Bill Eyer
- Medical Services Assistant and EMS Technician, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Wine Writer, Hiker, Biker, Thinker, and Photographer, fascinated by all things vino. CEO Cuvée Corner Media and Communications Co. $wilndeb
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Tuesday, April 8, 2014 7:26 am Apple iPhone 5 4.1 mm ƒ2.4 ISO 50 1/511 Are these your images? Want to delete them? Log in with Twitter.
Argentina Uncorked: Graffigna Malbec
"Wine buffs write and talk as though the food and wine will be in your mouth at the same time, that one is there to be poured over the other. This is bullshit. Gustatory enjoyment comes from food and wine and cigars of your liking." ~ Clement Freud Just this past April, it was the celebration of Malbec grape. Many folks are not familiar with the grape, other than they know they like it, and they see much of imported from Argentina.
White Wines of the Week: Featuring the 2007 Les Jamelles Viognier
It has been said that; "The only difference between reality and fiction is that fiction needs to be credible.” ~Mark Twain Well, I couldn't agree more with that statement. But one of the funny things I observe, if that if you go to any tasting event, you'll definitely find white wines tend to be the wine, which is left over at the end of the day.
Love, Not So Easy to Find
“Once you have made up your mind, stick to it; there no longer any ‘if’ or ‘but’.” – Napoleon Bonaparte "droid you've been looking for." You had to be there for that to make sense. But now I know, after just a few days of conversation that I should have known, unlike Napoleon, not to roll into another relationship so quickly. Friends advised me to "slow my roll," but I didn't listen and like Mr. Bonaparte, I had my ass handed to me, once more. Yes, ouch, honesty sold here.
Do You know the Way to Bordeaux?
“I’m not sure what I'll do, but— well, I want to go places and see people. I want my mind to grow. I want to live where things happen on a big scale.”― F. Scott Fitzgerald That said, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the sponsors [full disclosure] of this trip, Planet Bordeaux and Balzac Communications for your kind invitation to be part of this great adventure into exploration. I'm very excited to share this experience with all you [my readers] via this blog.
It's the Willamette Dammit!
"The three things that make a vineyard great are the climate, the soil, and the exposure. Bien Nacido Vineyard ~ James Ontiveros 2010 Big Fire R. Stuart Pinot Noir: I acquired this bottle as a sample in 2013, it became lost in the cellar. But after moving up to Oregon, unpacking my wine collection, I spotted and was finally able to give it a swirl. This wine, which is packed under screw cap, did age wonderfully and is a testament to the fantastic winemaking going on with this producer.
Paso Robles Uncorked: A Visit to L'Aventure
Paso Robles Uncorked: A Visit to L'Aventure "The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure." ~ Christopher McCandless From the deep recesses of the blog's archives comes this gem from ten years ago, reporting about one of my first adventures in wine country, Paso Robles, and L'Aventure specifically. Initially, as you will see in my earlier writing, I was quite taken with big hedonistic behemoths.
Tasting Through the Wines of Europe
Think of the nose as a trailer for a summer blockbuster, the coming attractions which woo and wow you. Once you see the movie, and the ending is satisfying, then you feel it was worth the price of admission, so it is with wine. The finish should be long and lasting and after the last drop of wine has departed from the glass, the aromas of what was once there linger like a sweet perfume. This is, in my opinion, is a 'balanced wine.' Wine tasting, like any other skill, is a learned behavior.
Are You In da Club?
“Give me books, French wine, fruit, fine weather, and a little music played out of doors by somebody I do not know.” ― John Keats Wine clubs, they come, and they go, some for better and some for worse. But if you'd like to explore different styles of wines from a variety of French Wine regions, then a wine club is the right vehicle to do so.
A Spoonful of Social Media
“You can buy attention [advertising]. You can beg for attention from the media [PR], or you can bug people one at a time to get attention (sales). Or you can earn attention by creating something interesting and valuable and then publishing it online for free.” –David Meerman Scott, Best-Selling Author & Speaker Jumping into the way back machine, it's time for a quick drive down memory lane, Gladius is playing the harp in the background.
