Wine

Wine Spectator: Top 10 Wines of 2009

2009-11-20T20:37:18Z

Earlier this week Wine Spectator announced their top 10 wine picks for 2009. Watch the video and hear senior editors introduce each wine and explain what makes puts a particular wine on the top 10 list!

Holiday Wine Deals

2009-11-18T19:16:52Z

Need fail-proof gift ideas for that hard-to-shop-for friend or relative. No worries! What could be easier than the gift of wine? Even better (and definitely faster) - order the wine directly online.

Our WineCountry.com elves have been busy finding fabulous wine deals to fit every shopper's budget. Read on and click to find that perfect gift for your loved ones. If you're lucky, maybe they will even share! Tip: When ordering out of state, remember to check if the winery of your choice will ship to that state.

Arrowood Vineyards & Winery
Holiday Gift Collections - Choose from four elegant gift pairings that will make wonderful presents for the wine lovers on your holiday shopping list. Choose from our Classic's, Rhone style or Reserve designates. Each collection comes beautifully packaged with signature wines hand crafted by Winemaster Richard Arrowood.

B.R. Cohn Winery
Holiday Wine Sampler - Planning a holiday party or joining friends and family at theirs - B.R. Cohn has you covered. Just order their 12 bottle holiday sampler which includes pairing suggestions to cover all your holiday foods. Currently they are offering a 25% discount on the case!

Domaine Chandon
Chandon has a variety of gift ideas for a wide range of friends whether they are a culinary expert (Epicurean 2 pk), a party host/hostess (Genuine Entertainer), or chic & savvy (The Sophisticated). And of course, you really can't go wrong with bubbles! Shipping is free on any order of $100 or more.
]]> HALL Winery
Thanksgiving Merlot Trio - Enhance your gatherings with this velvety smooth offering. With its inviting aromas, and velvety, fruit-forward palate, this wine is sure to make a memorable addition to your table. Enjoy 3 Bottles of rich, ripe 2005 HALL Napa Valley Merlot for $94, price includes 3-day express shipping! Must order by Nov. 20th 10AM PST to ensure delivery by Thanksgiving.

My Wines Direct
Send impressive wine baskets featuring great wines and gourmet foods, or give one of our wine gift packs featuring impressive wines from around the world. 0 Shipping + Satisfaction Guaranteed!

Mumm Napa
Thanksgiving Wine Set - No need to guess what wines to pair your Thanksgiving meal. Mumm Napa is offering 15% discount to non members (30% for members) with a four bottle wine set. Last day to order is Nov. 19th!

Petroni Vineyards
Holiday Specials - When you entertain your family and close friends, a magnum of Petroni Vineyards wine is a beautiful way to serve your guests from a single bottle, as each magnum pours 12 glasses. Impressive as a gift, a magnum says "Let's Celebrate!" Visit online to see special holiday pricing.

Staglin Winery
Great Wine For a Great Cause - 2007 Salus Chardonnay & 2006 Salus Cabernet ($138) - All profits go to benefit the Music Festival for Mental Health and the International Mental Health Research Organization (www.imhro.org). This is the gift that will keep on giving!

St. Francis Winery & Vineyards
Elegantly Boxed Holiday Gifts - St Francis is featuring an array of gift boxes perfect for the wine lover in your life. Port & Chocolates. Cabernet Collection. Heritage of Wild Oak. Or get fancy and select a hand-painted bottle featuring one of five designs "Poinsetta, Holiday Wreath, Snowflake, Snowman, or Holiday Trees". All items available to order Nov 20th!

V. Sattui
Holiday Gift Specials - Now through December purchase a case of wine from V.Sattui and receive 25% discount. And of course, you can't go wrong with gift cards. Increments start at $50.

Visit the full list of featured wineries:
Napa Valley Wineries
Sonoma County Wineries

Traveling for the holidays? Print out special tasting offers from your favorite wineries before you visit!

Deals on Champagne & Sparklers

2009-11-18T17:12:16Z

According to Paul Gregutt in a recent article for the Seattle Times, prices for Champagne and sparkling wine have decreased. In fact, worldwide demand has fallen by at least 10% which can only mean one thing for you and me - it's time to buy and stock up! And for those gearing up for the holidays, it couldn't be more perfect timing.

