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Following Wines Til Sold Out – September Cheapskate Marathon
And here we come again – one of my favorite subjects – a round up of a Wine Til Sold Out wine marathon event. This time around the event took place on Tuesday (September 10th) instead of traditional Wednesday. It also lasted for 17 hours instead of 18. For those who are not familiar with the Cheapskate Marathon, it is the event which takes place once in the few month on WTSO.com, where all the wines are priced in the fixed range of $7.99 to $18.99 and typically are sold in the quantity of 4. Also, unlike normal course of sales at WTSO, during Cheapskate the new wines are only advertized on Twitter and you need to keep refreshing the main WTSO web page in order to see the new wines coming out.
Below are the stats for the event – if you are interested in comparing with the past events, you can find three of the recent posts here, here and here.
| Time | Wine | Rating | MSRP | Price | %off |
| 11:01p | THATS ALL FOLKS! THANK YOU to everyone who participated in our #CheapskateMarathon -it’s been a blast! Hope you got some great deals! CHEERS | ||||
| 11:01p | La Fornace Brunello di Montalcino 2006 | JS93, WS93 | $78.00 | $34.99 | 55% |
| 10:52p | Bordeaux Superieur 2010 Chateau de Macard By Amelie Aubert | IWR90 | $21.99 | $10.99 | 50% |
| 10:39p | Montagny Chardonnay Louis Latour 2011 | $28.00 | $14.99 | 46% | |
| 10:36p | Super Tuscan 2007 Scopone ‘Il Bagatto’ #48 JS Top 100! | JS93 | $60.00 | $17.99 | 70% |
| 10:31p | Thumbprint Pinot Noir Erica’s Vineyard Winemakers Reserve 2012 | JHN92 | $45.00 | $18.99 | 58% |
| 10:23p | Falesco ‘Tellus’ Syrah IGT Lazio, Italy 2011 | WA89, WS89 | $21.00 | $11.99 | 43% |
| 10:08p | Vinsobres 2010 Southern Rhone Cru Dom. Constant-Duquesnoy | WS91 | $34.99 | $15.99 | 54% |
| 10:02p | Shadowood Red Blend Napa Valley 2009 | JHN93 | $40.00 | $16.99 | 58% |
| 9:50p | Rioja DOC Crianza 2007 Bodegas Baigorri | ST90 | $35.00 | $14.99 | 57% |
| 9:41p | Cremant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blancs Brut NV Jaffelin Grand Cuvee Speciale | JHN91 | $30.00 | $12.99 | 57% |
| 9:30p | Provenance Merlot 2009 Napa Valley | $35.00 | $16.99 | 51% | |
| 9:20p | Maxwell Creek Reserve Chardonnay 2011 Napa Valley | JHN91 | $29.99 | $14.99 | 50% |
| 9:14p | Fontegalli Vino Rosso IGT Fattoria Lavacchio 2003 | WS90 | $39.99 | $18.19 | 55% |
| 9:05p | Ribera del Duero ‘Arrocal’ Tinto Fino 2009 Bodegas Arrocal | WA90, WE90 | $19.99 | $11.99 | 40% |
| 9:01p | Merlot Reserve Meadowcroft Wines Napa Valley 2006 | $32.00 | $12.99 | 59% | |
| 8:52p | Tallulah ‘Como’ Marsanne Stagecoach Vineyard Napa Valley 2010 | JHN91-92 | $40.00 | $17.99 | 55% |
| 8:42p | Maroon Napa Cabernet Heritage Collection 2010 | $40.00 | $18.99 | 53% | |
| 8:31p | Chianti Riserva DOCG Rio Camerata 2006 Fattoria di Piazzano | WA91, ST90 | $30.00 | $14.99 | 50% |
| 8:11p | Sardinia White Wine Argiolas ‘Iselis’ Bianco Isola dei Nuraghi IGT 2012 | $28.00 | $12.99 | 54% | |
| 8:01p | Northern Rhone Syrah Saint-Joseph AOC 2010 Les Larmes du Pere Maison Alain Paret | IWR91, W&S90 | $51.99 | $18.99 | 63% |
| 7:56p | Bodegas Estefania Tilenus Envejecido en Roble Bierzo D.O. 2010 | ST90 | $24.99 | $10.99 | 56% |
| 7:51p | Montepulciano D’Abruzzo 2009 Single-Vineyard Orsogna Cantina Mallorio | $25.00 | $9.99 | 60% | |
| 7:47p | Pinot Noir Reserve Robert Storey Cellars Carneros 2009 | JHN92 | $39.99 | $17.99 | 55% |
| 7:41p | Secoya Sauvignon Blanc ‘Mello Vineyard’ 2012 | $24.00 | $12.99 | 46% | |
| 7:34p | Super Tuscan 2007 AnimaLibera ‘Alma 3’ Toscana IGT By Emiliano Falsini | $32.00 | $11.99 | 63% | |
| 7:24p | Red Rhone Blend 2009 Minervois Lo Mainatge La Croix de St. Jean | WA90-91 | $30.00 | $11.99 | 60% |
| 7:11p | Chianti Classico DOCG Savignola Paolina 2010 | JS91 | $32.00 | $14.99 | 53% |
| 7:03p | Robert Oatley Cabernet/Merlot Blend Mudgee, Australia 2009 | WS89 | $20.00 | $9.99 | 50% |
| 6:56p | Gauthier Zinfandel Los Chamizal Vineyard Sonoma Valley 2011 | JHN91, WE90 | $42.00 | $14.99 | 64% |
| 6:41p | Macon-Chardonnay ‘Les Crets’ 2009 Chateau De Messey | JHN91 | $28.99 | $14.99 | 48% |
| 6:31p | Territorial Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2011 | $24.00 | $14.99 | ||
| 6:18p | Languedoc Vin Rouge Pic Saint-Loup ‘Bonne Pioche’ Domaine Clavel 2010 | WA90-91+ | $39.99 | $14.99 | 63% |
| 6:13p | Blanc de Blanc Brut Philippe Herard NV Methode Traditionalle Sparkling Wine | $22.00 | $10.99 | 50% | |
| 5:57p | 93 Pt. Eden Road Shiraz The Long Road 2010 Canberra, Australia | JH93, ST91 | $28.00 | $15.99 | 43% |
| 5:49p | Pighin Red Cuvee Terre di Risano 2008 Friuli Grave DOC | $25.00 | $9.99 | 60% | |
| 5:43p | Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Londer Estate Vineyards Calstar Cellars 2007 | CG89 | $50.00 | $17.99 | 64% |
| 5:32p | Sauternes 2010 Bastor Lamontagne Chateau Bordenave | $42.00 | $16.99 | 60% | |
| 5:24p | Rosat Cava Brut Nature Loxarel ‘999’ NV Best Buy 2012 | W&S91 | $16.99 | $9.99 | 41% |
| 5:14p | Cotes Du Roussillon Villages AOC ‘Cuvee Constance’ 2010 Domaine Thunevin-Calvet | WA90-91+ | $29.99 | $13.99 | 53% |
| 5:06p | Chianti Classico Riserva Savignola Paolina 2008 | JS92 | $45.00 | $18.99 | 58% |
