| 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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| The Southwestern Wine Blog |
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Check out my blog for these and other topics
Duckhorn Wines Served at Inaugural Luncheon
Blending Technology and Art
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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| News from the Southwestern Wine Guy |
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Wine of the Month
This month we definitely are awarding a wine. It happens to be the Limited Release D.H. Lescombes 2007 Cabernet Franc. This wine was entered into the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the largest wine competition in the world, at last count  with 4,235 entries. The Lescombes Cabernet Franc is named after the founding family of Southwest Wines who are still firmly at the helm.
All it did was win the Red Sweepstake award as the Best of Class and Best Red of 2009. You can bet that made folks sit up and take notice. I had the chance to sample this wine along with another limited release red I loved, the Mourv�dre. Both of these are limited bottling as the name suggests. There is only one bottle of Cabernet Franc to a customer. Not everyone will plunk down $80 for a bottle, but trust me, it's a steal. Beg, buy, but don't steal, a bottle before they are all gone.
This firmly puts Southwest Wines on the international wine map. Expect more great things from D.H. Lescombes, St. Clair, Blue Teal, and the other labels Southwest Wines produces. Bravo!
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| The Pope's New House is All About Wine |
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Ch�teauneuf-du-Pape is a village dedicated to wine, that even comes with a papal blessing. The name translates as the Pope's new house, and at one time it was. Pope Jean XXII had the chateau built in 1320, and it became the summer palace of future Popes of Avignon. The chateau was destroyed by the Protestants of Montbrun in 1562, and the town ravaged by Calvinist twice during the Wars of Religion. If only they'd drunk the wine first, all of this unpleasantness could have been avoided.
Read the blog here |
Smithsonian Wine Dinner
I wish I could have reported this to you from my view on the podium. Unfortunately, I got that nasty stomach virus that was going around and was grounded for the week . . . sigh! Nonetheless, Jane Butel carried on without me to rave reviews. Not that I doubted she'd win them over. The organizers said it was the most successful event of its kind at the museum.
I don't know how much Washington is stimulating us, but we sure woke them up to our southwestern cuisine. Jane offered three types of chile dishes including a Mexican tortilla chili, a clam and green chili chowder, and her signature Pecos River Bowl O' Red.
To accompany the food Gruet Winery provided their method champenoise Brut sparkling wine. Crafted from 75% chardonnay and 25% pinot noir, the wine has bright Granny Smith apple and citrus flavors and mineral notes that make this the best domestic brut under $30 in the US. Gruet has the best sparkling wine values in New Mexico, but you already know that.
Southwest Wines provided a delightful San Felipe Winery 2007 Moscato, which has all the flavors and zest of their Italian cousin, Moscato d'Asti. A floral nose and hints of tropical fruit gives way to stone fruit on the palate with berries and tropical fruit elements weaving through it. Although a sweet wine, I wouldn't limit it just to dessert. Sipping it as an aperitif on a warm spring or summer day would also be delightful.
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French Wines with a Southern Exposure
For several years now, wines of France's southern regions, most notably the Rhone and Languedoc, have been crafting wines well suited to New World wine palates.
If there was one wine that seemed to be ubiquitous when I explored Belgium and France in the mid-80s, it was Cotes-du-Rhone, which formed the basis of many repasts that revolved around bread, cheese, and p�t�. Speaking of wine and  cheese, let me tell you about one particular incident involving a French cheese called Crotte du Diable...
Read about the cheese...and wine here
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If we weren't meant to enjoy wine, why would grapes grow? Be sure to check out my website and my blog!
Sincerely,
Your Wine Guy
Jim Hammond |
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