On Colonial Spirits of Acton’s wine blog page, you will find posts from our team of wine experts. Topics range from trends in the wine industry, appreciation for and personal recollections of wine, and debates on the growing and production of wine. Good wine blogs cannot exist without the participation of our friends and customers, so we invite you to get in on the discussion and post your reactions to our entries. You can also jump over to our beer blog if brew is your thing. And if wine and beer are not your cup of tea (or alcohol), check out our liquor blog for thoughts and opinions on all things spirits. Whatever topic in the liquor industry interests you, Colonial Spirits wants you to join the conversation. Post here or contact us with questions, suggestions, and comments. Or feel free to come in to meet us at one or our weekly wine tasting events. Leave the computer behind and talk to us face to face about your favorite wine, while sampling new and old vintages alike.
Today, more than ever, there is a focus on “value wines”, getting the most for your money while still enjoying new sophisticated wines. One of those places can be found in France Wild Southwest, once known only for providing bulk wine to the country, but I have found a place where I believe you still can find high quality at a reasonable price…Domaine La Croix Belle in the Languedoc. Not only do I think they are stunning, but they have also recently received the following accolades… Continue reading Domaine La Croix Belle: A Shining Star from France’s Wine Pool
Riesling is the white wine grape for the 21st Century. Its wines can be lighter, finer, livelier, and more refreshing than those from other grapes, but still remain at the absolute peak of refinement and all out and out sensual pleasure. While I am Alsatian, & am devoted to the wines of my homeland I must admit that the Germans do make some excellent wines. That being said, one should not overlook Alsace’s northern neighbors.
The BEST Rieslings have traditionally come from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer and the Rheingau. The best VALUES from the area in between: the Mittlerhein. Try some of the following… Continue reading Riesling…not from Alsace
What kind of wine should a producer spend time and money making? Should he make an international-style wine, a wine that Robert Parker would embrace and would then sell? This then begs the question what is an international-style wine? Some purists would suggest that modernization techniques used worldwide that are now in use in the South have already done the damage and therefore all resulting wine can only be of the international style. Simply put, international-style wines are those that are fruit-forward on the nose and palate, with supple tannins, aged in oak barriques, and that do not take 10 or 20 years to age before being able to drink. This is a New-World style wine that many suggest Robert Parker enjoys. Continue reading Oenotria Part 2
The vine has a long history in Southern Italy. Oenotria, the land of vines, is what the Greeks affectionately called the modern-day ‘Mezzogiorno,’ the southern part of the Italian boot, in addition to Sicily. (It is important to know that) Southern Italy was effectively a Greek colony in the centuries before Christ, so much so, that the south was known as ‘Magna Graecia,’ literally ‘Greater Greece.’ When they colonized Southern Italy they brought with them one of the markers of civilization, the vine. Technically, the Phoenicians were the first to bring the vine, but it was the Greeks who brought both viticulture and viniculture, essentially a wine-making culture. From that point on wine became established there, and its wines were admired by Roman leaders throughout the Roman Empire, even Julius Caesar, himself, sung praises of these wines. Southern Italian wine was a well-respected product before Barolo or Chianti had been created. However, throughout the centuries, wine in the south became less well-regarded, and more infamous as it became the primary source of Italian jug wine. Wines from Apulia, Calabria, Campania, Sicily, and Sardinia were used to strengthen weak vintages from Northern and Central Italy. They were even used in some Southern French wines for the very same reasons as their Northern Italian counterparts. What a fall from grace! Continue reading Oenotria Part 1
How do you really get to know someone? Think of your significant other, in the beginning you spent time alone together and then probably with her friends, and you thought you knew her well until…she brought you home to meet her parents, her siblings, and the rest of her family. I’m willing to bet that you really began to understand the type of person she is after becoming familiar with the people and places she grew with and around. I’m sure you become even more intimately connected and your love for her grew in ways you never thought it could. Continue reading Getting to know you
Napa is fairly small; in comparison to Sonoma, it only runs “34 miles north and west,” according to Tom Stevenson. Its vineyards run almost completely north to south down the backbone of the valley. Despite its small size, Napa devotes just over 400 acres to the vine. Sonoma is almost twice the size of Napa and has well over 400 acres planted with vineyards. Continue reading Sonoma v. Napa Part 2
Colonial Spirits
Colonial Spirits is the premier liquor store in the Greater Boston area. Visit the store on Rt 2A in Acton for the best selection of beer, liquor & wine in the area, or order online for shipping, delivery & in-store pickup. (Contact)
