Tom Wark at FERMENTATION has announced the winners of the 2007 American Wine Blog Awards. Tyler Colman, Dr. Vino himself, took home two of the coveted statues (there were statues, right?). Not only did his blog win “Best Wine Blog” but he also won “Best Writing on a Wine Blog.” Congratulations, Tyler!

Perennial front runner Alder Yarrow from Vinography was recognized as “Best Wine Reviewing Blog” and Gary Vaynerchuk took home the “Best Podcast or Videoblog” award for Wine Library TV. My collaboration partner for the new Unfiltered podcast, Jeff Lefevere of Good Grape, won for “Best Wine Blog Graphics.” Rounding out the awards are Pinotblogger as “Best Winery Blog” and The Wine Collector Blog as “Best Single Subject Blog.”

My sincere congratulations to all the winners.

Tom Wark deserves a ton of credit for doing this and I think everything went very well for the first time out of the gate. Next year I’d like to see a more international focus and inclusion of the great UK and Australian wine blogs; perhaps a “Best Non-U.S. Wine Blog” category is in order? At the very least, a non-American judge would be the type of thing I’d like to see.

In the podcast category, I think there are a couple of issues. For one, there is a big difference between indie efforts like Cellar Rat and even my humble podcast and what the Wine Spectator does. Second, I don’t think audio podcasts should be judged along side video podcasts; both lose in the comparison.

But these are quibbles. Thanks for your efforts, Tom. I’m going to raise my game now to get into the finals next year

After reading the coverage of the demise of Wine X in the blogosphere, I took a look at eBob (OK, I was going to start a thread titled, “Wine X is dead; does anyone care?”). I found there a thread on the subject and a discussion that mainly focused on how much Wine X sucked.

Whatever the cause of Wine X ceasing publication is really not that interesting to me anymore so I started to think about what a successful wine publication would look like targeted at Millennials. For one, it would be online and more like My Space or Facebook than Wine Spectator. The social aspects of sharing tasting notes and linking to friends and blogging about wine would be the main focus with perhaps a bit of eCommerce thrown in for convenience (and site monetization). In short, more about the wine experience than degrees brix and terroir.

Sounds like some Wine 2.0 opportunities to me. Talk amongst yourselves

Editors Note: This is a cross-post of my weekly column over at Good Grape. I will be posting another two articles later this week as I fell 3 weeks behind.

There’s an interesting piece in Decanter about the demise of Wine X magazine. For readers unfamiliar with this wine publication, it’s been around for about 8 years and targets young adults with hipster lingo and quite a dollop of irreverence (sample wine review: “Tastier than a food fight at the Playboy Mansion… and the best part is lickin ‘ it clean.”). Jeff posted about their recent “Just Points” campaign a few weeks back. Founder and editor Darryl Roberts blamed the entire wine industry for the shuttering of his magazine, stating, “The wine industry says it’s interested in young adults but spends all of its ad and promo money targeting the same people it’s been targeting for the past 30 years - rich, old white people.”

I don’t think the wine industry is as completely to blame as Mr. Roberts accuses here. Sure, this is a very traditional industry slow to catch onto online marketing or the targeting of demographic groups other than Baby Boomers but Wine X itself deserves much of the blame. That’s because they didn’t evolve with their target demographic who don’t read print publications. Yes, I know they have a hip website complete with RSS feeds, podcasts and email newsletters but these always seemed secondary to the print magazine.

It’s interesting to note that when Wine X started, back in 1997, their demographic was Gen-Xers as the oldest Millennials were only in their early teens. Over the past 8 years, Wine X continued to cater to entry level wine drinkers in their early to late 20’s who now are predominantly Millennials. This group has taken to wine, but not exactly like their Baby Boomer parents, and tend to gain their information via the internet. So if Wine X had evolved to serve this group, they would have beefed up their web presence while phasing out the expensive print magazine. Even their “podcasts” were played on the radio; not the way to get into the heads of the iPod generation. And since Millennials are multitaskers, reading blogs while listening to podcasts while watching Family Guy, they just don’t read many magazines. It’s really that simple.

