Enough with the cork already! Glass enclosures for wine bottles are becoming increasingly popular. As I have opened three corked wines in the last 2 weeks, I can understand why! I’m fed up with old-school corks and ready for the industry to transition to glass enclosures or screw caps. Sure the magic of the whole uncorking process will be gone, but if it prevents me from pouring out another $30 bottle of wine, then so be it!

My Fading Dream: Europe in November: The Euro is killing the dollar. I’m planning a two week “food and wine” extravaganza with my father to Austria, Italy and Spain this November but with how bad our dollar is, the trip almost seems like a bad idea! With the Euro KILLING the dollar, it seems to make more sense to head to either California or perhaps South America. But I don’t know if I can trade in two weeks of drinking Priorats, Gruner Veltliner’s and Barolo’s for Malbec and Cabernet! There has to be a light at the end of the black hole that has become our economy!

You have to be kidding me: Krug recently unveiled their 1995 Brut Blanc de Noirs Clos d’Ambonnay Champagne. The priciest Champagne released to date is targeted towards the super-wealthy (read: those who don’t realize they are being ripped off) and will cost around $3500 USD. Only 250 cases were produced, so get yours today!

What haven’t you read about 2005 Bordeaux? “Vintage of the century”, “best vintage since 1961″, a “powerhouse vintage”…and the list goes on. Having tasted only a handful of 2005 Bordeaux’s, I’m taking the word of the hordes of experts that agree that 2005 was outstanding. I’ve purchased a few wine futures and am anxiously awaiting their arrival. That said, I’ve heard enough! The prices on the ’05’s are going up week by week. Maybe if we stop parading about how great the vintage is, the prices will stablize and more people will be able to afford a few bottltes to conclude for themseleves whehter or not this is the greatest vintage ever? With the prices of the first growth’s well into the $1000’s (per bottle!) and with James Suckling giving 8 wines 100 pts, I doubt we need this vintage to by hyped up any more. Why not start talking about Bordeaux’s that most people can afford – what wines are drinking well from the 2002 and 2004 vintages?