VinoWeek - Episode 45 - Fast Food Versus Organic

One of Sonoma’s favorite tourist spots the Ravenswood tasting room has closed. The Ravenswood brand was one of 30 that was spun off by New York based Constellation Brands and purchased by E&J Gallo, but the 12 acre property and the tasting room was not part of the deal.

McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC are becoming increasingly more common sights in Italy’s urban centers. Jeremy Parzen pens a post on fast food versus organic and big farming in Italy.

When was the last time you cut out drinking alcohol of any type? John Fodera an authority of all things Tuscan decided to take just such a break. Calling it “The Purge”, he sighted palate fatigue and decided to abstain for two weeks. He took notes of how his body responded, one of the most interesting being the amount of weight he lost.

It’s not surprising to anyone in beverage journalism that there is a culture of “pay to play”. Offers of free samples, meals and trips in exchange for (wink wink) favorable endorsements are ubiquitous. Should there be more transparency in the wine writing business?

Bill and I discuss these topics and many more in this weeks addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!

The wine of the week is the 2017 Substance Cabernet Sauvignon. Charles Smith former rock band promoter turned vintner is the motivation behind this project. Charles first passion is Syrah and he makes a number of serious ones. The Wines of Substance program is focused on producing wines that are true to varietal type, of good value and can be enjoyed now. It’s 100% Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and a blend of nine different vineyards. A whole berry fermentation with native yeast followed by 35 days on the skins, the wine was aged for twelve months, 50% in new French oak barriques. A deep ruby color and black fruit nose, with currants, violets, vanilla and cedar notes. This Cabernet is medium to full bodied showing more elegance than the 2016 offering. It’s very easy to drink and you would be hard pressed to find another Cabernet Sauvignon of this quality at this price point. 14.5 % alc $15