| 5:01p | Petite Sirah Reserve 2010 Stonehedge Winery Dry Creek Valley | 90 | 50% | ||
| 4:46p | Kingsford Manor Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2011 Napa Valley | JHN91+ | $24.99 | $12.99 | 48% |
| 4:35p | Salento IGT Negroamaro Tenute Materdomini Marangi 2009 | $20.00 | $11.99 | 40% | |
| 4:30p | Cotes-du-Rhone Blanc ‘Valvigneyre’ 2011 Maison Alain Paret | $22.99 | $10.99 | 52% | |
| 4:14p | Orentano Pinot Noir 2009 Russian River Valley R. Buoncristiani Vineyard | $38.00 | $17.99 | 53% | |
| 4:11p | Castlebank Cabernet Reserve 2008 Sonoma County | JHN92 | $37.99 | $15.99 | 58% |
| 3:57p | Tinta de Toro Old Vine Carodorum ‘Issos’ 2010 Carmen Rodriguez Mendez | WA90 | $22.00 | $12.99 | 41% |
| 3:47p | Bella Vetta Vineyards 2008 Rockpile Zinfandel | CG92, WE90 | $34.00 | $16.99 | 50% |
| 3:38p | Bourgogne Pinot Noir Philippe Leclerc 2009 | JHN91-92 | $35.00 | $16.99 | 51% |
| 3:28p | Riesling Spatlese Urziger Wurzgarten Markus Molitor 2009 Mosel, Germany | WA90, WS90 | $30.00 | $18.99 | 37% |
| 3:22p | Malbec Reserva 2009 Bodega Clop ‘Los Clop’ Mendoza, Argentina | WA90 | $25.00 | $13.99 | 44% |
| 3:07p | Right Bank Bordeaux Puisseguin Saint-Emilion 2009 Chateau Rigaud | WS90 | $32.99 | $16.99 | 49% |
| 3:01p | Michel-Schlumberger Red ‘Coteaux Sauvages’ 2009 Dry Creek Valley | JHN92+ | $62.00 | $18.99 | 69% |
| 2:49p | Ardeche Viognier 2011 Vin de Pays IGP Coteaux de L’Ardeche Maison Louis Latour | $27.00 | $12.99 | 52% | |
| 2:42p | Burgess Cellars Merlot Oak Knoll, Napa 2007 | WRO90 | $28.00 | $14.99 | 46% |
| 2:39p | Bernabe Navarro ‘Beryna’ Alicante DO 2008 | WA92 | $55.00 | $13.99 | 75% |
| 2:24p | Friulano 2011 Terre Di Risano by Pighin & Figli | $25.00 | $11.99 | 52% | |
| 2:20p | Pinot Noir ‘Crane Vineyard’ David Noyes Wines Sonoma Coast 2008 | JHN92 | $50.00 | $17.99 | 64% |
| 2:07p | Northern Rhone Cru St.-Joseph 2011 Louis Cheze ‘Ro-Ree’ | RR91, ST90 | $50.00 | $17.99 | 64% |
| 1:56p | Quixote Petite Sirah ‘Pretense’ 2009 By Carl Doumani | $25.00 | $12.99 | 48% | |
| 1:45p | Gavi di Gavi DOCG 2012 Michele Chiarlo ‘Rovereto’ | $40.00 | $17.99 | 55% | |
| 1:39p | Chianti DOCG 2011 ‘Colle De’ Fossili’ Fattoria Piccaratico | $21.00 | $9.99 | 52% | |
| 1:35p | Dignitas Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2010 By David Stevens | JHN93 | $50.00 | $18.99 | 62% |
| 1:30p | Casa di Terra ‘Moreccio’ IGT Super Tuscan Bolgheri 2010 | JS92, ST91 | $45.00 | $15.99 | 64% |
| 1:14p | Ridgeline Cabernet Franc Napa Valley 2010 By Mark Beringer | JHN91 | $35.00 | $15.99 | 54% |
| 1:00p | Rioja Reserva 2004 Diez-Caballero Vendimia Seleccionada | WA91+ | $38.00 | $16.99 | 55% |
| 12:44p | N.Z. Sauvignon Blanc Spy Valley Wines Marlborough 2011 | WA89, WS89 | $20.00 | $12.99 | 35% |
| 12:29p | Maremma Toscana Syrah Pieve Dei Monaci 2010 Cantina Pieve Vecchia | ST90, WE90 | $20.00 | $12.99 | 35% |
| 12:22p | Robert Storey Red Alexander Valley 2010 By Nick Goldschmidt | $37.99 | $12.99 | 66% | |
| 12:14p | Cotes-du-Rhone Cuvee Prestige 2011 Auguste Ravier | $15.99 | $9.99 | 38% | |
| 11:56a | Southern Rhone Cru ‘Rasteau’ 2010 Domaine Fond Croze By Philippe Cambie | WS91, RR91 | $35.00 | $17.49 | 50% |
| 11:47a | Napa Red Blend Verismo ‘Stella’ 2007 | JHN92 | $36.00 | $15.99 | 56% |
| 11:34a | Vionta Albarino 2010 Limited Release Rias Baixas, Spain | WE89 | $18.00 | $9.99 | 45% |
| 11:26a | Morellino di Scansano AnimaLibera 2009 By Emiliano Falsini | $30.00 | $9.99 | 67% | |
| 11:14a | McCrea Cellars Syrah ‘Cuvee Orleans’ 2006 Yakima Valley | WE91 | $40.00 | $16.99 | 58% |
| 11:08a | Barrister Red Wine Sonoma County 2010 By Zach Long | JHN92 | $35.00 | $14.99 | 57% |
| 11:01a | Spanish Red Wine Arrayan Petit Verdot 2007 | WA91+ | $34.00 | $17.99 | 47% |
| 10:56a | Maroon Napa Cabernet Heritage Collection 2010 | $40.00 | $18.99 | 53% | |
| 10:49a | Black Stallion Chardonnay Napa Valley 2010 | $32.00 | $14.99 | 53% | |
| 10:44a | Bordeaux Rouge 2011 Chateau Lucat | $15.99 | $7.99 | 50% | |
| 10:38a | Chianti Classico Riserva Castello di Bibbione 2008 | JS92, WE91 | $35.00 | $17.99 | 49% |
| 10:30a | Valley Gate Chardonnay Versada Vineyard Napa Valley 2010 | JHN92+ | $39.99 | $13.99 | 65% |
| 10:19a | d’Arenberg Shiraz / Viognier 2009 ‘The Laughing Magpie’ McLaren Vale | WA91, ST91 | $30.00 | $18.99 | 37% |
| 10:16a | Cabernet Reserve 2011 Mockingbird Hill Winery Napa Valley By Reed Renaudinrating | 92 | 58% | ||
| 10:09a | La Tribu Red Wine 2010Bodegas El Angosto | WA90 | $16.99 | $8.99 | 47% |
| 10:02a | Estate Sauvignon Blanc Ant Moore 2012 Marlborough, NZ | $20.00 | $11.99 | 40% | |
| 9:56a | Russian River Pinot Noir David Noyes Wines 2008 | JHN91+ | $50.00 | $16.99 | 66% |
| 9:52a | Castlebank Zinfandel O.V. Giulia’s Vineyard 2010 Dry Creek Valley48% | JHN92 | $25.00 | $12.99 | 48% |
| 9:39a | Bodegas Olarra Anares Rioja Reserva 2006 | WS92 | $22.00 | $12.99 | 41% |
| 9:34a | Super Tuscan 2005 Vitanza ‘Quadrimendo’ Toscana | WE90 | $32.00 | $14.99 | 53% |
| 9:30a | Arger-Martucci Cabernet Napa Valley 2006 | $40.00 | $16.99 | 58% | |
| 9:15a | Cotes de Bordeaux 2009Chateau Lafitte-Marcellin | IWR89 | $20.00 | $10.49 | 48% |
| 9:09a | Fitch Mountain Cabernet Alexander Valley 2010 By Optima Winery | $40.00 | $15.99 | 60% | |
| 9:00a | Napa Chardonnay 2010 Mockingbird Hill Winery By Mark Beringer | JHN91-92 | $30.00 | $14.99 | 50% |
