| Jim Hammond |
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Jim Hammond has been exploring wines in North America, Europe and Australia for more than 20 years. A published author, he includes information about wine in every book.
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| Looking for the Perfect Gift? |
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Give the giift of knowledge to your favorite beginning (or advanced) wine lover. Contact us for a gift certificate for a Wine Maestro Evening and make someone happy. |
| "Wines of Echantment" Available at the Following Locations |
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Wines of Enchantment
ISBN# 0-9709878-0-3
$7.95 Available through Amazon.com
and at
Bookworks
4022 Rio Grande Blvd NW
Albuquerque, NM
Madeleine's Place
3824 Corrales Road
Corrales, NM
Tularosa Winery
23 Coyote Canyon Road
Tularosa, NM
La Vi�a Winery
4201 S Highway 28
La Union, NM
La Vinca Winery
4201 Highway 28
Anthony, NM
Chocolate Turtle Bed & Breakfast
1098 W. Meadowlark Ln.
Corrales, NM
Frontier Mart
3677 Corrales Road
Corrales, NM
Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum
9201 Balloon Museum Dr.
Albuquerque, NM
Hacienda Manzanal Bed & Breakfast 300 W. Meadowlark Ln. Corrales, NM
End of the Vine Winery 2801 Sudderth Dr # D
Ruidoso, NM 88345
You can order the e-version by clicking on the book cover.
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| News from the Southwestern Wine Guy |
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Wine of the Month
 Once again, I'd like to discuss a winery. In fact this one is long overdue. Castoro Cellars has been my favorite winery in California's Central Coast area for more than thirty years. I don't recall another winery with which I've had that long a love affair. Although they make fine white wines, it's the reds that have endeared Castoro to me for so long.
Like most medium-sized wineries, this is a family-run place, with a dedication you can taste in every glass. Zinfandel wines are one of their specialties, but they have also been producing wines from the Primitivo grape that are maturing nicely. If you want a wine-of-the-month choice, try their 2005 Late Harvest Zinfandel, a less potent alternative to port that has flavors to spare, rich and plum-like.
California ports are traditionally made with the Zinfandel grape, but a well-made late harvest reveals more of the grape's characteristics, and if you make a great Zinfandel, chances are the late harvest version will be good, too. These are offered in half-bottles (375ml), which is a good thing, otherwise you'd be tempted to drink an entire bottle.
They also offer Spanish-styles, Tempranillo and a Malbec a bit more tannic than its Argentinean brother. That is in addition to the standard reds they offer, which are all quite good. The sign of a good winery is consistent quality, that's why I keep coming back to Castoro. It does help that you always receive a warm greeting when you visit the winery. Once there you won't want to leave. Check out their site. Cheers!
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The Wines of Christmas
 This is one of those times of year when even occasional wine drinkers scour the shelves looking for the right wine for Christmas dinner, or the right sparkling wine to bring in the New Year. Wine is also a great stocking stuffer, provided you have the sock properly secured to the mantle. In fact if I thought I'd get any wine that way, I'd put up a dozen stockings. Ah, there's nothing like a case of wine to bring a smile to a wine lover's lips.
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| The Southwestern Wine Blog |
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Check out my blog for these and other topics
Blind Wine Tasting
Finding the Right Wine for Your Bird
Must-Have Wines in
New Mexico
Paolo's Grapes
Wines with a Southern Exposure
A Judging in Albuquerque
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"Cooking with Jane" Cooking Club
Jane Butel, an "...internationally recognized  authority on the regional cooking of the American Southwest," is starting an online club "Cooking with Jane" and I will be one of the contributors in a column, Bold Foods with Bold Wine, in which I will talk about pairing wines with the often challenging and piquant foods found in Southwest cooking. |
| Upcoming Events |
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I'm pleased to be working with Elderhostel where I will be providing New Mexico wine expertise for a variety of their functions. The first of these functions will be held at the MCM Elegante hotel on December 26th of this year. I will give you a complete list of future events in next months newsletter. In the meantime, check out the programs on their site by entering your zip code into the search and looking for interesting programs in and around your area.
I just got back from two weeks in Mexico and will report next month on some of the Spanish and Chilean wines I tried while I was there. Just so you know, I'm always on the job. And such a job!
Other than that, I'll be attending lots of Christmas parties, making a list and checking it twice to find out who's been serving naughty wine and who's been out of ice.
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May the season bring you joy and heart-warming delights. Be sure to check out my website and my blog!Sincerely,
Your Wine Guy
Jim Hammond |
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