Liquor Bored

Posted by Mike Madaio on Mar 5, 2012 in Reviews | 4 comments

To say that the PLCB is not known for embracing innovative technology would be a rather large understatement. They did, however, recently launch an iPhone app (with Android coming soon), so, there’s that. On the surface, if it were not for my inherent skepticism of anything coming from the PLCB, this sounds like something that might actually be useful, being a Pennsylvania resident and all. And, as surprising as it may sound, the result is a flawed but ultimately usable app that most PA wine lovers should probably have on their iPhones.

In general, the app is nicely designed and easy to navigate. It being a mobile app, the best use for it is, not surprisingly, while mobile. A bottle scanner, which allows customers to scan bottle barcodes and bring up the product page for a wine while in store, may help deal with the lack of information typically offered on the shelves (assuming there is info on the website – not always a safe assumption).  Combined with our own app for wine reviews, it’s a vital tool for wine lovers in Pennsylvania.

For those looking for a nearby store, there’s a handy feature which uses geo-location to bring up directions to the nearest one, or directions to the store of your choice. In addition, the nearest store that carries a wine (or all nearby stores) can be accessed from any in-store wine’s product page.

The App’s biggest issues are duplicates of flaws from the LCB website, most of which relate to the lack of a quality inventory system. To find the availability of a single wine, for example, one must search online, in-store, and SLO (special order) separately – there is no way to search across the three options. Perhaps even more egregious is the inability to view wines that are available nearby. A bottle only available in Pittsburgh stores, for example, does not help Philadelphians, yet it clutters the search results. Especially with the geo-location capabilities of the phone, this lack of refinement is ridiculous.

These, of course, are systematic issues that plague the website as well and thus aren’t really the fault of the app designers. That said, the app is not without little bugs and annoyances:

• An alert notifying users that they need an account to place an order comes up every time the app is used (and often multiple times per session
• Online products are the default in search, as if online ordering should take precedence over in-store for a mobile app.
• Though there are some powerful refinement tools for product listings, the system offers choices that aren’t available – for example, region before a country is selected – without any messaging as to why the choices are blank.
• Most iOS menus (the black buttons at the bottom of the app) contain a “more” button that brings up a full-screen list of additional menu choices. In this app, “more” is actually a toggle between two menus, hiding choices in a seemingly haphazard manner.
• Lastly, it does have a penchant for crashing whenever I try to do anything complex.

Despite these gripes, I do find myself using the app regularly, and think anyone with an iPhone who shops for wine in PA should give it a whirl… at least until there’s an app for privatizing liquor sales.

Pandering the PLCB

Posted by M.L. Wolfsohn on Feb 21, 2012 in News | 1 comment

This week,  the Patriot-News has an article about buying wine  in Pennsylvania.  It’s written by Sue Gleiter, who has written a string of  similar articles over the years.  Her articles often seem like barely veiled PLCB propaganda, but I was willing to give her another chance.

Halfway through the article, Gleiter offers the seemingly crazy suggestion that consumers should ask PLCB employees for advice.  Really? Really? Really?  I would like to share this delicious tidbit from a former PLCB employee:

I always liked Boone’s Farm and Mad dog 20/20. I worked at a state store, and was just getting ready to go to wine school. Then I took a transfer into another state job. Wish I would have had the time to go to wine school. When people asked me about wines I pretty much just lied. I told them if your eating chicken or pork go for a white wine. If beef go for a red wine. Or something like that. I had a cheat sheet.

The next time I am dying for a bottle of  grain or hootch, I will  head over to the PLCB for some advice. However, if I want some real help in buying wine, I am a firm believer in the Wine School’s  monthly newsletter. It’s free and –unlike the Patriot-News– free of  pandering.

Clown Jewel

Posted by Mike Madaio on Feb 20, 2012 in Beer Reviews | 0 comments

The Weyerbacher Brewing Company, located in Easton, PA (but considered a local brew by most Philly hopheads) is known primarily for two things:

1. Full-flavored, high-alcohol beers that are complex and tasty
2. Having the worst branding of any US brewery

Their current logo looks like it was created in Print Shop, and most of their labels appear to be pulled out of the clip art trash heap. To wit (the underlined text is the logo):

To beer lovers in this area, the awfulness of Weyerbacher’s branding is a long-running joke. I’ve always wondered, however, what the real story is. Do owners Dan & Sue Wierback have terrible taste, and not understand how bad it is? Or, if they know, do they not think branding is important, or do they just think it is funny to feature artwork that looks like it was created by a 6th grader?

Well, we now know that it wasn’t total ignorance; Weyerbacher made their new logo public on February 11, 2012:

It is most definitely an enormous improvement over the existing logo, but it still leaves me with unanswered questions. Is it all a big joke to Dan and Sue? Though the jester is part of their original brand identity, I have a hard time understanding why anyone other than one with an incredibly sick sense of humor would want an icon such as this representing their life’s work and passion. Are dudes who love big, scary beers also into scary clowns? Apparently the Wierbacks think so.

