Collector Now Has All 20 'Judgment of Paris' Wines

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The "Judgment of Paris" is undoubtedly the most famous wine tasting in history.

It was at that 1976 gathering in France that French judges - tasting blind - gave higher ratings to a number of American bottlings than to their French counterparts.

It's the event that put American wine - and California wine, in particular - on the world wine map...

In Praise of Zinfandel

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     Is there any winegrape that is more versatile than the variety that California claims as its own - Zinfandel?

     No.

     Thanks for reading, and we'll see you tomorrow...

     What's that? We have some more cyberspace to fill? Okay...

Women Take the Lead in Wine Consumption

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     In case you needed further evidence that women rule the world, consider this: According to the most recent data released by The Wine Institute, 53 percent of all wine drinkers are women.

     Even more importantly, the number of women who are considered "core wine drinkers" - that is, those who drink wine at least once per week - now equals the number of men in that category.

     You've come a long way, baby! ...

How to Make Your Nose Smarter

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     Food may be the way to a man's heart, but keep in mind that the food goes through his nose before it reaches his stomach.

     In other words, a huge part of enjoying food involves smelling it. Don't believe it? Then try this trick: Place pieces of four different types of food with similar textures on a plate, then close your eyes and have a friend hand you a forkful of one of the items - but before you bring the fork to your mouth, squeeze your nose so you can't smell the food. Once the food is in your mouth, try to identify it. Trust us, it's not as easy as it sounds.

     Because the aroma of food is so closely associated with its flavor, it should come as no surprise that some of the best wine judges in the...

Much-Maligned Merlot Makes a Comeback

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    New research by The Nielsen Company into consumer wine consumption patterns and attitudes reveals surprising facts about a wine both loved and maligned in the United States: Merlot.

     Commissioned by Blackstone Winery and utilizing multiple Nielsen data sources, the research finds that Merlot has the single largest consumer base of any varietal wine in the U.S. and, of the major wine varietals, is the one most closely associated with high quality at an affordable price.

     Complete results of the research are detailed in a report entitled, "Merlot Today: The State of the U.S. Merlot Market, Consumer Attitudes and...

Winter Olympics Special: All About Ice Wine

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     "Every heart is ice-bound till wine melt it."

     So said Herman Melville, and whether he knew it or not, Melville's observation applied even to ice wine.

     And what better time to discuss ice wine than as the 2010 Winter Olympic Games begin to wind down in Vancouver, B.C.?

     Ice wine is a sweet treat for wine lovers, the result of using grapes that have been left on the vines much longer than normal (thus developing very high sugar levels), and then...

Wines That Bring Sunshine Into Our Lives

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    What's your favorite wine? There's a good chance your answer changes with the season.

     During the cold winter months, we tend to comfort ourselves with rich, full-bodied wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Rhone blends and so on -- the types of wines that go well with winter classics like braised short ribs, pot roast and meatloaf. Food that sticks to the ribs, and wine that warms the soul.

     But now that things are warming up, comfort food can seem a bit heavy. We begin to crave lighter fare -- salads, chicken, fish, etc. And lighter...

Tasting Features Spanish & Portuguese Varities

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    The Tempranillo Advocates, Producers and Amigos Society (TAPAS) has announced that the most extensive annual tasting of domestically produced Spanish and Portuguese varietal wines in North America will take place this year on Sunday, June 14 at the Fort Mason Conference Center in San Francisco.

     From 2 to 4:30 p.m., consumers will have an opportunity to taste wines produced by TAPAS members from grape varieties indigenous to Spain and Portugal that are now cultivated in America, in a delightful walk-around setting in...

Growers, Vintners Meet to Discuss Cabernet

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    The annual meeting of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture will feature a number of firsts when it convenes June 23-26 in Napa.

     For one thing, it will be the first time in the event's 60-year history that Napa Valley has hosted. For another, it will mark the inaugural International Cabernet Symposium (on June 26), after other annual meeting activities have concluded. Two other full-day symposia, on rootstocks and...

Italian Winemakers Are Seeing Red--Not Pink

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    Rose producers in Italy have joined forces to fight European Union proposals to allow the mixing of red and white wines to make rose.

     Two Lake Garda rose associations -- Bardolino and Garda Classico -- are working together for the first time since they were created in 1968.

     "We must be against a European law that allows the mixing of red and white wines to produce rose,' Sante Bonomo, President of the...

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