Review: Ta Za! Shatterproof Wine Glasses with Excelsior 2011 Syrah

One of the hazards of drinking wine is breaking your wine glasses. You know how many I've broken? A whole lot. Hey man, things happen. But the most common time that those nice wine glasses break across the world is at parties and gatherings. Lots of people around, lots of things going on, lots of people feeling affected by alcohol. Next thing you know... CRASH!

But that just comes with the territory, right? Nothing is as good as glass. You can't really respect your wine and drink it from a plastic cup! That would be asinine! That's at least what I thought until Ta Za! sent me their product. Prepare yourself for some serious ass-kissing because my whole household loves these glasses.

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They took my schnapps.

I schnapped their necks.

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Wine Review: Prieuré de Montézargues Tavel 2013

While discussing the wonders of Tavel, one of my peers put it as "the only rosé you really need," and he was 100% correct. It's the only rosé in the world that actually improves with age so a short shelf-life isn't a concern, and I have yet to come across one that wasn't lovely.

So what is Tavel? It's a region in France's Rhone Valley, right across the river from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It's been around as a winemaking region for a very long time and the wine it makes are rosé. Well, maybe not officially because rosé must come from all red grapes, while Tavel can use white in their blend. But that's a technicality. The majority of people on the planet would consider it rosé.

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Wine Review: Baron Cooper 2013 Sauvignon Blanc

If you haven't read my review of the Baron Cooper Cabernet Sauvignon yet, here's a quick summary: After showing my love of canines and my dislike of felines, I displayed my disapproval of either of them being put to death. The wines of Baron Cooper sends 5% of their earnings to the Best Friends Animal Society which focuses solely on putting an end to killing cats and dogs in shelters. I am so behind that.

Cooper is a Manchester terrier that was rescued from a shelter and was so emotionally scarred from his past experiences that he was even afraid of a bouncing ball. Today he's much happier and playful and his rescuers, the Habashi family, created this wine brand in his honor.

The winery is based out of Lodi, which is in the north of Central Valley, California. The grapes are sourced from other places, which is more typical than most people think.

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The dangers of parenting

OH NO NO NO NO, CORAL!!!

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Wine Review: Baron Cooper 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon

If you're a dog lover it's always a great bonus to give a little something to the well being of man's best friend. 5% of sales on all of Baron Cooper's wines go to the Best Friends Animal Society, which focuses solely on putting an end to killing cats and dogs in shelters.

I'm a huge dog lover but not so much of cats. But I do realize that it's not the cat's fault it was born into a terrible species, so I'm still nice to them on an individual basis and I don't want the demon spawn to die. I guess my point is that cats in shelters are being killed too so even if you're a cat person but not a dog person, then Baron Cooper is for you as well.

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Varietal correctness is a real problem

For those that are just wine lovers and not in the industry, I just want to let you know that it doesn't get much more frustrating than this. A Viognier without apricot, a Gruner without white pepper, a Grenache without strawberry. There are expectations to be met. Varietal correctness is a real problem.

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Wine Review: Cantine Rialto 2013 Umbria Rosso

I'm going to be honest with you: I'm in no mood to write a review tonight. These last two days have been a non-stop nightmare at work and what I really want to do is have a beer and go to bed. It wasn't long ago I could handle 17 hour days of pure physical labor without a problem and did it most days of the week, but I'm no spring chicken any more. Now two 13 hour days in a row of working retail is really exhausting. But goddamnit I love my job, and I love the insanity of tourist season on one of the most famous places on Earth.

But I can't just not do the blog, right? The show must go on! Because I love you! So I'm going to give you at least a short review of a wine today. This one is from Umbria, a region in southern Italy. Cantine Rialto's Umbria Rosso is a blend of Merlot, Sagrantino and Sangiovese.

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Jancis Robinson on the influence of labels in wine tasting

"It is absolutely staggering how important a part the label plays in the business of tasting. If we know that a favorite region, producer, or vintage is coming up, we automatically start relishing it  - giving it every benefit of the doubt." - Jancis Robinson, How to Taste

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June Wine Pick: Astrolabe Province 2012 Sauvignon Blanc

This WINE PICK of the month was written for the Luke's of Cape Cod website.

This month I've decided to go with one of my all-time favorite New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc's. Astrolabe is an outstanding example of a quality Sauvie from Marlborough and my very first suggestion for those looking to upgrade over Kim Crawford or Oyster Bay.

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