Taxes are a part of life but when it comes to small businesses, taxes can be the difference between opening one year and closing the next.

Small breweries have an even tougher road with the assumption of an excise tax, a cost they must pass on to consumers which most certainly affects their sales.

However, there has been some good news out of Washington lately as there is currently a bill in Congress that if voted to become law will “amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a reduced rate of excise tax on beer produced domestically by certain small producers”.

And of course, here is where we all individually have an opportunity to help…

Contact your U.S. Representatives and Senators and ask them to become co-sponsors of the bill.

Here’s more info and the best way to get started:
http://www.brewersassociation.org/ … -bill-3339

http://www.brewersassociation.org/ … e-material

Yes, it’s true…tell your friends!

Become a fan (or “Like”) French Oak TV on Facebook and have a chance to win a FREE CASE OF HARPOON SUMMER BEER!

At the end of this month, one lucky fan will be chosen at random and win this most excellent prize! Of course, you must be 21 to be entered into the drawing.

Cheers!

We always tell people that the best way to learn more about wine is to taste as much and as often as you can. But what about the process of tasting itself? Well, it’s really not as complicated as many people make it out to be.

Knowing how to taste properly can enhance your understanding and appreciation of what you are drinking and be a huge help in being able to differentiate among the vast colors, aromas and flavors of wine.

OK, so where to start….Here’s a great article on wine tasting by Jim Rawe, a wine writer with The Sun Herald (Mississippi). It’s a really good resource, loaded with tips and definitions and will certainly get the novice drinker on the right track…

Tips on How to Taste Wine Properly

I always start by smelling the cork. It is amazing how many times I have opened a bottle of wine at home or been presented a bottle at a restaurant in which merely smelling the cork has saved my group from tasting a clearly “corked” wine.

A “corked” wine is one that smells musty, almost like decaying cardboard. In a restaurant the server should immediately replace the bottle.

It is a little more difficult with a wine purchased from a retailer, because you may not have the receipt and the retailer does not know how you stored the wine. On the other hand, if a retailer refuses to replace a wine that was recently purchased there, that might be a sign to shop elsewhere.

Once wine is poured in a glass, hold the glass up to the light and look at it for clarity. The wine should be clear and vibrant without a hazy hue or any types of crystals. When you look at the color of a red wine, for example, it should appear deep, ruby red; a chardonnay should appear deep gold if aged in oak, and light straw if aged in stainless steel. Always try to avoid wines that appear brown or rusty-orange.

Generally, the depth of the color should give some indication to the “weight,” or body of the wine. When we speak about weight or body, we are really talking about how the wine feels in your mouth. This “feel” is influenced by alcohol, glycerin or even sugar. A wine’s weight typically is described as being light, medium or full-bodied.

Now, lay a white napkin on the table in front of you and tilt the glass at about a 45-degree angle above the napkin until you see the rim of the wine. At the rim, you should notice the colors have changed to a thinner appearance.

The colors on the rim are very important in determining the wine’s age. A red wine that merely thins out with no change in color is indicative of a younger wine, whereas a red wine at its peak should thin out to a golden-orange hue. Past its peak, the orange will begin to change to a brown hue.

The next step is to take a good sniff of the wine to determine if there are any obvious flaws with the aroma. Swirl the wine in the glass to get a good look at the wine’s “legs.” Legs are the thin lines that appear on the sides of the glass showing off the alcohol content. But the real importance of the swirl is to aerate the wine somewhat, enhancing the wine’s nose — thereby aiding in the detection of the wine’s aromas and bouquet. This is where the shape of the glass is really important, because an inwardly curved top will assist in keeping the aromas in the glass. At this point, stick your nose into the glass, close your eyes and take a long, large sniff. Try to identify the specific aromas you smell with that first sniff.

Now it is time to take a drink. Start by holding the wine in your mouth, chewing it while you slightly open your lips. Now draw in a small amount of air to allow the wine to coat your mouth, which further causes the aromas to permeate throughout your mouth, resonating to the back side of the nose and resulting in an indirect aroma. It is this indirect aroma that creates the olfactory pleasure a really well-made wine provides.

Remember, if you are going to taste a number of wines at a wine event or a tasting room as opposed to having a glass with friends, you may want to use a spit bucket instead of swallowing the wine. Regardless of whether you spit the wine out or swallow it, take note of how long the wine lingers in your mouth. That’s called the finish.

Boxed wine…everyone’s tried it at one time or another and the general consensus seems to be, “It’s not great, but it’s cheap.”  This is an understatement for boxed wine standard, Franzia, which regardless of price – and I don’t think I’m offending anyone here – is quite awful. The worst part of Franzia is that most people drank it in their younger years with it being their first, and in some subsequent and unfortunate cases their last, exposure to wine.

In recent years however, there has been some good news in the world of boxed wine and we have the economy and the enviroment to thank. New wine producers have caught on to the relative value of boxed wine versus its bottle counterpart and the “green” benefits of using cardboard instead of glass with notable examples like Wine Cube and Black Box.

