- Wine 101
- Wine Trivia Challenge
- Recipe of the Month
- Health & Fitness

June 2008

18 -- Full Moon Day
20 -- Summer Solstice
21 -- Music Day (France 1982, now International)
22 -- Raphaël (my son!) turns 12!
JULY 4 -- INDEPENDENCE DAY

A Gesture For The Environment

We can all complain about the high price of gas but in the long term this is certainly what we need to curb the impact we have on our world. While shipping goods across the country is probably not the smartest use of fossil fuels we can at least make the most intelligent decision when we choose to do so.

There is no doubt that shipping a full case of bottles is much more efficient than shipping 12 individual packages! Since wine can be kept long enough to avoid spoilage this should be the preferred option for all of us. As an encouragement to make this carbon efficient choice we are offering today 2 Coupons:

We Love Your Referrals!

We all know that the best referral comes from a satisfied customer. Even though the term organic is now proudly associated with countless products, organic wine itself is still suffering from a poor public image. YOU CAN HELP to change that perception! Talk to your friends about the healthier and tastier alternative to conventional wines that we offer. Spread the word and we will be happy to reward you for it! Just let us know what gift you would enjoy like an extra bottle, a gift certificate for a friend, a special attention and we will set it up for you. If you own a website or are connected to a group of people, an association, a club etc... you are welcome to sign up as an affiliate and keep earning money or wine on a continuous basis!

We want to expand our Wine Club . Right now we are offering you ONE MONTH FREE when you commit to a minimum of 3 months! Pay for the first 2 months and receive the third selection free (except S&H)! You will surely decide to keep your membership after that! Help us enroll new recruits and gather more people looking after quality for the wines they drink. This will give us more power to influence producers and allow us to extend the range of wines we can provide you with.

Join the Club today and we'll deliver 3 bottles of fine wine made from organic grapes to you each month! This is both convenient and fun! We'll expand your wine repertoire by selecting three bottles of wine and shipping them directly to your home. Be a member for as long as you wish, this is a great way to discover wines you might never have tried by yourself!
Only $49.99/mo (+ S&H).

Farewell to Mother (cont'd)

I want to thank you for all the personal messages of support that we have received from you! We have been touched by the stories you shared with us and felt the universality of the feelings stirred up by this most common of experiences: losing a parent.
Life goes on, as they say; but before we bound forward with a renewed energy I wanted to draw a few lessons from this important moment. Simple things I want to remember should I be confronted again to a similar situation and that I wanted to share with you.

It is a good divine that follows his own instructions.
-- William Shakespeare

Old World Vs New World Wine

Did you ever wonder what it means when someone refers to a wine as an "Old World wine" or a "New World wine"?

In short, these expressions refer to where the wines were produced. Old World wine refers to wines produced inside of the traditional wine growing areas of Europe and North Africa; and New World wine refers to wines of newer producing regions, such as the United States, South Africa, New Zealand, Chile, Australia and Argentina.

Since New World vineyards are generally in warmer climates than those of Northern Europe, the grapes tend to be riper and produce wines that tend to be correspondingly more alcoholic and full-bodied. Some wine critics have influenced New World producers and consumers towards a fruitier style, with more use of new oak. In recent years, however, there has been a reaction against some of the overly oaky, alcoholic styles that were common a few decades ago.

Tour the World of Wines! With our Special Offers of 4, 6 and 12 bottles from around the World you will enjoy a variety of tastes and compare the winemaking styles from the confort of your home!

TOP

Wine Trivia Challenge

Question 1.) Which bar staple is actually a wine?
a.) Bitters
b.) Vermouth
c.) Amaretto

Question 2.) If someone asked you for the "crachoir" (crash-wahr), what would you look for?
a.) A grape press
b.) A spit bucket
c.) A professional cork screw

Question 3.) Herbaceous and grapefruit qualities could describe which wine?
a.) White Zinfandel
b.) Chardonnay
c.) Sauvignon Blanc

Question 4.) What devastated Europe's vineyards in the late 1800s?
a.) The Black Plague
b.) Continent wide tornadoes
c.) The Phylloxera louse

Question 5.) What is an oak barrel's life expectancy?
a.) 3 years
b.) 5 years
c.) 10 years

ANSWERS

Fish Fillets with Olives and Oregano

• 4 thick pieces white-fleshed skinless fish fillets, such as halibut (6 oz each)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 very thin lemon slices
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/3 cup pitted brine-cured green olives such as picholine, halved lengthwise (2 oz)
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano

1. Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Pat fish dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sear fillets, skinned sides down, until browned well, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer, seared sides up, to baking dish (reserve skillet), then top each fillet with a slice of lemon.
3. Add wine to skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits. Boil 30 seconds, then pour around fish. Scatter olives around fish and bake, uncovered, until fish is just cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes.
4. Transfer fish to a platter, then whisk lemon juice, oregano, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil into cooking liquid in baking dish. Season sauce with salt and pepper and spoon over fish.

Perlage Pinot Grigio 2006

TOP

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
-- Herm Albright

4 Exercises to Tone Your Arms

As the weather improves and you break out your summer wardrobe, here are a few exercises to tone up your arms.

Bicep Curls -- Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart, abs tight, shoulders squared and elbows tight against your rib cage. Grip the dumbbells with your palms facing forward and slowly curl the weights until they're at shoulder level, then slowly drop back down. The movement should be slow and controlled.

Triceps Kickbacks -- Using dumbbells, bend forward so your upper body is parallel to the floor, abs tight, feet flat and knees slightly bent. Bend your elbows so they're even with your back. Keeping your arms close to your rib cage, slowly raise the weights until your arms are straight behind you. After your arms are fully extended, squeeze your triceps, then lower your hands, returning to starting position.

Overhead Press -- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, abs tight and chest out. Bring the dumbbells to shoulder height, just to the side of each shoulder, palms facing forward. Now, slowly lift the weights overhead, bringing them toward each other as you extend your arms, pause a second, then return to starting position.

Push-ups -- Place your hands under your shoulders with your palms on the floor. Curl your toes upward so the tips of your feet touch the ground. Keeping your legs straight, raise yourself using your arms until they're fully extended, pause a moment, then lower yourself until your chin nearly touches the floor.

If you just want to tone your arms, use lighter weights so you can do 12 to 15 repetitions before your muscles tire, rest, then do two more sets. If your goal is to bulk up, use heavier weights that tire your muscles after eight reps, take a break, then do two more sets.

TOP

Wine Trivia Answers
#1. b.) Vermouth; #2. b.) A spit bucket; #3 c.) Sauvignon Blanc; #4. c.) The Phylloxera louse; #5. a.) 3 years