Real Women Drink Wine: Interview with Thornton Winery

Great interview with Thornton Winery's Winemaker Don Reha by Calories in Wine here:

Real Women Drink Wine: Interview with Joe Hart Part 2

Finally after a few long but really great interviews, someone feeds the interviewer (that would be me) some wine! Thank you Joe Hart for sharing your Sauvignon Blanc with me. The sound byte actually recorded you pouring me a glass!

Please listen to the full interview at CaloriesInWine here.

Real Women Drink: Free Coffee for your Vote

Starbucks is offering a FREE tall (12 oz) cup of brewed coffee at no charge (limit one per customer) after you vote, however, because of confusion and interpretation of law, you can get a free cuppa just for asking. No worries about voting proof, they’ll use the honor system.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Real Women Drink Beer: American Beer Festival

In case you hadn't heard, The Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO is sold out. 3 days, 400 Breweries and 1800 Beers. Wow is all I can say to that. There is still a way to participate however and that is to listen from home (hopefully with a beer in hand) to the Festival Podcast - it's brilliant. The Brewing Network returns once again to the Great American Beer Festival to bring the action home to you! They will broadcast at every session, interviewing industry professionals from around the country and accompanied by the BNARMY all week. Listen to the festival preview podcast now!

Real Women Drink Wine: Sexy Wine Tubes

FOUR Wines, a pioneering company committed to innovative, sustainable alternative packaging, proudly introduces a new line of wines available in an upscale and eco-friendly package. The new FOUR Wine brand has developed the first-ever California wine in a “tube” which eliminates heavy glass, corks and foils, reducing its carbon footprint by 50% over traditional wine bottles.

Through the efficiencies of environmentally friendly packaging, FOUR is able to produce a higher-quality wine for its eco-friendly container and has become the first alternatively packaged luxury wine. Winemaker Barry Gnekow sourced and crafted FOUR’s first release, an exceptional California Cabernet Sauvignon, from the Monterey, Paso Robles and Lodi appellations.

You have to check this out - while it is really not different from a box, FOUR manages to make it look waaaaaaaayyy cooler. Check out their website here.

Real Women Drink Beer: Golden Age of Beer

Right now is being touted as the Golden Age of Beer. While this may or may not be the case, the numbers are astounding.

...According to the Brewers Association, the craft industry's national trade organization, based in Boulder, Colo., the number of regional craft brewers and microbreweries has grown to 445, up from 408 in 2006. Add the 975 brewpubs the association counts, and the number of craft-brewing businesses in the U.S. totaled 1,420 in 2007. Volume grew 12 percent and sales 16 percent in 2007 from 2006. The microbrewery category alone surged 20 percent, indicating, according to the association, "great interest in local brewers."

Read this rather lengthy but well written story from the Washington CEO here: article

Real Women Drink Beer: Bud Light Claims Drinkability

Drinkability' is Bud Light's new buzzword.

Anheuser-Busch tries to disprove the theory that all light beers taste the same in a new $50 million campaign for Bud Light, accompanied by the tagline: "The difference is drinkability."

TV spots, via Havas' Euro RSCG, Chicago, will break during college football telecasts this weekend. Baseball stadium signage also sports the new tagline. (Omnicom's DDB in Chicago has also fashioned upcoming commercials in the campaign.)

All six spots show a beer-drinking occasion, such as a backyard bash, a pool party and a tailgate gathering. Three of the spots begin with a reveler stating that either light beers are the same, taste the same or "fill me up." Then everyone freezes as an actor strides through the still scene defining the term "drinkability." One ad explains the concept of "being easier to drink" by illustrating the difference between drinking a raindrop or hail, a bottle of beer or a bottle of hot sauce. Another ad tries bolstering Bud Light's claim of "having just the right taste, not too heavy, not too watered down" by demonstrating drinkability as the difference between eating carrot sticks and a stick, and drinking bird bath water versus spring water.

Read the full story from Technology Marketing here: article

Real Women Drink Beer: Changes in Beer Ownership

This is a great interactive tool that Fortune Magazine created. It shows many major brands in beer and how they have changed hands over the years, including the more recent purchase of Bud by a Belgium Company. Entitled 99 Bottles of Beer on The Wall, check out this fun tool here.

