Do Valle

In T-10 hours I will be on a flight to Europe for an 18-day trip through London, Paris, Zurich, Munich, and Austria. It’s going to be a whirlwind, but I have high expectations nonetheless!

The thing is, I’ve never been to any of these places, but I am eager to experience their culture – including their drinking culture! I plan to dive deep into the pubs of London, have a picnic with a cheap bottle of Bordeaux by the Louvre and enjoy a nice glass of Chardonnay in a cafe along the streets of Paris, find a ridiculously overpriced cocktail in Zurich, and raise a liter of beer in Munich…. and in Austria, I plan to tour the wine regions and attend a wine festival.

Of course, my plan is to chronicle every move – so stay tuned…and any suggestions for completing the above tasks are heavily welcomed!

Sticking to the theme of Napa Valley, this week’s focus is on Revana Family Vineyards.

Revana Winery is located in the heart of Napa Valley just North of St. Helena. It was founded in 1997 by Dr. Madaiah Revana discovered an untouched piece of land he believed would be perfect for growing grapes. He was right.

The vineyard’s soils are situated on slopes and comprised of deep, gravelly soils that is optimum for the growth of Bordeaux varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon that the winery Revana on. Also like Bordeaux, the vines are planted close together and are pruned so that they produce low yields averaging under four tons per acre.

To enhance the wine’s character, Dr. Revana hired award-winning consulting winemaker Thomas Brown, who has had a hang in the winemaking of top wines at Turley Vineyards and Schrader Cellars. Brown believes in taking a non-interventionist approach to winemaking and goes as far as to preserve the character of each vineyard block by vinifying each separately first, then blending.

The winery only offers one wine, theRevana Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, and this one wine comes in very small quantities – in fact, you have to be on a special list to receive any allocation!

Here’s a little bit about current vintage 2009:

The wine is comprised of juice from eight different vineyard blocks, all vinified separately, and is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon blended with small amounts of Petit Bordeaux and Cabernet Franc. Once blended, it was aged in French oak for 18 months and then aged an additional year in the bottle before release.

Tasting notes from the winemaker:

Tasting Notes: A supple blend of our Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the 2009 vintage is opulent and well-balanced. Dark and dense in color with aromas of lavender, cassis and earthy wild berry, this wine displays great depth. It boasts stunning concentration on the palate with dark cherry, cacao, coffee bean and a hint of caramel. Finishing with full-boded tannins, this wine exhibits an undeniable finesse.

Luckily, Do Valle Imports and Distribution has just been allocated some of this delicious wine. Don’t delay, as noted the production of this wine is small and, as a result, allocations are even smaller and will move fast! Talk to your sales rep for pricing and more information.

When the book, the Billionaire’s Vinegar, came out a few years ago the wine world went crazy. Of course, this makes sense considering it speaks about the politics of auction houses, the discrepancies of fakes, and the most costly bottle of wine ever sold… a wine that may or may not have been part of Thomas Jefferson’s private collection. For good measure the publishers of Random House even got a good old fashioned libel lawsuit against them – a sure sign of success.

Alas, the book ultimately caught the attention of those outside of the wine world and the result is a major motion picture starring one of Hollywood’s top names: Brad Pitt. After the success of Sideways, it’s evident the mass population is ready for another wine story and what better story to tell than one with such drama?

The move comes inline with some of Brad’s recent flicks that allow him to expand his diversity in the characters he plays.What’s slightly more intriguing is the fact the rights to  and  the directing role of the movie belong to actor Will Smith…my, how far he’s come from being such a fresh prince (or perhaps it was all that time with high society that really showed him the way of wine.) Brad’s been pumping out 2-3 movies a year, but it’s unclear when we will see the first real glimpse of this story. According to Decanter production is already underway and the film is due to be released later this year, but IMDB says nothing of the sort! With the year already almost half over it will be interesting to see what happens.

I have to be honest, I bought the book when it first came out and have yet to finish it, but I blame that mostly on circumstance than anything else and a general lack of understanding for wine auctions…now that it’s a movie there is more incentive to read.

So what do you think of the Hollywood handle on this famous wine story? Have you read the book? Share with us please!

In the midst of the glorious news that the USPS will begin legally shipping wine and beer in the US, a recent study shows that the sites from which alcohol is purchased are far too relaxed in their age verification standards.

Top eCommerce sites are under fire for allowing underage consumers purchase wine online – “proven” so by an experiment of eight volunteers aged 18-20 across 100 sites total. It must be noted, however, that only 45 orders were successfully completed and some of those sites also used age verification. Wine sites are pointing the finger at the shippers, however, namely UPS and FedEx claiming the delivery personnel is not taking adequate steps to ensure the wine is in the right hands.

The hysteria continues stating parents are also to blame. Easily accessible identification cards and prepaid debit cards can also contribute to the distribution of alcohol to minors. Still, FedEx and UPS require wine shipped via their services must be delivered requiring a signature from an authorized party; regardless if a minor is home to sign someone over 21 must be the one to accept the package….of course that is only if you live in one of 14 states that can legally have wine shipped to consumers.

Enter the US Postal Service. This change comes with opened arms and the hope that the financial crisis the USPS is currently undergoing subsides. It’s also good news for consumers because an added player means more competition and, potentially, lower prices…. and lower prices means good news for everyone. No one likes spending as much on shipping as they did one bottle of wine. The USPS is already working on a flat rate box! Plus, you can receive wine on Saturdays without having to pay an arm and a leg extra! Of course, time will tell if the USPS is any more diligent than current shippers on checking ID’s, but I’d bet they will be … after all the work for the government.

Last night marked the annual gala for the James Beard Awards – a black tie, red carpet affair honoring the creme de la creme of the food and beverage scene in the US.

Here are the winners of the beverage- alcohol related awards:

2012 James Beard Foundation Book Awards
Beverage

Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All,
with Cocktails, Recipes, & Formulas
by Brad Thomas Parsons
(Ten Speed Press)

Food-Related Columns
Lettie Teague
The Wall Street Journal
On Wine: Lettie Teague: “Drink, Memory: How to Remember that Wine,”
“In Praise of the One-Cabernet Lunch,”
“May I recommend: Lessons of Great Sommeliers”

Wine, Spirits, and Other Beverages
Sarah Karnasiewicz
Imbibe
“Fizzy Business”

2012 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards

Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional
Presented by Southern Wine & Spirits of New York
A winemaker, brewer, or spirits professional who has had a significant impact on the
wine and spirits industry nationwide. Candidates must have been in the profession for
at least 5 years.
Paul Grieco
Terroir
NYC

Outstanding Wine Program
A restaurant that displays and encourages excellence in wine service through a wellpresented wine list, a knowledgeable staff, and efforts to educate customers about wine.
Candidates must have been in operation for at least 5 years.
No. 9 Park
Boston

Outstanding Bar Program
Presented by Campari
A restaurant that displays and encourages excellence in cocktail, spirit, and/or beer
service through a well-presented drink list, a knowledgeable staff, and efforts to educate
customers about beverages.
PDT
NYC

Outstanding Service
Presented by Stella Artois®
A restaurant that demonstrates high standards of hospitality and service. Candidates
must have been in operation for at least the past 5 years.
La Grenouille
NYC

Congrats to all the winners for their awards, well-deserved honors, indeed!