Here are two of my wine resolutions for 2020: First, to explore more of the world’s unique grapes and wines and, second, to be more willing to drink wine from a can. As to the former, climate change is impacting the wine industry from California to Croatia. Places previously ignored on the wine map are […]
Month: December 2019
wine cellar
http://[URIS id=5592] I woke up Christmas morning and nothing was under the tree. I was sad. The year was a good one, and I thought I had been especially nice to the Wine Goddess, my wife Mary Lee, and that I would be rewarded with a bit more than her immeasurable love and compassion. God […]
‘Tis the season for tiny bubbles and elegant French Champagne
Is it Champagne or sparkling wine? It’s a common question I get from wine drinkers this time of year. Karen MacNeil provides the simplest answer in her classic book, The Wine Bible: “Champagne is aromatically, texturally, and in terms of flavor, one of the most distinct wines in the world. It comes from only one […]
Seven ‘smart buys’ on premium California Cabernet Sauvignon
Selecting a top-notch Sauvignon for the holidays shouldn’t bust your budget.There are many exciting U.S. wines on the market, especially from California where cab is king. But as we often do around the holidays, the tendency is to splurge and overspend. I hope the following selections help you to resist that temptation – and keep […]
Big value, bold taste in these rich Washington State reds
Good tidings from the Pacific Northwest: Washington States wines have flourished over the past two vintages – 2016 and 2017 – and are showing remarkable value for the quality produced. Big, bold, elegant red wines have excelled under extremely hot weather conditions, showing that vintners in the Columbia River Valley and eastern Walla Walla Valley […]
Coquille Blanc 2017: Carol Shelton’s stunning white for red wine lovers
Carol Shelton is known as California’s “Queen of Zinfandel”, the creator of lush, savory single-vineyard cult reds with whimsical names like Wild Thing, Rockpile Reserve, Karma, Munga and Pizazz that usually sell out upon release. And yet the Paso Robles winemaker, who launched her own winery 19 years ago in an industrial park, has crafted […]
