What is the most important ingredient in a bottle of wine? We could spend an entire evening debating the answer to that question. Of course the grapes account for much of that equation – varietal, viticulture, vinification – as does terroir, vintage effects (weather, etc.), fermentation choices, aging, etc. But I’m thinking of a much…
In my mind I’m immediately transported back to many evenings in Italy where the wine, the conversation, the poetry, the music all dissolved into a perfect starlit Tuscan sky.
Okay, I’ll admit it. I don’t always make the best decisions regarding wine purchases. I taste a lot of different wines from a lot of different wineries from all over the world, and I have rarely ever met a wine I didn’t like. Couple that with the idea that if I taste at a winery,…
It’s no secret that I love France’s Rhone Valley. From the northern villages where the vineyards are only a couple of acres and are on hillsides so steep they are almost impossible to cultivate, home to the wonderful Condrieu appellation to the southern Rhone where the Pope (Clement V, the first French Pope elected in…
The application of scientific analysis (including DNA testing) to the world’s wine culture has answered many questions about the true origin and history of varies vitis vinifera varietals used in modern winemaking. However, no amount of scientific data will ever fully replace or eliminate the role of romantic myth in explaining the origin of wines….
Last weekend I had the distinct pleasure of being part of my nephew Jacob’s wedding. Always a time for celebration and happiness, weddings remind us that blending the fortunes, backgrounds, personalities, cultures, and families of two individuals frequently results in something more complex, interesting, and beautiful than could have been predicted by just imagining a…
Wine can make us reflective . . . thoughtful. It can help us celebrate, facilitate good conversation, and enhance our appreciation of food, music, and art. It even aids in the interpretation of poetry and literature. Can it teach us anything about life? I’m sure you won’t be surprised that I will argue that it…
If you’ve seen the movie “Sideways” you know that Miles (one of the main characters) has a deep and profanity laced aversion to Merlot. After the movie was released, winemakers swore to what they called “the Sideways effect” – a steep lowering of demand for Merlot and a significant uptick in Pinot Noir sales (which…
Blogger’s Note: I want to preface this post with the old adage, ‘All things in moderation.’ You might get the impression when reading this particular post that I spend all my days drinking wine. Not true. In fact, I probably don’t get the medical benefit that derives from one or two glasses of red wine…
You don’t have to go to France or Italy to find decent wine. You don’t even have to go to California or Oregon. There are about 3,000 commercial vineyards in the United States and there’s at least one winery in every state (even Hawaii). Many of the wineries obtain their berries (grapes) from across state…