I'm going to be busy most of today getting ready for New Year's (aka I'll be drinking). But before I attempt to pickle my body from the inside out, I'd like to leave you with these words...
Live the moment, enjoy this last day of the year, and PARTY ON!!!
Cheers!
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
Today, something special arrived at my front door... And well, let's just say that today, The Wine Whore Gets Lucky!
Here's what showed up:
Got this letter the other day...Dear Wine Whore,
Me and a couple of girlfriends would like to take a wine-related overnighter in the Illinois/Wisconsin/Michigan area this February (we hail from Chicago and South Bend IN). Wondering if there are any inexpensive yet fun places we could visit.
I realize that most tours are in the summertime, but we'd love to do a wine tasting and have somewhere nice to stay the night.
Appreciate any input.
Cheers!
Any suggestions?
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
Wanna kill Social Media? ...just keeping talking about it!
Social Media only works if it behaves under this important rule of "Fight Club":
It's time for a fun exercise...
If someone asked you to suggest one red, one white, a champagne, and a prosecco for New Year's Eve, what would you suggest?
Ok, ready, set, GO!
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
The Wine:
Penley Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
The Good:
Fruity and fun to sniff with a decent finish that doesn't go flat right away. Overall a decent wine for the less than $15 pricetag.
The Bad:
If you like your Cabs oaky and as dry as a walk in the Sahara, this one isn't for you. There's also something odd that pops up about halfway through the tasting experience that sticks out in a bad way. This wine is kinda like that one quirky friend you hang out with when none of your other friends are available.
For this and other affairs, check out the summary of scores, map, or even choose my next bottle.
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
The Wine:
D'Argenzio Mendocino Tocai Friulano 2005
The Good:
A great "summer wine"...
It's light, refreshing, and reminds me of a cross between a Pinot Grigio and a Chardonnay. If you've grown sick from the obnoxiously "in your face" CA Chards, Tocai Friulano offers a nice change of pace. Definitely a grape everyone should experience once and D'Argenzio did a nice job putting this particular one together!
The Bad:
It's not summer!
I may live in Florida, but right now it's still cold for us down here. Tomorrow night, I'm switching over to a nice red to warm up!
Help me choose my next bottle or for other affairs, check out the summary of scores, and map of the Wine Whore.
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
I can't believe this "Wine Whore" discrimination! This is TOTAL crap!
I've applied twice to wine.com's affiliate program and got REJECTED both times.
According to their email response, the fact that my blog has the word "whore" in it disqualifies me due to "inappropriate" content!
Read it for yourself:
Imagine if you could drink all of the booze you want, get buzzed, and then take a pill to sober up enough to drive home. No hangover, no DUI, no puking!
What's the fun in this?
According to this article by the UK Telegraph, scientists are hard at work developing such a creation that could one day replace alcohol in beverages such as beer, wine, and liquor.
Shouldn't scientists focus their time, energy, and MONEY on something MORE important than this?
I have to admit that I am not a fan of hangovers, DUI's are definitely VERY BAD for many reasons, and who the heck actually likes to puke? But I'm just saying that there's something about the ritual of getting crocked at a party that is half of the fun (minus the drunk driving thing, of course... don't do that!).
I for one say "Don't mess with my booze!" I like it just the way it is!
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
I really enjoy writing about my affairs, but I also think it's really cool when people get in on the fun and share their stories too! It's just nice to feel like I am not the only one out there who is crazy about wine!
That's why I am really excited about the response so far for Wine Whore Wednesday!
Some lucky winos are going to win FREE Wine Whore T-Shirts, bumper stickers, and whatever else I can find to give away!
For details on how YOU can participate in Wine Whore Wednesday, check out this month's Official Announcement and get crackin'!
Cheers!
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
The Good:
Chugging several beers packed a nice buzz and thanks to some good practice, my swing is getting much better! Despite the fact that I've only been playing for less than a week, I think my golf game is coming along well... at least the more I drink, the better I THINK my game is getting. In any case, nothing beats enjoying a couple of brews with good buds!
...No wine tonight, I'll switch back to the vino tomorrow.
