The New York Times Knowledge Network Introduces New Online Course: Napa cabernet

For wine enthusiasts who wish to learn more about the culture and history of wine making, The New York Times presents “California Wines: Napa Cabernet,” a new online course designed to help students explore and taste the wines of California , with a particular focus on Napa Cabernet. Students will learn about the viniculture, flavors, and winemaking that distinguish California wines and will expand their knowledge of the various regions of this great winemaking state and their distinguishing features.

This self-paced course, taught by The New York Times’ Eric Asimov, Chris Cree, and Cathy Corison, will include topics such as:

The evolution of Napa Valley into a world-class wine region, and the main people and events who made this transformation possible;
The key natural features of wine regions;
The unique styles and techniques of various winemakers;
Statistical, physical, and organizational comparisons of Napa to other regions in California , Bordeaux , and around the world.
What distinguishes Cabernet grapes from Napa from other Bordeaux varieties.

Students will also have access to an archived webcast that includes The Times’ instructors tasting and reviewing six amazing wines. To register for this new online course or for more information, please visit: http://www.nytimesknownow.com/index.php/california-wines-napa-cabernet/.

This Program of Study course is part of the New York Times Knowledge Network, which is open to consumers nationwide. Programs of Study courses, developed and taught by New York Times journalists or professional staff, cover a variety of topics and are delivered online. Students can select any number of these courses: to stand alone, or be taken as a sequence.

Chanel, wine, and Karl Lagerfeld labels

Did you know CHANEL has a celebrated winery - Chateau Rauzan-Segla?.... They are launching their new 2009 vintage which has a very special Karl Lagerfeld designed label. The most fashionable way to consume wine or the chicest way to consume fashion!?!  This Grand Cru Classé will hit retail in March at fine wine purveyors nationwide for $129.

Founded in 1661 by Pierre de Rauzan, Château Rauzan-Ségla, situated in the heart of the Margaux appellation, was acquired by CHANEL in 1994.

With its unique experience in luxury goods, CHANEL, endeavors to exalt the unique and precious qualities of this great vineyard with the upmost care and respect to its vines. The incomparable rich bouquet, silky intense tannins and elegant taste make this Grand Cru Classé an exceptional wine.

On its 350th Anniversary and to celebrate the exceptional quality of the 2009 vintage Château Rauzan-Ségla is proud to announce a very special – one time only – collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld. To honor these two milestones (the anniversary and exceptional vintage), Lagerfeld has brought his iconic drawing style to the label with a rendering of the Château Rauzan-Ségla.

(Go here for the artsy video.)

WinechannelTV celebrates Waitangi Day

On Saturday February 4th, WinechannelTV is celebrating Waitangi Day (New Zealand's National holiday) with a virtual wine tasting and cooking demonstration. Wine enthusiasts are encouraged to gather a group of friends, register, and tune in with fellow-wine lovers from around the globe. The online wine tasting will be a fun, social way to learn about New Zealand's finest wines.


“We are excited to be the official host for this virtual wine tasting,” says Jess Altieri, CEO of WinechannelTV. “New Zealand offers an outstanding selection of wines that span the entire wine spectrum.”

Registration for the event is free.

Please visit: http://nzwineday2012.eventbrite.com/ for more information.

ABC and Shinn Estate Vineyards, Long Island

ABC Kitchen is undoubtedly known for its cuisine: farm-to-table inspired fare that relies on the freshest of ingredients to create memorable, delicious dishes. Yet, as rich of a story the cookery holds, there is an equal – if much lesser known – beverage narrative. Specifically, ABC Kitchen’s selection of wine is laudable for its dedication to organic, sustainable, and/or biodynamic wines (an astounding 100 percent of the wine list falls within this designation).

One area of particular interest for us – and for the team at ABC Kitchen – is that of biodynamics. To understand more about this type of wine, we connected with Emma Germershausen and Ann Marie Del Bello, manager and sommelier at ABC Kitchen, respectively. Biodynamic agriculture, they explained, is not just a way of farming – it is a way of thinking. Adherents of biodynamic philosophies often go misunderstood because of the lack of mainstream awareness and misinformation around the practices. According to Ann Marie and Emma, the best way to understand this way of farming is to go straight to the source.

