Wine Racks, etc.

"I recently received an email from a new wine accessories site, and the sender managed to pique my interest enough that I was willing to put a little of his info here.

The owner is a guy named Mike Quarles, and he genuinely seems to be trying to treat people right with this site. I haven't purchased anything from him yet, so I can't speak to this firsthand, but he says he will bend over backwards to make people happy.

In fact, as part of this commitment to giving people what they want, he is making an offer exclusively to readers of this page. If you find anything on his site that you like, but you don't want to pay the listed price for whatever reason, you can email to referredbymartin@wineracksplansandmore.com with an offer, and, as long as he can afford to do it, he'll honor the price.

Can you tell why this guy piqued my interest? You have nothing to lose.

Lastly, he has also requested that as many people as possible tell him about their experiences shopping for wine accessories on the web. He wants information on what went well, what didn't go well, what made you purchase or kept you from purchasing, or any other rants and raves you might have. Please email those directly to Mike at mfq@wineracksplansandmore.com.

The site is at Wine Racks, Plans & More.

Hey, what have you got to lose, guys? Let me know how it goes, and maybe we've found something worth talking about."
----Martin----
Martin L.W. Hall
Wine Blog!

Some Wine News -- Very Belated!

New Zealand winemaker charged over ship protest: "New Zealand winemaker Logan Petley, 33, was among a group of 10 protesters arrested Tuesday after disrupting the departure of the Australian warship HMAS Sydney as it left for the Persian Gulf ...."

In Wine News


Why Wine Costs What It Does: "Last year, when Paul Hobbs, a California winemaker, was about to release his 1999 Beckstoffer cabernet sauvignon, lots of things were going through his mind. He had investments to pay off and a reputation to build on the wine, but he was also facing a market that had softened tremendously......"

In Wine News

Dealer Wonít Sell US $2M of French Wines: "Michael Zeiger, owner of Admiral Wine Merchants in New York City, has over $2 million worth of French wines in stock and he won't sell a single bottle. Moreover, he says the idea is catching on among fellow wine merchants....."

In Wine News

Question: What kind of wine is made with vacuum distillation: "In short, dealcoholized wine. Vacuum distillation is one of a few methods that is intended to extract all of the alcohol from a wine, without removing any of the key elements that define its flavor......"

In Wine News

Wine Buffs Gathering to Taste Wines From Six Continents: "Bay Area wine lovers will have an unprecedented opportunity to sample and compare wines from all over California and sixteen other countries at the third annual World Wine Market Exhibition and Conference, May 3, 2003, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco......"

In Wine News

Australia: Proposal to fortify wine tax: "Cask and cheap bottled wine prices will increase under proposed reforms to Australia's taxation laws being considered as part of a strategy to combat alcohol abuse....."

In Wine News



South Africa; Stellar Parker Points For Vin de Constance: "Klein Constantia's Vin de Constance 1997 has received the accolade of 93 points out of 100 from wine critic Robert Parker, dubbed 'the Pope of wine' for his power as a reputation maker (and breaker)....."

In Wine News

Cheval-Blanc's Owners to Release Red From Argentina: "The owners of Bordeaux's famed Château Cheval-Blanc and the French luxury goods conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton have founded a new wine venture in Argentina, called Cheval des Andes....."

In Wine News

First growths may come down to US $64: "The Bordeaux first growths are set to release their 2002 wines at around the US$64 mark but there is still no real indication as to when the majority of top Bordeaux will go on the market....."

In Wine News

US: Taking root - couple running new winery: "Morton Hallgren, the Danish-born, French-trained winemaker at Dr. Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars, is setting down real roots in the region. He and his wife, Lisa, have launched their own boutique winery and have begun planting a vineyard and running a new Keuka Lake winery they call Ravines Wine Cellars......"

In Wine News

Volatile or vinegar?: "In times past, wine left in an open bottle or cask would so quickly turn to vinegar that the word "vinegar" itself comes directly from the French "vin aigre," or "sour wine." To this day, many people assume that wines too old to drink turn to vinegar in the bottle....."

In Wine News

Why the indentation at the bottom of some wine bottles?: "As you may have noticed, some bottles have these indentations and some do not. Back in the time when wine bottles were hand-blown, the glass was more susceptible to breakage, and the indentation (punt) served to help strengthen the bottle's structure...."

In Wine News

New Zealand voted best wine region: "New Zealanders are the best in the world at making wine, according to an international publication. Wine Enthusiast Magazine awarded New Zealand the prestigious title of Wine Region of the Year, at their 2002 Wine Awards......"

In Wine News

Australia: ACT wineries expect excellent season: "The ACT region's wine crop appears set for a bumper season, despite concerns about mould after recent rains. Wine Producer Ken Helm says the white wine crop is almost in, with little damage from mould...."

