Squeal! Piggly Wiggly launches its own private label of delightful California wines. By Jan Walsh Photography by Beau Gustafson Piggly Wiggly has a heritage that is local. The stores are locally owned and operated. And many of the products are grown or produced locally and regionally. They are also known for their wine departments. What to pair with the standing rib roast in your cart? No problem. Their friendly wine stewards have just the bottle. Need a discount on case wines? Get 10 percent off 12 bottles or any six magnums—and a five percent discount on half case purchases. Want a wine for a special occasion? They can typically get it in 48 hours. Read More...
	My Summer Favorite Pair a glass of chilled, white Bordeaux with a hot, humid Birmingham summer. By Jan Walsh Photography by Beau Gustafson Excluding Champagne, white Bordeaux has been my favorite white wine for many years. I look forward to a well-chilled glass of Chateau Graville-Lacoste at the end of a long, hot day. The French wine region of Bordeaux is most famous for their classic growths of dry red wines— blended of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes—and sweet dessert wines including Château d' Yquem. Yet they also produce world-class white wines, white Bordeaux. Read More...
	Wine Spectator Awards 2010 Our partner website, BirminghamRestaurants.com has several restaurants that were awarded Wine Spectator Awards 2010! Congratulations to Fleming's Prine Steakhouse and Wine Bar, Hot and Hot Fish Club, Ocean, TwentySix, Veranda On Highland, and Village Tavern - all winners of Waward of Excellnce. Read More...
	Pennywise Pleasers At $12 a bottle every penny saved will buy more wine. By Jan Walsh Photography by Beau Gustafson Tough times call for value wines. And The Other Guys recently released a line of great wines that pinch pennies without pinching quality. Priced at $12 each, their new line of Pennywise 2008 vintage wines will not put a dent in your wallet. Read More...
	Conservancy Wines  Concannon Vineyard releases the most important wine series of its history. By Jan Walsh Photography by Beau Gustafson Concannon Conservancy Chardonnay 2008 and Conservancy Petite Sirah 2007 reflect the true varietal character and unique terroir of the Livermore Valley. And they are a celebration of the preservation of Livermore Valley.   Read More...
	The Chain Gang Big House makes an affordable and enjoyable line up of wines. By Jan Walsh Photo by Jason Wallis The Big House winery in Soledad, Monterey County, is a mere “ankle iron’s toss” from the Soledad State Correctional Facility, thus the name. I recently had the pleasure of having dinner with the “Warden” of Big House Wines, winemaker Georgetta Dane at Café Dupont, while tasting through their line up of wines. This fashionable diva looks more like a celebrity than a winemaker. Yet Dane is a serious winemaker who views winemaking as a two-part process: natural transformation of fermentation and blending aromas and flavors to produce wines that are unique. Read More...
	Creative Juices Steele Wines prolific Writer’s Block offers nine different wines—and more coming soon. By Jan Walsh Photography by Beau Gustafson Jed Steele has been making wine in California for 42 years. In a joint venture Steele and his son Quincy Steele added the Writer's Block line of nine wines to the Steele Wines portfolio in 2002. The wines play off the character in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 28, where the speaker suffers from writer's block and laments that day and night conspire against his ability to fulfill his writing duties. Read More...
	La Bourgogne Classic red and white Burgundies are telling of their heritage. By Jan Walsh Photo by Jason Wallis Every wine “speaks” its truth on the first sip. The quality of thefruit, the weather of its vintage and the knowledge, skill andexpertise of its winemaker synthesize into a “story.” Each winewhispers its story from deep inside the glass to each person who tastesthe wine. The more of a particular wine you drink over time, the better you get to know this wine. Read More...
	Spanish Discovery Basico’s Blanco expresses its Spanish origin at exceptional value. By Jan Walsh Photography by Beau Gustafson From Spain to Birmingham, Basico wines are new to the Southeastern market. Among the wines debuting is their white wine, Basico’s Blanco 2008 ($8.99). At this price point Blanco makes a terrific “everyday” wine that won’t break the budget. Buy a case at most retailers and get a 10 percent discount too. Read More...
	Bubbles and Sweethearts J. Schram is America’s sweetheart of a sparkling wine. By Jan Walsh In 1965, Jack and Jamie Davies had a “sparkling” dream. The couple’s goal was to develop America’s most prestigious sparkling wine.  And when they discovered an abandoned winery—Schramsberg—on a mountainside in Napa Valley, they knew this was the place to make their wine. Read More...
