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  • Wine Department: Zinfandel, America’s Grape

    • Posted: 8/1/2018
    • Categories: Wine

    By T.J. Askren

     

    When grape growing and winemaking started in California, Zinfandel was there. Used in every facet of wine making, Zinfandel was, and still is, a major player. In big and bold single varietal wines, in field blends, in sweet white zinfandels, and even in fortified port productions, America’s grape is present.

    This noble grape can be traced back to the ancient Croatian grape Crljenak Kaštelanski, which was transported to the United States somewhere between 1820-1829 when clippings were shipped to Long Island from the Imperial Nursery of Vienna.

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  • Wine Department: Spain in 10 Days

    • Posted: 6/27/2018
    • Categories: Wine

    By T.J. Askren

     

    Fresh off the lastest Jungle Safari to Spain, I am back in the country and excited to share my experience with you! This summer’s Jungle Safari was a 10-day excursion across northern Spain, which reaffirmed my love for Spanish wine and reinforced my favorites, new and old. We started in Porto Portugal, drove north to Vigo, Spain, then continued our journey with stops in Zamora, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Zaragoza,

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  • Wine Department: German Wine 101 & The Mosel

    • Posted: 5/31/2018
    • Categories: Wine
    By T.J. Askren

     

    Understanding the tradition of German wine can be a daunting task! The complicated classification system and the hard-to-pronounce names can turn off newcomers. However, German wines are diverse, flavorful, and well worth getting to know. Keep reading for an introduction to German wines that will help you read bottle labels and navigate the huge wine section here at Jungle Jim’s!

     

    German wine regions are broken down into appellations,

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  • Wine Department: Illahe Vineyards Historical Winemaking By Hand and By Horse

    • Posted: 4/30/2018
    • Categories: Wine

    By: Todd A. Wiggs

    I love wine! After nearly 30 years in the wine business, I can still easily proclaim this as an immutable truth. Sure, some of the romance has been stripped away by the never ending litany of mass-produced, chemically manipulated, laboratory plonk that have no soul or sense of place. OK, maybe I have become a bit jaded. But, I see little reason to drink another big red blend or so-called premium North Coast Cabernet that has more residual sugar than my morning orange juice.

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  • Wine Department: It’s Time to Think Pink for the Spring

    • Posted: 3/28/2018
    • Categories: Wine
    By T.J. Askren

    Rosé is produced in just about every growing region of the world. Interestingly, Rosé is the closest style to what ancient winemakers produced! Blended and fermented in three distinct styles, Rosé is not only refreshing but also very versatile. Rosé can be used as an aperitif, quaffing, food pairing, or as a dessert. As one of my favorite styles, I plan on bringing  everyone up to speed on this often scoffed at wine.

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  • Wine Department: It’s Beautiful in the Central Garden of France in Springtime!

    • Posted: 2/27/2018
    • Categories: Wine

    By T.J. Askren

    Through my many travels through different wine country, nowhere has a sheer beauty and massiveness that strikes me more than Loire Valley. I was fortunate enough to visit the playground of Kings and Queens a few years back, and this is when my love for French white wine was cemented. Traveling from one end of the massive growing region to the other, I was struck by the vast difference in terroir that each application showcases.

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  • Wine Department: From the Morlet Family with Love – All You Need is Love (from the Napa Valley)

    • Posted: 2/1/2018
    • Categories: Wine

    By Kevin Keith

    Luc Morlet gained notoriety as the winemaker for famed California winery Peter Michael, and was of such instant renown that winery owner Sir Peter Michael has allowed Luc the ability to spread his wings and be involved in many other projects – something Sir Peter had not done with previous winemakers. Since 2006 Luc has been primarily concerned with his eponymously-named winery, Morlet Family, as well as continuing as consulting winemaker to Peter Michael,

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  • Stare Too Long

    • Posted: 1/9/2018
    • Categories: Wine

    My last trip out to Washington State was an interesting one. I was travelling for another store a few years ago, but after two days in Seattle, I rented a car and travelled across the state and back for a week, by myself. It was the very first time travelling solo, and I must admit, while a bit lonely at times, it was quite liberating. The highway out from Woodinville and then to Prosser,

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  • Runnin’ Down A Dream

    • Posted: 1/7/2018
    • Categories: Wine

    The new year underway…

    I can see myself in an open-top old Oldsmobile, riding down the Highway 5 south toward Highway 1 through Baja California then on to Cabo San Lucas. No clouds overhead and the warm Mexican wind in my face, and Ruben Blades singing “Vino Añejo” on the radio, I am driving as far as I can to put some distance between me and her, that beautiful face that will haunt me into my last breath.

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  • Cold Wind Blows

    • Posted: 1/6/2018
    • Categories: Wine

    I try to find a song that will convey what I’d like to say about the bitter cold outside, but I guess “it’s damn cold outside” will suffice. The heart and mind lingers toward thoughts of the warm summer sun, be it above sandy beaches and the bluest oceans, or desert hikes, or mountain lakes, anywhere warm will due. At least that’s how folks like me get through these cold winter months: pining away for more temperate climates. Read article
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