| 8:50a | Valpolicella DOC Classico Superiore 2010 Caterina Zardini | WE90 | $35.00 | $16.99 | 51% |
| 8:35a | Cotes de Provence Rose Vieilles Vignes 2012 Dom. du Garde Temps | $25.00 | $10.99 | 56% | |
| 8:23a | Rioja Gran Reserva Vendimia Seleccionada Diez-Caballero 2001 | WA92 | $44.99 | $17.99 | 60% |
| 8:17a | Muir-Hanna Vineyards Estate Muir’s Heritage Bully! Red Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley Red Blend 2008 | $24.99 | $10.99 | 56% | |
| 8:11a | Barbaresco DOCG 2007 Fontanafredda ‘Varej’ | $60.00 | $18.99 | 68% | |
| 8:00a | Gigondas AOC 2009 Cotes du Rhone Cru Domaine du Pradas | WE91 | $40.00 | $17.99 | 55% |
| 7:55a | Saddlers Peak Zinfandel Napa Valley 2009 | JHN90-91 | $32.00 | $13.99 | 56% |
| 7:49a | Villa Romanti Pinot Grigio Venezie IGT 2012 | $10.00 | $9.99 | 50% | |
| 7:45a | Red Burgundy 2009 Chassagne-Montrachet Chateau Chassagne de Montrachet | JHN91-92 | $50.00 | $18.99 | 62% |
| 7:40a | Red Heads Studio ‘The Moonlighters’ Cabernet Blend 2010 South Austrailia | WS91 | $22.00 | $12.99 | 41% |
| 7:25a | RustRidge Winery Napa Valley Estate Bottled Chardonnay 2009 | JHN91 | $30.00 | $14.99 | 50% |
| 7:17a | Turn 4 Cabernet 2010 By Bennett Lane Winery | $25.00 | $10.99 | 56% | |
| 7:08a | 93 Pt. Ribera del Duero Reserva Bodegas Balbas 2001 | WS93, IWR92 | $50.00 | $18.99 | 62% |
| 6:53a | Regnie Cru du Beaujolais Vignes de 1918 Domaine Dupre 2010 | WA90 | $23.00 | $11.99 | 48% |
| 6:48a | Sonoma Mountain Cabernet 2008 Peters Family Winery | WE86 | $55.00 | $18.99 | 65% |
| 6:36a | Maxwell Creek Rose Napa Valley 2011 | JHN89 | $21.99 | $8.89 | 60% |
| 6:28a | Vina Aljibes Red 2009 Tierra de Castilla Bodegas Los Aljibes | WA90 | $15.99 | $8.99 | 44% |
| 6:15a | Conundrum (by Caymus) California Red Blend 2010 | $28.00 | $18.99 | 32% | |
| 6:00a | Brancott Pinot Noir Marlborough, NZ 2011 | $14.00 | $8.99 | 36% | |
| Marathon STARTS NOW! GO!!! and Good luck! #wine #deals #free #shipping #until11PMEST #online #mayham #MoveQuickorEndUpThirsty |
Wednesday’s Meritage – Economics of Wine Collecting, Wine in Numbers, WTSO Marathon, and more
Meritage Time!
Today we don’t have the quiz to talk about, so let’s get right to the interesting stuff around the vine and web.
An interesting article by Mike Veseth, who writes an excellent Wine Economist blog, is on the subject of wine collecting. Mike just started writing a new column for Wine Searcher online wine magazine, analyzing the world of wine collecting. While the article is pretty technical, it still makes a thought-provoking read, whether you are the wine collector or not.
W. Blake Gray published interesting numbers regarding volume of wine imported into the United States from different countries. Which country do you think is a number one importer? And then which country will take lead if you will disregard “big brands”? Check it out here.
Believe it or not, but the Wine Til Sold Out (WTSO) is doing it again! Free up some space in your cellars, and get ready for next Tuesday, September 10th – WTSO Cheapskate Marathon is coming! The rules have not changed – starting 6 AM Eastern time, WTSO will be offering new wines every 15 minutes or sooner if sold out. The only notification mechanism is Twitter (no e-mails), all the wines are priced in $7.99 – $18.99 range, free ground shipping on the orders of 4 or more. Marathon will continue until 11 PM Eastern time. Featured wines will include (among many others) Maroon Cabernet 2010, 2009 Red Blend from Shadowood, 2010 Valley Gate Chardonnay, Diamond Ridge Pinot Noir, Redheads Moonlight Cabernet, Sacoya Sauvignon Blanc. Make sure your account has all the right information ready, as the wines will be gone in a blink…
Steve Heimoff ponders at an interesting question – what will happen with the wine writing going forward? While he doesn’t offer any radical predictions, I’m sure many of you have the same question in mind from time to time. Check it out for yourself.
Last but no least – an article by Alder Yarrow talks about name protection gone too far. As you might know, the new Apple iPhone line will include new colors, one of them being champagne. Now the Interprofessional Committee for Champagne Wine (ICCW) is now getting concerned with Apple’s use of the word Champagne as a color descriptor and wants to have them stopped. Talk about complete waste of money and lawyers not having anything better to do…
And I think we are done here. Happy Rosh Hashanah to those who celebrates, and happy Wine Wednesday to all of you! Until the next time – cheers!
Following Wines Til Sold Out – The Sky Is The Limit
And here we come again – one of my favorite subjects – a round up of a Wine Til Sold Out wine marathon event – 18 hours of non-stop selling during so called Cheapskate Wednesday on June 19, 2013. For those who are not familiar with the Cheapskate Marathon, it is the event which takes place once in the few month on WTSO, where all the wines are priced in the fixed range of $7.99 to $18.99 and typically are sold in the quantity of 4. Also, unlike normal course of sales at WTSO, during Cheapskate the new wines are only advertized on Twitter and you need to keep refreshing the main WTSO web page in order to see the new wines coming out.
