cirsus Selección de Familia Tempranillo Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon: 2004
Country: Spain
Region: Navarra
Appelation: Navarra
Producer: Distribuciones B. Iñaki Nuñez S.L.

• Puerta de Alcalá Reserva: 2004
Country: Spain
Region: Madrid
Appelation: Vinos de Madrid
Producer: Vinos Jeromin S.L.

• Quinta da Lixa Alvarinho Branco: 2007
Country: Portugal
Region: Minho
Appelation: Vinho Verde
Producer: Quinta da Lixa - Sociedade Agrícola, Lda

• Redi Orbaio Rosso: 2004
Country: Italy
Region: Toscana
Appelation: Toscana IGT
Producer: Soc. Coop. Vecchia Cantina di Montepulciano Soc. Agr.

• Ropiteau Frères: 2006
Country: France
Region: Bourgogne
Appelation: Meursault
Producer: Ropiteau Frères

• Rust en Vrede Merlot: 2006
Country: South Africa
Region: Coastal Region
Appelation: Stellenbosch
Producer: Rust en Vrede Estate

• Seleccion Robles 1927 Pedro Ximenez Saca Especial:
Country: Spain
Region: Andalucia
Appelation: Montilla-Moriles
Producer: Bodegas Robles sa

• Snows Lake One: 2005
Country: United States
Producer: Balzac Communications

• Spice Route Flagship Syrah: 2005
Country: South Africa
Region: Coastal Region
Appelation: Swartland
Producer: Fairview

• Spier Private Collection Shiraz: 2005
Country: South Africa
Region: Coastal Region
Appelation: Stellenbosch
Producer: Spier Wines (Pty) Ltd

• Spier Vintage Selection Shiraz-Mourvèdre-Viognier: 2005
Country: South Africa
Region: Coastal Region
Appelation: Stellenbosch
Producer: Spier Wines (Pty) Ltd

• Talamonti Tre Saggi: 2004
Country: Italy
Region: Abruzzes
Appelation: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC
Producer: Cantine Talamonti SPA

• Terra Leone Ammos Reserva: 2005
Country: Greece
Region: Peloponnese
Appelation: Nemea
Producer: Palivou Estate

• Torrealba Carmenère Reserve: 2006
Country: Chile
Producer: Comercial Viña Torrealba Limitada

• Valdivieso Reserva Syrah: 2006
Country: Chile
Producer: Viña Valdivieso SA

• Viña Chocalán Gran Reserva Blend: 2005
Country: Chile
Producer: Viña Chocalán SA

• Viña Pérez Cruz Carmenère Reserva: 2006
Country: Chile
Producer: Viña Perez Cruz

• Viñas De Oro Pisco Mosto Verde Torontel: 2007
Country: Peru
Producer: Bodegas Viñas de Oro

• Visconde de Borba Reserva: 2005
Country: Portugal
Region: Alentejo
Appelation: Alentejo
Producer: Marcolino Sebo

• Wyndham Estate Bin 555 Shiraz: 2005
Country: Australia
Producer: Wyndham Estate

• Yellow Tail Cabernet Sauvignon: 2007
Country: Australia
Producer: Casella Wines Europe

• Yvorne Vigne d'Or Pinot Noir Élevé en Barrique: 2006
Country: Switzerland
Region: Vaud
Appelation: Yvorne AOC
Producer: Association Viticole D'Yvorne

• Zeni Cruino Rosso Veronese: 2004
Country: Italy
Region: Veneto
Appelation: Veneto IGT
Producer: Cantina F.lli Zeni

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Constellation sells off 8 brands

Anyone with even a passing interest in the wine industry knows the name Constellation Brands Inc. It is less likely they'd know Ascentia Wine Estates, or its Eight Estates Fine Wines LLC branch.

That might change, since the giant Constellation has just announced the sale of eight wine brands to Ascentia for $209 million -- in cash. The deal would gross Constellation an additional $25 million if certain objectives are achieved by Eight Estates.

