VINOGRAPHY: a wine blog

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Vinography Unboxed: Week of May 20, 2013

Hello from the bottom (or more truthfully, from floundering near the top) of the samples pile. This is the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles of wine that have crossed my doorstep recently. I'm just getting back to the pile after some travel and craziness that has made it hard to find time to open boxes and taste things lately. This week we've got a pretty Riesling from Germany, with a lemon complexion and a hint of something deeper. The couple of biodynamic and mostly unsulfured wines from Ambyth Estate in Paso Robles... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 22, 2013 9:48 PM

Filed under: Wine Reviews

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Pietradolce Winery, Solichiatta, Sicily: Recent Releases

Michele Faro loves his mother, and I do too. In fact, I wanted to kiss the woman after a long day of driving from the northern tip of Sicily down to the eastern slopes of Mount Etna. Tired and hungry, I arrived at the tiny boutique hotel that Faro has named after his mother, Donna Carmela, and sat down to a bowl of her rustic pork ragu and freshly made pasta, and practically burst into tears it was so good. Simple, essential, bursting with flavor, and perfectly spiced -- the tangy tomato sauce playing counterpoint to the rich, fatty saltiness... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 18, 2013 11:41 PM

Filed under: Boutique Wines , Wine Reviews

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Vinography Images: The Endless Row

The Endless Row McMINNVILLE, OR: Domaine Drouhin Winery estate Pinot Noir vineyards unroll over the hills of the Willamette Valley. The cities of McMinnville and Newburg are the epicenter of Oregon's wine production. INSTRUCTIONS: Download this image by right-clicking on the image and selecting "save link as" or "save target as" and then select the desired location on your computer to save the image. Mac users can also just click the image to open the full size view and drag that to their desktops. To set the image as your desktop wallpaper, Mac users should follow these instructions, while... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 17, 2013 9:31 PM

Filed under: Vinography Images

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Wine In 140 Characters or Less

There was a time when the conversations between the cognoscenti of the wine world happened behind closed doors. Until recently, most of us could have only imagined the whispered commentary of top sommeliers as they passed in the wine cellars of the world's best restaurants, or fantasised about the kinds of things that top wine writers discussed in conclave. So, too, the drinking habits of the well-known in the wine world were only available if published, often on paper, and then usually with a tantalising lack of precision. Opinions abound as to the true value of Twitter and many employ... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 16, 2013 10:20 PM

Filed under: Ramblings and Rants

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Is Wine Tasting Bullshit? No.

Who knew some snarky article trashing wine connoisseurship and wine experts could be so popular. But it just goes to show you how much people like seeing anyone ripped off a pedestal. I've been thinking about writing a response to the silly thing, but couldn't bring myself to do it. Thankfully my friend Blake Gray's willpower was flagging one night this week after a lot of wine judging, and he saved me the trouble. Blake gets it pretty much right on the money. Wine tasting (i.e. criticism) is only bullshit if you think all criticism is bullshit. It's a subjective... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 14, 2013 10:58 PM

Filed under: Ramblings and Rants

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Vinography Images: Sunflowers

Sunflowers HOPLAND, CA: A field of colorful sunflowers grow at Saracina Vineyards under a warm Mendocino County summer sun near Hopland, California. An unusually warm spring has pushed vines and flowers into bloom much earlier than usual in California. INSTRUCTIONS: Download this image by right-clicking on the image and selecting "save link as" or "save target as" and then select the desired location on your computer to save the image. Mac users can also just click the image to open the full size view and drag that to their desktops. To set the image as your desktop wallpaper, Mac... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 11, 2013 12:56 PM

Filed under: Vinography Images

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Charles Banks: The New Man Behind Mayacamas

When Charles Banks, one of the former owners of Oakville's Screaming Eagle winery and the head of investment firm Terroir Capital, recently bought a big stake in Wind Gap Wines, it raised some eyebrows. The contrast between cult Cabernet and concrete-egg-aged, cool climate, 12% alcohol Grenache couldn't have been stronger. But when Banks announced a week ago that he was buying the venerable Mayacamas Vineyards, you could hear wine geeks all over the country falling off their chairs. Then when the news emerged that former Screaming Eagle winemaker Andy Erickson might be brought in to make the wines at this... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 10, 2013 8:56 PM