The articles suggests a few tips in what to buy:

(1) Be adventurous. Try something new instead of sticking to the brand you always buy.

(2) Buy a vintage Champagne rather than a brut

(3) Look on the bottle to see if the grapes are grand cru. Apparently grand cru vineyards are considered to be the best and well worth if it, even if a few more extra dollars..

(4) Splurge without breaking the bank. Purchase a half bottle

Paul also recommends asking the wine seller what is on sale. One deal out there right now is from Duval-Leroy where they have half bottles of brut at $18 and a full bottle of Cuvee Paris at $35.

Other articles on picking out sparklers for the holiday season:
Bubble, Bubble Everywhere

Cooking With Wine

2009-11-17T16:54:33Z

When You Actually Put It In the Food

By Deirdre Bourdet

Some may consider the deliberate pouring of wine into anything other than a drinking vessel or eager mouth a shameful, wasteful act. While I see their point, wine-based cooking also happens to be one of the most delicious, easy, and traditional techniques for creating wine-friendly food. A splash of red to deglaze your meat searing pan, a dash of white to loosen up those all-too-quickly browning onions, and you've suddenly added worlds of flavor, depth, and sophistication to your creation.

Then there are the truly wine-based recipes (coq au vin, boeuf bourguignon, moules marinière, etc.) where the wine takes center stage. Typically there is a great deal of reduction involved--simmering the wine with other ingredients to concentrate flavor and reduce the volume of liquid to a thicker, more sauce-like consistency. These recipes make you confront the question of which bottle to use head-on, because the quality of the wine reduction really sets the tone of the dish. ]]>
At the same time, you don't have to spend $40 on a cooking wine! A lot of more expensive wines actually don't hold up well when reduced by one-half or more--which is what many wine recipes call for. They become too sweet or flabby, they lose the distinctive texture or character that made them expensive, and sometimes the reds throw off a lot of unattractive solid particles (which look like sediment, but aren't) as they reduce. The key is finding a wine that is reasonably balanced--not too sweet or fruit-forward, not too acidic, and not too tannic. You can find those in the $10-12 range pretty easily.

Using cheaper wine that is less exaggerated in style allows you to reduce without fear, save some cash, and happily drink the rest of the bottle, too - preferably with the dish you just made, which should be a fabulous match.

Wine Country Personality: Winemaker Bill Anderson

2009-11-09T21:02:26Z

The Chateau Julien team has included Winemaker Bill Anderson since the Wine Estate opened in 1982. After studying enology at UC Davis, Bill joined Chateau Julien Proprietors Bob & Patty Brower with release of the first vintage of Chateau Julien wine - 1982 Merlot & Chardonnay. Experience and consistency over the years highlight the essence of Chateau Julien wines. Today, over three-quarters of the winery's portfolio consists of its flagship Merlot and complementary Bordeaux varietals. Winemaker Bill Anderson has balanced the art of winemaking and a commitment to quality with each of the nearly thirty Chateau Julien vintages produced since 1982.

Bill's passion for the winemaking process began at the early age of eleven. Bill was fascinated by early childhood stories of his father making wine with friends during the prohibition period. One fall afternoon at his home in the San Francisco Bay Area, Bill eagerly set out to experiment with the fermentation process using apricots from their newly acquired family orchard. He found an old porcelain 10-gallon crock in the garage, gathered apricots from the backyard and started mixing sugar, apricots and small packages of Fleishman's yeast. While the results tasted awful, the initial aroma of fermenting fruit never left his memory and ultimately led Bill to the study of enology twenty years later.

His philosophy today continues to be as simple as the elegance he achieves in his wines. "Elegance is what I keep in mind in winemaking. Simple, straightforward, clean; the truth is evident without frivolity. If you have good grapes and treat them well, do all the details every day and let them do what they will naturally do, you will have a good product."

Chateau Julien Wine Estate
8940 Carmel Valley Road
Carmel Valley, CA 93923
831.624.2600

Must-Have Glasses For Holiday Party Season

2009-11-09T18:02:22Z

by Deirdre Bourdet

Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away, and while most people have started planning their menus, most people haven't given much thought to rustling up stemware for the hordes of celebrants about to descend. Big gatherings tend to bring out those back-of-the-cupboard wine "goblets," or the ever-festive plastic glasses--both because of necessity (few people have 14 Spiegelau glasses on hand), and because no tears will be shed when the inevitable shattering occurs.

