Category: Wine Reviews

2005 Gargiulo Vineyards “G Major Seven Study – 575 OVX Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville, Napa
There’s something really cool about seeing a young winery start to hit its stride. I’ve only seen a few newborn

Minogawa Shuzo “Koshino Omachi” Daiginjo, Niigata Prefecture
In the wine world, the grapes matter. Move past the varietal surface of wine consumption, and you’ll quickly descend into

Freeman Vineyard and Winery, Sebastopol, CA: Current Releases
Say what you want about the state of America, I know of no other place where it remains so imminently

1997 Staglin Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford
From the late 1800’s to the first half of the twentieth century California represented a land of opportunity for many.

JC Cellars, Oakland: Current Releases
In the Silicon Valley, business incubation is quite common — larger companies often provide financial, operations, and moral support to
Kamoizumi “Summer Snow” Nigori Ginjo, Hiroshima Prefecture
Review By W. Blake Gray Stop the presses — no, wait, this isn’t printed. OK, stop the Internet — I

Tasting the Wines of San Francisco’s East Bay Wineries
Wine country is now 15 minutes from downtown San Francisco, thanks to the surge in wine producers that are popping

2003 Meyer Family Cellars “Bonny’s Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville
Heritage plays out in many ways in the Napa Valley. There are only a few remaining families that have been

The Best Pinot Noir in California?: Tasting at Pinot Days 2008
The Pinot Days event, which took place on the last weekend in June this year, brings together one of the

2005 Hughes-Wellman Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena, Napa Valley
Good wine is rarely made by accident. So much can go wrong in the winemaking process that to get something
Just When You Thought France Was Making Progress
No matter how bad you think you have it, there are other folks who have it worse than you. We

La Brancaia, Chianti, Italy: Current Releases
Tuscany will always hold a special place in my heart. If not for the dreamlike quality of the rolling Chianti

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,

Hungarian Wine on My Doorstep
After nearly five years of writing about wine on the Internet, you wouldn’t believe all the things that I’ve been

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

Sake Rice Matters: the Experts are Wrong.
By W. Blake Gray How much does the type of rice matter in sake? “Not much,” most experts say. But

Ohyama Tokubetsu Junmai Nigori, Yamagata Prefecture
We all understand the power of brands. There was likely a time for most Americans alive to day when we