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PLONK          by Marty Cook What is “Plonk”?  Wikipedia defines it thusly: “Plonk is a non-specific and derogatory term used primarily in British and Australian English for cheap, low-quality wine. It is believed to come from Australian slang, in reference to blanc, before it became naturalised in Britain. Despite the reference to the colour white, the…

This ubiquitous grape of French origin grows well in nearly all terroir and exhibits a multiplicity of aromas and flavors reflective of those terroir.  Yet, there  are those who decry this wine with “Anything But Chardonnay!”  Why is it hated and what is your favorite Chardonnay? ___________________________________________________________ All details for each individual event are posted…

Maybe there is a wine that you reserve for very special occasions, or another of which you can never get enough, or another without which you could never live.  Is it your favorite?  What is that wine? ___________________________________________________________ Additional details for each individual event are posted here closer to the actual event date, and distributed…

by Marty Cook Cabernet Sauvignon, often referred to as “The King of Wine Grapes”, is the topic of our upcoming installment of Wine Wednesday on this coming Wednesday, September 1st at 7:00 p.m. Eastern/New York time.   One of the Noble Grapes, “Cab Sauv” is representative of so many stylistic interpretations owing to “place” and “winemaker…

This much-maligned grape remains the favorite of many, save for the movie-goers who fell prey to undeserved bad press in “Sideways”.   Tell us about your favorite Merlot! ___________________________________________________________ Additional details for each individual event are posted here closer to the actual event date, and distributed to PWS members and those on our distribution list via…

Your First Wine(s)     by Marty Cook   A “tell all” segment of Wine Wednesday will occur next Wednesday, September 15th at 7:00 p.m. Eastern/New York Time. That’s when we get into some personal (and, possibly ancient) history regaling the tale of your first wine or wines or, to make it easier, one of the first…

Organic and Biodynamic Wines   by Marty Cook Next week, Wine Wednesday ventures into the confusing world of Organic and Biodynamic wines. The confusion stems from how these terms are defined and regulated. Our Federal government regulates use of the term “organic,” but “biodynamic” has no legal definition. The following excerpts are from Dr. Vinny of…

Wines from the Rhine and Mosel River Valleys   by Marty Cook The German wine industry marches to the beat of a different drum. Their wine classifications, wine styles and intimidating wine labels with lots of words sporting umlauts over various vowels can be confusing at best. But, the industry has a very long and rich…

by Marty Cook The enigmatic Cabernet Franc. Parent grape of both Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, which are two of the six Noble Grapes. Parent grape to three of the six allowable red grapes permitted in a red Bordeaux blend, and itself one of those six allowable red grapes. A grape that yields complex red wines,…

by Marty Cook Our next Wine Wednesday focuses on the Wines of Italy this coming week on 10.13.2021 at 7:00 pm Eastern/New York Time. From a wine perspective, Italy has a fascinating story. Twenty-five percent of the world’s recognized wine-producing grape varieties are indigenous to Italy. This is a direct tribute to the Romans, who…

Wines at 12.5% ABV or Less          by Marty Cook Our next Wine Wednesday episode, which airs on Wednesday, October 20th at 7:00 PM Eastern/New York Time, will confront the topic of wines at 12.5% Alcohol by Volume (ABV) or Less. When I first began to explore wine in 1971, wines rarely exceeded 12.5% ABV.  Yeast…

Our next Wine Wednesday, on October 27th at 7:00 p.m. Eastern/New York time will feature your wine recommendations. This is a wide open topic and gives you a wide berth of considerations from which to choose. You could recommend a wine to pair with a particular meal; so, in your estimation, what goes best with…