BITS & BOBS

Posted on December 30, 2024 by Stan The Wine Man

Well, 2025 is just two days away! What does it have in store for us? A lot of what happens this coming year, in some ways, depends on us. What are your plans for 2025? I usually come up with ideas I would like to implement for the coming year. Of course, they include things like… How can I improve my YouTube content? How can I improve this blog? Also, I always try to expand my knowledge of the wine world. Without goals, it is challenging to stay focused. I believe that in 2025, it will be important for me to follow through with the goals mentioned above, and I intend to do just that. I really want to expand my knowledge of wine this coming year. I know many of my friends would say that I know quite a bit, which is true. However, there is a lot I don’t know, and I would like to fill in some of those gaps. It will be good for my YouTube Channel, my writing, and many of the events I have planned for 2025.

I appreciate it when my friends stop by the store to give me input on my YouTube channel. John stopped by a few days ago and complimented me on my content. He also mentioned that it would benefit me to work on my studio setting. I totally agree with him, and it has inspired me to take some time and make some improvements. My wife mentioned getting a green screen for a backdrop. I’ll do some research on that. My setting is a barn loft that is pretty nice. However, there are some metal racks that could be moved out of the background, or at least I could put a picture up behind me. Let me know if you have any other ideas in this regard. It is one of my goals for early in the coming year.

One of my greatest pleasures is helping the people I come in contact with experiment with their wine purchasing so they can expand their palate horizons. There are so many cool wines out there to try, and I believe we are missing out if we don’t try new things. As an example, I have a Vranac (a grape varietal) from Macedonia displayed in my department. To be honest, I understand the hesitation of my customers. I mean, what the hell is Vranac? I have tasting notes on the wine to guide customers in deciding whether or not to make this purchase. The best part? It’s not very expensive! If I want to lure someone into trying something new, I certainly don’t want them to spend a lot of money to experiment. I believe it’s around thirteen bucks. I think that once they try this wine, they will be pleasantly surprised, and it may embolden them to explore other wines made from interesting and unique grapes. The key to success in helping people to try new and interesting wines is to make sure there is a good return on investment or ROI. For those of you who have perused the wine department where Scott and I do our thing, you know there are many opportunities to purchase unusual wines without spending a lot of money. That is key to helping people become both knowledgeable and well-rounded in their wine consumption. Make that one of your goals for 2025.

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

Posted in Bits & Bobs, Main | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BITS & BOBS

Posted on December 23, 2024 by Stan The Wine Man

2024 has been a very eventful year. Thanks to all of you, I hit the milestone of one thousand subscribers to my YouTube channel, which continues to grow. On the business side of things, two wine distributors went out of business and one was just recently bought by another distributor. I now have three less to work with. That can be a good thing from my point of view as long as I can locate some of the brands that were handled by those now-defunct businesses. On the flipside, I feel bad for some of my friends who had to find another job. Most have landed in a good place, which I’m thankful for. Susie and I traveled to Crete in October and we talk about going back there at some point in the future. It was such a fantastic place to visit. The food, wine and scenery are amazing. Greek salad has become a staple for us at dinner since we got back.

I will write an article soon on the state of affairs in wine over the past year. Wine consumption is down in the U.S., as well as in other countries. I have a few ideas as to why this is happening. Just a sneak peek into what I’m ruminating on. Some of the well-known wine periodicals have come out with their top wines for 2024. I’ve noticed that many of the wines on those lists, fall in the eighty to one-hundred dollar range. It’s hard to appeal to possible future wine drinkers when you’re talking that kind of money. I really think that wineries have to be careful not to depend so much on the Ivory Tower critics to promote their wines. I have other thoughts that I would like to dive into on a deeper level. Stay tuned!

I recently released an episode on my YouTube channel that features my top five picks in red wine for 2024, which are under fifteen bucks. It’s worth checking out. I decided to do this episode and picked the wines I would feature. I was surprised that it only took me about ten minutes to choose them. All the wines in this episode have been my go-to reds throughout the year. I’ve recommended them to many of my customers, who have all come back for more. I love finding wines that deliver and are excellent values. Don’t get me wrong; I know there are a lot of wines out there for more money that are special. However, most of us want wine we can purchase for a meal that doesn’t break the bank, especially the younger crowd that has not yet accumulated much discretionary income. This is the group I would like to see develop a passion for wine. They will never get there if they can’t afford it.

I hope you all have a great Christmas with your family and friends. If you are looking for a good wine to go with your prime rib, ham, or turkey, look me up and I will help you find something to enhance your meal without having to take out a loan.

