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Mendocino Sparkles
”We’re trying to be a picnic wine, not trying to be fancy,” Signal Ridge Vineyard owner Roger Scommegna told me as I sipped his non-vintage Signal Ridge Bubbles last Sunday night. “There are already...
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On "Unexpected Napa Valley Wines"
In 1968, the value of Napa County’s beef production was virtually identical to that of its grapes[1]. There were 1,336 productive acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, but 1,492 acres of Petite Sirah....
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Which California Counties Added the Most Vineyard Acreage in the Past Five...
In honor of California Wine Month, I'll be providing a variety of details about the scope of the state's wine industry. Last week, I published California Wine by the Numbers. Today, We'll look at...
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Getting the Wine Bloggers Conference We Deserve
I attended this year’s North American Wine Bloggers’ Conference in Santa Barbara last week. This was the fifth WBC I’ve attended. Some parts of the conference were truly excellent, many were...
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Biodynamic Cabernet of Grace from Wise Acre Vineyards
A hundred chocolate-brown feathers litter the ground before the barn, the only remaining traces of a bobcat’s midnight chicken dinner. Seemingly unaware of their narrow escape, the remaining heritage...
View ArticleJess Jackson, Founder of Kendall-Jackson, Dead at 81
Jess Stonestreet Jackson, Jr. (February 18, 1930 - April 21, 2011) Jess Jackson died at home, in Geyserville, CA on April 21, 2010 after a long fight with cancer. He was 81 years old. Born in...
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Spotlight on the Calistoga AVA
The Calistoga AVA became effective on January 7, 2010. Though it was the 15th region within the larger Calistoga AVA to achieve official TTB recognition, Calistoga has produced high-quality grapes and...
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Coravin Reviewed: A “Wine Access Technology”
”I'll bet you I can drink wine out of this bottle without removing the cork?” So begins a party trick. The bottle is then turned upside-down, wine poured into the punt and drunk from it as if from a...
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Napa Valley Premiere - Competitive Juices Yield Record Prices
On Saturday, February 22, 225 one-of-a-kind lots of meticulously produced Napa Valley wine were offered at auction to some of the world’s most passionate and well-moneyed wine sellers and...
View ArticleJohn Alban Traps Philippe Guigal in an Elevator and other Tales of HdR
This is the third installment of my conversation with John Alban regarding Hospice du Rhone and the advancement of Rhone variety wines globally over the past 20 years. Don’t miss part one and part...
View ArticleDo Wine Aerators Work & Are They Worth the Money?
People like gadgets. I know I do. There’s always the hope for a better mousetrap; some way to make our lives easier, teeth whiter, recorded music sound like a live performance. There are plenty of...
View ArticleReview: "101 Wines" by Gary Vaynerchuk
Gary Vaynerchuk’s WineLibraryTV is the world’s leading video wine blog. His informative and entertaining tastings on video attract as many as 80,000 viewers daily, not to mention the people who...
View ArticleOn Bordeaux, Robert Parker and Bloggers
The topic of Bordeaux en primeur is hot right now. The current stir started with an article in Decanter. The article is about Americans (finally) realizing that buying futures in Bordeaux wine isn’t...
View ArticleCalifornia Chardonnay You’ll Want to Buy
There is a lot of angst in the media about California Chardonnay again. The controversy doesn’t seem to have affected sales much though. People still buy it by the gallon, sometimes literally. So, why...
View ArticleWine Over Time: Two Syrah from Olson Ogden
One of the pleasures in enjoying wine is seeing how a bottle changes over time. We usually think of this in the context of aging, buying several bottles of an age-worthy wine and trying one every year...
View ArticleRain, Rain, Go Away!
Weathermen have delivered an unpleasant forecast for this Tuesday, rain and plenty of it. Northern California is due to get at least 2 - 3 inches of rain in one day. In some places, like the Sierras,...
View ArticleTasting Impressions: Food & Wine Magazine 2009 American Wine Awards
Wednesday, I described the Food & Wine Magazine American Wine Awards event that took place on October 6 in St. Helena. Today’s article covers the wines themselves. As it happens, you might consider...
View ArticleCreating a New Wine Label
A wine bottle’s front label may be the most important tool a winery has for driving retail sales. Whether the bottle is in a supermarket, wine boutique or wine bar, the label needs to do the same...
View ArticleTransparency in Blogging
The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) has announced new policies requiring full disclosure of sponsorships related to blog articles and reviews. Beginning in December, bloggers who are paid to mention,...
View ArticleWine Worth the Money: 2006 Kobalt Cabernet Sauvignon
There are a lot of conversations these days that include phrases like “with this economy” and “in these troubled economic times.” Clearly, few of us are spending money as freely now as we may have two...
View ArticleKosher Cabernet Sauvignon for Passover
It’s fortunate for people who keep kosher that there was no commandment against coveting thy neighbors wine. Only a tiny fraction of all wine released is kosher. Much of the kosher wine that is sold...
View Article10 Tips for Selecting Wines for a Wedding
Keep things in perspective.The wines served will be well down on the list of important wedding memories, even for hardcore wine enthusiasts. Don’t try to elevate the wine above its place by selecting...
View ArticleQuick Sip: Waterstone 2008 Pinot Gris Napa Valley
Pinot Gris is a grape, descended from Pinot Noir, that is used to make white wines. The varietal is often called by other names, depending on where it’s made. In Germany, it is typically called...
View ArticleAt the Food & Wine Magazine American Wine Awards
Last night some of America’s best winemakers met at the Meadowood Resort in Napa Valley for a very exclusive event. They were there to receive awards for making what Food and Wine Magazine considered...
View ArticleHere a Blend, There a Blend
I’ve read that there are at least 3,000 different decisions made about a wine from the time a winery starts to consider where to plant vines to the time a bottle is actually released. Blending...
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