VINOGRAPHY: a wine blog

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Vinography Images: Manicured Napa

Manicured Napa OAKVILLE, CA: Rows of neatly trimmed Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines are seen just before harvest time in Napa Valley. 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 image and... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 18, 2012 9:31 PM

Filed under: Vinography Images

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California Grape Shortage - Fact or Fiction?

"Panic! Wine Prices Due to Rise" read a recent headline on TIME Magazine's website. Welcome to the absurd states of America. That TIME Magazine, not generally known for sarcastic titling, would be reporting on the subtleties of the wine grape market is surprise enough, but the suggestion that Americans care enough about wine to panic simply boggles the mind. According to the statistics released by several sources, including the United States Department of Agriculture as well as The Wine Institute, California (which produces 90% of American wine) indeed faces a grape shortage. These statistics arrive each year in the inboxes... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 17, 2012 10:11 AM

Filed under: Ramblings and Rants

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The Essence of Wine: Watermelon

Image © 2012 Leigh Beisch Its flavors hold memories of long days, green grass, laughter, and innocence. Of all summer fruits, none holds more spirit of childish delight than watermelon. The crisp red, or more exotic yellow, tantalize with promises of thirst-quenching, lip-smacking sweetness beneath the green rind. In the world of wine, the flavors of watermelon are most often found in the luscious brightness of rosés. In the brief flirtation of skin and juice that produces these delightful wines, we receive aromas most magical, where a sip can echo the gratification of sinking your teeth into a half-moon of... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 16, 2012 9:25 PM

Filed under: The Essence of Wine

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Hungarian Wine Judging

As some of you know, I've just spent the last few days holed up on top of a hill overlooking the plains of Hungary tasting several hundred Hungarian wines and passing judgement upon them. An 11th Century abbey that also happens to be a world heritage site makes for a pretty impressive spot to be passing judgement, it turns out. I'm participating as a judge for something called the Pannon Wine Challenge. Now in its 13th year, this contest is effectively the main national competition for Hungarian wines. Two years ago the event was taken over by a gentleman named... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 13, 2012 11:09 PM

Filed under: Ramblings and Rants

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Vinography Images: Russian River Expanse

Russian River Expanse HEALDSBURG, CA: An aerial view of some of Sonoma County's Russian River Valley wine region near Healdsburg. Some of California's top Pinot Noir and Chardonnays come from this soil, which ranges from hillsides to old floodplains such as this one. 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... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 11, 2012 4:53 AM

Filed under: Vinography Images

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2012 Paso Robles Wine Festival: May 18-20, Paso Robles

Anyone who hasn't yet discovered Paso Robles wines is missing some of California's most robust and dynamic red wines. Whether you count yourself among that group looking to learn more, or you consider yourself a die hard fan, you'll not want to miss the 30th annual Paso Robles Wine Festival. Once a sleepy undiscovered little wine town, Paso Robles has become the epicenter of a wine explosion in the last decade with wineries popping up like Spring crocuses every year. The limestone terroir of western Paso Robles in particular is producing some absolutely stunning Rhone-syle wines that every wine lover... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 9, 2012 12:21 PM

Filed under: Wine Activities

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The Essence of Wine: White Flowers

Image © 2012 Leigh Beisch One of life's great, mysterious pleasures can be encountered on a temperate summer evening in certain places in the world, when from out of the darkness, comes the incredible scent of flowers on the night breeze. The universe of fragrant white flowers contains an amazing array of enchanting scents — tuberose, jasmine, acacia, gardenia, orange blossom, and lilly of the valley are just a few sources of these aromas, whose dynamic range spans angelic delicacy and raw, powerful sexuality. Such scents make regular appearances most often in white wines — both sweet and dry —... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 8, 2012 11:59 PM

Filed under: The Essence of Wine

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Weingut Nikolaihof, Wachau, Austria: Current Releases

There are certain places in this world that feel as if they exist outside of time. Or perhaps they exist inside of time but move much slower than the world around them. As I stepped through the doorway into the inner courtyard of Weingut Nikolaihof, a stones throw from the Danube, and saw the morning light filtering down through the century-old linden tree, the world narrowed down to this quiet bounded space. Gravel crunched under my feet, and there was a stillness as I gazed up at the bell tower that spoke of the building's storied past as part of... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 7, 2012 11:59 PM

Filed under: Boutique Wines , White Wine , Wine Reviews

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Off to Hungary to Judge, Taste, and Learn

It was 2005. I was in New York City on business, and convinced (not that I had to twist his arm) my business partner to come to a restaurant called Cru with me for the first time. I had been reading about Cru for years, and positively salivated at glimpses their wine list online. To make a long story short, Robert Bohr suggested a bottle of Furmint. It was my first taste of the grape outside of Tokaji dessert wine, of which I had tasted only a few at that point as well. I swooned, and reviewed the wine on... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 6, 2012 12:06 PM

Filed under: Ramblings and Rants

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Napa Royalty: Tasting the Wines of Oakville

While often considered a single "place" when it comes to wine, Napa is hardly a monolithic growing region. Each of its 14 established AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) lays claim to a separate identity, characterized by geology, microclimate, and different histories of production. The Oakville AVA has one of the most storied of such histories. It is home to the famed To Kalon Vineyard, purchased by H.W. Crabb in 1868, shortly after the installation of a railroad stop made the tiny village of Oakville spring to life. In 1876 Crabb's neighbor John Benson bottled his inaugural vintage of Far Niente wine... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 5, 2012 10:34 PM

