OK, so wine doesmaybedoesdoesnot affect health

ORLAND, FL -- After reading a plethora of studies over the past few years that claim that red wine, consumed in moderation on a daily basis, is good for our hearts, we now have a study that says, not so fast. It might, but then again not precisely the way we've been encouraged to think.

"Our findings do not support that potential cardiovascular benefits of red wine consumption result from blood pressure lowering by polyphenols" [a form of  antioxidant], says researcher Dr. Ilse Botden, a Ph.D student at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Instead, while not suggesting red wine isn't heart-healthy, the study says it just doesn't seem to work by lowering blood pressure. Botden says the benefit of red wine and heart health "apparently occurs in a blood pressure-independent manner."

Botden is presenting the findings today at the American Heart Association's High Blood Pressure Research 2011 Scientific Sessions being held here.

[Go to WebMD for a full report on the study.]

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Snooth unveils Facebook tasting app

NEW YORK -- Facebook's ongoing changes are more than cosmetic. They also are encouraging other entities to get more creative.

One of the first to announce a new application to take advantage of the changes is Snooth Media, which today announced a new social wine tasting experience integrated with Facebook.

The app will allow users to tell their friends that they are “tasting” a specific wine from Snooth.com. It was announced at the f8 developers conference being held here.

Full details are available on Snooth and its Facebook page.  

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RIP Pennsylvania wine kiosks

HARRISBURG, PA -- The shaky year-long experiment with wine kiosk vending mchines in the commonwealth is over.

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has ended the trial because of a financial dispute with the contractor. Monday was the final day to resolve the dispute with contractor Simple Brands LLC and keep the machines operating.

Board CEO Joe Conti said he cannot foresee the program being revived. The board maintains that Simple Brands owes the state about $1 million, but the company disputes that stance. Instead, it says, the liquor board had incurred unnecessary expenses and "improperly" billed the company. Simple Brands is seeking $81 million from the agency for breach of contract.

The machines began operation in several markets last summer, but ran into mechanical problems almost immediately. Both Wal-mart and Wegmans pulled out of agreements to host the machines, citing "mechanical concerns" and too many customer complaints.

"I think it was a great attempt to try to do something for the convenience of our customers," Conti said. "It didn't end up successful, but we learned a lot. We will be better for it, and listen, we had thousands of buyers who predominantly were happy with the convenience when they bought a bottle of wine through these kiosks."

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New Mason-Dixon Wine Trail unveiled

The new Mason-Dixon Wine Trail.

STEWARTSTOWN, PA -- A new bi-state wine trail has been created to help market 14 different wineries.

In a press conference held at Naylor Wine Cellars here this week, the debut of the Mason-Dixon Wine Trail was announced. It now covers 12 wineries in Pennsylvania and two in Maryland, thus straddling the famous Mason-Dixon line that forms the boundary between the two states.

It succeeds the UnCork York Wine Trail and the original Mason-Dixon Wine Trail, the katter created in the late 1980s by Pennsylvanians Dick Naylor of Naylor Wine Cellars, Mike Fiore of Fiore Winery and John Crouch of Allegro Vineyards. Boordy Vineyards in Hydes, MD, later was added.

Not everyone, however, was satisfied with the marketing ideas of the new entity. The Harrisburg Patriot-News reported that a Lancaster County business, Nissley Winery, opted out of the organization.

Owner Judith Nissley, according to the newspaper, said, "They had that first event in March (Tour de Tanks) and that one is enough to get through, and then they added the one in November (Wine Just Off The Vine. When they first had that, it was one weekend and was voluntary. Now they've increased it to two weekends and they've added that as a signature event, meaning you have to participate in that if you want to be on the wine trail.

"We have other ways of promoting our wine. But most of the wineries on that trail have only their wineries. They don't have any extension stores, they're not reaching out in other ways, and it's important that they draw people to their own winery site."

