Archive 2009
 
A Word about “Table Wines”
- By: Russell Turco

Since when did blended red wines creep into our lives? Ever since the fortuitous idea of labeling wines with their varietal names took hold in the 1960’s, the American wine world has created a seemingly unbreakable lifeline of varietally labeled wines.

While most California wines continue to be labeled varietally, many of the most revered wines of the world are in fact, blends. Currently for a wine to be identified varietally, the bottle must contain at least 75% of the stated grape (i.e. Cabernet Sauvignon). Quite often and when varietal ‘correctness’ is sought; other finished wines may be blended to achieve a desired flavor profile. A table wine is a version of this. A table wine from California grapes can be whatever the winemaker wants it to be. Stone’s Throw policy is to blend only to make a more complex, bigger, more intense, more fascinating wine. Quite often our tri-blends, as this Avventura® will attest, become the staff favorites… You should join us some time when we’re making final blends… this is an open offer, but get ready, the blending sessions take all day and into the night.

Blended wines are here to stay and this is the beginning of a very long run!

Russell
 
 
Finding the Best Wine Rule
- By: Lisa Turco

Rule No. 1: The best wine in the world is the one you like the best. Your favorite.

Rule No. 2: To find the best wine, you must taste wine. Your friends and the clerk at the wine shop can tell you what they prefer, but they can’t tell you what you like.

Rule No. 3: Go to wine tastings. Enough said?

Rule No. 4: Remember these words: sniff, sip, swirl, swish, swallow and savor. You might ask the staff at your favorite wine shop to provide a wine sample, or do an internet search on “wine tasting.” You’ll find knowledge is everywhere, but tasting is still in your mouth alone.

Rule No. 5: Smelling is the way the ‘pros’ do it… your nose won’t lie to you. Your palate may. Did you have mustard, onions, vinegar? All will alter your taste buds but your nose knows!

Rule No. 6: When in doubt drink Stone’s Throw!

Lisa
 
 
Tasting Room Trouble Shooting Guide
By: Lisa Turco

When planning a wine tasting, the first thing to consider is the type, of which there are several.

Blind Tastings:    The tasters don't know the identity of the wines, which is often done so that knowledge of the wine's origin doesn't influence opinions.  In some blind tastings, participants know what type of wines are being tasted, but not which producer they're from.  For example, the wines might all be 2005 California Cabernet Sauvignon, or the same vintage of California and Bordeaux wines.  In other blind tastings, participants might know they’re sampling six Chardonnays, but not the glass each wine is in.

More of the Story
 
 
Want to live in California Wine Country

...and grow grapes?  Read On!
- By: Russell Turco

A Monterey County winery has come up with a diabolically clever way to plant new vineyards without having to pay for things like land and vineyard maintenance.  Here's how it works:  A winery charges local homeowners for the privilege of having their backyards turned into vineyards.  The cost? A mere $45,000 per acre, plus $7,000 for annual maintenance.

More of the Story
 
Insight russelVeni, vidi ... VINO!
- Insight Magazine

Russell Turco of Stone's Throw in Baileys Harbor toasts
the business of serious wine making in Door County.

I came, I saw ... I had a glass of wine! More of the Story
 
 

Tasting Room Trouble Shooting Guide
- By: Lisa Turco

SYMPTOM:  Drinking fails to give taste and satisfaction,   wine is unusually pale & clear.

FAULT:  Glass is empty.

ACTION:  Ask tasting room staff for another taste.

SYMPTOM:  Floor blurred.

FAULT:  You are looking through bottom of an empty glass.

ACTION:  Ask to try another wine.

More of the Guide
 
 
We’re asked daily, “which wine with which foods?” Let’s see if we can make this easier…Let’s Match Food With Wine

A Fine and Necessary Art
- By: Lisa Turco

Pairing food with wine does not need to be a complicated
or mysterious task. In fact, it is merely a matter of experimentation to please your own palate. A basic knowledge of wine and learning the five basic philosophies of master chefs can help you create the combination you wish to achieve.

The main flavors in food are also found in wine. They are sweet, tart, bitter and salty. Actually, wine does not possess a salty taste but instead is affected by the salt on your palate. A wine’s sweetness is determined by the degree which the sugar from the grapes has fermented. A wine with little sweetness is called ‘off dry’ - an example of which is Stone's Throw Riesling, while sweet red wines include Stone's Throw Port. More of the Story
 

Old is New Again...Back to the Future
- By: Russell Turco

“Most of what I’ve been told has been wrong. Most of these ‘advances’ have been followed by retreats. One of the great ironies of our time is that many of the ‘improvements’ in today’s best wines are achieved by returning to practices once derided as outdated.” - Matt Kramer

As quoted by Mr. Kramer, Staff Writer
October, 2008, Wine Spectator

More of the Story

Umami - What might that be?
- By: Lisa Turco

Did you know you have fifth taste in addition to sweet, sour, bitter and salty?  Scientists have borrowed the Japanese word umami and describe it as the meaty taste sensation in aged or fermented products such as cheese and wine.  Specialized receptor cells on the human tongue are believed to detect the natural amino acid, glutamic acid or the glutamates in these foods and translate them into a savory flavor – one we humans seem to favor.

Ooh, umami.  The traditional quartet of sweet, salty, bitter, and sour that have long been considered our most fundamental tastes has been expanded.  Umami is no foodie myth and is now recognized by chefs, culinary experts, and sensory researchers as the fifth basic taste.
More of the Story

 
 
 
STONE'S THROW WINERY 3382 County Road 'E' (Intersection of A & E) Peninsula Center, Egg Harbor - Phone: (920)839-9660
©Entire Contents, Design and Product Description 2001 - 2012, Web Content ©2001 - 2012 STW, Inc.