Exploring the menu of life.
Reviews of whites wines
This luscious, slightly sweet and delightfully affordable white wine blend from France’s rather obscure Côtes du Gasgogne region in the southwest could be the best intro for those new to wine. The Grassa family uses grapes called Ugni Blanc [OOO knee blahnk] and Colombard [CALL um BARD] to ... Read More »
The Fattori family has been farming their hillside vineyards since the turn of last century, when Antonio Fattori planted vines near a village called Terrossa. Currently, Antonio’s grandson, Antonio Fattori, is the winemaker at the winery, who, in addition to four Soaves, produces a sparkling ... Read More »
While most people think Pinot Grigio is the white wine of Italy, I beg to differ. Softer and rounder, Soave white wines from northeastern Italy complement a wider range of food, have an exceptional depth of flavors, and are quite versatile. Like the Rocca Sveva 2009 Soave Classico.
... Read More »I admire when a winery steps outside the annoying conservative boundaries of the wine industry. Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon fame (an interview with him), The Three Thieves and their ground-breaking Bandit wine in a small box and chalk up another win to the folks at Oregon’s King Estate (reviews ... Read More »
My first life experiences with wine were in the upper reaches of New York State, during college. I lived on campus my senior year at Colgate University (my alma mater), living in the French-speaking-only (yea, right) La Maison Franςaise in an attempt to better my oral skills for culinary school the ... Read More »
King Estate specializes in Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, and that’s what I’ve been sipping on these past eight years since I met them. Still family-owned — like most wineries in Oregon — they’ve expanded their horizons with their other, more affordable (and still tasty) ... Read More »
Not sure why but Vinho Verde doesn’t get much respect from the sophisticates out there. The wine snobs, the “connoisseurs” or the collectors don’t rave about the summer utility of this Portuguese white. Perhaps they prefer to limit their consumption of Portuguese choices to ... Read More »
The J Vineyards 2010 Pinot Gris has a fabulously creamy mouthfeel but offers up a snappy, crisp finish. Medium-bodied and dangerously easy to slurp on a hot day. Aromas of honeyed peach, red apple and honeydew melon follow onto the tongue with a splash of lemon and ripe apricots. Almost Viognier-like ... Read More »
There’s a bit of a backlash with oaky/buttery California Chardonnays now. A newfound love of the unadorned version — labeled “Unoaked”, “Virgin”, “Naked” or “Stainless Steel” — can be witnessed on retail shelves and on restaurant wine lists. The taste difference ... Read More »
Chardonnay has become the whipping child of the wine world — the veritable before-the-ball Cinderella or Joan of Arc. But this unfortunate rep has a reason behind it. There are a crapload of disgusting, woodchipped and buttered Chardonnays lining shelves of every American retailer. And, like ... Read More »
I wished I lived on Carmel Road, ’cause maybe I could stop by any random Tuesday night and swap some tomatoes for wine. Yes, I would gladly give up homegrown tomatoes — perhaps my favorite thing on earth besides wine — for their wine. Based in cool climate Monterey, Carmel Road winery ... Read More »