Bottle Juice

The Wine Curmudgeon has finally figured out why Americans don't drink more rose, and it's not what I thought -- that we confuse rose with sweet pink wines like white zinfandel. The real reason? It doesn't taste like red wine.

How else to account for the odd reviews for the Le Cirque ($11, purchased ) on CellarTracker, the blog's unoffical wine inventory tracking software? Several of the writers complained that the wine was too light, and they were …

• Topics: Le Cirque, France, CellarTracker, Wine Curmudgeon
• Wine Peeps: Australian Shiraz to Stock Your Cellar (or Fill a Stocking)
• The Passionate Foodie: 2011: Favorite Wine, Spirit & Drink Related Items
• Dr Vino's wine blog: Would you pay the master's price for a local apprentice?
• CellarBlog: Bad Boy or Mauvais Garçon? Either Way, Excellent Wine!
• Wine Compass Blog: Wine 101: Carmine
• My Vine Spot: #Winechat 2/8: Let's Talk About Viognier!

…increase over time." I don't think anyone would mind if academic grades were increasing in America because kids are actually getting smarter, but sadly, that's not the case. The reasons why grades are on the uptick (if they are) has to do with political and social issues I don't pretend to understand, but I do understand that grade inflation troubles many people, who perceive it as somehow bad and indicative of deeper problems in the society.

This aspect of being troubling …

• Topics: Jefford, Wine Advocate , Allen Meadows, Allen, vino
• Wine Reviews: A Wine Story: Are Scores a Necessary Gateway to the Market?
• Wine Reviews from the Wine School: Bulletin d'Info
• Dr Vino's wine blog: Who invented wine's 100-point scale?

…seafood is about 115 million tons, half which is acquired through aquaculture. Interestingly, the U.S. only eats about 7 million tons of seafood, and around 84% of that is imported. Value wise, world-wide aquacultural production constitutes about $ 70 billion dollars and only $ 1.2 billion is produced within the US. The majority of aquaculture in the U.S. occurs in freshwater and catfish occupies about 40% of that market.

So how sustainable is aquaculture? Though it all depends on …

• Topics: Brian, Panama, Watch, Seafood, Ocean
• The Passionate Foodie: All About The International Boston Seafood Show

Imagine this: The world watches as a relatively young American president walks a tightrope to prove he would defend U.S. commitments in a strategic region with military force despite his known preference for a diplomatic solution. While he promises that all options are on the table, some very important American allies send signals that they doubt the president's resolve.

• Topics: American
• St. Louis Eats and Drinks With Joe and Ann Pollack: West Side Story
• STEVE HEIMOFF| WINE BLOG: Another conversation about AVAs and terroir
• East Coast Wineries: Today Show Showcases American Wines, New York, Virginia Shine!
• Dr Vino's wine blog: A tasting of hipster wines
• Confessions of a Wino: Rib Shakk, Leeds
• Wine Reviews: A Wine Story: Meetring Alfredo Del Rio, Brand Ambassador for Campo Viejo

…restaurant owner, supermarket owner, fishermen, etc. He claimed that when a fish is legally caught by a U.S. mandated fishery , then it is sustainable, considering the fact that the U.S. fishing industry is the most highly regulated in the world. This presupposes that their scientific assessments are fully accurate. Sustainability thus becomes a black and white issue, easily determined by adherence to the government mandate. But can it really be that simple?

In actuality, the truth is something …

• Topics: New, England, University, Oceanic, State
• The Passionate Foodie: All About The International Boston Seafood Show

…distributed in the export markets, including Germany, the UK and the U.S. The current vintage is the 2007. The wine has forthcoming aromas of black forest fruit, dark and broody, with a distinct earthiness. On the palate, it is dense and rich, without being too heavy, ripe fruit and dark chocolate, noticeable yet integrated tannins, an almost elegant spiciness, a solid mid-palate and a very strong finish. This blend from ancient Greek varieties is executed in a modern style. Delicious to …

