News Items from USA based people and organisations

New technology from another of wine’s new worlds: the USA

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On my recent travels through Napa Valley, California, I enjoyed two stops, in particular, which showcased the great advances in wine technology from making to retailing.

I will share more of these findings over time but for now here are some images from these two concerns.

Opus One is known to people around the world and here I am pictured among their highly prized wine.

Dennis Vice at Opus One

Dennis Vice at Opus One

A visit to Darioush Winery was also an eye-opener for the serious yet contemporary point-of-sale/tastings efforts. It certainly is a far cry from many of the cellar doors we have over here in Australia.

Darioush - a busy cellar door

Darioush – a busy cellar door

‘A Mighty Mouse Among Lions’ PETER HELLMAN The New York Sun

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Highbank is starting to appear in the right places. They’re on the shelves of such high profile wine shops as Morrell at Rockefeller Center and Whole Foods at the Time Warner Center. They’re served at top-end restaurants including Daniel, Artisanal, and Masa. Just-opened Yumcha, the buzzy Asian fusion restaurant in Greenwich Village, will shortly inaugurate a wine list that omits such standards as red Bordeaux and California Cab but includes Highbank.

In Atlantic City, the foodie-friendly casino Borgata pours Highbank wines, as do the Breakers and Four Seasons in Palm Beach. In all wines are in more than 60 East Coast restaurants.

HIGHBANK COONAWARRA PROPRIETARY RED 2001 ($44.95) A fresh minty note on the nose, then pure and stylish plum and chocolate notes in the mouth. If you’ve been put off by Australian wines that come on too foursquare, this elegant red will restore your faith. A Bordeaux blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cabernet franc. (At Morrell, 212-688- 9370.)

The Cabernet Cup – Coonawarra vs Stags Leap by Larry Walker and Max Allen (Wine Magazine)

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Coonawarra and Stags Leap might both be deemed worthy of the world’s Cabernet Sauvignon crown, but determining the who, what and why behind these two prestigious regions is not quite as clear cut. LARRY WALKER and MAX ALLEN inspect their national assets, while our tasters compare the most recent vintage from each to determine whether their status is justified

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One grape, but two very different styles of wine – this was the theme that emerged during our tasting of Stags Leap and Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. Despite evident blackcurrant fruit, fine tannins and a linearity often associated with this variety – which is arguably one of the world’s finest – the individual terroir of both regions shaped the wine into something quite distinct.