I’m sorry Mr. Roberts, you have to shoulder most of the blame for Wine X’s demise. Let’s hope you have enough funding to reboot your website and really market wine to Millennials.

A new bill was introduced yesterday here in my home state of Minnesota that is aimed at making wine available in most grocery stores. The Wine With Dinner bill was introduced by Senator Linda Scheid (D - Brooklyn Park) and Representative Phyllis Kahn (D - Minneapolis).

Like some states, Minnesota has liquor laws that have been nearly unchanged since the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. Powerful interests control the sale of alcoholic beverages in the state and our taxes on wine are among the highest in the country. This control over supply has also reduced competition so we tend to pay more for wine here than most states (I’m always surprised to see how inexpensive wine is on my trips to California, for example).

I hope this law passes but I’m not getting my hopes too high as this issue has been defeated in the past. Let’s hope this time the status quo in Minnesota wine distribution will change.

I’ve done a bit of work on the site that I wanted to highlight. On the right sidebar are two sections with podcast and blog subscription buttons. Without getting too much into RSS, I just wanted to point out that these buttons will allow you to subscribe to this blog and my podcast using free software. The “subscription” is also free so there is no reason not to check it out.

So now the geeky background that might be useful at your next cocktail party, gallery opening or wine tasting. RSS is short for, “Really Simple Syndication.” What RSS feeds allow is for content producers like myself to make it easy for you to read or listen to what I post here.

If you want to read all my blog posts (which include all my podcasts) just use a feed reader such as Bloglines or Google Reader. If you just want my podcasts, use the iTunes, Odeo, Podcast Ready or mobilize buttons. All these services and software are free and work on both Mac’s and Windows PC’s. The best part is the software keeps up with the posts and/or podcasts for you and they are just ready for you when you want to read or listen to them.

For those who want an even easier way to read Winecast, I also offer email subscription via FeedBlitz and on your mobile phone via plusmo. There is also the old school RSS icon for advanced users.

Whatever method you choose will ensure you can read or listen to my efforts whenever you want for free without ever having to visit this site.

Wineries today are facing increased competition from imports and the proliferation of new domestic brands so it’s interesting to me that only a few medium to small brands invest in marketing. That’s due to the cost of having additional staff focused on marketing and a traditional approach in an industry that seems to still be mired in the 20th Century (”marketing” = labels, shelf talkers, spec sheets, brochure websites, etc.).

So it’s rare that I see an approach that is simple, cost effective and innovative that will result in increased customer loyalty and differentiation for a wine brand. Sure we have the breakout plays, such as Stormhoek, but those are an anomaly that would be ground breaking marketing any product. An example of something a bit more conventional is provided by Napa Valley’s Fantesca Estate & Winery with their “Fortune Corkies.” Puns aside, this is a brillent idea that I’m sure other wineries will be tempted to emulate. Basically, the winery prints wine quotes on their corks and is encouraging their customers to submit a quote of their own which will be printed on their 2005 Cabernet cork when it is bottled. Do you think the winner will buy some of that Cab with their personal quote on it? Absolutely, and they will tell all their friends about it who will pass it along because it is so out of the ordinary. Another aspect I like about this campaign is they have 9 other wine quotes from famous people that encourages larger orders so customers can collect all 10 corks.

Hats off to Fantesca for a great idea to build brand loyalty and to Ryan from Calwineries for tipping me off to this one.

Even before I could fix all the typos in my summary of WBW 30, Roger from the Box Wines blog announced the next theme for our monthly virtual tasting: Box Wines & Non-Traditional Packaging. While it might be fun to track down a crock of Lancer’s or Black Tower (do they still make that stuff?), I think I’ll stick with the box (or “cask”, if you prefer) this time out. With my cellar out of commission for the moment, a box in the cupboard might be just what I need right now.

Check back on March 14, 2007 for my selection and it won’t be Franzia, that’s for sure

The first time I hosted Wine Blogging Wednesday, just this past June, I filled in for another host at the last minute. And I returned this month due to the same reason so I must be in the WBW bullpen, to use an American baseball term. Whatever the reason, I was honored to be chosen to host once more.