Filed under: Ramblings and Rants , Wine News

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Framingham Wines, Marlborough, New Zealand: Current Releases

Sometimes the true story of a winery is not found in its history, tracing back the ownership from generation to generation. The story of some wineries begins when someone decides to start afresh with the materials of the past, looking forward instead of back. Rex Brooke-Taylor was certainly forward looking when he planted his Marlborough Vineyards in 1980 and 1981. An engineer from Wellington, Brooke-Taylor named his winery Framingham after his ancestral estate in East Anglia, and had the unusual foresight to plant Phylloxera-resistant rootstock in an era when many couldn't imagine the pest making it to New Zealand's... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 9, 2013 11:26 PM

Filed under: Boutique Wines , White Wine , Wine Reviews

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Bressan Mastri Vinai, Friuli Izonzo, Italy: Current Releases

I'm not entirely sure why some of the best wines in the world are made by people who are more than a little crazy, but there are enough wacko winemakers out there to make it clear that the connection between great wine and eccentric iconoclasts is more than mere coincidence. Even more telling are the number of these "eno savants" (to perhaps coin a phrase) that live in Friuli, in northeast Italy. Once upon a time, there was no Italy, there was only the river Isonzo, winding its way down out of the Alps towards the Adriatic sea. From the... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 5, 2013 10:24 PM

Filed under: Boutique Wines , Wine Reviews

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Vinography Images: Rainbow Rows

Rainbow Rows HEALDSBURG, CA: Hillside vineyards in the popular grape-growing region of Alexander Valley are viewed from the air near Healdsburg, California. INSTRUCTIONS: Download this image by right-clicking on the image and selecting "save link as" or "save target as" and then select the desired location on your computer to save the image. Mac users can also just click the image to open the full size view and drag that to their desktops. To set the image as your desktop wallpaper, Mac users should follow these instructions, while PC users should follow these. PRINTS: Fine art prints of this... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 3, 2013 10:58 AM

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The Essence of Wine: The Sea

Image © 2013 Leigh Beisch With your eyes closed, even absent the screams of wheeling gulls, and the throaty slap of waves against the sand, you'd know where you are. The tangy scent of the sea is unmistakable. The flavor is equally familiar thanks to the crunch of seaweed, the tiny tidepools of oyster liquor that some of us slurp, or even the saline shock that accompanies an open-mouthed tumble in the waves. Isak Dinesen said "the cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea" reminding us of the affinities between our bodies of water. If we... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 1, 2013 10:52 PM

Filed under: The Essence of Wine

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Frank Cornelissen, Etna, Sicily: Upcoming Releases

"It's not going to be big enough," says Frank Cornelissen, watching the backhoe dig out the foundations of his second generation winery in the shadow of the little village church. But before I can ask him why he's bothering to build a winery that he knows isn't going to handle his dreams, he adds, "That's why we bought another cellar. We'll move into that one eventually. The third one will be right." Eventually, in Cornelissen time frames, is about 10 years. It's all part of a plan he is executing with the frenetic passion of a man running across a... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 30, 2013 10:56 PM

Filed under: Boutique Wines , Wine Reviews

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The Seven Percent Solution Tasting: May 11, Healdsburg, CA

There comes a point in every intrepid wine lover's life when the well-traveled road must be left behind. One can only drink so much Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc. But finding one's way out of the multitudes of these bottles to something more exotic and interesting takes some effort. Which is where the folks behind the Seven Percent Solution come in. These wine producers have organized themselves behind a claim that 93% of California's vineyard acreage is planted to eight major grape varieties, leaving seven percent for all the others. While my calculations differ (according to the... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 27, 2013 9:02 PM

Filed under: Wine Activities

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Vinography Images: Green But Getting There

