Category: Wine Reviews

2006 Orin Swift Cellars “The Prisoner” Red Wine, Napa
I wish I knew how many wineries in Napa started as “just a guy who decided he wanted to make

Tablas Creek Vineyard, Paso Robles: Current Releases
It always comes as a surprise to some American wine lovers when they hear about French wineries deciding to open
WBW#41 Roundup Has Been Posted: Friuli White Wines
The white wines of northeastern Italy have never been on the radar for most Americans. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate only

Kikusui Funaguchi Ichiban Shibori Honzojo, Niigata Prefecture
I’ll admit it right off the bat: I’m a serious sake snob. I don’t mean that in the sense that

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

2002 Pietratorcia “Scheria” Rosso, Isola d’Ischia, Italy
The phrase “wine country” generally evokes a wide variety of mental images, largely derived from each person’s individual experience in

Renaissance Vineyards, Sierra Foothills, CA: Current Releases
I don’t think anything excites me quite as much as finding a small producer of wine that is off most

Tamanohikari Shuzo “Yuki Hiryo Shiyo Bizen Omachi 100%” Junmai Daiginjo, Kyoto Prefecture
I go to Japan to do three primary things. See beautiful crafts and architecture, eat amazing food, and drink sake.

J Vineyards, Russian River Valley: Current Releases
There was a time (think: late Seventies, early Eighties) when a lot of people would have put money on California
WBW#40 Roundup Has Been Posted: P.S. We Love You
Doesn’t it seem to you like folks with the name “Junior” and “Little Joe” always end up having bad attitudes?

2005 Storrs Winery Petite Sirah, Santa Cruz Mountains
I don’t know who said it, but in the last few years I’ve heard it uttered that the Santa Cruz

Jack Tastes Old…Wines
The generosity and collegiality of wine lovers remains one of the tiny miracles of wine for me. I am constantly

2006 HdV “De la Guerra” Chardonnay, Carneros
California’s Carneros AVA (American Viticultural Area) is unusual in many respects. It’s most well known eccentricity is that it exists

2004 Caymus “Special Selection” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa
To say some wines need no introduction is both a truism and also a disservice. There are indeed some wines,

Iron Horse Vineyards, Green Valley, Sonoma: Current Releases
Spending my summers in Sonoma County starting at about the age of five, I have soft-focus memories of wine tasting

2003 Meyer Family Cellars Syrah, Mendocino
There are some California appellations that need no introduction, others that will ring a bell for experienced wine lovers, and

Hananomai Junmai Ginjo, Shizuoka Prefecture
By W. Blake Gray Winemakers generally have more interesting stories to tell than sake master brewers (“toji”). Naturally, I’m here

Tasting the Wine & Spirits Top 100 Wineries for 2007
There are public wine tastings and then there are public wine tastings. The difference between the good ones and the

1997 Colgin “Herb Lamb Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa
There are several tiers of wines that can legitimately and confidently wear the name tag: HELLO MY NAME IS: Cult