(There is very little documentation on this grape so if you have any further information that we can add, please let us know)

Residence: South West France, California
Though it is slowyly being removed from vineyards in this area it is still by French wine law allowed in Cotesdu Marmandais and it is also made into some red Vin de Pays of the south west.

Character:
Color of berry skin:	Rouge
Also called:	Early Burgundy
Origin:	Southwest France
Notable regions:	California, France

Abouriou is a red wine grape grown primarily in South West France and, in small quantities, in California. It is a blending grape that along with Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Fer, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Gamay is used to make the French wine Côtes du Marmandais. Though it shares several synonyms with the Beaujolais grape Gamay, the two grapes do not share many characteristics. In California, the grape is sometimes called Early Burgundy as another allusion to the Gamay grape. The vine produces high yields and vigorous growth with a relatively high resistance to disease. It tends to bud and ripen early.  The grape is known for its low acidity and high tannin content.

Transformation:

A good example of a wine that uses the Abouriou grape is the Domaine Elian Da Ros Clos Baquey.

<>

My brother and his wife invited us out to celebrate their 21st wedding anniversary at Chopstix in Tacoma, WA. Since it is located near Cork (one of our favourite wine bars) and Jazzbones on 6th Avenue, we knew right where it was located.

Given its close proximity to Cork, I probably never would have ventured inside,  expecting  just a mellow candle lit place to listen to Burt Bacharach (not that there’s anything wrong with that). What a fun place to bring your friends and family! I am still astonished at how packed this place was at midnight and happy to hear they actually stay open until 2am on Saturday night. Admittedly, we were not raising our hands to volunteer our talents upfront, but if you bring an open mind, some drink money and a few crazy friends, you won’t be disappointed. They played a variety of tunes from Bon Jovi to Neil Diamond and yes, even some Beastie Boys. The food was not inexpensive but fairly priced. I had the “New York State of Mind” and the rest had the “Seafood Mornay”. Great tasting dinner but the portions left us wanting more. Perhaps that is best considering our “American Style” appetites. The waitstaff was very friendly and instictively knew when we wanted attention.

Not being a wine-centric bar, I was not expecting much, but one of the house reds was really enjoyable. The Sycamore Lane Cabernet is a foodservice-only wine made by the Trinchero Family Estates in California. An enticing aroma of red cherries and vanilla with herbal tones really enhanced everything we had for dinner. It was medium bodied with light tannins and well balanced. We were pleasantly surprised and thirsty! Luckily, we didn’t partake in more than a few glasses, otherwise we would have been up on the piano strutting to “Blue Suede Shoes” or something equally revealing! Maybe next time.

Chopstix – Tacoma
2702 6th Avenue
Tacoma, WA 98406

253.627.7555
tacomainfo@chopstixpianobar.com

General Manager – Jasmine Baker

Here is just a sample of what you can expect at Chopstix in Tacoma!

<>

Researching both proposition 1100 and 1105 has been a task with all of the rhetoric being thrown at us through mainstream media. The below article, well written I might add, solidified our support for 1100. Please read this article as well as the hundreds of interpretations and viewpoints you have access to and make your informed decision. It is definitely an exciting time for the State of Washington!

(the following article was found on the Washington State Wire website)

