The passion and energy of wine
Looking to add a spectacular sparkling wine to your holiday festivities? Here are two from longtime French producer Lucien Albrecht: Cremant d’Alsace Brut and Cremant d’Alsace Brut Rose`. Both wines retail for $23 a bottle, but savvy shoppers can find discounted deals at several major outlets. In fact, the Brut Rose` is selling for $18.99 […]
What is the best-selling new wine produced in Italy? The answer is simple: Prosecco DOC Rose`. More than 50 million bottles are in circulation worldwide since Italian wine regulators approved the new production zone and denomination for the Glera-Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) rose` blend in May 2020. According to the Consorzio di Tutela della Denominazione […]
Don’t be surprised if you start seeing more Italian “rosato” (rose`) at your favorite wine shop in the near future. Italian producers from Lombardy to Sicily are banding together to promote a rosato renaissance. The unifying movement, called “Rosautoctono”, is somewhat historic: In a country where people are extremely proud and protective of local and […]
With California suffering through its fourth driest year on record, grape growers and wine producers are doubling down on becoming more efficient and preserving natural resources. In early August, the situation intensified when the state ordered 1,500 ranchers and farmers to stop taking water from the Russian River, one of Sonoma County’s major water sources. […]
For centuries, the fortunes of Portugal’s remarkable Douro Valley rested with making ageworthy, fortified port wines that were shipped all over the globe. And while porto still reigns in the world’s oldest demarcated wine district, the Douro’s still wines – red and white – no longer sit idly by in the shadow of greatness. In […]
(The second of two parts on Gary Farrell Winery’s “cru” wines focuses on Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.) When it comes to crafting wines for Gary Farrell Winery, Theresa Heredia has a simple philosophy: Let the vineyard and fruit do the talking. Heredia, Gary Farrell’s winemaker since 2012, knows Sonoma County as if she sprung […]
(This first of two articles on Gary Farrell Winery’s “cru” wines focuses on three premium Chardonnay bottlings made in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley. The second explores Pinot Noir.) The point about single-vineyard wines is to express the unique terroir – mesoclimates, soils, landscape, etc. – in which the vines are planted and the influence it […]
Here is my tasting review on Mateus Dry Rose`, followed by a story on the history of Mateus and my own family experiences with this great Portuguese wine. Mateus Dry Rose` 2020, Portugal (abv. 12%), SRP $12.99 – An impressive dry rose` for the price packing Portugal’s top quality native Baga grapes and homegrown Shiraz […]
When I open a bottle of Tussock Jumper wine, I anticipate big flavor and a lasting finish. So I was overjoyed with my first tasting of TJ’s 2020 vintage of Chenin Blanc from South Africa and the Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Call it “blanc” season at Tussock Jumper, a wine company based in France […]
When it comes to pairing a cool wine with spicy Asian or Indian takeout, I always grab for the “gutsy” Gewurztraminer (geh-VURTZ-tra-MEEN-er). Alsatian versions of the grape are preferably the best, but I’m not fussy especially when I can get a racy, quality white that fits my retirement pocketbook. That’s why I can’t get enough […]