Green But Getting There WINDSOR, CA: Chardonnay grapes ripen on the vine at Shiloh Hill Vineyard on in the Russian River Valley. Sunny skies and cooperating weather are contributing to bring a bumper crop of premium wine grapes throughout California. INSTRUCTIONS: Download this image by right-clicking on the image and selecting "save link as" or "save target as" and then select the desired location on your computer to save the image. Mac users can also just click the image to open the full size view and drag that to their desktops. To set the image as your desktop wallpaper,... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 26, 2013 9:37 PM

Filed under: Vinography Images

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Churton Wines, Marlborough, New Zealand: Recent Releases

Sometimes we head off into the world searching for our heart's desire only to return home to find that what we needed was right in our own back yard. Like all literary tropes, this one has more than a grain of truth. When Sam Weaver and his wife Mandy decided to move to New Zealand from their native England, they found themselves a pretty house at the base of a hill with a gorgeous view and a lot of big trees. Ten years later, after searching throughout Marlborough for a hillside vineyard to buy, Weaver realized he had been... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 25, 2013 11:28 PM

Filed under: Boutique Wines , Wine Reviews

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A Dark Day For Wine Lovers

We all dream big dreams, hope springing from our chests as easily as breathing. This is the human condition -- to aspire to a better life, even against the fiercest of odds. Sometimes the only thing that can sustain us through dark times is the tiny light of faith we hold in our hearts. I have been carrying just such a flickering flame of hope for some time now, but life can sometimes be cruel. Today my hopes were dashed against the rock wall of reality, and I am back to resignation and despair. At the beginning of March, the... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 23, 2013 9:21 PM

Filed under: Ramblings and Rants

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How to Love Italian Wine or Die Trying: A First Timer's Guide to VinItaly

So, you enjoy a nice glass of Chianti now and then? You savor a Barolo or two when given the chance? You've been known to throw back a bottle of Pinot Grigio with a friend on a summer's day? If so, it's time for you to ask yourself a simple question. Do you think you could survive on Italian wine alone? Are the combined passions of an entire nation of rabid Italian winemakers and their thousands of precious indigenous grape varieties enough to slake your deepest thirsts and desires? VinItaly, the world's largest wine trade show, can answer many... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 22, 2013 11:15 PM

Filed under: Ramblings and Rants

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Stella di Campalto, Castelnuovo dell'Abate, Italy: Current Releases

Some stories are just about enough to make you believe in fate. Fifteen years ago, no one in their right mind would have ever predicted that the young Stella di Campalto would be one of the most exciting new producers of Brunello di Montalcino in the last decade. Being of sound mind, she certainly couldn't have imagined it herself, especially given the fact that she didn't drink wine. But luckily for her, and for those of us who love Brunello di Montalcino, she had an aunt who was decidedly not in her right mind. "My mother's family is from Florence,... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 21, 2013 9:23 PM

Filed under: Boutique Wines , Red Wine , Wine Reviews

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2013 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival: May 17-19, Philo, CA

California Pinot Noir lovers take note. Wine lovers with a free weekend, listen up. It's Spring, and the wine events are coming fast and furious. It seems like every week there's a new wine tasting to go to. But some are more worth paying attention to than others. Anderson Valley is known for two things in California, and not coincidentally, it has more or less two major wine tasting events per year. The first, the International Alsace Varietals festival took place a few months ago. The second is the annual Pinot Noir Festival. If you're a fan of Pinot Noir... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 20, 2013 11:02 PM

Filed under: Wine Activities

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Vinography Images: Cover Crop

Cover Crop HEALDSBURG, CA: Warm sunny skies bring out the wildflowers and Pinot Noir budbreak in the Russian River Valley, near Healdsburg, California. INSTRUCTIONS: Download this image by right-clicking on the image and selecting "save link as" or "save target as" and then select the desired location on your computer to save the image. Mac users can also just click the image to open the full size view and drag that to their desktops. To set the image as your desktop wallpaper, Mac users should follow these instructions, while PC users should follow these. PRINTS: Fine art prints of... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 19, 2013 8:49 PM

Filed under: Vinography Images

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