Author Archives: Maurice

  1. Now I Know My Wine-Phabet: T is for Tempranillo

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    In this new series called “Now I know my Wine-phabet”, I will explore letter by letter wine and what I believe are some of the most important and/or influential aspects in the world of wine.  Since I am only choosing one topic per letter, many will be missed.  Hopefully these posts come across as being whimsical and informative.

    A Love Letter

    My Beloved Tempranillo,

    I write this love letter as I sit here and reminisce on our previous encounters.  The first day we met,  I was in college and on a budget.  You too were in your youth, young and fruity, just a “Joven” from Rioja.  Our first encounter was love at first sight.  I can still smell your intoxicating strawberry aromas. (more…)

  2. Washington Wine: Why is Cote Bonneville so damn good?

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    On a recent trip with the Washington Wine Commission, I had the chance to visits my favorite winemakers in Washington state, the Shiels of Cote Bonneville.  Kathy and Hugh Shiels are the proprietors and over see their estate vineyard, the famous Dubrul Vineyard.  Their daughter, Kerry is the winemaker,  (She also plays a mean Blackjack).   I have always been very impressed with their wines.  If we could marrry the best wines of Bordeaux and California and get them to reproduce, the offspring would be the wines from Cote Bonneville from the Dubrul Vineyard.

    Rather than bore you with a lecture in my godforsaken writing, I chose to let you hear it from the horse’s mouth.  In the following videos Kathy, Kerry and Hugh tell us why Washington wine is so unique.  Pick up a glass of some Washington wine, sit back and enjoy the short seminar. (more…)

  3. WhINE to the MUSIC: Mumford and Sons and Scott Harvey Syrah

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    “Whine to the music” is the art of pairing good grooves, such as Mumford and Sons “I will wait for you” with wine.  We have been drinking wine with music since the dawn of wine.  I don’t think music would have evolved without wine.  Most people tend to turn up the music when they drink wine.  Whine to the Music is not just sitting back, drinking wine and getting teary eyed.  It is a concept similar to ART and Wine Pairing, where we dissect the structures of the wine and the work to its basic elements.  The structural elements eventually create an emotion in us.  Whine to the Music is the art of pairing wine with music based on the emotion they evoke in us. (more…)

  4. Now I Know My Wine-Phabet: S is for Sulfites

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    In this new series called “Now I know my Wine-phabet”, I will explore letter by letter wine and what I believe are some of the most important and/or influential aspects in the world of wine.  Since I am only choosing one topic per letter, many will be missed.  Hopefully these posts come across as being whimsical and informative.

    Ahhh Choo…sniffle sniffle…cough cough….itch itch…”Ouch my head hurts”!

    Sounds like someone is getting sick.  It is getting close to Halloween and the temperature is changing.  Or maybe they drank a glass of red wine last night which contained…Da Da   Da Da Dun! (Symphony #5)… SULFITES!

    Those menacing evil sulfites, what are they!?  Why do they get me sick?  These microscopic creatures cause me to get allergies such as rashes and headaches.  Worst of all they always ruin a good time. (more…)

  5. WhINE TO THE MUSIC the art of pairing wine and music

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    Whine to the Music is the art of pairing wine and music.  In the same way I approach ART & WINE PAIRING, I will tackle wine and music.  I’ll look at the structure of the wine and pair it to the elements of the music.  Take a sip of your wine.. do you feel anything?  Watch a music video…do you feel anything?  Whine to the Music is pairing wine and music based on emotion.  How does one begin to approach such an obscure concept?  Below you will see the basic structural elements of wine and how they pertain to music.

    (In my best Bruce Buffer voice)  HERE WE GO!!!! (more…)