	New Year, New Wine Uncork the 2007 vintage of Frank Family Vineyards Napa Valley Zinfandel. By Jan Walsh Photography by Beau Gustafson I enjoy big reds on cold winter evenings. And Zinfandel is among my favorites to curl up with in front of a roaring fire. The Zinfandel grape is genetically equivalent to Crljenak Kaštelanski, the Croatian grape and the Primitivo variety from Italy. By the mid 19th Century, the grape—known by variations of the word, “Zinfandel”—had made its way to the United States. Frank Family Vineyards Napa Valley Zinfandel 2007 ($36.75) makes a perfect cold weather sipper. Read More...
	Have Hope? Hope Family Wines offer a wine for every budget—and an iPhone app. By Jan Walsh Photography by Jan Walsh Third generation California farmer, and first generation winemaker, Austin Hope oversees the entire Hope Family Wines portfolio: Treana, Liberty School, Candor and Austin Hope wines. The Hope family first planted vineyards in Paso Robles in 1978. And Austin Hope began working in his family’s Paso Robles vineyards as a boy. His new generation style combines experimentation with old and new world winemaking philosophies. Modern techniques enhance fruit and structure. Yet Hope carefully maintains the quality and varietal correctness of each bottle. And he takes wine technology beyond the bottle with the invention of an iPhone app for the Liberty School wines. Read More...
	Wine of the Year 2009 Hand Crafted Reynolds Family Winery's Persistence 2005 Persistence Red Wine 2005 (54.99) is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Petite Verdot. This lovely and complex wine offers notes of blueberry, plum and raspberry. Vintner Steve Reynolds’ interest in wine started when he was a young teenager, living in Germany. “Wine was always part of our daily life and my father often took the whole family on wine tasting trips through Europe,” he recalls. “My father and I dreamed of building a winery together.” This vision became reality when his wife, Suzie, and Reynolds traded his dental practice for the life of wine growers in 1994.   Read More...
	Classic Chateauneuf-du-Pape Sip or cellar Rhone Valley’s most renowned wines. By Jan Walsh Photography by Jason Wallis Most wine lovers start their discovery of wine by sipping simple, sweet white—or pink—wines. Eventually they grow tired of these and learn to appreciate drier white wines. Next they want to find a red wine to drink, but learning to appreciate red wines can be a difficult leap. Where to start? Read More...
	The Prettiest One Pair your holiday meal with a lovely Chamisal Vineyards Pinot Noir. By Jan Walsh Photo by Beau Gustafson Your holiday table deserves a special wine—Domaine Alfred Chamisal Vineyards Calif Selection Pinot Noir 2007. In 2009 Domaine Alfred returned to the vineyard’s roots by renaming the winery after its icon vineyard and original namesake—Chamisal Vineyards. Read More...
	American Harvest Pahlmeyer wines have deep roots in California soil. By Jan Walsh Photo by Cary Norton In the early 1970s Jayson Pahlmeyer and John Caldwell shared a love of Bordeaux style grape growing and winemaking. This shared passion led them to Bordeaux, France where they acquired cuttings from the five classic Bordeaux varietals and “smuggled” them back to California—via Canada. Read More...
	Kunde Winemaker Dinner Kunde Family Estate’s wines pair well with dinner at Veranda On Highland. By Jan Walsh Each year I make my way to California wine country for a couple of weeks. I especially enjoy traveling there in August to escape our heat. But also it is a beautiful time because the majority of the grapes are hanging on the vines—almost ready for harvesting. Read More...
	Wines of Character Greg Norman Estates produces legendary wines at affordable prices. By Jan Walsh I recently had the pleasure of tasting through the Greg Norman Estate wines with his daughter Morgan-leigh Norman. Like father, like daughter both are passionate about food and wine.  Morgan-leigh is the brand ambassador of the wines and an accomplished chef. Read More...
	365 Acres of Romance Clos Pegase’s Jan Shrem gave his wife one acre for every day of the year he loves her.   By Jan Walsh Some men are romantic by nature. They put great thought into the gifts they give their partner. Founder of Clos Pegase, Jan Shrem is such a man. In 1989 he gave his wife, Mitsuko Shrem a vineyard as a Valentine's Day present. Mitsuko's Vineyard is comprised of 365 acres—one acre for every day of the year that he loves her. Read More...
	Blind Tasting Think all Sauvignon Blancs taste the same? By Jan Walsh Photography by Beau Gustafson Sauvignon Blancs are among my favorite whites. A well-chilled bottle is the perfect porch drink for Birmingham's warm, spring temperatures. Today three distinctly different Sauvignon Blancs are tasted-blind. Read More...