The brands involved are Columbia Winery (seen above), Ste. Chapelle, Geyser Peak, Buena Vista, XYZin, Gary Farrell, Atlas Peak and Covey Run. Togethers, they sold about one million cases of wine last year.

Constellation Brands said selling the brands will eliminate "brand duplication and excess production capacity."

Ascentia Wine Estates is a newly-formed company headed by industry veteran Jim DeBonis, former chief operating officer of Beam Wine Estates and now CEO of the new company, with participation by a group of investors that includes the proprietors of W.J. Deutsch & Sons Ltd., a New York wine importer. Eight Estates is its first major acquisition.

Several of the brands have been around a long time, by U.S. standards. Among the California wineries, Buena Vista was founded in 1857 near Sonoma and refers to itself as "California's first premium winery." Geyser Peak was founded in 1880 in the Alexander Valley. Others are comparatively new. Gary Farrell was founded in 2000 in Healdsburg, XYzin in Geyserville, and Atlas Peak in Napa in 1997.

Otherwise, among the Washington state labels, Columbia has been a Washington pioneer, operating since 1962, and Covey Run was founded in 1982. And, Ste. Chapelle is an Idaho winemaker founded in 1976.

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Maryland wineries' number swelling

Maryland has 24 commercial wineries, a number that probably will soon top 30 if all the facilities targeted for opening this year and next stay on schedule.

One such is Knob Hill Winery, a 60-acre spread in the Appalachian foothills of Western Maryland that will mark the return of winemaking to Washington County after a nearly decade-long absence.

It is a project former lobbyist Richard Seibert envisioned in a plan to begin bottling wine next fall made from vidal blanc, cabernet franc, merlot and chambourcin grapes he started planting in 2007. By the time he finishes planting all the acreage marked for grapes, Knob Hill will pass Linganore Winecellars' 50 acres in Frederick County.

Linganore Winecellars and Boordy Vineyards, located in Hydes, each produce more than 100,000 gallons of wine annually, compared to the 30,000 gallons projected for Knob Hill. Seibert said he plans to purchase non-estate grown grapes to supplement his own crops.

Seibert, 56, is the founder of the Annapolis Center for Science-Based Public Policy, a think tank dedicated to energy, environmental, health and safety issues. Despite financing the winery project, he's not a winemaker. That duty will be handled by John Levenberg, who studied enology at the University of California-Davis and worked in winemaking operations in California and France.

Joe Fiola, a small-fruit specialist with the University of Maryland's Cooperative Extension, told the Hagerstown Herald-Mail that Washington County's s well-drained soil includes some of the best grape-growing areas in the state yet its only other winery, Ziem Winery, closed nearly a decasde ago.

Seibert inherited the land about three years ago. He said he analyzed potential crops and grapes were the most economically feasible.

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New winery opens new brewery

The Three Brothers Winery and Estates in Geneva, NY, opened last fall. Now it has opened a brewery on the property as well.

“The brothers got together to see who could produce the best wine,” David Mansfield, one of three brothers who collectively own the microbrewery, told MPnow.com. “We don’t agree on much, but the one thing we do agree upon is great handcrafted beer."

The Finger Lakes brewery, called Barley Yards, actually is the fourth enterprise that is part of the 36-acre family collective on Seneca Lake encompassing a restaurant, a pavilion and a wedding barn along with separate wineries/labels for its high-end, semi-sweet and sweet wines: Stony Lonesome, Passion Feet Vineyards and Wine Barn and Rouge’s Hollow.

Barley Yards is located in a barn with World War II airport-hangar decor. Beer is served out of miniature airplane wings that holds six tasting glasses.

“We serve the world’s first Riesling ale, and it’s our best seller so far,” Mansfield said, explaining that the ale is a lighter type of beer made with Riesling grape juice. The brewing company also offers a dark American larger, India pale ale, raspberry wheat and amber beer.

