Pop the cork off any gathering with WINEOPOLY! Players buy favorite wines, collect bunches of grapes and trade them in for decanters. Sounds easy enough but add Import Taxes and serving faux pas and it becomes a little more difficult and a lot more fun! Learn while you play! Each deed back contains wine descriptors and fun facts about each wine. It’s all fun and games until you’re sent to the Wine Cellar to age-then you’re out of the game for three turns. So choose your token (wine bottle, cork, wine glass, cheese, grapes, or a carafe) and advance to CHEERS! Who knows? You may be elected president of the wine club or you may be penalized for serving obtrusively malodorous cheese!

A 40 year-old woman was arrested and her 11 month-old daughter was placed in protective custody after an officer witnessed her give her child a bottle she had filled with wine. Kathryn Bowen has been released after being charged with endangering the welfare of a minor for the incident that occurred at the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville. The mother claimed she gave the baby wine to help her sleep.

Want to dine at one of Wine Spectator’s award winning restaurants? Good luck. It’s hard to get a table because there are no tables. Osteria L’Intrepido was given the magazine’s Award of Excellence in the August 2008 edition. There’s one small problem. The restaurant doesn’t exist.

Robin Goldstein, author of The Wine Trials, submitted an application along with the $250 fee and an imaginary wine list for consideration. The main wine list was comprised of wines that had scored well in the magazine’s rating system. Conversely, the reserve list was purposefully composed of wines that received poor reviews from the magazine.

How did he do it? Goldstein isn’t going into any details, but Wine Spectator says it called the phone number on multiple occasions only to receive a message. There were also reviews for Osteria L’Intrepido posted on Chowhound.com. Thomas Matthews, a representative for the magazine, said that the wine list submitted was worthy of the award if it had existed. He further went on to state that, “This act of malicious duplicity reminds us that no one is completely immune to fraud.” The magazine has removed the restaurant from its website.

Obviously, Goldstein’s hoax was developed to prove a point. On his website, he claims, “If Google, Chowhound, and a couple of unanswered phone calls suffice to verify not just the existence of a restaurant but also the authenticity of its wine list, then it’s not clear what role the critic is playing.” Turns out the Award of Excellence isn’t as prestigious as it seems. Two-thirds of the restaurants that apply receive the award. There are currently over 4000 recipients on the 2008 list. At $250 apiece, that translates to $1 million in revenue for the publication.

I have found the ultimate gift for the beer drinker in your family. The Beer Tender is now available from Krups for under $300. Dubbed “The ultimate at home draught beer experience,” it refrigerates and dispenses Heineken from their 5 liter draughtkeg (also available in Heine Light). A carbon dioxide cartridge within the keg reportedly keeps beer fresh for 30 days. It’s perfect for those of us that always wanted at-home keg access, but 1) didn’t have the space for a full sized cooler or 2) would rather spend the grand or so on beer rather than a beer toy. Feel like a fratboy without all the nasty hazing. Sure, you can just buy the keg by itself and leave it in the fridge, but that is nowhere near as fun as having your own personal tap.

There are only three theaters in the Houston area that are showing Bottle Shock. That should have been my first clue.  It wasn’t a bad movie, but it isn’t worth a trip to the theater either.  It will make a nice diversion some weekend at home.  The movie would have been much better with a bottle of wine instead of an overpriced soda.  I really wanted to like the movie, but there was too much to explain in under two hours.  I just wasn’t convinced.  I think the fact that it was based on real events was its downfall.  It wasn’t a complete waste of time, but I suggest waiting.

Here’s a link that has several recipes for beer milkshakes.  I did a chocolate beer bong once with Nestle’s Quick.  It’s not a fond memory either.  I like ice cream; I like beer.  However, I do not feel the two should be mixed.  It’s like drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth, Yuck!

I’ve decided the Black Box Pinot Grigio must be very good. I tried three stores yesterday, all of which had sold out. This left me in a conundrum. It was either a Chardonnay or try some red. One box really stood out. It’s called Pinot Evil and had the see, hear and speak monkeys on the box. I knew I was breaking the critter rule*, but I bought it anyway.