• Topics: Greek, Greece, Mount Athos, Europe, USD
• The Passionate Foodie: Greek Wines: Specific Recommendations
• Wine Reviews: A Wine Story: Wines from Santorini
• STEVE HEIMOFF| WINE BLOG: Bring back the Greek Symposium!
• PALATE PRESS: Markus Stolz
• Off The Presses: All Greek to Me
• Diner's Journal: The Minimalist: Chicken Salad With Skordalia

…United States have crashed and burned, dashing the hopes of many for the varietal to become the US's next big thing. While I am not yet ready to write off Californian Syrah, especially given the incredible kosher ones gifted to us by micro producers like Shirah Wine and Brobdignanian, I would posit that the downfall being discussed by many in the wine industry is somewhat attributable to the consumer's shift away from " Parkerized' wines (i.e. big, oaky fruit bombs) …

• Topics: Shiraz, Rhône Valley, Israel, California, Cabernet Sauvignon
• Grape Sense: Good Wine Will Cure National Syrah Sales
• Wine Spies: Today's Deal: Saddleback Cellars 2008 Los Carneros Syrah
• The Wine Spies: 2008 Canihan Family Cellars Exuberance Syrah
• Paarl Wine Country: A Braai, Some Music And A Little White Hat ....
• WineFoot.com: 2007 Bergevin Lane Vineyards She-Devil Syrah
• The Cru: Wade Bales Wine Festival

…an incredible fraction of all U.S. jobs. If we made similar estimates for all other U.S. industries I am confident that the total number of jobs claimed would quickly exceed the total number of jobs ... period.

Suspicious Minds

But then I tend to be suspicious of economic impact studies ... period ... whether they are about the gadget industry or any other industry. And this is due mainly to the incentives that are present. No one ever commissions an impact study unless they have a reason …

• Topics: Apfelwein, Unified Wine, Grape, American, Association
• STEVE HEIMOFF| WINE BLOG: The [increasingly] dark side of social media
• Slate Articles: E-Textbooks Should Be Free-Textbooks
• The Passionate Foodie: Thursday Sips & Nibbles
• NYT > Home Page: Pogue's Posts: Apple's Mountain Lion Makes the Mac More Like the iPad
• Fermentation: The Daily Wine Blog: The Top 20 Wine Books
• Wine Compass Blog: From the The Norton Wine Travelers: Southwest Missouri Norton Wines

There are currently tens of millions of Americans without health insurance. Some can't afford coverage at going rates. But as recently as 2009, one in seven applicants were rejected by the four largest insurance companies, who refused to sell them insurance at any price. Uninsurable Americans are mostly sick to begin with: They have heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other pre-existing conditions that set off alarm bells for insurance sellers.

• St. Louis Eats and Drinks With Joe and Ann Pollack: The Rum Diary
• Wine Peeps: My Wine Bucket List—Expanded
• Blue State Carpetbagger's Purple(?) State Wine Blog: 2009 Santo Cristo GARNACHA (Campo de Borja, Spain)
• Anything Wine: TasteCamp East Coming to Northern Virginia
• Blog Search Engine: Islandlaw Constitutional Rights Pages
• Nick on Wine: The Bounty of Oregon's Pinot Noir

The US Pinot lineup, to which I contributed a 2006 Rhys "Home" Vineyard was unfortunately less exciting. I found most of the wines to lack in complexity and to abound in fruit. The Rhys was decent, but not at the level of complexity of the Italian or French wines across the board.

Overall, this was a tremendous evening of wines and memorable conversation that I won't soon forget. Here's to hoping that I will be able to attend the 15th edition of this wonderful event …

• Topics: Bordeaux, Aussie, California, Latour, First Growths
• Brooklynguy's Wine and Food Blog: And Now, For Something Completely Different
• The Wine Curmudgeon: Winebits 192: Private labels, wine critics, Decanter awards
• Tinto y Blanco: Mount Majura TSG 2008
• The Passionate Foodie: 2010: Favorite Restaurants
• The Wine Cask Blog: "The Boxer" Bill Calabria Oak Aged Durif 2008 review by (PB)
• Blue State Carpetbagger's Purple(?) State Wine Blog: 2006 Ross Estate "Old Vine" GRENACHE (Barossa Valley, Australia)