Media Samples

03 Apr 2013 Leave a Comment

by Red Wine Diva in Red Wine Diva Media Samples, Wine Chateau, Wine Tasting Tags: , ,

Explore exciting Spanish wines with great deals.

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I received an email several days ago from a college student wanting me to participate in a survey he was doing for a class.  The survey was sent to several wine bloggers.  I recognized most of the names on the email list and it seemed like good company so I decided to participate.  The questions were about blogging with some of them specifically directed toward the receiving of media samples.  He wanted to know if we (wine bloggers) thought of our media samples as simply “free wine” or if we blogged about wine simply to receive these samples.  His questions really got me thinking!

When I initially started blogging about wine, I had no idea that wineries or their media/public relations firms provided media samples so that we would tweet and blog about their wines.  I simply started blogging because I love wine.  I love the whole wine lifestyle – enjoying a glass of wine with dinner, sipping wine with friends, sharing a bottle with hubby over some great conversation as we unwind from the day  and visiting wineries and making new friends along the way.  I love it all!

A couple of years ago I received a DM (direct message) on Twitter from a winery wanting to send me a bottle of wine for a live tweet-up that was happening in the near future.  I was blown away.  Someone wanted to give me wine???  I didn’t even have a blog at that time, but I hit Twitter hard every day and had started gathering a few followers.  The thoughts of tasting a “sample bottle of wine” and sharing my thoughts with the whole Twitter-verse made me absolutely giddy!

Shortly after that, I started blogging about wine.  I’m no wine expert.  I don’t have a laundry list of flowery words to describe all the different tastes and aromas of a wine.  My descriptors are fairly limited, but my enthusiasm is not.  When I receive media samples in the mail today, I feel an obligation to taste the wines and write about them.  I am very particular about them.  I mark on the back of each bottle with a silver sharpie to identify that the bottle has to be reserved for a review to keep anyone else from opening it.

2013-04-03 19.53.04Now, don’t get me wrong.  I love getting media samples!  I have the wines shipped to my office (you know, that adult signature thing) and it is like having Christmas several times a year especially when I get in a shipment that I didn’t realize was coming – like the one I received last week.  Sometimes I wait until I get home to open the box, but other times I just can’t wait.  The suspense is too much – I have to know what is in that box.

So “Thank You” to the media firms, public relations firms and wineries that send wine my way for a review or a tweet-up.  I really appreciate the opportunity to promote your wines.

Please understand that I may not get to your wine and have an opportunity to post my thoughts for several weeks, maybe even months, but I will fulfill my obligation to you.

CHEERS!!!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1287342311/latitude-wine-bar-build-out

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NC Holiday Wine Project – Summary!

18 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment

by Red Wine Diva in Drink Local Tags: , ,

I love snow and the holidays!  Putting together the NC Holiday Wine Project was so much fun and the wineries that opted in (yes, they had to opt in!) to participate were great!  And, yes, I know I am a little late with this post, but I do want to take some time here and sum up the NC Holiday Wine Project.

So starting at the top:

NC Holiday Wine Project #1:  Raffaldini Vineyards featuring their La Dolce Vita.  Being a perfect companion for cheese and breads, this wine is actually great to have in the house year round to serve those unexpected guests.  Weighing in at 12.5% alcohol and retailing for $15 at the winery.

NC Holiday Wine Project #2: Grove Winery presented the Halbrotroken version of their Traminette.  This light elegant wine pairs well with the Holiday feast from appetizers to dessert and is mild enough to never overpower your turkey.  This wine weighs in at 12.5% alcohol and retails for $14.99.

NC Holiday Wine Project 3:  Laurel Gray Vineyards always features a special Holiday wine label on their Encore, a raspberry infused red blend bottled under the name for the Holidays.  This post was a lot of fun to work on as I used frosted glasses rimmed with chocolate – sounds like a great idea for a special Valentine’s evening as well!  Encore weighs in at 12.5% alcohol and retails for $17.

NC Holiday Wine Project #4:  Shelton Vineyards  participated in the Holiday Wine project by featuring their port.  A true aperitif, this Oporto Style port  weighs in at 18% alcohol and is a real bargain at only $16.

NC Holiday Wine Project #5:  Iron Gate Winery is another of those wineries that offers up a special Holiday wine.  This year was Blessings, a raspberry infused Pinot Noir with 4% residual sugar.  Blessings weighs in at 9% alcohol and retails for $12.85.  (This wine was a media sample from Iron Gate.)

NC Holiday Wine Project #6:  Raylen Vineyards presented their 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon.  This wine stands in a class all its own as it won the prestigious title “Best in Show” at the North Carolina state fair this year.  This wine is great to just sip by itself but it also pairs really well with ham and pork anytime of the year.  This Cab weighs in at 13.5% alcohol and retails for $15.99 at the winery.

NC Holiday Wine Project #7:  Shadow Springs Vineyard took a different approach to the holidays with something we can appreciate all winter – Merry Mist. This wine is infused with just a touch of orange and has 3.5% residual sugar.  To create a mulled wine, all you need to add is a cinnamon stick and a cozy fire to sit in front of.   Merry Mist weighs in at 12.5% alcohol and retails for $14.

NC Holiday Wine Project #8: Biltmore Estate had several recommendations for the holidays from bubbly to semi sweet to bold dry wines.  For the Holiday Wine Project, I sampled their Century Dry Rose‘.  (This wine was a media sample from Biltmore.) For those that read my blog regularly or follow my tweets, you know I LOVE a good rose’ so this was a real treat.  By far one of the best rose’ wines I have had.  If you like rose’, I highly recommend that you try this one.  The Century Dry Rose’ weighs in at 12.5% alcohol and retails for $14.99 at the winery.

NC Holiday Wine Project #9:  The final wine that was featured in the Holiday Wine Project was La-Vinia from Cauble Creek Vineyards.  La-Vinia is made from North Carolina’s native grape, the Muscadine (this one was the Carlos variety) and is sure to please anyone who prefers a bold but sweeter wine.  La-Vinia weighs in at 13% alcohol, has 4% residual sugar and retails for $15 at the winery.

Unfortunately I didn’t get to sample all the wines that I had at home for this project, but each will eventually get its own blog post up soon enough.  I want to thank all the wineries that chose to participate in the NC Holiday Wine Project.  Without you it would not have been possible.  Thank you!

Rosé Makes a Comeback!

12 Sep 2011 4 Comments

by Red Wine Diva in Wine Tasting Tags: , ,

I’ve been researching rosé for a few days now. It has been difficult to find much about the early days of this delicate pink wine that is now so trendy and has taken on such a Fab status with the wine connoisseur. America has always had a romance with French wines; however, Rosé started out in the South of France as a bone dry wine but it was not widely accepted in the US. In the 50′s the typical wine drinker in the US didn’t appreciate a dry wine. The preference was for a sweeter, higher alcohol wine. Then in the 60′s the US palate changed again with everyone becoming a wine snob and only drinking pure varietals and even though Rosé existed, it was relegated to the bottom shelf as a less than desirable wine.

So for decades, Rosé took a back seat to the more famous reds – Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot, etc. During this time, the American palate was changing once again - we now want robust, full-bodied wines with fresh fruit flavors. We want our wines to be (dare I say) orgasmic. So Rosé has been re-introduced to the American wine consumer. Today’s Rosé is modern, versatile, and elegant. It pairs with any setting or any lifestyle and is made in the dry European tradition.

I started drinking Rosé this summer (reluctantly). I was visiting Junius Lindsay Vineyards in Lexington, NC. They offered me a taste of their new Rosé and could immediately see the hesitation on my face. Smiling, they poured a sample tasting into my glass and waited for my reaction. What I was expecting was the sweet taste of a blush wine or a white zinfandel; but I was so pleasantly surprised!  On the nose I found strawberry with a hint of lime.  These aromas followed through on the palate making this a delightful wine.

This was the most refreshing wine I have had in quite some time.  It has quickly become one of my favorites.  I had thought it would only be a summer wine, but I am rethinking that.  I may have to keep it in the wine cooler all through the fall as I can see drinking this on a crisp fall evening out by the fire pit.

Junius Lindsay Vineyard

Rosé 2009 – Special Delivery

Alcohol – 11.5%

Suggested Pairing – pork (especially ham) and BBQ

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