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At what price point does a bottle of wine leave you thinking “Is this really worth it?”
This article on MSNBC is fascinating. “Napa Valley is facing the worst wine downturn since the early 1980s. Premium wines priced between $50 and $125 were "a dead zone" in 2009”
Not only are the values of the finished product going down but so are the costs of the raw materials. “Grapes he would have paid $5,000 a ton for in 2008 cost him only $1,000 in 2009”
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I know many wine collectors and connoisseurs alike that claim they can taste the difference in a ~ $100 bottle but I’d say that most would fail a blind taste test if it was put together correctly.
Mitchell Pressman, owner of Chesapeake Wine Company in Baltimore’s Canton neighborhood, describes this very situation. “The folks at Black Ankle Vineyards (Mt. Airy, Maryland) invited me to a blind tasting on Sunday. The theme was "Crumbling Rock ’07 vs, The World" – at which they pitted their Bordeaux blend against similarly priced Bordeaux blends from France, California and South Africa. It is the third such event they have staged and it speaks volumes about their goals and aspirations. Oh, by the way, their Crumbling Rock ’07? It won, with 18 out of 30 first place votes (runner-up wine received 8 first place votes)!”
Moral of this story – There are plenty of really nice bottles to be had in the $20-40 range. Branch out and be a little more adventurous.
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The Bruery, out of the Los Angeles area of CA, is turning out some fine beers these days. We typically don’t see too many of these on the east coast so I jumped on the chance to taste this one.
Here is the description straight from the brewers: “2 Turtle Doves is the second in the 12 Days/Years of Christmas Services. We decided to take our inspiration from the name and base the beer on the "turtle" candy, brewing it with cocoa nibs, toasted pecans, caramelized sugar and a lot of caramel malts. Somewhere between a Belgian-style Dark Strong Ale and an Imperial Porter, this beer is designed to take the journey through time until 12 Drummers Drumming.”
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Current Beeradvocate rating: A-.
My impressions: Pours a very dark brown with a fast receding head. Definite mocha smell with a little anise. Extremely smooth (maybe even too much!). A sipping beer due to the alcohol content – 12% ABV. Not a super complex beer and the body was a little thin.
Definitely not my favorite but worth the adventure if you can find one to try for yourself.
In this article, MD Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller cites “institutional inertia” regarding the city of Annapolis’ inability to remove snow. He also says “This city is stuck in a time warp".
I read both of these quotes and nearly landed on the floor laughing. You do understand that institutional inertia is one of the very tactics that he utilizes to govern. The fact that he won’t allow wine & beer to be shipped to Maryland is not only stuck in a time warp but also draconian and neo-prohibitionist. Not allowing the bill to get out of committee when 106 out of 188 legislators support the bill is institutional inertia.
This article depicts the liquor lobby’s stranglehold on our elected officials: “But Maryland’s liquor wholesalers won’t give an inch. Until now, neither have their (handsomely rewarded) champions in the legislature. “
Mr. Miller should begin choosing his words a little more wisely as he has become a hypocrite to cite institutional inertia as it is a tactic for which he is very familiar.
Please support Marylanders for Better Beer & Wine Laws. They have an on-line petition that I urge you to sign. Yes – Maryland’s Wine Siege Continues.
When I head into a new pub or place I haven’t been in a while, I typically follow the following process:
- Look at the tap handles – just the big boys (AB/SAB Miller/Coors)? or someone who cares?
- Look at the bottles they serve – same criteria as above
- Does the place have a decent bartender? – you would be surprised at the number of places that ignore this.
- If I’m still around – what’s the atmosphere, do I want to stay here?
- Order a cheeseburger – if a pub can’t make a decent burger, you know the rest of the food stinks
- Decide if I would visit this place again.
What process does everyone else in the blogosphere follow?
Background: I’ve talked about this stupidity before:
Looks like the bill is held up again according to this story. A Senator, Joan Carter Conway, chairwoman of the Education, Health & Environmental Affairs Committee won’t allow a vote even though 6 of 9 sitting on that board are co-signers of the bill.
Carter Conway says “Her chief concern, she said, is that underage drinkers will tap the Internet for wine. There’s no way, she said, to force delivery agencies, whether the U.S. Postal Service or a private carrier, to verify the age of the person accepting a package.” With all due respect, when is the last time a bunch of underage kids wanted fine wine? I’m guessing she never attended college with a statement like that.
“Conway said her concerns are shared by Senate leadership. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, a Prince George’s County Democrat, has not traditionally supported the direct-shipping bill, either.” Hmmm, think about it. Miller’s family OWNS A LIQUOR STORE! Why do you think he is against the bill?
Maybe she is concerned because she is a little too close to the issue. “Her husband, Vernon "Tim" Conway, is a city liquor inspector since 1995 who made $67,000 in his position last year, according to city records.”
In 1933, Prohibition was repealed, unless of course you live in Maryland and enjoy fine wine.
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