Time to Thin the Vines

I hear lots of high-spirited chatter and singing as I walk by the vineyards these days. And I see lots of perfectly healthy shoots on the ground. Are these men joyfully tearing the vineyards apart?

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Is 2013 a Good Year?

Carol wrote in to ask if this will be a good year. It’s a little early to tell, but here’s a vintage update:

Have you made plans to visit wine country this year?

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Micro-Oxygenation for Wine

Have you heard of “micro-ox?” Many believe it’s a viable replacement for barrel aging the wine.

How do you feel about new innovations replacing the traditional methods?

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Barrel Aging: It’s More Than Oak Flavor

Did you know that using new barrels, which contribute oak flavor to the wine is a relatively recent practice? Here’s the story:

How much oak flavor do you like on your wine?

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What is a Meritage Wine?

Dear readers,

Once again, I have to ask you to bear with me. The good new is that my husband is doing much better. Yipee!

The bad news is that I need to move this blog away from Posterous to WordPress and I’m not very good at it. Posterous was founded by my friend Sachin Agarwal. About a year ago Twitter acquired Posterous – how about that for an exciting event in one’s life??!! Way to go, Sachin!

Twitter has decided to close down Posterous and this is why I’m moving my blog. Please pardon me if it takes me awhile to make the move and get well situated on WordPress.

In the meantime, how do you say Meritage? And what is it?

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A Five Dollar Cab or a Fifty?

Steve wrote in to ask why one Cabernet Sauvignon wine sells for $5.00 and another for $50.00. What makes the difference? This is a complex quesion but here goes:

Does the $50.00 wine give you ten times more pleasure?

My husband is home! He’s still very weak but it’s great to have him home again. Thanks, again, for your patience with the spotty posts and for all the good wishes. I’ll try to get back to postinig regularly again.

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Bud Break in the Vineyards

What is bud break? Every spring the tiny buds (growing points) on the vines begin to swell up and  tiny bits of pinky-green new growth break through -  bud break!

I’ve already seen some new growth on some of the early varieties like Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc but the Cabernet vines I’ve seen are still sleeping in. This is a beautiful time of year, here. What’s your favorite time of year to visit wine country?

My husband is getting much better. We hope he’ll be moved to a skilled nursing facility this week, to regain his strength. Thank you so much for the kind messages and emails.

Visit A Million Cooks for more brief videos from experts on the food you eat: Where it comes from, where to buy it and how to prepare it.

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