The Bad:
Aside from the buzz, Miller Lite is pretty much the anus of the beer world. No offense, obviously I enjoy this inexpensive piss-water, but it's not anything I would write home about. It'll get you drunk, but that's about it!
For this and other affairs, check out the summary of scores, map, or even choose my next bottle.
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
I'd love to be able to take my Wine Whoring to the next level. Doing this as a full time job would be awesome... but the question is, HOW?
One of my friends just told me that I was crazy for not selling the wines that I try on the site. Here's my thoughts on the matter: Selling wine would be cool with me, but I just don't want to ruin my credibility in the process.
What do you think? Would you buy wine from a Wine Whore? Does selling wine make you a sellout?
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
(Photo Credit: Bostondirtdogs.com)
The Good:
Low cost, "easy drinking" wine. If you're looking for a good table wine, or you typically enjoy wines less than $10, this one is for you. It's enjoyable and fun without any of the pretentiousness of other more expensive selections.
The Bad:
This wine is NOT an example of what Malbec can do. There's none of the fruity, gritty, schweaty qualities that I've come to love in this grape. If you've had a GOOD Malbec, be warned, you will be disappointed.
For this and other affairs, check out the summary of scores, map, or even choose my next bottle.
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
Come on, I can't be the only lazy one out there... does your house still look like this?
Merry Christmas!
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
Instead of getting into all of the dull details of my Holiday weekend, I figured I'd skip right to the good stuff: What I drank!
Wednesday
Beers with buddies, then back to the driving range, followed by dinner with the wife. Before dinner, we opened a bottle of Kim Crawford Dry Riesling. This bottle disappeared in record speed. Mrs. Whore is usually not a huge Riesling fan, but the fact that this one wasn't overly sweet seemed to make it go over as well as some of her favorite reds. With dinner, we followed it up with a bottle of Penfolds Bin 389. A solid choice for a decent price. There wasn't much to pick through on the wine list, but this bottle had the best bang for the buck.
Needless to say, the Holiday weekend was off to a great start!
Thursday
More beers in the afternoon, followed by a bottle of Jacob's Creek Reserve Pinot Noir to go with a Honey Baked Ham for dinner. This Pinot wasn't that can of cherry cola I've come to love from WA or OR. This was a Pinot with almost a tinge of brown and more of a drier, vinegary taste than the sweeter taste found in those other Pinots. Overall it made for a nice meal.
The night ended with more beers before passing out for the night.
Friday
This was by far the best drinking day of the Holiday. After all, it's Christmas! Afternoon started with Mimosas (heavy on the sparklers, light on the OJ), followed by the oldest bottle in my cellar: a 1999 Chateau Troplong Mondot from Saint-Émilion. It was fragrant and seductive and melted the prime rib we had for dinner before it could even hit your tongue. I am always amazed to see how people who aren't into wine react to old world Bordeaux... it's usually not pretty.
Oh well, MORE for ME!
This amazing bottle was followed by a nice bottle of Mt Veeder Cabneret. This Cab is one of my $30-$40 favorites and combined with a nice Rocky Patel cigar, made for a great end to a long day.
Saturday
By this point, my liver was begging for a break. Aside from a couple of beers and a few glasses of house wine, I did my best to let it rest. What can I say, being a Wine Whore is hard work! ;)
Now it's Sunday, I'm still laying in bed (with my laptop of course) and getting ready for another fun week... what's in store is anyone's guess!
Whatcha got going on this week?
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
After a long holiday weekend of drinking, eating, and enjoying family and friends, I am back home. It's nice to be back in my own bed, basking in the glow of the post holiday frenzy. Before I get into what I drank, I've got some email to get through and some gifts to put away.
I'll be back later today to share the results of the Christmas drinking binge!
Hope you had a most excellent Holiday! Did you dig into your cellar to celebrate?
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
I'm going to be offline for a few days celebrating the Holiday with my wife and family. I'm not going to leave you with any Holiday wine suggestions or bombard you with any other lame B.S.... instead I'd just like to leave you with a few words from my heart:
I'm very thankful to for each and ever person that I have met this year since I started this blog. YOU make me look forward to this labor of love that would otherwise be considered work. I hope that you enjoy this time of the year with your family, friends, or whomever/whatever else it is that you enjoy!
