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June 25, 2009
What People Drink: Celebrities
filed under: Hip Tasters

Lord I love Mutineer Magazine. Just in from their uber hilarious drinks blog, this photo montage featuring the likes of Piven, Spidey (yuk), La Lohan (train wreck?), Shia and Megan Fox and...what they like to drink. It's eeeeeexcellent. Enjoy! PS don't miss the Jesus Juice feature they ran today, too - it's pretty fab.
CHECK IT
Posted by Courtney at 02:58 PM • Comments
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NYC Musings
filed under: Regional Spotlight

Just back from a whirlwind visit to NYC and thought I'd share some snaps I took around the city. More on what I did and where I went (with an emphasis on wine-inclined activities, of course) in an upcoming column for WineCountry.com I'll post here. Meanwhile, enjoy these pics. I sure enjoyed taking 'em. :)
FLICKR STREAM
Posted by Courtney at 02:31 PM • Comments
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What Do Millennials Want From Wine?
filed under: Hip Tasters
As a 30-year-old sommelier and owner of HIP TASTES EventsTM, I field this question constantly. I've spoken on panels about it and written extensively on the topic. And while I can hardly speak definitively on the needs and desires of an entire generation simply because I'm one of their ilk, I can throw into the ring what I feel are some halfway decent ideas about what they want from wine, based on personal experiences, winemaker input and some top notch research. (For those of you who are still cloudy about who the "Millennials" are: they are Americans who've turned 21 after the turn of the new Millennium).
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Continue reading my latest feature at AppellationAmerica.com on just what makes 20-something wine buyers tick. Includes highlights on wineries doing the following right:
Collaboration
DIY Spirit
Core Values
Gourmet Savvy
Including coverage of Twisted Oak Winery, Municipal Winemakers, Sutton Cellars and more. Get the full story here!
pictured: moi in NYC (just back) - enjoying a glass at City Winery
Posted by Courtney at 02:12 PM • Comments
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Going Both Ways (How to Hit Up Napa & Sonoma in a Single Trip)
filed under: Regional Spotlight
Rather like the sexes, Napa and Sonoma sometimes seem worlds apart. Farmers are from Sonoma, people often say, while the technology barons and other members of the monied set call neighboring Napa home instead.
In some ways these stereotypes ring true: I'm yet to spot a Ferrari in Sonoma but am rarely in Napa for more than 15 minutes before one or even two of the slick machines whiz by me en route to brunch at Bouchon or gallery hopping in St. Helena.
But disparate Ferrari populations aside, become a little better acquainted with these areas and I think you'll find they've got more in common than first meets the eye. And, as is the case with men and women, they can even get along alright on the same trip - albeit with a little extra planning and flexibility.
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Don't stop there! Continue reading my piece on making the most of both counties in a single trip at WineCountry.com
pictured: the historic Rhine House at Beringer Vineyards on Highway 29 in Napa Valley
Posted by Courtney at 01:55 PM • Comments
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Burn, Baby, Burn: Best Wines for BBQ
filed under: Winning Wines
Firing, roasting, and grilling are decidedly du rigueur during the summer months, but finding wines that work well with this tricky fare can be a challenge. Just as shining a spotlight on an actor onstage brings her features into focus for an audience, these cooking methods serve to concentrate the flavors of whatever's being cooked, necessitating a wine with both strength and personality to stand up to the food.
Read on for the low-down on some of the more common characteristics of flame-cooked fare and how to track down the perfect wines to pair with these traits.
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Continue reading my take on wines to pair with everything from BBQ sauces (from sweet to spicy) to grill methods at WineCountry.com
illustration by Mitch Shernoff for "Get Your Grill On", a HIP TASTES Event I produced in San Francisco in April, 2006. See party pics here. ;)
Posted by Courtney at 01:38 PM • Comments
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May 29, 2009
Wine & Video: BFFs or Strange Bedfellows?
filed under: Ramblings
Shakespeare once wrote, "all the world's a stage." But a bard savvy in today's Web 2.0 world - in which online video viewing is up an impressive 53 percent in 2009 - would no doubt say, "all the world's online - and in video!" With online video assuming the place of the most-hyped medium in today's already saturated media space, it's no wonder everyone and their winemaker is scrambling to produce a halfway decent wine video.
Fortunately, there are a growing number of wise wine ambassadors doing online video right. Whether by way of clever storylines, stellar technical skills or outstanding subject matter (in some cases a combination of all three), my top picks for oenophiles doing online video succeed in bringing brands to life - not to mention furthering viewers' knowledge, appreciation and enthusiasm for the good stuff. And that benefits everyone in the wine biz - cheers to that.
Continue reading more about A Really Goode Idea, Days of Thunder, Paradise Found, I'll Drink to That
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Cheers everyone!
Posted by Courtney at 09:51 AM • Comments
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May 26, 2009
The Vulgarization of Rose, and Other Things the French Fear
filed under: Winning Wines
Chere Rose, you mean the world to me. You are so pure, your flavors so balanced (More approachable than red! More filling than white!) I find myself fantasizing about you day and night. Often I picture myself, feet up at the end of a long day, meditating on your pale pink robe, pausing to savor a sip so lush it takes my breath away.
O Rose! You are so refreshing, you are so lively, you are the perfect companion to a slice of pate or nutty frommage comte.
I love you just as you are - never change, Rose!
Signed,
Your Biggest (AKA most loyal, ahem) French Fan
Mon Dieu! Rose At Risk
You don't have to be a die-hard rose fan to know there's something enchanting about the appealing style of wine that's neither white nor red. And while much has been made over the years about pink wines' romantic appeal, pitch-perfect summer coloring and remarkable flexibility in food pairing, little fuss has generally been raised about the way in which it's made.
Until now, that is.
Continue reading at WineCountry.com
pictured: moi, sipping rose on Sunset with great pal Alexis in LA earlier this month
Posted by Courtney at 01:38 AM • Comments
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