Very interesting article by Paul Franson in the Napa ‘valley Register about wineries creating more ‘second wines’ to sell to people who can no longer afford to pay very high prices for icon wines. The grapes are culled from less desirable vineyard blocks, or less expensive barrels (or oak chips) may be used to [...]

  Fabulous evening last night at the Leopard at des Artistes! Very ‘old school’ Italian in terms of the elegance of service, with fish deboned tableside. Bar was … interesting  … and is someplace I would definately go when I am in the mood to jot down character studies for a new book or screenplay. [...]

  “Roasting a barrel is like roasting coffee,” says colorfully-spoken winemaker and GM of Bouchaine Vineyards, Michael Richmond. We are talking about the influence of French oak on the 2008 Pinot Noir, and as is the case when wine geeks get together, the conversation turns to toast (not the kind you have at breakfast) and [...]

This week, two stunning white wines that are very different from one another in style, yet can pair well with sauteed scallops or other white fish dishes. They both have a mineral nature with medium plus acidity that pairs well with so many styles of cuisine, and are delicious on their own on a warm [...]

  Very interesting meeting today with the publishers of Vineyard & Winery Management, Dennis Black and Bill Traverso who also run wine competitions. The fabulous cover of their publication (above) speaks volumes about the hard-hitting issues of the wine making and grape growing business. The gentlemen are in the process of organizing some new wine [...]

  So I recently received a shipment of the exciting 2010 vintage of assorted German wine from Valckenberg. This is the oldest family owned wine merchant in Germany, and is now run by Wilhelm Steifensand, a seventh generation descendant. Today Valckenberg has multiple domestic partnerships and is active in 24 countries worldwide. The wines in [...]

  Now this is fun … and so very cool!  Social media is presenting the opportunities for wineries to connect with their core audience and also donate profits to a great cause. For example, Wines Australia is hooking up with the Open Space alliance of North Brooklyn (OSA) for the Williamsbug Waterfront concert series taking [...]

  “Help! Need the PERFECT picnic wines to suit many foods and many guests this July 4th. What to buy!?” Pairing a wine to match a holiday theme, various ‘outdoor’ style dishes, and the tastes of guests who may be new to wine or have discerning preferences, can be a challenge. Yet if you stick [...]