	Hand Crafted Reynolds Family Winery specializes in low production, high quality wines. By Jan Walsh Vintner Steve Reynolds’ interest in wine started when he was a young teenager, living in Germany. “Wine was always part of our daily life and my father often took the whole family on wine tasting trips through Europe,” he recalls. “My father and I dreamed of building a winery together.” This vision became reality when his wife, Suzie, and Reynolds traded his dental practice for the life of wine growers in 1994. Read More...
	Sunshine In A Bottle Australian sun and exceptional fruit make Two Hands wines shine. By Jan Walsh Two Hands vintners, Richard Mintz and Michael Twelftree share a passion and a vision for their Australian wines. They formed the company in 1999 with the objective of making the best possible Shiraz based wines from prized Shiraz producing regions within Australia. They make four tiers of wines: Flagship, Single Vineyard, Garden Series and Picture Series. The wines consistently rank in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 and 90+ reviews from Robert Parker. Read More...
	Seventy-five The year 1975 brought a new kid to California wine country.  By Jan Walsh The year of 1975 was a memorable one. Elvis turned 40. Tiger Woods first appeared. Jimmy Hoffa disappeared. Mohammed Ali wins the “Thrilla in Manila.” The Eagles “Best of My Love” reaches the top of the charts. Bill Gates founded Microsoft. And the future founder of The Seventy-Five Wine Company, Tuck Beckstoffer piled into a wood paneled Ford Country Squire station wagon with the rest of his family and headed to Napa Valley. Read More...
	Wine Gems Make your holidays sparkle with wines by J. By Jan Walsh Want holiday wines that will please all? Toast the season with wine from Sonoma Valley’s J. Vineyards & Winery. J owns and farms just over 275 acres in California's Russian River Valley where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay varietals thrive. The diversity of the soil paired with the cool coastal fog allows fruit to mature slowly—developing complex aromas and flavors. Read More...
	Sesquicentennial Sonoma County's Gundlach Bundschu celebrates 150 years of family winemaking. By Jan Walsh In 1858 Jacob Gundlach purchased Sonoma property, which he named Rhinefarm. Six generations of family have tended vineyards and made wine here since that time. Read More...
	Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) In conjunction with The Atlanta Wine School (AWS) and the Society of Wine Educators, Michael Bryan, AWS Director, taught a six-week course followed by the exam for Certified Specialist of Wine. The course was held at Veranda on Highland in Birmingham. Twenty-five participants took the course (15 work in the industry), and 16 took the exam conducted by Foster Smith. Read More...
	Wine Spectator Award Winning Restaurants Birmingham restaurants are awarded Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. Winners include Brock's, Fleming's Prime Steakhosue and Wine Bar, Hot and Hot Fish Club, Ocean, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Satterfield's Standard Bistro, Veranda on Highland, and Village Tavern. Read More...
	Legacy Wines Family owned and operated for 125 years Wente Vineyard's makes affordable wines of distinction. By Jan Walsh Wente Vineyards is California's oldest family owned and continuously operated winery. Founded in 1883 by C. H. Wente, the winery is now managed by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family, including winemaker Karl Wente. I had the pleasure of touring the vineyards and tasting these wines with Wente at the winery. Read More...
	New Release: Solaire Robert Mondavi is gone, but his legendary wines remain. By Jan Walsh Photography by Beau Gustafson Robert Mondavi died May 16, 2008. It was my privilege to meet Mondavi in 2006 at the annual Premier Auction Napa Valley. He and his brother, Peter sat side-by-side and greeted old friends and made new acquaintances. Yet that is not why I choose to write about the Robert Mondavi portfolio of newly released Solaire wines to review for this issue. I had already chosen these two wines for July. Read More...
	Champagne Shooters Toast the bride and groom with a twist at B&A Warehouse. By Jan Walsh No two brides are alike, nor should their wedding receptions be. “Today’s bride wants something that is a little out of the ordinary, yet fun and interactive, at her wedding reception,” owner of B&A Warehouse, Susan Mason describes. B&A meets this desire with the Champagne Shooter Station, which puts a spin on the traditional custom of offering Champagne at the reception. They mix colorful flavors with the champagne and serve the drink as a shot. “Not only is the station aesthetically pleasing, but it is also a hit with the guests!” Read More...
