1983 Schloss Schonborn Rudesheimer Bichofsberg Riesling Spatlese, Rheingau, Germany
Wine is the closest we come to alchemy. And ironically, the most magical transmutation that takes place within wine is almost entirely out of our control.
Far be it for me to deny winemakers their due for what is surely the magical feat of assisting ...
Vinography Images: Chardonnay Harvest
Chardonnay Harvest
This could have been the scene many places in Chile a couple of months ago. The harvest there has completed over the past few months. These grapes are Chardonnay, from the Maule region, I believe. Chardonnay is one of the more un...
Presqu’ile Winery, Santa Maria Valley: Current Releases
I'm wandering around the grand tasting tent at the World of Pinot Noir conference, focusing, as I often do, on a combination of wines that I know well, and those that I've never heard of. I walk up to a table with an unfamiliar label, get a little so...
Vinography Images: Cachapoal Sky
Cachapoal Sky
Chile has definitely got the "sky thing" down. I'm sure there's some sort of topographic and/or climatic reason for it, but the clouds and the blue are a bit more electric than other places. Here's a view above some vineyards in the C...
The Perils of the New Wine Economy
We live in remarkable times. The pace of technological innovation and the remarkable changes that globalization has wrought upon the world economy are staggering in their scope. As wine lovers, we have never had access to more great wines at any time ...
Feeling the Pain of Canadian Wine Lovers
I like to complain a lot about the state of wine shipping laws in America. It's a backwards system that favors the kleptocratic state-run monopolies and their distribution chain cronies (or is it the other way around?). And don't get me started on HR ...
Vinography Images: Carmenere Harvest
Carmenere Harvest
This lovely image of the harvest in Chile captures the beauty and the namesake color of the Carmenere vine in the Fall. Thought for many years to be Merlot, once identified correctly Carmenere has become Chile's signature grape. And...
2011 RAP Pink Out Rosé Tasting: May 10, San Francisco
It's almost impossible to write about pink wines these days without invoking some sort of cliche. Even the (true) claim that rosé wines are no longer out of fashion has been recycled so many times that I'm cringing just typing it.
The fact of...
Read Some Good Wine Blogging
The fact that you're here, reading this, means I don't have much convincing to do when it comes to turning you on to good online wine writing. The rest of the world, well, they might need a little nudging. Despite the fact that pretty much every major...
Tasting the Superstar Wines of Napa’s Oakville AVA
Napa Valley is famous, or infamous depending on your point of view, for some of the world's best and priciest Cabernet Sauvignon. While it has yet to reach the heights of the few First Growths in Bordeaux in terms of pricing, the Napa Valley has been ...
Vinography Images: Spring Maintenance
Spring Maintenance
This is generally what vineyards all over the Northern Hemisphere look like right now, and there are vineyard workers like these out doing all sorts of things that might be considered Spring maintenance. Meanwhile, in the Southern...
The Best Central Coast Pinot?: Tasting at the World of Pinot Noir
I don't know about you, but spending a couple of days tasting Pinot Noir while strolling along cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean is definitely my idea of a good time. Back at the beginning of March, I joined several hundred other wine enthusiasts f...
