Wine news January 14, 2016

Today on how to order wine like a pro in a restaurant. "Generally speaking, the "house wine" is really the path of least resistance. It's bought in bulk and drunk by people who generally don't care about what they are drinking. Ask questions and educate yourself. If you are going to ask your server about a particular dish you might order, why not take the time to do the same about wine?"

Eater on how to find the best value wines. "Find the people whose palate most aligns with yours and be willing to trust them and take the risk with your money."

Conde Nast on great Italian wine coming out of New Zealand. "At the recent Air New Zealand Wine Awards (ANZWA), a wine competition judged by local and international judges, New Zealand winemakers took home Gold and Silver medals for multiple Italian varietals, including the obscure Marzemino, a light, plummy red mainly produced in northern Italy and not especially known beyond it."

The New York Times Magazine on cooking with wine. "Recipes using wine are notably less common today than they were half a century ago, when every fondue pot and chafing dish released rich gusts of boozy vapor."

The Telegraph on why wine is a sexual superfood. "A 40 year study by Harvard and University of East Anglia scientists has found that middle-aged men who enjoyed a regular glass of red wine, and plenty of citrus fruits and berries were less likely to develop erectile dysfunction."

Punch recommends well priced alpine wines. 

W. Blake Gray says the US needs direct shipping. "The merger this week of Southern Wine & Spirits and Glazer has created a 41-state behemoth with exclusive rights to many essential brands and  the market power to muscle out smaller competitors. This is normally the type of company that the U.S. tries to break up to protect consumers, but alcohol is a special case, because of Prohibition."

Jamie Goode on internal change, living in the now and our approach to wine. "Do we sometimes fail to live in the present with wine? It’s possible to be hung up with seeking an ever-greater wine experience. We’re discontent with the wines we have because we know that there are ‘better’ wines out there."

Wines and Vines reports that because of the strong dollar US wineries face new fiscal environment.