Arcane knowledge is the bane of wine writers. While we fulminate over nuance differences between bâtonnage and pump-over, readers roll their eyes over esoteric words with obscure, oddly accented letters. Continue reading “Back to basics 6-21-2023”
Category: Recent Columns
Wedding Champagne 6-14-2023
Last week we argued Champagne was a poor choice for a wedding reception. Too many people, too high prices, too much cacophony to appreciate expensive French bubbles. Continue reading “Wedding Champagne 6-14-2023”
Wedding bubbly 6-7-2023
June—the wedding month. Time for celebration and Champagne. Well, yes and no. Continue reading “Wedding bubbly 6-7-2023”
Wine supply and demand 5-31-2023
The U.S. wine industry has been on an historic 50-year run. Demand from Baby Boomers drove the effort. Now the wine industry is fearful the run is done and tough choices loom. Continue reading “Wine supply and demand 5-31-2023”
Wine bottle shapes 5-24-2023
Wine bottles come in various shapes, sizes, weights, and colors of glass. A quick tour. Continue reading “Wine bottle shapes 5-24-2023”
Same-tasting wines 5-17-2023
We are privileged to live in a wine time that surpasses all of history for quality, consistency, and availability. Wines that would have evoked drooling admiration a half century ago now are available in quantity for $20 or less at your neighborhood supermarket. Continue reading “Same-tasting wines 5-17-2023”
Wente Clone made California chardonnay 5-10-2023
If you enjoy California chardonnay, you likely have Charles Wente and his children to thank for it. Continue reading “Wente Clone made California chardonnay 5-10-2023”
Mother’s Day 5-3-2023
May is the Mother’s Day month in the United States. Continue reading “Mother’s Day 5-3-2023”
Wine myths 4-26-2023
Wine can be complicated—hardly a dumbfounding revelation. It does explain why there are some false rules about wine. Let’s bust some myths. Continue reading “Wine myths 4-26-2023”
Mass production vs great wine 4-19-2023
The wine world divides into two camps: factory wines and distinct wines. That artificial division is black and white while the wine world is grey; it is simplistic and annoys those who recognize nuance. But the paradigm works in broad stroke terms. Let’s explore. Continue reading “Mass production vs great wine 4-19-2023”