Exposing those wine snobs out there!

All of us at one time or another have witnessed the sub-species of wine conniseurs lovingly called "the wine snob." These individuals know how to judge a wine expertly, determining every subtle flavor and educating everyone within hearing distance. They are quick to share their expertise and, all-too-often, to expose one's pitiful lack of wine knowledge.

Well, a couple of French researchers claim that they have proven that the so-called wine experts know "no more than the rest of us," according to a report in The Times of London. This award-winning French study exposes the fact that for all of us, perhaps even more so for these "experts," personal views on wine are based "...as much on color and labels as upon a wine's bouquet and flavor." I say "even more so" because the study saw that the more "profound" a person's experience with wine, the more that person became blind to what they were tasting and more susceptible to what they thought they should be tasting.

Here's what I mean. The study had two parts. In the first, the researcher invited 54 of Bordeaux's eminent wine experts to sample different bottles of wine. One of these was a white wine to which the researcher had added a flavorless substance giving it a red color. Not one of the experts noticed that the wine they were drinking was actually a disguised white!

In the second part of the study, 57 experts tasted the same bottle of a very average wine twice. The first time, the wine was labeled as a "high-prestige grand cru" and the second time it was labeled as a "cheap vin de table." When the experts thought it was a grand cru, they described it as "agreeable, woody, complex, balanced, and rounded." Whey they tasted the bottle labeled as a simple table wine, they replied that it was "weak, short, light, flat, faulty and with a sting."

What does this mean for us? Well, if you're like me, you know what wine you like. And you like it for very personal reasons. Sometimes the reason is as simple as the fact that you like the label or you remember visiting that winery last summer or any of a hundred other perfectly good reasons for liking a wine. Likewise, you probably don't like specific wines for equally appropriate reasons. Whatever these reasons are, they are perfect for you and your wine selecting criteria.

So, the next time you witness the antics of that wine snob looking down his nose at your selection, just smile and pick out any darn wine you want.

Enjoy!

I'll have wine with a twist

For a little bit of holiday fun, I thought I'd reprint an article by David Grimes that originally appeared in the Herald-Tribune in Sarasota, Florida. This time of year when Terry and I are entertaining family and friends, we've often cursed that stubborn cork in the middle of a busy evening (or, even worse, late in the evening when twisting a cap seems infinitely more reasonable than working our complex wine openers...) Here's the article. Hope you enjoy!

...[This] seems like a good time to reopen the Great Wine Debate of corks vs. screw tops.

Perhaps you and your sweetheart shared a bottle of wine. Perhaps the bottle-opening ritual went something like this:

7:30 p.m. - Begin search for corkscrew.
8:00 p.m. - Angrily overturn contents of silverware drawer on kitchen floor in continued search for corkscrew, resulting in nasty cut to bare foot from falling kitchen knife.
8:20 p.m. - Hobble next door to borrow corkscrew from neighbor. When they ask you what happened to your foot, you say it is an "old football injury."
8:40 p.m. - Return to neighbors to ask how corkscrew works. Neighbors notice new bandage on hand from where corscrew has slipped and lacerated an important tendon between your left thumb and index finger. When they ask what happened to your hand, you say you injured it "rock climbing."
8:50 p.m. - With remaining good hand, attempt to twist corkscrew into cork while clasping bottle tightly between your thighs. When your sweetheart asks the reason for your agonized screams, you say the big hole in your leg is the result of "snowboarding."
9:10 p.m. - Dizzy with pain and barely able to retain consciousness, you toss the corkscrew out the window in the general direction of the neighbor's house and limp to the garage, from which you return with a stout, flat-bladed screwdriver and a claw hammer.
9:15 p.m. - Due to your many injuries, you ask sweetheart if she would mind holding the screwdriver while you whack it with the hammer. For some strange reason, she does not accept.
9:25 p.m. - Not willing to accept defeat after all you've been through, you manage, against all odds, to wedge the screwdriver into the remains of the cork. One well-aimed tap of the hammer and...
9:35 p.m. - Begin mopping red wine from walls, floor, ceiling, rugs, drapes, appliances, dog, your cloting, and your sweetheart's clothing. You announce the remaining inch of liquid in the bottom of the bottle would certainly make for a wonderful toast once you fish the bits of cork and glass out of it.
9:40 p.m. - Notice that your sweetheart has gone home.
According to what I've read, some upscale wineries are phasing out corks in favor of simple twist-off caps like the ones used on soft drinks. This seems like a terrible idea to me as it would do away with all the fun of opening a bottle of wine.

Happy holidays, everyone. Enjoy these long, dark evenings as it allows for extra hours spent contemplating the grape beneath subdued lighting. Just be careful with those corkscrews!

Peace and love.

What wine are you enjoying this holiday?

Hello again!