Real Women Drink Wine: True Green Wineries

Calories in Organic Wine: Wineries Going for True Green

While many businesses are turning to eco-friendly practices, wineries are putting their business plans first and getting real green out of changes. Let's think about this a little, while "going green" is extremely trendy, what intelligent business person would go broke to make those changes? Perhaps there is an economic reason that can prompt the alterations.

Read the full story at Calories in Organic Wine here: article

Real Women Drink Beer: Hawaiian Beer in California

REAL Hawaiian Beers to Land in California!

Maui Brewing Co. is proud to announce that a distribution agreement has been reached with Beverages & More (BevMo) of Concord, CA. BevMo owns and operates 82 stores in California and Arizona. Initially, 33 BevMo stores will carry Maui Brewing Co.’s three packaged microbrews: CoCoNut PorTeR, Big Swell IPA and Bikini Blonde Lager.

...These beers are wholly produced and packaged in Lahaina by MBC. Although of course, these are USA products, due to Maui’s geographical location, MBC products can actually be considered “imported” to the mainland, especially given the fact that the Hawaiian Islands are the most isolated group of islands on the planet!

When you are drinking a Maui Brewing Co. microbrew, you are guaranteed that you are enjoying an authentic Mauian beer and “keeping it Hawaiian”. With a strong commitment to the local economy, and deep concern for the environment, MBC microbrews are packaged with the most ecologically-friendly materials. Although cans and bottles are both recyclable, bottles still break and may pose a risk at beaches. The cans are manufactured on Oahu and designed by local Maui artists and have the added bonus of protecting the beer in the best possible manner, protecting our beers from both light and oxygen damage which can seriously compromise the taste. Plastic rings are dangerous to marine life and therefore, you will find a recyclable cardboard wrap around the cans. The spent grain from beer production is donated to local ranchers for cattle feed; and any cans damaged in production are donated to the Maui Humane Society.

Read the full story at The Beer In Me here: article

Real Women Drink Wine: Tasting Room Woes

California vintners push to open wine tasting rooms

RAMONA, Calif. (AP) — Don Cohorst has acres of vineyards, a stash of small-batch vintages and a barn he wants to turn into a cozy tasting room for vino-sipping visitors. He's convinced he can ply those wine lovers with samples of his Syrah and Muscat Canelli and sell them single bottles for as much as $20 — more than twice the price he now gets from several small retailers. But his plan and those of many other winemakers in California have been scuttled by a growing backlash among residents who don't want tipsy tourists weaving through their quiet communities, possibly putting locals at risk while increasing traffic congestion and noise.

What do you think? I personally would love to be able to walk to a tasting room, especially if they had good wine. I'm thinking I would negotiate free wine tasting for life in exchange for my conceding to letting the room open unopposed. You have to think outside the box people... Read the full story from the Associated Press here: article

Real Women Drink Beer: Networking with Beer

This is one of those brilliant ideas that probably works better than any traditional networking group because it builds friendship and people buy from the friend first.

All you can drink for $5

GenKC is a group of “professionals” in KC who decided that networking groups are stupid and boring, and they really just wanted an excuse to meet cool peeps in KC, you know, and drink. Their first event was in the River Market in June, and over 1,200 KC people in their 20s & 30s showed up. They’ve deemed this idea a success, and are starting to pick up steam.

Read about their next event at A Beer Sort of Blog here: article

Real Women Drink Wine: Art Walk in Idyllwild

Sample art, wine in scenic Idyllwild

Visitors will sample new wines and experience original artwork at the 11th annual Art Walk and Wine Tasting in Idyllwild.

Some 16 galleries in Idyllwild and 17 wineries affiliated with the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association will participate. Organizers expect about 2,000 visitors.

Patrons can stroll down mountain roads and browse through galleries, while tasting a variety of wines and nibbling on cheese and crackers.