My theme was also somewhat of a last minute choice, as the theme I reserved for my next time was more of a warm weather varietal and I feared a low turnout. And we only gave participants two weeks notice due to Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday this month. So Syrah, or Shiraz as it’s sometimes known, came to mind since it’s one of the varietals that I drink a lot of this time of year. For a twist, I thought it would be fun to see how the grape does outside of it’s Old World terrior in France, Spain or Italy.

I’m pleased to report that this theme was the most popular so far with a total of 50 entries covering 70 wines. Some were simple Aussie Shiraz you can find in the supermarket for under $10 USD right up to some cult wines that sell for about $80 a bottle. The more established New World homes for the grape were well represented with 27 Shiraz from Australia and 25 Syrah from California. But we also had entries from South Africa, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, Washington State and Canada’s province of British Columbia. Clearly Syrah and Shriaz have traveled far from the Old World and it’s interesting to see the stylistic differences in the notes posted this month.

Now, the summary roughly in the order received:

Winecast reader and listener Lucas got the ball rolling a week ahead with his entry that I posted here. The wine selected was from the Bodegas Nieto Senetiner of Argentina, their Syrah from 2004. From Lucas’ tasting notes, it would seem this wine was more in the Old World, Rhone-style than the fruit forward New World style.

Another early post was from Mairead of the Fill Up On Bread blog. Four Shiraz from Australia were chronicled with the favorite being the Candlebark Hill Shiraz 2005 (or was it the Pepperjack Shiraz?). Sounds like a great wine tasting weekend to me.

Another Winecast listener, Bret, joined us for the first time with his review of Novi Family’s, Christiansen Vineyard, Syrah from 2004. For those unfamiliar with this producer you might have heard of their sister brand, Siduri, which focuses exclusively on Pinot Noir. Sounds like they also make a nice Syrah in the same vineyard designated fashion. Thanks for joining us, Bret, and don’t worry about your shameless plugs

Edward from Wino sapien was next with the Thorn Clarke, “Shotfire”, Shiraz 2005 which sounds like a great Barossa Valley Shiraz and a nice value.

Another first time WBW participant, Barrld from Barreled, wrote about the Red Car California Syrah, Red Wind 2004 and finds it, “Quaffable. ” Thanks for joining us, Barrld!

Alex from huevos con vino was next with his review of the 2000 Paracombe, Adelaide Hills, Somerville, Shiraz. This wine from South Australia seems like a winner but is in short supply here in the US (and most likely even in Australia, as only 100 cases were made). Thanks for sacrificing your last bottle for the cause, Alex

The Wine Commando was next with the first Chilean Syrah, a 2004 Montes Alpha, Alpalta Vineyard. After a nice background on the wines of Chile, Sanspotash found the wine a bit too tight and austere even with decanting. Maybe a bit of cellaring is needed here… but Jeff from Good Grape gives another view on this wine a bit further down.

Back across the pond in Belgium, Maarten from ChâteauBrys wrote about a bottle of Rosemount Estate, Diamond Label Shiraz 2004. The wine was just OK, so I’d suggest you check out the producer’s “Show Reserve” bottling for a better example of what Shiraz is all about. And thanks for the English post, Maarten!

Kelly from Canada’s Full Bodied blog was next with a very full bodied Syrah from British Columbia’s Kettle Valley Winery. The wine is a blend of 95% Syrah and 5% Viognier from the 2004 vintage. Check out Kelly’s tasting notes and a picture of her, err, wine rack (sorry, I just couldn’t resist

Jens from the Cincinnati Wine Warehouse went back to Argentina for his entry, the 2001 Finca Flichman, Paisaje de Barrancas. This blend of 70% Syrah, 20% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon sounds delicious.

Per from the Norwegian wine blog Vinoteket wrote about a Porcupine Ridge, Syrah 2004 from Boekenhoutskloof, Coastal Region, South Africa. It would seem this wine is a bit out of balance with 14.5% alcohol and could use more fruit. For non-Norwegian speakers, Per also includes his notes in English. Takk, Per.

Down in Heidelberg Germany, Thomas from Winzerblog first ponders if a German Syrah would be considered “New World” then settles on a pair of Australian Shiraz. The first wine, a Cowra Estate, Kangaroo Ridge, Shiraz/Cabernet cost just 3 Euro. His second selection from Wakley Cellars, their 2005 Shiraz, was even less expensive. Check out Thomas’ notes to see if they were worth it. Thanks for posting in English, Thomas.

Barbara from winosandfoodies seemed to like the Voyager Estate Shiraz tasted for the event. Good to see you back for another WBW, Barbara!

Meanwhile, Snekse from the Gastronomic Fight Club is a bit more verbose with a write-up of the 2003 Thornhill Vineyards Syrah. The wine was watery, flabby and out of balance; too bad but nice coverage, Snekse.

Brendon, a.k.a. Cru Master from the cru blog, reported in from Cape Town about the Cederberg Shiraz 2004 from his home country of South Africa. He gives a very terroir-istic tasting note for this great tasting Shiraz.

Mary from the La tavola blog in New Zealand was next with the Warrenmang Estate Shiraz 1996. This Australian wine was summed up as, “Opulence deluxe.” Sounds like my kind of wine

Over in Melbourne, Australia, Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once posted about a Majella Shiraz 1996. Both the wine and her accompanying photos are excellent.

Back here in The States, the Brooklynguy prepared a leg of lamb to pair with his 2004 Two Hands, Shiraz, “Lily’s Garden.” After some aeration the wine opened up and seemed to complement his cooking well.

Tim from Winepost was next up with a note on the St Hallet, Blackwell Shiraz 2002 from Australia. Looks like yet another winner from Oz.

Dr. Debs from Good Wine Under $20 offers an $18 wine this time, the 2005 Black Sheep Finds, “Hocus Pocus” Syrah. Despite it’s name and whimsical label the wine delivers a very good QPR according to the good doctor.

Up in Seattle, the Culinary Fool posted the first Washington State Syrah, a 2002 from McCrea. Both the wine and photo that accompanies her review are impressive. Thanks, Brenda!

Farley from Wine Outlook was next with a review of two Shiraz. The first was from South Africa, the 2004 Eventide Cellar Shiraz which she rated “pleasant”. The second was a sparkling Shiraz from Australia, a NV The Black Chook. The latter was described as tasting like, “…raspberry muffins and coffee.” Yum, brunch in a glass

Roger from Box Wines thought outside the box this month, reviewing a Penfolds, “Bin 128″, Shiraz 2003. At $22 this wine delivered the goods. Thanks for splurging, Roger.

Fellow wine podcaster Bill Wilson of Wine for Newbies pulled a tasting note from the archives as his diet doesn’t allow for wine (heard of The Wine and Food Lover’s Diet, Bill?). The 2003 Coppola Shiraz posted was, “…thin and boring.” Bill will be posting some more interesting notes in April following his trip to Santa Barbara (be sure to check out Curtis Winery).

Walla Walla is a Washington appellation best known for Cabernet but Catie of Through The Walla Walla Grape Vine blog found a nice wine from Glen Fiona, their 2000 Walla Walla Syrah. Catie also provides a nice history of the grape in the region.

John from the Brim to the Dregs blog splurged on a $30 bottle of Luca Winery, Syrah, Altos de Mendoza, Argentina 2004. From his notes, it looks like a good call as this blend of 85% Syrah and 15% Malbec was described as, “…a serious bottle of syrah.”

Garry, our resident sommelier, spun a tale about three Shiraz from Australia he recently tasted in London. These standouts were Brokenwoods Graveyard Shiraz, Ballerina Canopy Shiraz and Berton Family, “Bonsai” Shiraz.

Jack and Joanne from Fork and Bottle, last month’s WBW hosts, chose the first California cult wine of the tasting, a 1997 Sine Qua Non, “Imposter McCoy”, Syrah. This wine could use some additional cellaring according to Jack’s tasting note. Unfortunately, I’ll have to live vicariously as Sine Qua Non’s list is among the most difficult to get on.