If you read any of my past reports (you can find two of the recent ones here and here), and now you will take a look at the numbers I’m about to share with you, you will see one trend – the sky is the limit… Need explanation? Here are some stats:
| Time | Wine | Rating | MSRP | Price | %off |
| 12:00a | Corton Grand Cru 2007 Red Burgundy Domaine Louis Latour | WS92 | $80.00 | $32.39 | 60% |
| 11:49p | Burgess Estate Syrah Napa Valley 2007 | $28.00 | $11.99 | 57% | |
| 11:43p | Silver Falls Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2009 | JHN91 | $28.00 | $13.99 | 50% |
| 11:26p | Mentrida Syrah 2007 Bodegas Arrayan Finca La Verdosa | RP91+ | $34.99 | $16.99 | 51% |
| 11:15p | Goldschmidt Cabernet ‘Luke’ 2009 Alexander Valley | JHN92 | $45.00 | $17.99 | 60% |
| 10:58p | Paso Robles Red 2008 Edward Sellers ‘Mayhem’ | TRR89 | $20.00 | $10.99 | 45% |
| 10:38p | Ondarre Cava Brut Millenium N/V Grupo Bodegas Olarra | $21.99 | $9.99 | 55% | |
| 10:30p | Bell Canyon Estate Red Napa Valley 2010 91 rating | JHN91 | $27.99 | $12.99 | 54% |
| 10:14p | Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel Talty Vineyards 2008 | $38.00 | $18.99 | 50% | |
| 10:05p | Solovino Napa Cabernet Rios Wine Cellars 2008 | $48.00 | $18.99 | 60% | |
| 9:57p | Valley Gate Chardonnay Versada Vineyard Napa Valley 2010 | JHN92+ | $39.99 | $13.99 | 65% |
| 9:42p | Red BurgundySavigny-Les-Beaune Domaine Moillard 2011 | IWR90 | $45.00 | $17.99 | 60% |
| 9:36p | Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG AnimaLibera 2008 | $30.00 | $12.99 | 57% | |
| 9:21p | Ribera del Duero ‘Arrocal’ Seleccion 2008 Bodegas Arrocal | WA91 | $42.00 | $18.99 | 55% |
| 9:12p | Amicus Chardonnay Reserve 2010 Carneros Sangiacomo Vineyard | JHN92 | $39.99 | $15.99 | 60% |
| 8:57p | St-Georges St-Emilion Chateau Tour du Pas 2009 By Pascal Delbeck | WS90 | $35.00 | $16.99 | 51% |
| 8:54p | Terra Alta Red Blend Oriel ‘Setena’ 2004 Catalonia Spain | $19.99 | $7.99 | 60% | |
| 8:49p | Malbec Reserva 2006 Clos Des Andes Bodegas Poesia | WA92
ST90 |
$36.99 | $15.99 | 57% |
| 8:39p | Marco Real Crianza Red Blend 2006 Navarra, Spain 88 rating | $18.99 | $8.99 | 53% | |
| 8:36p | Ty Caton Cabernet 2010 Caton Vineyard Sonoma | JHN93 | $44.00 | $17.99 | 59% |
| 8:16p | Eden Hall Cabernet 2005 Eden Valley Australia | JH92,
WA91 |
$38.00 | $18.99 | 50% |
| 8:11p | Ribera del Duero Roble Vinedos Tamaral 2010 | W&S90 | $19.00 | $8.99 | 53% |
| 8:00p | Benziger Family Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2010 | $28.00 | $15.99 | 43% | |
| 7:55p | Mazzocco Zinfandel Mendocino County 2008 | JHN91 | $29.99 | $10.99 | 62% |
| 7:40p | Campion Los Carneros Pinot Noir 2006 | $35.00 | $14.99 | 57% | |
| 7:30p | Cortona Sangiovese Baracchi Smeriglio 2010 Top 100 Super Tuscan | JS94 | $30.00 | $18.99 | 37% |
| 7:15p | Columbia Valley Red 2009 Tertulia Cellars ‘Sobra’ | $26.00 | $12.99 | 50% | |
| 7:04p | Red Bordeaux Left Bank Saint-Estephe AOC Chateau Arnaud 2010 | IWR91
WS90 |
$60.00 | $18.99 | 68% |
| 6:52p | Beckley Zinfandel Reserve Napa Valley 2009 91 rating | JHN91 | $32.00 | $14.99 | 53% |
| 6:43p | Medoc Bordeaux AOC Left Bank 2010 Ch. Du Moulin Neuf | $26.99 | $10.99 | 59% | |
| 6:28p | California Rhone Blend Anaba ‘Coriol’ Red 2009 Sonoma County | BTI92 | $40.00 | $17.99 | 55% |
| 6:13p | Priorat Grenache Blend Gotes del Priorat 2010 By Alfredo Arribas | WA91 | $32.99 | $15.99 | 52% |
| 6:03p | Alexander Valley Cabernet Ispiri Wines 2008 Sonoma County | $49.99 | $18.99 | 62% | |
| 5:47p | Marangi Negroamaro 2009 Rosso Salento IGT Tenute Mater Domini | $20.00 | $11.99 | 40% | |
| 5:32p | Burgundy Chardonnay Vire-Clesse 2010 Domaine du Mont | JHN91+ | $31.99 | $13.99 | 56% |
| ? | Castlebank Cellars Napa Valley Red Blend Reserve 2008 | JHN91 | $30.00 | $13.99 | 53% |
| 5:19p | Ch. Bizard Red Rhone Grignan-les-Adhemar 2011 by Philippe Cambie | IWR91
WA90 |
$40.00 | $14.99 | 63% |
| 5:07p | Rusina Zinfandel 2010 Sonoma County | $25.00 | $13.99 | 44% | |
| 4:52p | Pinot Grigio 2012 Colli Orientali del Friuli Vigna Traverso | $26.00 | $13.99 | 46% | |
| 4:46p | Solovino Cabernet 2009 Napa Valley | $48.00 | $17.99 | 63% | |
| 4:34p | Haut-Medoc 2010 Chateau Dasvin-Bel-Air Cru Bourgeois | WS90 | $32.99 | $15.99 | 52% |
| 4:27p | Amusee Chardonnay 2010 Russian River Valley By Nick Goldschmidt | JHN92-93 | $45.00 | $17.99 | 60% |
| 4:25p | Toro Crianza 2006 Bodegas Tardencuba | W&S94
WA90 |
$29.99 | $12.99 | 55% |
| 4:22p | Sartarelli Verdicchio 2008 Balciana Le Marche Italy | 93 | 72% | ||
| 4:07p | Cru du Beaujolais 2011 Chenas ‘Vignes de 1939’ Domaine Pascal Aufranc | WE92 | $38.00 | $14.99 | 61% |
| 3:59p | Expo Cabernet 2008 Napa Valley By Alison Crowe | $29.99 | $12.99 | 57% | |
| 3:49p | Montagne St.-Emilion Chateau Des Moines 2009 Right Bank Bordeaux | $22.00 | $11.99 | 46% | |
| 3:44p | Havens Chardonnay 2009 Oakville Napa Valley | JHN92 | $45.00 | $16.99 | 62% |
| 3:38p | Michel-Schlumberger Cabernet ‘La Cime’ Dry Creek Valley 2009 | JHN92 | $45.00 | $18.99 | 58% |
| 3:31p | Tuscan Red 2010 Fertuna ‘Droppello’ By Sassacaia | $40.00 | $12.99 | 68% | |