Champagne Uncorked: A Visit to Roger Coulon
“The path to our destination is not always a straight one. We go down the wrong road, we get lost, we turn back. Maybe it doesn't matter which road we embark upon. Maybe what matters is that we embark.” ― Barbara Hall The year 2017 has come to an end, for many thankfully and for others, it was a year of drastic uncomfortable changes. For me, it has been fun year getting to know a bit about my new surroundings here in Oregon. It's a significant change for me, but I'm embracing it enthusiastically.
10 Top Holiday Wine Choices
The holidays are upon us all once more, and for many, it's time to bust out the 'good' stuff to celebrate. But what if you're not an avid collector like I and many who read and follow this blog are likely to be. Perhaps, you're just an avid admirer of wine and there's not a cellar brimming with a lifetime of collecting waiting to be uncorked? I think many of you reading this are in that boat, you just need some reliable information.
Travel Tuesday: A Visit to Third Growth Chateau Giscours
“The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes” – Marcel Proust Today, as some of you may know is Travel Tuesday; that means it’s time to think long and hard about taking a step away from the shore and jumping on a ship of exploration. It's has been said you can keep your foot on first and expect to steal second, and so it's with wine exploration.
Travel Tuesday: Paso Robles Uncorked
“Traveling; first it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller” ~ Ibn Battuta Many folks are starting to think about late fall vacations and or weekend getaway plans, and who can blame you, especially if you plan to be in California next weekend? So if your travel plans happen to involve visiting wine country, may heartily suggest a trip to one of my favorite wine destinations in California, none the other than Paso Robles.
South African Wine Uncorked: Filling your wine glass in 2018
The Following article is from a new contributor to the Cuvée Corner Wine Blog, his name is Gallant LeVogue from South Africa, this is his first contribution, so please welcome him. Buitenverwachting – one of the eight award-winning wine estates in Constantia Valley. By: Gallant LeVogue The world of wine and its making is a rich source of interesting stories, and memories – some crisp and freshly new, and others aged before release.
Travel Tuesday Uncorked: One Stick at a Time
"Progress always involves risk; you can't steal second base and keep your foot on first." -- Frederick Wilcox Wrigley's a few years ago while visiting Oregon's Wine Country on a press trip. The primary goal of my trip was to get to know the McMinnville AVA [also affectionately known as the Mac AVA] much better, I feel I accomplished that goal in spades.
Merlot? We're NOT Growing Any Bleeping Merlot!
Just when you believe, you have planted the right varietal, and everything is going according to plan, you get the news that the varietal you've been growing, producing and marketing to the world as Merlot, is in fact not Merlot, it's Carmenere. Your stomach tightens at the news, egads, what to do now? You could tear out these vineyards, many years old now, mature vines at their peak, or you could possibly instead make onion rings out of the french fries you received in the takeout sack.
Wines of Garnacha Uncorked: 2016 Bodegas Nekeas El Chaparral Old Vines Garnacha
Each stone you overturn on the pathway to discovery develops greater understanding and appreciation not only for the wine but for the great folks behind these labels, who bring great traditions and passion to the table. It's evident in what they say, how they say it and oh-so-evident in the final product, passion is a sure 'seller,' and it's contagious.
The Good, the Bad and the Grenache
Some people drink from the fountain of knowledge, others just gargle. ~Robert Anthony Yes, I'm the kind of wine-guy who likes to gargle with Sauvignon Blanc before heading off to a tasting, and no I didn't swallow. But now that you have that colorful image in your brain [you're welcome] it's time to get down and dirty with one of my favorite grapes, Grenache.
Travel Tuesday: Adventures in Champagne
Louis Roederer Champagne Uncorked: Circling back to 2013, I had the unimaginable opportunity to tour the Champagne region with a small group of writers, the discoveries made that week left a lasting influence on how I viewed this renown area, then and now. So once again, I'm rolling out the second part to an article I wrote about LRC, which is trending mightly at the moment. Feel free to leave a comment or question below, enjoy. "A single glass of Champagne imparts a feeling of exhilaration.