	Peak Experience Terlato Wine Group creates a trinity of “Peak” wines from Napa Valley fruit. By Jan Walsh Photography by Beau Gustafson Legendary wines of Pomerol, St. Émilion and Margaux inspire Terlato Family Vineyards’ Napa Valley red wine blends: Angels’ Peak, Devils’ Peak and Cardinals’ Peak. Among Terlato Wine Group Chairman Anthony J. Terlato’s personal favorites are the wines from these three Bordeaux appellations. And his passion for these wines led to a challenge for his head winemaker, Doug Fletcher to create the “Peak” wines using fruit from Napa Valley and traditional Bordeaux methods to produce wines with drinkability, complexity and age-worthiness. Read More...
	High Point Veranda on Highland debuts its new, upstairs, wine cellar. By Jan Walsh Photography by Beau Gustafson Dating to the 1920s, Veranda on Highland is one of the most beautiful restaurants in Alabama. It boasts nine separate dining rooms, fireplaces, stained glass windows, a private patio, and, of course—a veranda. Yet the recent addition of a handsome, climate-controlled wine cellar brings the restaurant to a new level. The recently completed cellar has multiple purposes. It houses the new, expanded wine list, includes private wine lockers for Veranda’s best customers, and can be reserved for private dining and special events. Read More...
	Boutique Wine Biz Brandy Davis brings wines from small, family owned wineries to Birmingham. By Jan Walsh Photography by Beau Gustafson Best Cellars Int’l. is a boutique wine distribution company that opened in 2004. After two years of running the company, for its founder, Brandy Davis bought the company in 2007. “I had invested so much time and energy and had made such amazing friendships that I just had to take the plunge,” Davis recalls. Davis is a familiar face at local wine events introducing and pouring her boutique wines for tastings. Read More...
	Inaugural Vintage Give your valentine a first vintage of Terra Valentine wine. By Jan Walsh Terra Valentine recently released the 2004 inaugural vintage of Yverdon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($70). The historic Yverdon Estate Vineyard had not been planted since the 1980s. In 2001 it was replanted in Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. In 2004 the site bore fruit for the first time in 20 years. And the vineyard was expanded to 25 acres in 2006. High atop the Mayacamas Range, the vineyard showcases the terroir of the Spring Mountain District’s highest elevations. Aromas of black currant, cedar and caramel lead to luscious fruit flavors, with notes of cocoa and cedar. Cellar this wine for a future Valentine’s Day over the next five to seven years. Read More...
	Birmingham Wine Restaurant Awards 2007 Awards include Glass Award, American Award, Global Award, Depth Award, Sparkling Award, and Wine Dinner Award. Click here to view. Read More...
	Champion of Champagne Village Wine Market’s Thomas LaBoone uncorks a passion for Champagne. By Jan Walsh Photography by Beau Gustafson Manager of Village Wine Market, Thomas LaBoone has a passion for Champagne. It is a passion that I share. So whenever I enter Village Wine Market the two of us head straight for the back wall—where his extensive collection of Champagnes are displayed. Read More...
	A Storied Destiny Savor Charles Krug, Napa Valley’s oldest wines. By Jan Walsh Photography by Beau Gustafson Charles Krug was the first winery in Napa Valley. Krug planted the first vineyard and established his winery in 1861. In 1894, two years after his death, John Moffitt assumed ownership of the property. And after Prohibition, in 1943, an immigrant from Italy, Cesare Mondavi purchased the 147-acre property for $75,000. The winery was to be run by his two sons, Robert and Peter. Read More...
	Big Idea Entrepreneur Brandon Smith launches national franchise, Small Cellars. By Jan Walsh Small Cellars is a new, national concept and franchise business based in Birmingham, Alabama. The company specializes in building small, affordable and attractive wine cellars for today’s homes. President and founder of Small Cellars, Brandon Smith built the business on his firm belief that every wine lover should have a wine cellar. And Smith’s desire is to change the preconception that wine cellars are for the wealthy—who live large—one small cellar at a time. Read More...
	Focus On Fun Private wine consultant, Foster Smith shares his wine wisdom through his wit. By Jan Walsh Photography by Beau Gustafson Learning about wine just got easier. After 20 years in wine sales, Certified Wine Specialist, Foster Smith retired from his position at International Wines and started his own wine consulting business. Smith now shares wine savvy—without the snobbery—with both individuals and businesses. “With my wine consulting business I focus on fun while using my passion for teaching,” Smith says. Previously he also taught wine courses for UAB Special Studies over a period of 14 years. Read More...
