One of the most well-known wine cellers is about to sell off some of its oldest stock. CNN’s Jim Bitterman reports.

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French wines may be tasting different these days, and some blame global warming. CNN’s Jim Bittermann reports

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Tom Cannavan of wine-pages.com chooses the Castillo Albai Rioja Reserva 2005 as his Wine of the Week for December 6th, 2009.

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WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 [Press Release] — The U.S. Champagne Bureau has launched its “Unmask the Truth” ad campaign, rallying consumers and demanding lawmakers protect wine place names on wines sold in the United States. The ad, which can be viewed at www.champagne.us, features a mask over a sparkling wine bottle mislabeled “American Champagne,” and asks consumers to voice their support for truthful wine labels that ensure consumers know where their wine comes from.

“With consumers paying even more attention to how they spend their hard-earned dollars, we believe it is equally important that U.S. consumers be clearly informed about where their wines come from,” said Champagne Bureau director Sam Heitner. “Support for truth-in-labeling is growing, with the involvement of consumer groups and Members of Congress weighing in on the issue for the first time this past year.”

The ad highlights a legal loophole in federal law that allows some U.S. sparkling wine producers to mislead consumers by labeling their products “Champagne” even though they do not come from Champagne, France. It also champions Champagne’s solidarity on this effort with leading American wine regions such as Napa Valley, Willamette, and Walla Walla — some of whose names have also been misused in Europe and Asia.

The main elements of Champagne’s advertising campaign include a wrap of a city tour bus in Washington, D.C. and billboards in the heart of San Francisco’s downtown district. The campaign includes an aggressive online presence in top national newspapers such as NewYorkTimes.com, SeattleTimes.com, WashingtonPost.com and TheEconomist.com as well as placements on select American Airlines flights and drive time radio. The campaign also includes print advertisements in influential news magazines — The New Yorker and TIME — as well as in two prominent Capitol Hill publications — The Hill and Politico.

In December 2006, Congress passed legislation banning the future misuse of 16 wine place names, including Champagne. While that was a step in the right direction, the legislation did not address the grandfathering of labels currently misusing Champagne’s name and those of 15 other international wine regions.

Recently, U.S. policymakers have begun focusing on the issue. Members of Congress sent a letter to the Secretary of the Treasury urging a review of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau’s wine labeling system. Shortly after, the National Consumers League, America’s pioneer consumer organization, contacted Congress in support of reforming U.S. wine labeling laws to better protect consumers’ right to truth-in-labeling.

“Great wines are made all over the world. This campaign is designed to celebrate this and ensure that when shopping for the holidays, U.S. consumers remember that a Napa Valley wine is from Napa Valley, a Willamette wine is from Willamette, Oregon, a Walla Walla wine is from Walla Walla, Washington and Champagne is only from Champagne, France,” added Heitner.

Champagne is a founding signatory of the Joint Declaration to Protect Wine Place & Origin, a coalition of 13 wine regions from around the world committed to educating the public about the importance of place names. Six U.S. regions are part of the coalition – Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Paso Robles, Oregon, Walla Walla Valley and Washington. The other member regions are Porto, Jerez, Chianti Classico, Tokaj, Victoria and Western Australia.

About the Champagne Bureau

The Champagne Bureau is the official U.S. representative of the Comite Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC), a trade association which represents the grape growers and houses of Champagne, France. The Bureau works to educate U.S. consumers about the uniqueness of the wines of Champagne and expand their understanding of the need to protect the Champagne name. For more information, visit us online at www.champagne.us. Follow us on Twitter at ChampagneBureau.

Author: Mark V. Fusco San Antonio, TX Mark reviews the 2006 Feudo Arancio Grillo (http://www.feudoarancio.it).

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Gary Vaynerchuk tastes wines with Michael Steinberger, a wine columnist from Slate Magazine and the Financial Times. They discuss the troubles in the wine industry and Michaels new book!

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Lions Peak Vineyard (http://www.lionspeakwine.com/) Tour with Jennifer Arant

http://www.californiawineryadvisor.com/

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Stephanie Elam introduces us to a father and son (Sasha & Gary Vaynerchuk) mixing wine with technology in this Small Business Success.

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Gary Vaynerchuk tastes the 4 wines in the secret pack that many of you got. Sit back and enjoy.

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Rudy McClain, creator of the documentary Merlove, visits Wine Library TV to discuss the film and taste some Merlot with Gary Vaynerchuk.

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Pacific Palisades, CA (Press Release) November 24, 2009 — Cosimo Pizzulli, internationally known designer and fine artist, can now add winemaker to his long list of impressive credits. Today, Pizzulli announced the official launch of Pizzulli Family Winery with his first commercial release of 2007 Sangiovese handcrafted from grapes sustainably farmed and hand-picked in Lucas & Lewellen’s Los Alamos Valley Vineyard in Santa Barbara County. Pizzulli’s 2007 Barbera and 2007 Nebbiolo, also sourced from Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards, will be released later in the year.