I always like to say the only way to know for sure is to taste, but in the meantime here’s a an excerpt from a great article on boxed wine by Kate Forgach of the Lansing State Journal with 7 great reasons to, as she puts it, “Drink inside the box”:

“The first time I saw boxed wine at a classy party I was shocked, until I tasted it. Not too shabby.

Wine connoisseurs also have learned bag-in-box (BIB) products can be both tasty and economical. That’s quite a turnaround from the stigma attached to the cheap and nasty boxed wines of the 1970s. These generic bulk wines were one step down from the popular 1.5 liter “magnum” bottles of burgundy, chablis and the notorious Rhine wine.

BIB wines have come a long way since those days, thanks in part to consumers cutting back on unnecessary expenses. Here are seven reasons boxed wines deserve their increased popularity.

1. Less Expensive

Obviously, price is one of the great advantage of boxed wine. The liquid volume of wine in many boxes is equal to three bottles of a comparable product. Some of the best boxed wines would cost roughly $5 to $6 per bottle, making it much more affordable than even sale-priced bottles.

A large part of the reduced price is related to the cheaper packaging. Each bag and box costs less than $1, which automatically saves $4 to $8 over a similar quantity of wine in standard glass bottles and the boxes in which they’re transported. That’s a big savings distributors can pass on to consumers.

2. Longer Life

The BIB bladder and spigot technology protect the wine from oxygen, so it’ll last longer after opening than similar leftover wine in bottles. Both reds and whites last up to four weeks after opening; even longer if the box is stored in the fridge. Boxed wine may be short on charm, but it’s long on practicality.

3. Green and Clean

While it may sound counterintuitive, boxed wine actually has a smaller carbon footprint than glass. The lighter packaging makes for easier shipping and the format reduces waste by nearly 90 percent over the equivalent bottle volume. The cardboard packaging can be recycled in many cities while glass recycling has become problematic in recent years.

4. Perfect for Parties

No more struggling with corks or getting stuck with half-empty bottles at the end of the night. A twist of the spigot makes serving a cinch and the box format is easier to transport to the party and store afterwards.

5. Cool Cooking

Cooks needn’t open an entire bottle of wine when they need just one cup for a recipe. Pour the amount you need from the box and stick it back in the fridge.

6. Tastes Good, Too

Wine Spectator magazine reviewed 39 box wines in its Oct. 15 issue and came up with some real winners. Twenty-seven wines were rated as “good” and 10 as “very good.” The top rated was Wine Cube California Chardonnay, sold at Target Stores for $17 per three-liter box. That’s $4.25 per standard bottle equivalent. Black Box Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2006 was the highest-rated red, at $20 for three liters or $5 per bottle.

7. Best Bang for Your Buck

Wine Spectator gave a “good” score to the non-vintage Carlo Rossi Cabernet Sauvignon California “Reserve” wine. At five liters for $13, that equals $1.97 per standard bottle equivalent — cheaper even than Trader Joe’s notorious Two Buck Chuck.”

We love the people at online wine magazine, The Second Glass and really love their bi-annual wine expo, The Wine Riot! This spring’s edition takes place this weekend at Boston’s Center for the Arts in the South End.

Here’s a little more info from thewineriot.com:

Wine Riot is Second Glass’s expo-style wine tasting, hitting Boston April 16th and 17th 2010. Swirl, sniff and sip over 250 new baller wines from all over the globe, soak up knowledge from the experts at Crash Course Wine Seminars, conquer the Riot strategically with help from the Wine Intelligence Unit, and grab tasty food pairings under $5 from the hottest local restaurants. Throw in a DJ, photo booth, lounge, and more – this isn’t your parents’ wine tasting.

And of course, check out our segment on last April’s Wine Riot…

Wine, food, awesome people…what more in life can one ask for??

Bottle Shock is a movie based on the true story of a small winery in Napa Valley that challenged the notion of the superiority of French wines in the famous 1976 Judgment of Paris blind (labels unseen) wine tasting.

The plot centers around a struggling winery named Chateau Montelena that is run by Jim Barrett, a former corporate attorney, and his lackadaisical, long haired son, Bo. The winery is visited by a Paris wine store owner named Steven Spurrier who has planned to create a blind taste test of wines from California and France as Californian wines have been heralded in the U.S. but scoffed at by European (particularly French) wine experts. The idea is excitedly welcomed by many winemakers in Napa Valley but resisted by Barrett who views Spurrier as trying to humiliate U.S. winemakers in the midst of the bicentennial.

The film stars a trio of actors most famous for their roles in action movies with Bill Pullman (Independance Day) and Chris Pine (Star Trek) as Jim and Bo Barrett and Alan Rickman (Die Hard) as Steven Spurrier. A curious first glance at the casting is justifed as Pullman and Pine lack a sense of beliveablilty as the winemakers they portray and certainly lack deft comedic timing in a script with several humorous turns. Rickman, however, is marvelous as Spurrier. With immaculate restraint, he presents a character of quiet hilarity. When Jim Barrett asks Spurrier, “Why do I hate you?” he deadpans, “Because you think I’m an asshole. Actually, I’m not an asshole. It’s just that I’m British, and, well … you’re not.”

