The Experts Are the Best Sources of Wine Info and Recommendations
The tendancy to disparage “wine experts” or “wine elite” grows as the role of social media and peer reviews grow. Yet the fact remains that the experts are the best and most reliable source of information on wine. Folks like Eric Asimov, Robert Parker, Jim Laube, Jancis Robinson, Steve Heimoff, Charles Olken, Dan Berger, Lettie Teague, Jon Bonne and other well known experts are the one’s with the experience to best understand wine and best provide well-founded recommendations and critiques. There is no way around the fact that experience = expertise. It doesn’t matter if you are talkinb about archeology, Rock n Roll, cheese, interior decorating or wine.

Expensive Wine Is Almost Always Better
While I realize that, like beauty, taste is in the palate of the beholder, it is a fact that a more expensive wine is likely to be a higher quality wine. The price of wine is generally dependant upon three things: the cost of production, the supply and the demand. More expensive wines almost always cost more to make because the they use better ingredients (grapes, barrels, winemakers, etc), because the demand for the wines are higher, and the supply is generally limited. I’ve argued in the past that pronouncements of quality are entirely subjective. But within the world of consensus understandings, we will almost always understand that more expensive wines are appreciated in greater degree than less expensive wines.

Few People Know What They are Talking About When It Comes to Terroir
We talk a lot about “terroir” and the taste of the soil in this business and industry. We all submit that translating the terroir into the bottle is paramount to the process. Yet the fact is, 99.9% of folks who talk about this sort of thing could not pick a Russian River Valley Pinot out of a line up that also included a Santa Barbara, New Zealand, and Carneros Pinot. And let’s not even talk about trying to identify a Pinot from one vineyard and a Pinot from another vineyard a mile down the road. The implications of this uncomfortable truth are many, not the least of which is the role that faith plays in the area of wine appreciation.

Natural Wine Isn’t Natural
Lots of talk of “natural” wine these days. More producers, retailers, wine bars and events are dedicated to the stuff. But “natural” is to wine as California Sparkling wine is to Champagne. It isn’t that. “Natural” wine is processed grape juice and the processing and manipulation begins in the vineyard and ends with the marketing.

Ratings Sell LOTS of Wine
Despite the constant din of criticism of ratings and the 100 Point rating system in particular, ratings sell big time. And the 100 Point rating system is a huge driver of sales. If you don’t think so, talk to the winemaker that just got their first 95 point rating from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate or the Wine Spectator. Then ask them, would you rather have a string of tweets about your great wine or a 95 point rating from Robert Parker.

Driving the California Wine Routes Can Be Dangerous To Your Health
Driving along Highway 29 in Napa Valley, Highway 12 in Sonoma Valley or Westside Road in the Russian River Valley around 5pm on a Saturday can be very dangerous to your health. The problem is that so many folks who have just consumed way too much wine are on the roads. They may have been sipping, but in many cases it has been an all day sipping affair that is in reality and all-day drinking affair. This uncomfortable truth has yet to affect the local hospitality industry in substantial ways, but it just could in coming years when the next terrible tradjedy happens.

Too Much Wine Marketing Relies On The Idea That “You Can Be Better Than Them”
If you drink this wine, if you consume wines from this area, if you visit this wine region, you’ll be a better, more sophisticated person than your neighbor. That, in a nutshell, is the basis of a great deal of wine-related marketing: being a “wine person” makes you a “better person”. It is not an unusual marketing message. In fact, it is a message common to most luxury good products. But it is a little distasteful.

 

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Ready for another week of affordable, multi-course meals at top Chicago restaurants?

Heck, yeah. 

Chicago Chef Week is underway, running through Saturday, during which some 52 restaurants will feature three-course lunches for $22 and three-course dinners for $33.