	Taste of Italy Fausto Maculan makes a wine for every palate. By Jan Walsh Photography by Beau Gustafson Fausto Maculan was born to be a winemaker. He was delivered in the space where his present office is today. He worked in his family’s winery until age 14. Later he graduated from Conegliano’s school of enology with honors before assuming his destiny—managing the viticultural, productive and commercial aspects of the family business. Read More...
	Wine Masters' Selection Wine Master Ed Sbragia brings fine Beringer wines to town. By Jan Walsh Photography by Beau Gustafson Beringer Wine Master Ed Sbragia was the Honorary Chairman for Birmingham’s oldest, charitable wine auction. The 22nd Annual Evening of Wines benefiting Multiple Sclerosis was held April 21, 2007. Here he shared not only his wines but also a bit of his family history. Read More...
	Champagne Wishes Celebrate the most important day of your life with Champagne Gardet. By Jan Walsh If life is too short to drink bad wine, your wedding deserves Champagne Gardet. Charles Gardet founded the Gardet Champagne house in 1895. And the family presently owns about 18 acres in the Premier Cru areas of the Champagne region. Each year the Gardet’s select the best of their cuvees to join their reserve wines, which are aged in 100-year old oak vats. This juice is later married to younger wines to produce a harmonious sparkling wine that is cellared and allowed to undergo the second fermentation. After several years, these wines acquire the classic fragrance, maturity, flavors, and finesse—and only then do they bear the name of “Champagne Gardet.” Read More...
	Welcoming Wines It's all in the Frank Family: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. By Jan Walsh Photography by Beau Gustafson Frank Family's tasting room is known as one of the friendliest in Napa Valley and one of the few that continues to offer free tastes. But you don't have to go to Napa to get a free taste of Frank Family wines. The Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Zinfandel are April's Featured Wines of the Month at Piggly Wiggly's posh River Run location-where tastings are always free of charge. Read More...
	An Irish Toast Celebrate spring and St. Patrick's Day with a legendary "Irish" wine. By Jan Walsh Photography by Beau Gustafson As they say, "If you are lucky enough to be Irish… you are lucky enough." Yet whether you are Irish or not, St. Patrick's Day has become a time of celebration for all. Winter evolves to spring, and all becomes green. But if a dyed Irish larger is not your style, celebrate with a glass of Concannon. Read More...
	French Kiss Fall in love with an unforgettable Champagne. Photography by Gustafson By Jan Walsh One never forgets her first love-mine was French. One sip, and I was seduced. It was a white Bordeaux, chilled to perfection on a warm, summer's day at a flower-lined, sidewalk café in Nice. The memory and the love affair continued with various vintages of fabulous, French wines across the Rivera, into Paris and-of course, Champagne. Afterwards I returned home, quite the Francophile, drinking nothing but French wines whenever possible. Eventually my heart was touched, and my palate intrigued, by many fine still and sparkling wines of various wine regions all over the world. Yet does one ever get really get beyond her first love? Men, of course, but wine… not so much. Read More...
	Celebrate with Schramsberg Pop the cork on America's finest sparkling wines and an award winning Cabernet Sauvignon. By Jan Walsh Photography by Beau Gustafson Celebrate the holidays with America's first and finest sparkling wines. All seven styles of Schramsberg's sparklers are produced using Méthode Champenoise at this California Historical Landmark on Napa Valley's Diamond Mountain. Founded by Jacob Schram in 1862, Schramsberg operated for 50 years leading up to prohibition. Throughout prohibition, the Depression, WWII and afterwards Schramsberg declined until it was rescued and renovated in 1965 by Jack and Jamie Davies. Read More...
	Stand Out Wines Sebastiani Brothers choose Birmingham to premiere wines of character. By Jan Walsh Photography by Beau Gustafson Unzork a wine that most of the country can't. The Sebastianis selected Birmingham-as one of two cities-to launch The Other Guys (TOG) wines. "The Other Guys represents a direction that my brother Donny and I have decided to take with our generation of Sebastiani family winemaking-concentrating on appellation driven wines grown in some of our favorite viticultural areas," August Sebastiani explains. Read More...
	Merlots Miles Missed Star struck by Sideways and Pinot Noir? Taste California Merlot again. By Jan Walsh Photography by Beau Gustafson As a sequel to last month's column, "Pinot Passion," Merlots play a starring role in September. So blow off the Pinot party. And sip some marvelous Merlots from both Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Read More...
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	Let's Twist Again   Toss the corkscrew, and twist open a nice bottle of wine. by Jan Walsh Screw caps once indicated a cheap bottle of wine, and rightly so. But today's twist-offs are the latest "new" alternative closures to corked wine and come in many price ranges.   Read More...