pinot noir

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Man 'Shocked' by Value of Old Wine Bottle in His Basement

The jeroboam of pinot noir, purchased for $250 in the late 1970s, could fetch $80K at auction

(Newser) - For Mark Paulson, $250 seemed like a lot of money to pay for a bottle of wine in the late 1970s—even a big bottle of some of the finest wine in the world. But he didn't hesitate and he certainly doesn't regret the purchase now that the...

Taco Bell's Newest Menu Item Is Simply Intoxicating

Chain's Canadian outpost to offer 'Jalapeno Noir' red wine for $20 a bottle

(Newser) - Starting five years ago, Taco Bell crossed over into boozy beverages, offering liquor-spiked Mountain Dews and punches , margaritas, and even its first branded lager , which seem to make sense with such fare. Now the fast-food chain has an alcohol addition that's slightly more upscale (and "democratizing," per...

French Nailed for Selling Fake Pinot to Gallo

E and J Gallo unwittingly sold fake Red Bicyclette

(Newser) - French winemakers have been convicted in a massive scam to dupe unwitting Yanks by passing off 18 million bottles of a cheaper wine as Pinot Noir. The French producers sold the wine to major US buyer E and J Gallo for its popular Red Bicyclette brand. By calling a cheaper...

Found: Good, Cheap US Wines
 Found: Good, Cheap US Wines 
OPINION

Found: Good, Cheap US Wines

(Newser) - It’s not easy, but it is possible to find inexpensive American wine that “will fascinate and intrigue,” Eric Asimov writes in the New York Times. Whereas European vintners grow a diverse range of regional grapes, Americans generally stick to classics like cabernet sauvignon, resulting in “a...

How-to Guides for New Tipplers
 How-to Guides 
 for New Tipplers 
BOOK REVIEW

How-to Guides for New Tipplers

Five new guides to seasonal cheer

(Newser) - The holiday season tends to produce a glut of books on wine, and while all primers leave out the most important part—actual bottles—five new reads get a once-over by Eric Asimov in the New York Times.
  • Andrew Jefford’s Wine Course, by Andrew Jefford: a "poetically inspirational"
...

Ignore Hype of 'Wine Clones'
 Ignore Hype of 'Wine Clones' 
OPINION

Ignore Hype of 'Wine Clones'

Americans wine drinkers are bowled over by smuggled vines

(Newser) - If you believe the hype of many American wineries, you don’t have to travel to Burgundy to sample grand cru pinot noir—thanks to "suitcase clones": American wines that supposedly had their start as smuggled cuttings from the mother country. Though “such stories may excite gullible consumers,...

Meet Vintners of Sideways Fame
 Meet Vintners of Sideways Fame 
GLOSSIES

Meet Vintners of Sideways Fame

Hitching Post II owner makes famed wines with ex-fisherman colleague

(Newser) - If you’ve seen the movie Sideways, you likely remember the Hitching Post II: the Santa Barbara County restaurant where Paul Giamatti nervously meets his future love. But even the most dedicated oenophile may not know that Hitching Post owner Frank Ostini and colleague Gray Hartley have been making wine...

Wine Giant Giddy on Profits
 Wine Giant Giddy on Profits 

Wine Giant Giddy on Profits

Economy staggers, consumers drink more

(Newser) - The turbulent economy may be driving consumers to drink. While some might be crying in their beer, the world's biggest wine maker, Constellation Brands—whose labels include Robert Mondavi and Ravenswood—reported a huge 50% increase in profit the first quarter of 2008, reports the Wall Street Journal. Analysts believe...

Oregon's Having a Grape Year
 Oregon's Having a Grape Year

Oregon's Having a Grape Year

Good weather, high pinot demand have growers toasting bumper crop, again

(Newser) - Thanks to good weather and rising demand, Oregon crushed a record number of grapes in 2007—good news for its 370 wineries. And despite selling 1.7 million cases worth $208 million last year, the state hasn't quenched thirst for its wine, the AP reports. "Fussy superstar" pinot noir...

Grapevine Genome Yields Secrets
Grapevine Genome
Yields Secrets

Grapevine Genome Yields Secrets

Discovery reveals what makes wine taste good and why it's good for you

(Newser) - Grapevines have extra genes that are responsible for making wine taste and smell so good, a new study finds. A team of researchers from France and Italy (where else?) mapped a pinot noir-related grapevine's genome and found it has twice as many genes linked to resin and oil—which give...

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