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 […]
Must Try
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 […]
What am I pouring on Thanksgiving? Sparkling wine and Zinfandel
I believe all holidays must be celebrated with sparkling wine and Thanksgiving is no exception. In fact, it is America’s only true traditional holiday . So here’s what I am bringing to the table. A bottle of La Crema Brut Sparkling Rose` for the family greeting and a Willm Brut Rose` Sparkling (Cremant d’Alsace) to […]
Need a wine for Thanksgiving dinner? Here are 30 outstanding values to feast on
The 2019 Thanksgiving Wine List, based on the selections of five industry experts and educators, is a fabulous guide to plan your holiday meal. It matches the textures and tastes of quality, affordable wines with the flavorful food of a traditional turkey dinner with all the fixings. food. Here are 30 great buys for your […]
Browsing for wine? Here are six for the weekend shopping cart
If you’re looking for wines this weekend, here are some specials to put in the basket. Delas Viognier Pays D’OC 2017, $9.99 – A nice Rhone Valley white that comes across more refined than the price suggests. Filled with apricot, peach, and honeysuckle flavors, this 100 percent Viognier sees only steel tank fermentation and yet […]
Singing the praise of Sannio’s Aglianico and Falanghina wines
Campania’s powerhouse red grape Aglianico is often described as the “Barolo of southern Italy,” prompting winemaker Libero Rillo to take a qualified – and prideful – exception: “We, in Benevento, hear that often and politely correct it. ‘No’, we say, ‘Barolo is the Aglianico of the North.’ ” Rillo’s point was well taken at a […]
What’s wrong with Chardonnay? Nothing. It’s wonderful all over the world
The “ABC” movement – Anything But Chardonnay – began benignly several years ago in an effort to build consumer awareness about other grape varietals made into wine and worth experiencing. In 2008, Laura Holmes Haddad wrote a book under the “ABC” title that offered a world of discovery into unfamiliar red and white grapes. It […]
A new ‘Freakshow’ blockbuster? Try Michael David Winery’s ‘flirty’ Chardonnay
When the Phillips brothers – David and Michael – sold the popular Seven Deadly Zins brand to The Wine Group, no one really expected Michael David Winery (MDW) to rest on its laurels and untold millions. The brothers, who launched the winery in 1984 from an old hay barn in Lodi, are known for their […]
For an authentic Oktoberfest, give Gewurztraminer, Schiava, and Lagrein a try
It’s Oktoberfest in wine-harvesting regions across the globe and people are making merry with celebratory food and drink events that sometimes go on for days. In Alto Adige-Sudtirol, Italy’s northernmost region abutting the Swiss Alps and Austria, German influence still reigns in language, culture and viticuluture. The cuisine, though, reflects the area’s multiple ethnic character. […]
Seven Birches Winery at Loon Mountain: Crush ’til you drop and drink the wine
“Grape Stompers Wanted”. I received the above call to people with big feet and good balance in a link promoting the 4th Annual White Mountains Crush Festival (Oct. 25-27). Naturally, I was intrigued. So I telephoned Mark LaClair, owner/winemaker of The Seven Birches Winery in Lincoln, N.H., and was instantly fascinated by the details of […]
