Category: Ramblings and Rants
Putting a Cork in Your Thanksgiving Wine Anxiety
Judging from media coverage alone, no other holiday in America instills as much wine anxiety as does Thanksgiving. From bloggers
The Mysterious Art of Selling Direct
A good friend of mine was recently given the opportunity to join the most exclusive club in the world of
Critical Consolidation in Wine
Antonio Galloni announced today the acquisition of Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, as reported on Forbes.Com. The acquisition will involve
What Has California Got Against Wineries?
I promise I’m not going to turn this web site into the California Wine Law Blog, but for Pete’s sake,
Dirty Money for a Legendary Brand
I’ve been out of the country and away from most sources of news for the past week. For instance I’m
Off to Portugal for a Drink
After a couple months of busting my rear for the day job, today I get the opportunity to enjoy one
Does California Have Too Many AVAs?
, which came just days after the announcement that the Paso Robles region had been subdivided into eleven new AVAs,
Hang out with the World’s Top Wine Writers. For Free.
One of the great perks of having been at this wine writing thing for some time involves my association with
US 2014 Vintage – Early, Fast, Eventful
It has become my habit each year to check in with winemakers across the United States as harvest concludes in
Another Idiotic California Law Screws Wineries
Last week I wrote about the perverted horrors of Proposition 65, the law ostensibly created to protect Californians against toxic
The Fake Tongue Illusion and Wine Tasting
The degree to which the mechanics of our own perception continue to be a mystery to us gives me no
The Essence of Wine is Ready to Buy!
It is with great pleasure that I announce the official publishing and general availability of my book The Essence of
California Law and Wine: Ups and Downs
California is by most measures, the eighth largest economy in the world. And of the state’s $2.05 Trillion domestic production,
Tallying the Damage from the Napa Quake
The 2014 harvest is under way in California, but in Napa, instead of enjoying a beer in between loads of
Social Media Answers the Question: Where Did Australian Wine Go Wrong
The other day I found myself contemplating the question of how Australian wine lost its footing after being so popular
Drought Problems? Just Have an Earthquake
Folks in Napa and its surrounding areas are still cleaning up after the earthquake that struck the region two weeks
NIMBY Versus Vineyard in Malibu
Welcome to America’s newest wine appellation, the Malibu coast. Just don’t plant anything, especially not grapes. Only a matter of
The (Still) Dismal State of California Chardonnay
It is the best of times, and it is the worst of times. In 2013, California celebrated its largest grape
What a Way to Go: Wine At the End of Your Life
At lunch the other day, my companion shared the wonderfully poignant story of his aging father, the man who inspired
