Category Archives: I have no clue how to categorize this

Aug 03 2012
4 Comments
Germany, I have no clue how to categorize this, Something about wine...

A fellow blogger on riesling’s versatility

Jason Jacobeit over at nabberjabber has written poetically about his love for rieslings, and I fully agree. I just got back from a family reunion in Oregon, and while I am trying to catch up on my writing, this makes for a pretty good read…Enjoy your summer wines!

nabberjabber's avatarnabberjabber

Welcome.  I know you’re busy, and may appreciate me getting right to it, so to speak.  So here it is: with a small investment of our time, curiosity, and focused attention, German Riesling offers the finest value in the world of wine.  Many of us have already discovered the fascinating and rare flavors offered in this category, as well as Riesling’s unmatched ability to partner with virtually everything we regularly eat.  But that so many (including a woeful number of industry professionals) continue to perpetuate the baseless misconception that German Rieslings are deficiently sweet and consumed by novices not yet graduated to the more sophisticated virtues of dry wines (!) seems callow at best and blatantly dishonest at worst, not to mention perniciously misleading in either case.

I admit to feeling a bit like a lawyer defending a category of wine so much the target of unwarranted slander.  Were that…

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Jul 15 2012
16 Comments
I have no clue how to categorize this

How I pack wine for plane travel

Recently I reported on US customs duties and that we carried 23 bottles with us on the plane.

In the comments section, bravawine asked how we got that packed.

Here is how we do it: We make sure to travel lightly on clothing when we travel to wine country. My wife’s favorite thing in the world are tank tops, and they are awesomely light and can be brought to good use when packing wine. We now know that we can get about 12 bottles into one suitcase and still hit the 50 lbs. mark for luggage on economy tickets.

The key for me is that the bottles stay in a wine box, and that they have no way to move in the box. To that end, we wrap up each bottle in a tank top or t-shirt or any other piece of clothing that fits. German wine cases are usually 6 bottle cases, but you can also get 12 bottle cases at the wineries. Each bottle wrapped up, we put them in the box, make sure they do not move, and then tape the box shut tightly. Then, it is pretty much impossible that the bottles can move and thereby hit each other in the box. The box goes into the suitcase and is secured the straps inside the suitcase, or you put bigger items around it to secure it.

I have also done that with less bottles (2 or 3) which I pack into cardboard wine gift boxes, the same principle applies: wrap the wine in a thin layer of clothing, make sure the wine cannot move, tape the box shut and put it in the suitcase.

A friend of mine has been bringing us wine lately when he travels to Germany. His baggage allowance gives him two free pieces of luggage. A case of 12 bottles weighs between 45 and 50 lbs, so it is the perfect size. He, again, wraps the bottles in clothing and then puts them in a shipping box which he checks as a piece of luggage. We have not had a bottle broken yet.

It is really easy to travel with 8-9 bottles, because that way you can still store clothing in the suitcase. I am convinced that the key is that the bottles cannot move. That is why I do not just wrap them up in clothing and store them in the suitcase. Any clothing that could not be used for wrapping goes in the small carry on suitcase.

Hope that helps!

How do you go about that when you travel? Curious to see whether there are simpler methods…

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Jun 08 2012
9 Comments
I have no clue how to categorize this

Kreativ-Blogger Award

Kreativ-Blogger Award

Rules of Conduct: Bloggers who win the award must complete the following steps:
1. Thank the blogger who gave you the award and provide a link.
2. List 7 interesting things about yourself that your readers might find interesting
3. Nominate 7 other bloggers, provide links, and let them know!

Re 1.

I just noticed that I received an honorable mention by my friend Julian at Vini Buoni – Good wines in the Kreativ-Blogger Award. I feel really flattered by this, because Vini Buoni was the first blog I subscribed to right after I signed up for my own wine blog. I have therefore always felt a special closeness to Julian and his blog, which extends far beyond that: We both were born and raised in Germany, we both seem to have fallen for Italian wines, and his wine reviews are passionate, enlightening and well written. Italy has so many different varietals, it is cool to get to know more of them through Julian’s palate. Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work!! Oh, and his cover photo is hauntingly beautiful…

Re 2.

  • My “real” name is Oliver Windgätter, hence the winegetter
  • My wife is from Alaska and we met watching the Euro Cup 2008 (soccer) in a sports bar in Botswana.
  • I have lived in Europe, Asia, Africa and now North America.
  • Why restrict yourself? There is so much to explore beyond my favorites riesling, pinotage, vino nobile and pinot noir…
  • Perfection is avocado on a rye bread with a pinch of salt.
  • I love vineyards, but am afraid of forests.
  • Ice cream…

Re 3.

It was hard to pick, and limiting myself to just fellow wine blogs did not make the choice any easier…no offense meant in creating this list.

  • Sipology: A fellow blogger from Michigan, Josh runs this awesome blog that is focused on wine and bourbon. I love both. Josh’s reviews and commentary are well written and follow a structure that would be impossible to keep up for this babbling blogger over here…We’re yet to meet up and share some bottles, but I do see this coming.
  • The Wine Raconteur: Another blogger from Michigan (hey, it’s all about staying local these days, right?) and after Vini Buoni, this was the second blog I signed up for as I joined wordpress. The style is totally opposite Sipology’s. This is a blog full of anecdotes, memories, and trivia that is a pleasure to follow. John has tried many spectacular wines and vintages and he shares the stories that come with them. I love how John gets carried away sometimes, because this is what it is all about!
  • The drunken cyclist: Here is another storyteller who does a great job at drawing me into his posts. We share a passion for Korean food, and the troubles of pairing wine with it. His wines go from daily bargains to top notch, and I am always in for a surprise when I look up the new posts.
  • The Virginia Wine Palate: A young blog, like mine, we first met over our common admiration and obsession with cork art, aka whether the winemaker bothered to put something funny, artsy or meaningful on their corks. Focused on wines from the Virginia region, it is pretty eye opening for this Euro-centric blogger and has been a good helper in expanding my horizons.
  • From Vinho Verde to Barolo with love: On a wine journey, just like we all are, this one intriguingly combines lessons and observations in life with wine and everything wine related. Thoughtful, witty, funny and well written, it is a real treasure trove.
  • Paprika & Pinot: A food and wine site (duh!) with tantalizing recipes and great, great wine reviews. A gorgeous blog, photos, recipes, wines. The title made me laugh because of an unpleasant memory of a South African white that ONLY smelled and ONLY tasted like green peppers (which are called “Paprika” in German)…fell in love with the blog since.
  • winophiled: Another food and wine blog with more great recipes. Great help in pairing, and a generally well maintained site with great photos. I have to admit that I have dreams about the citrus brined chicken with avocado sauce and have announced to my wife several times that I will be making this SOON.

These and others are inspiring me daily, and I am grateful for the community I have found.

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