Read the full story from the Press Enterprise here: article

Real Women Drink Beer: Rogue Independence Ale

Rogue Hop Farms First Release

It’s harvest time in the Rogue Nation. The Rogue Department of Agriculture and Rogue Ales Brewery announce the release of Independence Hop Ale, the first beer brewed with hops from Rogue Farms’ hop yard in Independence, Ore., once called the “hop capital of the world.” A limited release fresh-hop beer, Independence Hop Ale was brewed in two 50-barrel batches, following the harvest cycle of the hops.

There are several great tid-bits in this article, including the fact that this beer experiments with wet hops, a technique not utilized very often.

Independence Hop Ale will be available in Oregon and Washington in serigraphed 22-ounce bottles and on draft while supplies last. The Rogue Post Office has issued a commemorative stamp in honor of the hop farm and has a 24-hour webcam where Rogues can watch the Rogue hops grow.

Read the full story at Beer Therapy here: article

Real Women Drink Wine: Temecula Valley Quality Grape Harvest

High Quality Harvest in Temecula Valley

The 2008 grape harvest in Temecula Valley Wine Country is lighter in volume but better in quality, local winemakers said.

"This could be just a record year for us in terms of quality," said Ray Falkner, president of the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association.

This week marks the home stretch for the harvest, which began in August. According to the association, Wine Country wineries and grape growers harvest about 10,000 tons of grapes a year, the equivalent of 1,666 average-sized adult elephants.

….So far, harvesters are seeing slight declines in certain grape varieties. Drake said one block of cabernet grapes that yielded 9 tons last year is producing 2 tons this year. Overall, he estimates he'll harvest about 500 tons of grapes this year, down from 700 in 2007.

Thornton Winery winemaker Don Reha also said he's seeing a drop this year. He attributes the decrease in part to a couple heavy rains in March and April. "Ten minutes of heavy rain can knock off a pretty good portion of (grape) blooms," he said.

This story came from the Press Enterprise and you can read the full article here: article

Stay tuned because I’ll be posting up some interviews I had with the Temecula Valley Quality Wine Alliance and Don Reha in the next several weeks at Calories in Wine.

Real Women Drink Beer: Beer for Boobs

Beer for Boobs night at The Lost Abbey

Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey will be hosting Beer for Boobs, a fundraising event in support of the Susan G. Komen philanthropic trust and The 3 Day event to help find a cure for breast cancer.

October 3rd, 2008 - 4pm to 8pm.

$10 gets you you a commemorative Boobs for Beer pint glass and two pints of any Port Brewing / Lost Abbey beer on tap. Beer for Boobs is the brainchild of our friends at White Labs who will be walking the 60 miles of The 3 Day walk for a cure in November. All proceeds from the evening will go to benefit the Susan G. Komen philanthropic trust.

Who should attend: Anyone who has breasts, knows someone who has breasts, or supports breasts in any way shape or form.

Check out the Lost Abbey site for details here

Real Women Drink Beer: Malt Beverages to be Outlawed in Utah

Utah May Ban Flavored Malt Beverages

According to the Associated Press Utah’s supply of flavored malt beverages like Mike’s Hard Lemonade will likely be exhausted in a few weeks as manufacturers decide whether to comply with labeling rules intended to make it clear the products contain alcohol.

I am unclear if this crosses over into fruit beers or not maybe a reader can help me with that.

Please read the full story at It's The Beer Talking here: article

Real Women Drink Wine: Gallo Expands into Tequilla

This story sort of disturbed me a little. Obviously there is a market for mass produced jug wine, Gallo sold 70 million cases of it last year. They have a large business with a lot of family involvement which is admirable. But to add hard alcohol into the mix, well isn't that a little like Foster's making wine? It doesn't make sense business-wise to me, but hey, I'm also not worth a fraction of the Gallo family so who am I to say anything?

It started in red jug wine; now Gallo sees a future in China and tequilla

The story of how Ernest and Julio Gallo founded their winery has been told often. But the inside story rarely revealed is how the brothers - and subsequently their children and grandchildren - expanded the family business to more than $2 billion in annual sales.

"You have to remain relevant," stressed Joe Gallo, 65. A company must "have an ability to spot opportunities. It's almost like an art form. They come along every day, and it's amazing how the best of people don't see it. But they're there every day."

