Bottle Shock!

I expected Bottle Shock to be an enjoyable retelling of the Judgment of Paris, the wine tasting event that brought true notoriety to American wine, and it was. But, it was also more: a clever and exciting romp through mid-70s Napa Valley, the movie is a wonderful illustration of the indomitable American spirit. What ever happened to the indomitable American spirit anyways?

You'll enjoy the movie, I'm sure of it. I did.

(And I love the poster...)

Cherchez!

I recently received a promotional copy of the book Educating Peter: How I Taught a Famous Movie Critic the Difference Between Cabernet and Merlot or How Anybody Can Become an (Almost) Instant Wine Expert by Lettie Teague and began reading it this morning. Teague is an editor at Food and Wine magazine and produced a monthly column on wine that is fun and a delight to read. It also has clever illustrations of the author, different each month, that are not reflected on the cover the book. Teague is also the amicable ex-wife (According to her column he has been gracious enough to allow her to leave her wine collection in their home until she finds a new place for storage.) of Alan Richman, food critic for GQ and other publications..

The book is a very approachable tome on all aspects of wine, from the perspective of an expert initiating a novice into the life of a oenophile: tasting, varietals, etc., etc. I found the first several chapters full of information and fun to read. It's a great book for anyone wanting some basic information on enjoying wine, without all of the snotty, elitist bunk. My only complaint is the weight of the paper (I admit I'm a paper snob when it comes to books and magazines.), which is light and seems better suited for a nice paperback edition, rather than the hardcover.

Mangez!

Made to be Broken

Honestly, I have always purchased wine glasses with the idea that they were made to be broken. Why would you spend $20 for a stem that some clumsy, yet beloved, dinner guest is just going to let slip through their fingers and smash into a million tiny pieces onto your kitchen floor? I will admit that in the last couple of years, I have been know to spend upwards of $3 on a stem, but there are perfectly great ones available out there for cheap.

Crate and Barrel has their Everyday Wine Glass on sale right now for $11.95 for a dozen. It's a bargain! When one breaks, just laugh it off and pull another from the cabinet. Buy TWO sets and live a happy and carefree life for years. They also have their Six Grand Wine Glass set for $8.95. While not quite as good of a bargain, it's still dirt cheap. That's $1.49 per glass for those of you without calculators or math skills. Again, you can afford to stock up AND to break a few.

If you want totally dirt cheap, say you want everyone to throw their wine glass into your fireplace after each course, then the IKEA Hejsan is for you. At only $2.99 for a set of six, they are unbelievably affordable. You can't get them on-line, but there's a store opening here this fall so you can just pick some up on your next visit. While the stemless goblet concept is a little overdone, they do have these little tumbles which would be perfect for a casual look.

Mind you, I'm not saying only have cheap, simple stemware. I'm just saying glasses like this are perfect for parties, but it's a good idea to have something nicer to use at the table where things are less likely to get broken. Multiple sets of stemware? But of course.

Mangez!