| 3:26p | Friuli Grave Cabernet ‘Terre Di Risano’ 2009 By Pighin | $24.99 | $9.99 | 60% | |
| 3:09p | Rioja DOC Crianza 2007 Bodegas Baigorri | ST90 | $35.00 | $14.99 | 57% |
| 2:54p | So sorry! Hang Tight!!We will be back up shortly…TOO MANY ORDERS ALL AT ONCE!! Chaos at WTSO -we will fix it, you’re not missing anything! | ||||
| 2:44p | Friuli Grave Cabernet ‘Terre Di Risano’ 2009 By Pighin | $24.99 | $9.99 | 60% | |
| 2:39p | Schug Sauvignon Blanc Winemaker’s Reserve Sonoma Coast 2012 | $27.00 | $13.99 | 48% | |
| 2:36p | Ch. Bellevue Claribes Bordeaux Superieur 2010 | IWR90 | $18.49 | $9.99 | 46% |
| 2:30p | Justified Red Meritage Sonoma County 2008 by Adam Braunstein | JHN91 | $30.00 | $13.99 | 53% |
| 2:21p | Bordeaux St.-Emilion Rose Ch. Bellefont Belcier 2011 | $20.00 | $9.99 | 50% | |
| 2:15p | Cotes Du Rhone Villages Dom. Fond Croze 2009 Cuvee Vincent Catari | WS90 | $21.99 | $9.99 | 55% |
| 1:59p | Willamette Pinot Noir 2009 Vitae Springs Vineyard | $27.00 | $15.99 | 41% | |
| 1:47p | Petite Sirah Reserve Stonehedge Winery Napa Valley 2009 | JHN91 | $35.00 | $14.99 | 57% |
| 1:41p | Chartron et Trebuchet Bourgogne Chardonnay 2011 | $29.99 | $12.99 | 57% | |
| 1:38p | Cab Franc Reserve 2009 Jocelyn Lonen Winery Stagecoach Vineyard Napa | JHN92+ | $50.00 | $17.99 | 64% |
| 1:23p | Adissat Lirac AOC Southern Rhone Cru 2010 | TRR90 | $30.00 | $12.99 | 57% |
| 1:09p | Cortona Merlot 2010 Baracchi Smeriglio Tuscany | WS91 | $30.00 | $16.99 | 43% |
| 12:59p | Craggy Range Chard Les Beaux Cailloux Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay 2006 | WRO93
WA92 |
$45.00 | $18.99 | 58% |
| 12:51p | Ondarre Ursa Maior Rioja Reserva 2006 | TLC95 | $24.99 | $12.99 | 48% |
| 12:36p | Cabernet Reserve 2006 Beau Pere Cellars Chalk Hill CA | $30.00 | $13.99 | 53% | |
| 12:24p | Valencia Red Wine 2009 Bodegas El Angosto ‘Angosto’ | WA91 | $44.99 | $13.99 | 69% |
| 12:18p | Gigondas Vieilles Vignes Southern Rhone 2009 Dom. du Grand Montmirail | ST92
WE92 |
$40.00 | $16.99 | 58% |
| 12:06p | Gauthier Sauvignon Blanc Block House Vineyard Napa Valley 2012 | JHN90-91 | $30.00 | $12.99 | 57% |
| 11:51a | Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso Tenuta Galtarossa 2005 Corte Colombara | $30.00 | $12.99 | 57% | |
| 11:41a | Eden Hall Shiraz Single Vineyard 2005 Eden Valley Australia | JH92
WA91 |
$40.00 | $18.99 | 53% |
| 11:26 | Provenance Merlot 2009 Napa Valley | $35.00 | $16.99 | 51% | |
| 11:23a | Carneros Syrah Reserve Amicus by X Winery 2009 Truchard Vineyard | 68% | |||
| 11:12a | Valpolicella Ripasso DOC Villa Mattielli 2010 Veneto Italy | D**** | $30.00 | $12.99 | 57% |
| 10:57a | Pinot Grigio 2011 Pighin ‘Terre Di Risano’ Friuli Grave DOC By Pighin & Figli | $25.00 | $11.99 | 52% | |
| 10:50a | Alexander Valley Cabernet Yokayo ‘Buteo’ 2007 | $29.99 | $13.99 | 53% | |
| 10:38a | Roessler Pinot Noir ‘La Brisa’ 2009 Sonoma Coast | WE89 | $36.99 | $18.99 | 49% |
| 10:30a | Bordeaux Superieur Chateau de Macard 2009 By Amelie Aubert | WS90 | $21.99 | $10.99 | 50% |
| 10:26a | Chianti Rufina DOCG Lavacchio ‘Cedro’ 2005 | $25.00 | $8.99 | 64% | |
| 10:20a | Pomerol Red Bordeaux Rocher-Bonregard 2008 | WE89 | $49.99 | $16.99 | 66% |
| 10:16a | Napa Sauvignon Blanc Mockingbird Hill Winery Lauren’s Vineyard 2012 | JHN91 | $28.00 | $12.99 | 54% |
| 10:08a | CLAN Crianza Old Vine Bodegas Estefania 2007 Castilla y Leon Spain | ST91 | $21.99 | $10.99 | 50% |
| 10:04a | Ardeche Viognier 2011 Vin de Pays IGP Coteaux de L’Ardeche Maison Louis Latour | $27.00 | $12.99 | 52% | |
| 10:01a | RustRidge Cabernet Library Selection 2004 Chiles Valley Napa Valley | $40.00 | $14.99 | 63% | |
| 9:54a | Bordeaux Right Bank 2010 Chateau Tertre de Viaud Cotes de Bourg | $25.00 | $10.99 | 56% | |
| 9:44a | Sauvignon Blanc 2012 Lobster Point Marlborough NZ | $18.00 | $11.49 | 36% | |
| 9:37a | Chianti Classico DOCG Rocca di Castagnoli Tuscany 2009 | WA90 | $22.00 | $13.49 | 39% |
| 9:27a | Paso Robles Petite Sirah West Hill Vineyard 2009 by Nathan Carlson | JHN91+ | $28.00 | $12.99 | 54% |
| 9:19a | Red Burgundy 2008 Chorey-Les-Beaune Domaine Laleure-Piot | JHN92 | $30.00 | $14.99 | 50% |
| 9:16a | Sevona Estate Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2010 | $29.99 | $10.99 | 63% | |
| 9:12a | Castlebank Cabernet Vivian’s Vineyard 2009 Dry Creek Valley | 92 | 48% | ||
| 9:06a | Toscana Sangiovese 2004 Oriel Wines ‘Taralula’ By Giuseppe Maria Sesti | $35.00 | $11.99 | 66% | |
| 9:02a | Reserve Chardonnay Maxwell Creek Winery Napa Valley 2010 | 91 | 57% | ||
| 8:57a | Marlborough Pinot Noir Shepherds Ridge 2007 | $24.99 | $9.99 | 60% | |
| 8:54a | Ribera del Duero 2006 Valtostao Legon Crianza | W&S92 | $25.99 | $11.99 | 54% |
| 8:49a | Dry Creek Valley Syrah Kokomo Wines 2006 Green Pastures Vineyards | $27.00 | $11.99 | 56% | |
| 8:43a | Garnacha Old Vines Alto Las Pizarras 2008 Bodegas del Jalon | WA91 | $46.00 | $13.99 | 70% |
| 8:30a | Haut-Medoc 2008 Red Bordeaux Chateau Belle-Vue | WA88-90 | $31.99 | $15.99 | 50% |
| 8:15a | Carles Andreu Cava Brut Brut Nature N/V | $33.00 | $10.99 | 67% | |
| 8:08a | Toscana Sangiovese IGT Vignavecchia Raddese ’06 | WS90 | $40.00 | $15.99 | 60% |