Overall, I’d say it was a positive experience. The Pinot Noir wasn’t exceptionally good or bad, but quite drinkable. Rather than fill each glass out of the cask, I brought out the decanter, which worked very well. This also helped me keep track of my consumption. The packaging also proved entertaining, as I felt the need to remove the bag from inside the box and play with it. The bag looks like a big IV, so I may have the beginnings of a Halloween costume.

I’ll probably continue to buy wine in boxes. They would work great for parties or entertaining. I think I’ll keep a box in the fridge to sip in between nicer, more expensive bottles. They are very portable and will probably make a tailgating appearance before the end of the season. I’ll let you know about the Pinot Grigio if I can ever find it.

Second Update 08/23- The elusive Black Box Pinot Grigio has been located.  I have to say that it wasn’t worth the wait.  To me, it tasted more like a Chardonnay than a Pinot Grigio.  Fiona didn’t think it was bad, but she had a bottle of Torrontes before trying the box.  I will be taking a detour from the boxed wines until a box-favored situation presents itself.

*Critter Rule-Stay away from wines that have any type of animal (critter) on the label.

There’s this romanticism that is associated with the wine bottle. A candlelit room, a little mood music , the warmth of the fireplace, and a good bottle of wine is tough to beat when you’re feeling amorous. Would it be the same if the wine was poured from a box? I’m not so sure.

Boxed wines have gotten a bad reputation over the years because, well..(I wanted to say they deserve it, but in boxed wine’s defense, I’ve never actually tried any. I understand that they’re really bad.) It’s not even just the bottle, it’s the entire protocol involved. I’m just now coming to terms with twist caps in place of corks. I love the sound of a cork popping, and even beer cans and bottles sound out when opened. It’s such an inviting sound, I can’t help but smile.

But there’s still hope for the box. The wine is actually kept in an airtight bag. As it deflates no air is let in, so the wine retains its freshness for up to six weeks as opposed to a couple days. There’s not much chance of wine lasting that long in my house, but it’s good to know I won’t be pouring any old wine down the drain. “Chateau Cardboard” also costs 50% less to package and ship, so guess what? It makes the wine less expensive for us. Three liters will set you back less than $20, which sounds too good to be true. This roughly translates to four $5 bottles. I never shy away from $10 magnums (even though I probably should). How bad can they be?

I intend to answer that question this weekend. Taylor Eason recommends Hardy’s (Southeast Australia) and Black Box (California). She suggests you steer clear of Wine Cube and Bota Box. I’ll probably go with a Pinot Grigio for starters. If it’s any good I’ll try a red, they’re a little less forgiving. I can usually get through an iffy Pinot, but crappy red wine really sucks.

Will there be a day when boxed wines rule the market and you can buy single servings in Capri Sun-like pouches? I seriously doubt it. However, half of the wine Australians drink is boxed. Europeans, including the French, are on board and sales in the US have risen in recent years. I’ve decided that I will call it a cask while I’m drinking mine this weekend. After all, a cask is much cooler than a box.

Last night Fiona and I opened a bottle of Torrontes by Conquista wines out of Argentina. I’ve been wanting to try it for some time now after MasAgua introduced me to it on his blog. Overall, I’d have to say it is a refreshing diversion from our standby, Pinot Grigio. Fiona dubbed it floral and I’d have to agree. This one carries a strong, pleasant aroma that hits you with every sip. Fiona loved it, and I’m sure we will continue to experiment with it.

Overall, I was very happy with this bottle. It was on sale for $9, which is a plus, and very drinker friendly. It has enough character to appeal to seasoned wine connoisseurs, without overwhelming wine drinkers simply looking for a buzz. We had a homemade pizza with ours last night and they worked together well. Of course, the best part about finding a new variety is the ensuing research. I’ll get back with you after I try a couple different Torrontes.

Jeff Gordon is selling wine? NASCAR’s famed number 24 is offering five varieties (priced at $40-70) for sale at jeffgordonwines.com. Someone fire the marketing clown that came up with this idea. I have nothing against NASCAR. I have friends that watch and have even tuned in to the occasional race. I realize that Jeff Gordon is not your typical stock-car driver, but this is a complete mismatch. NASCAR is beer territory, where Bud and Busch reign supreme. I just don’t see this working. Gordon seems like a nice enough guy. He’s proven himself over the years to be one of the best drivers ever. He has 81 wins and 4 NASCAR cup victories, but this decision leaves me at a loss.