This week we are talking about Alexander Valley AVA.  Alexander Valley AVA is a Californian American Viticultural Area located in the northern end of Sonoma County. It is the largest and most fully planted wine region in Sonoma with 14,449 acres of vines out of 32,536 acres of land.   Wine Recommendations Alexander Valley Vineyards Rose 2017 - priced around $15.  Bright pink rose wine with aromas of strawberries, watermelon, raspberries and minerality It’s dry, unoaked style rose that has a light body, medium plus acidity with flavors similar to aromas - strawberries, watermelon and minerality Love the intense aromas and flavors This is everything I want in a rose - crisp, fruity, refreshing, takes my mind to summertime     Broc Cellars Carignan 2013 - priced around $30.  Red wine with aromas of cran-cherries, cloves and dusty earth It’s dry with medium acidity, tannins and body with flavors of cherries, mint and leather Very approachable, interesting, unique wine - not a lot of old vine Carignan out there in California    Sources  Wikipedia  Alexander Valley Wine Growners  Wine-Searcher  Book: American Wine by Jancis Robinson and Linda Murphy   

Ep 157 - Alexander Valley

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Incredibly fun discussion to kick off the first Court of Wine with amazing panelists: Liz Barrett - https://whatsinthatbottle.com/ Sarita Cheaves - https://www.vinemeupdc.com/ and https://soundcloud.com/swirl-suite Sandra Everingham - https://www.risingwinescollective.com/   Recorded 24 August, 2022   We discuss news and topics from the following articles:   Author: W. Blake Gray Publication: Wine-Searcher Date: July 18, 2022 Title: Direct Wine Shipping Comes Under Fire URL:  https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2022/07/direct-wine-shipping-comes-under-fire   Author: Paul Vigna Publication: Pennlive.com Date: July 15, 2022 Title: Wine Enthusiast decision has more than a few states feeling left out URL:  https://www.pennlive.com/food/2022/07/wine-enthusiast-decision-has-more-than-a-few-states-feeling-left-out.html   Author: Press Release Publication: Wine Industry Advisor Date: July 26, 2022 Title: Woodbridge® Debuts First-to-Market Wine Sodas  URL:  https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2022/07/26/woodbridge-debuts-first-to-market-wine-sodas   Author: Harpers Editorial team Publication: Harpers Date: July 15, 2022 Title: Friday read: Why bulk is the hot ticket in the face of climate change URL:  https://harpers.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/30467/Friday_read:_Why_bulk_is_the_hot_ticket_in_the_face_of_climate_change.html

Prohibition Laws, Snubbed States, and Orange Fanta

After more than two years away, I (Tony) am coming back to podcasting with my Wine in the News style show. I had intended it to be a spin-out from this podcast (which would also change), but with Betty not wanting to host a podcast currently, I will be renaming Weekly Wine Show to Court of Wine and will host the show here so back episodes can remain available. I hope you enjoy the new format! Cheers!

Weekly Wine Show is becoming Court of Wine!

This week we hit our 200th episode which is a huge milestone for us. We've made the decision to end Weekly Wine Show. It's a big decision and in this episode we reflect on our past four years and talk about what is next for us. In this episode we discuss:  Why did we start Weekly Wine Show?  One of the main reasons was we wanted to expand our knowledge of wine and thought a podcast was an interesting format for that learning.   Did we accomplish what we wanted?  Yes, we've learned so much and made so many connections through the podcast. This helped us lay the foundation we needed for what is next.   Why are we stopping now?  We've been putting out content non-stop for almost four years and it's time for a little break Also, we originally started out this podcast to help beginners like us but we can no longer call ourselves beginners. So since it has fulfilled its purpose, we feel its time to move on.   What's next for us?  Although we are ending this podcast, we will be releasing multiple new podcasts and new content in 2020.  By the end of Quarter 1: Court of Wine podcast! If you are looking to be a guest on the show make sure you fill out the guest form on the website. Spring of 2020: An mostly interview style podcast gathering stories of people's wine journey's who have been bitten by the wine bug. Late 2020: A wine history podcast focused on interesting stories told in a storytelling format.    Although we will next be releasing new content for a little while, we will be active on social media (mostly Instagram and Twitter) so follow us if you haven't already. We will be providing news and updates so you are in the loop when new content is launched. Also, if you are still subscribed to Weekly Wine Show in you podcast player you will get promos for the new podcasts before they launch. Thank you all for you love and support. There is no way we would have keep releasing episodes for almost four years without you. We are excited with what 2020 has in store for us and our wine journey. So thank you for listening and it;s not goodbye, it's see you later. Cheers!   

