Over the past five years, wine drinkers have become less dependent on ratings. Part of the shift in attitude is due to the Internet, as a spate of new websites has encouraged consumers to share their opinion about the wines they drink. Americans are relying less and less on publications such as the Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate, and placing more confidence in their own evaluations. The best way to expose yourself to a range of wines, and build up more confidence in your own opinions, is to form your own tasting group. Mark offers pointers on the mechanics and organization of a tasting group, and gives some insights into its benefits. On Bizarre Beverage News, he once again explores a trio of stories: the worldwide map of Scotch drinkers, the disturbing mixology trend toward tobacco infusions, and the ultimate triumph of the glassmaker’s art—the Riedel Coca-Cola glass.

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LINKS:

Binny’s Beverage Depot—Link to: http://www.binnys.com

Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History—Link to:

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Wine purists wax poetic about the romance of the cork, but using corks to seal wine bottles is actually a relatively new invention. Even so, when the screwcap (or stelvin) closure became popular several decades ago, traditionalists had a hard time accepting it. The screwcap reminded many of low-grade wine consumed by drunks in convenience store parking lots.

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Mark examines a variety of non-cork closures, and then goes on to discuss alternatives to the glass wine bottle—specifically, the increasing use of the bag-in-box format, and the emerging vogue of both tetra pak and wine in cans. On Bizarre Beverage News, he examines a trio of stories: the revelation that King Solomon gave his workers plonk to drink, new research that indicates wine is beneficial to the immune system, and the disturbing collapse of the Australian wine industry.

LINKS:

Binny’s Beverage Depot—Link to: http://www.binnys.com

Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History—Link to:

The post Quench! – Screwcaps, Bag in Box, Tetra Pak and Can appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Alsace is one of the most baffling categories in the universe of wine:Critics and experts constantly rave about how magnificent the wines are, yet nobody drinks them. Mark investigates some of the factors that may contribute to this conundrum, and talks with Lisa Klinck-Shea, brand ambassador for the Helfrich winery in Alsace, to get her insights.

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On Bizarre Beverage news, Mark explores follow-ups on two stories of 2013:the dangers of pruno, the illicit wine made by prison inmates, and the lawsuit filed by California’s Duckhorn winery against the new line of wines from Duck Dynasty.

LINKS:

Wines of Alsace—Link to: http://www.alsacewine.info

Binny’s Beverage Depot—Link to: http://www.binnys.com

Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History—Link to:

The post Quench! – The Mystery of Alsace appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

As we approach the New Year, Mark devotes this show to a comprehensive look at wine with bubbles. He begins by recommending Prosecco and Cava in the $12-16 range; surveys a handful of entry-level French Champagnes worth buying; and reminisces about some of the greatest Champagnes he’s ever tasted: Nicolas Feuillatte Palmes D’Or, Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires, Krug and the Dom Pérignon Oenotheque Rosé. On Bizarre Beverage News, Mark starts with an overview of the just-finished Rudy Kurwanian wine counterfeiting trial, and concludes with a study that proves moderate drinkers live longer than teetotalers.

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LINKS:

Binny’s Beverage Depot—Link to: http://www.binnys.com

Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History—Link to:

The post Quench! – Champagne and Sparkling Wine appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Mark finishes the first annual Quench! Awards with a handful of the most superlative spirits he tasted during 2013. As with last week’s wine awards, these aren’t necessarily best-of-category selections, but rather the spirits that stood head and shoulders above the rest:

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Glenrothes Select Reserve Scotch Whiskey ($50) Canadian Club Sherry Cask ($30) Angel’s Envy Bourbon ($45) Patron Silver Tequila ($50)

And the winner of the Quench! Award for outstanding achievement by a spirits producer:

Whistle Pig Farm, producer of Whistle Pig Straight Rye Whiskey (Raj Peter Bhakta, proprietor)

On Bizarre Beverage News, Mark examines the curious case of a Frenchman who faked death to avoid paying for wine and Champagne; the strange prevalence of vineyard scarecrows who look like Gumby; and the breaking news from England that James Bond, Agent 007, is a drunk.

