Colonial Spirits is in the Holiday Spirit with Staff Picks!

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We’re staying in the holiday spirit by offering up some staff picks as gift ideas! We will likely do this at least another time or two!

Little Book Bourbon is a VERY limited release by Booker’s.
E.H. Taylor Rye is $20 off for the holidays or until gone! This is a STEAL and beloved staff pick!
Meerlust Red is the newest edition from one of the most esteemed South African Estates and is on sale!
Walt Pinot Noir is by the Hall Family and is nicely fruited, loved by staff, also on sale!
Spencer Holiday Ale…but wait, this is an aged 2015 edition straight from the Monks’ Cellars!
Berkshire Holidale is an excellent, affordable barleywine that comes once a year!  A perennial staff favorite!
Lamplighter Raspberry Fields is an excellent gift for the person on your list who loves tart/wild ales!

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NO F’ING MERLOT!!!

I remember the first time I saw the scene in Sideways, I was a sophomore in high school on a first date.  I saw Miles scream his opinion about Merlot, and even then I knew that people were going to take this drunk and miserable fictional creation seriously.  And, boy, they have.

Although nationally Merlot is still the best selling red wine in the US (fancy that), around here Pinot Noir has taken over as the accepted standard.  I can’t tell you how often I meet people who, upon learning that I study wine as both a hobby and profession, immediately deride Merlot with this sort of “See, I’m on the team” earnestness that, frankly, I find disappointing.  The sad truth is that there is a lot of bad Merlot out there, but the grape can’t help that.  It’s people getting in the way that makes Merlot bad. Continue reading NO F’ING MERLOT!!!

Alsace Premier Cru?

Have you ever had an Alsace Premier Cru?  You haven’t heard of such a thing?  Really?  Don’t worry, it doesn’t exist…actually maybe you should worry.  Alsace’s Grand Cru vineyard system has been widely criticized for a number of reasons, they include…

  1. Including not only the great vineyards of the region, but also many that arguably are not capable of producing Grand cru level wines
  2. Grand Cru rankings have also been criticized for promoting varietal wines made from four notable Alsatian grape varieties:  Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Muscat, and for, at least until recently, excluding other varieties and blends, even when made using the above varieties.

Instead of answers, I have more questions.

Why doesn’t Alsace have a Premier Cru system?  Should it? If it did, what would it mean for the Grand Cru vineyards? Continue reading Alsace Premier Cru?