Dave McIntyre's WineLine

It's Official: The Donald Trumps Kluge Estate's Auction Bid

So let the naming games begin: Donald Trump has purchased the Kluge Estate winery and vineyard near Monticello, apparently as a “white knight” investor to keep Patricia Kluge and her husband, Bill Moses, in charge of the winery. Trump purchased the bulk of the estate April 7 in a foreclosure auction, and told The Washington Post he would keep Kluge involved. (As  I first noted last November on the Post's All We Can Eat food blog, Kluge and Moses were reportedly trying to interest Trump in the property shortly after their bank called the loan.)

While Kluge and Moses may remain, Trump told the Post he would rename the winery. Will it be Truge Estate? Trumpicello? Will he replace the cameo of Patricia's image on the New World Red (see photo) with his own mug shot? Since he’s promoting the “birther” controversy over President Obama’s citizenship, maybe he’ll try to convince us the vineyard isn’t really in Virginia after all.

Whatever he calls it, he paid Trump Change. Kluge and Moses lost the sprawling estate last fall in a spectacular bankruptcy when their bank called in a $35 million loan on more than 900 acres they owned south of Charlottesville, not far from the historic estates of Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe. According to Charlottesville wine blogger Richard Leahy, Trump and another unidentified bidder split the estate - total bidding price was a mere $8.07 million.

Trump’s parcel included the winery and the vineyards, at more than 160 acres planted, Virginia’s largest. “I’m really interested in good real estate, not so much in wine,” Trump told the Post in an phone interview after the auction. “This place had a $28 million mortgage on it, and I bought it for $6.2 million.”

Wonder what he’ll charge for the wine ...

 

(This post originally appeared in slightly different form on The Washington Post's All We Can Eat blog on April 8.)

Talking Norton at DLW11

The DrinkLocalWine.com 2011 Conference is underway, with a discussion
about Missouri's reliance on non-vinifera grapes. The great Doug Frost
is leading the discussion with three of the Show Me State's leading
winemakers: Andrew Meggitt of St James Winery, Cory Bomgaars of Les
Bourgeois Vineyards, and Tony Kooyumjian of Augusta Winery.

The discussion went through seyval blanc, Vidal, vignoles, traminette
and Chambourcin before turning to Missouri's official state grape, the
Norton. Missouri makes some delicious Norton, and there is a distinct
style difference from Virginia's. Meggitt said the key is to "grow it
like a red grape but make it like a white wine" in the winery. The
hour is up, unfortunately; I wish this discussion could continue.

Tweet me in St. Louis: DLW11 Begins

DLW11 Is underway in St Louis. We started today with a discussion of how wineries can use social media like Facebook, Twitter and blogs to connect with consumers on their own terms, without going through the choke point of the winestream media. Then we had a mini Twitter Tasteoff, as a preview for tomorrow. The three wines represented the three annual conferences DrinkLocalWine.com has produced - the Becker 2009 Viognier from Texas represented our debut conference, the Boordy 2007 Merlot from Maryland reminded us of last year's focus on the Mid-Atlantic, and the Stone Hill Estate 2007 Norton did this year's host state proud. Tomorrow there will be more talking, of course -- it's a conference, after all. But the highlight will be the afternoon's Twitter Tasteoff, with 21 Missouri wineries pouring two wines each. We expect about 100 people will join in the fun on person. Y If you can't be here, you can follow along on Twitter at #DLWMO or #MOWINE. As in, "Gimme MOWINE!"

DLW2011 is This Weekend!

I haven't been posting much lately because I've been too damn tired. And I was unable to make it to Taste Washington in Seattle, unfortunately. But I am excited that I'll be able to get away this weekend to St. Louis to participate in the DrinkLocalWine.com 2011 Conference on April 2. Gotta get me some of that tasty Missouri wine!

Aside from a few thought-provoking panel discussions, we will have the annual Twitter Taste-Off, which this year will include a special Missouri Blind Tasting Challenge, in which we will challenge you to distinguish Missouri wines from California wines. That's the type of challenge I always think is easy, and then I embarrass myself. But the idea is to showcase the quality of local wine - and local, this weekend, means Missouri.

