About Me – James Melendez, James the Wine Guy
I love wine, I am obsessed with the subject, the art, the history, the science. In wine there is something for everyone, and for everyone there is a wine to fit one’s palette. I believe wine is for the masses, not just a select few. Wine has been perceived to be for the upper castes but it is accessible to all.
My experience is still a lot of intimidation with respect to wine. Wine means many things to many people; status, fear, success, ‘you’ve arrived’, enjoyment, good times, tradition and even ceremony. Wine was never meant to be for just a few people but for anyone who enjoys wine.
Wine is a complex subject because of some fundamental differences between naming convention between Europe and the new world. And wine is also complex for other reasons; there are many grape varietals that end up producing wines that are different from the next; and then there are state of wine: sparkling still and fortified wines. There are other complexities such as wine making styles, wines from the same region (same varietal) can be different from one another. Also, there is the question of quantity (what is available) and then there is the differences in distributing wine and the complication of geography and regulation.
Many beverages have complexity in the product but we do not over think in the enjoyment. Think about beer, gin, vodka, sake; these are complex beverages as well. But most will enjoy these beverages but without intimidation; that is how wine should be enjoyed.
I adore almost all wine varietals as each have something to offer. I am fond of Albariño, Assyrtiko, Auxerrois Blanc, Barbera, Blaufränkisch, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourcin, Charbono, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Grenache, Grüner Veltliner, Malbec, Marzemino, Merlot, Mondeuse, Montepulciano, Mourvedre, Muscat Canelli, Nebbiolo, Nerello Mascalese, Palomino, Pedro Ximenez, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, Pigato, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, Refosco, Riesling, Rkatsiteli, Roditis, Roussanne, Sangiovese, Saperavi, Sauvignon Blanc, Schiava, Schiopettino, Semillon, Syrah / Shiraz, Tempranillo, Teroldego, Tinta Amarela, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cao, Tinta Roriz, Tocai Friulano, Torrontes, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira, Uva di Troia, Verdicchio, Vermentino, Viognier, Xarellom, Zinfandel, to name a few.
Some of my favourite wines come from Napa: Howell Mountain, Stag’s Leap District, Carneros, Mount Veeder, Calistoga, Rutherford, Oakville, Spring Mountain District, Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma Valley, Knights Valley, Chalk Hill, Green Valley, Anderson Valley, McDowell Valley, Cole Ranch, Santa Barbara, York Mountain, Paso Robles, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands, Arroyo Grande, Amador County, California; Willamette Valley, Oregon; Central Otago, Martinborough, Canterbury, Marlborough, New Zealand; Clare Valley, Barossa Valley, Eden Valley, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra, Padthaway, Hunter Valley Mudgee, Rutherglen, Yarra Valley, Margaret Valley, Margaret River, Australia; Stellenbosch, Constantia, Walker Bay, Paarl, South Africa; Republic of Georgia; Finger Lakes, North Fork – Long Island, New York; Texas Hill Country; Emilia Romagna, Friuli Venezia Guilia, Barolo, Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Sicily, Trentino Alto Adige, Puglia, Italy; Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, Rhone Valley, Alsace, Languedoc-Roussillon, France; Navarra, Jerez, La Mancha, Priorato, Rias Baixas, Ribera del Duero, Spain; Douro, Madiera, Portugal; Hungary; Israel; Lebanon; Greece; Guadalupe Valley, México; Mendoza, Argentina; Casablanca Valley, Maipo Valley, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley, Chile; Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Baden, Rheinau; Germany; Wachau, Kamtal-Donauland, Austria
Wine is about evocation and a desire to draw those in that are closest to us to enjoy good times. Life is tough for most of us and it is nice to celebrate life with those near and even far. At days end, what wine is really about is sitting around a table with family and friends raising your wine glass and saying—to life!
¡Salud!
