Category: Wine Reviews
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
2008 Ridge Vineyards “Three Valleys” Red Blend, Sonoma County
If there’s one thing about a winery that is likely to earn my immediate respect it is what you might
2008 Bodegas Colomé Estate Malbec, Salta, Argentina
Once upon a time, I went to Argentina looking for the good wine. Frankly I couldn’t understand what all the
Dom Pérignon, Champagne, France: Some Current Releases
Where to begin with Dom Pérignon? It is a brand, a wine, and a historical figure welded into an idea
The World’s Best Burgundy? Tasting La La Paulée de San Francisco 2010
I won’t be winning any awards this year for “timely reporting.” It’s now been more than three months since the
Schramsberg Vineyards, Napa: A Few Current Releases
At the risk of oversimplifying things past the point of reasonableness, I’d like to suggest that there are really two
Secret Wines of the Napa Valley
The second of the two seminars I gave at the recent Aspen Food & Wine Classic festival was entitled “Secrets
Why Does American Rosé Suck?
I was poking around in my wine cellar last night, taking stock of what I might be drinking soon, now
J.L. Chave, Mauve en Ardeche, France: Current Releases
Some places in this world are simply hallowed ground when it comes to winemaking. Of course every deep-rooted and honest
South African Gems: My Aspen Food & Wine Classic Seminar
As some of you know, I spent last week at the Aspen Food & Wine Classic, where amongst a lot
2004 Cooper Garrod “Lone Oak Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains
One of the greatest joys in my life remains the feeling I get when stumbling upon a small winery whose
2007 Quinta de Roriz “Prazo de Roriz” Red Blend, Douro, Portugal
I think one of the greatest assets any wine lover can possess is an unflagging curiosity in the form of
Sea Smoke Cellars, Santa Barbara: Current Releases
Sometimes as I’m traveling through wine country, I see beautiful pieces of land that aren’t planted to grapes and I
2006 Hughes-Wellman Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena
While wines, and great wines in particular, are made with incredible forethought and planning, sometimes wine labels can spring up
2007 J Vineyards “Barrel 16” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
There was a time (think: late Seventies, early Eighties) when a lot of people would have put money on California
1980 Soldera Case Basse Brunello Riserva, Montalcino, Italy
When I was a kid, I read a lot of science fiction. On long plane flights I still occasionally pick
Noon Winery, McLaren Vale, Australia: Current Releases
The term garagiste, originally coined as a pejorative referring to the small wineries in Bordeaux’s Right Bank who were making
2006 Marc Kreydenweiss “Clos Rebberg” Pinot Gris, Alsace, France
The wines of Alsace are some of the most unique and distinctive in the world. They are also some of
2007 Monastero Suore Cistercensi “Coenobium Rusticum” Bianco, Lazio, Italy
We owe much of modern viticulture and winemaking traditions to the church in some form or another. Even before the