Cheers to you and your families... and Happy Holidays!
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
I'd just like to help put things in perspective for you...
If you're reading this, you are sitting at your computer obviously surfing the internet, talking on Facebook, or doing some sort of other techno distraction...
Well, here's what you should be doing:
ENJOYING THE HOLIDAYS WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!!
The best gifts aren't found at the Mall, Walmart, or even a wine store (yep, I know, I must be crazy).... Instead of wasting your time at these places, go tell someone you love them, kiss your husband/wife, or just say hello to a friend. That's the best gift you can ever give this time of the year.
Happy Holidays!
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
Like most people, when I first started drinking wine, the bottle went straight from the wine store to my wine glass. There was no need for a cellar, wine fridge, or even a rack to store my bottles. My wine purchases just didn't last long to need 'em!
As I got more into wine, something strange happened... no, I'm not referring to the deterioration of my liver... I'm talking about my collection. Over time, I started amassing more bottles in my "cellar". These new bottles aren't your everyday two-buck-chucks. These are bottles I saved up for and stored away for that "special" occasion.
Now, I've got a new problem! As much as I would love to drink 'em, I hardly ever want to touch these bottles. In fact, the mere process of figuring out what to drink actually causes me stress!
The other day, friend and fellow wine lover @LifeByChocolate told me about a solution. The best way to avoid tapping into your wine collection is by having plenty of "Protector Bottles" around. What's a Protector Bottle? It's simple! These are bottles of wine that you DON'T mind drinking instead of your treasured collectibles. By having these tasty distractions handy, you avoid the temptation of opening something you might otherwise regret the next day.
How far you go to protect your collection is entirely up to you. Some people go as far as to protect their wine by region, grape, or even winery! Personally, I have a plethora of Protector Bottles at home and didn't even realize it. These rogue bottles stand in the way of my corkscrew and my Bordeaux collection every day.
... are Protector Bottles REALLY a good thing?
NO! Okay, I agree that they are a great way to distract you from opening expensive (and probably totally awesome) bottles on a daily basis... but here's the deal... maybe you need an excuse to open these bottles sometimes. By fortifying your cellar with protector bottles, you are missing sight of the reason why you bought those special bottles in the first place: TO DRINK 'EM!
Take a look at your cellar/collection... how well protected is your collection?
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
After eighteen long and challenging holes, I've come to the following realization:
1) Like a fine wine, mastering golf can be very complex.
2) Both wine and golf take a lot of time and patience to fully understand.
3) Like an expensive bottle of wine, do not leave your clubs unattended... especially if they are borrowed from a good friend! Take your eyes off 'em while hanging out in the clubhouse and they may end up going home with the wrong golfer. (I learned this one the hard way)
4) I'm much better at drinking wine!
I am finally home... feeling a bit disconnected (after a day offline from twitter, facebook, email, and all of the other techo distractions I've come to know and love) exhausted from a long day of sucking at golf, and looking forward to passing out for the night!
Did I miss anything while I was out getting my ass kicked on the course?
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
(Photo Credit: http://tastingwinecountry.com)
I love it when friends get picked up by major news publications!
Richard Auffrey from The Passionate Foodie got hooked up today on the awesomely popular Boston Globe with his true, honest, and heartfelt rant about overpriced holiday meals!
Check out his rant!
It's about time someone said it, and I'm glad Richard was the one to do it!
Cheers!
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
Instead of giving you one of my own quotes, I've decided to quote one of my favorite movies, "Caddyshack". Aside from the cheap thrill of telling people that they are going to get laid, there's a reason why I chose this quote...
Tomorrow morning, you won't see me on twitter, there will be no blog posts, no facebook updates, NOTHING!
WHY?! I'm going golfing... for the FIRST TIME!!!
I know, I know, some people are gonna say, "How come you've never gone golfing?"... others are going to ask "Why are you going golfing anyways?"...
The answer: I have NO FRIGGIN' CLUE!!