Having recently broken two Riedels at home myself, I decided it was time to check out the purportedly "break-resistant" wine glasses Wine Enthusiast stocks. Fusion stemware is made of lead-free European crystal fused with magnesium, and is backed with a 10-year warranty. If the glasses shatter from normal klutziness, Wine Enthusiast will replace it for free. (See full details at wineenthusiast.com/Fusion) Now obviously this is still crystal, so if you hurl it to the sidewalk in a fury, it will almost certainly break--and not be covered by the warranty. But Fusion is apparently immune to those everyday backhands that bring down your glass and its contents in a cascade of splintered pain.

]]> major wincing on my part, a deafening sound on impact, a few little follow-up bounces, but at the end, a perfectly unscathed, beautiful wineglass that still sounds like crystal when you toast.

Fusion makes two styles--the Classic, which looks like the basic crystal wineglasses most people have, and the high-style, high-rise Infinity, which has extra long stems, sharper angles, and is (not surprisingly) about five dollars more per glass. Wine Enthusiast is currently offering eight glasses for the price of six, plus free shipping, so the time is right.

These glasses open up a whole new world of entertaining...think of all those people you can invite back to your house! You'll breathe easier and drink better on turkey day, too.

Fusion Stemware:
Available from winenthusiast.com and amazon.com, among others

What Wines to Serve for Thanksgiving

2009-11-06T17:15:15Z

Are you at a loss when deciding on which wine to serve for Thanksgiving? Rest assured, you're not alone! Surprisingly (or not), trying to pair the perfect wine to accompany the wide variety of food we encounter with this wonderful meal is a common dilemma. The good news is, we can help! Watch the videos below and get expert tips from those who know best. Now, what to do with eccentric family members? We'll leave that to you!

]]>

Hoax or No - Twitter to Make Wine??

2009-11-04T14:11:51Z

By Courtney Cochran

It's true, management for social networking phenomenon Twitter.com recently announced a partnership the company has struck with San Francisco-based Crushpad, the urban winery, to make its own brand of wine: Fledgling. Proceeds for the so-called social media wine - which has its own handle, natch: @fledgling - will go to Room to Read, a charity that supports international literacy projects. And with some 49,124 followers as of press time, it sounds like Twitter's Fledgling Wine is off to a buzz-worthy start. ]]> But Why?
Still, some media players have riddled the project, asking what exactly winemaking has to do with micro-blogging. I have to say, as much as I applaud Crushpad's savvy press move in locking down a partnership with one of the most-watched tech companies of the moment, I can't say that I really understand the connection, either. 7x7's Jordan Mackay astutely pointed out that there is little incentive for consumers to buy the wine for the wine's sake alone: the grapes come from undisclosed California vineyards and bottles won't even be available until August 2010. From a company that prides itself on "live!" communications, this timeline is staggeringly protracted.

But at least it's all giving us something new to talk about in the now. To wit, a recent Tweet from the @fledgling handle announced, "Doing punchdowns gives winemakers buff guns (plus they help the wine taste good too) Newest winemaking video: http://bit.ly/3eundd.

Wine Country in Hong Kong?

2009-11-03T19:50:13Z

Sounds odd, but according to a recent CNN report, Hong Kong is now home to a boutique winery by the name of 8th Estate Winery. It produces about 100,000 bottles every years and is currently selling 4 reds, 4 whites and 3 different types of dessert wines. As you can imagine, there is no space to actually grow grapes in Hong Kong considering it one of the largest populations in the world. As a result, the grapes are sourced from all over the world with 2007 vintage made with grapes from Washington and the 2008 vintage from regions of Italy. To ensure freshness, the grapes go through a flash freeze process before being shipped.

Of course the real question in all of this is - Is the wine any good? CNN conducted a test with unsuspecting guests at a hotel bar who were served 8th Estate wine. Below are just a few of the comments:

"It's good, drinkable . . . it could be from some part of France." (Swiss man who lives in Hong Kong after tasting the Chardonnay)

"Very dry, very nice. No after taste. Is it from California?" (Miami, Florida man also in Hong Kong after tasting the Merlot)

Guess it goes to show you, you can make wine anywhere!

