An article from the WSJ yesterday discusses the bet that certain Canadian wine producers made on planting varietals that might not ordinarily survive a full growing season by virtue of their latitude. Here’s en excerpt:

The borders of the world’s grape-growing regions are shifting away from the equator and toward the poles, redrawing the world wine map in the process. Traditional winemaking powerhouses such as Napa and parts of Australia are struggling with excessive heat. Formerly frosty climes like this verdant corner of British Columbia are beginning to produce first-rate wines.

“There is concern in some areas, and there is opportunity in others,” says Gregory V. Jones, a professor of climatology at Southern Oregon University, who is a leading researcher on the subject of viticulture and climate. “Canada will be one of the winners in the wine world.”

Full article: Northern Vintage: Canada’s Wines Rise With Mercury – Growers Try Classy Grapes, Shed Punch-Line Status; Mr. Kennedy Sells His Cows

While searching for information on some sleeper vintages, I came across this article from the NYTimes, written in 1988. Some choice excerpts:

In this context, even with the weak dollar, quite a few famous Bordeaux reds are relative bargains. Take these three excellent Margaux, for example: the 1982 Chateau Giscours sells in New York for about $25, the beautiful 1985 Chateau d’Issan for $16 and the 1982 Chateau Palmer for about $17. Admittedly, the 1985 Mouton-Rothschild costs $55 and the 1982 about $100, but there are literally dozens of good buys among even among well-known chateaus and good vintages.

Still a ”sleeper” vintage is 1981. There is plenty of 1981 Bordeaux around, and the prices are right. Some examples: from Saint-Julien, Chateau Leoville-Barton, $16, and Chateau Gloria, $12.25; from Pomerol, Chateau Petit-Village, $15; Chateau Prieure-Lichine and Chateau Rausan-Segla, both from Margaux, $13 and $16.50, respectively; from Saint- Emilion, the Clos des Jacobins, $19 and L’Angelus, $16.

For reference, an ’82 Palmer these days sells for $250+ while an ’82 Mouton will set you back $1000+.

In my previous post about the Time Magazine wine article, I forgot to mention the Silly Wine Tasting Notes Generator (in part because Time had a bad link to it). Here’s the correct link:

along with a couple of notes generated:

Open-ended and acidic Chenin Blanc. Kicks you with salted beef, spiney, brackish bing-cherry and semi-weak licorace. Drink now through never.

Clean and graceful Cabernet. Forces pesto, sugary eggos and corpulent fruit rollups. Drink now through June.

I came across the following article from Time Magazine online which was published a few months ago. In it, you’ll find a list of a handful of wine and wine-related sites along with descriptions. Some I have heard of and used, while others were newly found treasures. Here’s the list:

I came across the following article from the AP at Spittoon.biz, another useful wine blog to add to your list.

Critics who praise the “complexity” of red Burgundy and Champagne are on target. A team of French and Italian researchers has mapped the genome of the pinot noir grape, used to make bubbly and many red wines from France’s Burgundy region and around the world — and it has about 30,000 genes in its DNA.

That’s more than the human genome, which contains some 20,000 to 25,000 genes.

Full article here