Philly Uncorked: Austrian Whites
Philly Uncorked was a series of videos developed, written, and co-produced by Keith Wallace and Banyon Productions for Philly.com. Eventually, the underwriter, the PLCB, wanted to monetize the show with product …
PLCB
Philadelphia Inquirer: Former LCB chief comes out in favor of privatizing State Stores
The story was originally published by the Philadelphia Inquirer on August 03, 2011. The article is reprinted solely for educational purposes. It is intended to offer insight into the history of Wine …
Philippe Collotte 2009 Marsannay les Champsalomon
A remarkably aristocratic Burgundy, remarkable especially considering the price point (Burgundy is the bizarro world of wine, in which spending under $30 usually gets you an average everyday bottle). The wine boasts deep …
Philadelphia Inquirer: Not all are toasting changes uncorked by LCB
It is a case of vintage revenge. Wine merchants in Delaware and South Jersey are now clearing shelf space for their old nemesis: Jonathan Newman, former chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
The “xChairman Selections,” as one shop calls them, are the discounted wines that Newman’s new company will introduce in Pennsylvania border states this month.
Newman had risen to the unlikely status of folk hero among Pennsylvania wine lovers, partly because of his celebrated Chairman’s Selection specials. But one year ago, he resigned in protest after Gov. Rendell’s controversial appointment of Joe Conti as chief executive officer of the LCB.
While Newman’s entry into the private sector is intriguing the sip-and-swirl crowd, it also casts a spotlight back on the LCB. The $1.69 billion-a-year agency has been the subject of skepticism and upheaval since Newman left.
Domaine De La Bastide Blanche 2009 Bandol
For the sheer force of fruit and a delivery system of nitro-fueled tannin, nothing matches a Bandol. Creme de cassis, mocha, and sandalwood flavors are beautiful and temper the aggressiveness of …
Associated Press: Wine vending machines make their debut
Numerous attempts at reform have been turned back by special interests intent on keeping their slice of the pie. So simply stocking Chianti and cabernet on supermarket shelves is not an option under the state’s post-Prohibition liquor laws. The liquor board has tried to be more consumer-friendly in recent years, including opening 19 full-service state stores in supermarkets. The board touts the kiosks as another step toward modernization – “an added level of convenience in today’s busy society,” liquor board Chairman Patrick Stapleton said in a statement.
Not everyone is swallowing that line. Craig Wolf, president and CEO of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, questioned the machines’ efficacy in preventing sales to minors.
Keith Wallace, president and founder of The Wine School of Philadelphia, described the kiosks as well-intentioned failures with limited selections and overtones of Big Brother. “The process is cumbersome and assumes the worst in Pennsylvania’s wine consumers – that we are a bunch of conniving underage drunks,” Wallace wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press. “(Liquor board) members are clearly detached from reality if they think these machines offer any value to the consumer.”
Quinta de Maritavora 2007 Touriga Nacional, Douro
Portugal is the last great undiscovered wine country. With wines like this coming into the market, that may soon change. Fresh, bright cherry and a steep mineral streak cut through the …
Pierre Amadieu 2009 “Romaine Machotte” Gigondas
Gigondas is one of the most complex wine regions in France, terroir-wise. Some in the valley are remarkably similar to the princely Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Some have the imposing structure of the Hermitage. …
Terre Da Vino 2005 “Essenze” Barolo
This is a under-the-radar Barolo negotiant that deserves a bit of attention. The price point is excellent for this level of Barolo. Blended from a few of the top vineyards in …
Craiglee 2007 Shiraz, Victoria
Cooler climate Shiraz are often the greatest and finest of all Australian wines. This bottle sports aromas of beef jerky, wood smoke, and white pepper arrive first. A touch of reductive …
Cougar Crest 2006 Reserve Syrah, Walla Walla
The origin of this winery was 50 acres and a booth at the local airport. No, it wasn’t a grand or impressive start. What it did have, and continues to possess, …
Chateau Carignan 2005 “Prima” Cotes de Bordeaux
When I took a group of my students to Bordeaux, we stayed just a few miles from this Chateau. I did not expect much of this wine when I first tasted …
Domaine Philippe Portier 2010 “Cuvee Victoires” Quincy
I believe this obscure wine region is worth a fresh look, especially after tasting this example. Located close to the famous Sancerre, Quincy produces classic Sauvignon Blanc. Aromas of tarragon, pear, …
Vinos Sin-Ley 2009 “Puerta Bonita” (G5), Vino de Madrid
One of the more confusingly named wines, the G5 is an awesome example of quality and value. An enveloping bottle of fruity goodness with a tooth-staining quality that will draw quite …
Direct sales invigorate wine-lovers
Local wine aficionados love to grouse, often with good reason, about how state regulations can sometimes stand between them and that coveted vintage.
But they are divided over whether a favorable decision in a case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court would do much to make more varieties available, or cheaper, in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The court is being asked to decide whether states can limit direct, winery-to-wine-lover sales.
Keith Wallace, president of the Wine School in Philadelphia, had 53 phone messages the day after the Supreme Court heard arguments, and knows that oenophiles are watching the case.
Wallace spends $30,000 a year on wine. He said that recent innovations by the Liquor Control Board mean that “you have an enormous selection available.
“The problem is that the price point is often 10 to 30 percent higher than anywhere else,” he said.
The best-case scenario, he said, would be a Supreme Court decision that dealt a mortal blow to the state-store system.
But the odds are that Pennsylvania’s unique system, criticized for decades but politically resilient, will survive relatively unchanged.