Booze Initiatives Aren’t Just About Liquor Stores It’s Really a Big-Money Fight Over National Control of Alcohol Distribution By Erik Smith Staff writer/ Washington State Wire OLYMPIA, July 7.—If you take a quick look at the two liquor-store initiatives headed for this year’s ballot, you might get the idea they’re all about liquor stores. Those are the parts that get people’s attention. Initiatives 1100 and 1105 would both close the Washington-state liquor stores and allow hard liquor sales in supermarkets and other retail outlets. No more booze at twice the price. No more shopping restricted to bankers’ hours. Getting rid of the liquor stores might have been a slam-dunk proposition, if only one of them had submitted enough signatures and there hadn’t been a second initiative to confuse the issue. The liquor stores are really the only point they have in common. There’s another monopoly at stake, and it explains why there are two competing initiatives that appear to deal with the same subject. Big retailers, led by Washington-based Costco Wholesale, hope to overturn nearly eight decades of law and tradition that have guaranteed distributors a big cut of the nation’s beer, wine and hard-liquor business – worth $167 billion in 2008, according to federal statistics. The distributors are just as eager to make sure their position is maintained. It helps explain why Costco put up nearly $1 million to get I-1100 to the ballot this year. It also explains why two of the nation’s biggest liquor distributors leapt in when it appeared Costco would succeed. At the last possible second they launched a $2 million petition drive, paying unheard-of amounts to signature gatherers, and they turned in enough signatures on the deadline day last week to ensure that I-1105 would appear on the ballot at the same time. Their measure would preserve distributors’ place in the universe. What’s at stake is a national distribution system for alcoholic beverages that operates in every state of the union, requiring manufacturers to sell to distributors and requiring retailers, bars and restaurants to buy from them. The battle in this state really is a national watershed – if Costco wins here, the movement could spread. And while the state is distracted by the liquor-store issue, there’s a bigger question involved. Does it make sense to maintain a restrictive system that has reigned since the repeal of Prohibition, or is it time to let the free market rule? A Bold Deregulation Measure There are really two monopolies that would be dismantled by I-1100. The first is the one all Washington residents know and understand. Since 1934 the state has maintained strict control over the sale of hard liquor, requiring that all hard liquor sales go through the state’s system of liquor stores. Washington is one of 18 such “control states.” The other 32 are “open,” as in California, where gin and whiskey have their own sections in every supermarket and brave souls can purchase Albertson’s-brand vodka if they dare. The other monopoly is one that is invisible to anyone who isn’t in the business of selling alcoholic beverages. When Prohibition was repealed, every state adopted some form of what is called the “three-tier system.” It means that distributors provide a buffer between producers and end-sellers, and all sales have to go through them. There are a few exceptions to the rule. Winemakers have been successful in some states in winning permission for mail-order sales; some small brewers are allowed to deal directly with sellers and to sell their own wares in brewpubs. And in control states like Washington, the state controls hard-liquor sales while bulk sales of beer and wine are still funneled through distributors. The most striking thing about I-1100 isn’t the liquor-store issue. Closure of Washington’s liquor stores has been debated by lawmakers in this state for years, and the pressure has gotten stronger every time. This year lawmakers sympathetic to the state-employee unions only barely managed to block a privatization bill, and if the initiatives fail, the proposal’s backers say it is sure to come back next year. What is most remarkable about the ballot measure is that it would do away with distributor control. Distributors would not be handed the hard-liquor business, as they have been in every other open state. The initiative also would eliminate the rules that force beer and wine sales to go through them. Washington would wind up with the least restrictive set of distribution rules in the country. That’s really what the fuss is all about. Roots in the Past The three-tier system was established because of a set of concerns that really don’t exist anymore, and you have to know a little about the mood at the turn of the last century to understand how it came about. Alcohol use was seen as one of the country’s most pressing problems; temperance crusaders stormed taverns with their hatchets, and a largely rural and religion-based anti-alcohol movement coalesced with urban good-government reformers right about the time women were being granted the vote in one state after another. The result was Prohibition, and history records how well that worked. When it was repealed, there were still many who regarded alcohol producers in about the same light as drug pushers are today. The way they saw it, one of the big causes of public drunkenness and alcoholism was marketing. The manufacturers owned bars and taverns; they entered into exclusive marketing arrangements with others. They extended credit, paid for fixtures, and did everything they could to make money. The three-tier system was designed to stop it. No tier of the business was supposed to have an ownership stake in any other. Congress allowed every state to devise its own alcohol laws, and every one of them adopted some form of the system. There were a few side-benefits, too – by going through distributors, states found it easier to collect taxes, and the tightly regulated system made it easier to keep out organized crime. And so the system continued to the present day, even as other social ills moved to center stage – drugs, gangs, racism, sexism, melting polar ice caps. America’s unique alcohol-distribution system became a quiet fact of life. Pieces of the system have come under challenge as the Internet has made every other aspect of business more efficient, allowing customers to deal directly with producers. That’s a particular issue in wine sales, where small wineries often complain they have trouble getting distributors to carry their products. But what’s happening in Washington is a full-bore frontal assault. And it forces the distributors, now a firmly established segment of the alcohol business, to defend their protected status. Holding the Line in Washington Initiative 1105 is being backed by two major liquor distributors – Young’s Market Company of Los Angeles and The Odom Corporation, a Bellevue-based beverage distributor that operates in partnership with Southern Wine and Spirits, the nation’s largest liquor distributor. Neither returned a call for this story. But one of the most articulate defenders of the current system is Craig Wolf, president of the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America in Washington, D.C. Wolf is watching the situation in Washington closely. “Because of the power of Costco, it is a trend that could be of nationwide scope,” he said. “If they’re successful there, they will take it elsewhere, and it could spread across the country.” Privatization of the state’s liquor stores is really a “subsidiary issue,” he said. The distribution is the real prize. The system that has evolved over the last seven decades has done the job that was originally intended, Wolf said. It prevented manufacturer control of the business. But over time, other advantages emerged. Distributors make the market more efficient, he said. They give merchants more choices, he said, and give producers access to a national market. In states like Washington, where volume discounts are prohibited, all merchants pay the same price and no one has an advantage. Perhaps the biggest difference between the situation at the turn of the last century and today is that a few discount chains now are more powerful than the manufacturers, he said. If big-box retailers like Costco and Wal-Mart are allowed to go to manufacturers directly and negotiate their own prices, they’ll force the price down on the few lines that they carry, and smaller merchants will pay higher prices as a result. Yes, the middlemen add a markup. But the experience of other countries shows what happens when market forces are unrestrained, he said. In England, alcoholic beverages are sold as a loss-leader by some discount chains, and the result has been a spike in alcohol consumption. “Nobody I’m aware of in the alcohol industry other than Wal-Mart and Costco thinks it’s a good idea to have alcohol sold cheaper than water,” he said. “You don’t want to have the same market rules for alcohol as every other product. It’s not jeans, it’s not chain saws, it’s not books. We saw what happened in 1918 when the market was unregulated, and it could happen again.” Why Not Free Trade? The way Costco and other big retailers see it, the alcohol laws are something like the long-discarded fair-trade laws that once prohibited stores from discounting – a government-imposed restraint of trade that boosts one segment of business over another. Washington has become the battleground because Costco is based in Issaquah, and because this state’s rules are among the most restrictive in the country. The warehouse chain maintains that the distribution rules are archaic and anti-competitive, and that alcoholic beverages ought to be sold like any other commodity, in line with modern business practices. Among other things, that means retailers ought to be able to deal directly with manufacturers, they ought to be able to negotiate volume discounts and credit terms, and they ought to be able to manage their own warehousing and distribution. All are prohibited under Washington law. Costco has been trying to overturn the rules for years. It sued the state in 2004 and ultimately lost the battle four years later in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. It turned to the Legislature in 2009, but amid heavy lobbying from distributors and small retailers it won only modest changes to distribution rules. By going directly to voters, Costco has its best shot at getting something done. As for getting rid of the state liquor stores – the most visible element of the initiative and perhaps the most appealing element for voters – that’s a new issue this year. Joel Benoliel, chief legal officer for the warehouse chain, said Costco didn’t start the fight. The chain got involved when it was widely rumored that the distributors would run a liquor-store privatization initiative that protected the middlemen. So it put its money and its muscle behind an initiative already filed by a third party, a group calling itself Modernize Washington. “We’re not doing this because of its national significance,” he said. “But other states might think it is a model to follow. One by one, every one of them is going to look at how they maintain state monopolies on alcohol products. The question is how long is the public going to put up with it?” The conflict is all about breaking the monopoly power of the distributors, he said. Nothing in 1100 prevents them from operating, and if the market demands their services, they’ll survive. And there’s something a little funny about the distributors calling the big retailers bullies, he said. They’re the ones who have the power now. He notes that even though Washington wineries have the ability under state law to deal directly with in-state retailers, none of them have been willing to do it. Producers are scared to death that distributors will drop them in other states, he said. “The best defense is to point your finger and accuse your opponent of doing exactly what you’re doing,” he said. “We’re not the bullies here.” But that’s sort of par for the course, Benoliel said. He said he expects efforts to muddy the issue in the coming campaign. Why else would there be two initiatives?