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

Posted in Bits & Bobs, Main | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

STAN’S PICK FOR DECEMBER ’24

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Stan The Wine Man

It certainly bears repeating that some of the best values one can find in wine are from Spain, Portugal, southern France, southern Italy and South America. I should tally it up someday and see how many of my picks over the last five years have actually come from Spain. Over and over again, I am presented with over-achievers from this country and this month is no different. With all the planned Christmas parties and the meals that will be served, it’s nice to find a wine that will satisfy the needs of wine drinkers at a very affordable price appropriate for both parties and meals such as ham and prime rib. This month I discovered a fantastic Garnacha from Spain that will do the trick nicely.

2022 Gil Family Estates Flor de Morca Garnacha (Campo De Borja, Spain)…. $13.

Garnacha reigns in the DO of Campo De Borja, in the foothills of the Pyrenees in northern Spain. This is an arid region with Garnacha vines that average 30-50 years old, resulting in wines of concentration and complexity. This one is proof of the gems that come from this area of the world.

Aromas of black olive, dark red flowers, strawberries, and cherries. Fleshy tannins support notes of cherries and currants with a kiss of milk chocolate, which is balanced by fresh acidity. A dash of spice comes through on the back of the mid-palate into the finish, where notes of worn leather, chocolate, and currants linger. It has good balance and is relatively complex for the money. I’ve tried this little gem several times and am very impressed. (B-)

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

Posted in Main, Stan's Pick of the Month | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BITS & BOBS

Posted on November 18, 2024 by Stan The Wine Man

Once again, we are approaching two of the year’s most extensive food and wine holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas are big food holidays and for many, this means busting out many bottles of wine for the meals and parties that will be thrown during the next month and a half. I’ve turned the corner on my thinking about the wines to uncork for the holiday meals. Make it easy on yourselves; drink the wines that you like. I read a very well-written article about this subject, and I agreed totally with their conclusions. You may read a lot of advice about the right wines to pair with a turkey dinner, duck, or prime rib. For instance, you may hear that Riesling and Gewurztraminer are the perfect white wines to accompany the traditional Thanksgiving fare. But what if you don’t like those wines? Then, don’t serve them. If you like Chardonnay or Pinot Gris, then drink those. If you serve a wine you don’t like, it could dampen your enjoyment of the meal. If you have many people over for dinner, open a few different types of wine and let your company choose what they want. In my experience (no doubt you’ve experienced this as well) most of the people you invite don’t give a rip about the matching of the wines to the food. They just want to enjoy the food, drink wine, socialize and have fun with family and friends. So, don’t stress yourself out worrying about the right wines to buy….Drink what you like. Period.

Of course, this does not mean I won’t give a few suggestions. I know some folks who like a little guidance. I plan to keep it as easy and inexpensive as possible. I will be shooting an episode on my YouTube channel this week, featuring some of my choices, so stay tuned. My options are simple: a balanced Sauvignon Blanc for white and a Pinot Noir or Zinfandel for reds. I’ve discovered a couple of Italian Primitivos (Zinfandel) that could fit the bill for a very reasonable price. Whatever you decide, make it something you’re comfortable with. As usual, I’ve been searching out wines that deliver for under twenty bucks. Quite a few choices will fit this category in my department. I know some of you will want a sparkling wine to have around. If you like Prosecco, buy that. If you like Cava, buy that. Rose’ bubbles work well, but they tend to be a bit more expensive. I gravitate towards Cava myself because you get pretty decent quality at a great price. There are bubbles that I like that are alcohol-free if you want to keep the alcohol consumption down a bit. Once again, I will preach from the rooftop…. Buy and pour what you feel comfortable with and don’t stress about it.

After our trip to Crete, I encountered many people who were surprised that I found some great wines from this country. Let’s face it: Many people think that Retsina is the wine of Greece. Greece has one of the oldest wine histories in the world. Dionysus is the Greek god of wine, and his counterpart is Bacchus from Italy. Wine has been a part of Greek culture for centuries and they have come a long way in wine quality and production methods. I will continue to focus on Greek wines in my upcoming YouTube episodes. I’m very excited to record a blind tasting of Xinomavro and Nebbiolo. I could not believe how closely these two varietals are. Xinomavro is one of the main red grapes of Greece, and it is on all the restaurant menus. When I ordered it, I was pleasantly surprised at how much it resembled Barbaresco, an Italian red made from the Nebbiolo grape. It will be interesting to see if I can tell the difference between the two in a blind format. I hope I get it right, watch to see if I sink or swim.

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

Posted in Bits & Bobs, Main | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment