Bottled Poetry Chronicles

“Wine is bottled poetry.”  Robert Louis Stevenson is credited with first coming up with this Bottled Poetrynoble thought, and it’s been as true for all succeeding generations as it was for his own.  Wine can be magical, serving as an anchor in our memories for particularly enjoyable dinners and encounters, or any number of special occasions.  Wine brings people together, and it seems to remind us all–especially in this age of ubiquitous email and cell phones–that some of the best things in life come into view only when we slow down and relax.

The purpose of our Bottled Poetry Chronicles is very simple: to share meaningful stories about wine.  This heavenly nectar has been enjoyed for thousands of years, and the stories it has inspired are plentiful.  So please feel free to share with us your special stories in which wine plays a role.  We welcome them all, whether serious or comical, happy or sad, instructive or whimsical.  Stories of wine are, in many ways, stories of life.

What are some examples of interesting wine stories?

• a lasting friendship that arose from a shared bottle of wine
• the time you sent back a bottle of wine at a restaurant

the pretentious snob who talks about “hints of cassis, saddle leather, and vegetal residue” in wine
• the picnic when you forgot the glasses, and passed the bottle back and forth so all could take a swig

• the time you poured the surprisingly decent jug wine into the LaTour bottle and served it to guests
• the unique surprise and joy at tasting a mouthful of pure perfection
• and wherever else wine may play a role.  Surprise us!

We welcome and look forward to your stories, and encourage you to share as many as you can.  And remember, as Clifton Fadiman said, “A bottle of wine begs to be shared.”  And that goes for wine stories, too!  Tell us your story

Posted in Bottled Poetry | Leave a comment

Lead free Ravenscroft Crystal – best choice for health conscious wine drinkers

Experience the incredible luxury of Ravenscroft Crystal, now available on 800wine.com.  All Ravenscroft glassware is 100% lead free!

Ravenscroft Crystal on 800wine.com

cheers!

Ravenscroft Crystal combines the qualities of old-world European craftsmanship with a modern understanding of how the shape of a wine glass can significantly enhance the tasting experience. Ravenscroft glassware designs are developed out of the deepest respect for great wine and are hand blown in nearly 30 different styles; each of which are the result of thousands of years of glass making trial-and-error. Their ultimate goal is to enhance the bouquet and taste of the wine or spirit for which it was made.

The world’s most famous enologist, once said, “A wine glass should be invisible.” In this spirit, Ravenscroft’s mission is to produce the most transparent, lightweight wine glasses possible. Their delicate stemware delivers a whisper-light, sensuous hand and mouth feel. Each glass is shaped to perfectly control the palate attack, delivering a pure essence with minimal distraction.

“Pure, Clean Crystal” Over the past four decades, wine and spirits glass design has experienced a renaissance. Recently, scientists discovered the dangers of lead crystal, most significantly when storing wine and spirits for an extended period in decanters, allowing lead to leach into the contents. Originally, lead oxide was added to glassware as a manufacturing aid. Now, technology has progressed to the point where the addition of lead delivers little or no value to the wine enthusiasts’ experience. Despite increasingly stronger industry warnings, several of the world’s top stemware manufacturers continue to use lead in production.

Ravenscroft Crystal’s time has come. The public now understands that lead-free crystal is the future of the glass industry. Ravenscroft is the world’s leading manufacturer of hand-made, pure, clean, lead-free crystal for fine wine and spirits. Their 129-year-old European factory has been producing lead-free crystal for the most exclusive brands of the world. Most likely, you have enjoyed the delicate pleasure of their products under another brand name.

The founder of Ravenscroft, Stephen Falango, has leveraged his background in Economics and Public Policy, with an unbridled passion for wine, to shape the Company as well as the glasses. As a young man during his Master’s studies, he became deeply committed to environmental protection, which resulted in his dedication to lead-free crystal. In the spring of 1999, Stephen proposed that their factory create a line of wine-specific stemware and decanters. Stephen’s passion and experience as a wine educator, sommelier, wine maker, avid wine collector and entrepreneur inspired his craftspeople to focus on maximizing the pleasure of wine while respecting the wellbeing of wine lovers worldwide.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Gourmet Coffee Now Available on 800wine!

In the birthplace of coffee, most coffee is grown in pristine forests and in coffee gardens, where coffee trees normally grow in the vicinity of the farmer’s residence together with other crops, such as bananas or vegetables. In Ethiopia, we can find all important elements for growing coffee: good elevation, ample rainfall, suitable temperatures and fertile soil. Most land south of the capital Addis Ababa is planted with Arabica coffee. The coffees in Ethiopia are all named after the geographic location where they grow. Sidama is the most productive coffee region of Ethiopia. Aleta Wondo coffee, grown in the heart of the Sidama region, offers refreshing acidity and lingering sweetness, as well as exotic fruit tones in the aftertaste.

Today, in a village called Aleta Wondo, coffee is being perfected. Unlike ordinary coffee, Aleta Wondo coffee is unblended, the village’s extraordinary beans yielding a brew laced with flavors of chocolate, berries, and bergamot. A limited number of bags will be available this year (coffee this good cannot be grown in bulk). But to 14,000 farmers of Aleta Wondo, every bag sold is cause for celebration. It is our privilege to return at least 20% of the profits directly to the village—so every extraordinary sip supports healthcare, education, water projects, and more.

Aleta Wondo Coffee is imported directly from Ethiopia without the interference of middlemen and brokers.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment