The Wine-Centric Life
by Michael Bryan

Might as well make this a frequent column. Here is a compilation of snapshots from Feb/Mar of this year.

>>>> Picture-Picture

WE TAKE CARE OF THE TRADE! Do you make your living in a wine-pouring capacity--as a server, banquet manager, or within the wine distribution chain? If so, we have preferential pricing on all of our events & courses for YOU! Please contact us and state your professional affiliation for a promotional code you can use anytime.

>>>> info@atlantawineschool.com

School Nights @ Park Tavern: All About Napa
Monday, April 7th (The Piedmont Room @ Park Tavern)
Speaker: Beth Nowak of Diageo Chateau & Estates

Only 4% of wine produced in California is Napa wine; yet, almost half of the wine revenue contributed in the state is from Napa. Perhaps its aura is deserved? Join us for a look into the most prestigious wine region in America.

>>>> More Info

All About Beer!
Tuesday, April 8th (AWS Wine Room, Roswell)
Speaker: Matt Simpson, The Beer Sommelier

Begin by learning about a beverage that you think you know, but you don't. Learn what makes a CRAFT beer, and learn what makes a crap beer.

>>>> More Info

Wines & Cheeses
Thursday, April 10th (AWS Wine Room, Roswell)
Instructor: Michael Bryan

Artisanal cheeses are no less labors of love than their wine counterparts. Location of pastureland, seasonality of milks, and aging all weigh heavily on the final taste experience. Join us for 8 pairings of wine & cheese. For this class we are shipping in 100% of our cheeses from small American Farms! >>>> More Info

Introduction to Wine, Level I (Now an 8-week program)
Monday, April 14th (AWS Wine Room, Roswell)
Instructors: Jane Garvey, Paul Kelly Wheeler

We've received rave reviews on our new format AND we've dropped the price $100. This is the least expensive Introduction to Wine course we have offered in our 4-hear history! >>>> More Info

For Beginners ONLY
Tuesday, April 15th (AWS Wine Room, Roswell)
Instructor: Kelly Wheeler

Sure you can drink it, but can you pair it? Can you speak it? Come to terms with it in a special tasting that helps you express yourself in the world of wines. Don't be left standing there holding the bottle--get more confidence and find more pleasure in every sip.

>>>> More Info

School Nights @ Park Tavern: Potent Paso Robles
Monday, April 21st (The Piedmont Room @ Park Tavern)
Instructor: Lauren DeLuca

One of the hottest regions to come on the scene in the last 5 years--half way between LA and San Fran, the hot days and cool nights give way to juicy Zin, Cab, Syrah and Merlot.

>>>> More Info

Viva Italia: North Vs South
Tuesday, April 22nd (AWS Wine Room, Roswell)
Instructor: Kelly Wheeler

Kelly's Italian presentations are a very personal celebration of food, wine and familia that no one can resist. This course will show the two disparate worlds of Italy--its North and its South.

>>>> More Info

Jane's Monthly Dozen Tasting: The Subject of Sauvignon
Wednesday, April 23rd (AWS Wine Room, Roswell)
Hosted by: Jane Garvey

The eight highest scoring wines are chosen (along with food pairings) to show the diversity among "Sauvignon" wines, which includes Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

>>>> More Info

For Beginners ONLY
Monday, April 28th (Special Session at Piedmont Room @ Park Tavern)
Instructor: Michael Bryan

Sure you can drink it, but can you pair it? Can you speak it? Come to terms with it in a special tasting that helps you express yourself in the world of wines. Don't be left standing there holding the bottle--get more confidence and find more pleasure in every sip.

>>>> More Info

Certified Specialist of Wine Training Program
Sunday, May 25th (AWS Wine Room, Roswell)
Instructor: Michael Bryan

Get the confidence that comes with having a "wine expert" credential. Includes 18 hours of training sessions, 250-page Study Guide, online study modules, quizzes, and exam. >>>> More Info (Discounts for Trade Personnel)