Boy have things been getting busy around here. Not only are Terry and I keeping a close eye on all the wonderful wine we've got in our tanks, but we're also sending out those special brightly wrapped packages to our loved ones, both near and far. We've got our two daughters in state with us here in Colorado. Between the two of them, they've got three young boys who we really enjoy shopping for during the holidays. Also, Terry and I have a son living in North Carolina (who occasionally contributes to this blog). He and his wife Lesley have our only granddaughters. Shopping for them is a totally different experience than shopping for our three grandsons. But it's all a wonderfully fulfilling experience.

Needless to say, we haven't yet planned our holiday meal. So we thought we'd ask you out there what you're planning for this winter's special feast. And, more importantly for our purposes, what wine do you plan on serving? The holiday feasts are great opportunities to share with our loved ones the wines we've grown to enjoy throughout the year.

Many of us choose our wine purchases based on what's been recommended to us by our friends and family. And if you're reading this blog, you know what we might recommend... (If you want to speak with us about what wine might go with whatever you're serving, just post a comment here or call us at the at winery at 888-MSWINES. Terry is great at matching wine with meals.} But we're always interested in other new wines people are discovering and enjoying. You never know what form inspiration might take.

Remember, we're still collecting entries for the best Angel Blush description. And you can still get that discount from the winery with the coupon code "ANGEL BLUSH." Just leave us a comment, and we'll gladly pass on a little savings to you this holiday season.

Thanks for stopping in to Mountain Spirit Winery's blog. We enjoy knowing that you're out there reading about us and forming our online community. Next time you're in the neighborhood, make sure you stop by and say hello in person!

Peace and love.

Angel Blush Competition Update

Hello everyone! If you're just discovering Mountain Spirit Winery's blog, there's a lot happening around here. Just in time for the holidays, right? Here's a quick rundown for our newest visitors out there. You can always browse through the other posts or the archives if you want the juicy details.

First, Terry and I are running a little competition based on our Angel Blush wine. Seeing as how this blend has consistently been our biggest seller, we wanted to hear from the wine's fans. Simply stated, we're looking for creative descriptions of our Angel Blush. We know many of you have enjoyed this wine. Some of you even shared a bottle with loved ones during your Thanksgiving feast (thanks Art and Meredith for the great comment!).

So, share with us! You can leave us a comment by clicking on the "comment" link below, or you can simply email us at barkett@mountainspiritwinery.com. Winners will receive a limited edition Mountain Spirit Winery bottle opener, something Terry and I have until now reserved for family. But, seeing as how we're expanding our MSW family to include all you loyal readers out there, we thought it fitting that share this exclusive item as well.

And don't forget! You can still receive a discount when you order from the winery. Simply call us at 1-888-MSWINES and mention the coupon code "ANGEL BLUSH" to receive a hefty discount off your order. With this code, you get 15% off your first 11 bottles of wine and 20% off any additional wine. Seeing as how it's not too late for us to ship it to your loved ones before the holidays, take advantage of this limited time offer.

Peace and love my friends.

An Angel Blush Competition

Hello again everyone. Glad to see you've made it back to our blog here at Mountain Spirit Winery. We've been blogging for less than two months, but already over two hundred visitors have come to read about the exciting things going on at the winery. Thank you to everyone who has visited and left us a comment about our wines. It is always so gratifying to receive feedback from people who have enjoyed our wine or visited us when they were in the neighborhood.

This month, Terry and I want to host a little competition. Our Angel Blush has consistently been our best seller over the years. I wrote a little post about how the blush came to be a couple of weeks ago. Check it out if you haven't already. The surprise success of this wine has emboldened our sense of adventure in making new wines.

Well, in an attempt at getting a better grasp on just what it is that you like about our Angel Blush, we're hoping that you will write a description of this popular wine blend. If you had to describe Mountain Spirit Winery's Angel Blush to someone who had never heard of the wine or the winery, how would you do it? A short paragraph would suffice (but feel free to wax as eloquently as you feel is necessary...)

Simply leave your description as a comment below or email it to barkett@mountainspiritwinery.com. Terry and I will look at all the entries towards the end of this month. The winner (or winners if we just can't decide) will receive a limited edition private cutting of Mountain Spirit Winery's exclusive gold plated wine opener. In the past, we've given these openers as gifts to family members and our closest friends. Now, we're happy and honored to share them with you.

Remember to check out our website at www.mountainspiritwinery.com for those holiday gift ideas. Terry provides many different custom gift baskets, both with and without wine. Her gallery has all sorts of wine accoutrements as well as beautiful jewelry and other artistic pieces. And for those who love the pressed grape, you can always order our wine directly from the winery at 1-888-MSWINES. To make things easier, we can even ship those gifts directly to many states (check the website for details).

Take care everyone. Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to get your entry into the Angel Blush contest. And as always...

Peace and love!