Incidentally, I am currently loving Weyerbacher Winter Ale, an anomaly in their line of big, bold beers. When I first saw this on he shelf, I instantly thought it’d be 8-10% ABV (Weyerbacher, Winter – it fits). Instead, they went in a completely different direction, offering a drinkable, malty treat that weighs in at a paltry 5.6%. Among the stouts and porters this time of year, however, this is a welcome diversion from the bigness. It’s impeccably smooth, with roasted chocolatey malts and hints of molasses – perfect for a Winter drinking session.

(images via Weyerbacher.com)

Drink the Cheddar

Posted by Keith Wallace on Feb 5, 2012 in Philly | 4 comments

The first wine bar to exclusively feature wine from Pennsylvania is about to open in a few days. This is a significant moment for local viticulture: PA wineries have never been accorded this level of economic support and visibility in a major city. It would not be overstating that this is a historic first for our local wine industry. And it has been met with a limp silence from the media.

Why the silence? Because it’s common knowledge that Pennsylvania wines suck. They are sweet or taste awful. Or both. Local wineries are held to ridicule, and no one with aspirations of refinement and culture would ever speak well of a local winery. How do we know this? Because everyone says so!

So, Terry McNally opens the Paris Wine Bar (2303 Fairmount Avenue) without much fanfare. McNally is the owner of London Grill next door to the new wine bar. She is one of the first Philly restaurateurs to embrace the “Farm to Table” ethos, long before it was trendy.

The idea that Pennsylvania cannot produce good wine is bullshit, to be frank. The region has similar weather patterns (Köppen climate classification Cfa) as the Piedmonte in Italy. That, along with the long band of limestone soil that runs through the Brandywine valley, you have the foundation of high-quality viticulture. Add to that a decent amount of air flow, a few hills of degraded friable schist, or even a sandy valley, and you have the makings of top-shelf wines. Just make sure the vines have southwestern exposure, and that’s terroir in a nutshell.

What’s keeping local winemaker’s back? It’s all about the cheddar, baby. Unlike other east coast wine regions like Virginia, the state doesn’t invest much in the state’s wineries. Tellingly, Pennsylvania offers a wealthy of grant opportunities to farms, except for one’s growing wine grapes. This keeps funding for research and development of the PA wine industry continuing at a snails pace.

The other reason is you. And by “you” I mean in aggregate, the millions of wine buyers in the region. You buy Chardonnay and Merlot and rarely anything else. If you do buy a local wine, it is going to be a sweet one. For a local winemaker, this sucks. The grapes that work well here are not the ones people will buy.

There is a legend in the local wine trade about a hotshot young winemaker who came here from California and crafted what was probably the best wine ever to be made in Pennsylvania. Every sommelier and winemaker who tasted it agreed it was going to change the face of winemaking in the state. It was amazing. It was shipped to the wine stores, but no one would try it. Very few people were willing to give a Cabernet Franc from Pennsylvania a chance. Only a few hundred cases were sold. It was a total failure, and the end of the poor bastard’s career.

SO, until the cheddar start to flow, the PA wine industry will continue to tread water. Until then, amazing wines made from grapes like Bonarda, Barbera, Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc will remain theoretical. That is why a wine bar in Philadelphia means so much, it may mean the beginning of a new era for local winemakers. It very well could change how you perceive our local wineries.

It’s not just about drinking well. A recent report from Virginia showed that the local wine industry added $747 Million to the state’s economy every year. Most of that from a grape that few people have heard of: viognier. Drinking local brings in the cheddar, baby.

The Top Five Wines for Raw Oysters

Posted by Keith Wallace on Jan 8, 2011 in Wine Reviews | 3 comments

The brine and sweet fragrant flesh of a shucked oyster is an essential tribute to the summer. The wines served alongside should reflect a bit of sunshine and refreshment, too. Here is our guide to five wines, all for under $15, that are a wonderful match.

Lustau Manzanilla Reserva (Jerez, Spain)

This bone-dry sherry is a perfect match for oysters. Its olive-brine and fresh citrus flavors are a perfect accompaniment. A great way to be introduced to the pleasures of this Manzanilla sherry.

Gramona Gessami 2005 Vino Blanco (Catalunya, Spain)

Floral on nose (not surprisingly, the Spanish “Gessami” translates to Jasmine), with lemon-grass and ginger on a round frame balanced with a jolt of acidity.

Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco (Valdobbiadene, Italy)

A longtime favorite at the Wine School, and such a wonderful bottle of sparkling wine. The creamy bubbles fold over the oysters. This is a special order in the good state of Pennsylvania. In a pinch a bottle of Zardetto Prosecco will do the trick, too.

Vionta 2005 Albarino (Rias Baixas, Spain)

Fragrant with lime and honey, this Albarino boasts a palate of fresh pear and melon. Like the Gessami, the body of this white wine is both rich and vibrant.

D’arenberg 2005 The Hermit Crab (McLaren Vale, Australia)

A wonderful surprise, this Viognier/Marsanne blend retains enough freshness to work with oysters, and adds the classic ginger/waxiness of this blend to the mix. Lovely.

You can find these wines with our wine finder. Good wine hunting!