Should You Quit Drinking?

Bill and I start this weeks podcast talking about British Master of Wine Tim Atkin’s article Why You Shouldn’t Care Much About Wine. Exploring various topics Tim’s tongue-in-cheek writing style will bring a smile to your face.

Jillian Kramer writes a post about What Happens To Your Body When You Quit Drinking. We have a good discussion about all the good things that happen when one abstains from alcohol. Even bartenders in the bay area are getting in the act via the Pin Project.

Adding a little air to your wine helps the wine show itself in its best light. Aromas and flavors are enhanced when a wine gets the proper amount of air. Marshall Tilden lll asks, Aerator vs Decanter: Which is Better?

Another Napa Winery finds itself wrangling with their insurance company. The key issue being the insurance companies denial of the wineries claim for smoke taint damage to 1,075 gallons of Merlot. According to the lawsuit, the insurance company claim denials are about to cause financial ruin to the winery.

The Tennessee Wine and Spirits Retailers Association’s tight grip on alcohol commerce has recently been relaxed by the U.S. Supreme Court. The two retailers in the case, Kimbrough Fine Wine and Spirits and Total Wine & More can now begin serving customers in the Tennessee marketplace. Good news on one front, however the Supreme Court’s decision opens the door to many new court battles in the future. Emma Balter goes into the details of the Court’s ruling.

The fifth largest brewing company in the world, Molson Coors Brewing, is giving its UK staff an additional two weeks of paid leave. It’s called ‘Life Leave’ and the 2000 people that Molson Coors employs in the UK just got a bit more excited about going to work.

Julia Moskin reports on the recent store closings of the luxury food chain Dean and DeLuca. The companies debt problems are also causing financial problems for many of the small purveyors that supply the stores with their fancy food items, some whom report they haven’t been paid for months. One supplier successfully sued Dean and DeLuca for 86,000, but had to settle for 50 cents on the dollar.

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 2015 Tenuta Di Arceno Chianti Classico. Just like last weeks wine Alanera by Zenato I discovered the wines of Tenuta Di Arceno at the Gambero Rosso tasting last spring. I was blown away by the quality of the three wines they presented that day. Two of the wines Arcanum and Valadorna IGT Super Tuscans were especially noteworthy, approachable now, full of energy, rich in structure and built for extended ageing too. Bordeaux styled blends the Arcanum is predominately Cabernet Franc while the Valadorna leads with Merlot. Both of these wines are in the high roller $80 and up club, so these are really only splurge wines for us regular folks. Despite their high price point they represent very good value in the Super Tuscan arena. The bread and butter wines of Tenuta Di Arceno are the three Chianti Classico wine they produce. Those are a base Chianti Classico, a Chianti Classico Riserva and single vineyard Chianti Classico they call Stada al Sasso.

Tenuta Di Arceno has been owned by Jackson Family Wines since 1994. Located in the southeast region of the Chianti Classico region, within the commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga, the estate consist of 2500 acres. of which less than 10% are devoted to vines. Lawrence Cronin the winemaker has been crafting the wines of Arceno since 2002. He worked at Edmeades Winery in Anderson, Valley California another Jackson Family owned property prior to coming on board at Arceno. Cronin works in concert with Master Winemaker Pierre Seillan who also oversees the winemaking at properties in Bordeaux and California.

The wine is composed of 85% Sangiovese and 15% Merlot and after fermentation spends 10 months in French oak. In the glass it shows a medium ruby color. The nose offers aromas of black cherries, violets and forest floor. On the palate it’s medium bodied, with crisp juicy red fruit, supple tannins and a medium length finish. The only distraction from the lip smacking red fruit flavors are the slightly drying tannins on the finish. The wine shows its best after a 30 minute decant. 14.5 abv $14 - $17