Category: Wine Reviews
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
Italian Wine Tasting Notes From The Golden Glass 2008
These days, with a newborn, I don’t get out to many large tasting events, but one I decided I shouldn’t
2005 Veramonte “Primus” Red Wine, Casablanca Valley, Chile
It’s hard to believe that in the early 1990’s less than 100 acres of vineyards were planted in Chile’s Casablanca
Kamotsuru “Sokaku” Daiginjo, Hiroshima Prefecture
One of the fascinating and attractive things about sake breweries are their (usually) much longer and storied histories than the
