Celebrating Mouton Cadet as the official wine of golf’s 2016 Ryder Cup, Baron Philippe de Rothschild has partnered with legendary course architect Robert Trent Jones, Jr. to design a special Mouton Cadet cuvée for the event.
The competition, which pits a team of 12 top golfers from the U.S. against a squad of Europeans, will take place at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, Sept. 27–Oct. 2.
The Mouton Cadet Ryder Cup Special Cuvée will be available at Hazeltine National Golf Club, as well as New York City retailers like Sherry Lehmann, with an MSRP of $15. Follow @MoutonCadetUS on Instagram for news and updates.
Southern Rocker Zac Brown Debuts Uncaged Wines
Country rocker Zac Brown has teamed up with Delicato winemaker John Killebrew to produce the first Z. Alexander Brown Uncaged wines, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a proprietary red blend. The label honors the band’s bestselling 2012 album, Uncaged. The wines will sell for $20.
Brown says, “What I remember most from childhood, apart from singing the moment I could talk, was always being in my grandma’s kitchen and watching her cook. I speak the language of food and truly love it. Bringing good food and wine together with family and friends is a natural. It’s in my blood.”
Brown’s foodie cred will be in full view at the Southern Ground Music & Food Festival in Charleston, South Carolina, scheduled for April 16–17. The event, which his band has hosted since 2010, brings local chefs, food trucks and vendors together with a full slate of country music celebs.
Looking To Lower Your Bill at the Bar? There’s an App for That
Price Per Pint, a new app invented by a Baruch College economics student, allows users to search for who has the cheapest drinks in a neighborhood at any given time.
While a recent New York City search turned up value drinks in the Financial District and Morningside Heights, the best deals are still out of town. Manhattan’s cheapest beer averages about $5.50, the most expensive of the 55 cities that Price Per Pint tracks. Miami, Los Angeles, Washington and Oakland round out the top five most expensive places to grab a beer.
Meanwhile, HopPlotter, launched by a Seattle group, is a Web site and app to find craft breweries anywhere in the world. It shows top-rated beers and touring information to help you plan your brew excursions.
Don’t Mind Splurging? World’s Best Single Malt is Named
Old Pulteney 1989 Vintage has been named as the world’s best single-malt at the World Whiskies Awards. Organized by Whisky Magazine, the competition had a record number of entries this year, and the rare 1989 Scotch from the most northerly distillery on the Scottish mainland won the grand prize.
Old Pulteney 1989 was aged in former Bourbon barrels made of American oak, which had previously contained heavily peated malt whisky. It’s not the first time Old Pulteney has won the award, as the 21-year-old won World’s Best Whisky in 2012.
Speaking of Single Malts, The Balvenie Debuts YouTube Series on Modern Craftsmakers
Scotch whisky brand The Balvenie has tapped celebrity chef Michel Roux to host The Craftsmen’s Dinner, a new series of films highlighting the U.K.’s top culinary craftsmakers. It’s a follow-up to last year’s Raw Craft series hosted by Anthony Bourdain.
In the first video, Roux meets Will Ferraby, one of the last knife makers in Britain, to see how he turns Sheffield steel into one of the finest chef knives you can buy. The series will be released on YouTube through May 24.
Meanwhile, In the Trade
Paul Pontallier, managing director of Château Margaux, has died
He passed away Monday Mar 28 after a longstanding battle with cancer. He was 59.
Considered by many as the face of first-growth Bordeaux, Pontallier arrived at Margaux in time for the historically celebrated 1983 vintage, later becoming managing director in 1990. A graduate of the University of Bordeaux’s oneology department, Pontallier’s early research focused on the influence of oak, though his later work spanned everything from organics and biodynamics to analyzing the effects of non-cork closures. He has been widely honored for his contributions and improvements to the wine industry over his long tenure with the estate.
His presence at the 2015 vintage tastings this week will be sadly missed.
Yes, Your Wine Has Arsenic. No, You Shouldn’t Care
On Thursday, it was reported that a judge dismissed a class-action lawsuit that sought damages for alleged high levels of arsenic in some California table wines. Five of California’s six largest wine producers were named as defendants, including Sutter Home, The Wine Group and Treasury Wine Estates.
The Wine Institute, a trade group, had called the lawsuit “meritless,” adding “the FDA has been monitoring the arsenic content in food and beverages for more than 20 years. Arsenic is naturally occurring in the environment in air, soil and water and is present in virtually all foods and beverages.”
Sonoma County Icons To Be Honored At 2016 Sonoma County Barrel Auction
The Sonoma County Vintners has named four industry icons to be honored at the 2016 Sonoma County Barrel Auction for their contributions to Sonoma County wines.
Helen Long Bacigalupi, founder of Bacigalupi Vineyards. At 90 years old, Bacigalupi is celebrating the 60th anniversary of her family’s Russian River Valley vineyard.
Tom Klein, proprietor of Rodney Strong Vineyards. A fourth-generation California farmer, Klein and his family purchased Rodney Strong Vineyards in 1989. They’ve made the winery a leader in sustainable practices.
David Rafanelli, proprietor of A. Rafanelli Winery. His knowledge of the soils and microclimates created vineyards that produce great quality wine grapes.
Tom Rochioli, owner of Rochioli Vineyards. Tom’s father, Joe Rochioli Jr., made history in Russian River Valley in 1968 when he began planting Pinot Noir. It was Tom who convinced his father to make wine under the Rochioli label.
Licensed wine sellers may request a ticket to the invitation-only event here.
Linfield College To Offer New Wine Immersion Program
Linfield College, site of the annual IPNC (International Pinot Noir Celebration) confab in McMinnville, Oregon, will launch a wine industry immersion program this summer. The eight-week program will incorporate trips to local vineyards and wineries, meetings with key industry experts and hands-on experience in the various aspects of grape growing, winemaking, marketing, sales and hospitality.
For more information, visit www.linfield.edu/linfield-wine-immersion.html or email Ellen Brittan at ebrittan@linfield.edu.
On The Scene
Here are some upcoming wine events that are likely to sell out in advance, so move fast!
Russian River Valley Winegrowers Single Vineyard Night
More than two dozen of the region’s top wineries will converge in Sacramento during the Russian River Valley Winegrowers’ Single Vineyard Night, scheduled for April 7. Attendees will have the opportunity to taste small-lot wines stemming from single vineyards.
Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley Passport Weekend
On April 23–24, guests will be invited to taste premium wines, enjoy gourmet food and listen to live entertainment at over 45 wineries in the Dry Creek Valley. A special “Prelude To Passport” is also offered on April 22.
Last Updated: May 4, 2023
