Category: Boutique Wines

Vérité Wines, Sonoma: Current Releases
Formulaic is an adjective that is often leveled at some of California’s top boutique wines and their winemaking. As if

2006 Baker Lane “Hurst Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
Some people seem to get into the wine business through sheer determination. After years of saving, scraping, dreaming and planning,

Domaine Marc Kreydenweiss, Alsace: Current Releases
The wines of Alsace are some of the most unique and distinctive in the world. They are also some of

2005 Star Lane Vineyards “Astral” Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Ynez Valley
There are those in the wine world who seek out (and often pay for) the best possible advice they can

Kamoizumi “Shusen – Three Dots” Junmai, Hiroshima Prefecture
In the world of sake, perhaps even more so than the world of wine, just when you think you’ve figured

2005 Blackbird Vineyards Proprietary Red Wine, Napa
I make it my business to keep my eye on new California wineries, especially in Napa and Sonoma, as much

Movia, Slovenia: Current Releases
Visitors to the far Northeast of Italy, in the shadows of the Austrian Alps, quickly realize that they are not

Meteor Vineyard, Napa: Debut Releases
Barry Schuler may know a thing or two about running multi-billion dollar technology companies, but what he really wants to

Does Napa’s Best Cabernet Live in Oakville?: A Recent Tasting
While often referred to as a single “place” when it comes to wine, Napa is hardly a single monolithic growing

2005 Piña Napa Valley “D’Adamo Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa
If one were to speculate on the wine market as a savvy investor might in the small-cap stock market, the

2005 Domaine Albert Boxler Pinot Gris “Vieilles Vignes,” Alsace
Like Jazz standards interpreted endlessly by masters and amateurs alike, grapes find infinite expression in the hands of winemakers around

2003 Pulenta Estate “Gran Corte VII” Red Wine, Mendoza, Argentina
Three years ago this week I was making my way around the top restaurants of Buenos Aires, ordering too much

Neal Family Vineyards, Napa: Current Releases
In some ways, if Mark Neal and his small winery, Neal Family Vineyards, didn’t make fantastic wines, it would be

2005 Domaine de Chateau Gaillard Saumur, Loire Valley, France
The Loire Valley is perhaps one of the most underrated and unexplored (by most Americans) wine producing regions in France.

Cooper-Garrod Vineyards, Santa Cruz Mountains: Current Releases
One of the greatest joys in my life remains the feeling I get when stumbling upon a small winery whose

Kapcsándy Family Winery, Napa: Current Releases
Napa has a way of turning modest dreams into major productions. Lou Kapcsándy and his wife Bobbie decided to retire

2001 Benanti “Pietramarina” Bianco Superiore, Etna DOC, Sicily
I try to avoid getting into discussions about terroir for the same reasons I avoid arguing about religion: no one

The Best Cabernet in Napa: Tasting Premiere Napa Valley 2008
One of my favorite events each year involves the opportunity to sample some of the best wines that Napa produces

2002 Vodopivec Vitovska, Friuli-Venezia Giulia IGT, Italy
In the far Northeastern corner of Italy there lies a countryside that is better defined by wine than by any