In Wine News

World's largest charity wine event set for June: "The Napa Valley Vintners Association (NVVA) announced today that the 23rd Annual Napa Valley Wine Auction will be held at Meadowood Napa Valley, June 5 - 8, 2003. The Trinchero family, headed by brothers Bob and Roger Trinchero, and sister Vera Trinchero Torres, will chair the event, assisted by Bob Trinchero's wife Evalyn, and third generation family members Tony and Bob Torres, and Gina Trinchero......"

In Wine News

US: Mondavi Aftermath: "Inexpensive wines are flying off the shelves. Retailers can't keep them in stock. They're going to bring the price of other wines down, and it'll hurt the industry. Sound familiar?...."

In Wine News

Boycotts target France, Germany, Canada: "Some U.S. consumers have started to boycott products from France, Germany and Canada because those countries don't support the U.S. war efforts in Iraq....."

In Wine News

Bottled Up Frustrations: "In 1980, the University of Arizona published the results of a seven-year study that promised salvation for failing family farms in southeastern Utah. Technical Bulletin No. 239, "Grape and Wine Production in the Four Corners Region," had big news: wine grapes -- vitis vinifera -- grow vigorously in the sandy desert soil. Furthermore, one acre of grapes uses just 20 percent of the water needed to grow a field of alfalfa -- Utah's main crop....."

In Wine News

Australia: Great Grape Stomp hits Riverland Region: "The time of year has come for another south-east South Australian Riverland tradition, with Loxton North Primary School's Harvest Festival. The festival would not be complete without that other tradition, the running of the Great Grape Stomp....."

In Wine News

What The Experts Are Saying About Screwcaps: "In its December edition, the US Wine Enthusiast, when voting New Zealand Wine Region of the Year, comments: 'Contrary to fears that these closures (screwcaps) might cheapen the image of New Zealand wines, this willingness to innovate has struck a chord with American consumers....."

In Wine News

Landlord says 'au revoir' to French wine in war protest: "An innkeeper whose son is fighting in Iraq has vetoed French wines and replaced them with bottles from countries sympathetic to the British war effort...."

In Wine News

Consumers File Fraud Suits Against Colorado Wine Merchant: "Frustrated consumers have filed at least three civil lawsuits -- seeking a total of more than $800,000 in compensation -- against Rare Fine Wines LLC, claiming that they never received wines they had ordered from the Basalt, Colorado based wine merchant......"

In Wine News

Wine and Food Festival stays true to Texas: "The Saveur Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival is out to prove everything really is bigger and better in Texas. Now in its 18th year, it's the second largest wine and food festival in the country. One difference in this year's lineup is that nothing is from France....."

In Wine News

A great winter white from New Zealand: "When it comes to wines with body and weight, there are few better whites than a good gewürztraminer. The best of them come from Alsace, in France, but cooler parts of Australia, and, especially, New Zealand, can make some marvellous wines which closely resemble their French counterparts....."

In Wine News

Australia: Eyre Peninsula grape grower enjoys bumper crop: "WITH South Australia's total wine grape crop expected to be down by about 20 per cent this year, Eyre Peninsula winegrowers could be in for a windfall with their bumper crops. Local vigneron Brian Turvey said his 55-acre crop, located at Greenpatch, harvested about 200 tonnes of grapes - the best on record yet....."

In Wine News

NZ: Pressure on to harvest grapes before rain arrives: "Forecasts of weekend rain have put pressure on Marlborough winemakers to get rapidly ripening grapes off the vine and out of the path of botrytis infection. There has been a small window of harvest opportunity between the rain earlier this week and tomorrow's predicted follow-up......"

In Wine News

The life of a vine: "It's 6:30 on a spring morning and a silvery frost reflects sunlight off the grasses and flowers carpeting the vineyards of Wine Country. On some of the vines, tiny oval buds start to appear, signifying the commencement of another growth cycle in the life of a vine...."

In Wine News

South Africa: Of Patriotic Pleasures...: "On stage at the Coppoolse Finlayson Winery, in the heart of the exquisitely named Okavango industria, was my friend, Cheryl Carolus, head of SA Tourism. Although she was time-pressured, on her way to a major German business appointment, she had given her word. She had promised to come and see Kaya, the glorious cat that the winery had acquired for the Cheetah Outreach Project and after which one of their popular wine brands is named - ready for the big sell....."

In Wine News

US: What part of Sonoma County creates your favorite wine?: "Not so long ago in vinous history, around the late 1960s, Sonoma County stood for very good jug wines, often sold to you in your own jug, and relying on very old vines full of character. No one then knew what a bounty of varietal goodness lay in the county's fertile soils...."

In Wine News

Freak flood leaves R10m bill for wine producer: "Cape Town - Van Loveren cellars, the family-owned grape growers and wine producer at Robertson, was still counting the costs of the freak flood that destroyed 100 000 litres of wine as it raged through the town eight days ago, Phillip Retief, a partner, said this week...."

In Wine News