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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

The winery releases just one wine annually – typically a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Syrah; some years will not include all of the grapes in the blend and the percentages change with the vintage. Unlike Erickson’s previous work, however, this wine is far more approachable and accessible in both style and price. The wine is meant to be consumed young and is known for its bold, bright flavors featuring powerful fruit character, smoke, graphite, cocoa, espresso, and black peppercorns.

From the winemaker:

“Blending is one of the most enjoyable and most creative parts of the winemaking process. In producing our Favia wines, which are very small production wines from highly coveted sites, we always end up with many blending components of all different varieties. Fitting these together like a puzzle creates Leviathan. It allows us to push the envelope, try new things, and have an outlet to give people something unique and, frankly, pretty damn delicious.”

-Andy Erickson

As appellation, “California,” Erickson is able to source fruit from the top vineyards around the state and is not tied down to any one area. Now in its sixth vintage, and eagerly awaiting the release of the seventh, the wine has proven itself among California wine connoisseurs. The wine retails for a mere $50 which is an excellent bargain considering other wines in its category of quality can retail for two or three times as much. Truly a wine worth experiencing!

Check with your local Do Valle sales rep for wholesale pricing and/or more information – the current, 2009 vintage is now in stock!

The new law states that store owners will now be allowed to open from 10am-5pm on Sundays and can also open on holidays such as Memorial Day, Labor Day, and the Fourth of July.

The change is expected to raise an additional $5.2 million in revenue over the next year…assuming that consumers will purchase more alcohol than they previously did and/or those on bordering states will, instead, purchase from within the state. There is concern, however, that because of CT’s high tax on alcohol (raised last year) many consumers may still travel over the border seeking better prices.

Some opponents believe that small liquor store owners who have been opposed to Sunday liquor sales for years, arguing it will hurt them not help them, were pressured into voting for the bill. The bill encompasses other benefits that will likely prove helpful to smaller companies including special deals for products and additional ownership of store locations which is why some believe opponents voted for the law.

Malloy still has to sign the bill and once it is passed it will take 45 days to go into effect… but that means by July 4th Connecticut should be able to get your booze on all week long… happy sipping.

Photo courtesy of the Manhattan Cocktail Classic

It’s here once again – the annual Manhattan Cocktail Classic, the time of year in NYC that the cocktail-curious and cocktail know-it-alls can “geek-out” together without judgement from either side.

It’s fast approaching and tickets are selling out even faster! There are still some available to much of the seminars, but tickets to highly-desired events such as The Gala – the MCC’s opening party and one of the best in NYC all year – which welcomed over 3,000 guests last year, 115 mixologists, 5,000 oytsers, and 40,000 cocktails. As I said, unfortunately, tickets are no longer available to this event…but perhaps you can snag some elsewhere (plan better next year!)

Fear not, you can still enjoy a plethora of other events whose tickets are not yet gone. Some highlights:

Fortify Yourself: Unlock the Secrets and Wield the Power of Port, Sherry and Madeira

Evolution of the Cocktail: Session 1 & Session 2

Detox to Retox: the Art of Drinking 4 Drinks a Night and Never Getting a Hangover

Handcrafted Cocktails: Create Homemade Ingredients, Syrups, Cordials, Infusions and Accompaniments

Among many others. Events range in price, but they’re worth every penny. If you’re in the trade, there are special tastings and events set up throughout the weekend.

This event is not to be missed – it’s the East Coast’s biggest cocktail celebration and anyone who has ever given thought to the alcoholic beverages in which they are indulging should definitely attend. I’ll be at least a couple of the sessions so I hope to see you there!

Despite the young age of the winery, these wines have already made a big impact on consumers which is unsurprising considering the team behind the wines. The winery opened its doors in 2010 and was founded by Rajat Par, the well-known Wine Director of the Michael Mina restaurant group and author of Secrets of a Sommelier, Charles Banks, former owner of Screaming Eagle and Jonata (both well-known California-cult wines,) and Sashi Moorman, esteemed winemaker who allows the fruit to speak for itself focusing on minerality, structure, balance, and finesse as well as acidity which can, at times, be lost in Californian wines.

Located in the Santa Rita Hills of Santa Barbara California, the vineyards from which the fruit is sourced rely heavily on the influence of altitude, climate, proximity to water, and soil conditions. Each is meticulously cared for and there is an emphasis on the relationship between the grower and his vines. Sandhi focuses on the the production cool climate examples of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and each single vineyard wine represents the impact terroir has on the grapes as Moorman uses a relatively non-invasive approach allowing the character to shine. He uses wild yeasts and ferments the majority of the wines in stainless steel with minimal influence of new French oak.

This is the first time these wines have been available in Connecticut, which is a real treat considering the small production levels of the winery. Currently, Do Valle offers the full lineup of the currently released 2010 vintage, the winery’s first, including the Santa Barbara, Rita’s Crown, and Bien Nacido Chardonnays and the Santa Barbara and Bien Nacido Pinot Noirs (consult the latest edition of the Beverage Journal or call you local sales rep for pricing details.)

If you haven’t had the chance to experience true California terroir, Sandhi vineyards is a great place to turn – and with this team behind the wines, how could you go wrong?

Cheers!