LINKS:

Binny’s Beverage Depot—Link to: http://www.binnys.com

Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History—Link to:

The post Quench! – The Quench! Spirits Awards appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

As we move toward the end of 2013, Mark looks back on a year of intensive tasting and selects the outstanding wines he sampled over the past twelve months. He singles out four wines—two whites and two reds—as being the most exceptional bottles of the year. The selection process was both personal and subjective, but the reasons for each specific award are compelling. At the end of the show, he singles out one wine estate for exceptional achievement.

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Here are the winners:

Robert Mondavi Reserve Fumé Blanc, To-Kalon Vineyard, Napa, 2011 ($45) Beaune, Clos des Mouches, Joseph Drouhin, 2010 ($100) Northstar Merlot, Columbia Valley, Washington, 2009 ($35) Black Chicken Zinfandel, Robert Biale, Napa, 2011 ($42)

And the winner of the Quench! Award for outstanding achievement by a wine

Littorai Winery, Sonoma (Ted and Heidi Lemon, proprietors)

Next week: The Quench! Spirits Awards!

LINKS:

Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History—Link to:http://www.iconicspirits.net

The post Quench! – The Quench Wine Awards appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Do consumers play a role in creating beverage trends, or are they merely the tail wagging the dog? It turns out to be a mixed bag: wine trends tend to be consumer-led, while spirits marketing is usually top-down. To support this theory, Mark analyzes at some of the most successful wine trends of recent years (such as the Merlot craze of the 1990s), and compares them to created fads in the spirits industry—specifically, Jaegermeister and Grey Goose, masterminded by the late marketing genius Sydney Frank. On Bizarre Beverage News, Mark examines a trio of stories:

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Stay tuned for the First Annual Quench! Wine and Spirits Awards!

LINKS:

Binny’s Beverage Depot—Link to: http://www.binnys.com

Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History—Link to:

The post Quench! – Wine and Spirits Trends appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

For the beginning wine collector, commercial auctions are an excellent way to build a cellar, since they give drinkers access to older vintages not usually sold in retail stores. It’s important to choose an auction house that carefully inspects incoming consignments and places importance on the provenance of the bottles. Mark interviews Allan Frischman, vice president and senior wine expert at Hart Davis Hart in Chicago, who sketches out what beginners need to know about the auction process: how to register, where and how to bid, and where some of the bargains are. On Bizarre Beverage News, Mark examines several examples of “causal wine snobbery”—the new line of Duck Commander wines, and the sudden prevalence of wine in a can.

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LINKS:

Hart Davis Hart—Link to: http://www.hdhwine.com

Binny’s Beverage Depot—Link to: http://www.binnys.com

Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History—Link to:

The post Quench! – The Wine Auction Market appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

On this holiday roundup, Mark begins by chronicling several interesting recent wine experiences: a meeting with the daughter and granddaughter of Nelson Mandela, and a review of their wines from the House of Mandela; and a description of a tasting conducted by Napa’s Mira Winery, which compared land-aged wine to wine aged at the bottom of the ocean floor. He then goes through wine options for Thanksgiving, outlining the best and worst matches with turkey. On Bizarre Beverage News, Mark explores a trio of stories—a Hungarian winemaker who killed a thief with poisoned wine; the world’s strongest beer, with a whopping alcohol content of 67.5%; the growing trend among churches to serve craft beer to attract a larger congregation.

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LINKS:

House of Mandela—Link to: http://www.houseofmandela.com

Mira Winery—Link to: http://www.miranapa.com

Binny’s Beverage Depot—Link to: http://www.binnys.com

The post Quench! – Wines for Thanksgiving appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Throughout the centuries, the role of women in the whiskey business has been schizophrenic. Women have primarily taken over distilleries during emergencies, when men in their families died or went off to war. Despite the fact that women in positions of leadership performed as well or better than men, their accomplishments didn’t lead to a situation where they were promoted any faster—at least, not until the recent breakthroughs in the area of equal rights. Mark talks with Fred Minnick, author of Whiskey Women, a fascinating book that traces the role of women in the liquor business. On Bizarre Beverage News, Mark discusses the bogus reports of a global wine shortage, and examines yet another case of trademark

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LINKS:

Whiskey Women—Link to: http://www.fredminnick.com

Binny’s Beverage Depot—Link to: http://www.binnys.com

Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History—Link to:

The post Quench! – Women and Whiskey appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.