Vintuba and WCWG Team-up for Thanksgiving Pairings

vespaclearsmall1I decided to hop aboard the VINTUBAVespa and do a tour of Thanksgiving wine picks with Vintuba Podcasters Chris and Jon.  They graciously invited the WCWG to announce my holiday picks and give feedback on theirs.  Vintuba is a great website which takes a world tour, giving you info and podcasts on wine, hosted by Chris, who works in the Sonoma wine industry, and Jon, a novice wine drinker from St. Louis.  Check out their site and our Podcast!

Beaujolais Nouveau Phenomenon

t_61521November 20th has come and passed with many Beaujolais Nouveau drinking parties and empty bottles.  This is an annual event occurring every third Thursday in November.  But what is the deal?  What is special about this wine and why are so many parties thrown worldwide to celebrate its release?  The Windy City Wine Guy is here to explain. Read more »

Turn Bad into Good- Vicktory Dog Wines

1-22vicktorycollectionw-wax400px11By now everyone has heard of former NFL quarterback Mike Vick and all the controversy which surrounds him.  Dog lovers will never forget the story of how he and his crew ran a dog fighting ring, and trained, tortured, and executed dogs.  Vick is currently in jail and bankrupt while the dogs that survived have been put up for adoption.  22 of the dogs were brought to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah.  Those lucky dogs are now being featured in a 22 bottle collection of Syrahs.  Each dog is represented by name and painted by Cyrus Mejia, artist and co-founder of Best Friends, to resemble their personalities.  The wine is created by Carivintas Winery,in Santa Ynez Valley, California, which specializes in making wines for nonprofit groups.  The entire collection is available for $672 (just over $30/bottle) with 10% going to Best Friends.  Get some wine and support a good cause!

Newman’s Own

newmans-ownThe entire world lost a great man this year when Paul Newman passed away.  I have always admired him as a philanthropist, an advocate of eating/drinking right, and an actor.  I grew up watching Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, Cool Hand Luke, The Hustler, and The Color of Money.  I have also been a big fan of Newman’s Own, a company Paul founded in 1982 which focuses on natural and organic foods and sends all profit to charity.  The Caesar dressing has alway been my favorite.  During a recent visit to Jewel, I ran across Newman’s Own 2006 California Cabernet Sauvignon for $13.99. Read more »

Thanksgiving Holiday Wine Pairings

66843409_f9cad3907b1Thanksgiving is on the way, which means family, turkey, lots of side dishes, and pumpkin pie.  These are staples of our American holiday.  But where there is food, there is drink, and the Windy City Wine Guy is here to help you with your holiday pairings. Read more »

Which Wines Represent the Candidates?

Everybody knows the Presidential candidates and their running mates have personality.  Well, wine has a lot of personality too.  For a little fun, the Windy City Wine Guy would like to see which wines and varietals match the candidates. Read more »

Local Buyers and Experts Give Consumer Value

The Windy City Wine Guy has dedicated multiple portions of this sight to find value for readers and consumers.  Now I decided to go out into my neighborhood, the South Loop, and speak with shop owners, experts, and GMs about the best value white and red wines they have to offer. Read more »

How to Build Your Wine Collection

When most people think of a wine collection, they think of a temperature controlled cellar containing a magnitude of expensive bottles.  It simply is not true that this is the only example- a wine collection can be comprised of a single wooden rack in the living room, or even your kitchen countertop.  Now here are a few tips to help you get started. Read more »

Hall Wines

Windy City Wine Guy attended a tasting of Hall Wines from Napa Valley at Tru and the wines impressed.  When I first walked in, I tasted their 2007 Sauvignon Blanc and it was instant refreshment- citrus and tropical fruits accompanied by minerality and a long finish.  I soon met Kathryn Hall, who owns the winery along with her husband Craig.  Kathryn has a very colorful background of being an attorney, community activist, and former US Ambassador to Austria.  Her views on organics and the environment are very conscious and refreshing.  Then it was time to try the wines… Read more »

Around the World Tasting @ South Loop Wine Cellar

The Windy City Wine Guy has always been an advocate of local neighborhood wine shops.  Mine is in the south loop at the South Loop Wine Cellar.  Amy Garman is the owner, and she carries a small selection of quality wines which she knows all about.  There are weekly tastings held at the shop, and I attended the Around the World Tasting held Saturday, October 18.  There were many distributors on hand to pour and answer questions- and they were all needed too as people poured in from all over the south loop! Read more »