Grapevine: The Oeno Files
The Story of O
The hippest new wineglasses, like the O series from Riedel, leave the stems on the vine. Stemless glasses are sturdier, can be stacked in your cupboard, and fit in a dishwasher. Purists say the stem keeps the hand from warming the wine, but most palates don't notice.
Does Moonshine Make Good Wine?
Biodynamic wines are popping up everywhere. So what are they? Think of them as ultraorganic. In addition to avoiding pesticides and chemicals, the growers work with the cycles of the moon. But they aren't part of a flaky fringe movement. "Some of the world's great wine producers practice biodynamic viticulture," says Sterling Roig, wine director at Marseille in New York City. "It makes for a more virtuous-tasting wine."
Say Goodbye to Stale Wines?
One in 10 bottles of wine is tainted—or "corked," in the oenophile's argot—making it smell musty and taste bitter. Now French scientists have come up with a kit called Dream Taste. You dip a copolymer shaped like a bunch of grapes into the wine, where it absorbs the flavor-spoiling molecules.
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If you aren't going to finish that bottle, here are some ways to keep it fresh. Simply popping the cork back in and refrigerating will work for one day. For up to three days, try VACUVIN ($15), which uses a stopper and a small plastic hand pump to create a partial vacuum inside the bottle. RESERVE ($190) introduces a layer of inert gas over the wine, keeping air out and wine drinkable for six days. The PEK WINE STEWARD ($219), right, uses inert gas and temperature control to keep wine full of flavor for up to two weeks.
Case Studies
Some new reading for the wine savvy that's worth a toast or two
JUDGMENT OF PARIS
George M. Taber ($25)
Recounts the 1976 event at which French experts compared some of Gaul's finest with a new generation of California wines—and California won.
WINDOWS ON THE WORLD COMPLETE WINE COURSE: 2006 EDITION
Kevin Zraly ($25)
Got a wine question? The 20th-anniversary edition of the top-selling U.S. guide will probably answer it.
A WINE JOURNEY ALONG THE RUSSIAN RIVER
Steve Heimoff ($25)
Part wine guide, part travelogue, this book explores California's fertile region from Alexander Valley to Sonoma.
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