Joys of Christmas

It is truly amazing that no matter how many times I come home, there is always something for me to do. There are always things only someone who is a 6'4", twenty something, male could possibly do. It is a shame my little brother will never make it past six-feet tall. All those light bulbs that could have been changed by someone else...

Then sometimes I get to play in my mother's basement, which in the past few years I have begun filling with wine. The moment I arrived home I went into the basement, built the below wine rack and put the four cases of wine away. There are always good things about the holidays...

Happy Holidays everyone!

I Want You to Tell Me

It is the season for "best of," where everyone has a list of who they think is the best at what they do. There are plenty of top 100 lists, best events, most influential, craziest, funniest, most delicious, etc.

One group that does not get much recognition are the thousands of public relations professionals that are behind the scenes bringing you the events, the samples, the information you crave about the wine industry. Jeff at GoodGrape.com gave PR people a shout out, recognizing that for wine bloggers there is more wine available than ever before. Samples are spilling off every shelf, and information is being distributed liberally.

And that is who I want to recognize. But I do not want to tell you who I think is best. Being a wine PR guy, I don't think that would make sense. I want to find out who you think is best.

So, for all my wine blogger friends: Click here to take survey and tell me who you think are the best wine regions at promoting their wines, who is the best winery at spreading the word, and who are the best people you would trust if you wanted to get the news out.

Notice For PR Reps/Wineries/Wine Regions

My shipping address has changed. If you would like to send samples please send them to:

Rob Bralow
Wine Post
455 E 83rd Street, #2A
New York, NY 10028

Also, please send me an e-mail to rbwinepost@gmail.com before you send.

Vodka - The Other White Wine

By Rob Bralow

Oh man.

I need to take a deep breath. I do not do vodka tastings very often and switching gears from wine to vodka is not easy. The tastes are just as subtle and the intrigue of finding vast (and I mean VAST) differences between producers and styles is still lots of fun.

But that alcohol is a kicker!

If you have not done a vodka tasting, I would suggest it. You'll be surprised how different each one can be.

I received several samples in the mail and I was psyched to taste them. I received a bottle of Finlandia, Karlsson's Gold, and Chopin. Finlandia is a barley vodka and Karlsson's and Chopin are both potato vodka. Not even close to fair to compare them all together, but really I have no idea what I am doing with vodka, so I thought I'd just have fun and see what happens.

I did almost exactly what I do when I taste wine, except instead of bowl shaped wine glasses, I put them all in rocks glasses. I am so glad I did, otherwise I would have been hit with a wave of alcohol. The rocks glasses gave me enough air to smooth everything out.

The Finlandia was grassy and light, almost a little sharp. I wanted to mix it with something, which is not a bad thing. There is a reason why there is a healthy mixology culture currently in the US. Mixologists (don't call them Bartenders) need a wide range of products to continue to produce tastes and experiences. Finlandia is definitely an ingredient.

The Chopin was earthy and smooth. This could easily have been a drink by itself or something to mix with. I thought the balance between the grassy notes and earthy minerals was nice.

The Karlsson's Gold was my clear favorite. This was dirty earthy with exciting minerals, and a smooth soul. The taste was rich and almost creamy in texture. This is no mixing vodka. This is what my grandfather would love to have in a rocks glass while sitting on a porch.

A great experience. Now I need to go breath some fire...

Happy Hannukah

Quick Taste: Mirassou Wines

I get so excited about opening every wine. Who knows what might be inside? It might be green eggs and ham (although I'm still not convinced that those are worth the risk of eating). The wines might be life changing!

Or not. I received three wines from Mirrasou, a Riesling, Pinot Grigio, and a Pinot Noir. I must say that I did not like any one of them. I found them to be a bit strange, unlike the varieties printed on each label, and unpleasant.

Will you find them that way? Only one way to find out.