Review: NV JJ Vincent Cremant de Bourgogne Brut
France may be home to the king of sparkling wines, but that region isn’t the only one were French sparklers are made: JJ Vincent’s nonvintage Cremant de Bourgogne hails from southern Burgundy, many miles away from the hallowed vineyards of Champagne. This Cremant de Bourgogne is made from Chardonnay, a brut wine that offers somewhat…
Review: Pucker “Grape Gone Wild” Flavored Vodka
The Pucker brand of liqueurs has been with us for years — you can’t make the infamous appletini without its Sour Apple — and now Pucker is making its way into flavored vodkas, too: Higher proof level, clear spirit instead of day-glo, spiked with natural flavors. We tasted the “Grape Gone Wild” version — three…
Review: Wines of Mercer, 2011 Releases
This Washington winery produces a full line of affordable whites and reds. We tasted three of its newest releases. (The photo below isn’t one of the actual wines reviewed but will give you a sense of the label at least.) 2009 Mercer Pinot Gris Yakima Valley – Light and pleasant, and quite fruity for Pinot…
Review: Buffalo Trace Distillery Single Oak Project Bourbon Round One
Explaining exactly what is behind the 12 bottles reviewed below would take me all night. So I’m going to let Buffalo Trace explain its Single Oak Project for itself: On Friday, April 29th, Buffalo Trace Distillery unveiled its latest endeavor to a select group of spirits writers from around the world; a line up of…
Jack Daniel’s Changes Its Label and Bottle
Heresy? The changes are bigger than you’d think. Here’s the press release, and a before & after photo. I have to say, I think JD fans are going to hate this — mainly over the new bottle design. LYNCHBURG, Tenn., May 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The Jack Daniel Distillery announced today that it is making…
Review: Wines of Alex Elman, 2011 Releases
Sometimes the wines we get aren’t our favorites. But we review them anyway, especially when the story behind them is so lovely. This line of inexpensive whites and reds from Argentina are created by a young, blind winemaker (Alex Elman, of course) and are produced sustainably (and affordably). The inaugural releases arrive this month on…
Review: Remy Martin 1738 Accord Royal Cognac
I regret to inform the reader that Remy Martin’s new Cognac, 1738 Accord Royal, is not 273 years old. It is rather a new blend of some 240 eaux de vie, 65% Grande Champagne and 35% Petite Champagne grapes, aged between 4 and 20 years in Limousin oak barrels. The name derives from a 1731…
Tasting Report: Nicolas Feuillatte Champagnes, 2011 Releases
Nicolas Feuillatte has appeared a few times in this blog, but at a recent event I had the chance to taste through a wide range of offerings from the upstart Champagne house — it got its start in 1976 but is no the #1 Champagne merchant in France and the #3 seller in the world…
