We wind down yet another summer month (a scorcher for me, since we spent a good portion of it without a working central AC system at 1WD HQ), and so we have another round of Wine.Answers.com article highlights for your reading pleasure. I was in full-on review mode this month, in an attempt to make a dent in the pile of samples that were not actually wines (this isn’t as insane of a pile as the wine samples, but in its own way has been getting a bit out of hand):
Wine Book Review: “Native Wine Grapes of Italy” by Ian D’Agata – From a sample copy. A comprehensive look at the native wine grape varieties of a country that has a sh*t-ton of such varieties; this will appeal to a very small percent of the population, but among those geeks it could prove to be an indispensable reference.
Wine Product Review: Ravi Instant Wine Chiller – The short version of this review is that I had, at best, a tumultuous time with a sample of this rapid wine chiller; while it’s undoubtedly fast, for me it did always undoubtedly pour any actual wine (and, well, that’s kind of a show-stopper from a wine-pouring-accessory standpoint).
Wine Product Review: Riedel “Big O” Cabernet Wine Tumbler – Loved this not-so-little stem-less wine glass; it is not for small wines (or small hands… or small bank accounts…), but for those who go for big pours of big wines, this is a keeper. Another sample for review (duh).
Surprising Meanings Behind Common U.S. Wine Label Terms – it always amazes me how even well-heeled wine pros have no idea that some of these label terms are regulated (or aren’t).
Cheers!