A juicy, lingering Alsace Riesling
RIVERA Chardonnay Castel del Monte Preludio No. 1 2013 $13 (Wine Spectator)
A tangy, balanced Italian Chardonnay
Wine Reviews: Greece
Okay, I don’t have a ton of experience tasting Greek wine. There are a couple reasons for this: I haven’t visited the country; the labels are confusing and plastered with words I can’t pronounce; and I don’t come across many Greek bottles here in the States. But I’ve been missing out. I recently tasted through six Greek wines and found lots to like
Daily Wine News: Scaremongering
Not Napa. (Flickr: bunnicula) Worried about arsenic in wine? Alder Yarrow thinks it’s “a bullshit, scaremongering story.” “Eleven years on from the release of Sideways, the movie that put wine tourism on the map… the region in which it is set is arguably one of the least developed in terms of facilities for visitors.” Jancis Robinson tries to under
Daily Wine News: “A Caste System”
“Of course, I’m part of the problem there by giving high scores…” — Robert Parker (Flickr: winestem) Robert Parker tells the Drinks Business “we have a caste system of wine.” He also admits that he is “partly to blame for the demand and subsequent high prices of certain fine wines.” “Is anyone else wondering what happened to th
Daily Wine News: What’s the Big Deal?
J Vineyards & Winery, just purchased by E. & J. Gallo (Flickr: yajico) “So you want to be a wine writer. Why?” asks Mike Dunne, in a summary of his experience at the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers in the Sacramento Bee. “E. & J. Gallo, the world’s largest wine company, has purchased J Vineyards & Winery, a prominent S
Daily Wine News: What’s Up Next?
What’s next for Riedel? (Flickr: davereffellphotography) In the New York Times, Eric Asimov offers notes on the most recent Wine School, Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon. “Not surprisingly, reaction to these wines varied widely… About the only point on which almost everybody agrees is that it’s expensive.” He also announces what’s up for next m
Drinking Beside the Box: The Ultimate Guide to Pairing Wine and Fast Food
Knowing that saffron-flavored mille-feuille of red mullet and langoustine pairs perfectly with Dom Perignon, or that prime fillet of Kobe beef with braised oxtail and potato rosti will make Château Pétrus sing is useful if you have a fat trust fund and a kitchen staff of twenty. But when most of us are racing from work to soccer practice to ballet
Heart of Darkness: The Ultimate Guide to Pairing Wine and Chocolate
We love chocolate not just for its taste, but also for its sensual texture. Cocoa butter, one of its main ingredients, melts close to body temperature, so sliding a piece into your mouth and feeling it seep out to coat your tongue can almost be orgasmic. Maybe that why’s the eighteenth century Venetian womanizer Giacomo Casanova drank chocolate dai
Video: Wine, Lamb and Ham Pairing for Easter
Here’s part two of our conversation about pairing wine with lamb and wine with ham for Easter, though the pairing tips apply year-round if you love these dishes and the wines that make them taste even better. I’ve also included tips on pairing wine with chocolate bunnies … it doesn’t matter whether you start with the ear or
Vertigo Flights of Wine: CN Tower Restaurant Wine List Dazzling (and Dizzying)
James Muir, is the sommelier and maitre d’ at the 360 The Restaurant at the top of the CN Tower in Toronto. James manages the world’s highest wine cellar and has served many celebrities from Michelle Obama to John Travolta. What was your first wine experience? It was likely some low-end import wine from the depanneur, the corner convenience store w
Easter Wines for Fish, Lamb + Ham: Video
Wines for Good Friday fish, Easter brunch, lamb and ham are the focus of our chat on CTV News. In particular, red wines often clash with fish not because of the wine tannin and fish iodine, as previously thought, but rather because of high iron content in the wine. The iron comes mostly from the soil where the vines are grown, but can also be due t
At What Price, To Kalon?
In the annals of California viticulture, few named vineyards can approach To Kalon in either historical significance or popular acclaim. To Kalon has long been known for producing phenomenal wines, but increasingly it has also become famous for something else entirely: the price of its grapes. A quote by grower Andy Beckstoffer graces the inside co
Do You Need to Worry About Arsenic in Your Wine?
It's all over the wine news channels, and will soon be in much wider distribution, as these stories spread like wildfire thanks to sensational headlines. CBS News reported today that an organization called BeverageGrades tested thousands of wines and found that more than 20{b2e123e9138e25ff8232216a74205959533a608968f4eba7854f63b9364ed57d} of the w
Vinography Images: The Rockpile
The Rockpile HEALDSBURG, CA: Fall colors decorate Sonoma County's Rockpile AVA near Healdsburg, California. This higher elevation growing area is known for its shallow oxidized soils that produce brilliant Zinfandels and other big red wines. INSTRUCTIONS: Download this image by right-clicking on the image and selecting "save link as" or "save targ
Vinography Unboxed: Week of March 15th, 2015
Hello, and welcome to my periodic dig through the samples pile. I'm pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently. This week's tasting unearthed a couple of excellent Chardonnays from producer Alta Maria Vineyards down in Santa Barbara County, w