CLICK HERE to read the full article

Parker Pandemonium

2009-11-03T14:09:29Z

By Courtney Cochran

It's not easy being Robert Parker.

If the recent rash of criticism of the wine ratings czar is any indication, the lawyer-turned-world's-most-recognized-wine-critic isn't sleeping easy nights. Things first turned tough for Parker this spring when respected wine blogger Tyler Colman (AKA Dr. Vino) as well as The Wall Street Journal penned exposes on ethical missteps by members of Parker's tasting staff. And things have only continued to heat up since, with Colman penning follow-on pieces examining the veracity of Parker's so-called perfect tasting recall and discrepancies in the quality of wines rated in his publication, the Wine Advocate, and on the market. ]]> Pushing "Parkerphiles to Paxil"?
And we certainly can't forget the scorching send up the guy in my friend Alice Feiring's new book, "The Battle for Wine and Love, or How I Saved the World from Parkerization" (the little ditty on Paxil above comes courtesy of Ms. Feiring). In a favorite chapter called "My Date with Bob," the feisty wine auteur details a series of desultory conversations she has with the larger-than-life critic; she ultimately blasts him for failing to take responsibility for the far-reaching influence of his palate, which she asserts has caused winemakers to abandon natural winemaking in favor of regimes relying on copious amounts of technology and new oak - which Parker loves.

Clearly, it's a tough time to be this guy. But what do you think: Villain or not? Could it be that Parker is just misunderstood?

Geologists Say Mineral In Wine Impossible to Detect

2009-11-02T22:36:03Z

By Courtney Cochran

Another ringer hit the wine industry recently when geologists gathering for the annual Geological Society of America conference in Portland declared there's little evidence the minerals we find in vineyards can be tasted in wines. Perhaps most shockingly, the geologists said that "the concentration of minerals in wine is below the threshold of human taste and smell." This all throws a major monkey wrench in the common belief held by critics and tasters-in-the-know (or so they thought) that mineral flavors can be tasted and smelled in many of the wines we quaff. ]]> Mineral Madness
According to Seattlepi.com, a goal of the conference was to debunk "mistaken notions about terroir - how landforms, soils, climate and other local conditions define the character of wine." Their findings fly in the face of common wine instruction, which has long taught tasters that scents like wet stone, slate, granite and the like in wine can be attributed to mineral deposits found in vineyard soils. A silver lining was offered in the form of quality differences in wine that at least one expert said could likely be attributed to variations in soil texture in vineyards. As well, water-retention and climate were held up to influence taste and flavor and quality, though a taste test administered at the event and among other audiences failed to show that wines from two different vineyard sites could be consistently differentiated.

Confounding news like this leaves me scratching my head and wondering why we even bother. Then again, I KNOW I tasted slate in a Mosel Riesling last week - so I'll stay the course. I don't care what the geologists say!

Amazon Gets Out of Wine Game - Before Ever Getting In

2009-10-29T23:59:06Z

By Courtney Cochran

A proverbial bomb dropped in the wine world late last week when online sales giant Amazon.com notified erstwhile winery partners it would no longer be getting into the online wine sales business. Reactions to the news ranged from astonished to relieved, with many speculating the cause of the ouster can be traced to fulfillment partner New Vine Logistics' recent bankruptcy and pressure from the government to prevent so-called third-party wine sales.]]> Loss for Industry?
Relief is likely being felt by potential wine sales competitors, who no doubt feared the pressure that would accompany Amazon's aggressive pricing tactics and superb customer service offerings. Yet more than one authority in the wine world has heralded Amazon's departure as a real loss to the wine industry - particularly where online sales of wine are concerned - as the Internet sales powerhouse may have had the clout and determination necessary to force change in our nation's admittedly complicated and archaic wine shipping laws. For now, this hope has turned back into fantasy - and who knows when we'll see another promising newcomer with potential for change like Amazon?

PRESS RELEASE: Petroni Receives Top Awards

2009-10-27T21:46:50Z

Five of the six wines produced by Petroni Vineyards have received top awards from the prestigious 2009 Tasters Guild International Wine Judging Competition that took place this summer in Washington DC.

The Poggio alla Pietra, Petroni's flagship Brunello di Sonoma, was awarded the highest honor of Double Gold.

