Lately we have not been experiencing too many new wines to let you know about. It’s a dirty job, but we are working are way through some whites that have been laying around to make room for some new wines. We do have a bottle of Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc that we will crack open in the next day or two. I know the name is just too precious, but the wine is getting a lot of buzz, so stay tuned.
As often happens the web has yielded a few interesting stories to share:
Box Wine Without the Box
If you have ever bought some boxed wine, you know that the wine is in a plastic bladder or bag that sits within the box. Well Glenora Winery from the Finger Lakes region of New York has just released their Trestle Creek Reisling in a 1.5 liter plastic bag sans the box. It just strikes the Wine Witch as an unwieldy container that would flop around your table top. Supposedly much of the milk in Canada is packaged this way, so somebody figured the logistics of serving liquids from bags out.
Starbucks and Wine
Now that there is a Starbucks or one of its clones on every street corner what is the next frontier for the coffee giant to conquer. Well it appears that Starbucks has been operating two “stealth” locations in greater Seattle to test out a new concept – a cafe that serves wine, beer, and savory snacks in addition to the usual coffee house fare. These locations are more rustic with fireplaces and wood paneling instead of the industrial chic atmosphere of most outlets. The experiment must have been a huge success because they are re-branding the two locations as Starbucks and will be looking for expansion opportunities.
The Alabama Wine Trail
The what?? Indeed – I just read a lengthy article on the subject. There are a number of wineries in the northern end of the state outside Birmingham. The Wine Witch has not had any wine from Alabama. The reason I bring it up is to remind you that every state (except Alaska) has a wine industry. I have had some great wines from New Mexico and Texas – states you do not associate with wine. So expand your horizons and palate beyond the Left Coast and seek out some local gems.
Related posts:
Posted in 
I was reading through some of your older posts because I was lookoing for a new wine to try. Your love for New Zealand SBs was quite convincing – especially since I’d never had an SB from NZ before! I tried Monkey Bay. It was different, and I enjoyed it – it definitely “hit you over the head” much more than the West Coast U.S. SBs do. Thanks again for the reviews and recommendations!
Ann,
Thanks so much for the support. You can’t ignore a NZ SB. You either love them or hate them. The Cupcake I will be trying over the weekend is from NZ, so look for the review soon.
Suzie