Every once in a while I abuse this forum to get up on my soap box. This morning being one of those times. At this time I would like to remind everyone that wine is a business. Free tastings are never really free.

The whole reason that wine retailers and distributors and suppliers provide free tastings is so that consumers (and hopefully customers) can try the wine, determine what they like, and make a purchase. When wine is poured at a tasting someone has to pay for the wine, and the people that are there pouring it. This is a cost of doing business that we all have become accustomed to. After 7+ years in this business, what I have not become accustomed to is the number of people who think that a free wine tasting is a way to get their drink on, for free, before going on with the rest of their evening, the number of requests that I receive to do free tastings, and the countless requests for donations of wine.

Almost every wine retailer that I do business with is just like everyone else in this economy, struggling.

So, I humbly request that we all remember what these tastings are for and try to behave with a little more grace at these free wine tastings. Here are three basic tips to help:

1. Sample each wine thoughtfully

2. Ask questions of the representative pouring the wine

3. If a wine does not suit your taste, ask for other recommendations

I remember when I first developed an interest in wine and food pairing . . . my husband at the time (he’s my ex now), said to me one day, “Jodi, every meal doesn’t need to be an event.” I must have stared at him as if he had sprouted antennae on top of his head, because he never made that observation again.

In life, you have to live for the little moments and therefore, every meal has the potential to be an event. Every wine and food pairing can be special in some way.

Even though I love to cook, I do occasionally drift to the dark side of the grocery store . . . the frozen food aisle. Conveniently close to the grocery store wine aisle. I have found that the PF Chang Orange Peel Chicken is an almost perfect pairing with Cupcake Vineyards Riesling. This is tasty, affordable and more satisfying than any drive-thru disaster. This dish takes approximately 10 minutes to prepare and plate with very little intervention. Enough time to open the wine and get comfortable. Turn on some music. Light some candles. Do not turn on the television. Take the time to discover how this lively Riesling brings out all of the wonderful citrus flavors of the orange peel chicken and cuts through the sweet and spicy sauce. See, every meal can be an event.

Do you have a favorite and convenient food and wine pairing for those busy busy days? Leave a comment!

After a very long break, Wine Time TV will be returning to regularity in the world of Winos online. Thanks to the drive from Wine Time TV writer Jodi Fritch and her interest to continue, I’m getting motivated and sparked!

Not having been able to afford wine as of late makes it kind of hard to be inspired to produce content around it. That’s all changing as opportunities and new money are arising. Yay!

I’m sure WTTV will reinvent itself yet again and bring another interesting twist to an old topic that’s often not-so-interestingly explored. Does that make sense?

Now in North Hollywood, I’m looking for the right ‘angle’ to approach the next Wine Time TV edition. Perhaps a wine shop or wine bar partnership? Hm…

I’ll let you know as soon as I figure it out. Meanwhile, chime in with any thoughts anytime.

One of the things that I love about wine is that there is always so  much to learn.

This passion for learning (some may say obsession) contributes to the rather extensive wine library that I keep at home.

As I was putting some notes together for a presentation I am giving, I  came across one of my favorite wine quotes.

“every single bottle represents a year in the life of  somewhere.” (Matt Skinner)

In addition to being an insightful statement about terroir (more about terroir another time), this statement echoes some of my feelings about tasting and appreciating wine.

1.  Be respectful of the juice

2.  Give credit to the effort that goes into producing every bottle.

and, most importantly …

3.  Slow down

Take the time to get to know your wine.  Smell the wine.  Really get  in there, and not just once.  Great wine will

change dramatically the  longer it is in your glass.  Put away the gadgetry (specifically the Vinturi and other similar aerators) and let the wine do  it’s thing on its own timeline.  Enjoy this experience.  It’s a new year, start it out just a bit slower and appreciate all the aromas in your glass of wine.

When I am working on the floor at a restaurant, and I approach a table to talk about the wine list and their preferences, I have a very brief amount of time to determine a vast amount of information. However, perhaps of equal importance to what they are eating and what style of wine they prefer, is … do they want to “play it safe” or “take a risk on something new and different.”

At home, when I am entertaining and purchasing wine for a dinner or event, I have to make the same determination. If I play it safe, I can get something that I have had many times before that I know has the ability to pair with many foods and ‘plays well with others’ as well as having a general affinity for pleasing people.

As I stood at my local retailer and thought about my plans for the weekend, I decided to try a bit of both.

MY “SAFE” PICKS

Chateau Ste Michelle Indian Wells 2007 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley – Although I have had this wine before, it has been quite a while. Chateau Ste Michelle is a great winery and usually a very safe pick. I found this wine to be quite pleasant but it did not really excite me. I would definitely order it by the glass or drink it at a party if offered (as opposed to dumping in a house plant or empty sink), but I did not find it interesting enough to rush out for a case. I will say that they have done a nice job balancing the components in this Chardonnay, and it did have a pleasant finish.

