Alice Feiring's Blog
A Vine Story
Blue Wine
Cal Wineries
Cellar Rat
Chicago Pinot
Chowhound
Daedalus Howell
Drink of the Week
eBacchus
Erika Lenkerts' Glam Blog
Flights Wine Blog
Food and Wine Blog - Baltimore
Making
Homemade Wine and Beer
Manage Your Cellar
The Mixologist
Mountain Vines Publishing
MustLoveWine
Napa Man
Nirvino
Paso Robles Wineries
Pinch My Salt
Red Wine Haiku
Restaurant Girl
Sideways Wine Club
So Bon Vivant
Style Hive
Swirling Notions
TasteTV
TexaCali Wine
Vin Bio
Vino Diversity
Vinfolio
Vino Keeno
Vinography Wine Blog
WineCountry.com blog
Wine Journal
WineLibraryTV
Wine Recipes
WineRendez-vous
A Wine Story
Wine X Mag
ZAP: Zinfandel Advocates
& Producers
Zinquisition
Some Chardonnay with Your Lingerie? Yes, Please!
Why Can't We All Be Gangsters? Or, What Lil Wayne Can Teach Us About Wine
Where to Save, Where to Splurge In Wine Country
Are Women Better Tasters? Um, Yes!
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
Powered by:
Movable
Type 3.2
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
« February 2009 • Main • April 2009 »
March 28, 2009
filed under: Ramblings
Economy got you down? News flash: Americans are spending more these days on "affordable luxuries" that make staying in at night even more fabulous than going out. Among the newly hot items fueling the stay-at-home fire, you'll find lingerie (seriously, check out this link) and, you guessed it!, wine. I, for one, am a huge proponent of drinking at home (okay, drinking anywhere, but hang on I have a point) - because of the way it allows you to really take your time with a bottle of something special, savoring each sip and glass as it evolves. Plus, when you're at home you can even - as it seems some of us already are - wear your most racy new lingerie while sipping a properly decanted, sure-to-be-savored wine (note: to achieve maximum satisfaction don't try this alone).
If that's not a cure for the recession blues, I don't know what is.
Posted by Courtney at 02:11 PM • Comments (0)
filed under: Hip Tasters
In this, my first column for terroir-evangelizing site AppellationAmerica.com, I explore how a diminutive rapper's take on life can inspire the best in winemaking (seriously!!). Here's an excerpt - be sure to click through (below) the read the whole thing. I had a lot of fun putting it together. Cheers! - CC
Making great wine, like any creative pursuit, calls for great inspiration. After all, winemakers - like other artists - don't operate in a vacuum. Hardly. Over the years, winemakers the world over have gleaned inspiration from the likes of art, jazz, classical music, cuisine, and even films in crafting their blends.
And so, given this penchant for looking to the arts for ideas, I wonder why winemakers can't also look to rap for inspiration? It is, after all, an art form just like the others; its creators also artists searching for a means of expression.
Take Lil Wayne, for example. When the 26-year-old rapper sat down with Katie Couric last month to dish on everything from his name to his music to his unabashed love of weed, the New Orleans native and eight-time Grammy nominee offered up this choice summation...
Photo: MusicRemedy.com
Posted by Courtney at 03:15 PM • Comments (0)
filed under: Ramblings
From my column at WineCountry.com - user-friendly tips for the economic clime. :) Hope you enjoy!
I can recall, with embarrassing clarity, buying Chuck Shaw by the caseload in the drearily cash-strapped era that followed my graduation from college. And though I quickly "graduated" beyond the realm of such inexpensive sippers around the time of my first raise, today's tough economic times have many of us - yours truly included - contemplating a reunion with bargain sips like Mr. Shaw's and others of his ilk.
To be sure, the crisis thinking fueling these considerations isn't limited to wine consumption alone. Wine country visitors, as well, are wondering where they can cut corners on visits in order to spend less while still enjoying their fair share of the pleasures wine country has to offer. They're looking for easy, smart ways to extend their spending power at a time when all of us are getting by on less.
And so, in a valiant effort to keep the good times - and the good drink - flowing, we're here to help you do just that. Read on for our top suggestions on where to save and - as important - where to splurge in wine country this season. Because if one thing is a constant no matter the economic clime, it's that we can all use a little affordable luxury every now and then to keep our spirits afloat.
Splurge - Michelin Meal (one star, not three ;))
Save - Lodging for Less
Splurge - Sweet Sensation
Save - Spa Saver
Splurge - Picnic Chic
Save - Blue Plate Bonus
Splurge - Caffeine Connection
Save - Gratis Grub
Splurge - Outdoor Adventure
Save - Corkage Connection
Get the full story at WineCountry.com
Posted by Courtney at 02:44 PM • Comments (0)
filed under: Ramblings
There are a few quotes from me in a new Sac Bee article on gender issues - specifically, why I think women are better at tasting than men - that may ruffle a few feathers. And isn't that, after all, the spirit of the media today? It seems if you can't be controversial then don't bother. In this instance, that's right up my alley. Thanks to writer Chris Macias for reaching out to me for quotes - and hope you all enjoy!
Cheers, CC
Excerpt:
Do women taste differently than men?
We don't mean this in a cannibalistic sort of way, but rather in the juicy world of wine. The conventional wisdom: Women have a more perceptive palate than men.
Courtney Cochran swears this is true. She's a sommelier and author based in San Francisco, and her life revolves around sipping and speaking about wine.
'What I've come to understand is that women are inherently better tasters than men," says Cochran. "Oftentimes when I teach classes I have beginners, and when I ask people to volunteer what they're (tasting) the women are shooting their hands up. I can't call on them quickly enough. Their descriptions from the wine glass can be so nuanced and fabulous. I'm like, 'Who are you?''
Continue reading the full article here
photo: John Curley; pictured: my sister, Claire, and pal Antra at my book launch, SF Fall 2007
Posted by Courtney at 11:20 AM • Comments (0)
