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. […]
General Wine
Three Douro Valley wines that overachieve for quality and price
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 […]
For change of pace – and taste – Portugal’s Vinho Verde is a great summer chill-out wine
Quinta do Ameal Loureiro Vinho Verde 2019, Portugal, SRP: $17 (abv. 11%) – The winery dates back to 1710 and is located in northwest Portugal and its oldest vila, Ponte de Lima. The municipality is named after a medieval bridge, first built by the Romans in 1 AD, that crosses the Lima River. The river […]
EnRoute ‘Les Pommiers’ is a Pinot Noir for pleasure
For the past five years I’ve written a column suggesting my top wine recommendations for the Easter and Passover holiday celebrations. Traditionally, the column is released a week before the holiday, which this year falls on Sunday, April 4. Well, recently I tasted a Russian River Valley Pinot Noir that is just too good to […]
Waterkloof’s ‘honest’ Circumstance wines rooted in the earth, wind and chemical-free vines
All across the globe the talk is about clean and renewable energy in order to save the planet. What about clean and renewable vineyards that produce no-chemical, all-organic wines from sustainable farming methods? They are sweeping the globe much to the delight of like-minded consumers. Like screwcaps on bottles, wine drinkers are very adaptable. Quality, […]
Landmark Vineyards ‘Lorenzo’ Chardonnay: Four elegant vintages for the ages
I never gave much thought to drinking aged Chardonnay made in California, believing that French vintners from Burgundy had a monopoly on the terroir and grapes conducive to crafting such outstanding, long-lived whites. The good news is I was wrong – and happily so. In early August, I was among a dozen wine and food […]
Summer Delight: Ram’s Gate Chardonnay with my homemade lobster salad roll
If you are unfamiliar with Ram’s Gate Winery, a small-lot, premium wine producer located north of San Francisco in Sonoma’s Carneros appellation, don’t be alarmed. I was too until several weeks ago. That’s when I sampled bottles of their introductory Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. My first reaction was to repeat the refrain from Neil Diamond’s […]
Hunker Down Series No. 8: Break out with fruity, delicious, carefree and chilled canned wines
So what canned wine is in your beach cooler? It’s a timely question now that states are relaxing COVID-19 beach bans and allowing residents to head back to the sandy shores – albeit with social distancing protocols in place. In recent years, sales of canned wines have increased dramatically, and the coronavirus crisis has done […]
Ehlers Estate wines: A nod to Bordeaux with a whole lot of California Dreamin’ going on
(This article was updated on May 28, 2020 to correct an inaccuracy and add information supplied by Ehlers Estate. Changes are bolded. The author regrets the error.) Bernard Ehlers’ stone mill barn that he built in 1886 for a winery is still in use today on the Ehlers Estate in the St. Helena […]
There’s star power behind Frank Family Vineyards’ Napa Valley wines
Rich Frank had the money and Hollywood connections to launch his own winery in 1992, but it was no guarantee of success in the big-time Napa Valley market. Fortunately, Frank’s knowledge of and passion for wine, expert business sense, and close-knit family talent were the most valuable assets in the overall equation. The former president […]