<>

Vitiano 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Sangiovese, IGT Umbria

Where it’s from:Montecchio Terni Umbria Italy.

Winemakers notes: A blend of 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 34% Sangiovese, after fermentation they let the wine age for just three months in French Never oak barrels for a hint of oak character and a touch of added complexity.

Cherries and oak blast the pallet with this young wine, and although it is extremely flavourful, I need to disagree with most reviews and say it definitely isn’t “complex”. This is a good everyday beverage wine. Overall, it gets a “THIN” Score from Big Fat Wine. An average wine with little distinction except that it is soundly made.

I think I will give this another chance in the future and hope Bacchus shakes his magic corkscrew and it develops further.

[JBC]16September2010 / BFW

<>

We are adding a page for vineyards.   Here are the first few featured vineyard links.   Keep your eyes open for new pages being added all the time!

BellaGrace Vineyards
Website: www.bellagracevineyards.com

Blenheim Vineyards
Website: www.blenheimvineyards.com

Fess Parker Vineyards
Website: www.fessparker.com

Beaux Frères Vineyard
Website: www.beauxfreres.com

Ciccone Vineyard and Winery
Website: www.cicconevineyards.com

Many continued “thank you’s” to all of your suggestions and comments! We’ve added more celebrities to our page and will continue to add more as we find more!

Celebs sure know what to do when they want to enjoy life!  Below is another addition to our extensive listing of celebrities who own commercial wineries, wine brands or vineyards.

Makaziwe Mandela
Daughter of Nelson Mandela
House of Mandela
South Africa

The first three wines in the House of Mandela range were launched by Mandela’s eldest daughter Makaziwe, her daughter, Tukwini and Mandla Mandela, the new chief of the Mandela clan. When Makaziwe Mandela was first approached with the idea four years ago by her Norwegian friend, Camilla Bernal, her first instinct was to say no, especially since the Norwegian company was keen to put Mandela’s face on the label. Makaziwe made it clear that it just wasn’t done in Africa to put the face of one member of the family forward in that way. At the age of 92, Mandela will not be personally involved with the project, but he has given it his blessing.  This venture brings the rich cultural roots of the country into the wine industry, but also enriches the wine lifestyle by enveloping the historical roots of the South African people. 

Below is a very compelling writeup on The House of Mandela homepage;

The Relevance of Ancient Wisdom
Through our ancestors we too embrace and promote a spirit of human solidarity, cooperation, compassion, courage, and a sense of community; engaging in dialogue, not just in terms of confronting humanity’s problems today, but to a vision of a better future where we can be all we can be as friends, family, colleagues, neighbours and
citizens of the world.

In drawing the contours of our roots we are being loyal not just to our history but to whom we are, deep in our souls. Lineage is like the ocean that returns each time to the shore, it liberates and empowers us to trust fully the rhythm of life. Like a welcoming circle of friendship and sharing, it shelters us from the loneliness and isolation of life. It gives us a mooring, a center in our life as we crisscross the world.

To succeed in our current and future endeavors, we must take cognizance that we are treading the already trodden path. Our lineage is ancient and eternal, and weaves us into the great tapestry of spirit, which connects us to everything, and everyone everywhere.  Our ancestors showed us the way, and inspire us to live up to our highest ideals and for that we are grateful.

So today, in keeping with the changing times we are called to redefine our role and carry the ancient wisdom into everything we do, whether commercial or charitable. We are committed and passionate to create or be involved in projects with a soul.

The time has come for The House of Mandela to “Make Dreams Possible” and ensures that The House of Mandela transcends the past and preserves a place in the future.

We have chosen wine as a bridge into the future…

“From Mvezo on the banks of the mighty, magnificent, winding Mbashe river, through the beautiful rolling hills, pure grass, colourful thatched huts of Qunu, to the vibrant rich melting pot of Jozi, and finally resting in a magical place of wonderful flavours, iconic Mountains and surrounded by two mighty oceans The House of Mandela courageously walks with pride, knowing that our forefathers walk and celebrate with us and climb the mountains and cross rivers with us.

Ah! Madiba, Yem, Yem, Zondwa Zintshaba, we are here” Dr. Maki Mandela

(If you are a celebrity who owns a winery, wine brand or vineyard or you know of one that we missed, let us know and we will add you/them to the list)

<>

Official State Portal

Arkansas is the home of three AVA’s (American Viticultural Areas); all located in the northwestern portion of the state—the large OZARK MOUNTAIN AVA (which Arkansas shares with MISSOURI and OKLAHOMA) and the smaller AVAs of ALTUS and Arkansas Mountain, both subzones of the Ozark Mountain AVA. In the early 1900s, Arkansas enjoyed abundant vineyards, mostly of CONCORD grapes, an indigenous American variety of the VITIS LABRUSCA species. Unfortunately, wines from these grapes don’t have the popular appeal of VITIS VINIFERA species (the basic European varieties like CABERNET SAUVIGNON and CHARDONNAY). Today, Arkansas winemaking is mostly from HYBRIDS and Vitis vinifera grapes.  Area wineries produce a variety of STILL WINES from Cynthiana (NORTON) grapes or hybrids (like NIAGRA and SEYVAL BLANC), as well as from Cabernet Sauvignon, MERLOT, and Chardonnay grapes. Arkansas also produces SPARKLING WINES. The Wiederkehr Winery, which was started in the late 1800s, is in operation today by the founder’s descendants. It has shifted from American varieties and hybrids to grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, RIESLING, and MUSCAT.