If you can't make it to St. Louis for the April 2 discussions and tasting or the April 3 winery visits, you can follow the fun on Twitter at #DLWMO.

Cheers!
Dave

 

Follow DLW 2011: Missouri on Twitter

What's the best way to share the fun of the Missouri Twitter Taste-off at DLW 2011: Missouri? Follow the festivities on Twitter at #DLWMO. And, the DrinkLocalWine.com Twitter experts report, there is also much DLW information at #DLW (though some are also in German).

via www.drinklocalwine.com

Just two weeks until the 2011 DrinkLocalWine.com conference in St. Louis! Yes - Missouri wine: Bring us your Nortons, your vidals, yearning to breathe free.

Agh! Public Speaking - Seattle and St. Louis

In high school, I hated public speaking class. In grad school, I was a lousy teaching assistant. But maybe that's because I didn't have anything worth speaking about. Like wine, for instance.

In the next few weeks I'll be venturing out of my cave for three (yikes!) public speaking engagements. The first two will be March 26 in Seattle at Taste Washington!, an annual event sponsored by the Washington Wine Commission to showcase that state's wonderful wines. I'll be on a panel discussing the terrific Seven Hills Vineyard, giving the consumer/critic's perspective along with a top-notch group of winemakers: Marty Clubb of L'Ecole No 41, Chris Figgins of Figgins Family Wine Estates (including Leonetti Cellars), and Jean-François Pellet of Pepper Bridge Winery, plus Drew Hendricks (Master Sommelier!) of Pappas Brothers restaurants. The panel will be moderated by the Wine Commission's Shayn Bjornholm (another Master Sommelier!). So I may be mostly in listening mode for this one ...

That afternoon I'll join some fellow wine writers for a panel called "What's the Point(s)?" We'll discuss different ways (100 points, stars, etc) of "quantifying the quality" of wine in general and Washington wine in particular. The panel will be moderated by Sean Sullivan, the energetic and talented author of Washington Wine Report, and my fellow speakers will be Sara Schneider of Sunset magazine and Rebecca Murphy of The Dallas Morning News. This will be a raucous, fun discussion.

The next weekend, April 2, is the DrinkLocalWine.com 2011 Conference and Twitter Taste-Off, this year focusing on Missouri wines. (Unofficial conference slogan: "Tweet Me in St. Louis!") I'll be moderating a panel discussion on "Does Locavore = Locapour?" My fellow panelists will be Ann Pollack, of the popular blog St. Louis Eats and Drinks; Glenn Bardgett, wine director of Annie Gunn's Restaurant (and a James Beard Award semi-finalist this year!); Debra Grace, of Grace Manor Restaurant; and Todd Kliman, Washingtonian magazine's food and wine editor and author of the award-winning The Wild Vine, a story of the Norton grape. (And a James Beard Award winner!)

This should be fun! Whether your passion is Columbia Valley Riesling and Syrah, or Missouri Norton and Vidal, I hope to see you! And don't forget to follow Twitter tage #DLWMO.

Cut to the Front of the Line for Kosta Browne ...

If you're dying to get your hands on some cult California pinot noir, here's your chance to cut to the front of the line for Kosta Browne's mail list, and help a good cause to boot!

And if you ever wonder if those medals draped around bottles on display at a local winery actually mean anything, well ... read this. But of course, don't forget my recommendations of wines worth paying attention to this week ...

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! DLW11 is Coming!

DLW 2011: Missouri will feature some of the top names in Missouri and regional wine as well a live Internet radio broadcast and an expanded version of our trademark Twitter Taste-off on April 2, 2011, at the Doubletree Westport in suburban St. Louis.

The  schedule for the third annual event includes Doug Frost, MS, MW, the godfather of American regional wine; Eric V. Orange, the founder and CEO of LocalWineEvents.com; Missouri winemakers Andrew Meggitt of St. James and Cory Bomgaars of Les Bourgeois; Todd Kliman, author of The Wild Vine, the best-seller about Missouri’s norton grape; St. Louis sommelier extraordinare Glenn Bardgett of Annie Gunn’s; and DLW co-founder Dave McIntyre of the Washington Post. [That's me!]