***
A plethora of wine reviews from wines regions around the world. Read more of my wine reviews:jamesthewineguy.wordpress.com © 2010 James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez – All Rights Reserved. James the Wine Guy also on Facebook, Twitter and most major social medias.
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Other blogs:
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jamestherestaurantguy.wordpress.com
jamesthetravelguy.wordpress.com
jamesthedesignguy.wordpress.com
jamesandthecity.wordpress.com
jamesthemusicguy.wordpress.com
jamesthetechguy.wordpress.com
jamesthecustomerexperienceguy.wordpress.com
northamericanfoodproject.wordpress.com
jamesthemarketingguy.wordpress.com
jamesthebeerguy.wordpress.com
Comments
Hi James; I enjoyed reading your comments. No Synth cork!! Mike
hi Jaime:
I import boutique wines from Argentina
I am in Redwood City, CA
How can I get ahold of you?
i received an e-mail from Conalbi Grinberg.
Sergio said you were interested in his wines.
all the best,
Ines Colombetti
Best of Argentina
I tried to update my google blogger blog to the new version and now I can’t access it.
Is this a good blog system to use? I guess I have to start a new one. It makes me mad when a company tries to “improve” things and makes them too hard or impossible to use.
Thanks, Sandy
Hi James,
Your descriptors are so enticing, I feel that I am there to enjoy the wine with you. I really enjoy reading your blog.
Hey, JP the wine guy, I used to be a wino, so I know what you mean about loving wine. But not for me anymore, 31 and a half years without an alcoholic beverage. Do you have any non-alcoholic wines you could recommend? I like the white Zinfandel, but do they sell quality wines in NM?
(Did you see the Monk episode with Tony Shalhoop when he thought he was getting non-alcohol wine when he was investigating a crime, and got looped? He didn’t have a tolerance for it. I think it was the sugar or grapes he was allergic to.)
By the way, I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday. Wow. Miss you. Love, Sandy
I LOVE your picture. You look as delicious as the wines. Love, Sandy
Hello,
Sorry to be leaving a comment, in reality I wanted to email you but couldn’t find an email address.
My name is Ciara Carruthers. I am the staff writer for a website called travelcalifornia.com and we currently trying to boost our link popularity. I wanted to ask you if you would be interested in selling a link to us on one of your pages?
We can offer $20 for the link, and would ask that the links would go from one of your pages focused on the Alexander Valley or the wines from there, to our page which is found here http://www.travelcalifornia.com/winery/alexandervalley/body_alexandervalley.htm
If this is something which you would be interested in, we could arrange the payment via paypal.
Thanks in advance and I look forward to hearing from you,
Ciara
Hey James,
Love the presentation at My Possibilities yesterday. I was only sorry that I was pouring the wines and tasting them!!! Next time!
If you decide to go to South Africa, get in contact with us and we will point you in the right direction for some beautiful wine estates and also some great places to visit.
Kindest regards, Lez Meggersee
Hi James, my compliments for your blog I found really interesting.
I’ve appreciated you have published also something about our Apulian wines, just forgot to add Puglia in your “favourite wines come from” list.
I invite you to take a look at my Off The Beaten Track Apulia Tours blog, on http://wp.me/pRt63-b you could find a Luxury Wine Tour of Apulia.
Cheers
Are you planning to attend Grape & Gourmet on 7/7 in Sacramento? It’s the venue for the CA State Fair to announce the winners of their wine competition. Save Mart is hosting a private tasting of 6 wines in the competition, for media, wine bloggers, and selected partners only. Please contact me if you are interested. Our tasting is at 2 pm in our Grape & Gourmet booth. Thanks!
Thank you, James, for a year for a year of fabulous reviews. As you say, wines should be for the masses. I say, so should a great review. You have mastered the art of a review which is intelligent, accessible and entertaining. Cheers to an exciting and memorable 2013! Looking forward to seeing you around the wine events – or better yet, right here in the Red Hills of Lake County!
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