Pizzulli is not new to winemaking. In 2003, he planted Sangiovese vines in a half-acre hillside vineyard located on the grounds of his Pacific Palisades home. A few years later, Pizzulli produced his first wine from those vines in a wooden shed across the driveway from his house. Inspired by fond memories of making wine with his grandfather in Brooklyn, Pizzulli is continuing the tradition of crafting small lots of Italian varietals handed down through the generations of Pizzulli family winemakers, from Puglia, Italy to the Central Coast of California. A photo of Pizzulli’s grandfather graces the wines’ labels.

Pizzulli izzulli Family Winery’s artisanal Cal-Italia wines are well-crafted with modern state-of-the-art techniques and a certain Old World style, a contemporary wine influenced by what Pizzulli’s ancestors most likely produced in Italy in the 1700s. “Wine is first and foremost a beverage to be served with food. It’s important to me that my wines are food friendly,” says Pizzulli.

Despite his demanding schedule as head of a full-service design firm with worldwide projects spanning retail, entertainment, hospitality and residential fields, Pizzulli could not resist developing his “garagista” wine hobby into a commercial venture. “It’s all part of the art form that I live by,” says Pizzulli. “I had to bring my wines to market so that I could share them with as many people as I could reach. I once designed a furniture collection for a luxury resort on the island of Sardinia. The furniture received such a positive response that we mass produced the concept with a manufacturer in Norway. Going commercial with my wines is the same thing. While I’m only producing 100 cases of each of my three wines right now, the idea of attracting an audience that goes beyond my family and friends is very exciting.”

Pizzulli considers his wine another work of art, given the same passion and attention that goes into literally everything he designs. When asked what most motivates him, Pizzulli says, “I really pay attention to all of the sensual arts, including painting, sculpture, music…even food presentation can be inspiring and, of course, wine, the way it looks, smells, and tastes.” Pizzulli’s lifestyle revolves around hospitality, whether he’s creating an inviting seating arrangement or gathering friends to his home for an evening of wining and dining.

Considering the very limited production of Pizzulli Family Winery’s initial releases, the primary target for sales is Los Angeles-based restaurants and wine shops. In fact, the 2007 Sangiovese was immediately embraced by some of the restaurants that Pizzulli designed, including Enoteca Drago in Beverly Hills and Il Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica. “It’s a perfect fit. My wines poured in restaurants that I designed,” says Pizzulli.

The marketing strategy for Pizzulli Family Winery is primarily viral. “I’ve never mounted a conscious campaign of any sort,” says Pizzulli. “In the world of design, the Pizzulli name gets passed around a wider scope of clients with each project we complete. My vision is that Pizzulli Family Winery’s reputation as a producer of great wines will grow with each person who tastes the wine.”

Pizzulli’s goal is to continue producing small lots of the wines that he most likes to drink, increasing production slightly as the wines gain a following. The focus will remain on Italian varietal wines, Sangiovese, Barbera and Nebbiolo with the introduction of an unique Piedmonte-inspired Rosé in 2010.

ABOUT COSIMO PIZZULLI
Cosimo Pizzulli is the founder and president of Pizzulli Associates Inc, a full-service interior architecture firm with worldwide projects totaling more than $500 million to date. Founded in 1986 with offices now in Santa Monica and Las Vegas, Pizzulli’s practice encompasses retail, entertainment, hospitality and residential fields. International credits include projects for BMG Entertainment, Brazilian American Trade Center, Bill Gates’ Corbis Company, Hearst Magazines, Pacific Capital Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, William Morris Agency, and Yamaha Motors International USA, among others, as well as high-end restaurants, hotels, retail and residential properties in the U.S. and Europe, including homes for Larry King and Paul Anka. Pizzulli’s furniture designs are manufactured commercially in Italy, Norway and the U.S. His work has been featured in international publications in Italy, the Netherlands, England, and the U.S. As a fine artist associated with the New Mannerists, his paintings have been exhibited in museums and galleries in Italy and the U.S. Pizzulli’s extensive background in architecture, industrial, product and fashion design, as well as the fine arts, includes his position as Art Director with designer Gianni Versace in the early 1980s in which Pizzulli worked closely with both Versace and famed photographer Richard Avedon.

CHICAGO–(Press Release)–Cheers! Salúd! Clink, clink! However you toast, American’s will be tipping their glasses this holiday season. According to new research from Mintel, two-thirds of survey respondents (67%) say they partake in wine on holidays and special occasions while at home. Another 58% drink wine at home with dinner on an ordinary night.

The wine market has grown 20% from 2004-09 despite the recession; however, shattered consumer confidence caused a 3.2% decline during the height of the financial crisis in 2008. As consumers begin to see signs that the worst of the recession is behind them, Mintel forecasts the wine market will stabilize and increase by 2.1% in 2009.

