Category:Wine Curmudgeon

Monday birthday giveaway

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

And the winner is: The winning number is 42 — screen shot to the left. The winner was Alfonso, who picked 007. He gets the three music CDs, courtesy of Sony Masterworks and the tin of Wine Curmudgeon M&M candies. We had 15 entries, very respectable and thank.

Today, to celebrate, the blog's third anniversary, we're giving away a tin of Wine Curmudgeon M&M candies, plus three music CDs, courtesy of Sony Masterworks — Love by Issac Delgado, Lang Lang Live in Vienna, and My Mexican Soul, with Alondra de la Parra conducting the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas.

To win the prize, pick a number between 1 and 1,000 and leave it in the comment section of this post. If you get the blog via email, you'll have to go to the Web site to enter your number. At about 5 p.m. central today, I'll go to random.org and generate the winning number. The person whose number is closest to the random number wins the prize — and no, you can't pick a number someone else has picked. I'll post the winner tomorrow. Check out the schedule to see the prizes for the rest of the week.

Birthday giveaways start Monday

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

The Wine Curmudgeon’s third anniversary celebration starts Monday, which means prizes for our visitors. Check out the schedule and how we’re going to give them away.

Monday’s prizes? A tin of Wine Curmudgeon M&M candies, plus three music CDs, courtesy of Sony Masterworks — Love by Issac Delgado, Lang Lang Live in Vienna, and My Mexican Soul, with Alondra de la Parra conducting the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas.

Robert Parker and the Vintners Hall of Fame

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

The news this week that Robert Parker was not elected to the Vintners Hall of Fame was not surprising. Too many of us who write about wine hold a grudge the way Scrooge McDuck holds onto his cash — and we’re just as silly about it. Or, as wine guru Doug Frost, who voted for Parker, said: “I’m sure jealously had something to do with it. It has been fun and easy to bash Parker for years.”

Parker invented the 100-point scoring system, which gives every wine a score from 1 to 100, with the higher the score the better. As such, he is the most important person in the wine business, and may well be the most important person in the history of the wine business. The 100-point system, for better or worse, has changed changed the way the wine world works. It has been copied by almost every influential wine critic and publication in one form or another, and retailers use it to sell cases and cases and cases of wine (often without regard to quality). Perhaps most importantly, winemakers not only covet a Parker score, but make their wines in a style that Parker likes so they can get a Parker score, a process that’s called “Parker-izing” them.

In this, keeping Parker out of the Vintners Hall is like keeping Babe Ruth out of the baseball Hall of Fame because you don’t like home runs. But Parker’s not in. Why this happened and what it says about the wine business after the jump:

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Birthday week giveaways

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Next week is the Wine Curmudgeon's third anniversary, which means prizes for our visitors. After all, I wouldn't be here if you didn't stop by every day.

Each day next week, in addition to the regular post, there will be a prize post. To win the prize, pick a number between 1 and 1,000 and leave it in the comment section of the post. At about 5 p.m. central each day, I'll go to random.org and generate the winning number. The person whose number is closest to the random number wins the prize — and no, you can't pick a number someone else has picked. All are eligible, which is the beauty of random.org.

Here's what we're giving away. Plus, each winner gets a tin of Wine Curmudgeon M&M candies:

? Monday: Three music CDs, courtesy of Sony Masterworks — Love by Issac Delgado, Lang Lang Live in Vienna, and My Mexican Soul, with Alondra de la Parra conducting the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas.

? Tuesday: Kevin Zraly's Windows on the World Complete Wine Course, perhaps the best introductory book on wine ever written, and a Vacu Vin set. The gifts are courtesy of True, an on-line wine gadget and supplies retailer.

? Wednesday: The blog's favorite wine — Tormaresca Neprica, which has been the most popular post each year I've done the blog. I have two bottles, which I'll give away to the two people closest to the random number.

? Thursday: A pass for two to the 2011 DrinkLocalWine.com conference April 2-3 in St. Louis, focusing on Missouri wine. It includes admission to the seminars, Twitter wine tasting, and winemaker reception on April 2 and winery tours on April 3 (though you'll have to get to St. Louis on your own).

? Friday: The Jimtown Store Cookbook, highlighting the food and recipes of one of Sonoma County's must-see sites.

The 900th post

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

After almost three years of the blog, I’ve written 900 posts. Take that, Gary V.

So what better place to remind you of next week’s birthday festivities? We’ll be giving away classical music CDs, wine (including your favorite, Tormaresca Neprica), Wine Curmudgeon M&M candies, a book or two, and a pass for two to the DrinkLocalWine.com conference in April in St. Louis.

Rioja wine dinner promotion

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

This sounds like a terrific idea. Vibrant Rioja and Wines of Spain, which promote Spanish wines, are giving away restaurant dinners. Send them a recipe that pairs with Rioja — the Spanish red wine made with tempranillo — and they'll pick the best recipes and send the winners to one of "the top restaurants in your area" that serve Rioja.

Which is the catch, of course. How many restaurants in your area, unless you live on the East Coast, do Rioja? In Dallas, I can think of only three or four places that fit the contest's requirements, and Dallas is the ninth-largest city in the country and is supposed to be a great restaurant town.

This is not a dig at Rioja or Spanish wine, which are among the Wine Curmudgeon's favorites (right, Maria Martinez and Patrick Mata?) Rather, it's another example of how the wine business doesn't understand its customers. You're preaching to the choir here. If I know enough to enter a Rioja wine and food pairing contest, I'm already drinking Rioja. This won't do much to spread the word.

A much better idea? Give away bottles of Rioja, working with local retailers. Invite people who don't know Rioja, or who claim not to like it, to taste the wine. Dare them to try something different, and trust your wine to impress the doubters with its quality and consistency. You might even convince the retailers to carry your wine when they see how well it does.

Wine Curmudgeon birthday party in two weeks

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

The blog will be 3 on Nov. 16, and we’re having to party to celebrate during the week of Nov. 15. Even though I never heard from Chris de Burgh, we have plenty of gifts to give away — classical music CDs, wine (including your favorite, Tormaresca Neprica), Wine Curmudgeon M&M candies, a book or two, and a pass for two to the DrinkLocalWine.com conference in April in St. Louis.

I’ll post more details as we get closer to Birthday Week.