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Research again boosts red wine as health drink

Chalk up one more health claim for red wine. And, one more plus for reservatrol.

While that may sound like the name of a medicine, reservatrol actually is a component of red wine that researchers now say may contribute to extending the human lifespan.

The study is, of course, based on giving reservatrol to mice, but there are some scientists who like the prospects so much they have begun taking it in capsule form.

The latest speculation on reservatrol's efficacy revolves around a company called Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, founded in Cambridge, MA, in 2004 and just sold to pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline for $720 million, certainly a vote of confidence in its work.

Sirtris is working on development of drugs that activate protein agents known in people as sirtuins. It reported in April that its formulation of resveratrol, called SRT501, reduced glucose levels in patients with diabetes.

Simply put, the theory behind the research is that of a human biological survival mechanism that, when faced with starvation, switches the body’s resources from fertility to tissue maintenance, thus cutting down on the degenerative diseases of aging -- what researchers usually refer to as the "period of morbidity."

A number of researchers have been studying the phenomenon and reservatrol's role in it for 20 years or so. One of the most promising results was announced last year by Dr. John Auwerx of the Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology in Illkirch, France. He said his experiments enhanced lab mice into stronger versions of themselves, able to run twice as far on a treadmill before collapsing.

Sirtris plans to start clinical trials of its resveratrol mimic soon. Sirtris’s value to GlaxoSmithKline is presumably that its sirtuin-activating drugs could be used to treat a wide range of common degenerative diseases such as cancers and Alzheimer’s if its underlying theory is correct.

A University of Wisconsin research team this week reported in the journal PLoS One that reservatrol may be effective in mice and people using much lower doses than previously thought necessary.

The Wisconsin scientists said because red wine also contains a number of compounds similar to reservatrol, a 4- to 5-ounce glasses of wine may be close enough to the amount of resveratrol they found to be effective.

Until all the results are in and proven conclusive, it certainly won't hurt the average person to begin a daily regimen of one glass of red wine per day for health reasons. Heaven knows, I'm years ahead of schedule and feeling just fine.

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U.S. delays Brunello block

Italy has gotten a two-week reprieve from the U.S. Department of Treasury's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) plan to stop shipments of Brunello di Montalcino wines from coming into the country.

Italian authorities, investigating reports that major producers of the Tuscan wine were using other grape, thus violating the law.

The TTB originally told the Italian government it would begin banning Brunello imports on June 9 and would continue to do until Italy provides a list of producers and brand names and vintages of the affected products.

The Italians have been reluctant to comply, and asked for a two-week delay. They now have until June 23 to produce the documents.

Lars Leicht (above), an executive at Banfi, one of Italy's largest Brunello producers and one of its largest U.S. importers, told the Reuters news service that about 20,000 cases of the 2003, or roughly half the vintage, was being held up by Italian authorities "under optimal conditions at the winery."

A quarter of Brunello di Montalcino's annual production is sold in the United States.

To catch up on earlier posts on the topic, check these links:

• Brunello flap gets results

• Brunello di Montalcino production probed

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France joins the real world

Mon dieu! France is lowering itself to keep up with the rest of the wine-producing world.

The world as we know it ended earlier this week when France decided it had to make a move now that it exports fewer bottles of wine than Italy and Spain, and Australia is creeping up on it.

France now will allow growers to make and market their product in what one wine writer calls "the fruity fashion of the New World."

Adding wood chips, tannins and using other techniques will be possible in a new category of mid-quality wine defined by grape variety rather than by origin. Put more simply, winemakers may grow the classic Alsace gewurtztraminer grape anywhere in the country and sell it as gewurtz in the new category called "Wine of France."

The measure is part of a five-year plan to win back market share from foreign competitors. That means simplyfying and taking short-cuts.

