Winemakers have a mandatory character trait: resiliency. They certainly have needed that trait in recent years while facing flattening wine sales, dramatic weather worries, global warming, Covid, rising production costs, and supply chain woes. Continue reading “Bright side of wine crisis 9-7-2022”
Category: Recent Columns
Pinot noir, chardonnay blends 8-31-2022
Many great wines are blends. Red Bordeaux is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and a smattering of other reds. Southern Rhône GSM wines are grenache, syrah, mourvèdre blends. In whites, sauvignon blanc and semillon enjoy a classic marriage. Continue reading “Pinot noir, chardonnay blends 8-31-2022”
Italian classification system 8-24-2022
Buying wine can be intimidating. How do you know if the wine is any good without buying a bottle and tasting it? Wine critics may help, but not all wines have a current score and you may find descriptors are just gobbledygook. Continue reading “Italian classification system 8-24-2022”
Sparkling stemware 8-17-2022
The proper Champagne or sparkling wine vessel is a pain in the glass. Wine professionals largely agree on what glass best presents the wine for tasting, but that is not the whole story.
Most searched Napa wines 8-10-2022
Napa is universally recognized as one of the world’s premier wine regions, and you pay to enjoy its exalted pours. How much and which wines get the most attention? Continue reading “Most searched Napa wines 8-10-2022”
Sauvignon Blanc summer 8-3-2022
Sauvignon blanc is versatile all year, but it particularly shines in the scorching summer we endure this year. Continue reading “Sauvignon Blanc summer 8-3-2022”
Wine capsules 7-27-2022
What’s with the foil or plastic capsule at the top of a wine bottle covering the cork? More pointedly, what is the point of it in the 21st century? Continue reading “Wine capsules 7-27-2022”
Chardonnay 7-20-2022
The past 40 years have been a rollercoaster for chardonnay, the most popular wine in the United States. Continue reading “Chardonnay 7-20-2022”
Smaller wine containers 7-13-2022
You demanded wine options. Winemakers heard you and new options—some might call them marketing gimmicks—are being created as fast as they can be dreamed up. Continue reading “Smaller wine containers 7-13-2022”
Chilled red wines 7-6-2022
NEWS FLASH: We are in the “Dog Days of Summer,” or “High Summer” as it was called in the Old South. Whatever you call the scorching time between early July and mid-August, it is time to chill your wines. Continue reading “Chilled red wines 7-6-2022”