For 75 years, the winery has capitalized on opportunities and repeatedly reinvented itself - and the wines it produces.

That will continue, Gallo assured. He revealed company plans to expand into hard liquor like tequila, push wine sales into China and Russia, reintroduce an old favorite (sangria) and prepare for the next hot-selling varietal (perhaps malbec).

..."In Modesto, we don't make wine now. It's all for bottling and shipping," Gallo said of his company's headquarters, which employs more than 3,000 people. "A massive amount of our wines are made in Fresno and Livingston, then shipped up here and bottled. We have seven wineries in the state."

It also imports wines from 14 wineries abroad and employs 2,000 more people worldwide. Gallo has wineries in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Argentina.

Last year, Gallo exported more than 14.7 million cases of California wine to 90 countries around the world, and it plans to expand to Russia.

"We're starting to make an effort into China. We think there's terrific potential over there," said Gallo, who recently returned from China. "We would ship our cases over there and have people distribute it. That's our current plan."

Read the full story from the San Louis Obisbo Tribune here: article

Real Women Drink Wine: Billionaire's Vinegar

It was the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold.

In 1985, at a heated auction by Christie’s of London, a 1787 Chateau Lafite Bordeaux—unearthed in a Paris cellar and supposedly owned by Thomas Jefferson—went for $156,000 to a member of the Forbes family. The discoverer of the bottle was Hardy Rodenstock, a pop-band manager turned wine collector with a knack for finding extremely old and exquisite wines. But rumors about the bottle soon arose. Why wouldn’t Rodenstock reveal the exact location where it had been found? Was it part of a smuggled Nazi hoard? Or did his reticence conceal an even darker secret? Pursuing the story from London to Zurich to Munich and beyond, Benjamin Wallace offers a mesmerizing history of wine and of Jefferson’s wine-soaked days in France. Suspenseful, witty, and thrillingly strange, this is the vintage tale of what could be the most elaborate con since the Hitler diaries.

Click here to get your copy of The Billionaire's Vinegar here

Real Women Drink Beer: Hop Obama

Originally intended as a limited edition beer that would "only last for the duration of the Democratic primary hiatus," Hop Obama, much like the candidate who inspired it, is still around.

Read the full story at Slashfood here: article

Real Women Drink Wine: Portugal's Barrel Tradition Dying

I couldn't help but get a little saddened my this article in Reuters. Both old time taverns and winemakers alike will be deeply affected when the tradition of hand creating oak barrels for wine dies out and is replaced by bag in a box technology. Do I think this will be an epidemic throughout the world? No. But the fact that younger crafts-people are not being developed will make many crafts die away slowly by attrition.

LISBON (Reuters Life!) - The centuries-old tradition of making and repairing oak wine barrels in southern Portugal is ending, pushed out by steel barrels, "bag in box" packaging and a younger generation's disinterest in the craft.

"There were 'tanoarias' (barrel-making workshops) everywhere, this always existed as a tradition," says Dona Irene, an octogenarian tavern-keeper who has been serving wine from oak barrels for 57 years.

Read the full story from Reuters India here: article

Real Women Drink Wine: Calories in Wine Interview Part 3

Calories in Wine: Interview with Vitis Consulting Part 3

In the third part of this three part interview, Peter Poole joins Calories in Wine to talk about tasting quality wine with the Temecula Valley Quality Wine Alliance.

You can listen to the full interview (which is great if I may say so myself) at Calories in Wine here: article

Real Women Drink Beer: Rugby Beer Ban

I love rugby - but a match without beer? That's taking things a bit too far.

Rugby Players Like Their Beer

Rugby players are a tough bunch, and at least in the antipodes they love their beer. A survey of players in the National Rugby League, which is considering an alcohol ban at its sporting events, found that only 21 of the 40 players surveyed would continue playing if beer was banned at games.

According to one "prominent player:"

"I love a beer, so I'd never agree to something like that. I don't think it would be fair to punish every player in the comp because a few of them get into trouble. A lot of us like a beer and can have a few after a game without losing the plot. You can't punish every player in the competition for the actions of a few blokes who get out of hand."

The man has a point.

This article courtesy of Synbeeritic - visit the blog here.

