by Contributing Writer Steve Gross

It helps to have adventurous friends. Every few months, I have dinner and wine with a co-worker, Barbara. One of the great things about Barbara is that she’s wiling to follow up on the crazy ideas I come up with.

Recently, we were at Brix Wine Cellars, a local wine bar/restaurant with a good wine list. Barbara and I usually split the wine cost from the food cost, with one of us paying for each. On this occasion, it was Barbara’s turn to cover the wine, though I got to pick it (not a bad deal, huh?). All was well until I saw it – Chateau de Beaucastel.

This was the first time I’d seen this famous Rhone Valley red wine on a list. Based on what I’d read, I really wanted to try it, but there was one big problem – a $132 price tag.

I couldn’t really ask Barbara to foot the bill for my flight of fancy. So, I made this offer: we’d go 50-50 on the whole check. Because Barbara is a gamer, she agreed to the arrangement. Our choice was rewarded by a great experience with a very memorable wine.

As I said in my last post, I’d rather drink wine of great quality than more wine of less quality. My budget is not bottomless, but I’d rather splurge on one very fine bottle than simply have a lot of lesser wine to drink around the house. Having adventurous friends really helps.

So, here’s the skinny on the wine: every sip was a revelation. We tried the Chateau de Beaucastel with several cheeses and fruit. Every combination allowed the quality wine to show different elements of its character. Barbara and I savored every taste, and though the temperature dropped as we sat outside, the wine kept us warm and smiling as we watched the bottle drop inevitably toward emptiness.

Soon, we had only our memories of the wine, the conversation, and the experience, and it was time to head into the dusk. Great wines offer these memories, carrying us through until the next great bottle.

by Amy Gross, the Vine Sleuth

I love to see people work together. There is something special when people or companies who could be competitors pull together in a constructive, respectful way and help each other out. When potential competitors appreciate each other’s strengths and lend support to each other, typically the industry strengthens as a whole and each entity grows as well.

The second seminar in the Snooth PVA weekend was with wines of Oregon.

Spirit of Collaboration

The spirit of collaboration seems to be alive and well among Oregon wineries and this shone through during our dinner at the Peking Duck House accompanied by Oregon wines.

Earl Jones of Abacela, Jim Bernau of Willamette Valley Vineyards, and Brian O’Donnell of Belle Pente  each shared about their own wineries throughout dinner, but each also shared much more about the state’s wine production as a whole. They talked about the variety in weather, topography and soil type, among other things in the different areas of Oregon. They shared about different philosophies in winemaking. And they all talked about a respect for the earth and its resources, and farming in sustainable ways.

As each gentleman spoke, he was exactly that: a gentleman, never boastful of his own winery, but appreciative of the efforts of the state’s wineries, big and small.

Steamboat Pinot Noir Project

One story that was shared really stood out to me.

Jim shared the story of the Steamboat Pinot Noir project, where winemakers bring their wines that have faults to discuss the wines and what might have gone wrong. It’s a time of collaboration and investigation, rather than a time of finger-pointing and judgment. The wines are evaluated blindly and media are not allowed to attend the event so that the winemakers are more comfortable speaking their minds and brainstorming together without worry for how an opinion might be spun.

Through projects such as this, the winemakers are able to discuss strengths and weaknesses in growing practices, as well as the full art and science of winemaking. They analyze techniques and variables and come to conclusions together.

Bloggers Working Together

There was more collaboration going on than with the wineries of Oregon at the Snooth PVA weekend, however.

Being together enabled us, as bloggers, the opportunity to follow that model and work together, too. We were able to meet in person and talk about the things that we felt were working on our sites… and think about the areas where we need improvement.

We have already begun working more closely together, sharing details, photos, and memories of the weekend. It is my hope we’ll see more of this in the future as we grow our blogs better together, yet reaching our own unique audiences that do still set us apart.

Wine

And the wines we were offered? Yes, they were all wines I would buy to enjoy again or would want to share for different reasons.

Two that especially grabbed me were the Soter Brut Rosé, a crisp, bubbly delight with tiny, consistent bubbles.

and Argyle’s Nuthouse Pinot Noir from 2010:

I have enjoyed Argyle’s sparkling wines many times, but this was my first time to try their Pinot Noir. I am embarrassed to admit it, but I didn’t take good notes explaining why I liked it. But I have a big “5″ written by the Nuthouse Pinot Noir on my score sheet, and a 5 is the score I give to wines that wow me the most. (I’m pretty stingy with my 5′s.)

So, in the spirit of collaboration (and because my notes aren’t all that great), don’t take my word for it. Click over and take a look at the posts by some of the bloggers who were there with me: (As more posts go up, I will link to them here, as well.)

• Benito’s Wine Reviews: Snooth PVA Oregon Wine Board Dinner
• Vindulge: Meeting Abacela Winery– 3,000 miles east  of Oregon

Also, click over to the Oregon Wine Board’s site to learn more about Oregon wines. And maybe I’ll see you in Oregon this summer. After a quick trip last summer and this seminar, I’m hooked and ready to explore it some more.

