- - - - - - - - - - - - - - Part 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Rule #3 Decant The Wine To decant or not to decant: that is the question. Some people wonder why restaurants or sommeliers make a grandiose spectacle of it and think it rather pretentious. It may be so in certain cases, but the fact of the matter is that it can add an entirely new and positive dimension to the taste of a wine.

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"Etiquette" is one of those words that conjures up a variety of associations, many of them negative. To abide by a certain etiquette or protocol is to imply conformity to a set of rules, which most people disdain, this writer among them.

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INTERNATIONAL LIBATIONS WHICH COUNTRY PRODUCES THE SLOPPIEST DRUNKS? Part 2 It sounds fascinating, but only the sober are interested in reading in depth about scientific discoveries. Testing Dr. Li's findings in a controlled, real-world environment was the only way we could truly explore the progenitorial dangers of alcohol consumption and warn the global citizenry. It was also a good excuse to get a bunch of foreigners drunk and laugh at them.

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INTERNATIONAL LIBATIONS WHICH COUNTRY PRODUCES THE SLOPPIEST DRUNKS? Part 1 Last October, a nice Chinese doctor named Ting-Kai Li retired from his post as director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. During his tenure, Dr. Li headed up research that explored how and why drinking lots of booze is more likely to turn certain people into sweaty goobers with permanently bloodshot eyes and tawny livers. One of his most important discoveries was that some ethnicities are genetically predisposed to be prolific drunkards while others are born naturally averse to the sauce. Ask any Native American and they'll tell you this is old news, but Dr. Li was the first to provide a thorough explanation of alcoholism in relation to genetics.

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Have you ever been around someone drinking a glass of wine, coffee, beer or other drink and heard them say something outlandish concerning their drink like, "I can taste a seaweed-peachy flavor!" [more]

Except from Vintage, The Story of Wine, by Hugh Johnson.----------- "Farmer and artist, drudge and dreamer, hedonist and masochist, alchemist and accountant - the winegrower is all these things, and has been since the Flood.

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Have you ever considered that the characteristics of wine culture are often synonymous with the culture within the field of creative photography? Creativity - expressive and deep thoughtfulness. In the name of creative, artistic expression, we are sponsoring the up and coming "Capture Downtown" photo contest. We're anxious to see the top photos, displaying the unique beauty that makes up our Amarillo downtown area. Especially in light of the new renovations scheduled for the region. This will be a great way to forever remember where we are now, looking back from tomorrow. And, we're giving away a free bottle of wine to the 3rd place winner. No excuses, get your camera and head downtown.  Sponsors include Expio Social Media, Downtown Courtyard Marriott Amarillo, Bella Luna Aesthetic Center and The Amarillo Bulls Hockey Club. Prizes will be awarded to the most popular photos. Photos will be posted on the Marriott's facebook page. The most "like's" wins the grand prize, a one night stay in a corner executive suite at the Downtown Historic Marriott Hotel. Other prizes include a skin treatment, valued at $125, two Amarillo Bulls opening night tickets and a bottle of Bar-Z Winery wine. The contest starts on August 15 and will continue through September 15th. Be sure to "like" all the sponsor Facebook pages for their generosity. Looking forward to seeing your photography! For a blog covering details of the competition, visit www.capturedowntown.pen.io. [more]

C-U-L-T-U-R-E. The definition of culture is "the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively." Historically, West Texas is known as a culture of tough, wealth-seeking cowboy ranchers. Of course, that is a mere stereotype. Granted, there may be a small fraction of truth to the caricature. Let's move in another direction - a creative-culture kind of direction. We serve wine here at Bar-Z Winery - as you might have guessed. Our wine is a complex beverage with one of the richest creative cultures of any single entity on the planet. Now, add to our delicious, complex wine, music of the same sort. Enter, The Lonesome Heroes (you can check out their website here). They serve music. Their music is an artistic expression which can be described as Western Americana. The Texas-based band debuted their first full-length new album called, "Daydream Western" on June 23rd at the Spider House Ballroom in Austin. Their music touches the heart of Texas culture, good 'ol Texas Americana. To celebrate the release, (and a feel-good hit of the summertime: Highway 287) the Lonesome Heroes will embark upon a 1,791 mile tour (Click for the tour map) of the entire length of Highway 287 from Port Arthur, Texas on the gulf to Glacier National Park in Montana. Riding alongside of the Heroes will be a film crew shooting for a documentary, and updating a weekly video blog. Here's the best part: They will be at our winery on the 26th of this month. Gather your herd, and ride out to Bar-Z. It'll be worth your while, cowboy. [more]

The name Dom Perignon may be familiar to you. But do you know why? It was Perignon who first created champagne. At a time when red wine dominated the beverage landscape, he organized the harvesting in such a way as to achieve true white wine. He studied the best vineyards, timing, techniques, and way of preserving the wine to make it as aromatic as possible - silky textured and long in flavor. [more]

Two very different entities have collided, Harley Davidson motorcycles and Constellation fine wines. One, known for its rugged and wicked exploits, the other for its subtle candor and class, meet in the middle as news was released this past week that Harley-Davidson CEO Keith Wandell has been elected to the board of directors for Victor-based Constellation Brands Inc., one of the world's largest wine producers. [more]