(See my earlier posts on the overall topic:

• French facing wine bottle shortage
• French court ruling assailed
• French wine scandal in the making
• Sippy box Bordeaux a big gamble
• About those ‘French wine’ labels …
• French wood chip debate takes new turn
• Worried French put wood in wine, not vice-versa)

None of these changes, however, will do anything to rid the world of the French snobbery that is part of its wine world. For example, The Times of London quotes Jean Claude Ruet, chief sommelier at the Paris Ritz hotel, as saying, "I have faith in the savoir faire of French winemakers. We will not fall as low as the Americans, who make vin rosé that is sugary and fizzy like soda.”

The Wine of France category is being created along with two others. One will correspond to a specific area, and the other will cover the AOC appellation, of which there are 457.

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Illinois' begins wine sales crackdown

Things changed as of today for wine enthusiasts in Illinois.

A new state law took effect today prohibiting out-of-state retailers from shipping products directly to Illinois consumers. That means Internet merchants, wine brokers and auction houses as well as winemakers.

Here are the exceptions:

• Illinois wineries can sell up to 12 cases a year to state residents.

• Out-of-state wineries licensed by Illinois also can sell up to 12 cases of wine a year to a resident.

Illinois wineries that produce less than 25,000 gallons a year can sell up to 5,000 gallons directly to retailers, while larger in-state wineries will have to use distributors to get their products to stores and restaurants. Some have said they're afraid they will be unable to find distributors willing to take on their small business.

The law was designed to protect the state's $253 million-a -ear wine industry and the system that moves wine sales in the state through distributors.

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Hong Kong auction pulls in $8 million

Interesting what a tax break can do.

Acker Merrall & Condit Co., the world's largest wine auctioneer, sold $8,200,000 US of wine in Asia's biggest wine sale in Hong Kong -- after the city abolished taxes on wine.

A dozen bottles of 1990 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti brought in the highest lot price, 1.89 million Hong Kong dollars, or about $242,000 US, an auction record for a case of Romanée-Conti.

The buyer was a collector from Singaporean whose second bid of 1.56 million Hong Kong dollars or about $200,000 US won the lot. The final price includes a 21% buyer's premium that the auction firm will donate to helping victims of the May 12 earthquake in China's Sichuan province.

The Hong Kong government abolished duties on wine in February in a move designed to win a part of the market for trading, storing and shipping wine. Most Asian wine investors currently buy and store rare wines in London.

A lot of three magnums of Dom Perignon (1966, '73 and '76) sold for $93,000 US, an auction record for champagne.

According to Hong Kong's Trade Development Board, Asian wine consumption rose 60% percent to $7.4 billion from 2002 to 2007.

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Korean consumers turning to wine

Soju, the liquor traditionally beloved by Koreans, isn't as favored as wine these days.

Sales of wine brought in $23.6 million in the first five months of the year, moving it into the No. 2 position among Korean consumer right behind beer and just ahead of soju, according to the discount giant E-Mart.

Soju is usually regarded as Korean vodka, although it is a sweeter-tasting distillation. It historically was distilled from rice or tapioca -- known as dangmil -- but sweet potatoes have become more popular in recent times. It varies in potency from about 20% to about 45% alcohol by volume (ABV), with 20% ABV being most common. In common U.S. parlance, that's about 40 proof.

The statistical report means wine sales have more than doubled at E-Mart, the largest seller, since 2005 when wine was in fifth position. That year, only 41 bottles of wine were sold for every 100 bottles of soju sold.

Wine is the only kind of liquor for which sales have been constantly on the rise over the past few years while soju sales have stagnated, the company told the Korea Times.

"This is the outcome of rapidly growing demand for wine of late," an E-mart official said. "We expect wine to be neck-and-neck with beer sales sooner or later with this growth."

The wine boom is ascribed to the influx of brands with reasonable prices from such producer countries as Chile, helped along by Korea's free trade agreement with that country.

The less costly wines are the most popular at the moment, with those selling for less than $10 moving fastest and accounting for 34.1% of overall wine sales, followed by those between $10 and $20 a bottle accounting for 30.1%, according to E-Market statistics. Discount stores have a 40% share of the wine sales nationwide.

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