It sounds a bit like Chicago Restaurant Week, doesn’t it? Same prices, and indeed, some of the same restaurants. This week is a bit shorter and has far fewer participants, but you’ll still be able to dine at the likes of Avec, Big Jones, Bistronomic, Boka, C-House, Cibo Matto, Green Zebra, Hearty, Mana Food Bar, MK, Nana, Nightwood, Perennial, Sable, Sepia, Sola, Terzo Piano, Veerasway and Zealous.

You can find all the participating restaurants, and make online reservations, at the Chicago Chef Week website. Clicking on individual restaurants will link you to their respective sites, but as of this morning, very few had bothered to post their Chicago Chef Week menus. Think of it as the thrill of anticipation.

 

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Talia’s moment of virtual head-shaking comes in response to a CNBC video featuring Annette Alvarez-Peters, Costco’s head wine buyer, who responds to an interviewer’s query about wine perhaps being more special thant toilet paper or tin foil with: “I don’t think so”.  Alverez-Peter’s conclusion is, “People can look at it that way. But at the end of the day, it’s a beverage.” I suspect that more than a few other lovers of the grape were equally offended upon learning of this view of wine held by the wine buyer at Costco.

Here is a woman responsible for the selection from which vast numbers of Americans will choose their wine. Costco is the leading retailer of wine in America. And she doesn’t think wine is that special…or at least not much more special than toilet paper.

Now, I’m not much of a connoisseur of toilet paper, but, like with wine, I can tell the difference between ordinary toilet paper and superb toilet paper. And I suspect that Ms. Alvarez-Peters is no different than me.

So all this begs a somewhat important question: Does one need to hold a feeling of reverence for wine in order to successfully choose a selection for the buying public? Given what we know about the success of the Costco wine program and about Ms. Alvarez-Peter’s disposition, the answer is certainly “no”.

Though it’s fairly clear from the CNBC video that despite her view of wine being not any more special than toilet paper or tin foil, Ms. Alvarez-Peters does know a little something about wine. But more importantly, she knows a good deal about what her customer base wants from the wine selection in her hundreds of Costco stores around the country and that this knowledge is far more important than possessing a reverence for wine.

So, all this begs an important question: What are the paramount requirements for a professional wine buyer? I think we can break them down to this:

1. Knowledge of your customers’ desires
2. Knowledge of the product
3. Knowledge of buying and market trends

I honestly don’t think that if there is a 4th on that list, that it is likely to be a reverence for wine or the view that wine is any more special than most other consumer products. No matter where I shop for my wine, I don’t need the person putting the wine on the shelf to have any special love for wine. What I need is for them to put the wines on the shelves that I want and understand why I want them. Beyond that, they need to be able to answer my questions and understand why I ask them. I won’t be be clasping my hand in theirs, bowing my head with them, and praising the magnificence of the bottles.

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May 17, 2012 – One of Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva’s most important attributes is his size. A former super heavyweight, the 6-foot-4 Brazilian usually cuts significant pounds to make the 265-pound heavyweight limit for his fights.

At UFC 146 on May 26, though, we may see a sleeker “Bigfoot” than the one who ragdolled Fedor Emelianenko last year.

In Cain Velasquez, Silva will face a 249-pound foe with a significant speed advantage. So in an attempt to counter that, Silva has worked with famed nutritionist Mike Dolce.

“For first time I’m at 270 three weeks out of the fight,” Silva said through an interpreter at Thursday’s media teleconference. “Things are going extremely well, I’m very light and fast.”

The way Silva sees it, with the bout shaping up as a style clash, slimming down will help counteract one of Velasquez’s biggest strengths.

“We’re diametrically opposed,” said Silva. “I have jiu-jitsu and he has wrestling. I see his speed and his lightness and I’m trying to counter it.”

It’s been an interesting ride for Silva, the former Elite XC champion. After defeating Emelianenko in the opening round of the Strikeforce Grand Prix, he was knocked out by Daniel Cormier in the semifinals. But Silva says he hopes Cormier wins Saturday night’s tournament final against Josh Barnett.

