Two very contests were held recently that may shatter your worldview: 

In an international wine competition, Nyetimber's Classic Cuvée 2003 produced in Sussex, Enguhland beat out French Champagnes in the Sparkling Wine Category. Keep in mind this was a blind taste test done by winemakers, oenologists, sommeliers, and journalists. More here. 

On its own, I wouldn't have posted that as news, had it not been for the headline I read earlier in the week that a Taiwanese Whisky -- Kavalan -- won a blind taste test in England that was organized to celebrate Scotland's Burn Night festivities. Ouch. More here.

We're living in a global marketplace, and the days of thriving based solely on historical reputation are over; the product must still be superior. And even if it's superior in any given year, or for ten years running, one must innovate even if it's only to ensure that no innovation is required. While some may heed the business advice of a Michael Porter, Geoffrey Moore, or Jack Welch, I always remember the words of Big Tom Callahan from Tommy Boy: "You're either growin' or you're dyin' -- there ain't no third direction."

I have had an obsession with perfectly spherical balls for over 3 years now. I don't recall where I first read about the primary benefit of a spherical ice ball, but ever since then, I can't get them out of my mind. Basically, the sphere's surface area causes it to melt more slowly in alcohol which makes it the ideal shape for drinks on the rocks. Maximum chill, minimum dilution.

Unfortunately, at the time, I could not find anything designed to make spherical ice balls. Then, a trip to Daniel's in New York about 18 months ago was the first time I got to experience a spherical ball in a cocktail. I couldn't say if my drink tasted better, longer because of it, but the detail did not go unnoticed.

Last year, Macallan introduced an incredible, branded ice ball maker that sells for $1,000+, but being more of a bourbon guy than a Scotch guy, I'd feel weird making a Macallan ball for my Rowan's Creek on the rocks.  

Flash forward to earlier this week: Josh Premuda blogged about a silicone ice ball maker sold at an airport shop in the JetBlue terminal in JFK. The company is Muji, and their product sells for just $11.95. Since I was in New York for Market, and flying JetBlue, I could not wait to leave so I could finally enjoy spherical balls in the comfort of my own home.

I passed through airport security, and my heart started racing as I saw the Muji store. I walked up to the counter and asked for 6 balls. The cashier said there was only 1 left. We scoured the store, but alas, it was not meant to be. She gave me a 10% discount since it was the display model meaning my ball was probably fondled by thousands of shoppers.

I'll probably make my first one tomorrow, so I regret that this will not be the last time you hear about my ball. 

Our favorite friend-from-high-school-turned-store-customer passes along this article about a tasting involving a $2,000 bottle of Scotch. 

I found it particularly relevant in light of a phone call last week from Laphroaig "asking" if they could host an event at our store this Fall to pour some Scotch from bottles that go for $400-$500! The Wall Street Journal reported on the inaugural tasting of a 25 Year Old Laphroaig and a 30 Year Old Ardmore held in New York at a private club near Wall Street. We'll assume no TARP funds were used for the event, but if it comes out later that there was, you heard it here first!

We were definitely flattered to get the call, but in of course we played it cool and told them we'd have to think about it.  

Someday, when we have a store in the Napa Valley and then later again when we have one in the South of France (give us 20 years for that one), we will expect to have a friendly, neighborhood winery. Never would we have thought that we would have one so close to our store in downtown San Francisco. But a mere 6 blocks away from our downtown store is the global HQ of JAQK Cellars, a newcomer to the wine industry. For those without a gambling addiction, JAQK stands for Jack-Ace-Queen-King, and as such, the entire line has a gaming/poker/card-shark attitude about it. 

 Tonight, with a homemade chili, I had the pleasure of tasting two of JAQK Cellars' red wines: 22 Black and High Roller.

The Black 22 ($31) is made primarily of grapes from Paso Robles in the Central Coast of California. While it was a little acidic at first, it became much better as it opened up. The website says it has aromas of blackberry, cassis, cherry, and toasted nuts. Who am I to argue?

The High Roller ($70) is their flagship wine - a Cabernet Sauvignon - made 100% of Napa Valley grapes. The wine was definitely more smooth from the get-go, and like the Black 22, evolved nicely as it had a chance to breathe. The folks that joined me in the tasting immediately noticed the heftiness of the bottle, which I later discovered was an Imperiale custom-made for JAQK Cellars in Italy.

The bottle is just one example of the lengths to which JAQK Cellars has gone to attend to every last single detail. The wine itself, the packaging, the website, the gift sets -- not only have no corners been cut, but it seems as though no expense has been spared. The company makes 8 different wines (4 Napa Valley wines, 4 "California" wines), and while I can only speak to the 2 I have personally tasted, I eagerly anticipate trying the rest of the line.

JAQK Cellars will be hosting an event at our San Francisco store in the very near future...be on the lookout.

Talk to any tobacconist and you'll probably discover that they have a love-hate relationship with Marvin Shanken, publisher of Cigar Aficionado. On the one hand, the magazine played a huge role in the cigar boom of the mid-1990's, and certainly contributes to the romanticization of "the good life" as it relates to cigars to this day; on the other hand, his 100-point scoring system for cigars causes a great deal of angst around stocking high-scoring cigars and often overlooking or underrating little-known gems. I can attest to this having spent a couple years working in San Francisco's premier tobacconist during the peak of the boom, and our attitude was that the "best cigar" is the one you like best. People have different tastes & preferences, and while we can make recommendations, we would never be so bold as to say our favorite was better than your favorite.

It should come as no surprise that the same has been true of wines. While I have yet to work in a wine shop, being a betting man, I'm sure wine retailers share the same feelings about Robert Parker, Wine Spectator (another Shanken publication), and Wine Enthusiast. A friend of mine who used to be in the wine business, selling to retailers, would often tout their 93 score in Wine Enthusiast which didn't seem to carry much weight with buyers because they are always! "enthusiastic"! about wine! -- they'd give vinegar an 89! Of course, Robert Parker is the giant of the 3 in terms of reputation and longevity, and so it was he who was targeted in a recent article in Portfolio magazine about wineries refusing to submit wines for a score.

Money quote from Christophe Hedges of Hedges Family Estate:

"My dad calls high-scoring wines 'bimbo wines' because they're good for cocktail parties but not marriage. We want to make the kind of wine that's beautiful for the long haul."

Well played! And worth a quick read if you're a wine lover. 

During the holidays, one of the gift ideas I strongly recommended was a wine aroma kit. The basic premise is that it isolates the scents found in wine so that a mortal can tell the difference between hazelnut and almond by scent (rather than by candy bar wrapper).

If you can't afford a wine aroma kit, there is a free alternative: faking it. Writer & Culinary Student, Sophie Brickman, published a clever primer for those looking to talk a big game about their palate without actually knowing the first thing about wine tasting.

Having spent a fair amount of time in St. Helena with friends who grew up in the wine industry, I can sympathize. You want to sound educated. And you don't want your opinion shot down by a real expert (or purported expert). Perhaps every year, one of my new year's resolutions will be to come up with a new, default comment about a wine I can't say anything about. For 2009, if you hear me say: "the nose reminds me of clam digging in Pismo Beach", then you'll know I have no idea what I'm tasting. And it will be our little secret.

You can read Sophie's entire post here; it's worth the read!