Ep 200 - This is Not Goodbye, it's See You Later

*Note: If you’re just here looking for that offer link Tony mentioned, feel free to skip to the last paragraph.  Have you tried any wine clubs? We've tried a couple wine clubs or club-like retailers and were not thrilled but over the last year we've been testing out Naked Wines. If you've wondered whether a wine club could be valuable and worthwhile, Naked Wines might be your answer. SPOILER ALERT: At the end of this episode, we're going to share an offer from Naked Wines that they give its members to share the service. You'll get a big discount on wine and we get a little bit too if you sign up, so feel free to consider this episode like advertising. That being said, if you've listened to Weekly Wine Show for any length of time, you know we have only accepted advertisements for a couple of episodes. We're extremely picky about what brands we represent and we need to be willing to spend our own money on that item or service if there's a chance our words would influence others to do the same. And in fact, over the last year or so, we've sent over $500 of our own money the way of Naked Wines, and now we're ready to tell you about our experience.    So what is Naked Wines and how does it work? Naked Wines is a "customer-funded wine business". Club members, who they call "angels" pay a deposit of $40 per month in their naked wines account. This money sits in the Angels' account as a balance until they use it to purchase wines. But while it's there, Naked Wines uses it to fund winemakers up-front to be able to make wines, many wines which otherwise might never be. The interesting part of this funding model is many winemakers work for other people and don't get to put their name on the label. They may not have the funds to invest in their own grapes, barrels, storage, and all the other costs involved in making wine, much less their cost of living while those wines are being made. The situation might be even a bit dire, like the story of winemaker Katie Jones. If you want to hear more about her story check out the video from Naked Wines.  So far, according to their website, they have funded 159 independent winemakers in 14 countries. These direct relationships with winemakers results in lower costs for us because they benefit from economics of scale for buying wine bottling supplies. Also, since they're the considered the winery, there isn't the markup from a distributor and a retailer. They call it "wholesale prices". So what do we like about Naked Wines? First of all, you pick the wine you get, how much, and when (Not like other clubs that send to you on schedule). You order this wine from your house (you don't even have to put pants on) making it super convenient. Second, these are real, top-quality winemakers, some we've actually met or been to their "day job" winery. Also, there are a wide range of wines from all across the globe and pretty affordable prices like a Premier Cru Chablis ($24) and a vintage Champagne ($35). The wines overall have been top quality and of all the wines we've try there has only been a couple of wines we didn't love. They'll also let you know what wines to age so we have several bottles sitting in the cellar waiting for the right time to drink. Another feature that makes Naked Wines unique is the money-back happiness guarantee.  They will refund you for any wine you didn't love.  We actually haven't taken the initiative to use this for the couple of bottles that weren't to our taste, but even so they proactively gave us an $11 refund to highlight the guarantee and encourage us to use it. They want happy customers.  Lastly, you're positively impacting winemakers, giving them a chance to make wines with their own name on the bottle or maybe to make something lesser known that wouldn't fit with their day employer's winery. Also, there website allow us to interact with winemakers and read their stories. What don't we like about Naked Wines? To start, when we signed up in late 2018, we were required to buy a case of wine in order to join. That first case we bought with the promotional offer was priced at their non-member price. This felt a bit deceptive and we almost didn't join. After a few weeks, they gave us the option to buy a smaller 9-bottle pack so we didn't have to invest as much money just to give them a try. Once we bought that first case, they put us on a "waiting list" to get into the club. We don't remember a believable explanation for why there was a waiting list, it seemed like an attempt to fake exclusivity. Also, they send emails about promotional packs that feel a bit spammy and over time you learn to give them a glance and archive or delete them. We imagine some people like the promotional packs, they just haven't been appealing to us. Before deciding to do this episode we also looked up naked wines on the Better Business Bureau. They have an A+ rating from the BBB, but only get 2 out of 5 stars from customer reviews. There were several pages of reviews and the vast majority seem to be people who somehow don't realize they will be charged $40 per month and were unhappy with it despite the fact you can get your money back or people who are unhappy with their wines and didn't take advantage of the happiness guarantee. What are some tips for getting the most value? First, if you are struggling to find wine they have wine advisors you can call. Once you start receiving wine make sure you are rating the wines you try because this feeds into their recommendations. It also helps to follow winemakers you like in the app or the website so you can get updates on when they release new wines. Also, every month they offer a free promotional bottle (one they choose) to compete a case if you order any 11 bottles of your choice. So make sure to buy 11 bottles at a time do you get the free bottle. If the promotional bottle doesn't appeal to you, check the other options in their bottle picker. If all else fails, use that happiness guarantee. Get you money back and pick out something different. Like I said, they want to make you happy. If you're in the same boat we were in and want to try out Naked Wines, you can get $100 off $160 purchase for new members using our link. Remember, if you become a member they will be investing $40 a month into Angel account to use to purchase wine. If you sign up we receive $40 in credits to buy more wine and support our hobby. So this is a win - win - win situation. Cheers!  