“I was disappointed [to lose to Cormier], he said. “But I’m rooting for Cormier. Barnett is a difficult fight but I’m rooting for Cormier to win.”

Silva’s glad with how everything panned out in the wake of the Cormier loss, though, considering he’s now on one of the biggest cards of the year and has the chance to meet the former UFC champion.

“I faced three great opponents in Strikeforce, [Fabricio] Werdum, Fedor, and Arlovski, now I get the chance to face guys like Velasquez. It’s a great opportunity the UFC has given me.”

Read More: Cain Velasquez (MMA), Daniel Cormier (MMA), UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Mir

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Cope Freeland, thanks for reading The Stew. No, you don’t have to update your RSS Feed. I’ve tested the feed out before and after the transition and the posts continue to come to my e-mail as usual. Should you not receive posts through the RSS Feed, please contact me.

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If you’re dining out this week, and I certainly hope you are, you might notice a little something extra in your check presenter (you know, that leather-ish thing holding the bill). An appeal for help.

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According to a new report from MMA Junkie, number one UFC Middleweight title contender Chael Sonnen will be on the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s agenda next week at their May 21st meeting.

Sonnen will likely have to answers questions regarding a therapeutic use exemption he app…

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May 15, 2012 – Chan Sung Jung is the UFC’s human highlight reel.

In 2011, the “Korean Zombie” authored two of MMA’s most memorable moments, producing the first Twister submission win in UFC history, and later scoring a 7-second knockout. In his first fight of 2012, he once again put on a show, this time on UFC on FUEL 3. Jung didn’t just upset favorite Dustin Poirier in the main event, he also made a nice payday, earning two bonus awards for his brilliant winning performance.

Jung captured the Submission of the Night for his fourth-round D’arce choke victory, and he and Poirier earned Fight of the Night for their battle.

The two awards were worth an extra $80,000 on top of his contracted fight purse. He has now won nightly awards in all three of his UFC bouts.

Jung became the first fighter ever to stop Poirier in the process, and afterward, asked for a fight with featherweight champion Jose Aldo.

Until the main event, it seemed a lock that a wild light-heavyweight scrap between Igor Pokrajac and Fabio Maldonado seemed destined for the Fight of the Night prize, only to be outdone.

Meanwhile, middleweight Tom Lawlor earned the $40,000 Knockout of the Night award after knocking out Jason MacDonald in just 50 seconds. Lawlor hurt him badly with a straight left, and then finished him with a right hook behind the ear.

Read More: Chan Sung Jung (MMA), Dustin Poirier (MMA), UFC on FUEL TV 3

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May 15, 2012 – What’s a cowboy to do when he gets knocked off his horse? Why, get up, get back on, and start riding again, of course.

Lightweight “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone lost his last fight to Nate Diaz, putting a halt to his six-fight win streak. But Cerrone responded to the loss in fine form on Tuesday night, controlling the action from bell to bell in his UFC on Fuel TV 3 victory over Jeremy Stephens. All three judges scored the bout 30-27 for the unanimous decision.

“It feels good coming off my last loss,” said Cerrone, “There are some things I’ve been working on, thanks to [trainer] Greg Jackson.”

Cerrone, a former kickboxer, simply dominated Stephens from the outset, mixing up a wide variety of strikes and pelting him with leg kicks. By the end of round two, Stephens had a bloody nose and his left eye was all but swollen shut.

The Colorado Springs native improved to 18-4 (1 no-contest), as he looks to climb his way back up the lightweight ranks. Stephens (20-8), who has been with the UFC since 2007, has dropped his past two.

After the bout, Cerrone credited his opponent and said he wants to fight in his home state at UFC 150 in Denver on August 11.

“That man did what he said he was going to do,” said Cerrone. “I want to get on that Denver card. That’s my hometown fight, I don’t care if its Diaz or whoever, I want to be on that card.”