Resisting peer pressure has never been my forte, which is exactly the reason why I've put clubs (borrowed from a good friend) in my trunk, a pair of khakis in the dryer, and a polo shirt on a hanger...
It's time for some golf!
This is bound to be a legendarily humiliating experience. Regardless of whether or not I decide to memorialize this moment in photo or video, I'll make sure to share the gory details with you once I return to the warming glow of my computer monitor... that is, assuming I make it out alive! :P
What are you up to tomorrow? Anyone else daring to try something for the very first time?
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
Shopping for wine is actually a really stressful event. I usually walk into the wine store, head right for the Bordeaux, then to the expensive glass encased section, and then I usually peruse the Cabernets. Somewhere in between, I'll check out either Spanish wine or maybe even the Syrahs/Shiraz. The more I look around, the more I can feel the anxiety building inside... There's so many bottles that I want to take home, but I usually can't figure out which one to buy!
Am I alone here?
Today's trip to the wine store was no different. After browsing for about an hour, it was time to leave. So what did I end up taking home? I went with a bottle of 2006 Rauzan-Segla and a case of Sam Adams Winter Lager Variety Pack. Why the odd couple? Here's my thinking:
I came home today to be greeted by something other than the usual box of wine on my doorstep... I knew it was coming, I've been waiting patiently, and now the time has come!
Wine Whore T-Shirts are here!!!
Since I'm so excited, and I want to get as many of these shirts out to YOU, I am extending the special pre-order sale to the next 50 people who order!
You can pick up one of these bad boys for only $6.99 each (plus $5.25 for shipping). Hell, you can't even get a PLAIN t-shirt for less than that, let alone one as AWESOME as this!
Put down your wine glass and make sure to get yours today!
After coming across this article about how Anaba winery just installed a wind turbine, I have to ask myself "is this just another clever marketing trick?"
There's no doubt that "going green" has become a real heavy hitter buzz word over the last few years. Everyone's jumping on the bandwagon, and sure, it's a great cause but are wineries now implementing wind turbines, solar panels, and whatnot as a way to gain media attention and differentiate themselves in an otherwise crowded market?
Even if this is just another clever marketing strategy, I guess I can't complain. At least THESE types of marketing techniques offer some form of benefit for the environment. But I still have to wonder...
Are wind turbines in wineries just a bunch of hot air?
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
(Photo Credit: http://www.saunfiltered.com)
Someone asked me the other day, "Is there a way to 'repair' a bad bottle of wine?"
Wouldn't it be awesome if there was a way to 'fix' wine? I've heard that decanting supposedly 'blows off' some of the alcohol, and aging is known to reduce tannins, but is it possible to add a little Riesling or Chard to a 'bad wine' to help neutralize that vinegar taste?
Not likely!
I'm pretty sure if you buy a bottle of wine and it's corked, you're screwed! The only way to repair the situation is to cut your losses and open another bottle. If you drink it fast enough, you may even forget about the corked bottle of wine!
Someone did once tell me a secret to removing sulfur from wine... but I think I drank too much that night and forgot it... anyone know this trick?
What other tricks to 'repairing' wine are there out there? Do they REALLY work?
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
(Photo credit: CuriousWines.ie)
Mrs. Whore turns to me tonight and says "What was life like before being The Wine Whore? Were you bored? Do you feel like you have TOO MUCH to do right now?"
I thought about her question for a second, muttered something about always having some sort of creative outlet in my life, and then proceeded to shutdown my laptop, twitter feed, Facebook, and email... after posting this, of course!
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
Ever seen one of these?
I recently drank an Austrian wine and had NO idea how to open the stupid thing. Apparently this glass, cork-lookin' device is called Vino-Seal or Vino-Lok. It comes in either glass or plastic form and is "uncorked" by pushing up on it with your thumb to release the seal.
The cool thing about this "cork alternative" is that you can actually pop that sucker right back on top of the bottle to seal it back up. Of course it won't take out the air that's already inside, but at least it will prevent your wine from spilling out while storing in the fridge, under a car seat, or in your purse.
So what's the deal with this thing? Will this be the new face of the old cork we've come to know and love?
Let's do a comparison...