If there is a wine whose pants should come off, surely it is the Brunello di Sonoma. It is big and come-hither, a full-blown Rubens of a wine, with a bouquet of cherry whipped into shape by a little leather and tobacco. Rich as a velvet curtain.

The Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded a Gold Medal.

A layered bouquet of red bell pepper, chocolate, and crushed black cherries with subtle oak nuances. Ruby red, silky and elegant, for years to come.

While the Sauvignon Blanc, Rosso di Sonoma and Syrah all received Silver Medals.

About Petroni Vineyards
Fabulous Tuscan-style wines & organic olive oil. Unique award winning private estate wines, including Brunello di Sonoma, developed by San Francisco North Beach Restaurant's owner. Visit Petroni Vineyards in Sonoma on the beautifully terraced hillsides of the Mayacamas Mountains that boast majestic views. Call for tasting appointments! Visit online to order wines and holiday specials.

Nouveau Sips: Wines to Savor in 2010

2009-10-26T13:49:53Z

By Courtney Cochran

Let's face it: the recession taught us many of things, perhaps the most important: you've got to appreciate the small things in life. And with 2009 drawing to a close, we can all look forward a renewed perspective (not to mention uptrending economic indicators, whew!) in the new year. To go along with this reinvigorated view of things, we offer the following ten wines that are destined to be hot in 2010. Because if another thing is altogether clear as we head out of this strange era: wine is and always will be a hallmark of the good times. And, it's time for each and every one of us to start living the good life again.

So go on: The little things in life are beckoning - and go down swell with a swill of some excellent vino ]]> The Versatile White: German Riesling
Whether you're serving fast food (it's out of this world with a burger and salty fries) or foie gras, Mosel Riesling from Germany's got you covered. A laser-focused white with super brisk acidity and show-stopping exotic fruit notes, Riesling's hint of sweetness makes the perfect foil for fatty AND salty foods - making it one of the world's criminally underappreciated wines. A sommelier fav, it's also a crowd pleaser and sure to "wow" even the most jaded oenophiles.
Try: 2007 Bollig Lehnert Tritenheimer Apotheke Riesling Kabinett ($15)

The Well Edited Chardonnay
Today's quotidian chardonnays are run amok in over the top oak and butter notes - so where to turn when you like a bit of body in your glass but fear the blow of the overdone? Turn to a Chardonnay in today's hottest style - a style that includes a touch of ML (that's malolactic fermentation - the winemaking process that creates those infamous buttery notes) and just a kiss of quality French oak. This wine demonstrates that it CAN be done - and that Chardonnay of today is in fact elegant, restrained...but still a bit opulent. Cheers to that.
Try: 2007 Neyers Carneros Chardonnay ($25)

The Portuguese Player
Here, here! Dry Portuguese wines - as opposed to the country's famous stickie, Port - are the new big thing where wine in the country is concerned. Enter Vino Verde, a precocious white from the northern reaches of the country that packs exhilarating lemon soda-like zip alongside hints of salinity thanks to vineyards' proximity to the nearby Atlantic. It's perfect for seafood and spicy Mexican fare, and heartier versions of the wine will pair well with poultry and richer foods.
Try: 2008 Ferreira "Soalheiro" Alvarinho Vinho Verde, Portugal ($20)

Oregonian Initiation
Attention oenophiles: Oregon is officially on the list. As in, Oregon is definitely the next big thing where domestic wine is concerned, and it's got a lot to show you all. Take, for instance, the region's super elegant Pinots, which eloquently (and improbably) marry Old World French (read: restrained) elegance and structure with opulent New World fruit - making for a vinous match in Pinot heaven if ever there was one. And while stellar cuvees come from all over the Willamette, many of the best are clustered in the volcanic Dundee Hills AVA.
Try: 2007 Adelsheim Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($32)

The Minty Messenger
Now is definitely the time to get to know Chile's signature red grape, Carmenère, which has been on our radar for some time but is just truly breaking out in a big way thanks to growing awareness of wines from the region and more imports available on store shelves. A mid- to full-bodied red with silky tannins, it totally charms with its singular minty aroma and flavor backed by cool notes of bramble berries and tobacco; in all, it's the perfect companion to meats made with mint sauce, herbed stews and the like.
Try: 2007 Montes Alpha Carmenère Colchagua Valley, Chile ($22)