Real Women Drink Beer: Ancient Women Brewmasters

In ancient Peru, women made the beer

Archaeologists reconstruct last days of a pre-Inca brewery

An ancient brewery from a vanished empire was staffed by elite women who were selected for their beauty or nobility, a new study concludes.

My favorite quotes from the article are:

"Our analyses indicate that this specialty brew was a high-class affair,"

and then there's this:

"There's a lot of equality in terms of how men and women drink in the highlands of Andes," deFrance said. "Women will get as rip-roaring drunk, if not more so, than men."

Read the full story from MSNBC here: article

PNAS A drinking vessel recovered from the Cerro Baúl site shows ornate designs on the front and back, including the face of a divinity.

Real Women Drink Wine: Bad Economy Doesn't Change Winos

Bad Economy: Wine Sales Still Strong

Despite the bad economy, sales of wine and alcohol appear to have at least remained steady, if not increasing in some areas. And wine may also be an attractive investment opportunity.

Read the full story at The Passionate Foodie here: article

Real Women Drink Wine: Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson's Love Affair — With Wine

This is a great article by Sandy Hausman all about the history of wine through the diplomacy of Thomas Jefferson.

Read the full story at MPR here: article

Real Women Drink Sake: It's Sake Day

Saké Sunday: Saké Day--October 1

This Wednesday, October 1, is a special holiday: Saké Day ("Nihonshu no Hi"). Saké Day originated in 1978 by a declaration of the Japan Saké Brewers Association. It is now celebrated all around the world.

Read about this great day on The Passionate Foodie here: article

Real Women Drink Beer: Ancient Yeast Found

Ancient yeast reborn in modern beer

Scientist brews barrels of pale ale and German wheat beer

Would you drink a beer made from 45 million-year-old yeast? Reviewers call it "smooth and spicy," which is due to the yeast's unique metabolism. Activating the ancient yeast, Cano now bews barrels (not bottles) of pale ale and German wheat beer through the Fossil Fuels Brewing Company.

This story is from MSNBC... Click here for the full article.

Real Women Drink Beer: Neiman Marcus Fantasy Gifts

It has been 250 years since Arthur Guinness brewed his perfect stout, and this beloved beer has seen little or no change in all this time. If you love Guinness and have money to burn, then this is the ultimate birthday present from the Neiman Marcus Fantasy Gifts catalog.

For $250,000, you get a traditional Irish Pub--complete with authentic Irish artifacts--ready to be custom-installed in your home. It is a lot of cash, but you also get a year’s supply of Guinness draught. You can also gain access to first-class accommodations during your trip to witness your pub as it is constructed.

Thanks to Trendspotter for catching this great find... put this on my list!

Real Women Drink Beer: Queen Turns Down Beer

I read this article and giggled. How it is possible to mistake Windsor Castle for Windsor Castle Pub is beyond me but had the Queen been in town, I think she would have been a real woman and accepted the mistake gladly!

Queen turns down 12 barrels of beer London - Britain's Queen Elizabeth II was mistakenly sent 2 000 pints of beer when one of her royal residences was confused with a nearby pub, it emerged on Thursday.

Royal staff had no record of any such order when a truck turned up at Windsor Castle, west of London, on Wednesday with 12 barrels of lager ahead of England's football World Cup qualifying match with Croatia in Zagreb.

A quick telephone call revealed the mistake - the booze had been destined for the Windsor Castle pub eight kilometres away in Maidenhead in Berkshire county.

"We have received mail for the royal household here before but I think this is the first time they have received anything meant for us," said pub manager Misko Coric, who had ordered the beer for the football match. - Sapa-AFP

From Preoria News

Real Women Drink Beer: Generic Beer

Can you find generic-style craft beers at the grocery store or is that a bit of an oxymoron. Read this article from Home Brew Beer to find out the answer (that might just surprise you) here: article

Real Women Drink Beer: Investing in Beer

Investing in Your Future... one beer can at a time

This is just one of those funny things you read on the internet while cruising around... check out where you really should have invested your money in for the best pay-off.

