Poor Robert's (Wine) Almanac

Wino Forever: A True Story of Infatuation

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Poor Robert

Okay so I am spending way to much time reading other blogs and not enough writing my own, This piece by The Wine Culturist, really got me, not because of the Johnny Depp references, but because now in retirement I am finally able to pursue my passions for both writing and wine and not worry about having a day job. It is truly liberating.

I also have to add, that this piece proves I have great instincts, I knew this lady was liberal arts trained and couldn’t be this great a writer by pure happenstance. Enjoy, I really did.

PS: Follow her links as well they are also great reads.

Posted in Wine | Leave a comment

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Poor Robert

May your sails always be full with a following fair wind.

Chardonnay with my own special additions

May your path be true and clear and may the ground always rise up to meet you as you find your way on this blessed day for the Irish

Posted in Chardonnay, St. Patrick's Day, Wine Making, Wine Photos | Tagged Chardonnay, St. Patrick's Day, Wine, Wine Varieties | 1 Comment

Non-Naked, Naked Winemakers Other Projects, Say What!

Posted on March 12, 2016 by Poor Robert

Many of my readers don’t belong to the Naked Wines Family and have asked about getting some of the Naked Wines I’ve reviewed elsewhere. Unfortunately you have to get them from Naked Wines, that said many of them have other projects that are available elsewhere. Many of those are extensions of their Naked Wines work and some are up scale from their Naked Wines offerings. Well a couple of my fellow Naked Archangels, Michael Sarna and Bob Puglisi started a Group within the Naked Wine Forums called Naked Wine Makers other Projects. They compiled a list of all (may not be complete yet) the wine makers other websites where their other wines can be purchased. I am reprinting the links here for your use and enjoyment.

Naked Winemakers, Other Projects:

Sara – Copain Wines – https://www.copainwines.com
Anna – Artesa Winery – http://www.artesawinery.com
Randall Grahm – Bonny Doon Vineyard – https://www.bonnydoonvineyard.com
Matt Iaconis – Brick and Mortar Wines – http://www.brickandmortarwines.com
Wayne Donaldson – Eonian Wines – http://www.eonianwines.com
JC van Staden – Peltier Winery – http://peltierwinery.com
Ernie Weir – Hagafen Cellars – https://www.hagafen.com
Macario Montoya – Campesino Cellars – http://campesinocellars.com
Scott McLeod – Sullivan Vineyards – http://www.sullivanwine.com
Randy Hester – Lightning Wines – http://lightningwines.com
Derek Rohlff – Bravium – http://bravium.com
Dalia Ceja – Ceja Vineyards – https://www.cejavineyards.com
Camille Benitah – Maxville Lake Winery – http://www.maxvillelakewines.com
Jessica Tomei – Cupcake Wines – http://www.cupcakevineyards.com
Jonathan Maltus – Worlds End Wines – https://www.maltus.com
Scott Peterson – Rumpus Cellars – http://www.rumpuscellars.com
F. Stephen Millier – Milliare Winery – https://www.milliairewinery.com
Richard Bruno – Vinum Cellars – http://www.vinumcellars.com
Daryl Groom – Groom Wines – http://www.groomwines.com
Karen Birmingham – Lange Twins Winery – http://www.langetwins.com
David Akiyoshi – Lange Twins Winery – http://www.langetwins.com
Katy Michaud – Diversion Wines – http://diversionwine.com
Scott Kelly – Paul O’Brien Wines – http://www.paulobrienwines.com
Steve Rasmussen – Foghat Cellars – http://foghatcellars.com
Bridget Raymond – Courtesan Wines – http://www.courtesanwines.com

Some of these wines may be available in wine shops, but they will be marked up substantially form what you will pay if you go to the winery or winery website and buy them directly. Most will require a minimum order of 6 bottles and shipping may be extra for less than 12, so check them out and understand what you are getting, There isn’t a single wine available from these links that I don’t just love, so depending on your tastes, I am sure you will find a lot to your liking. Enjoy.