The...Ahem...Mature Red
If there's one thing 2009 taught us, it's that value is the new black. But with economic climes looking fairer, we're also looking for stellar quality to go along with that value. Enter Spanish reds - specifically, Spanish reds that hail from la Rioja. Arguably the country's most famous winemaking region, northern Rioja reds benefit from a mandatory aging in oak and bottling before they're released - which means they often hit the shelves with enviable age (and nuance!) already in the bottle. Even better: these beauties are from Spain, home to some of the best values in wine today.
Try: 2001 Lopez de Heredia "Viña Bosconia" Reserva Rioja ($35)

The Israeli Upstart
Some 30 years ago Israelis planted grape vines on the Golan Heights - a region the country won from Syria during the Six-Day War in 1967 - and slowly but surely, a quality wine revolution has been taking place there ever since. Take, for example, the classy offerings in red from the Golan Heights, which offer up decadent aromas and flavors of deep berries along with silky texture and a hint of spice. They're proving that Israeli wines are here to stay, and whether you keep kosher or not, you ought to give them a whirl; if nothing else, they make a shoe-in for the "exotic region" selection at your next tasting.
2005 Galil Mountain "Yiron" Cabernet-Merlot, Galilee, Israel ($25, Yarden)

The Secret Sauce Syrah
Psst: Syrah in California is getting better...MUCH better. And thanks to a handful of vintners making the stuff from vines grown in fringe vineyards (spots on the edge of cultivable land, where Syrah thrives), we're now able to enjoy simply stellar Syrah grown in our backyards. We recommend the following wine from one of the foremost up and coming Syrah producers in California - recently awarded 94 points and stopping traffic - vinously speaking - wherever it's poured.
Try: 2006 La Fenêtre Élevage Reserve Santa Barbara Highlands "South Mesa" Syrah ($45)

The Comeback Kid
Lambrusco. It's what your parents drank when they didn't know any better, and following a wave of serious overexposure it's been shunned to the status of White Zin-like pariah of the wine world for decades. But heed this, adventurous wino: Lambrusco's back, and it's taking palates by surprise across this fair land with its food-friendly dryness, lip-smacking berry flavors, eye-popping red color and effervescent bubbles. It's not complex, it's not long on the finish, but it IS absolutely fabulous when paired with cured meats, lunch time 'wiches and even pizza. Just be sure you pack an extra bottle, 'cuz where a glass of this stuff is swilled, a second is sure to follow. (Oh, and did we mention it's cheap?)
Try: Ca Berti Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro "Tipico" Dry ($10)

Just For Fun...
And there's something undeniably fun and worth celebrating in dessert wine. That's right: sweet wine. A natural companion for salty cheeses of all sorts, sweet wines like Bordeaux's storied (and super rare) Sauternes are sure to turn heads in a tasting crowd - and not be soon forgotten. To wit, this final wine all about celebrating the sheer pleasure of an unctuous - yet still laser-focused and refreshing - stickie, and along with it, a reinvigorated perspective heading into 2010.
Try: 2005 Rieussec Sauternes ($45, half bottle)

Back Room Battle

2009-10-20T20:27:47Z

By Deirdre Bourdet

The film Bottle Shock tells the tale of the 1976 "Judgment of Paris," where California wines beat out their French counterparts in a widely publicized blind tasting. This week in Napa, three local merlots go head to head against three from Bordeaux at Back Room Wines' Thursday night tasting event. It won't be blind, but it will be delicious. ]]>
Back Room is actually a retail wine store with a comfy tasting area in the back. In addition to the weekly themed lineups on Thursdays and Fridays, the tasting bar offers a themed flight for your enjoyment every day, as well a couple of nibbly platters of truly excellent charcuterie, cheeses, and olives. I've never had any snacks there that I didn't love. Thanks to the retail portion of the store, you can also buy any bottle that tickles your fancy and enjoy it there, on the sofa or at the bar, for the price of sharing a taste with the staff. You'll likely wind up sharing some conversation as well. You may even find yourself with some new friends.

Merlot: Napa vs. Bordeaux
Thursday October 22, 2009, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
$20/flight; all featured wines are available by the bottle at 10% discount for the night

Back Room Wines
First and Main Streets, Napa
1-877-322-2576
www.backroomwines.com