Back in 1880, two European families settled in the Arkansas River Valley, attracted by its fertile sandy soil and moderate climate. The two pioneers of the American wine industry were Jacob Post, who came to America in 1872, and Johann Wiederkehr, who immigrated to Altus from Switzerland in 1880. (*Check out this short 6 minute video of an interview at Post Familie Vineyards in Altus). Area conditions reminded them so much of the fine wine-making regions of Germany and Switzerland that they each established vineyards, which was the beginning of a wine heritage and viticulture in Arkansas. Wine was made from grapes, berries and fruit native to their new homeland. Since those early years, each added new grape varieties, and cultivated, improved and expanded their vineyards. Today, fourth and fifth generations of these two families, plus Robert Cowie and Audrey House, have contributed to making Arkansas the largest and oldest wine producing state in the South. Paris, Ozark and Altus are located in Arkansas Wine Country, just off Interstate 40 northwest of Little Rock and east of Ft. Smith, near where the Arkansas River winds between the Ozark Mountains and the Ouachita Mountains.

Several area wineries that offer free tours, wine tastings and special events are: Chateau Aux Arc, (pronounced “ozark”) established in 1998 by Audrey House, is known for chardonnay and cynthiana grapes; tasting room open daily 479-468-4400 or 800-558-WINE.

Mount Bethel Winery, owned and operated for more than 100 years by a Post family member, produces a wide variety of locally-grown fruit wines: sip some blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, elderberry, peach, wild plum and, of course, grape! 479-468-2444.

Post Familie Vineyards & Winery, Taste some wine, shop for gifts and local wine, juice, jelly and vinegar; tours available by request. Established in 1880. Open daily. 479-468-2741

Wiederkehr Wine Cellars and Vineyard Tour the original wine cellar (listed on the National Register of Historic Places), which has been converted into the Weinkeller Restaurant, which serves Swiss and European specialties, and wine. Closed major holidays. 800-622-9463.

In Paris, Cowie Wine Cellars Vintner Robert Cowie began making wine in 1955; free wine tastings following tours of the cellars; wine making supplies for sale; amateur wine making competition held in April; home to the Arkansas Historic Wine Museum. 479-963-3990. Visitors to the area can also learn more about the region’s coal mining history at the Altus Heritage House Museum 479-468-4684.

Keels Creek Winery opened in 2006 in Eureka Springs in the Northwest Arkansas Ozark Mountains. In addition to its own label, Keels Creek offers one of the largest selections of Arkansas wines in the state. The 10-acre vineyard contains more than 10 varieties of grapes. Co-owners Doug Hausler and Edwige Denyszyn estimate that the optimal production from the vineyard will be about 40 tons of grapes which will make about 5,000 gallons of wine. The retail wine sales and tasting room are located in a Spanish-style building that is shared with Keels Creek Art Gallery. 3185 East Van Buren. 479-253-WINE (9463)

Arkansas’s newest small farm winery, Raimondo Family Winery, operates its tasting room and produces its wines at Blue Lady Resort in Gamaliel. The Raimondo Family Winery has been producing wine in California for more than two decades.

View Larger Map

<>

AGIORGITIKO (Ah-yohr-yee-tee-koh)          Greek name:

Character:

Residence:

The best examples of Agiorgitiko come from the Peloponnesian region of Nemea located on the eastern coast of Greece.

Transformation:

Agiorgitiko is frequently produced by Carbonic Maceration, a method in which whole clusters of grapes are fermented under pressure to acheive maximum extraction from a lighter wine. It is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon to make the popular table wine Katoi. Agiorgitiko is the 2nd most planted varietal in Greece.  Though lighter in style, when grown at high elevations it can produce serious reds of both quality and ageability, exhibiting aromas and flavors of red and black currants and exotic spices. Agiorgitiko also works well as a rose.