“Despite the recent decline, the future of the wine market looks bright, at least for moderately priced segments,” says Sarah Theodore, Mintel senior food and drink analyst. “Value wines have helped consumers rethink their perceptions about wine. Domestic wines have proven to be somewhat recession-proof as unpretentious, economy-priced wines are fuelling recent sales.”

How does wine chalk up next to its alcoholic beverage counterparts? So far in 2009, nearly half of survey respondents say they drink beer compared to just more than one-third who drink imported and domestic wines (47% vs. 35%). Only 17% claim to enjoy champagne and sparkling wines and even less drink port, sherry and dessert wines (7%).

Sarah Theodore notes: “As wine finds its way out of the recession, it might be taking on a new form. The down economy has given impetus to boxed wine. Marketers have an opportunity right now to really play up the benefits of this type of packaging and finally eliminate its ‘cheap’ image.”

Nearly one in five respondents appears to be status-conscious when it comes to drinking boxed wine. Consequently, 35% of those aged 21-24 say they would drink boxed wine at home, but not serve it to guests, compared to 19% of all ages. In addition, 35% of 21-24 year old wine drinkers believe the wine brand they choose reflects their status to friends, compared to only 14% of all ages.

Gary Vaynerchuk and Jeff Bundschu (http://www.gunbun.com/) taste some wine and talk about the California wine industry.

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Thanksgiving Wine Pairing – Zaca Mesa (http://www.zacamesa.com) Black Bear Block Syrah on www.winedinetv.com

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PATERSON, Wash.–(Press Release)–Wine Spectator magazine, one of the most influential wine publications in the world, has named the Columbia Crest 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon as the editors’ pick for the No. 1 Wine in the World for 2009.

Equally noteworthy is that Columbia Crest is the first wine produced in Washington state to fill the top spot in Wine Spectator’s annual Top 100 wines of the world ranking.

“For the first time in the Wine Spectator’s 21-year history of creating an annual ranking of the world’s Top 100 wines, editors have named a wine from Washington state as No. 1. This is an historic moment for Columbia Crest and for all wineries in Washington,” said Ted Baseler, President and CEO of Columbia Crest’s parent company, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates.

Since 1988, Wine Spectator editors have surveyed the wines that they have reviewed during the previous 12 months in order to select their Top 100 Wines of the World. The 2009 ranking was culled from 17,000 wines tasted and reviewed by editors with the final selection based on such attributes as a wine’s quality, value, availability and excitement.

Prestigious châteaux and estates from the world’s most important wine regions have held the No. 1 designation in previous years, including, Australia: Penfolds; Bordeaux: Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, Château Latour, Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron and Château Lynch-Bages; California: Paloma, Joseph Phelps and Caymus; Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Clos des Papes, Château de Beaucastel, E. Guigal; and Tuscany: Solaia and Ornellaia.

“We are honored that editors selected the Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon as No. 1 in its 2009 Top 100 list,” said Winemaker Ray Einberger. “And it’s a particular honor to be the first wine from Washington state to receive this recognition. We have always believed that the region is among the best wine-producing areas in the world, and this reinforces that belief.”

Columbia Crest’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has been ranked previously on the magazine’s Top 100 list. In 2004, Wine Spectator ranked the 2001 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon No. 30, and over the years 15 Columbia Crest wines have been named to the Top 100 list.

Einberger, who became head winemaker in 2003, joined Columbia Crest in 1993 and helped to establish the winery’s Reserve program, which has received consistently strong acclaim.

Columbia Crest’s Reserve wines are hand-crafted in le petit chai, a small winery within the overall winery. The chai is dedicated to Walter Clore, the father of the Washington wine industry, and it’s there that the artisanal approach to winemaking is reminiscent of the top boutique wineries and châteaux. In fact, cellar techniques are modeled, in part, on Einberger’s experience working in the cellars of Château Mouton-Rothschild and Château Clerc Milon in Bordeaux and Opus One in Napa Valley.

Founded in 1983, Columbia Crest has grown from a small winery in a relatively unknown wine region to one of the most significant wineries in the U.S. and a major force behind Washington state’s emergence as a world-class wine region. More information about the winery can be found at columbia-crest.com.

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Gary Vaynerchuk sits down with Samantha Brown from the Travel Channel and tastes three different wines from South America.

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Gary Vaynerchuk tastes some Thanksgiving picks with writer and blogger Tyler Colman.

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Tom Cannavan of wine-pages.com reviews the Georges Duboeuf (http://www.duboeuf.com) Beaujolais Nouveau 2009 and makes it his Wine of the Week for November 22nd 2009.

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Since Gary Vaynerchuk gets so many emails asking about how to pick wines for weddings and other events, he invited celebrity event planner Marcy Bloom to tackle it with him on the Thunder Show.

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Gary Vaynerchuk tastes three serious and highly rated Chardonnays and has some big announcements.

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