Olivia Wilder, host of the top-rated Olivia Wilder Times, will do her radio show live from the Missouri Twitter Taste-off on the blogtalkradio.com network, interviewing the winemakers and wine personalities in attendance.

Some two dozen Missouri wineries will pour two wines each for the Twitter Taste-off on April 2, where participants will blog or Twitter about what they've tasted.  We’ll give awards to the best wines, as voted by the taste-off participants (who must be 21 or older).

“Every year, we put together a great program, and I wonder how we’ll ever do better than that,” says DLW co-founder Jeff Siegel, the proprietor of the Wine Curmudgeon blog. “And the next year we always do. I think that has a lot to say about the quality and depth in regional wine.”

Ticket packages start at $35, which is the price for the Twitter taste-off and a buffet reception with the winemakers and wine personalities at the conference. Go to DrinkLocalWine.com for a complete schedule and to order tickets. For information, call (214) 727-1992.

DLW 2011 follows the success of the group’s first two conferences -- in Dallas featuring Texas wine in 2009 and in Leesburg, Va., featuring Virginia and Maryland wine in 2010. DLW also holds an annual Regional Wine Week in October, in which more than 40 wine bloggers, writers and columnists from the U.S. and Canada write about their favorite regional wines, ranging from Ontario to New York to Florida to Texas to Colorado.

DrinkLocalWine.com's goal is to spotlight wine made in the 47 states and Canada that aren't California, Washington, and Oregon. It's the brainchild of Washington Post wine columnist Dave McIntyre and wine blogger Jeff Siegel, the Wine Curmudgeon.

Conference sponsors are the Missouri Wine and Grape Board; LocalWineEvents.com; Annie Gunn’s;  the Doubletree Westport; and the St. Charles County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

DLW2011: Meet Me in St. Louis

Want to join the fun on April 2-3 in St. Louis? The conference will be held at the Doubletree Westport in suburban St. Louis. Ticket packages start at $35, which includes the Missouri Twitter Taste-off -- two wines each from some two dozen Missouri wineries. You can buy tickets on-line at the link. The complete schedule is here.

via www.drinklocalwine.com

 

There's less than a month to the 2011 DrinkLocalWine.com Conference in St. Louis! Yes - Missouri wine: Bring us your Nortons, your seyval, your vidal, yearning to breathe free ... Sponsored by the Missouri Wine & Grape Board.

Wine News: Are We 'Buying Up' Again? Yet?

The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Market Enforcement Branch saw a spike last year in the number of complaints filed by wine grape growers against buyers who couldn’t fulfill their contracts, the North Bay Business Journal reported this week.  While these cases don’t involve any names you’re likely to recognize, they demonstrate the poor economy’s continuing impact on the U.S. wine industry.

Yet the wine industry continues to try to drum up some good news. (Can we string a few more infinitives in there just for good measure??) Bloomberg reported this week that younger wine drinkers are once again “buying up” by choosing pricier bottles in restaurants. The beneficiaries of this, according to Bloomberg? Constellation Brands and Diageo.

Well, okay. These wine industry behemoths produce enough wines at various price levels that they are probably pretty well insulated against the vicissitudes of recession. Or consonance. If consumers are indeed “buying up” over what they were willing to pay a year or two ago - whether in retail or restaurants - I would like to hear about it. More likely, this is wishful thinking. Consumers may be less reticent about spending money on wine now that the recession is easing, but my bet is that we’ve learned over the last few years that there are plenty of terrific wines available that cost a lot less than what we were used to paying. Maybe prestige of price is less valuable than it was before, while we’ve discovered that quality of taste can be had for less.

Are you spending more - and more comfortably - than you were a year or two ago? In other words, is the wine recession over for you personally? Or have your buying habits - in stores or restaurants - changed permanently because of the recession? Please let me know in the comments.