Posted in Craft Wines, Hodgpodge, Matt Iaconis, Production Wine, Varietals, Wine Buying, Wine Making, Wine Tasting, Winemakers, Wines | Tagged Naked Wines, Purchaising, Varitals, Wine, wine industry, Wine Online, Wine Varieties, Wines | 6 Comments

Tribute to Pat Conroy an Author and Wine Drinker

Posted on March 10, 2016 by Poor Robert

The Author of the Great Santini Pat Conroy passed away this past weekend and with him some of the greatest protaganist and antagonists of all time. This quote by Col. Bull Meechum stand as one of the great mischaracterization of wine drinkers I’ve ever heard.

Great Santini

Rest In Peace Pat Conroy and may you never cross paths with “The Bull” in the hereafter.

Posted in Wine | Leave a comment

Orange Wines: Sometimes, the Best New Things are Old*

Posted on March 9, 2016 by Poor Robert

I follow just about every wine blog I can locate and The Armchair Sommelier stands out as one of my favorites for a lot of reasons, but this post is so good that it really stands above most of what I post and explains why I like it so much. If your intrigued by this post check out the blog it is worth the read on a regular basis. Enjoy.

The Armchair Sommelier

Last Friday night I attended a seminar on Orange Wines (no relation to actual oranges) with enologist, Charles Gendrot. It was held at one of my local wine shops, Cork & Fork.
I normally shun Friday night commitments, because by Friday night, I’m plum out of steam. As such, Friday night is sweatpants and gin & tonic night — and I’m selective about the things for which I give up sweatpants and gin & tonic night. But, I promised myself (in my New-Year’s-Wine-Goals-that-aren’t-resolutions) that I would step out of my wine comfort zone and try new-to-me wines. Orange wines didn’t make my original wine goals list, so I’m adding them retroactively — just so I can cross them off the list. I do that sometimes. Don’t judge. Crossing things off a list is very satisfying.

On to the seminar.

Monsieur Gendrot is French. I know this because of his

View original post 1,464 more words

Posted in Wine | 6 Comments

My World Through Wine Glasses

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Poor Robert

I’ve always been a fan of Alice In Wonderland and I find a bit of whimsy in looking at things through the distortion of the bottom’s of bottles of all sorts, especially wine bottles with their really curvy bottoms. Today as I put away a few of my everyday wine glasses after a rather enjoyable evening, I saw a wondrous distortion of some of my open bottles of Port. So I am going to impose on you by sharing my crazy vision and asking your opinion.

Initially I took the photo in color photo, but the more I looked at it I wondered about the starkness of the image in a pure black and white format. So I decided to publish it both ways and let you decide which you liked best, the stark and chilly or the colorful and warm.

Voting is by reply or if you really don’t have an opinion or think I am as warped as I feel sometime when I see beyond the first layer of what’s in front of me, just ignore this post and I won’t be offended. That said I really hope you enjoy contemplating the differences and their impact on your senses as I did.

Posted in Hodgpodge, Life Balance, Port, Whimsy, Wine Glasses, Wine Photos | Tagged Distortion, Hodgepodge, Life Balance, Modern World, Port, Whimsy, Wine Glasses | 15 Comments

The Weekly Wine for March 6, 2016

Posted on March 6, 2016 by Poor Robert

LABRIE Bordeaux Blanc Sec 2014: I loved this wine, partly because I really like Jonathan Maltus and his wonderful sense of what works with each batch he creates (or at least releases), and also because I really like dry white wines that don’t have heavy viscosity. This wine fits that category to a “T” with it’s really lively mouth feel and classic French appeal.