As for the filmmaking itself, director Randall Miller, who co-wrote the script with his wife Jody Savin, does well at portraying Napa Valley as the grassroots nest for New World wine. He presents several of the area’s winemakers as humble farmers who are gifted, deeply passionate and long skilled at their craft. Complimenting is the movie’s fantastic cinematography with wide shots of a vast and breathtaking Napa Valley sure to please vineyard enthusiasts and the average moviegoer alike.

It may be unfortunate that movies about wine will forever be compared to “Sideways” and even though most if not all will come up short sizing up against such a classic film, a comparison is inevitable and hard to resist. That being said, Bottle Shock is an entertaining and fun watch especially considering Rickman’s turn as Spurrier. One thing though – it would behoove the viewer to sip on some good Napa Valley Chardonnay while viewing the film…it will certainly enhance your appreciation of both the wine and movie. - RL

(BTW: The actual definition of “bottle shock” is when wine adopts strange and disordered flavors that result in a weaker fruit taste and a higher presence of alcohol. The condition usually occurs when wine is transported and is subjected to constant shaking.)

Stone Brewery, Escondido, California. 7.7% ABV. 100+ International Bitterness Units (IBUs).

Stone Brewery’s Ruination IPA is ‘So called because of the immediate ruinous effect on your palate’, the back of the bottle reads, and it’s not kidding. This overpowering India Pale Ale (IPA) renders a Sam Adams or Sierra Nevada bland (not to mention what it does to a Coors Light), making mass-marketed competitors taste like little more than beer-flavored water; the intensity of Ruination’s flavor saps the taste of any other food or drink you consume along with it. ‘Ruination’ doesn’t sound like a friendly beer, and it isn’t: the bottle embraces a beer-snob attitude, with comments like, ‘If you are not already a confirmed hop head…then this is NOT the place to start, for it will bring you nothing but shock’. Good thing the delicious flavor and gorgeous golden color compensate for the insult-laden packaging.

Weighing in at a respectable 7.7% alcohol by volume (ABV), Ruination’s cloudy appearance can be attributed to the large amount of hops used during the brewing process. The yeast fogs up the glass too; at the bottom of each 22 oz. bottle, you will detect a far murkier body than seen at the top, as the yeast tends to settle, rendering the end of the beer quite heavy (it is recommended that the last few sips of any hoppy brew be discarded, as no one wants a mouthful of yeast). In fact, not only does Ruination’s taste and weight differ within each bottle, but between bottles. Two of these IPAs opened next to each other often reveal that one has significantly more yeast than its neighbor, demonstrating the impossibility of finding two identical bottles of a craft beer. Each can of Budweiser tastes the same, smells the same, looks the same, but expect no such consistency from independent or small-scale brewers. This can be charming or irritating, depending upon your point of view.

Ruination’s golden color reveals that it is an ale, which is mid-range on the scale of light to dark – you’re not in for a light yellow pilsner, not in for a dark stout, but something in between. The taste, as mentioned before, is strong. It has a rich, ever-so-slightly sweet flavor, yet is bitter from the overload of hops. Please don’t write this beer off at the mention of bitter! While such a word generally holds a negative connotation – who wants to eat bitter pizza or spend time with a bitter friend? – in beer, it’s heaven. Though admittedly an acquired taste, once acquired, there’s nothing better. Most IPAs showcase their bitterness on the back of your tongue and linger after you’ve swallowed, and Ruination is no exception. Let a few seconds tick by before passing judgment; as with any good beer, the long finish highlights Ruination’s excellent quality.

Overall, an excellent brew, but perhaps not the best stepping-stone for beer drinkers looking to move on from college days of Bud Light beer pong games. Ruination’s intensity may be best suited for those who enjoy IPA’s like Harpoon. Pairs best with strong, spicy foods. - Diana Kerney

Lagunitas’ Little Sumpin’ Extra is certainly a beer that lives up to its name.  The super hoppy aroma and intense, foamy head announces before you even taste it that this in no ordinary beer.  This is a true a hop-head’s ale, with an almost piny taste.  It’s one of those mighty pale ales that somehow makes your mouth dry even as it quenches your thirst!  All in all, Little Sumpin’ Extra is another outstanding brew from an extremely reliable company.  It was released in a limited batch this September, so if you can still find it, grab it! - Sam Tymorek

A Saison/Farmhouse Ale, this is one of the best reviewed and revered beers of the last year. With its hazy golden orange color, fluffy white – and yet pristine – head and champagne like citrus and pepper flavor notes, Pretty Things’ Jack D’Or is a beer that you long for, but rarely find. A classic for all people. - RL

Just a quick note about a similar event that we covered in spring…

The Fall Wine Fest sponsored by Boston Event Guide is taking place THIS Saturday and promises to be another fantastic evening. Guests will be able to taste 10 distinct wines of the world and enjoy delicious paired food samples from their respective regions.

For more on the Fall Wine Fest, check out the information page at http://www.bostoneventguide.com/events/fwf.htm – complete with French Oak's great segment on the same event in the spring. Great wine, good times and fun people – what more can you ask for?