We welcome another WBW newbie, Sebastian of The Table, with a nice write-up of the 2004 Kenneth-Crawford, Syrah, Lafond Vineyard from the Santa Rita Hills AVA of California. After an hour in the decanter (nice picture!) the wine was tight but did open up with further aeration.

Sonadora, the Wannabe Wino, stayed in California with a 2004 Fritz, Alexander Valley Syrah. Seems she liked the Old World tasting expression of Syrah presented by this wine.

Beau from Basic Juice continued his “Where’s Wino” theme with a mystery tasting note asking if it’s Syrah or Shiraz? Just yesterday, he posted the wine as Hewitson’s 2004 Barossa Valley ‘Old Garden’ Mourvedre made from 154 year old vines. Nice one, Beau, even if it’s not what I asked for

Lisa checked in from Bordeaux where New World Syrah/Shiraz is not easy to find in stores. Luckily, she was able to track down a bottle of Thomas Mitchell Shiraz 2003 in a wine shop in Angers for only 7.50 Euro. She posted her tasting note to the Vinorati blog where she called it, “…more than decent for a Wednesday evening dinner wine.” Thanks for joining us, Lisa!

Back down in the southern hemisphere, New Zealand blogger Jules from The Wine Wanker blog posted a nice piece on The Gimblett Gravels appellation before reviewing Unison, Syrah 2004. The wine sounded quite good but might be, “…an acquired taste…” I’ve certainly acquired it and hope many more will after this event.

David was next from Cooking Chat with a review of Winner’s Tank, Shiraz, Langhorne Creek 2005. A regular Rhone Syrah drinker, David was surprised by the BIG fruit flavors delivered in this Aussie Shiraz. He’ll be buying more of the wine for future tasting, so it sounds like it was satisfying.

Jerry from Winewaves wrote about Harlequin Cellars, “Jester’s Red” 2004 and posted another one of his great bottle shots (you’ll have to let me know how that is done, man). This wine is made from 87% Syrah, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon grown in Washington State. Sounds like a very nice bottle to try. Thanks, Jerry!

Catherine from Purple Liquid was next with a review of the 2004 La Feuille d’Or, Syrah, Clary Ranch Vineyard. Don’t look for this one in your local wine store as this wine was made in very small quantities at Crushpad in San Francisco. I just visited their place two weeks ago and was very impressed. Sounds like Catherine’s wine is also quite impressive.

Bryan at the Water into Wino blog went back to South America with a Chilean selection from Casa Lapostolle Winery. Their “Cuvee Alexandre” Syrah 2004 is a winner but not as complex as another Chilean Syrah Bryan recently tasted.

My podcast buddy, Alan Baker, The Cellar Rat came out of hiatus to review a Dussek Family Cellars, Syrah 2003 with his co-worker at Crushpad, Stuart Ake. Seems this Washington State Syrah didn’t meet up with Alan’s expectations (he was a bit under the weather with a cold, however). But Stuart really nails the wine with some of the best wine writing I’ve seen in a long time. You need to get a blog, Stuart, as anyone who works in Thelonious Monk and, “…animated 3-D fruit hammers” into a wine review needs to be read

Dave at Avenue Vine was next with three reviews of California Syrah from Rosenblum Cellars, Hess Collection Winery and R.H. Phillips Vineyard. The Rosenblum sounds like the winner here. Thanks, Dave!

Amy at The Second Glass blog wrote about Elderton’s 2001 Barossa Valley Shiraz and had the best quote of the event with, “Oh My God! Its a blueberry Roofy!” I’ll have to pick up a bottle and see what’s there, because whatever it is it sounds good

Andrew from Spittoon, the chap who first suggested I participate in WBW, checked in with the Di Martino Legado, Syrah, Choapa Valley, Chile 2005. He judged this one a “big lad” with a closed nose but otherwise an average Syrah with food.