| 8:04a | Alexander Valley Cabernet Pomo Nation 2007 By Everett Ridge | $50.00 | $14.99 | 70% | |
| 8:00a | Cotes du Rhone Ch. Bizard 2009 Serre de Courrent By Philippe Cambie | WA90 | $29.99 | $12.99 | 57% |
| 7:55a | Verdejo Dry White Wine ‘Prius de Morena’ 2010 Solar De Munosancho | WA90 | $23.99 | $9.99 | 58% |
| 7:51a | Blackjack ‘Harmonie’ 2004 Red Bordeaux Blend Santa Barbara County | 51% | |||
| 7:45a | RustRidge Chardonnay ’07 Chiles Valley Napa Valley | $30.00 | $11.99 | 60% | |
| 7:43a | Rosso di Montalcino Domus Vitae 2006 | 63% | |||
| 7:40a | Barbera D’Alba 2004 Tenuta Rocca ‘Roca Neira | WS91 | $29.99 | $9.99 | 67% |
| 7:37a | Cabernet Franc 2010 Cotes De Bordeaux Chateau Lauretan | 54% | |||
| 7:34a | White Bordeaux Chateau Saint-Robert 2009 Poncet-Deville Graves | JHN92 | $29.00 | $11.99 | 59% |
| 7:31a | Milat Zinfandel 2008 Estate Bottled St. Helena Napa Valley | JHN91+ | $29.99 | $13.99 | 53% |
| 7:24a | Bordeaux Superieur 2008 Reserve du Croix Mouton By Michel Rolland | $21.99 | $9.99 | 55% | |
| 7:19a | Chianti Rufina Riserva Lavacchio Cedro 2004 | WS90 | $25.00 | $11.99 | 52% |
| 7:16a | Muir Hanna Chardonnay Muir’s Legacy 2008 Oak Knoll Napa Valley | 56% | |||
| 7:12a | Andre Lurton Divinus De Chateau Bonnet Bordeaux 2005 | WS90 | $37.00 | $16.99 | 54% |
| 7:08a | Thumbprint Zinfandel Winemaker’s Reserve Dry Creek Valley 2008 | JHN91+ | $29.99 | $10.99 | 63% |
| 6:54a | Brancott Pinot Noir Marlborough NZ 2011 | $14.00 | $8.99 | 36% | |
| 6:43a | Russian River Chardonnay Laguna Ranch Vineyard Laguna Winery 2009 | WA91 | $35.00 | $18.99 | 46% |
| 6:36a | Scopone Super Tuscan ‘Il Bagatto’ Toscana IGT 2004 90 rating | WS90 | $39.99 | $15.99 | 60% |
| 6:28a | Chateauneuf du Pape “Cotes Noires” 2007 La Ferme de Suzon | $40.00 | $16.99 | 58% | |
| 6:15a | Mueller Chardonnay 2008 Russian River Valley | JHN91 | $34.99 | $12.99 | 63% |
| 6:00a | Amicus Cabernet 2006 Spring Mountain Napa By Reed Renaudin | $45.00 | $17.99 | 60% |
Following Wine Till Sold Out – Cheapskate Wednesday, February 20th
About two weeks ago, on February 20th, WTSO (Wine Til Sold Out), one of my very favorite purveyors of great QPR wines, had another one of their Cheapskate events – all the wines are priced from $7.99 to $18.99, offered in the quantities of four, new wines are offered every 15 minutes or sooner, and all the notifications about new wines are only coming out on the Twitter. While I was on vacation and couldn’t take advantage of any offers, my faithful computer did its best to collect the information (which in the end of the day made me upset as I saw how many great deals I missed).
As I have done it before, I would like to share with you all the data, so you too can get upset – or not, as you can instead be happy about all the money you saved. Let me add few observations here. There were about 130 wines offered. Very few wines lasted 15 minutes, many wines disappeared in a matter of couple of minutes. I counted four very strange glitches, where the wine was seemingly offered at WTSO web site, but not showing up in the twitter stream – if you followed the event and saw that too, I would like to know what you think about it. This is definitely a first time for me observing such a discrepancy (not that this is all that essential though).
Before I will leave you with the data, here is the usual guide to rating abbreviations: WS – Wine Spectator, WA – Wine Advocate, ST – Steven Tanzer, WE – Wine Enthusiast, WRO – Wine Review Online, W&S – Wine and Spirits, JS – James Suckling, RP – Robert Parker, JHN – Jonathan H. Newman, D – Decanter Magazine, rating goes in stars ( 5 stars is max), JH – James Halliday, TRR – The Rhone Report, BH – Burghound.
Enjoy and cheers!
Following Wines Til Sold Out: November’s Magnum Monday
Last Monday, November 26th, was Magnum Monday at WTSO (first event of this kind, if I’m not mistaken). During the period of 18 hours (from 9 AM Eastern until midnight), only large format bottles were offered for sale. There were total of 28 different wines offered, majority in the magnum size (1.5 liters, equivalent of 2 standard size bottles) with the exception of one wine which offered in the Imperial size (6 liters, equal to 8 standard size bottles). The most expensive wine was offered at $450, and the least expensive one was priced at $49.99. For many wines, free shipping was offered with the purchase of one bottle, and for some it was necessary to buy 2 to get the same free shipping. The very first wine offered was sold out within 3 minutes, and few other wines lasted only for 4 minutes.
Large bottles are very popular among wine collectors, as they considered to be better aging (better wine/air ratio compare to the standard size bottles), and the prices were good for many wines, so I would assume that the event made many people happy. Below is the guide to ratings and the table with all the information I was able to collect.
Guide to ratings: WS – Wine Spectator, WA – Wine Advocate, WE – Wine Enthusiast, W&S – Wine & Spirits, ST – Steven Tanzer, JHN – Jonathan H. Newman, RP – Robert Parker, JS – James Suckling, JH – James Halliday, WRO – Wine Review Online.
