Higher Price Means Better.......Right?

In a word.........NO!

Most people think if a bottle of wine is expensive then you are guaranteed a great wine. Nothing could be farther from the truth. There is a lot more to quality than price.

What I always tell people is to first look at the vintage year on the bottle. This will tell you about the growing season for that particular year. Because you don't know what the wine tastes like without first purchasing then opening, the seasoned veteran looks to the year as an indication of what lurks within the bottle. Look its rating up on a Vintage Chart for that country and region. The chart will also help you determine how long you should lay your bottles down for.

Think if you will what happens to the crop of oranges that come from Florida in winter to us here in the great white north when they have terrible weather, perhaps a frost. The fruit is sub-standard. The oranges can be sour, bitter, small, unripe or just down right rotten. This is the importance of a vintage year in wine. If it is rainy, cold, or insufficient sunlight throughout the growing season, all will play a part in determining the final product.

Secondly, look to the producers name. Well established vintners have the monetary wherewithal to be able to be able to be selective should a less than stellar growing season happen. In other words they can afford to withstand the costs incurred to eliminate rotted grapes for instance by hand picking only the best.

Lastly, then look at the price. After analyzing the first two qualities the price should correlate with the other two assessments. This does not always happen I must admit. Sometimes a brands marketing power has the cache and the cash (eh) to garner exorbitant prices regardless.

So now that you know the secrets of the trade go out and by yourself a great bottle of wine.

Cheers!

I Love Lucy Show!

A few weeks back I had planned on downloading this episode of I Love Lucy but was having a bit of difficulty! So I put it on the to do list as I was working on putting my booth together for the Zoomer Show.

If you read my blog "Zoomers Rock" look who was in my booth! I could not believe my eyes when I saw these two female impersonators. Here I was only a few weeks ago thinking of Lucy Ricardo when low and behold here she shows up on my doorstep. It was like my thoughts had transmitted out to the universe. Okay going a little to zany I know, but you know what I mean.

Lucille Ball was a comic genius. This show is funny still today. I love this episode as it relates to grapes and wine and all. Without uttering a word Lucy is able to convey every thought that is going through her head with the slightest of facial expressions. BRILLIANT!

I hope you enjoy this little clip as much as I do.

Thanks David for helping me download this! Most appreciated!

Champagne......An Entrepreneur's Story

When I say champagne who is the first person that comes to mind? I have to admit before I became a wine nut I too thought this person as the one who put the champagne region on the map. I bought a bottle a few years back (quite a few years actually but I refuse to say how many) when a friend had passed away (much too young) and it was in celebration of his life that we drank it. That bottle of champagne was none other than Dom Perignon. I still have it.

So how would you feel if I were to tell you that it was someone else who was to put the champagne region onto the world stage? What would you think if I were to say that it was not a man but a woman?

Hint: The bottle's label colour is orange. How about the word "Veuve". Any guesses?

The name is "Veuve Clicquot". The word veuve in french translates to "widow". Widow Clicquot is her name.

I want to recommend a book for you to read. It is called "The Widow Clicquot, The story of a champagne empire and the woman who ruled it." If you are a woman entrepreneur this is definitely a book for you! If you need inspiration and motivation this is the book for you. If you like champagne you will most assuredly have to read this book. If biographies are your thing or you are a history buff, again a must read. This book will touch anyone who reads it.

It is a story of one woman and her sheer determination, tenacity, audacity, risk taker extraordinaire, and resilience. It is the story of a woman who followed her own path much like Amelia Earhart when it was not a woman's place to do so.

There's the French Revolution and the Franco-Prussian War, Napoleon Bonaparte and Russian Czars. You have the collapse of international markets and risky business decisions.

In the book Veuve (Widow) Clicquot is credited with three achievements: "internationalizing the champagne market, establishing brand identification and developing the process known in french as Remuage Sur Pupitre which is an efficient system for clearing champagne of the yeasty debris trapped in the bottle after secondary fermentation. " It truly is an awe inspiring story of one woman who believed in herself so completely.

I could not put this book down. You will also discover along the way the other women who were the heads of some of the most famous champagne houses. I don't want to give away everything. It honestly is an amazing story. You will not be disappointed!

Au revoir for now!

Mademoiselle Jacqueline

p.s. The signature that you see on the label of a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne is actually her signature. Have a look next time your in the liquor shop. The book is written by a woman.......Tilar J. Mazzeo

Just when you thought nobody noticed.

Hi my friends,

I want to let you know about a blog that I have been following. I started to follow it because it was while in Italy that I decided to study for my certification to be a sommelier. I love Italy. More on that later.......

I've just read Jessica's blog called "Un Angelo Vola Su Monti". Wow, what a beautiful story and a reminder too. As you get to know me and my blog I'm all about the human connection so you'll see why this story touched me.

The blog is http://www.romephotoblog.blogspot.com/. It is under October 2009.

Thank you Jessica for doing what you do.

As they say on the programme The View " Take a little time to enjoy the view".

Have a great day everyone!!

Zoomers Rock!!!

Oh look, it's Lucy Ricardo and Marily Monroe at my booth!

These two ladies were absolutely wonderful!

Hello to everyone,

Day two was just as fantastic as day one!! I have to tell you that I had thee most amazing time! The Zoomer show was so much fun!! The music, the fashion, the people. I am so lucky to have been a part of it.

It has taken a few days to recover from all the fun and frolic. I truly hope you all enjoyed yourself at my booth. I enjoyed meeting everyone! As you read at the top of my hand out my motto is "That which is learned in happiness is remembered"!

This show really touched me in that it was all about personal connections with one another. It was about meeting and interacting and socializing while learning new things and possibilities for our lives.

It was about adventures. You can travel to lots of destinations or you can relax in the comforting hands of a massage therapist. You can learn about wines and spirits and beers in a fun, relaxed environment. (I think this is what is called a little self promotion.) It was about dancing down the aisles without inhibitions while the tribute band ABBA sang "You are the dancing queen". It was doing the twist while the Beatles sang "Twist and Shout" on stage. It was about "having the time of your life"!

The energy was magical for me! I hope it was for you too!

As my tag line says " The Spirit of Adventure"!

Jacqueline!!

p.s. I would love to have your thoughts and feedback.