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Welcome to Wine Flair!

Ever felt awkward when ordering wine at a restaurant? Ever walked into a wine store and had no idea where to begin, what to buy or how much to pay?

Ever looked at a European wine label and wondered what’s in there? Then Wine-Flair.com is just for you. It’s all about wine education and appreciation, written in plain language.

Wineries by State

From The Wine Institute, here’s a list of how many wineries there are in each US state (through 2008). 2008 Wineries by State.pdf

March 25, 2009

A PORT BY ANY OTHER NAME – STILL AS SWEET? A lot of US-made wines carry European place names, and Port is one of them. But as European countries and the EU (European Union) have ramped up to protect those names in international trade, American producers see their brand names

March 23, 2009

Good Things Come In…Boxes?

While at last week’s Wineries Unlimited show, I stopped by the booth of the Scholle company from suburban Chicago, which makes liners and spigots that go into some of today’s best boxed wines. Now, let you think that “best” and “boxed” are mutually exclusive, I did taste several wines using

March 19, 2009

Cocoon? No, Winepod!

If you’re a serious home winemaker, you should look into the WinePod. I did, last week at the Wineries Unlimited event in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, where I spent some time with Tracey Mason, the VP Sales and Marketing of Provina, which makes the WinePod. Aside from being aesthetically attractive –

March 16, 2009

Wine Shorts

Find Your Lost Wine Had a great wine somewhere but don’t remember the name, or where it was from, or the winery? Well, winelabelworld.com has a collection of labels, sorted by country, style, wine color and other distinguishing features. Find the one you’re missing, or add your own. Irish Wine?

March 16, 2009

A Green Wine From A Red Truck?

If you’re having, oh, 10 people over for a glass of red wine but don’t plan to break out the Chateau Angelus, you might want to look into a mini-barrel from Sonoma’s Red Truck winery. This thing holds 3 liters, the equivalent of four bottles, and it’s designed – obviously

March 9, 2009

Wine And Health – Hooey?

Slate magazine says outright that Americans are “obsessed” with the health benefits of wine. Obsessed? No. Interested? Sure. Very interested? A few of us, either ’cause we’re in the business, or we’re in healthcare, or we drink a lot of wine. Or maybe we’d like to, and want a reason?

March 6, 2009

Vee-Oh-What?

Viognier may be an acquired taste, but frankly, so is all wine. It’s one of my favorite whites, and its relative thickness – think of viscosity in the context of an oil change in your car, but in a good way – powerful aromas, and hint of honey even when

March 4, 2009

Wine Shorts

Wine News (the magazine) After a couple of email requests, a FedEx box filled with Wine News magazines arrived last week, much to my surprise and delight. It’s a nice magazine, built on extended features illustrated with great photographs; extensive (maybe too extensive) coverage of wine auctions around the country;

February 25, 2009

Mumbai Millionaire

In case you were inspired by the eight Oscars that Slumdog Millionaire brought home, here are some suggestions for pairing wine with Indian food. And a pairing chart is available here with suggestions for other foods and wines. A great wine with Indian food is a mix of Chenin Blanc

February 24, 2009

State Of Denial

Have you recently visited an out-of-state winery and wanted a case sent home, only to be told it’s illegal? Confused by wine shipping laws? You’re not alone. First let me say that I support the right of wine retailers, wholesalers and distributors to exist and make a living. The idea

February 21, 2009

Whine Costs

This morning’s Decanter online has a story about what seems to be the collapse of the high-end Bordeaux wine market, including En Primeur, the method by which certain European producers offer wine for sale while it’s still in the barrel. In other words, you pay for it 12 to 18

February 19, 2009