Wines of the Week ~ Best of the Best
West Cape Howe wine company delivered four wines to my office. I thought to myself, this is going to be an interesting week. I’ll be opening one bottle a day, and by Friday I’ll be able to post my findings. Well, the best laid plans of mice and men went astray in this office. I [...]
What’s the silver bullet, Dr. Vino?
[This Petite Sirah character was created by Appellation America, based on a poem I had written about Petite Sirah. Do you need inspiration, a wine with sensation?] The question posed to Dr. Vino at the Eighth Annual Petite Sirah Noble Symposium this year was, “Can Petite Sirah be the next Pinot Noir?” Or, more to [...]
Suisun Valley’s Climate is Revealed Through a Study of Terra Spase
As I read writers stating that the climate of Suisun Valley is warmer than Napa’s, I’m reminded of the many hours I sat in on a study being conducted by Dr. Paul Skinner of Terra Spase and Vineyard Investigations, of Napa Valley. I was also there to read the final report, interpret it, write a [...]
Dusting myself off, after having attended the Rutherford tasting, and reflecting on greatness
Last week I was very fortunate to attended the annual Rutherford Dust Society tasting at Francis Ford Coppola’s Rubicon Estate. Napa Valley has many sub American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) within “Napa Valley” itself. Each has a unique terroir, which is why Napa Valley can continue to be subdivided into more AVAs. While at Robert Mondavi [...]
Calling all you graphic art students, who might love creating a wine label
There’s a great new contest that just launched called “The Canvas Artist Series Contest.” It’s sponsored by Hyatt Hotels & Resorts and Folio Fine Wine Partners (Michael Mondavi’s wine company). According to Michael Mondavi: “It’s an honor to develop a special blend for a hotel company of Hyatt’s caliber. Our goal for Canvas was to [...]
You won’t believe how many more Portuguese grape varieties I’ve found! (Part 2)
Image via Wikipedia First of all, I can’t believe how many of you were interested in the original blog posting about how many grape varieties there are in Portugal. Secondly, the re-tweeting of this one was immense. I’m totally surprised by the interest beyond my own. (Thanks!) Now, Part 2… The bottom line is that [...]
Father’s Day Wine, Celebrating with an important father, son, and grandsons
On June 15 I read on line, “On June 18, Robert Mondavi’s birthday, friends and fans from around the globe will gather to celebrate his passion and vision by raising a glass and sharing the stories that created his legacy.” When I wrote what’s below on June 12, I had forgotten that June 18 is [...]
