| 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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Winery of the Month
OK, I give up. I seem to single out wineries instead of wines of late so I'm changing this column heading. The winery I'm touting is also well represented, as it was served at the Presidential Inaugural Luncheon. Duckhorn Vineyards of Napa  Valley has been making excellent wines for many years, and was chosen to provide wines for two courses of President Obama's luncheon. Those are the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc and the 2005 Goldeneye Pinot Noir.
My wife and I sampled the Sauvignon Blanc while touring the vineyards. This is a good food wine as well as easy drinking by itself. The addition of 25% Semillon provides added body and a great creamy mouth feel with lots of citrus, and good acidity. We had the Pinot Noir at the end of the  tasting, and even with the number of impressive wines preceding it, showed up very well. Goldeneye is Duckhorn's label for wines that source their fruit from Anderson Valley in Mendocino County. This pinot is big and earthy with black cherry predominating, but followed by spicy notes. The luncheon chefs paired this wine with duck and pheasant, and it would go well with any gamey fowl, or just by itself.
To get all the details of the luncheon, including recipes and video, go to the Duckhorn Vineyards website. At the entry "Selected to be Served at Inaugural Luncheon", click on Read more . . . and yes, you too can create a presidential luncheon for your friends.
For more details of my visit to Duckhorn Vineyards, check out my blog.
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Blending Technology and Art
Growing grapes and making wine have, from time memorial, been a mix of experience, art, passion, and patience. Not so in the 21st century. We now have technology working in many areas once considered the exclusive province of the grape grower and wine master. Wine technology takes much of the guess work out of deciding what to grow, how and where. That same technology can be used to monitor, sample and adjust the nutrients, and determine how much water to use. This fact was brought home to me most clearly by a visit to Dave House, founder of House Family Wines. Click here to read about my visit to House Family Wines |
"Cooking with Jane" Hits the Road
Your Southwestern Wine Guy will be joining Jane Butel in Washington DC on February 24 at the National Press Club for a wine and dinner event. Jane will  discuss the health beneifts of chili and I wi ll discuss wines that pair well with chili. A sumptuous dinner is to be prepared by National Press Club's Chef, Jim Swenson using recipes from Jane's latest book Chili Madness. See the flyer for more details. |
| The Southwestern Wine Blog |
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Check out my blog for these and other topics
Duckhorn Wines Served at Inaugural Luncheon
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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Entertaining Wines
In years past, the principal wine makers in California came from a wine making background. You would think it would still be that way, but that's not always so. Many wineries have been bought by conglomerates, by money made in Silicon Valley and by those in the entertainment  business. The best example of this is Frank Family Vineyards of Napa Valley, owned by Rich Frank, founder of the USA network and a Disney VIP.
At Frank Family Vineyards you will find a newly built, but ageless looking, multi-story home that contains the tasting room, no tasting fees, quality wines, and dedicated and knowledgeable staff who are enthusiastic about the wines, and loved showing them off.
To read about my tasting experiences at this not-to-be-missed winery click here
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Lift your glasses to the new year and era! Be sure to check out my website and my blog!Sincerely,
Your Wine Guy
Jim Hammond |
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