Thursday, December 25, 2008

The Fouling Of Festivus - Airing Of Grievances

Is nothing sacred?
According to the LA Times, a hoard of hucksters, including Grape Ranch
have tainted the true spirit of Festivus. In the case of Grape Ranch. the offense was to produce a seasonal Festivus wine, thus joining the purveyors of "other Kitschy merchandise".
Great work guys. You do realize that we now have no choice but to proceed on to "Feats Of Strength", right?

Sunday, December 21, 2008

StableRidge Oklahoma Centennial

Very disappointing semi-sweet white. Tastes like a blush and even has a hint of rose color rose to it in the glass. Almost no nose at all. Slightly cloying. The name, for some reason, had me hoping for better. At thirteen dollars a bottle this is an expensive mistake.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Beethoven's Birthday Was Yesterday

And even though I missed it it seems like I ought to offer some commemoration.

Vintage Oklahoma '09



Buy yer tickets here

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Antitrust Violations 10, Wine 0

Tony Mauro of the Legal Times sez:

Wolf is right, in that the 21st Amendment led to creation of the three-tier (producers, wholesalers, retailers) state-regulated system for purveying wine, beer and liquor. That system is under challenge fairly regularly, most recently in the 2005 Supreme Court decision in Granhom v. Heald. The Court upheld the system, but said the 21st Amendment does not allow states to violate the Commerce Clause by discriminating against out-of-state wineries seeking to sell direct to their residents.

"The three-tier system is alive and kicking," said the association's co-general counsel Karin Moore in an interview at the event. "That's what we are celebrating tonight." The system provides licensed, safe and accountable distribution, she said. But Moore, formerly with the Federal Trade Commission and with O'Melveny & Myers in D.C., acknowledged that challenges persist, some brought on by growing Internet sales and others by antitrust concerns. She had just returned from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in Richmond, which heard arguments Tuesday in TWFS v. Franchot, an antitrust challenge to aspects of Maryland's alcohol regulations.

Grace Hill Winery, Wichita,KS

A nice write-up for our neighbors to the North, the Grace Hill Winery in Wichita:

Before Wichitans Dave and Natalie Sollo went to a land auction in March 2003, "Dave told me he just wanted some property in the country that he could mess around on." Until they were driving away from the 160 acres they'd just bought, he didn't mention that he'd also wanted to start a vineyard for 10 or 15 years.

It's grown into Grace Hill Winery, and with their first wine sales earlier this year, the two physicians -- he's an anesthesiologist; she's a pediatrician -- now are commercial vintners as well.

A Cancer-Free Winebibber

There is hope for me yet:

Every day there's more news about the health benefits of red wine, but this one is really hard to believe: Moderate consumption of red wine is related to a 60 percent reduced risk of lung cancer in men who have ever smoked