January 27, 2010

I like it - from the WSJ

I really love these guys. They always write from a down-to-earth point of view, and do a lot to keep the dialogue going in the right direction.

January 10, 2010

A matter of language

One of my pet peeves in language is the misuse of the words further and farther. The two have distinct and specific meanings and should be used appropriately.

Similarly, the words varietal and variety have two distinct meanings, but are often misused, and are thought to be interchangeable. Until recently, I was under the impression that these two words were interchangeable. I was wrong. And now, enlightened by a viticulturist, I am spoiled, forever to cringe and grind my teeth when I hear people with a long history of working in the wine industry and a substantial knowledge of wine talk about a grape varietal.

For clarification, with help from Wikipedia:

Variety refers the kind of fruit, the specific cultivar within that species (vitis vinifera).

Varietal describes wines made from a grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label.

Thus, varietal is an adjective; Of, indicating, or characterizing a variety. Variety is a noun; A group that is distinguished from other groups by a specific characteristic or set of characteristics.

January 5, 2010

Insipration for a New Year

Well, the blog has been hibernating for several months now. Since being back in Vancouver, I've sadly let the ball drop. Still, the holidays blessed me with several great ideas and events that I hope to share soon.

For starters: I'm a big fan of Grape Radio. These guys always do a great job with their interviews, their subjects are always interesting, and they find some of the most interesting personalities in the wine world (their interview with Terry Theise is a favorite).

Now, I don't know too much about Italian wine, but their latest episode is a great, and thorough discussion about Italian wine with MW Antonia Galloni, who is also a contributor to Wine Advocate. Very worth a listen, and gets me thinking about jumping into more Italian varieties.