Good Stuff:
-Creates a hermetic seal that prevents oxidation and TCA contamination
-Won a Worldstar Award for Packing Excellence from the World Packaging Organization
Bad Stuff:
-Relatively high cost of each plug (70 cents each)
-Lack of compatible bottling equipment outside of Europe
How would you feel opening your next bottle of wine without a corkscrew? Would it be the same? For me, I hope the cork doesn't ride off into the sunset anytime soon... there's just something about uncorking a bottle of wine that just feels so GOOD!
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
Tonight I dug into my cellar to celebrate a relaxing and seductive Saturday night with my two favorite ladies: my wife, and a bottle of Cakebread Cabernet.
Like a good Pam and Tommy video, I've posted my affair on the internet for your viewing pleasure:
I've gotta give 'em credit...
I think what they are doing is pretty cool! The folks over at Life Goes Better with Bordeaux are really trying to kick the snob out of French wine. By showing that French wine isn't all about $500 bottles of Lafite, they are hoping to undo some of the damage that was done by Parker for many years.
Check out what they've sent this whore as part of their marketing campaign meant to de-snobify the world of French wine:
Dear Old Man Winter,
I didn't mind the cold weather (after all, I live in FL), but when you screwed with my wine, you really pissed me off. What's you're problem? I know that you froze my wine while UPS was bringing it to my crib. When I finally got it, the corks were popped and the wine was ruined. If you wanted some, I would have shared... but now I'm pissed! To settle the score, I'm sending Father Time over to your hood to kick your ass!
Don't mess with the Wine Whore... OR his wine! :)
Has this happened to you?
Be careful if you're shipping wine this winter, Old Man Winter is being a real jerk!
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
Have I told you how much I LOVE lists and scores?! Well, Parker isn't the only one having fun creating theses types of things... Looks like the folks over at Good Grape have come up with a "Best Of" list of wine blogs.
First of all, congratulations to all of the bloggers mentioned... this is an honor you should cherish but nonetheless accept with a microscopic grain of salt. No, I am not bitter because I am not one of the bloggers listed (which HAS to be some sort of oversight), I would just want to put the whole thing into perspective.
Unlike, Wine Spectator and Robert Parker's infamous scores, few people ever look to bloggers for reviews, and even LESS people actually read the esoteric and often overly wordy musings that fall on most wine blogger's websites.
Don't believe me? Try it for yourself!
Approach the next person you find on the street and ask them if they've heard of any of the wine blogs listed in this "Best of" List... heck, you'll probably get blank stares just mentioning Good Grape, let alone any other blogs. They may be "The Best" but they still aren't good enough!
How do you reach the masses?
The answer is simple: give them what they want!
So what do you want? Do you want hundreds of pages packed with tasting reviews decorated with useless descriptions? Do you want to bombarded with information about wineries that you'll probably never buy a bottle from much less ever visit?
...Or are you just looking to be entertained?
I think the masses are just looking for some good entertainment...
Wine bloggers, ask yourself this, is my blog entertaining... at all?
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
(Photo credit: Art.com)
In case you missed it, and actually wanted to be there...
Here's the re-run of last night's show:
Besides wine, there's only one other thing in the world that brings me to that special "happy place".... MUSIC!
My affair with music began when I was very young and we've been in love ever since!
Who's your mistress?
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
I was recently talking with wine lover and fellow blogger Alder Yarrow from Vinography and he said something that made me think...
How many bottles is TOO many to try to taste in ONE sitting?
He told me the other night that he was tasting through over 50 different bottles! HOLY CRAP!! And they call ME the Wine Whore! Seriously though, what a waste! There's no way that even the strongest liver could surmount swallowing 50 bottles of wine in one night... so what happens? I'm sure about 49.5 bottles worth of wine go down the drain. That's a crime in my eyes.
Personally, I like to taste through no more than three bottles in one sitting. That way, if there are any leftovers, I can reasonably enjoy them the next day. Obviously public wine tastings and panels are another story because the wine is shared amongst many people but I have to say when it comes to tasting different wine at home...
How much is TOO much to try to taste through in ONE sitting?
(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)