Read More: Donald Cerrone (MMA), Jeremy Stephens (MMA), UFC on Fuel TV, UFC 150

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According to a new report from MMA Junkie, number one UFC Middleweight title contender Chael Sonnen will be on the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s agenda next week at their May 21st meeting.

Sonnen will likely have to answers questions regarding a therapeutic use exemption he app…

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May 15, 2012 – I’d be curious to know if Dustin Poirier was walking into his UFC on FUEL 3 main event matchup with Chan Sung Jung with just a hint of doubt about what to expect. Jung, after all, has said he is in the midst of a major stylistic overhaul. Out is the wild, brawling madman that gained fame as “The Korean Zombie,” and in is a more technical and refined fighter.

At least that’s according to him. While this change is over one year in the making, we haven’t really seen enough of Jung since then to make any real determinations on if he’ll revert to old habits when aggressively pressed.

During that time, he’s fought just twice. The first was a rematch of his epic April 2010 matchup with Leonard Garcia. In that one, he did show an interest in defense, as Garcia connected on only 16 of 88 strikes — just 18 percent. Then again, Garcia isn’t exactly known as an accurate striker, landing just 26 percent in 14 fights tracked by FightMetric.

In his next fight, Jung knocked out Mark Hominick in just seven seconds, an impressive performance but not one with any real value for analysis purposes.

Faced with little information, Poirier (12-1) can expect the fight to go in any number of ways.

Both men at their cores are power strikers, at least when it comes to style. A southpaw, Poirier will have a nominal one-inch reach advantage. A confident striker, he will often take the center of the cage and establish himself as the leader of the fight’s pace.

Poirier is a remarkably balanced fighter altogether. Among his wins, he has five knockouts and five submissions. He has decent wrestling, with a 54 percent takedown success rate, and a 77 percent rate of stopping opponent’s takedown tries. He appears equally comfortable in all facets of the game.

Of the two featherweight contenders, Poirier is much more likely to take the fight to the mat. He’s shown his evolution as a fighter in this regard. In his first three fights under the Zuffa banner, he didn’t try a single takedown. Since then, he’s tried 11 attempts in four fights, landing six. By comparison, in Jung’s four fights under the Zuffa banner, he’s only tried two takedowns.

One clue that Jung (12-3) has indeed made a key adjustment did come in his rematch with Garcia. At one point towards the end of the first round, Garcia tried to turn the match into a brawl, coming forward with a barrage of punches. Instead of standing and trading as he’s done in the past, Jung went for and delivered a takedown, dominating the ground battle for the rest of the round.

It will be interesting to see how this translates into a fight with Poirier. He is not a swarmer like Garcia, but rather looks for combinations that emphasize his accuracy (he lands at a 51 percent clip).

That means Jung may be content countering him from the outside, or he might attempt to mix things up with a takedown. Poirier, though, is very difficult to put down. Even wrestler Danny Castillo struggled with him, successful on just three of 11 tries back in their August 2010 match.

Even if you get Poirier on the mat, he’s no slouch there, and he probably has the edge over Jung despite the Korean being the first and only man in UFC history to pull off a twister submission.

Poirier is also physically stronger than most 145-pounders, and I would venture to guess that holds true against Jung. In 50/50 positions like the clinch, expect Poirier to outwork him. On the ground, he should also find success as a result.

Poirier’s balanced approach and physical advantage offers him an edge in this fight. In exchanges, he’s probably the heavier puncher and he’s statistically the more accurate one. He also gets hit less. Those numbers mean something.

Truthfully, it’s hard to envision a clear route to victory for Jung. Unless Poirier sits back and lets Jung dictate the pace — and that’s never been his style — he should be the one scoring more frequently. He also has never shown signs that he can be broken, so if the fight does find an insane pace, he should still be OK. His accurate strikes should find a home early and often, wearing Jung down over the first two rounds before finishing it in the third, taking it via TKO.

Read More: Chan Sung Jung (MMA), Dustin Poirier (MMA), UFC on FUEL TV 3

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