Category Archives: Newsletter Archive

Vinopolpick Weekend Edition – December 23

December 23, 2013
Holiday Wine PairingsHappy holidays from your friends at Vinopolis.  As the end of December nears, we receive many questions about wine and food pairings for special meals.  Choices can seem overwhelming for those who enjoy wines but are not constantly exploring the world of wine. So, we have come up with a list of selections to suit any budget for your holiday gathering.  The budget aspect is very important: we like the wine to be an adjunct to the food, family, and friends. Not the focal point. Of course anyone can come up with a list of pairings, but we would also like to in part explore why pairings work, why they might not, and how to rescue a pairing gone wrong.  
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Vinopolpick Thursday – December 19th

December 19, 2013
Schloss Gobelsburg“The more technology you use in the cellar, the more standardized the wines. The less you use the more personal the wines get.” — Michael Moosbrugger

This sentiment is the guiding philosophy of Michael Moosbrugger, the manager and lead winemaker at the Schloss Gobelsburg winery in the Kamptal region of Austria.  He sees two styles of winemaking: the first is an interventionist method which uses industrial machinery and standardized techniques to create wines.  These wines are uniform, modern and clean in style, and have reduced variation across vintages. He sees a place for these, as a way to introduce people to wine. In his view, the second form of winemaking is to act as the teacher or coach to the grapes: to work with them, encouraging the best expression of their character without forcing adjustments upon them.  

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December 16th Newsletter

December 16, 2013
Jump Start Sale
Castello di Bossi Corbaia Toscana 2008 ($69.95) $49 special
Antonio Galloni 96 points “The 2008 Corbaia is striking in this vintage. A delicate, graceful bouquet gives the impression of femininity, until layers of fruit hit the palate with relentless energy and focus. The 2008 impresses for its balance and overall sense of harmony. The tannins are still huge at this stage, but I sense that as they melt away the wine’s true pedigree will begin to emerge. This is a great, great showing from Castello di Bossi. Corbaia is 70% Sangiovese and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in new French oak barrels. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2028.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA
The average listed price in the USA is $59 / bottle
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New Week – New Arrivals
USA- OREGON
J Christopher Pinot Noir Sandra Adele Dundee Hills 2011 ($44.95) $37 special
Wine Advocate 93 points “Sourced, as it was last year, from Charlie’s and Abbey Ridge vineyards on Worden Hill Road (and including Somers’ entire crop from the latter, as he did not essay an Abbey Ridge-dedicated 2011), the J.
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Weekend Vinopolpick- December 14th

December 14, 2013
Volnay

Perched on the hill of Chaignot high up in the Côte de Beaune, occupying a narrow and steeply sloping site, Volnay officially gained AOC status in 1937. But these vineyards have been valued and exploited for centuries, often providing the preferred wines and country homes of royalty throughout the years.  Long before modern wine sales, the harvests of Volnay went to the Dukes of Burgundy and the Kings of France.

Situated between Pommard (famous for its powerful reds) and Meursalt (home to rich whites), Volnay wines have a character distinct from that of its prestigious neighbors. Over the centuries, the wines of Volnay and Pommard have alternately shared popularity and comparison. When silkier, smoother wines are in demand, Volnay takes the center stage; with its typically light and aromatic wines that have generally less overt tannin than Pommard.… Read the rest

Thursday Vinopolpick- December 12th

December 12, 2013
Weingut Nikolaihof – Wachau
The small town of Wachau, Austria surrounded by etched hillside vineyards*
                                                                 
 A small region that usually accounts for only around 3% of Austria’s wine production, Wachau has remained one of Austria’s most established and notable wine regions for generation. Viticulture in Wachau is thought to have been introduced by Celtic tribes and continued in the 1st Century BC by Romans. The most important influence, however, came from the Bavarian monks who built the steep, terraced vineyards along the Danube riverside in the Middle Ages. Located in Lower Austria, the wine district’s rolling vineyards produce complex white wines. With vineyards on either side of the Danube (Donau) and a dramatic patchwork of terraces hewn out of the granite, gneiss and mica, there are few regions in the world that can rival Wachau’s beauty.
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