Enjoy!
| Time | Wine | Btl. size | Rating(s) | Orig. price | WTSO price | Min. # btls | % off |
| 11:35 PM | Burgess Napa Cabernet Vintage Selection 2001 Magnum | 1.5L | WE89 WS88 | $125 | $59.99 | 1 | 52% |
| 11:07 PM | I Balzini Black Label 2006 Tuscan Red Wine Dai Colli Della Toscana Magnum | 1.5L | WS92 WE92 | $130 | $59.99 | 1 | 54% |
| 10:45 PM | Barbaresco 2009 Michele Chiarlo Reyna Magnum | 1.5L | WE91 | $95 | $54.99 | 1 | 42% |
| 10:00 PM | Diadema Super Tuscan Rosso IGT 2009 Swarovski Bottle Magnum | 1.5L | WE93 JS91 | $250 | $99.99 | 1 | 60% |
| 9:25 PM | Brut Champagne N/V Piper Heidsieck #84 Top 100 WS 2012! Magnum | 1.5L | WS93 WE89 | $100 | $64.99 | 2 | 35% |
| 9:04 PM | Barolo 2006 Sarmassa di Barolo Roberto Voerzio Magnum | 1.5L | WA96+ WS93 | $620 | $449.99 | 1 | 27% |
| 8:53 PM | Piancornello Brunello DOCG 2003 | 1.5L | RP90 WS89 | $139.99 | $69.99 | 1 | 50% |
| 8:41 PM | Pommard Grand Epenots Pinot Noir 1er Cru 2009 ‘Clos de Citeaux’ Jean Monnier | 1.5L | JHN94 | $180 | $89.99 | 1 | 50% |
| 7:53 PM | Shingleback Shiraz D Block Reserve McLaren Vale 2004 Magnum | 1.5L | JH93 WS92 | $125 | 59.99 | 2 | 52% |
| 7:10 PM | I Balzini White Label IGT Rosso 2006 Magnum | 1.5L | WS93 WE91 | $130 | $59.99 | 2 | 54% |
| 6:24 PM | Burgess Cabernet 2002 Vintage Selection Napa Valley Magnum | 1.5L | $116 | $59.99 | 2 | 48% | |
| 6:15 PM | Barolo DOCG 2006 Fontanafredda Magnum | 1.5L | WA89+ | $250 | $99.99 | 2 | 60% |
| 5:30 PM | Sette Ponte ‘Oreno’ Super Tuscan 2007 Magnum | 1.5L | WE96 WS95 | $250 | $149.99 | 1 | 40% |
| 4:54 PM | Brut Select Champagne ‘Le Cordon Bleu’ NV De Venoge Magnum | 1.5L | WS91 | $120 | $62.99 | 2 | 48% |
| 4:17 PM | Belpoggio Brunello DOCG 2007 Magnum | 1.5L | JS92 WE92 | $199.99 | $99.99 | 1 | 50% |
| 4:00 PM | Corton Grand Cru 2007 Domaine Louis Latour | 1.5L | WS92 | $200 | $69.99 | 2 | 65% |
| 3:24 PM | Diadema Super Tuscan Rosso IGT 2009 Swarovski Bottle Magnum | 1.5L | WE93 JS91 | $250 | $99.99 | 1 | 60% |
| 3:15 PM | Barolo ‘Tortoniano’ Michele Chiarlo 2008 Magnum | 1.5L | WE92 WRO92 | $125 | $69.99 | 1 | 44% |
| 2:31 PM | Brut Champagne N/V Piper Heidsieck #84 Top 100 WS 2012! Magnum | 1.5L | WS93 WE89 | $100 | $64.99 | 2 | 35% |
| 1:55 PM | Roda Cirsion Rioja 2006 Magnum | 1.5L | WA95 WS92 | $600 | $299.99 | 1 | 50% |
| 1:09 PM | Burgess Napa Cabernet Vintage Selection 2001 Magnum | 1.5L | WE89 WS88 | $125 | $59.99 | 1 | 52% |
| 12:38 PM | Barolo Riserva 2004 ‘Roggeri’ Ciabot Berton Magnum | 1.5L | $200 | $114.99 | 1 | 43% | |
| 12:10 PM | Mont Redon Rouge 2009 Chateauneuf-du- Pape Magnum | 1.5L | ST92 WS91 | $125 | $59.99 | 2 | 52% |
| 11:25 AM | Phelps Insignia 2009 Magnum | 1.5L | WA93-96 ST94 | $429.99 | $314.99 | 1 | 27% |
| 10:40 AM | Shingleback Shiraz D Block Reserve McLaren Vale 2004 Magnum | 1.5L | JH93 WS92 | $125 | $59.99 | 2 | 52% |
| 10:24 AM | Silvio Nardi Brunello 2007 Magnum | 1.5L | JS95 | $175 | $99.99 | 1 | 43% |
| 10:13 AM | Grand Cru Burgundy White 2007 Corton Charlemagne Domaine Louis Latour Magnum | 1.5L | WS93 | $300 | $129.99 | 1 | 57% |
| 10:09 AM | Stormy Weather Cabernet Napa Valley 2006 Cellar Selection Magnum | 1.5L | 68% | ||||
| 9:52 AM | Barolo ‘La Villa’ DOCG Fontanafredda 2001 Magnum | 1.5L | WA94 W&S93 | $285 | $139.99 | 1 | 51% |
| 9:49 AM | St. Supery Red Wine ‘Elu’ 2005 Napa Valley Imperial | 6L | WE91 | $800 | $349.99 | 1 | 56% |
| 9:45 AM | Burgess Estate Cabernet Napa Valley 2005 Magnum | 1.5L | WE90 W&S90 | $100 | $49.99 | 2 | 50% |
| 9:03 AM | I Balzini Black Label 2006 Tuscan Red Wine Dai Colli Della Toscana Magnum | 1.5L | WS92 WE92 | $130 | $59.99 | 1 | 54% |
| 9:00 AM | St. Supery Cabernet Napa Valley 2004 Magnum | 1.5L | 91 | 50% |
Wednesday’s Meritage – Just The Wine Quiz Answer
Meritage time!
Today’s Meritage will be only about the wine quiz. I had very limited time to find sharing-worthy news – and I failed.
In the last wine quiz #38, you were supposed to play a game of “find the differences” between two labels of the wine. I’m happy to report that we have a winner, vinoinlove – he correctly identified 3 differences between labels – the name of the wine (Tiare Imperiale versus Le Fiarre), ABV listed on the labels ( 14% and 14.5%) and even size of the labels ( there is a small difference in the size). Congratulations!
Quite honestly, I have to admit that I wanted someone to take the comparison a little further. When I saw the two bottles, the similarity between the front labels was almost shocking and it took me a few moments to realize that there are some differences there (okay, call me slow). When I tried to compare the wines, my expectations were that they will taste indistinguishably the same – and they were not! Tiare Imperiale was a lot more round and polished, were Le Fiarre was not bad, but rather rough on edges. Turning the bottles over and looking at the back labels clearly pointed to the fact that these are two different wines – Tiare Imperiale is made out of all 13 grapes allowed in Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation, and Le Fiarre is made out of 4:
So in my cryptic comments, I was hoping that someone will say that most likely the wines tasted differently and were made from the different grapes – but apparently I didn’t succeed. Just an additional interesting fact – Le Fiarre wine came from from Trader Joe’s ( at $19.99), and Tiare Imperiale was acquired through Wine Till Sold Out, and purchase price was something like $25 with $55 listed as a retail. I would not recommend Le Fiarre (while $19.99 is a bargain, there are other much better wines in that price category) – but Tieare Imperiale is a good wine in the $25 range – I wouldn’t take it for $55 though. Another interesting fact is that both wines seems to be private labeled for Skalli and have virtually no additional information available on Internet.
