A Twitter tasting frenzy on Day 1 gets morale up. Continue Reading »

Age verification pages on websites are insane to me. They are the equivalent to a blind, deaf, paralyzed old woman working the door of a nightclub. They baffle me. It’s the ultimate example of going through the motions…Obviously the alcohol companies don’t have much of a choice in the matter, so you can’t fault them. Here are ten age verification screens for your viewing pleasure. Continue Reading »

Concerned citizens of Braintree, Massachusetts have banded together to stop Wine Nation Inc. from building a fine beverage superstore in their fair town. A website has been set up to support the opposition, which can be viewed here.

On the surface, I like the fact that people are taking this matter into their own hands and staging a mutiny of sorts to try and keep the mega store out of their town, but I find it difficult to get behind the cause. Continue Reading »

Unless you live in a cave that does not have Wi-Fi, then you’ve undoubtedly heard of Michael Jackson’s death from cardiac arrest today, but did you know about his fine beverage scandal involving serving wine to kids in soda cans?

Entertainment Weekly reported on January 29, 2004 that, “In the latest issue of Vanity Fair, [Jackson’s former business adviser] Myung-Ho Lee claims the singer tried to seduce at least one boy by serving him Coca-Cola cans that were actually filled with wine. Jackson called the white wine ‘Jesus juice’ and the red wine ‘Jesus blood,’ Lee tells the magazine.”

Following this, The Smoking Gun would report about a Los Angeles couple trying to trademark a wine using Jackson’s term “Jesus juice” with label that was controversial to say the least.

Jacko will be missed by all at Mutineer, who will be abolishing wine glasses and drinking all wine and other libations out of soda cans for the rest of the day, a practice our layout editor Jordan Luckman does from time to time anyways…

A lonely glass of sparkling rosé by Sieur D’Arques

Like the centre of Bordeaux France, cafes line the “streets” of Vinexpo, the world’s largest wine and spirits exposition held in … well Bordeaux. It’s the modern day, bourgeoisie Moulin Rouge where Satin is played, this year, by rosé and sparkling wine selections. All other wine — and spirits to a much lesser extent– make up the chorus line.

This year some 40,000 to 50,000 visitors and exhibitors will flood the halls, which is not surprising given that wine and spirits sales totaled $330 billion worldwide in 2008. Come 2012 that figure will likely hit $390 billion with America taking the lead in sales that same year. Continue Reading »

The Auction of Washington Wines is coming up, which benefits the Seattle Children’s Hospital. The event is actually made up of a bunch of little events, including a new addition called “Revelry on Red Mountain”. Tickets range from “an early-bird special for Picnic at just $125 up to a full weekend of festivities for $750” according to the press release.

There events include a barrel auction and picnic, winemaker dinners, the Covey Run 10k/5k walk & run, and the Starry Starry Night Gala Auction, which is the grand event of the weekend.

Learn more here.

I got a press release today from the fine people at the American Vineyard Foundation about the $1 million in funding they contributed to the total $2 million raised for vineyard research, which is awesome, but not necessarily blog material, until I see that “mealybug sex pheromones” are among the projects considered. YES! I’ve been on a mission to get more sex on the blog, so this is GREAT. Continue Reading »

The only thing better than integrating social media into a fine beverage company is using that social media to give awesome stuff away. Murphy-Goode has spawned a legion of Vikings with their $60,000 social media position contest, and now a small wine and cheese shop in North Carolina, Christopher’s Wine and Cheese, is following suit by giving away a vacation in Virginia’s wine country, stating that “Lately everyone’s posting contests to win this or that job – and we think that’s just crazy. Everyone we know needs a break, not more work!” There isn’t a lot to not like about this. You enter, and maybe you win. It’s great to see smaller companies stepping up to the plate and using social media to pull in new customers.

Enter contest.