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Every now and then...
Every now and then a book comes out that gets me going. From the world of epicurean stars, they can be positively brilliant (Danny Meyer's Setting the Table), over the top (Ferran Adria's A Day at El Bulli), "new classics" (Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential), and soon-to-be classics. I suspect that Eric Ripert's On the Line may well be in that last category.
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Rhones on the Rise in South Africa
The Rhone Valley's mistral--the cool, drying wind (sometimes cold and powerful enough to knock over trees) that sweeps over the valley's vineyards, slowing grape ripening and preventing disease--has long been cited as a contributor to the quality of the region's wines. The same could be said about the Cape Doctor, a strong coastal southeasterly that blows through much of South Africa's Winelands and into Cape Town. But the wind is just the beginning of the similarities between France's Rhone Valley and some of the Cape's winegrowing regions. It should come as no surprise that South Africa is discovering a natural affinity for the Rhone's grape varieties and wine styles.
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Do I still have a job?
Well, that depends upon several matters, including, of course, the state of your business. If your revenue is up--even flat--count yourself among the lucky few. Then consider buying a lottery ticket because your favorable numbers probably are not due solely to your brilliant acumen but to location, timing, concept, customer relationships, and, yes, luck.
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Breaking News: What Women Want
It's no surprise that women are becoming more influential wine customers. Until recently, though, little was known about how they choose one wine over another, which led the leaders of Vinexpo, a wine-and-spirits-show organizing company, to make women the focus of this year's wine-consumption survey.
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On the Doorstep
www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco
 Wine.com, an online wine store that already ships wine to its own customers, is launching a direct-to-consumer wine-shipping business for wineries just days after rival New Line Logistics apparently returned from the dead with help from a financial partner. The San Francisco-based wine specialist said Wednesday that its new division, Wine.com Logistics, will provide direct-to-consumer fulfillment services to wineries. The new business will operate out of Wine.com's Berkeley warehouse, and will be headed by Mike Osborn, Wine.com's founder and vice president of merchandising and David Do, vice president of operations.
At your Fingertips
www.pcworld.com
 When I last delved into the cherry-scented- butter-flavored-with-earthy-undertones world of wine applications for the iPhone and iPod touch, I confessed that although I may not be Robert Parker, I know what I like. Fact is, for the expert or even the well-versed amateur, the App Store offers oenophiles ample utilities to keep tabs on their cellars, create wish lists of their favorite vintages, or review and share their latest tasting adventure in Sonoma or Napa. That's all to the good. More power to them. But what of the novice? The tyro? The overwhelmed rank amateur who wouldn't know a cabernet franc from a Welch's grape soda?
Going Green to Get Green
www.sommelierjournal.com
 It is Alberto Gonzalez's firm belief that a commitment to the ecological type of green can bring in the financial type of green. In fact, he's put his money where his mouth is - as have the customers who have flocked to his GustOrganics restaurant in New York City since its opening in early 2008. It's the first certified-organic restaurant in New York state and the first in the country to use 100% USDA-certified-organic ingredients. In November, Gonzalez added a bar, also the first to be USDA-certified organic. His commitment is emphatic: all the drinks are free of chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, and genetically modified organisms.
Putting on the Chill
www.wsj.com
 We have come to relish chilled red wines in summer. There was a time when we drank only whites and rosés in hot weather. It seemed like the right thing to do and they were refreshing. But as the years have gone on, we have found some reds more refreshing, in their own way. It's an odd thing, but some of today's whites, such as some New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, can seem too bright on a hot day. Matching those wines and sunshine is like matching food and wine too closely: The result can be a bit much, like a blinding white light. Chilled red wines, on the other hand, can be soothing, relaxing and juicy in their redness - and they happen to go well with many traditional summer foods.
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