Category: Wine Reviews
Looking Forward To, and Back On, the Last Decade of Napa Cabernet
There are few types of wine writing I tend to ignore so completely as I do vintage reports. The generally
The Best Wines of the Year?: Taste Testing the Wine & Spirits Top 100
The difference between a good public wine tasting and a bad one can be quite dramatic. The bad ones are
2007 Freestone Vineyards “Ovation” Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast
Most people aren’t aware that I grew up, at least partially, in Sonoma County. My parents split up pretty early
2007 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateuneuf-du-Pape Blanc, Rhone Valley, France
My love of deeply complex white wines has been growing for some time. I’m not sure exactly when I learned
2001 Thierry Allemand “Cuvee Reynard” Cornas, Rhone Valley, France
As much as I love wines from all over the world, and as open and welcoming as I am of
2007 Hess Collection “Allomi Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa
I can still remember my first wine tasting trip to the Napa Valley. I’m young, so it wasn’t that long
Where is All the Deeply Discounted Champagne?
Every day, I get e-mails with wines being offered at more and more outrageous prices. What you can get for
Masters of Wine Champagne Tasting 2010: September 27, San Francisco
I never liked Champagne until I had the really good stuff. For years I went to weddings and New Year’s
Dry Creek Vineyard, Healdsburg, CA: Some Current Releases
Driving through California’s wine country, with its carefully manicured vineyards carpeting huge swaths of the countryside, it’s easy to imagine
The World’s Best Sake: Tasting at the Joy of Sake Soiree 2010
One of the public wine tastings I most look forward to every year doesn’t serve a single drop of wine.
2008 Outpost Grenache, Howell Mountain, Napa
To the casual visitor or inexperienced wine lover, Napa may just be a name on a bottle, or a vision
Lake County’s Best Wines: Tasting the People’s Choice Awards
Those of you who follow this blog closely know that a few weeks ago I played hooky from work and
2007 Anaba Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
One of my greatest pleasures remains my “discovery” of small new wineries, and the opportunity to watch them mature over
2008 Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese, Mosel, Germany
There are a few categories of wine that qualify for the designation of “I just don’t drink nearly enough of
Joy of Sake Tasting 2010: San Francisco 9/9, and NYC 9/23
I absolutely love the fact that we’ve reached a point in this country where I don’t need to explain why
1997 Calera Wine Company “Mills Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Mt. Harlan, CA
Those of you who know me well understand the soft spot I have in my heart for iconoclastic winemakers. The
Henschke Wines, Eden Valley, Australia: Some Current Releases
While many may argue about just which individual wine represents Australia’s finest expression of Shiraz, few could argue that when
2008 Clos de los Siete Red Wine, Mendoza, Argentina
Fifty miles south of the city of Mendoza the valley of Tunuyan feels less like a valley and more like
Tentaka “Silent Stream” Junmai Daiginjo, Tochigi Prefecture
I’ll admit it. It’s probably been at least six months since I’ve had sake in my mouth. In part, I
