Category: Red Wine
The Best Brunellos: Tasting the 2015 Vintage on Tour
Anyone who doesn’t fall even just a little bit in love with Tuscany the first time they visit should probably
Napa’s Royal Cabernets: The Wines of Oakville
While often considered a single “place” when it comes to wine, Napa is hardly a monolithic growing region. Each of
Get in Early on Oregon Tempranillo
Abacela Vineyards, Umpqua Valley, Oregon While everyone and their wine-loving aunt Jeannie are busy going gaga for Oregon Pinot Noir
An Infrequent Encounter with Bordeaux
The World Atlas of Wine describes it as the “largest fine-wine district on earth,” and while we make a big
Two Wines That Prove Colorado Is The Next Wine Region to Watch
I grew up in Colorado. If you had told me as a high schooler that Colorado would one day be
Vinography Unboxed: Week of March 4, 2018
Hello, and welcome to my periodic dig through the samples pile. I’m pleased to bring you the latest installment of
The Rockstar Vintage: Tasting 2016 Cabernet at Premiere Napa Valley
Some people run a marathon once each year. That’s not my speed. Instead, I knuckle down and taste 200 Cabernets
Drinking the Past as California Burns
Light night, even as flames roared through the chaparral of Southern California, I attended a wine tasting event to benefit
15 Years of Argentina’s Finest Malbec
There was a time early in my wine drinking life that I did not care for Argentine Malbec. I frankly
Jamie Kutch and the Refinement of California Pinot Noir
“I was always a hobby person as a kid, but I I would push them beyond where anyone would normally
A Look at 2014 Napa Cabernet: Tasting at Premiere Napa Valley
Each year, the Napa Valley Vintners Association pulls out all the stops to host its annual fundraising event known as
The Glory of 2013 Napa Cabernet: Tasting Premiere Napa Valley
Each year, the Napa Valley Vintners Association pulls out all the stops to host its annual fundraising event known as
A Dose of Claret: Visiting With 2010 Bordeaux
I have two confessions to make, the first slightly more gauche (among wine lovers) than the last. Here goes. I
Setting a New Bar for Oregon Pinot: Brittan Vineyards
Expressed briefly, making a great wine is rather simple. You find the right piece of ground; you put the right
MORIC: The Apogee of Blaufränkisch
“I am hardcore,” says Roland Velich, describing his winemaking while lounging in the mid-century modern comfort of his living room,
72 Pinot Noirs on a Sunny Afternoon: Tasting at IPNC 2014
I go to a lot of wine tastings, and have come to really appreciate those that are produced well. It
Drew Wines, Mendocino, CA: Recent Releases
Jason Drew is talking to me about ripeness. “It’s not easy to answer the question of what ripe tastes like,”
Blaufränkisch is Best Before Breakfast
In the pantheon of wine grapes, a precious few are revered for what some refer to as their transparency to
You Bet Your Blauburgunder: Exploring Austrian Pinot Noir
Hello from Vienna, Austria, where I am spending a few days wandering around what has to be the greatest indoor
25 Years in the Hills: A Seven Hills Winery Retrospective
We’re funny, us humans. We like to draw these imaginary lines on the earth and give names to the places
Checking On Some Older CA Pinot Noir
Once upon a time, among the many criticisms leveled at California wine, there existed the notion that California wines did
2008 Rivers-Marie “Summa Old Vines” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
We hear a lot (and I certainly write a lot) about wineries or wine labels that represent the realization of
Jim Barry Wines, Clare Valley, Australia: Some Current Releases
The early American colonists were at a pretty big disadvantage when it came to making their own wine. It just
Icon Wines of Napa: A Tasting
What would you do if someone offered to hold a tasting of all the best Cabernets in Napa according to
Drinking The Past: The Wines of Zorah, Armenia
Wines are always a link to our past. At the very least they tell a story of a previous season,
An Obsession With Pinot: The Wines of Jamie Kutch
“I was always a hobby person as a kid, but I I would push them beyond where anyone would normally
Keplinger Wines, Napa: Current Releases
One of the most often proclaimed credentials for winemakers in California consists of having been trained in the Old World.
Stella di Campalto, Castelnuovo dell’Abate, Italy: Current Releases
Some stories are just about enough to make you believe in fate. Fifteen years ago, no one in their right
The Best of Napa’s 2011 Cabernets: Tasting at Premiere Napa Valley
This past Saturday, Napa Valley held what the Napa Valley Vintners association refers to as its “Annual Bake Sale.” The
Hawkes Bay Merlot: Worth the Effort?
Continuing my coverage of my time spent last week in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, we come to the opportunity to
2007 Shafer Vineyards “Hillside Select” Cabernet Sauvignon, Stag’s Leap District, Napa
In a family wine business, one of the most crucial moments in the history of the enterprise will always be
2004 Craggy Range “The Quarry” Bordeaux Blend, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
New Zealand is certainly a land of surprises. A relatively compact landmass, it seems to possess every possible topography and
The Legendary Wines of Napa: Tasting Notes
Last weekend I had the singular pleasure of co-leading a tasting with the title Legends of Napa Valley. I wrote
Cobb Wines, Sonoma Coast, CA: Two Vineyards, Four Vintages
When we are children, we don’t necessarily comprehend what our parents do for fun, and when we do, we rarely
Vivier Wines, Napa: Current Releases
Most winemakers have some story of how they discovered wine. It’s quite commonplace in Europe to simply grow up in
MORIC, Burgenland, Austria: Current Releases
One of the greatest pleasures in the life of the truly wine-curious emerges in the revelatory taste — that moment
2007 Ruston Family Vineyards “La Maestra” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
I love Napa and its wines, but the bits of it that are truly dear to my heart tend to
2009 Clos de los Siete Red Wine, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
Fifty miles south of the city of Mendoza the valley of Tunuyan feels less like a valley and more like
Heimann Family Estate, Szekszard, Hungary: Current Releases
The Transdanubian hills in Szekszárd (pronounced sex-sahrd), rise up sharply off the Hungarian Plain, bounding up several hundred meters in
Forgotten Jewels: Reviving Chile’s Old Vine Carignane
As a child, the lure of archeology cannot be denied. Fantasies of discovering ancient treasures fuel the dreams of many
A Walk Through the Cote de Nuits with Allen Meadows
As some of you know, I spent last week at the (always) fabulous International Pinot Noir Celebration in Oregon’s Willamette
