Chono, Syrah Reserva 2008
There are a ton of great wine values out in the market today but I’m always pleased to find wines that considerably outperform their price. And tonight I have such an example. As I’ve blogged recently, Syrah has been a tough sale here in the U.S. I think it’s due to a few factors that’s...
Top 5 Underdog Wine Varieties
There are a lot of wine grapes that don’t get their due but there are five that I think should get some more respect. And I’m going to do something about it by not just pointing them out here but also reviewing wines made from these grapes on the blog and podcast. The wine world...
Smith-Madrone Riesling 2009
I have to admit that I don’t drink a lot of white wine in the dead of a Minnesota winter. But when I saw a sample of the almost mythical Smith-Madrone Riesling, I had to see what was in the bottle. The last time I tasted Smith-Madrone Riesling was a tank sample with winemaker Charles Smith. I...
A Sobering Interview With Vertical’s Rex Pickett
Since I posted my review of Rex Pickett’s new book ‘Vertical’ I’ve received email asking for more details about the author. While I hope to be able to interview Mr.Pickett on the podcast, Blake Gray has posted a no-holds barred interview with him at Palate Press. The fascinating discussion sheds the most light I’ve yet...
Kirkland Signature, Merlot, Alexander Valley 2008
We all need mid-week wines that deliver interesting flavor without spending a lot of money. The problem is that many widely available wines under $10 are just not that exciting. So I often look for less popular varieties from countries like Spain and Portugal for my “Tuesday-Thursday” wines. But there is a lot of good...
237-year Old White Wine Sold For $77,500
Most people think that only red wines age for hundreds of years but the truth is that some white wines are suited for extended bottle age. This is primarily due to the acidity of the wine and is mostly associated with noble varieties such as Riesling. But a wine made from the Savagnin grape in...
What Happens After Robert Parker?
News that wine critic Robert Parker had handed over the reviewing of the wines of Burgundy and California to colleague Antonio Galloni barely made it out of the eRobertParker.com gated community last week. In fact, as I write this post only Alder at Vinography and Mike Steinberger has blogged this story. And it is a...
My Top 20 Wines of ZAP 2011
Another ZAP has come and gone and now is the time to sit back and take a look at the notes made during both the Grand Tasting held Saturday, January 29 and the Flights seminar on Friday, January 28. These are the best wines I had the opportunity to taste but is just a snapshot...
Do Wine Bloggers Know What They Are Talking About?
No they don’t, according to a study referenced in yesterday’s post over at Vinography that is bound to ripple through the wine blogosphere in a rare meme-like fashion. And I have to agree with Alder’s key point that most mainstream wine consumers do not trust online sources as much as personal recommendations from friends and...
Occam’s Razor & Wine Preservation
How to preserve left-over wine is one of the most common questions I receive. And I usually answer with my two favorite methods, either inert gas such as Private Preserve or a pump system like Vacu Vin. Both will preserve unfinished wine for up to a week although I generally recommend 2-3 days for best...
How To Survive ZAP
Today starts the annual Zinfandel Advocates & Producers Festival for me in San Francisco. It’s been a few years since I’ve attended so I have been thinking about the best strategy to cover the grand tasting tomorrow. Back before my first ZAP, I asked pioneer wine blogger and ZAP veteran Alder Yarrow of Vinography for...