I was next to post nine New World Syrah tasted from the barrel with winemaker Pax Mahle. Of all the excellent wines tasted, I have to single out the very fine Pax, Alder Springs, “The Terraces�, Syrah from both 2004 and 2005 as the pinnacle of California Syrah. At $70 a bottle or so they are not cheap but they are an unforgettable wine experience.

El Jefe, the proprietor of Twisted Oak Winery, was good enough to heed my suggestion he post one of this Syrah’s for this tasting. The 2004 Tanner Vineyard Syrah from Calaveras County sounds like a nice match for Jefe’s meatloaf and it will be available through WineQ soon.

Marcus from Doktor Weingolb tasted two Shiraz and a Grenache/Syrah blend. The Joseph Phelps “Vin du Mistral” Red Pastiche 2005 wasn’t consistent with the Syrah theme, as it is mostly Grenache, but it sounds like a nice wine. Of his two qualified selections, Errazuriz Estate, Shiraz, Valle de Rapel, Chile 2005 and Jacob’s Creek, Shiraz/Cabernet, South Eastern Australia 2004, it looks like the Chilean Shiraz was a great value and the bottle from Oz was just a simple quaffer.

Cartographer Sean joined our tasting with one of the most interesting mash-ups I’ve yet seen. Combining his love for wine and cartography, Sean created a Google Earth presentation that starts in France’s Rhone Valley and then goes to the vineyards in Washington State that made his 2003 L’Ecole Nº 41, Columbia Valley, Syrah. The wine sounds great and looking at the vineyards in Google Earth is equally enjoyable. Very cool and original, Sean!

Pam and Joe turned in the only podcast of WBW 30 at A Guy, A Girl and A Bottle. It’s good to see them back on the air after a hiatus but I don’t think they will be drinking any more 2005 Little Penguin Shiraz after listening to their review.

Alder from Vinogrpahy was next with a 2002 Astrale e Terra, Syrah, Atlas Peak. As usual, his review is very thorough and informative but he he didn’t mention WBW for some reason. This Napa Syrah sounds delicious and a nice value at $25.

My sometimes collaborator Jeff from Good Grape posted about the Montes Alpha, Syrah 2004 from the Colchagua Valley’s Apalta Vineyard in Chile. Yes, that’s the same wine The Wine Commando wrote about but Jeff seemed to like this one a lot more calling it, “…an extreme value and a delightful wine.”

WBW founder Lenn Thompson took a break from diaper changing duties and joined us on Wine Blogging Friday this month with some thoughts about Torbreck 2005 Woodcutter’s Shiraz from Australia. It didn’t seem like this one was Lenn’s style but a decent bottle from the Parker score. It’s also good to see Lenn taste something made outside of New York every now and then

And finally, The Cork Dork posted the final entry, a Thomas Fogarty, Estate Grown Syrah 2003 from Fat Buck Ridge Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Sounds like this Syrah was worth the wait. Thanks for making it an even 50, CD!

WBW 30 by the numbers:

50 entries
70 wines blogged
38 Syrah
30 Shiraz
1 Grenache/Syrah
1 Mourvedre

By appellation:
3 Argentina
27 Australia
25 California
1 Canada
5 Chile
1 New Zealand
3 South Africa
5 Washington State

Thanks once more to Lenn for his idea, leadership and trust to let me host again so soon. I’ll see you in March for WBW 31.

Sorry this is a couple days later than I planned but between the fire and so many great entries, it took quite a bit of time to sort out. If I somehow missed your post, please email me and I’ll update this post. Many thanks to all who participated!

No injuries to family or wine so we are lucky on this one… it was kind of exciting with all those flashing lights, etc.

Yes, friends, that’s a hole in the top of my wine cellar just cut moments ago by a plumber repairing a burst water pipe. That’s one of the not so good things about living where the winter temperatures are often below zero Fahrenheit in winter.

I’m pleased to report that no wine was damaged…

Update, 11:59 pm:  The fire department has been out for the past couple hours putting out the fire caused by the plumber… I fear wine has been lost but I did rescue my best bottles before the fire.  More later…