Sweetness in wine is fruitful ground for disputation. Some will never drink sweet. Others will drink nothing else. Continue reading “Sweetness in wine”
Category: Recent Columns
Wine and alcohol
Every wine columnist walks a tightrope. Wine, after all, is alcohol. And America, and the world for that matter, has been embroiled in a vacillating relationship with alcohol for perhaps 10 millennia. Continue reading “Wine and alcohol”
Labor Day 2021
We have made another trip around the sun and Labor Day arrives Monday. Continue reading “Labor Day 2021”
Prosecco-Champagne
Champagne and prosecco are sparkling wines. Both can be delicious, liven up an event, pair well with many foods. But they are completely different wines. Comparisons: Continue reading “Prosecco-Champagne”
Crystal or glass wine glass?
In the worlds of indulgent pleasures, people can obsess over the accouterments. Wine glasses (stemware) break into that territory. Standard glass or crystal? Continue reading “Crystal or glass wine glass?”
Wine snobbery
While wine snobbery may be irritating, it certainly is nothing new. Some 2,800 years ago, the Greek poet Homer in The Iliad and The Odyssey used wine references to signal privilege. The higher in society in Homer’s day, the better wine you drank. Continue reading “Wine snobbery”
Boxed wine shelf life
Box wine, or more correctly wine in a plastic bag that is inside a box, is no longer the red-headed stepchild of the wine world. Several wineries now deliver quality wine in a box. Bota Box (Delicato Family Vineyards), Black Box (Constellation Brands), Bandit, Almaden, House Wine are among the leaders. Continue reading “Boxed wine shelf life”
High summer wine
We bid farewell to July and anticipate August. We are in the hottest days of the year. High summer. The dog days. Wine strategies: Continue reading “High summer wine”
Decanting do’s and don’ts
As veteran readers know, I am an advocate of decanting. But this is wine, so when it comes to how to decant and when to decant, things can get problematic. Some guidelines. Continue reading “Decanting do’s and don’ts”
Science vs. tasting notes
Wine tasting descriptions, whether by wine pros or the supercilious jerk next to you in the wine bar, are a fertile field for bloviating blather. Truth is, there is hard evidence we all taste things differently. God made us that way. Continue reading “Science vs. tasting notes”