Hello,

My name is Larry Elletson and I am a member of the Vino Scholastico Scholarship committee in association with

the Howard Community College in Columbia, MD.  We have an annual event to raise funds to help students fulfill

their dreams of gaining advanced education and training.

This year we are reaching out through the wine/food contacts of the various committee members and asking them

to assist us in getting the word out via the social media. I would like to…

We wish a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2012 to all the Members of Open Wine Consortium.

Winery  Cristiana Meggiolaro  

from Italy  

VdPs, understated elegance, and baron philippe

So did you miss the Wine-Fi News 12/03/11 edition ? Sorry about that, but was at Red Feather Winery all that weekend for Livermore Valley's "Holiday in the Vineyards" showing off Wine-Fi's wears. Had a real good time, good music and great people. Here's a little sample,

 …

agents of ease and their occasional value

There are wines meant to be agents of ease, of breeziness, aimed to step easily into the realm of universality. Wines relatively incomplex, but not in the way of rusticity--they are polished by the seasoned winemaker's hand-- and whose…

"Let the grape lead the process and the palate influence the process.  Great tasting grapes lead to great wine, that need minimal interference, that has always been our philosophy here are Javelina Leap."

-Dr Russ Balda retired Northern Arizona Professor turned winemaker and operator.…

discordant satisfaction, sonoma chardonnay, and winter

Being alive on this earth of course never provides a guarantee of consistency. Yes, we are verily creatures of habit, with many of us [exponentially] more so adherent to familiarity; but fortunately, due to that discordant…

"What is the definition of a good wine? It should start and end with a smile."

 ~ William Sokolin





And so should a good meal!  That is exactly what we had last week, a terrific meal, that paired perfectly with a nice glass of wine, and finished with very happy stomachs.  That is what food and wine is all about, making your tummy happy with good company.  Yes, you can have epic mind blowing food and wine experiences, however in the grand scheme of things a simple smile…

for mondavi, among the patron saints of all things both modern and classic

As I write this, I have picked up Woodbridge wines twice in just the past week; and countless times have I cheerfully accepted, ordered, or purchased a Woodbridge wine. And so increasingly inspired by the Mondavi story will I begin reading The House of Mondavi by Julia Flynn Siler--the story of the family's winemaking history; with this…

I had an amazing opportunity to partake in one of Arizona's best wine festivals this past Saturday, on November 19th.  I attended the Festival at the Farm put on by the Arizona Wine Growers Association.  It is in it's third year of existence, and held at the beautiful Farm at South Mountain.  This is the biggest event the Association hosts, and most likely the best to represent what Arizona wine is all about.…

Comment on Yao Ming's ridiculous Napa wine venture

Okay, before you load your gun and fire off the first bullet let me defend myself.   Many will think I am crazy, and how can I be a wine lover and not be enamored with cheese?   Well it is pretty simple actually. During a time when I was newly exploring wine and trying new food tastes, I was also fat phobic, meaning I avoided anything and everything I thought to be high in fat and that included cheese.   Therefore, I really never developed a deep love for the stuff and could and can really…

decadent, plush napa wine for which to be thankful

Decadence. Warmth. Exuberance. Simplicity. Pleasure. Love. The holidays incite these sensations in us; ideally, each of us. Thanksgiving is a time to pause, to participate in pure pleasure; necessarily, if we are fortunate, the time calls for us to expose ourselves a bit and to be unabashedly participative in the whole process--and then to release ourselves from…

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

unusual: a rant, a frown. my heart.

A piece recently appeared on PalatePress, (the publication itself I like quite a bit):  'Parker is right, no one wants ageworthy wines'. Much of this is sustainable, valid…