That’s all I have for you today, folks. Cheers!
Wednesday’s Meritage – Wine Quiz Answer, Judgement of Where?, Beaujolais Nouveau, Magnum Monday and more
Meritage time!
Let’s start with the answer for the Wine Quiz #36 – Stomping the grapes. I made an effort to simplify the quiz – I guess full uncertainty with the right answer, which I mentioned a number of times, greatly reduced the interest on the side of the participants. Anyway, I’m happy to report that we have a winner! Have you ever heard the expression “whistle while you work”? According to Wiki Answers, etymology of the “whistle while you work” goes all the way to the slave days – when salves were carrying food, they were supposed to whistle – while you whistle, you can’t eat. In our case, while you whistle, you can’t eat grapes, so you had to be able to whistle in order to get the job! Thus the winner of the Wine Quiz #36 is Pablo, who gets unlimited bragging rights. And if you have a problem with this solution – I will be very happy to listen to your version.
Moving on to the interesting stuff. Let’s start with the Judgement of … no, not Paris. Yes, of course you know about famous 1976 Judgement of Paris, which became pivotal moment for the California wines. Now we are going to talk, out of all things, about (bet you would never guess) … Judgement of Princeton and Judgement of Richmond! I learned about both events from the Daily Sip e-mail. Both events took place during this year and were modeled precisely after the Judgement of Paris, only one was done for the wines of New Jersey versus France, and in the second event, Virginia wines were compared with the wines from all over the world. You should definitely judge for yourself – my experience with New Jersey wines is extremely limited (and negative), so I can’t really comment on the results ( but would be very glad to try those great wines from NJ). I have much more successful experience with wines form Virginia, though I would definitely question selection of the world wines for the competition. If you will find time to read about the events ( or if you knew something about them already) – I would be very happy to read your comments.
This coming Thursday, November 15th, is the 3rd Thursday of the month – which means that 2012 Beaujolais Nouveau will be available in the wine stores near you! This year is the 30th anniversary of the Beaujolais Nouveau phenomena as created by Georges Duboeuf, so the event will be celebrated accordingly. For this celebration, Georges Duboeuf produced a special web site, called 30 Years of Magic, where you can watch a special movie and download a special application for your mobile device, so you can join the festivities, anywhere, any time. I plan to report on the wine as soon as I will be able to get a hold of a bottle.
Last, but not least – WTSO, one of my all times favorite online wine shops, has done it again! Well, to be precise, they didn’t do it yet – but Monday, November 26th, will be a brand new whole day event called Magnum Monday, where WTSO will offer for sale about 20 different wines, all in the magnum (1.5L) size. This is all we know at the moment, but if this event will be anything like WTSO’s past marathons, you better get ready (and get some space in the cellar), as this will be a no-nonsense event.
That’s all I have for today for you, folks. The glass is empty. Until the next time – cheers!
Following Wines Til Sold Out: October’s Full-On Marathon
121 wines (if my count is correct) during 18 hours, lots of 90+ wines, including 95-99 rated, great names (Joseph Phelps, Dominus, Antinori Solaia, Tattinger and many others) – “wow” is the only descriptor I can use here. Some (quite a few) of the wines lasted only 3 minutes – “you snooze, you lose” was in the full effect.
The event took place on Tuesday, October 2nd. As before, I did my best to collect the data, which is always challenging. Below is the table containing all (hopefully) wines offered during the event.
Guide to ratings: WS – Wine Spectator, WA – Wine Advocate, WE – Wine Enthusiast, W&S – Wine & Spirits, ST – Steven Tanzer, JHN – Jonathan H. Newman, WRO – Wine Review Online, RP – Robert Parker, JS – James Suckling, BH – Bourghound, IWC – International Wine Cellars, CG – Consumer Guide, IWR -International Wine Review, TWN – The Wine News.
Enjoy!
Wednesday’s Meritage – Wine Quiz Answer, #GrenacheDay, #ChampagneDay, WTSO Full-On and more
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Meritage Time!
So, what do you think of Wine Quiz #29, A Guessing Game? I now understand that I goofed up with my logic (not the first time; sigh) and the way second question was asked implied the answer for the first – so I definitely have a room for improvement. I still hope it was fun, and – we have a winner!
Both reviews included into the post were for the same wine, 2001 La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva Especial – the first one was written by Robert Parker, and second was Stephen Tanzer’s review. And the winners are (drumroll, please) whineandcheersforwine and thedrunkencyclist – both were able to correctly answer all three questions including the bonus part. Well done! As a side note, this is one of the best Rioja wines you can find for the money – it will cost you between $25 and $30, it drinks perfectly now, and will be for the next 20-30 years.
And now let’s move on to the interesting news section.
On October 2nd, the greatest purveyor of the QPR wines, Wine Til Sold Out, says “Make room in your cellars”, and I say “hold on to your wallets” – Full-On Marathon is coming. Starting at 6 AM Eastern time, WTSO will be offering wines staring from $15.99 and going all the way into the hundreds of dollars. The event will end at midnight on the same day. Knowing WTSO, this will be one amazing event which will put your family finances in a grave danger – but if anything, it will be fun to watch!
I almost missed it (changing the post after it was out) – International #GrenacheDay is coming on Friday, September 21st! There is not much time left – find that Grenache bottle and get ready to celebrate!
Champagne lovers, your special day is coming! 3rd annual #ChampagneDay will be celebrated through all social media outlets on October 25th – you can find your invitation here. You have enough time to be well prepared – start thinking about that special bottle.
There is an interesting debate going in regarding the actual state of the wine blogging – best of the best are trying to figure out if it is dead or alive (as I’m writing this post, I would consider it quite alive, but what do I know…). Here are couple of viewpoints: Joe Roberts, a.k.a. 1WineDude, and Steve Heimoff. If you have an opinion – write a blog post, join the debate!
Last but not least, St. Emilion region in Bordeaux has a new classification – you can read more about it here in Dr. Vino’s blog post.
We are done here – the glass is empty – for the moment, of course. Cheers!
Following Wines Til Sold Out – Wow, That Was One Marathon!
About a week ago, on Wednesday, August 8th, Wine Til Sold Out … yes, did it again. It was their “Super-Wednesday” sale, which usually takes place once in 3 month. That was one “no holds barred” event, I can tell you. And I don’t even mean the prices, which are usually unquestionable at WTSO, I’m primarily talking about the speed at which wines were disappearing…
90+ different wines were sold, in the total quantity of more than 72,000 (!) bottles. I managed to get only one of the wines, and three times I was … yes, late (the most upsetting one was when wine disappeared while I was entering my credit card info!).
Anyway, in case you missed the event, I got it all for you here – well, most of it, as some of the wines went too fast (hmmm, I think I already said that). As usual, here is the guide to ratings: WS – Wine Spectator, WA – Wine Advocate, WE – Wine Enthusiast, W&S – Wine & Spirits, ST – Steven Tanzer, JHN – Jonathan H. Newman, WRO – Wine Review Online, RP – Robert Parker, JS – James Suckling, JH – James Halliday.
Enjoy!
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