Cheers to collaboration!

Disclosure: I, and the other bloggers on this trip, were guests of Snooth who provided transportation, lodging, meals and, of course, wine. Opinions expressed are my own.

by Amy Gross, the Vine Sleuth

Blogging has brought many adventures to my life I never expected, and even a few once-in-a-lifetime-type things. This is actually my fourth blog to launch, and each blog has had its moments for inspiration and unique experiences. Some of those experiences, though, are more amazing than the others.

Cinderella’s Castle

In 2010, I was at the Disney Social Media Moms conference at Walt Disney World when my friend’s ticket was drawn for a magical overnight stay in Cinderella’s Castle. (As a side note, it was also at that conference that the idea to launch this blog was born.)

Andrea, who won the spectacular grand prize, was kind enough to invite four other bloggers and ME to join her for the experience, which is something so unique, so special, that you cannot even buy it. That’s right, you can only win a stay in Cinderella’s Castle and all the ultra VIP treatment that goes along with it, and I was so super lucky enough to be along for the ride. (Squeeee!)

The six of us were totally giddy and giggly.  I am not sure our guides knew how to handle us. Then, again, they are probably a bit used to it. We were told about one woman who kept fainting because she was so excited. After three times, the team knew to stand behind her when something extra special was about to happen.

If you want to know what happens behind the scenes and how the peeps at Disney tend to every single detail (and what Cinderella’s Castle is really like), click over to my family travel site, MomsTravelTales.com and read all about it. If you click over to read it, be sure to come back, as I’ve got more to share.

Weekend of Wines from around the World

In March, I felt like I won a very similar prize.

Gregory Dal Piaz of Snooth, a great resource for wine information with insightful wine writing and an active wine lovers’ community, and who hosts the Snooth People’s Voice Wine Awards, invited me to join him and 20 other bloggers for a weekend of wine seminars surrounding the People’s Voice Awards Grand Tasting in New York City.

“What??! Me???” I couldn’t help but think. Of course I jumped at the chance and responded to the invitation right away, hoping Gregory wouldn’t re-think the invitation and change his mind.

And then an email with the airline confirmation arrived and it looked like I really was invited and would get to go.

Really?? I didn’t faint, but I did start to feel like I was in a fairy tale.  Manhattan? Wine? Amazing bloggers? And someone else was inviting me, flying me out, and hosting me? Are you kidding????

I wiggled a few things on my schedule, cut my attendance at Blissdom short (but made the most of it by planning a pre-Blissdom event with Rodney Strong—I like to bring wine to other bloggers, too), packed some fun dresses and boots, pulled out my wool coat and gloves, and headed for Manhattan. My head was spinning, and I was giddy again.

I checked the wine-packed schedule. There were some seminars planned on wines I knew absolutely nothing about, and some I knew a bit about.

Here’s a glimpse:

• Wines of Scarpa (Italy) Master Class
• Oregon Wine and Dinner at Peking Duck House
• Brazilian Wines Master Class
• Lunch with wines from Ribera del Duero (Spain) at Salinas Restaurant
• White Wines of Italy Master Class
• VIP Access to the People’s Voice Wine Awards Grand Tasting
• Wines of Austria Master Class
• South African Wine Pairing Lunch at the Institute of Culinary Education
• Wines of Rioja (Spain) Master Class

Then I checked out the list of my fellow bloggers and was blown away. Bloggers from each of these sites would also be there:

• Wine Folly
• Wine Hub
• Wine Julia
• Jameson Fink
• Wine Harlots
• RJ on Wine
• Reverse Wine Snob
• Wine by Benito
• Maker’s Table
• Brunello Bob
• Vineyard Adventures
• VIP Table
• Serious Eats
• Vindulge
• Wannabe Wino
• Hip Tastes
• Vinespot
• Vigneto Communications

“Really??! Me??!!” echoed in my head again.

How in the world was I on a list with those amazing bloggers? Those people know their stuff, and I’m most definitely a newbie. Gulp. How in the world would I measure up? I wasn’t sure. But I knew I was still in for a treat. And I most definitely was.

Sharing with You

How Andrea’s ticket was pulled and I got to join her and 5 friends for a VIP experience in Cinderella’s Castle, I’ll never know. It was Disney magic. And how or why Gregory of Snooth decided to invite me to a VIP weekend of wine learning, I don’t know, either. But I’m not questioning either one. I’m just going to accept, be thankful, enjoy and share with you.

Over the next few weeks I’ll fill you in on the wines I tasted, the information I learned, and the people I met. (And yes, I’ll even tell you where we found delicious Champagne at half price one evening when we were exploring Manhattan… and you thought we would have had enough wine with all of those seminars!! Wrong—there’s always room for bubbles!)

First up will be Wines of Scarpa later this week. And just like an overnight stay in Cinderella’s Castle, you cannot buy these wines in the US…at least not yet.