Grenache

The Bitch is Back….and This Time She’s Spanish!

Aussie cult winemaker Chris Ringland has escaped from Australia and he has created a Spanish version of Bitch Grenache. The Bitch has been on a hiatus of sorts for the past few vintages. She (I presume it’s a she) was one of the Australian labels underneath the Grateful Palate umbrella that went into bankruptcy last year. Well, fans of the Bitch will be pleased to know that she’s back…and she’s switched her Australian accent for…

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A Tour of the Languedoc

Pick up any wine book, and flip to the page on the Southern Languedoc region of France. More often than not, the term “wine lake” or “ocean of vines” will be used, usually within the first set of paragraphs. No-doubt, the Languedoc certainly has some marketing challenges on its hands! With wine history in the region dating back to Roman times, the Languedoc has had plenty of time to practice the art of winemaking. However,…

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Rhone Gang – Hold Up 2007

  Grapes 30% Grenache 70% Pinot Noir – kind of a crazy blend, but you could have guessed that something about this wine isn’t right by the label…   Facts In case you were wondering, the wine doesn’t come with its own stick-on moustache, but what a genius marketing idea! I should patent that! The Hold Up is a new project by the self-proclaimed Rhone Gang: Louis Barroul from Chateau St. Cosme, Paul Chaudiere from…

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Orin Swift The Prisoner 2009 Review

Grapes 51% Zinfandel, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Syrah, 7% Petite Sirah, 3% Charbono, 1% Grenache, 1% Malbec, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.   Facts The label for The Prisoner was work of Spanish artist Francisco Goya. For the 2009 vintage, the debut tasting apparently took place at a prison location in San Francisco’s Presidio military base near the Golden Gate Bridge.

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