It seems the world is becoming addicted to social networks. There's MySpace, Friendster, and Facebook to name a few of the most popular ones. In these social network sites you can connect with people who share the same interests as you or read about happenings in different organizations that you belong to. Most people who join the social sites post photos of themselves or things of interest. Basically you compose a profile of yourself and tell your interests, hobbies, and what type of people you would like to meet. Then people who are interested in your life and what you do request to become your friend. You have total control of who you would like to connect with and you aren't bothered if you reject someone.

I'm sure there are more than a few social networks pertaining to wine and wine lovers but the premier site in my opinion is Must Love Wine. The owners of this site, which has a whopping 6,000+ members, describe it as "a social network for wine lovers to chat and share knowledge about their favorite wines" Actually, Must Love Wine is much more than that as they have information on food pairings, locations of good wine restaurants, and great places to buy wine. The guest bloggers on Must Love Wine are helpful in answering questions pertaining to wine and they also have reps from different vineyards talking about their wines. This site is one that wine makers and wine lovers must visit regularly to keep abreast of happenings. While you are at the site please visit my profile and become a friend. The link to my profile is WV Wine maker.

Prior to the last few years, winemakers had to wait until after harvest to obtain fresh grapes or juice. Recently a few companies have been importing grapes from Chile where the weather makes for a chance to obtain the grapes in our winter months. Beer-Wine.com is one of these companies.

These grapes are coming from the Curico Valley in Chile which is about 120 miles south of Santiago. The Curico Valley is the oldest wine region in the country and has favorable Mediterranean type weather with good soil and drainage. Available grape varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, Carmenere, and Viognier. I have tasted wine from this region and I'll say that the Malbec and Merlot were some of the best. I ask that you go to the site and see if the grapes would be something that you could use and check out their winemaking kits and equipment also.

On another note I have been enjoying a very good wine over the last few days. it is a wine I received in a wine swap that I do every year at Christmas time. This year I received 5 different wines from three different States. I received wine from South Carolina, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania.  The wine I have been enjoying this week is a 2007 Riesling from the Lake Erie region of Pennsylvania. It is smooth and sweet just like I'd expect from the Riesling's of this area. The winemaker is KM Kaday and he did a very good job with this wine . Thanks Kevin!

One of the premier events for winemakers will be held in April. It is Winestock and of course since it is 2009 it is named Winestock 2009. For winemakers this is one that you don't want to miss. There are winetastings, great food, and many winemaking lectures that will help you learn to make better wine and evaluate that wine. Check out the link for more information.
                                    WINESTOCK 2009

It seems everywhere you look this time of year someone is having an end of year sale. Many of these sales are for clearance of the 2008  stuff to make room on the shelves for the new stuff. My favorite place to buy wine, wine.com is having one of these sales it's called their "year end clearance sale" and they have some very good deals on favorite wines. Check them out by clicking on the picture below.

Why should the kids be the only ones to have fun on Halloween?

They shouldn't, and Halloween with it's obvious theme can be a good time for adults to throw a party. Many adults get into the whole costume party thing and get very creative. But even if you are not into dressing up like your favorite vampire or piece of fruit you can celebrate the fall harvest with some of these wines.

Riesling seems seems to be at the top of the list of favorites this time of year. I am included in the bunch that like the crisp fruity flavors found in these wines. One Reisling, Anne Amie 2007 Riesling from the Willamette Valley in Oregon brings out the aromas of such things as lemons, white peaches, and honeydew melons. The tastes are described as favoring Mandrin Oranges, apples, and Asian pears. It is a white wine and pairs great with spicy or salty foods. You can find it usually for $18-$20 a bottle.  Another in the Riesling wines is the Doctor Thanisch 2006 Riesling - Classic. This wine, from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer area of Germany, is a drier wine in the traditional Riesling style. This wine is not as fruity as the previous one and pairs well with white meat such as chicken or turkey. You might want to get a couple extra bottles for Thanksgiving.

In the red category another wine from the aforementioned Willamette Valley is the Adelsheim 2006 Pinot Noir. This wine is described as lush and spicy with scents of oak and black cherry. It is recommended for having with a meal of salmon, veal, or pork. It is especially good when served with vegatarian dishes. The price of this wine is around $30.00 so for some it may be a once in awhile wine. Rounding out the suggestions for good Halloween wines would be the Achaia Clauss Mavrodaphne, a dessert wine from Greece. The price on this wine is really good at about $10 a bottle. The price may be inexpensive as far as dessert wines go but believe me the taste is just awesome. It has tastes of baked apple and apricot as well as caramel. Believe me you add a couple chocolate truffles or a piece of pumkin bread for dessert with this and you will think that life doesn't get much better.

So, these are my selections of wines for Halloween AFTER the kids have been taken out for trick or treat. If you don't have children, or yours are grown, that gives you more time to enjoy. For more on fine wines at good prices please check out our sponsors.

This saturday, October 25th is the date for Daniel Vineyards Fall Festival. Daniel Vineyards is in a very beautiful part of West Virginia especially during the fall. Six West Virginia wineries will be offering their goods and tastings. The food offerings will include authentic italian, American, and good old home cooking. Three bands will be on hand for entertainment and many craft booths will also be manned. Entrance is $10 which includes a tasting glass, wine tastings and entertainment. Daniel Vineyards is located in Crab Orchard, West Virginia and their phone number is 1-877-378-1990.

Malbec, a white variety of grape used in making red wine, is named after a Hungarian peasant who first introduced it to France. The Malbec grape is thin skinned and needs more heat than say Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot to mature. Normally it ripens in mid season and contributes to making wine that is inky dark in color with robust tannins. It is also one of the six grapes allowed by the French to be blended in red Bordeaux wine. Malbec grapes are grown in Chile, New York, and the cooler regions of California as well as France.

It has been known for a few years that consumption of red wine is good for your health. Research shows that the health benefits of red wine depend on the presence of certain polyphenols called oligomeric procyandins (OPS). Malbec seems to be one of the varieties with the most OPS.

I have long been a follower of Malbec wines but one I have tried recently has probably been one of the best it is the High Note 2007 Elevated Malbec - Red Wine. This Argentinian wine is composed of 83% Malbec, and a mixture of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. Any wine that has a blend including Petit Verdot in my book will be good. The High Note 2007 was a smooth wine and I picked up tastes of plum, blackberries, and a little cherry. I paired mine with some New York strip and spicy grilled corn with chili powder.


Another wine this 100% Malbec I would recommend is the Tempus Alba 2006 Preludio Malbec - Red Wine. Being a 100% Malbec you will detect different tastes than from the first wine. This one is a little smoother because of the smoothness of the Malbecs. This wine could pair well with pasta or chicken.

On a side note check out the story behind this wine

Previously I stated that a series would start on West Virginia wineries in which I would be interviewing the wine makers. I sent out questions to the wineries that I could find emails on. I realize that it was and still is a busy time of year. To date I have received a return email from exactly one winery and that wine maker told me they would get back to me after harvest. One wine maker out of 10 had the courtesy to acknowledge my interest in their winery and business. 

I believe this is the problem with the promotion of West Virginia wines and winery. It seems like they are happy to live in their neck of the woods selling a few cases here and there and don't want to reach out to the big world. This has led me to refocus my intentions with this blog and I will be focusing less on West Virginia wines and wineries and more on wine making. If there are any wineries that would still like to be involved please contact me and I will do my best to promote your wines. I have many readers from outside the state and a few have contacted me letting me know that they didn't even realize that there any wines from West Virginia. I would still like to enlighten these out of staters but without input from the very people I want to help it will be hard.

As also promised earlier I will be doing a post on my recommendations for Thanksgiving wines. I have a few in my cellar which I'll be opening and hopefully get the post out before Thanksgiving. LOL

Fall has always been my favorite time of the year. One of the reasons is that the weather has  not turned too cold yet but summer is over and the hot muggy days are gone. I have two other reasons for preferring Fall over any other season and that is American Football and Thanksgiving.

I am a huge sports fan and can usually watch any sport from badmitten to camel racing but when I watch football, especially college football, I analyze, plan strategies, and just get into the game. Prior to discovering wine I was strictly a beer man while watching football but over the years I have developed a taste for wine even though I still revert back sometimes when the tailgate party mandates. I'm not here to review beer so I'll leave the topic of brews for another time and place. What I am here to do is tell you my recommendations for some good wine to enjoy while watching and attending football games. Here is the list:

White Wines

• Valley of Moon 2006 Pinot Blanc - White Wine- I had this wine the first week of college football at a friends house right before leaving for the WVU vs Villanova game. My friend was serving chicken fingers with a variety of sauces but after experimenting I choose the Honey Mustard sauce as the best pairing. This is a California wine from Sonoma and I could taste a hint of pears with the distinct tarty taste of green apples.
•  Vavasour 2007 Sauvignon Blanc - White Wine-This was my wine of choice last Sunday while watching my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers fall to the Philadelphia Eagles. My Steelers got smacked around so I probably drank the majority of this bottle to drown my sorrows. But the good that came out of it is I found a New Zealand wine that I enjoyed. Fruity, but in a different way than the first wine. I believe there was more of a tropical fruit taste to this one.

Red Wines

• Robert Sinskey 2004 Merlot - Red Wine- This one I have been holding on to for a few months waiting for the right moment. I bought this wine from at a very good price due to the discounts and shipping. The right moment came when I watched my WVU Mountaineers play the Colorado Buffaloes. We served buffalo wings with a mild sauce. I'm glad it was mild because if it would have been too spicy I believe it would have overwhelmed the taste of the wine. I drank this wine cold as I prefer to do with my reds and was not disappointed. I tasted in this one a hint of plums and vanilla which went well with the wings. I was however disappointed in the outcome of the game as the Mountaineers lost to the Buffaloes in overtime.
• Benziger 2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Red Wine-This wine was a gift from a special friend who I won't mention. I had this wine with a big plate of pasta and meatballs while watching ESPN.(I had to keep it sports related). It was fantastic, full of berry flavors, and really soft as far as tannins which makes for an enjoyable drink. Try it out!

Well thats all I have for the football season so far because the season is still young, but there will be more. Stay tuned for later posts when I discuss good wines for Thanksgiving which is my favorite holiday.

Clearance Sale at Wine.com! Save 20% off any 6 or more bottles of clearance sale wines. Enter promotion code BARGAIN at checkout. Hurry, offer ends 9.30.08.

Remember this weekend is the Kirkwood Winery Grape Stompin Festival. There will be plenty of entertainement and WINE. For more info please visit their website