One bottle of 1945 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in Burgundy sold for $123, 899 at Christie’s Auction House. France. A bottle of Pinot Noir that likely isn’t drinkable anymore. Sure, it’s the most coveted vintage in history. Yes, it’s from the most sought-after vintage on the ... Read More »
Wine Education
Why rose wine should be in your fridge all summer
Although I drink dry rosé wines all year long, most people unfortunately lump them into the summer grog category. So by even releasing this blog post towards the end of May, I’m evidently crying uncle to the masses who lump. Dry rosés — and I’m not referring to the tooth-aching, ... Read More »
Life in California: Small town, small wine industry, new winery job
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Talking Turkey: The birthplace of wine makes a comeback
Way before America was a blip in Columbus’s sights and even before Jesus proselytized about taxes and everlasting life, people enjoyed the fruits of the vines. We know the Romans partied hearty with fermented grape juice, and their voluminous need established vineyard farming techniques. Or so we ... Read More »
Study, Sip & Spit: How to survive a mega-wine tasting
Wine tastings have boomed in recent years, as nonprofits realize how many people want to get drunk with an excuse… er… conscience. But these large tastings pose another kind of problem – the sheer number of wines to taste. This abundance begs the question: How does one navigate such ... Read More »
April Fool’s Quiz: The real wine labels versus the fake
For those who couldn’t grab five minutes to Google yesterday’s fake v. real wine labels, here are the answers to the April Fool’s wine label quiz.
... Read More »Happy April Fool’s Day: Which of these wines don’t exist? (fun)
Nowadays in the uber competitive wine realm, wineries must bring out the big marketing genius to capture the hearts and tongues of those new to wine. Often, the ballsiest, wackiest and the most salacious concept wins, no matter what the quality inside the bottle.
... Read More »Changing wine signs of the times: Consumer Reports recommendations from 2000
My Mom really belongs in an episode of Hoarders Gone Mild. Although far from the extremes of this psychologically disturbing reality show, she saves pretty much everything, including old issues of Consumer Reports Magazine. For giggles, she passed on an issue from 2000 — the one celebrating ... Read More »
Wines like bull: The forceful wines of Toro Spain
Winemaking in this region dates back to the first century B.C., when the ancient Greeks settled in and taught the natives how to craft a party from the sandy, rocky soils not fit for much else. Toro wines are made from the Tinto de Toro grape, a colloquial synonym for a diminuative version of Tempranillo, ... Read More »
To have and to hold: The ins and outs of wine storage
Wine that has been badly stored (or “cooked” in industry parlance), tastes flat and musty, not grapey. It’s not performing the way the winemaker intended, so it behooves us to pay homage to his/her efforts and try to maintain its freshness. Not to mention preserve the investment ... Read More »
Send in the clones: Wine grapes and their offspring
For the average wine drinker, a grape is a grape. That is, if a bottle’s label says Pinot Noir, then that’s the grape the wine sprang from. ‘Nuff said. But geeky swillers know there are rules which allow for minimal percentages of a given grape to be labeled by its variety. But what ... Read More »
HEY, SUGAR!: Warming up to dessert wines
Winters are getting colder and we all internal heaters. The wine that gets you there the fastest is dessert wine, high in alcohol and satisfaction. And judging from the amount of email I get from people craving sweeter wines, the subject is apropos for all wine drinkers. Wine snobs drink them all ... Read More »