Today @ Chateau St. Jean

I won't be able to be there but maybe you will.

"Today and Tomorrow we are pouring all your summer favorites at the Chateau. Come on over and if you can't make it in, give us a call. We wouldn't want you to miss out!" (Philippe Thibault)

Wine is bottled poetry. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Here are some wine quotes I really like. Feel free to share yours, too.

"I'm like old wine. They don't bring me out very often, but I'm well preserved."
Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy (b. 1890)Family matriarch,
mother of John F. and Robert F. Kennedy

“Wine is light, held together by water.”– Galileo Galilei

In vino veritas [In wine is truth].Proverb quoted by PLATO,Symposium 217 (also attributed to Pliny the Elder)

"Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" -Robert Fripp

"Reality is an illusion that occurs due to a lack of wine." -Anonymous

"Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance."
-Benjamin Franklin

"Whenever a man is tired, wine is a great restorer of strength." -Homer, The Iliad

Wine News Bytes

I took out my WRB (Wine Reporter's Book), today and found some interesting news.

Reuters India is reporting on some new apps that will help wine lovers with pairing.

"More than a dozen apps claiming to be the equivalent of a sommelier in your pocket are available for iPhones and iPods. And there are others for the BlackBerry and other mobile devices." (Comes via Reuters India Apps, tweets and websites for wine drinkers)

There were two links mentioned from the article which will help you to get your taste buds started --> Natalie Maclean & Tastelive

And in health-related wine news, ABC Newsman, Ed Sussman, reports that "a glass or two of wine a day – but no more -- appears to protect older adults from developing dementia, researchers reported here at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease."

I have a question for Ed, since so much emphasis is placed on --> but no more than two <---

*sigh*

What would happen if these same adults had THREE glasses?

Buying Wine During Tough Times

The Wall Street Journal is reporting how the recession is making it tough for customers who are accustomed to buying high-end wines, even tougher for those who are not. --->NOT good news <---

My trip to Napa and Sonoma last month taught me the same lesson, "good wine" has a unique price tag.

Jim Carlton and David Kesmodel wrote in their article, Luxury Wine Market Reels from Downturn, "The slump comes as Americans continue to drink more wine overall. Recession-weary consumers, however, are buying more mid- and low-priced wines, causing a sharp falloff in sales of wines priced at $25 a bottle and higher."

And....

"But such price cuts are taking a heavy toll on wineries' cash flows, and could make it difficult for them to raise prices in the future. "If you're a $90 wine and all of a sudden you're on the Internet at $50, how do you ever become a $90 wine again?" says Elliot Stern, chief operating officer of the Sorting Table, a Napa Valley-based wine distributor."

Once I read this article, I immediately thought about Chad's blogs. He has brand names listed at low prices AND he reports regularly on these great deals - and - where to find them.

Chad's definitely worth checking out and what I like best is that he ALWAYS keeps it honest.

Learning and the Love of Wine

The fact that I am a teacher does not make me a lover of wine. What makes me a lover of wine is the history behind the vine. And interestingly enough, my mother introduced me to the Carthusian Monks who make their own wine with a secret recipe. I have not yet found the recipe, or that much information about them, but I have, however, found an interesting article. The Legacy of the Carthusian Monks: Learning and the Love of Wine **Boy, do I have a lot to learn!**

"The Carthusian monastery of Escaladei, founded in the 12th century, is the reference point and compulsory visit to see the Priorat region. The Carthusian monks made a decisive contribution to the cultivation of the vine and nowadays, their former land makes up a large part of the DOQ Priorat (QDO in English). "

(photo is via - The Legacy of the Carthusian Monks: Learning and the Love of Wine)

Up next, St. Bertrand...

Wineries in the Adirondacks

Checking out the wineries in the Adirondacks. My first tasting is this evening. 

Like me, HE liked the VINE: Tribute Pairing

If you are downtown tonight, in NYC, here's an event that will help you to celebrate Michael Jackson's life. 

25 Songs, 5 Wines, One King.

This Friday from 7-9 p.m., City Winery will celebrate Michael Jackson's career with a mix of music and wine by paying homage with a wine pairing—listening to 25 of his classic songs with wines paired with 5 eras in his music.