• Enter the Campfire Classic Contest with Redwood Creek Wines
  Go gourmet in the great outdoors and win $10,000. This year, four finalists from each of the five regions – Northwest, Southwest, Southeast, Northeast and Midwest – will compete in semi-final cook-offs across the country. The top cook from each region will then be flown to New York City to prepare their gourmet recipes over a campfire for a chance to win a $10,000 grand prize and a $5,000 donation to their favorite national park. More Info
• Celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd with Eco-friendly wine
  An important notion and consideration. Pick through the article (around the promotional rhetoric) and you will still find some solid information about this movement. More Info
• And in a related story...The First Annual Green Wine Competition
  Founders of the first annual Green Wine Competition to be held May 5 in Sonoma, California, say the competition is meant to be a roadmap for consumers looking to drink green. We are asked every week how to find "organicly made wines", which are not only difficult to source but are normally yucky, to use a technical term. This competition is needed! More Info
• Cool Vino-techno stuff! eProvenance Launches to Assure the Provenance of Fine Wine
  Until now, the most critical component of certifiable value to the consumer, provenance (typically defined as authenticity, traceability and knowledge of storage temperatures), has been anecdotal at best, and unverifiable. The eProvenance solution creates a secure, global system to assure the provenance of fine wine from the chвteau to the consumer and on to the auction house. More on this good idea
• Dutch Chateau Owner Insures Nose for 3.9 million Pounds
  "This certainly is an insurance policy not to be sniffed at," said Jonathan Thomas, lead underwriter at Watkins Syndicate who co-insured the policy with Allianz Nederland. The nose and sense of smell of a winemaker are as important as the orange shorts on a Hooter's Girl, right? More Info
• Afraid of Blush Wines? You can now be a follower to the movement!
  According to The Nielsen Company, rosés priced $8.00 and up grew 53.2% on dollars and 49.1% on volume over the past 52 weeks ending February 9th 2008 (Total U.S. Food, Drug, and Major Liquor Markets). “Though still a small slice of the overall U.S. wine market,” said Danny Brager, VP Group Client Director, Beverage Alcohol, The Nielsen Company, “these numbers are very impressive. When looking at the overall market, rosé sales grew nearly 8 times faster on dollars and 17 times faster on volume than total table wine sales.”
• Steps Backward
  And just when I have so many positive things to say about the American wine industry...
  You have Rule 78 in California, which if it passes successfully, will disallow nesting of AVA's on labeling. Thus, if it was important for you to know that Mt. Veeder was the source of wine WITHIN the Napa Valley, you'll have to settle for one or the other on the bottle. Too bad since so many people are just learning about Napa Valley, but don't know the 13 AVA's WITHIN it! Secondly, since our outdated labelling laws allow an American winery to use the sacred Italian wine name "Brunello" as semi-genericly, a California winery (Petroni) is trying to uphold use of its wine, Brunello di Sonoma. Cute, but less than 20% of Americans probably know where Brunello rightfully is. Ok, exiting my soapbox now.

Jane's Monthly Dozen: Australia
by Jane Garvey

Australia's wine picture in Atlanta seems to be weakening, according to representatives of both retail and wholesale organizations. They lay the blame at the feet of wine critics and writers who have given high scores to very inexpensive wines from "Down Under," leaving consumers to expect nothing but cheap wines to deliver "100-point" and "Top 100" rankings.

But I winder if another aspect isn't the culprit. With many critics and competitions awarding big, high-alcohol, over-extracted wines their highest accolades, could it be that the consumer has grown palate-weary of overblown creations that remind one more of motor oil than wine? That's not an unreasonable conclusion, as such wines don't go with food and leave the palate super fatigued.

But they're not the last word on Australian wines, either. Indeed, many Australian wines deliver fine value as well as make fine food companions. We've grown accustomed to big super-sized Shiraz wines from hot climate zones, but Shiraz from cooler zones yields more elegance and refinement. Moreover, Australian wines is about more than just Shiraz and big Chardonnay. Classic Australian Semillon, which for some reason Americans apparently won't drink unless it's blended with the more familiar Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, deserves being explored on its own. Two styles--one oaked and intended for big food flavors and perhaps for cellaring and one done in stainless steel and intended for more immediate consumption with light foods--can be dazzling. Aged Semillon acquires a bright golden color and an intriguing complexity. In addition, Semillon makes a fine late harvest wine, adding another dimension to Australia's "stickies," as they like to call their dessert wines.

Personally, I'm very fond of Australian Verdelho, a grape that makes a light- to medium-bodied dry white wine with plenty of character. Wines made from this grape are tough to find, but worth seeking out. And they supply excellent value.

By all means, when one thinks of white Australian wines, one should place Riesling high on the list. Australia has the second largest planting of Riesling on the planet after Germany, with concentrations in Eden and Clare valleys, cool spots just north of Adelaide by about two hours' drive. Western Australia also does very fine Riesling.

When it comes to red wines, Australian Pinot Noir should not be overlooked. From Yarra Valley, Tasmania or Western Australia, Pinot Noir delivers a savory character more often than the red cherry fruit attacks we've grown accustomed to from California. You'll find delightful dried herb characters that add another dimension to your understanding of wines made from this fickle grape. And again, there's good food-wine pairing capability here.

Australia seems built for Rhone wines. Shiraz--a/k/a Syrah--made its way to the country continent with the early prisoners. Among its companion grapes are Mourvedre and Grenache, and the blends are simply known as "GSM," initials standing for these three varieties. Australia also does some very nice Viognier, but the examples we typically see have been heavily oaked--a real bummer in my view. As is done in the Rhone Valley, Australian winemakers also use Viognier to lighten up the Shiraz and lift its aromas a mite. Australia also does fine work with other white Rhone varities, notably Marsanne and Roussanne.

Of course, Australia does very good Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, but increasingly, other red varieties are coming to the fore. I've enjoyed Sangiovese in Australia, and you'll find Nebbiolo and Tempranillo here and there.

Enjoying Australian wines can acquire a new dimension when we abandon our notion of what they may have seemed to define in the past and enjoy the more elegantly styled and more food friendly choices they offer today. Bottoms up, Mate!