Category: Ramblings and Rants
Introducing the Vinography Flipboard Magazine
I both read and write on my iPad depending on where I am in the world, the situation in which
The Essence of Wine: Flaws
Image © 2013 Leigh Beisch The essence that is not an essence. Universally unloved, the flaws in wine are as
Foreign Investment in Napa
When it was announced in late July that François Pinault’s Artemis Group, owner of Chateau Latour, was purchasing Napa Valley’s
When Place Name Protection Goes Too Far
Let’s start off with the fact that I’m a big believer in protecting place names of origin in the world
Should We Care What Winemakers Say?
Like many in the wine world, I was horrified to learn today of winemaker Fulvio Bressan’s appalling rant on Facebook
The Illogic of the Ancients
Ah, I remember a time when wine blogging was new on the face of the earth, full of enthusiasm and
The New Name in Cool for California Pinot Noir
The Tobacco and Trade Bureau, the latest incarnation of bureaucracy responsible for the US system of American Viticultural Areas (AVAs),
The Essence of Wine: Oak
Image © 2013 Leigh Beisch Few have actually spent time gnawing on a piece of oak, but some know the
The Essence of Wine: Passionfruit
Image © 2013 Leigh Beisch The fruit takes its name from the vine on which it grows. But no matter
The Essence of Wine: Violets
Image © 2013 Leigh Beisch Before it was the perfume of our sorrows (garlanding poor Ophelia’s demise, no less), it
Buying Wine in America
Here in the United States, we’ve just finished celebrating our independence as a nation, and students of history will know
Champagne, Lutte Raisonnée, and Vineyard Nightmares
Anyone who has spent time in the vineyards of France has no doubt encountered the concept of lutte raisonnée, (literally
Off to Germany to Drink Some Riesling!
I’m a lucky guy. A few times a year I get to jet off to one of the world’s great
The Essence of Wine: Green Wood
Image © 2013 Leigh Beisch A childhood spent out-of-doors yields memories of many scents, including the vivid astringency that marked
Wine and the Power of Ritual
You carefully swirl the glass, gazing intently as the wine arcs its way along the balloon of the glass. You
2013: A Sunny US Vintage So Far
On 10 June, the skies above Napa and Sonoma crackled and boomed with the rare sounds of a spring thunderstorm
France, WTF?!?
There are times when those we love need tenderness, affection, and understanding. That’s probably most of the time. But then
The Essence of Wine: Graphite
Image © 2013 Leigh Beisch Perhaps if you were well-behaved or maybe just lucky, your teacher sent you to the
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,
