Welcome to my new wine blog

     Welcome to my new blog -- Wine Beneath the Palms.
     I hope it won't be a one-sided conversation but a place for South Florida wine lovers to share their likes and dislkes, their wine-dinner triumphs, their wine-country forays, their passion for the nectar of the gods.
     The blog's greatest success would be for this writer to sit back, say little and host friendly arguments among readers -- say, over whether screw caps or corks are better closures for wine bottles. Or whether Jimmy Cefalo's Coconut Grove wine tastings are better than those at Hollywood Vine in Hollywood. You know -- one of those "let's-you-and-him-fight''arrangements.
     Oh, I'll indulge my habit of tasting as many wines as possible and describing them in such purple terms that readers will write in to ridicule me. I -- and you -- have been doing that since 1991 in my print column in The Miami Herald.  It's fun. I described a wine one time as "viscous," and a reader wrote back to scold: "Where do you get off calling a wine 'vicious?' ''
     I'll keep you posted on the best tastings around town, the best restaurant deals, that
wwine-shop bargain you just have to try.
     Wine Beneath The Palms will be open to the wine business as well. Wine shop owners,e-mail Wine@MiamiHerald.com when you get in a fabulous shipment and I will pass along the word. Restaurants managers, do the same with your special wine dinners.
     Still, the heart of the blog will be you the reader. There will be a Braggin' Corner where you can tell us about your home tasting -- when you showed off that fabulous, obscure
nnero d'avola from Sicily, or mavrodaphne from Greece.  Just send it to Wine@MiamiHerald.com. You can even e-mail me your wine country vacation photos and I'll post them for all to see. Your own family won't put up with that.
     The first order of business will be the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. I will blog my impressions. I hope you will attend and e-mail me your opinions -- whether its wines are up to snuff this year, whether they've solved the Grand Tasting gridlock and no-place-to-park problems. Or what it was like to meet Rachael Ray -- keeping in mind that this is a family blog.
     If it's about wine, it's welcome here.
     I hope you'll feel welcome too.

Comments

[pinotpallet]

Fred: Congrats on the new blog! I look forward to keeping up with the latest developments in South Florida wine. Keep us apprised up any good upcoming Pinot Noir tastings!

[Galen Struwe]

Fred,
My name is Galen Struwe.
I just came upon your new wine blog and wanted to write and tell you how much I look forward to checking in and seeing where you take us with it.
I am convinced that south Florida is the most exciting wine market in the U.S. Our brand, Sacre Bleu, is being introduced there March 1 and we couldn't be more thrilled.
My winemaker, Gustave Viennet, will be joining me in Miami from France as Sacre Bleu will be the official wine of the Langerado music festival March 6 & 9th.
We have a white blend that I can't wait for you to try. 50% Chardonnay, 25% Viogner and 25% Muscat.
Perhaps we could convince you to join us for either the REM or Beastie Boys set. Some calming wine will surely be in order then.
Cheers!
Galen

[Dave Ross]

I hope they put a/c in the tent on the beach since it's going to be a hot one like the first.