The member wineries of the new configuration:

• MARYLAND

Boordy Vineyards
12820 Long Green Pike
Hydes, MD 21082

Fiore Winery
3026 Whiteford Road
Pylesville, MD 21132

• PENNSYLVANIA

Adams County Winery
251 Peach Tree Road
Orrtanna, PA 17353

Allegro Vineyards
3475 Sechrist Road
Brogue, PA 17309

Cullari Vineyards & Winery
1251 East Chocolate Avenue
Hershey, PA 17033

Four Springs Winery
50 Main Street
Seven Valleys, PA 17360

Hauser Estate Winery
410 Cashtown Road
Biglerville, PA 17307

Hummingbird Ridge Winery
735 Kise Mill Road
York Haven, PA 17370

Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery
1282 Klines Run Road
Wrightsville, PA 17368

Naylor Wine Cellars
4069 Vineyard Road
Stewartstown, PA 17363

Reid's Orchard & Winery
2135 Buchanan Valley Road
Orrtanna, PA 17353

Tamanend Winery
759 Flory Mill Road
Lancaster, PA 17601
The Vineyards at Hershey
598 Schoolhouse Road
Middletown, PA 17057

West Hanover Winery
7646 Jonestown Road
Harrisburg, PA 17112

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Spike TV renews 'Bar Rescue' series

Consultant Jon Taffer

Gordon Ramsey had a great idea for "reality" programming when he came up with "Kitchen Nightmares." Take a failing restaurant business, give it a good shake, and, in most instances, make it a success.

The trouble is, Gordon Ramsey. The volatile, foul-mouthed celebrity chef relies too much on screams, insults, put-downs and manufactured drama to push his show along. Luckily, there is an alternative: "Restaurant Impossible," hosted by a pumped-up Brit named Robert Irvine.

While he is forceful with the owners and staff of the failing restaurants, he is rarely demeaning to them, and never foul mouthed. He's much more entertaining, his show more realistic -- except for the cliche of made-up pressure concerning deadlines -- and you don't feel as if you need a shower when you're finished watching an episode.

Now, along comes Jon Taffer with "Bar Rescue." The show, which has just been picked up by Spike TV for a 10-episode second season, started off well for a cable show and has steadily gained audience. Last Sunday, against televised NFL competition, it drew 1.3 million viewers, nearly doubling the July 17 premiere viewership of 742,000.

"Bar Rescue" is a bit of a misnomer. What Taffer, a noted New York hospitality industry guru, deals with is full-service eating-and-drinking establishments. And, his shows deal with the food as well as the drinks, along with service, decor and marketing. His on-camera persona is alternately gruff, encouraging, teaching and, ultimately, decisive. Another altogether satisfactory alternative to Ramsay.

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Virginia wine sales break records

Virginia Wine Regions: Click on map to enlarge.

RICHMOND, VA — The commonwealth's rapidly-growing wine industry reached an all-time high in fiscal 2011, just ended.

Virginia has more than 190 wineries, ranking it fifth in the nation in wineries in the state.

The office of Governor Bob McDonnell announced that sales of Virginia wines reached a record 462,112 cases in fiscal 2011, an increase from the former record of 414,785 cases sold in fiscal 2010. That represents an 11.4% increase.

Virginia  collected almost $1.8 million in wine liter tax revenue, up from about $1.6 million in fiscal 2010.

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Pennsylvania audit: Wine kiosks a dud

• From the Philadelphia Inquirer

HARRISBURG, PA --  - The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board's oft-criticized wine kiosks have cost taxpayers more than $1 million and should be scrapped unless dramatic improvements are made, according an audit by state Auditor General Jack Wagner.

"We think the wine-kiosk program has failed, and it needs dramatic, radical changes if the program is going to continue to exist," Wagner said Tuesday at a news conference in the Capitol.
The audit found that wine-dispensing machines fell short in large part because of numerous mechanical problems late last year that, in an embarrassing move, forced the LCB to shut them down for a month.

Beyond that, the audit also found that the machines never lived up to the goal of making it more convenient for customers to buy wine, nor did they deliver on the promise of making money for the LCB and state government.

As of this summer, the LCB has spent more to operate the 32 kiosks than it took in, resulting in an operating shortfall of about $1.1 million, Wagner said.

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