Wine of the Week: A Taste of New Zealand
“Wine, to us, is all about geography, history, sociology, discovery, and adventure – as well as good flavors. Don’t be embarrassed about what you don’t know; consider it a gift that you have so many new wines to explore.” ~ Robert Mondavi Well here we are, a brand new wine of the week and for good measure, those pesky tasting notes will accompany this article, not by way of pontification, just a mere suggestion, that if you want to drink well and I know you do, then you'll want to stay tuned.
Do We Really Need Tasting Notes?
"Wine is the prism we look through to the past while enjoying the present." - @twomey Winemaker Erin Miller I being the contrarian that I'm known to be, I take significant exception to the wild-eyed assertions from the highly esteemed Mr. Asimov, with a fresh attack on the notion of tasting notes and wine reviews in general. Do I think he was speaking to me directly? Of course not, that would be quite silly. Further, it's highly unlikely he has any idea this counterpoint article exists.
Travel Tuesday: The Spirits are Open
It is well to remember that there are five reasons for drinking: the arrival of a friend; one's present or future thirst; the excellence of the wine; or any other purpose. ~ Latin saying Having just recently arrived back from a great trip to the United Kingdom, I had a few hours to kill in London's well known and famous Heathrow Airport. I would have to say my experience at Heathrow was much better than what could only be called a CF, at Charles De Gaulle Airport in France.
Champagne Uncorked: A Visit to Champagne Louis Roederer
“I'll drink your champagne. I'll drink every drop of it, I don't care if it kills me.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gatsby Girls My first trip to Champagne was for me, a complete success. I came away from the journey with a brand new appreciation and a more profound desire to get to know this well-known and highly regarded wine region so much better. With each trip to France, I come away with new insights and respect for the country and its people.
From Bacon Fat to Flint: Learning the Language of Wine 🍷 Geek Speak
"Thomas Jefferson was not our first wine geek, but he was definitely the most influential." ~ Wine Skool'd Have you ever wondered what the *bleep* all those wine geeks are talking about around the wine bar? All that wine geek-speak you hear, which makes them sound either really smart or just plain silly, I guess it all depends on your perspective. Do you know friends and/or family who talk about wine in this manner?
Babcock Winery and Vineyards: The Cutting Edge of Vine Evolution
It’s time to let gravity and winds sculpt the vines for a change. It’s time to let the shoots fall down naturally like a curtain. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for “Canopy Pivoting!” ~ Bryan Babcock Another Wine Bloggers Conference in the can, the Santa Barbara County Vintners Association pulled off a great event and should be congratulated, well done, kudos.
Lenné Estate: A Sense of Wonder
“Youth is happy because it has the capacity to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.” ― Franz Kafka While I was waiting to catch my flight back home from PDX; I got to thinking about all the different, unique styles, and variations of Pinot Noir I encountered over the course of a week.
Travel Tuesday: Umbria Uncorked
“Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts.” ―Charles Dickens, Great Expectations Ah yes the perils of travel, why is that "getting there" often seems to be the most challenging part of the journey? For some, there’s the fear of Turbulence?
Travel Tuesday: Rioja Uncorked
If you resolve to give up smoking, drinking and loving, you don't actually live longer; it just seems longer. ~ Sir Clement Raphael Freud Now that said; when most vino-sapiens think about where the wine comes from, they are thinking about the French term terroir (tare-wahr). It's a term that describes the climate which the grapes grow and thrive in, plus the various soil and sub-soil types which are often ultimately (and I say hopefully) reflected in wine swirling about in your glass.
Wine and Dine: How to Speak With a Sommelier
“Wine is like the incarnation–it is both divine and human” ~ Cliff Hakim. Here's a timely post about the best way to interact with the Sommelier whilst dining out, written by guest contributor Jolan Turkington. She is the Director of Communications for a wine-making franchise called Vintner's Circle, she is a certified Sommelier. Having worked as a sommelier in the fine-dining world for quite some time, I learned a lot from my customers.
