Monthly Archives: August 2012

Wednesday, August 15, 2012: McMenamins Lodge, near Portland.

Posted on August 26, 2012 by The Frugal Wine Snob

My new friend, Bill Eyer, the creator of the Cuvee Corner blog, posted a marvelous photo essay about the hotel some of us stayed in during the pre-Wine Bloggers Conference excursion to Washington County in Willamette Valley, Oregon. It really … Continue reading →

Posted in Oregon, Travel | Leave a comment

Some Languedoc cattle enjoy wine in their daily rations. Good MOOD, better tasting meat.

Posted on August 26, 2012 by The Frugal Wine Snob

Now here’s an interesting wine geek article! French farmers are experimenting with feeding cattle wine — puts them in a good MOOD, increases milk yield, makes meat taste better. Each lucky bovine is receiving 1-1.5 liters/day/animal, the equivalent of 2-3 … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, France, News, Technical Stuff | Leave a comment

A Tour of SakéOne, Forest Grove, Oregon, August 15, 2012

Posted on August 25, 2012 by The Frugal Wine Snob

I was in Portland, Oregon August 14-21 for the Wine Bloggers Conference. On August 15, some of us visited the SakéOne company in nearby Forest Grove. BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW: Saké is gluten-free and sulfite-free. It is treated as a beer … Continue reading →

Posted in Oregon, Saké, Tastings, Technical Stuff, Travel | 2 Comments

RANDALL GRAHM, Bonny Doon

Posted on August 23, 2012 by The Frugal Wine Snob

One of the keynote speakers at last week’s Wine Bloggers Conference was Randall Grahm, Bonny Doon Vineyards. More or less a rock star of the wine world, he delivered a poignant talk that is beautifully covered here on Benjamin Simons’s … Continue reading →

Posted in News | 2 Comments

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Spirit of the Andes, Torrontés Sparkling, Tupungato/Mendoza, Argentina. 13.8% ABV, $14.99 and up.

Posted on August 22, 2012 by The Frugal Wine Snob

HA. And I thought I could play hooky and just enjoy a nice, easy wine without reviewing it, while working on my current deadline. NOT A CHANCE. This wine is just plain stinkin’ delicious! Fruity and flavorful, yet dry, with … Continue reading →

Posted in Argentina, Sparkling, Torrontes | 2 Comments

Sunday so far

Posted on August 19, 2012 by The Frugal Wine Snob

Sunday so far: Ten IGNITE! presentations: 5 minutes per person, 10 slides each, 15 seconds per slide, GO! Lots of fun and, surprisingly, lots of good information shared. Next, a blind wine tasting of Canadian wines! Next year the Wine … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, France, Travel | Leave a comment

Saturday overview

Posted on August 19, 2012 by The Frugal Wine Snob

The morning began with breakout sessions. I attended “How Bloggers Influence the Wine World,” and “The Winery View of Wine Bloggers.” After a quick lunch, I went to a private tasting of William Allen’s new label, Two Shepherds. He is … Continue reading →

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Saturday’s Speed Tasting: Reds

Posted on August 19, 2012 by The Frugal Wine Snob

Today’s speed/Twitter tasting of reds: Maryhill Winery 2008 Zinfandel. 14.5% ABV. $16.99. Nose: zings! Family-owned and operated. Growing more than 1/2 of all the zin in WA. Location: next to river, next to mountain, no freezes. Fruit forward, smooth. Cedar, an eensy bit … Continue reading →

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Friday’s Speed-Blogging Tasting: Whites and Rosés

Posted on August 19, 2012 by The Frugal Wine Snob

Here are notes from Friday’s “live tasting” (think speed-dating and Twitter combined). Several bloggers sat at each table and were visited by a new winery every 5 minutes who presented a wine and its back story. Here are the wines … Continue reading →

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Catching up on Notes from the Road: Thursday and Friday

Posted on August 19, 2012 by The Frugal Wine Snob

Thursday was PACKED with activity: a visit to Montinore Vineyard in the morning with some BEAUTIFUL wines. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED is their Borealis white blend: 38% Riesling, 24% Müller-Thurgau, 23% Pinot Gris, 15% Gewürztraminer. This wine was INTENSELY aromatic and equally flavorful … Continue reading →

Posted in Gewurztraminer, Oregon, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris), Riesling, Tastings | Leave a comment