Filed under: Boutique Wines , Red Wine , Wine Reviews

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Vinography Images: Mendocino Ridges

Mendocino Ridges MENDOCINO COUNTY, CA: The relatively new Mendocino Ridges AVA (American Viticultural Area) is a unique, non-contiguous wine growing region that is home to Mariah Vineyards, seen from above here, as well as several other wineries. High in the coastal mountains of Mendocino County, these wineries lie above the Pacific fog line under cool air and brilliant sun. 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... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 4, 2012 10:04 PM

Filed under: Vinography Images

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15th Annual Anderson Valley Pinot Festival: May 18-20, 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 May 2, 2012 6:05 PM

Filed under: Wine Activities

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The Essence of Wine: Buttered Popcorn

Image © 2012 Leigh Beisch Unmistakably redolent of American childhood, nothing quite compares to the scent of freshly popped corn drenched in movie theater butter. Adored or reviled, and sometimes both at once, for its rich, guilty pleasure, buttered popcorn seems to trip the most primal triggers for indulgence and comfort. The creamy, salty, toasty scent entices no less richly in the aromas of wine than it does in a cinema lobby. This unique aroma most often results from the complex chemistry between the toasted oak of a barrel and the remarkable bacteria that convert tart, green-apple malic acid into... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 1, 2012 10:22 PM

Filed under: The Essence of Wine

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Burgundy Comes to San Francisco: Some Tasting Notes

It's been two years since I've been to Burgundy and I miss it terribly. And not just because I haven't had my fix of Delice de Pommard, the utterly addictive soft cow's milk cheese that is encrusted with whole mustard grains. Burgundy is magical, and so are its wines. There's nothing like winding your way through the back roads of the region to little towns like Pouilly-Fuisse (pictured at right), stopping to step down into ancient cellars and taste vibrant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with people whose lives are suffused with wine and the soil in which it grows. If... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 29, 2012 8:59 PM

Filed under: Wine Reviews

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Vinography Images: Napa Morning

Napa Morning NAPA COUNTY, CA - 2009: A low flying hot air balloon lifts slowly above the surrounding grape vineyards as seen near Yountville on an early Summer morning. 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... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 27, 2012 2:32 PM

Filed under: Vinography Images

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Matthiasson, Napa Valley: Current Releases

The past of most wine regions becomes physically embodied in its most iconic destinations, whether grand Chateaux, or venerable old cellars. The future of many wine regions, on the other hand, can be much harder to find. It is often tucked away, or sometimes hiding in plain sight, but usually off the beaten pathways of expectation. One incarnation of Napa Valley's future, or at least a future furtively hoped for by many, can indeed be found in a place most unexpected. Just off of Highway 29, down a back street, a modern sub-division gives way to the valley's ubiquitous vineyards,... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 26, 2012 11:39 PM

Filed under: Boutique Wines , Wine Reviews

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The Essence of Wine: Tobacco

Image © 2012 Leigh Beisch Broad leaves, kiln fired, transmute a weed into an aromatic wonder that has conquered the world. Before it became a scourge, it was sacred to some of the world's earliest peoples. Like many such medicines, tobacco began its life as a gift from the gods, to whom it would return with messages from the living when smoked. From dark pitch to burnt caramel to sweet fruit, and always laced with wood, the smell of cured tobacco makes its way into many wines, most often thanks to wood itself. The toasted oak of a barrel can... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 24, 2012 10:17 PM

Filed under: The Essence of Wine

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Schloss Gobelsburg, Kamptal, Austria: Current Releases

It seems like they have always been there. For centuries, the monks have been rooted as firmly as their grape vines, watching empires come and go, tending their secrets as carefully as the grapes and the sacred wines they produce. Shrewd investment and politics have brought great wealth through the ages -- palaces and vineyards, coffers and buildings. Not to mention the troves of knowledge. But time does not preserve all -- neither fortunes nor knowledge -- and one day, after nearly eight centuries of unbroken devotion to a place, and to the vines that grow there, the monks turn... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 23, 2012 11:25 PM

Filed under: White Wine , Wine Reviews

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Mountain Wines of Italy: Tasting Notes from Alto Adige

From the snow-capped peaks of the Dolomites and the Alps, water trickles off glaciers down into steep-walled fertile alpine valleys where small villages and their vineyards beg to be photographed against the stunning backdrop of one of the world's most impressive mountain ranges. Snug between Austria and Switzerland, the northernmost part of Italy hosts some of the most stunning vineyard landscapes in the world. With an official name of Trentino-Alto Adige/Sudtirol, but usually shortened to Alto Adige (also the name of its best known DOC wine region), this region of both German and Italian speaking residents is primarily known for... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 21, 2012 10:55 PM

Filed under: Wine Activities , Wine Reviews , Wines under $20

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Vinography Images: Young Fruit

Young Fruit RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY, CA: Tiny green and red clusters that will become flowers, and then a bunch of Pinot Gris grapes can be seen pushing out from the vine near Healdsburg in Sonoma County, 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... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 20, 2012 9:13 PM

Filed under: Vinography Images

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