© 1996 JDM Enterprises All Rights Reserved Vol. I No. 9 TOTALLY INTERACTIVE by Jerry D. Mead In this column's early days it was composed on a yellow legal pad in longhand, then typed on an old manual Royal typewriter, and then either delivered in person or by postal service to an editor who made funny little marks all over my beautiful manuscript and sent it off to someone else to typeset. While I resisted change for many years, I finally gave up on even my electric typewriter about 10 years back and went to a dedicated word processor. Finally got on the computer about five years ago, and now I am finally a true nineties kind of guy, I am not only the longest running syndicated wine columnist in America...I am definitely the most interactive. I regularly publish my phone number...(800) 845-9463...and my E-mail address: winetrader@aol.com...so readers can call me directly when they can't find a wine I've reviewed, want to know what happened to a brand they can't find anymore, want the address or phone number of a winery in Napa, or just want to know what to drink with meat loaf tonight. Really! Myself or one of my assistants will try to answer your question, or if we don't know the answer I have a panel of experts all over the world that I'm in contact with via an e-mail network that I call on for assistance. And not only do most of my papers receive my columns electronically these days (whatever happened to typesetters?), but there's an archive of Mead On Wine columns on America OnLine in the Food & Drink Network (FDN) and at a website: www.wines.com/winepress/mead/. They don't get posted until about a month after publication, but they go back more than a year in the event you missed one or you've forgotten the name of something you read about in an earlier review. Finally, I'm one of a panel of experts (officially a "Wine Maven") who answer questions people have on the Food & Drink Network wine message board. Now, I ask you, does Dear Abby or Ann Landers, or Miss Manners or any other columnist offer so many ways to interact? Mead On Wine, the wine column for the 21st Century! NEW SITE If you're into all that internet kind of stuff, you'll love the new website of the California Wine Institute. Understand going in that this is a trade organization devoted to promoting California wine, but even so they bend over backward to remain as objective as possible. You can reach them at: www.wineinstitute.org What you'll find there is everything from the latest scientific studies saying wine is good for you, to reports on what effect the recent wine country floods will have on this year's crop (almost none) and the size of the most recent harvest. For media researching stories, or wine geeks with a thirst for trivia, there is every kind of grape and wine statistic going, including per capita consumption figures going back to the Repeal of Prohibition. And there's even a special section on wine laws of all 50 states, so you can check to see if bringing that bottle back from your visit to wine country is legal or technically bootlegging. NO CROWDS I keep telling you! There's more to California wine country than just those counties north of the bay. There is grapegrowing and winemaking literally from the Mexican border almost to the Oregon border, with virtually every coastal county involved. But there are some great wines made in the interior, too, and one of those counties is conveniently located in the corridor between the Bay Area and Reno. I'm talking about El Dorado County, California, just a short drive from either Sacramento or Reno. What you'll find there is nearly 20 small wineries with no tasting fees, no crowds and no high pressure...and lots of delicious, fairly priced, award-winning wines. These folks are so eager to have you visit that they'll even spend their own $0.32 to mail you a 4-color brochure, map and guide. Just phone, fax or write and it's on its way for free: El Dorado Wineries, P.O. Box 1614, Placerville, CA 95667 (800) 306-3956 or Fax (916) 448-9115. All the wineries are small, but some of the best known names are Lava Cap, Boeger, Sierra Vista, Single Leaf and Granite Springs. LAURIER RELEASES We're never a king (or queen) in our own homes. I recently met the teenage son of winemaker Merry Edwards. I knew I would probably embarrass him when I asked the questions, but I did it anyhow. "Are you aware that your mother is a legendary California winemaker? That she helped pave the way for the many women winemakers all over the world today? And that she has made great wines wherever she has worked?" He managed a, "Yeah, well, I guess." But I don't think he had a clue. To him Merry Edwards is just mom, and the lady who cooks his meals and takes him on skiing trips. But to me and thousands of other wine lovers, she is a legend. Laurier 1994 "Sonoma" Chardonnay ($16) Ripe, but delicately flavored with apple, peach and melon, and nicely oaked. The oak provides not-so-subtle notes of toasty vanilla and butter. Plenty of crisp acid to make it work with food. Balance is the key word here and this wine should please a very broad audience. Rating: 90/84 WINE OF THE WEEK Laurier 1995 "Sonoma" Pinot Noir ($18) This has become Edwards' signature wine in recent years, the critically acclaimed '94 selling out in a matter of weeks. Mostly Russian River fruit. Deep, intense, black cherry, high extract fruit. Some earthy-leathery complexity. A little more about fruit and a little less about fading rose perfume. A sure thing to take the gold. Rating: 94/87 Wines are scored using a unique 100 point system. First number rates quality; second number rates value. For a reprint explaining the scoring system in depth and a pocket scoring guide, send $1 to: Mead's 100 Points, Box 1598, Carson City, NV 89702 HOME The Mead On Wine Web Page is designed, maintained and hosted by Wines on the Internet. Reproduction rights reserved. Latest Update: March 23, 1997