Oregon Uncorked: Ken Wright 2008 Savoya Pinot Noir
Many of those who have gone before have stated, "that it takes a lot of money, to make a little money in the wine business." The road to 'profitability' is an important consideration, as this not a venture for the weak of heart. I not-so-recently spent four fantastic days in December of 2013 exploring Oregon Wine Country. To say, it was then a few years ago, would be completely accurate.
Wine of the Week: 2010 Chateau Le Thil Comte Clary, Pessac Leognan
Is the flavor winegrapes is merely a collection of chemical compounds, or can we just manufacture these compounds and combine them in water to produce a "wine"? Well, when replicator technology does arrive in the 24th century as promised by popular science fiction, the human race will be ordering a finely aged vintage of something or the other, and a 3D printer like-device will potentially use the described chemical compounds to whip up a glass of wine.
Paso Robles Uncorked: Change is the Only Constant
“If you're in a bad situation, don't worry it'll change. If you're in a good situation, don't worry it'll change.” —John A. Simone, Sr. The story of how Halter Ranch wine quality took a sudden leap forward is pretty impressive, from both a 'gossip' and business perspective. As many of you now know, Justin Wines was sold to Fiji Water.
The Cosmic Brick: Dry Sticks in Oregon Mud
“[I]t is the wine that leads me on, the wild wine, that sets the wisest man to sing at the top of his lungs, laugh like a fool – it drives the man to dance... it even...tempts him to blurt out stories better never told.” ― Homer, The Odyssey Having recently watched Oregon Wine: Grapes of Place, I was inspired to share my thoughts on the film, which I found both intriguing and inspiring. Dry Sticks, planted in Oregon mud.
Travel Tuesday: A Visit to Dry Creek Vineyard
"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant." - Robert Louis Stevenson Do you consider yourself an explorer? If so, do you sometimes wonder where the spirit of wine exploration has gone? It's a thought on my mind these days; as I now quietly sit behind this computer screen recalling the fond summer memories discovering a region I'm sure most of you are familiar with but do you really know Dry Creek?
Wine of the Week: 2014 Bodega Colome Estate Malbec, Salta HAV
“It is not often that you see life and fiction take each other by the hand and dance.” ― Lawrence Thornton, Imagining Argentina The wine of the week is here, it comes from a fantastic producer sitting on the highest plot of vineyard-covered land on the planet, or so I'm told. Malbec is once again in the spotlight; I uncorked a bottle of Dona Paula just last night, 2007 which had been sitting in my cellar for several years, in a word, wow.
Wine of the Week: Clos Magne Figeac Saint-Emilion 2010
“Give me books, French wine, fruit, fine weather and a little music played out of doors by somebody I do not know.” ― I was once asked the question, do you do Bordeaux? Do I "'do" Bordeaux, ha, did Debbie do Dallas? Hell yes, I do Bordeaux and in my ever not so humble opinion, if you're not into Bordeaux it's only because you don't understand it yet. Possibly, you're new to wine and are not able to appreciate its subtleties. It was true for me, in the beginning of my own wine journey.
Got Corkage Fees?
“The disparity between a restaurant's price and food quality rises in direct proportion to the size of the pepper mill.” ~ Bryan Miller What is a Corkage fee? It's the fee charged by a restaurant to patrons bringing their own wines to enhance their dining experience. The "size" of the 'fee' does appear to be larger or smaller in price in direct proportion to the size of their pepper-mill, as it has been said, size does matter.
Why Fast Food Wines Are Here To Stay
“The consumer doesn't know. They think it comes from a guy who farmed his land and made it in his small barrels in his little winery.” I'm not sure when it happened, but somehow cheap, generic, homogenized commodity wine, is riding a newfound wave of popularity. I've seen it blowing up in various social media platforms, tremendous enthusiasm for bathtub purple swill. What is driving this phenomenon, I'm not entirely sure, but I do have some ideas.