Cline ‘Cashmere’ 2008, California – This wine is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre (which you may know as GSM (Australia) or Cotes du Rhone (France). I am a pushover for Rhone varietals. This was a safe pick for two reasons – the first is that Syrah/Shiraz always comes across well with red wine drinkers. The second, is that Cline is an extremely reputable producer of Zinfandel in California. It is retailing for $21 from the vineyard. I picked this one up at $13.99 (if you are in the Tampa Bay area email me and I will tell you where). Although I purchased it at a great discount, I happily would have paid the $21. This wine offered the big ripe fruit and jamminess that made Cline a household name in Zinfandel. It had a beautiful, elegant finish. This all helped the wine to come off as very luxurious and the winery described the wine perfectly when they decided to name it ‘Cashmere’. The biggest problem with this wine, much too easy to drink and the one bottle that I purchased seemed to evaporate in record time. I definitely recommend this wine. I have just made a note in my new IPod Touch to grab some more today. Visit Cline’s website at http://www.clinecellars.com for more information.

MY “TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT” PICKS

Peter Lehmann ‘Layers’ 2009, Adelaide -In a word this wine left me “irritated.” We have all been to those movies where the trailer has promised us 90 minutes of action packed edge of your seat movie experience, only to realize that the best part of the movie was seen at home in your living room during the commercial trailer. This wine from Peter Lehmann (a solid producer of Shiraz from the Barossa), is a blend of Pinot Gris, Muscat, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, and Semillon. Sounds like a nice mix for a tasty wine. It promised “Layers” of complex tastes and aromas. Simply stated this wine did not deliver. We even aerated, which I don’t usually do for white wines. Nothing. It is possible that it may be going through some sort of ‘dumb’ period. So, to be fair, I guess I should give it one more try at another time. But, I will be doing so reluctantly. At around $14 a bottle, I have had better white blends.

Casa de la Ermita Viognier 2007, Jumilla – Several of my wine “geek” friends have mentioned to me lately that thy have had an opportunity to taste Viognier from Spain. However, it seems to be absent from most retail locations in my area. I had just about given up hope when I came across this one. I may be slightly prejudiced because I LOVE Viognier. I love Viognier from France, California, Virginia, and Australia … and now I love Viognier from Spain as well. This was aromatically brilliant, had a great texture and overall was very tasty. If you love ripe luscious stone fruit (think peaches, nectarines, and apricots, with a slight scent of warm hay, and beautiful minerality (think clear stream water running over wet stones) then grab this wine. Don’t be intimidating by its deeper gold color. This wine was like taking a field trip out to a country farm. Under $15 a bottle. As a side note, Viognier can be a challenge to pair with food, but when you find that pairing that makes both food and wine “sing” it is worth the effort.

With 2010 literally around the corner, remember to get outside of your comfort zone and try something new whenever you can.

Cheers!

tampawinewoman

New Site

I could have titled this article “Dirty Laundry” or “Out With The Old…” Let me explain;

I started Wine Time TV back in late July 2009 on the wake of the then infamous Murphy-Goode Winery “Lifestyle Correspondent, A Really Goode Job” campaign, where I was publicly acknowledged as a Top 10 candidate (from over 1,000 applicants) and promised a Goode job by none other than Billionaire Entrepreneur himself, Jess

Jackson, Murphy-Goode winemaker David Ready Jr. and a slew of Jackson Family Wines VP’s of Marketing and What-Nots at the time. It was my intention to use this entertaining platform as one of several innovative tools I had up my sleeve to further promote Jess’ wonderful wares, like Murphy-Goode wine, for example.

Since then however, Jess and Jackson Family Wines have reneged on their promises, thus leaving this Wine Aficionado in training high and dry. Since receiving that awful news only a few weeks ago, you might imagine that someone transplanting themselves from Germany to California has likely already made travel plans and tied up local loose ends (flat, jobs, etc.) preparing for a new life in a new town/country. That someone, me, was basically screwed.

New Wine Time TV Experience

For a while there, it was difficult to NOT let Jackson Family Wines despicable and dishonest business practices corrode my new found lust for Wine, Wine Culture and Wine Edu-tainment and I certainly thought about calling it a day, related to my many online wine-oriented activities. It takes energy, commitment and passion to keep social networks alive and kicking, as many of you certainly know from your own exploits. I for one, have a very loud voice and strong presence in a variety of online niches (search Kamary Phillips google or yahoo) and have decided to continue growing Wine Time TV.net within the Winosphere, despite my unfortunate setbacks courtesy of Jackson Family Wines. (Wow, imagine if I was getting paid and dedicated everyday/all day to this!?) Thankfully there are thousands of wineries in the United States and I look forward to finding a new personal favorite and also creating mutually beneficial relationships with those knowing the value of social media and understanding the true meaning of partnership and promises.

New Writers

Helping with the new Wine Time TV experience are a handful of talented writers who’ll be contributing interesting and entertaining articles related to Wine, Food and the culture surrounding both. I’m happy to announce a few of them today as promised. Please give a warm Wine Time TV welcome to Jodi Fritch, Elizabeth White, and Rachel (just Rachel, like Cher!) Expect to see regular articles from these brilliant folks as well as several other talents being announced in the next days. Welcome aboard!

Thanks for reading,
Kamary