Bordeaux is famous for its big Red blends and it surprised me to learn that the Bordeaux region of France grows more white wine grapes than red. White Bordeaux usually combines Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grapes but here Jonathan vinted this wine from 100% Sauvignon Blanc Grapes, giving it the hint of Gooseberry and the slightly astringent bite when it first hits the mouth. Being a big fan of Sauvignon Blanc, for it’s citrusy, gooseberry nose, I was a bit surprised to find that This wine contained no Semillon blend at all. Its nose and taste hinted of being toned down from the sharpness of a pure Sauvignon Blanc. By the way for those that don’t know the word “Sec” it simply means dry or a product of a Secondary fermentation process.

I did an extensive review of this wine in the Wine Reviews Section of this website, and on Jonathan’s Winemaker Page on the Naked Wines.Com website. If you are interested in trying this wine, I have bad news Naked Wines has sold out of this Vintage and it’s only available through them, but Jonathan is a prolific and storied French wine maker and you might be able to find some of his non-naked offerings through his website or even by asking your wine shop if they can find you some. I promise it will be worth the effort.

Posted in Craft Wines, France, Jonathan Maltus, Naked Wines, Sauvignon Blanc, Varietals, Wine, Wine Photos, Winemakers, Winemaking, Wines | Tagged France, Jonathan Maltus, Naked Wines, Sauvignon Blanc, White Bordeaux, white wine, Wine, Wine Varieties, Wines | 3 Comments

A Real Corker

Posted on March 2, 2016 by Poor Robert

What to do with all the corks and caps, well until you decide, fill a basket.

It still won’t answer the age old question, “corks or screw caps” but it’s pretty to look at and environmentally responsible.

Posted in Hodgpodge, Wine, Wine Photos, Words | Tagged Art, Corks, experience, Life Balance, the modern world, Wine, wine industry | 13 Comments

Five Things I Think I Learned at the Napa Valley Wine Writers’ Symposium

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Poor Robert

I’ve followed The Wine Economist (Mike Veseth) for years and have a lot of faith in his judgement, both about wine and writing. This piece was exceptional and I really believe applicable to bloggers of all stripes in this internet driven world. For some of us (retired from other professions) writing is pure joy and we strive to perfect our art, amuse, educate and interest a very diverse group of readers. For others writing represents a dream to good enough to focus on it professionally and while I really love to write, I hate to think that I contribute to the erosion of their ability to make a living. It may however be an in evitable reality.

The wine industry finds itself embroiled in major transitions as historic distribution channels crumble in deference to on-line options. So, it seems goes the wine writing business. Writers like Mike have taught me most of what I know about blogging and wine, but more than anything else that, whether you write for fun or profit, you must treat your writing as a business. It must be good, it must be interesting, and most of all it needs to be accurate.

This post, in my meager opinion, must be read by all writers, not just those interested in wine. You will get a dose of reality and learn a lot about being better at your craft. Thanks Mike for continuing to be my hero and mentor.

The Wine Economist

wine-words1 Sue and I are back from the Professional Wine Writers’ Symposium at the Meadowood Resort in the Napa Valley and it is time to reflect upon the experience. Herewith some notes and a list of five things that I think I learned about the wine writing business.

Anatomy of an Amazing Experience

The wine writers’ symposium has been going on for about a dozen years and it is an amazing experience. The idea is that you bring together a faculty of experience professional wine writers to teach, coach, mentor and help network a group of rising star wine writer participants. (This year’s “student” group was so well qualified that the student and faculty roles sometimes reversed — a good thing.)

The setting is fabulous. Classes and accommodations are at the Meadowood Resort, which is also one of the sponsors along with the Napa Valley Vintners association and the Culinary Institute of…

View original post 1,392 more words

Posted in Wine | 7 Comments

Wine Fun: Pilates for Wine Lovers

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Poor Robert

I recently discovered a wine blog called “The Wine Culturist” which I am really enjoying as it provides a witty, world perspective of things about wine outside the usual reviews and technical stuff. I am reblogging one of her posts: one, because I loved it, and two, because I hope my readers hit it’s link and share my enjoyment in her great style and insights.