Pinot Report: Top Ten Santa Lucia Highlands [Part 2]
"Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, everyday life more civilized." --- André Simon So uh-yeah, you've been waiting for part two for some time, I know, I know. But like your favorite new TV drama or sit-com, you have to wait, for what seems like an eternity for the next installment. So I hope the heightened anticipation, will be worth the price of admission. But if you happen to be new to this whole shebang, then you're in for a treat today.
Top Ten Santa Lucia Highlands [Part 1]
"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."~ J.R.R. Tolkien A sentiment I share and one which finds me in hearty agreement, but alas the world we live in today seems to be a bit more caught up in not only in the pursuit of gold, but also gain notoriety [aka, reality TV]. Now that said, the tale I'm about to tell is all about "cheer," indeed something we can all 'clink' our glasses together and rejoice.
10 Napa Valley Wineries: Prestige Brands and Amazing Quality
Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts,” Albert Einstein Writing a Story about the Napa Valley: Any Suggestions? I don't often get asked by other writers who [unlike me] get paid to write stories about the wine scene here in California for recommendations about the wineries, the places I know where some great stories can be found, but just two weeks ago, I did receive such a request.
Not a Flash in The Pan: Wines Til Sold Out
Wines At The Best Price Online - One At A Time - 'Til Sold Out Many wine enthusiasts love the hunt for wine almost as much as they enjoy drinking it. I'm right there with you, but who wants to pay more than they have to? The answer is no one, and while I've not always been comfortable shopping for wine online, now more than ever, this where you can find some incredible deals. Smart wine shopping isn't just for the tech-savvy anymore and it's far more than a flash in the pan.
A Vintage of Smudge Pots and Hail in Chablis
Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash. ~Leonard Cohen More and more, as time passes, I've begun to notice subtle changes in my palate. Progressing towards elegance over hedonism, and balance over flashy. If you are like the one the average vino-sapiens reading this, raised up on California wine, Chablis can be a shock to the system, leaving most folks befuddled by a word not often found in New World wines, restraint.
Simple Wine and Food Pairing Tips
“The ultimate destination of wine is on the table, with food.
Finding Sanctuary: Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016
“She wasn’t born for this kind of life. You have to be born for this like you have to be born a butcher or a barber, I guess. Wouldn’t anybody be either of them just for money or fun.” Pinot Noir is known to many, as a grape of great depth and balance. For many producers primarily in the new world, it’s known as the heartbreak grape.
Port Uncorked: Blast from the Past
“Talents are best nurtured in solitude. Character is best formed in the stormy billows of the world.” - Von Goethe It's not often you can jump into a time machine of sorts and go back to the year you were born, but I had the good fortune to do just that just a few years ago, to celebrate the fiftieth lap around the sun. One of the funny things about vino-sapiens and just people, in general, is the fact that most folk’s historical context starts the day they were born.
Rioja Uncorked: Viña Bosconia Red Reserva 2006
“If a vintner chooses not to filter, he limits himself to the minority of wine buyers, the true connoisseurs who care about quality and will accept some gunk at the bottom of the bottle.”~ Xun Wang Today's review takes us to the picturesque Iberian peninsula, time to uncork another fabulous bottle of wine from R. López de Heredia. A gorgeous bodega located in the northwestern extension of the Rioja region in Barrio de la Estación, in the town of Haro, in the sub-zone of Rioja Alta.
So You Want to Plant a Vineyard?
Many of those who have gone before have stated, "that it takes a lot of money, to make a little money in the wine business." The road to 'profitability' is an important consideration, as this is not a venture for the weak of heart.
Wine of the Week: 2016 Cotes du Crow's
“If you only drink the same wines that everyone else is drinking then you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” ~ A wise Vino-Sapien Well, good afternoon every and welcome to February, here in Southern Oregon it looks like the groundhog was wrong, as the most extreme winter weather of the season is now upon us-like weather, just ahead of the coming Spring.
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