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Riesling Rising - California's dry boutique bottlings reel in connoisseurs |
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Limited-production, dry and off-dry Rieslings from some of California's smaller wineries are considered by many savvy connoisseurs of the varietal to be in much the same category as small-lot, vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs from the state's cool-climate coastal appellations: Highly desirable. Scarcity and high quality of both varietals come with the territory, making them attractive to many discerning fans. In the dry and off-dry styles, Riesling translates terroir better than any other varietal, and, although Pinot Noir is no slouch in this regard, the use of new oak can sometimes interfere with that translation. Fine Riesling never sees new oak. Compared to most small-lot Pinots, California's boutique dry Rieslings are even scarcer, but once their merits are more fully understood, they are worth the extra effort to acquire. They cost much less than Pinots and, given the current unfavorable exchange rate, are bargains compared to fine estate bottlings in the same style from Alsace, Austria and Germany. |
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Read more... [Riesling Rising - California's dry boutique bottlings reel in connoisseurs]
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Big-Ticket Reds - Chile & Argentina pick up steam |
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Like two locomotives on diverging tracks, the vintners of Chile and Argentina have embarked on a challenging journey to make the wine world aware of the outstanding quality of their finest reds. While the final destination is similar, the route each is taking is quite different: Chilean winemakers are promoting several wine types, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Carmenère, while Argentina, for the most part, is banking on one varietal - Malbec - as its top performer. As to which country will pull ahead in the coming years is anyone's guess, but it is clear today that Argentina, which had been left in Chile's dust for decades, is now barreling along at full speed in hopes of grabbing more of its neighbor's glory... |
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Read more... [Big-Ticket Reds - Chile & Argentina pick up steam]
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U.S. Wine Market to Record 15th Consecutive Annual Gain |
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By the end of this year, Americans will drink more wine than Italians for the first time ever, and will trail only France in terms of overall wine consumption. After a 4 percent gain in 2006, the U.S. wine market is projected to reach record consumption of 304 million 9-liter cases, according to the 2007 edition of The U.S. Wine Market: Impact Databank Review and Forecast. Americans are expected to further increase their consumption in the foreseeable future, and at current rates, the United States is expected to surpass France as the world's largest wine market before 2015. |
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Read more... [U.S. Wine Market to Record 15th Consecutive Annual Gain]
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