Ep 199 - Pros and Cons of Naked Wines

With the holidays just around the corner, we have some sparkling wine recommendations to take the guess work out of selecting wines. Big thanks to our friends at Palm Bay International and Taub Family Selections for providing us with samples for this episode. Although these wines were provided to us, the opinions and tasting notes in this episode are our own.   Budget Friendly Wines  Villa Marcello Millesimato Prosecco DOC Brut NV - priced around $17.  Villa Marcello Prosecco DOC hails from the province of Treviso, one of the finest growing regions of Prosecco. Grapes: 85% Glera, 15% Pinot Bianco Light aromas and flavors of apple blossom, lemon, and dried hay This wine doesn’t have bread or yeasty notes - it’s fruity and floral, very delicate and elegant wine   Pere Ventura Tresor Brut Cava - priced around $16.   This Cava is a Reserva which means it’s aged 15 months on the lees the same as non-vintage Champagne  Light aromas of nectarines, fresh sage, minerality and yeasty notes Flavors of nectarines, fresh sage, white flowers and minerality Although we get a hint of breadiness in the nose, this wine is still very crisp and fruity We enjoyed this wine with a nice aged Gouda cheese but also would go with appetizers, hard cheeses, fried foods, and Asian cuisine  Something different  Ackerman Crémant de Loire Sparkling Cuvée 1811 Blanc Brut - priced around $22.   The name of this wine comes from its beginnings. Ackerman was established in 1811 in the small town of Saumur in the heart of France's Loire Valley by Jean-Baptiste Ackerman. Blend of 70% Chenin Blanc, 20 % Chardonnay, 10% Cabernet Franc and each variety is made into wine separately in view of maintaining its typical features up until blending at the end of winter. This wine has light aromas of golden apples, white flowers and a hint of breadiness We got flavors of golden apples, peaches, lemon oil and white flowers Very fruit wine that we thought it paired really well with blue cheese We think that this is a unique blend of grapes that people might not be as familiar with.   Altemasi Brut, Trento DOC - priced around $24.  The Trento DOC appellation is renowned for producing some of the finest sparkling wines in Italy and is known as the Italian alternative to Champagne  100% Chardonnay wine made in the traditional method that is aged on the lees for at least 15 months Light aromas of apples and bread almost like apple pie This wine has flavors of lemon, green apples with a hint of breadiness So when people think of sparkling wine from Italy they mostly think of Prosecco and Prosecco is super popular right now. So if you are looking for something different from Italy this would be a great option.   Splurge Wines  Boizel Brut Réserve Champagne NV - priced around $50.  55% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Meunier The still wines from the year are blended with 30% of reserve wines kept from the previous two harvests, for consistency Post second fermentation, the wine is aged for three years on its lees, in bottle Intense aromas of bread dough, golden apples and honeycomb This wine has flavors of honeysuckle, green apples, lemon and a hint of bread We love the smell of this wine and the complex flavor profile Enjoyed this wine with Camembert and aged Gouda cheeses   Champagne André Jacquardt Brut Nature Expérience 1er Cru Blanc De Blancs - priced around $100.  100% Chardonnay wine 60% Vinified in stainless steel, 40% vinified in older Burgundy oak barrels. No malolactic fermentation. Five years aging on the lees before disgorgement. Aromas of red apple skins, bread, rose and minerality It’s the driest of the wines in this episode and has high acidity with flavors of pink lady apples, rose, lemon, and a funky yeasty flavor This wine is crisp, fruity, floral and complex  A special treat for a special occasion 

Ep 157 - Alexander Valley

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