September 1, 2007
Steve Grossnickle, Owner
I’m now going to dive into the deep, unexplored pool of knowledge concerning alcohol, the simple two carbon molecule, and its effects on the human body. Many studies have shown that longevity is positively affected by those who have alcohol as part of their diets, the actuaries know this as well, alcohol usage is a checkbox on every insurance application. But, the studies always indicate moderation as far as intake, several ounces is the benchmark. As I delve into the subject, I find that the facts are clear, the actuarially studies…
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March 9, 2007
Steve Grossnickle, Owner
Is wine a health food? Evidence mounts that it actually is, but one has to be careful in interpreting the scientific data and analyze the chemistry and its biochemical effects. This article is intended to be a primer on the health aspects of wine. Much of the historical history of wine involves the 300-400 year old Puritanical view, focusing only on the alcohol content and the evils thereof. Organic chemistry is a relatively new science of perhaps 150 years and, of course, biochemistry is approximately two generations (50-70 years) old. So, with the discovery of phenols, catechins, anti-oxidants, flavonoids, phyto-nutrients etc., one has to include them in the science of health. The French Paradox, which Maynard will elaborate on, roughly states that why is heart disease more prevalent in the west when…
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June 22, 2009
Steve Grossnickle, Owner
Dissecting the term, “Tasting Room”, requires deeper analysis of both “tasting” and “room.” Tasting, as in winery, is defined as the olfactory experience of sampling wine, and as a privileged taster at an event in Napa with a select number of Australian vintners, I experienced wine judges doing what they do best: gargling, sucking, aerating and a host of other rather uncouth mouth and airway movements that would possibly offend Emily Post. In short, they take wine apart with their mouths. And, as a physician, after investigating tasting and the olfactory experience of wine tasting, I have found that there are non-tasters, tasters and super tasters among us. These three classes of individuals, and you are one of them, have our parents and their DNA input into our makeup to thank for this. The super tasters are…
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February 18, 2011
Steve Grossnickle, Owner
After you spill a red wine on the carpet, you have a permanent reminescence of that wine, at least its color. And, completely removing wine stains is virtually an impossible task regardless of all the ShamWow!® commercials. Therefore, it is recommended to only drink white wines over carpet—they leave little if any long term stains.
Recently I barrel tasted with our winemaker, David Hill, tasting only whites from our stainless steel barrels. I truly believe this year’s pinot gris is our best vintage ever. We will also have a chenin blanc (a new variety to Forty-Five North) which I found to have a delightfully complex blend of minerality and crispness on the tongue. We then jumped over to the oak barrels where our ports, cherry dessert and Northpor, are being aged in freshly-emptied
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I’m now going to dive into the deep, unexplored pool of knowledge concerning alcohol, the simple two carbon molecule, and its effects on the human body. Many studies have shown that longevity is positively affected by those who have alcohol as part of their diets, the actuaries know this as well, alcohol usage is a checkbox on every insurance application. But, the studies always indicate moderation as far as intake, several ounces is the benchmark. As I delve into the subject, I find that the facts are clear, the actuarially studies…