Read the article from Confessions of a Beer Geek here: article

Real Women Drink Beer: HOToberfest

HOToberFest (haa-toe-ber-Fest) noun : the combined attitude of Hotlanta and the fun of Oktoberfest, resulting in a one day event promoting the Preservation of our precious Earth, Appreciation of Craft Beers and Celebration of Live Music.

Bring your friends and family to the 1st Annual HOToberFest and join us for a day of merrymaking. The festival features a traditional Oktoberfest beer tasting, a VIP tent, food and live music combined with information about sustainable living.

Learn more about HOToberfest here.

Read Women Drink Beer: Bruery Berliner Weisse

The Bruery Hottenroth Berliner Weisse

It's interesting that the only two Berliner Weisse style beers I know in any of the Western states (after a bit of research) are being brewed about 30 minutes from each other.

To read this review of the The Bruery's Hottenroth Berliner Weisse from The Summer of Beer click here: article

Buy Wine Online: Big Sale at Wine.com

I received this email today and had to share it with all of my readers:

Our biggest half-case discount!

Dear Stacy Nelson,

Get 20% off on any 6 wines at our Clearance Sale at Wine.com!

Click here: 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.

Starting Friday, wine lovers can save 20% when they buy 6 or more select wines from our Clearance Sale. We've just added lots of new wines ¿ some even highly rated. Stock up on wine for Fall entertaining, and help us make room for more new vintages. Mix or match any six or more bottles from this selected list to save. Enter promotion code CLEARANCE at checkout to save. Hurry, this offer ends on 09/30/08.*

Cheers!
Wine.com

Real Women Drink Wine: Wind Powered Winery

Calories in Organic Wine: Wind Powered Winery

Creating organic wines is important but turning your entire business plan to decrease your environmental footprint is just genious. This in-town winery takes the first step towards energy independence.

Read the full story at Calories in Wine Goes Organic here: article

Real Women Drink Beer: Wildfire Organic Beer

Looking to go organic? Try Wildfire Extra Pale Ale

Organic anything, including beers seem to be all the rage as of late. Does the organic process really matter when it comes to taste or health benefits? Not sure, but we do have one winner of a beer here.

Read the full story from Slashfood here: article

Real Women Drink Wine: Temperature Sensitive Labels

New High-Tech Wine Labels Detect Temperature Fluctuations During Shipping

Sultry weather can be hard on any traveler, and for wine it can be disastrous. Spoilage in wine shipping, which haunts consumers, distributors and merchants, has become easily detectable. Cool new stickers are here to help the consumer decide if the wine was handled properly.

Read the full story at Avenue Vine here: article

Real Women Drink Wine: National Wine Consumption

National wine consumption and production changes

You probably have heard that wine consumption in the United States is rising, and poised to pass France and Italy over the next few years. What you may not have realized is how much more growth potential we have, and how positive this trend is for the prospects of California wineries.

Read the full story from Tablas Creek Vineyard here: article

Real Women Drink Wine: Foppiano's New Winemaker

Foppiano Vineyards' New Winemaker ~ Natalie West

How is great wine made? In the vineyards. How is a great winemaker made? In the same vineyards? As of June this year, Natalie West has become Foppiano Vineyards' winemaker.

Read the full story from Wine Blog here: article

Real Wome Drink Beer: Fantasy Beer

Now that's a Fantasy Draught!

So you fancy yourself a beer lover. And you fancy yourself a fantasy sports freak. How about Fantasy Beer?

Read the full story from Confessions of a Beer Geek here: article

Real Women Drink Wine: Additives in Wine

Calories in Wine Organic: Artificial Additives in Your Wine

I came across this article from The Telegraph and thought it was amazing. Without nutrition labels it would be impossible to tell which wine is honestly wine and which bottle is grape soda.

Read the full story at Calories in Wine Goes Organic here: article

Real Women Drink Beer: The Trappist

Falling Into The Trappist Brewed For Thought

Many times, I've heard about the Trappist, a Belgian and specialty beer bar in downtown Oakland, but have never had the chance to make a visit. Thankfully, as luck would have it, I was able to make a quick stop...

