Dead Fish Lead to Good Wine
As if the famously untranslatable French concept of terroir wasn’t complicated enough. Harrumph. We wine lovers have enough on our
The Return of the Wine Cooler
I’m in fifth grade. Michael Jackson and George Michael are forces of nature. Hair is big, and so are socks.
1994 Domaine Aux Moines Chenin Blanc, Savennieres-Roche Aux Moines, France
South-central France has many distinguishing characteristics, but the one that cannot be avoided and ignored, and certainly cannot be underestimated,
Those Arrogant Frogs
I’m not sure to whether to file the latest news from France under Tragically Hip or It’s About Damn Time.
Cameron Hughes Wines, San Francisco: Current Releases
The continued evolution of the global wine marketplace has made many things possible for many people. Small regional wineries that
Wine Tasting Robots From Japan
The Japanese have a national love affair with robots of all kinds. One of the coolest things I ever waited
1999 Gravner Ribolla Gialla, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy
When it comes to winemaking there’s New World, and there’s Old World. There’s new school, and of course, there’s old
Note to Self: Don’t Send Wine to Tony Blair
International diplomacy is a tough business. Apparently you need to go around walking on eggshells all the time — never
The Spectator Grand Award Wizard Speaks
No system of awards and ratings for restaurants can ever be perfect. From Zagat to Michelin to the James Beard
Restaurant Review: Sucre, Buenos Aires
There’s a variety of hipness that’s universally understood in the early twenty first century, at least among first-world nations. Expressed
It’s The Bee’s Knees. Er. Nose.
If we’re reasonably perceptive people, we all have moments in life where things are revealed to us that provide a
Vinography Profiled
Occasionally I get asked how this whole Vinography thing got started, and there certainly is a story (though, I’ll warn
Drinking Pink: Notes From the RAP Pink Out Rose Tasting
When the temperatures are topping out above 90 nearly every day in San Francisco, you know it’s hot. The poor
The Blogger and The Critic’s Golden Tastebuds
When I was a kid, I didn’t have a television, but whenever I got the chance at a friend’s or
Wine Writers, Polish Your Résumés
Serious applicants only please. It has come to me through the top-secret grapevine that Linda Murphy, long-time wine editor at
2004 Sula Vineyards Chenin Blanc, Nashik, India
Regular readers know I jump at any opportunity to try interesting wines, especially from regions that I’m unfamiliar with. I’ve
The Trainwreck of an Online Wine Community
I don’t know a lot of things, but during my short time on this earth, I have observed what I
Familiar Bedfellows Now Go Commercial
In the category of “it’s about time” comes a recent announcement that seems to make perfect sense. At least to
2004 Arista Winery “Harper’s Rest” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, CA
I first learned about Arista Winery late last year when I had the opportunity to taste what the winery called
