Food & Wine — Blake Leland

Will AI take over on how consumers buy wine?  Maybe.  However, as that technology scours the internet to find the right wine suggestions, it is missing one very important dynamic… AI hasn’t tasted anything!  Because it can’t.  As we all know, there is a lot of information about wine that anyone can find.  But is it factual?  Or is it an embellished description of a wine that a big corporate entity creatively posted on their website or other online media?  Does that make if factual?  Again, maybe.  Ask an AI app… what wine has some unique personality?  …crickets or short...

  Cashews are not the most popular nut, but it’s certainly highly consumed.  It has a rich character and buttery texture. If you’re snacking on them, you can pull out some other characters with the right pairing of wine.  Cashews can have a subtleness of natural sweetness.  They usually are roasted and salted to bring out their flavor profiles.  While cashews don’t have the tannic woodiness of, say, walnuts, they can mimic sweet hardwoods such as maple and cherry. So, what should you pair them with you might ask?... Try our Groundwork frizzante Muscat.  With notes of Jasmine, Lemongrass, lime...

  This is something I’d ask a customer that came in looking for a brand name that you probably could get at any big retailer. Now of course, this was a lighthearted way to get their undivided attention. Then I might ask… why are you looking for that brand? More and likely they would share some details to help me understand why they asked for that specific wine. And this is when I’d like to share some facts about the mentioned brand. Usually nothing negative, but real, and not to say national brands don’t have some good wines. Plume Ridge...

A lot of wine drinkers are unaware of how wines can have different effects on the palate. Or is it your imagination? Nope! Atmosphere (or lack thereof) has plenty to do with what your palate can experience. Example: Drinking a full-bodied red wine in the middle of a warm afternoon doesn’t have the same effect as drinking that same wine on a cool evening in low light. Bigger reds can tend to be “chunky” or hard to drink as they warm up with ambient temperatures. Also, white wines don’t always show well in the evening as they are better chilled...

Photo Credit: WSET Have you ever tried to describe an amazing food experience you have had to another person? How do you include the best points and descriptive words that clearly communicate the feelings and tastes you experienced? It is not easy! Wine, just as food, is complex and faces these same difficulties. But knowing what kind of wines we wish to buy drives our decision. For this reason, wine styles or general designated, identifying terms serve as a guideline. At Bottle Shop, we utilize wines styles based on color (red, white, rose) sparkling, body (rich, elegant, fruity, structured) and...