The legal notification of the classification, which has been in limbo since it was sent to the French Ministry of Agriculture in January 2011, was published in the Journal Officiel on June 16.

This means that despite continuing internal wrangling, the classification is indeed going ahead.

All Chateaux – including those aspiring to the very top ranks, Grand Cru, Grand Cru Classe, and Premier Grand Cru Classé – will be tasted blind.

Wines will be assessed on taste, their terroir, where they sit in the market, and their existing reputation.

‘I expect there are still some people who will disagree with the results,’ Saint Emilion president Jean-Francois Quenin told Decanter.com.

Initially, the EU allowed continued use of these terms for a period of three years, with successive extensions of two-year periods. However, prior to expiration of the first extension, the EU told U.S. producers to cease using these terms.

Read more at: http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&content=88948&htitle=Wine%20Export%20Forum%20Focuses%20on%20EU

“For local merchants that also engage in online sales, Facebook’s large network of users should be a major selling point. It was for Christine Tran, owner of Artisan Wine Depot in Mountain View, Calif., one of the retailers participating in Facebook’s Deals launch.

Other issues that contributed to her decision included Facebook’s technology, which allows her to use her Facebook account to track customers who sign up for the discount in real-time and then click on their names as they redeem it. She noted other group-buying websites tend to use a paper-and-pencil approach, sending merchants a document that requires them to scratch off customers’ names as they redeem the discounts.

The clincher for Tran, however, was Facebook’s approach of defining and emphasizing a customer experience in its advertising, rather than focusing on the size of the price cut. For example, the 25% discount Artisan offered for its limited-production wine tasting is displayed in smaller type than the headline that touts the tasting itself.

“Discount deals like Facebook’s are a loss-leader for us,” Tran says. “I consider this part of our advertising budget, but I also want to attract customers who’ll want to come back later, not just for the deals. Facebook seemed interested in building our customer experience.”

Click here to read the entire article.

Cheers!

-The Artisan Wine Depot Team

Facebook is launching a deals program today, Tuesday April 26th, in five major U.S. cities following on the popularity of Groupon and other services that offer deep discounts (for example: $50 worth of food at a local eatery for $25).

To read more about Facebook’s daily deals:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110426/ap_on_hi_te/us_facebook_deals

To read about Artisan Wine Depot’s deal on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/artisanwinedepot?sk=deals&ppid=145274332208886&campaign_id=100985979986874&pvsig=213878655

Please help us spread the word about Artisan Wine Depot’s deal by sharing this deal with your friends!

Will this change the way you choose wines? Are you switching to a different wine publication for your wine opinions?

Read the entire article from Inside Scoop SF here: http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2011/02/07/robert-parker-passes-the-california-torch/

Below is a short excerpt from the article, which explains these unique reds and whites from Austria that offer exceptional value and are exquisite for food pairing:

For a great value, Tran suggests the 2009 Hugl Zweigelt Classic, a concentrated, full-bodied wine ideal for grilled fare ($14.99). Zweigelt is the most widely planted red variety in Austria. These days, you can even find it in the crown-capped liters once reserved for gruner veltliner.”

http://www.thewinenews.com/current/cuisine.asp

Meanwhile, things have been busier than ever here at the shop. Special thanks goes out to everyone that has visited and/or attended our events. We ask one small favor; if you enjoyed your experience, please Yelp about us. We would appreciate that tremendously. You can reach our Yelp page at this following link:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/artisan-wine-depot-mountain-view

If you would like to keep in touch with Artisan Wine Depot, see pictures of our latest events or simply just say hi; add us on Facebook! The link to our Facebook page is below:

The Artisan Wine Depot Facebook

SUMMERTIME WINE & BBQ PAIRING GUIDE

We also want to thank everyone who came out for the Chris Brockway event. Chris did an amazing job educating all of us on the beautiful art of winemaking, and did an even better job of feeding us delicious and excellent wines. We have uploaded photos from the event to our Facebook. If you haven’t friended us yet, be sure to do so to stay in the loop with our events and specials!

The Artisan Wine Depot Facebook

Today we are extending our store hours till 8:30 PM for your last minute needs. Be sure to stock up! We will be closed Saturday, July 4th, and Sunday, July 5th. Have a safe and fun weekend everyone!

Cheers!

-The Artisan Wine Depot Team

Be sure to check out our events that are happening this month! This Friday is our premiere “Meet The Winemaker” Wine Tasting and Food Pairing event, featuring Chris Brockway, winemaker for Broc Cellars and Broadside. Chris will be here at the shop pouring his wines and discussing the art of winemaking.

Next Friday, July 3rd, we will having a $1 Dollar Blockbuster Recession-Proof Tasting and BBQ Wine Pairing. You’ll be armed with knowledge on how to pair wines with BBQ, just in time for July 4th.

Our hours will be extended on that day as well, so you can stock up for the weekend. We will be closed Saturday, the 4th, and Sunday, the 5th.

Please stop by or check back often as we are ramping up the selection and deals, and we hope to see you at one of our events.

Cheers!

-The Artisan Wine Depot Team