Tasting Flight 5/24/06
Unbreakable Fun
Drinkers are excited at the new ‘unbreakable’ crystal wine glasses, which premiered at Hong Kong’s Vinexpo this week. The glasses resisted shattering when the room of journalists banged them on the table. Such an invention would have been useful at any number of banquets I attended in college. I may have to call the restaurants where I might have witnessed significant wine glass breakage. (Decanter)
Holy Winemakers
Not every Bordeaux winemaker is ‘militant’ (as Decanter tends to call them). This week, the Archbishop of Bordeaux is calling on winemakers in his congregation to show restraint in the face of market adversity. He is advocating for winemakers to work together to solve the problems facing the wine industry rather than exhibiting violence towards negociants. Good thing Decanter never called them infadels. (Decanter)
Happy Anniversary
Today, May 24th, is the official Anniversary of the Tasting that put American wine onto the map. The Tasting of Paris has gone down in history, or infamy, depending on which side of the Atlantic you are. For the Anniversary, they are tasting the same wines and same vintages, however the judges and other former participants aren’t so excited to participate. Will the American wines stand up over time? The structure of the tasting has already changed, so the judging won’t be consistent. And, the judges are not back at table tasting. In any case, Happy Anniversary. This date forever defined the American wine industry as an international star! (Forbes)
Wine Racket
Scams have always been around. This one is nothing new. Over $1.5 million in wine was stolen from a Sausalito wine storage facility and resold. The owner is pleading not guilty. (San Francisco Business Times)