This, in our case, would require visiting Shinn Estate Vineyard, a winery / bed and breakfast located on Long Island’s North Fork. Helmed by Barbara Shinn and her husband, David Page, Shinn Estate is the only 100 percent biodynamic, Demeter-certified vineyard on Long Island (and the 2008 Shinn Estate Merlot has been a staple bottle on ABC Kitchen’s wine list).

For more information and to see a video, go here.

ClubW Marks the End of the Wine Snob Era

New York City -- This is no stuffy wine-and-cheese party at the Country Club… This is ClubW, a brand new wine club and retail site for the contemporary set – a collective of easygoing, affable, stylish drinkers with perhaps a tad more class than cash. This club’s all about bringing fantastic but lesser-known wines at a great value out of obscurity and right into your home. Knowledgeable, relaxed, and social-interaction-oriented, ClubW is into educating members without pretense – introducing people from across the country to new and diverse wines and encouraging them to review, recommend and share, both in-person and on social networking sites. With a refreshingly authentic focus, the club creates a community of like-minded wine noobs, sharing the stories behind the wines/winemakers and encouraging mingling.

The site features unobtrusive, down-to-earth guidance from well-informed sommeliers (they like to be called “Wine Addicts”) along with access to a great deal of uncommon boutique wines. With ClubW, there’s no stifling commitment – you’re free to order or not, in any given month, and you can also buy wine without being a regular member. Authentic and helpful suggestions from the experts are on-hand: There are thoughtfully packaged 3, 6, and 12 bottle-per-month “experiences,” with the 3-bottle experience starting at $40 per month (including shipping). Choose your white-to-red ratio, and let them do the rest!

ClubW participation has countless perks, beyond the obvious (scoring amazing wine at your doorstep; impressing attractive dinner party guests):



· Wine price points average between $15-$25 per bottle, due to the club’s solid relationships with crazy-good yet little-known wineries, like Infinite Monkey Theorem

· An attractive referral incentive: Members receive a $5 monthly credit for every new member they sign up, each and every month that member is active

· Bringing wine into the 21st century, the club gives you instant mobile access to the site and to an exclusive ClubW-created video about your wine – thanks to individual QR codes on each bottle. Scan the code with your phone and let the video inform and enhance your experience

The brainchild of a trio of hip, man-about-town entrepreneurs – Alexander Oxman, Mark T. Lynn, and Geoffrey McFarlane – ClubW is a revolutionary online business model for a new breed of current, connected consumers. This club does more than just send great wines you might never have tasted right to your door: it educates and unites curious wine-lovers, and popularizes lesser-known boutique vineyards and brands. ClubW is about the simple joy of sharing wine with friends and reminding us to give strange and unfamiliar (grapes) a try.

Check out the introduction video at ClubW.com.

Notes on Bottle Notes Inc.

"Founder and CEO of Bottle Notes Inc, Alyssa Rapp joined Dorothy Cascerceri, senior editor at In Touch Weekly Magazine on her show on Paltalk.com to discuss wine, wine culture and Bottle Notes Inc.

"Rapp explained that she established Bottle Notes Inc. “I felt like there was an opportunity in the wine industry to create a platform to help educate and entertain 20 and 30 something’s and help brands get access to this new audience… I wanted Bottle Notes to be approachable whereas I felt like other wine magazines which were a little stuffier and snootier didn’t speak to our generation.”

"BottleNotes.com is now one of the leading platforms for new to intermediate wine enthusiasts interested in having a guide into and throughout the world of wine. The Bottle Notes community has grown to 70,000 users energetically discussing all-things wine related.

"Rapp discussed how enjoying wine is more about personal preference than the pomp and circumstance often associated with the wine world, “If you know how you take your coffee and tea, you should feel just as confident about whether or not you like or don’t like a wine.”

"Rapp suggests that a fun way to experience wine is to get a group of friends together and have each person bring a different bottle of wine of a specific theme whether it cabernets from around the world or sparkling wines from around the world. If someone brings some information about the type of wine that’s being tasted, everyone learns something while having a great wine night.

"To see the full video of Dorothy Cascerceri and Alyssa Rapp discuss wine, Bottle Notes Inc., and even some celebrity buzz please visit: Paltalk- Alyssa Rapp."