Read the full story from Brewed for Thought here: article

Real Women Drink Wine: French Wine Regions

French Wine Regions

There are seven primary wine-producing regions in France. Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire, Provence and the Rhone Valley comprise the dominant French wine regions. These regions, are known for particular grape varietals as dictated by the district's indigenous terroir.

Read the entire article from About.com: Wine here: article

Real Women Drink Beer: PBR for Sale

PBR For Sale?

Cash to spare? Wanna buy a beer company? Strike now or be bowled over. It looks like this blue-collar beer classic will be put up for auction in the next couple of years - perhaps if they had accepted Kidd Rock's offer to be spokesperson it could have saved the company?

Read the full article from RealBeer.com here: article

Real Women Drink Beer: Irish Style Stout

Beer Examiner: Irish-style dry stout - a world classic.

There are many types of stouts. There’s oatmeal stout, sweet stout, “foreign export” stout, British and American imperial stout, American-style stout and various specialty stouts. I consider the grandmother of them all to be classic Irish-style dry stout.

For the full story from The Examiner click here: article

Real Women Drink Wine: Boxed Wine

Calories in Wine Organic: Boxed Wines for Better Eco-Footprints | Calories In Wine Goes Organic

I understand that in the world of wine tasting boxed wines usually get lowest priority but when it comes to organic wines the trend is starting to catch on. Boxed wines are better on the environment but I am still not sure their quality will match.

Read the full article at Calories in Wine Goes Organic here: article

Real Women Drink Wine: French Wine Ads Banned

Confusion reigns over wine ads in France

The legality of wine advertising in France is driving more and more organizations to self-censorship. The internet was not included in a specific list of allowable modes. At the current time, alcohol is likened to pornography in France, an odd relationship in a country who makes some of the world's finest wines. Vintners have already rioted once, who is to stop them this time?

Read the full article at Decanter here: article

Real Women Drink Beer: Smoked Beers

The Beer Nut: Smoke 'em 'cos you got 'em

On reflection I probably didn't get nearly enough smoked beers into me over the three days of the European Beer Festival, despite running for every one I saw.

Read the full article from The Beer Nut here: article

Real Women Drink Wine: Waiting in Tuscany

The Waiting is the Hardest Part of Winemaking in Tuscany

Likened to a high stakes poker game, what really happens behind the scenes at a winery in Tuscany.

Read the full article from Wine Spectator here: article

Real Women Drink Wine: New World Winemakers

Where Wine's Old World Meets New Ideas

This is a great interview with Emilio Rotolo, Italian winemaker. My favorite quite from it is "Please understand that wine has never been a natural product. It is man's intervention... that creates wine instead of vinegar."

Read the full story from The Wall Street Journal here: article

Real Women Drink Wine: Fox Run Vineyards Award Announced

Fox Run Vineyards Proudly Announces Breakthrough Award

Fox Run Vineyards along the northwest side of Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes on Wednesday announces an award that proves that the wine making region of Finger Lakes is one of quality.

Read the full story at Lenndevours here: article

Real Women Drink Beer: Beer-iodic Table

Beer Examiner: The "BEER -iodic Table of the Elements" is just plain fun

Enjoying beer is where it's at with most beer drinkers. The perception that beer drinkers are less than intelligent does not apply here where two guys that have taken their beer passion down a road that is just plain fun - and a little bit geeky.

Read the full story at The Examiner here: article

Real Women Drink Beer: European Beer Show

The Beer Nut: The black stuff

To an alarming extent, all trade shows, exhibitions and the like end up looking the same: a maze of aluminium-framed white laminate counters. This article makes it a point to try the beers at the European Beer Show how defy the white rule and go with the black draperies...

Read the full article here at The Beer Nut: article

Real Women Drink

Real women know how to run across wet grass in heels.

Real women can talk on the phone, send an email and cook dinner at the same time.

Real women know how to drink - and not the cheap, mass produced stuff. Real women know the difference between quality drinks and the stuff meant to just get us drunk.

That's what we are here to talk about. You can get all of your news about the world of wine, beer and occasional caffeine fix here, as well as tasting notes and other useful tips and hints. Which glass to pick? What cheese to serve?

Join me and other real women as we explore and learn together about the real world of drinking.