The Napa Valley Wine Library, which is housed at St. Helena’s public library, maintains one of the country’s most comprehensive collections of writing about wine. Since being organized in 1962, it has acquired 3,500 books, as well as periodicals, newsletters and oral histories from three decades starting in the 1960s — the golden era of Napa’s deve
The Story Behind McGregor Vineyard’s Black Russian Red: A Chat With John McGregor
It has been called “unique” and “iconic” – and has developed an almost cult-like following since it first appeared more than two decades ago. McGregor Vineyard’s Black Russian Red is a field blend of two varieties of Eastern European origin – Saperavi and Sereksiya Charni. Finger Lakes pioneer Bob McGregor created the blend in the early 1990’s as a
Three lovely Rhône wines with dinner
Had a nice dinner last night with three lovely Rhône wines. I just love the Rhône. It’s inconsistent but can be so lovely. Domaine St Prefert Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc 2010 Southern Rhône, France Broad with nuts and spice and fine stone fruits. Lovely texture and mouthfeel with some spiciness under the pear and peach fruit. Stylish and quite
Dark & Delicious Petite Sirah® 2015, as the dust settles
These wine barrel hoops are very symbolic for this year’s Dark & Delicious event, as I know I jumped through all of them. Did I come out unscathed? Good question. Dark & Delicious Petite Sirah® 2015, as the dust settles, I continue to think about how multifaceted and a bit challenging this year’s event was… […] The p
Winemakers doing lacto-fermentation
Toasting before the [lacto] fermentation Pouillé, Loire Here is a story featuring food but also somehow tightly connected to the winemaking process and I found interesting that three winemakers were taking part to an age-old food preparation using a natural...
Spaetburgunder: German for pinot noir
Germany has the third largest amount of pinot noir planted, trailing only France and the United States. In fact their total acreage eclipses both Australia and New Zealand’s pinot noir plantings combined. (The local name for the grape is Spätburgunder.) Such is a factoid that I learned yesterday at ProWein, the annual wine trade megashow in Düssel
Sustainable Harvesting
This talk of sustainable wine growing, what is it? While it is nothing new, it is an important topic that is simply not talked about enough. That is, unless you work at Fernz wine. The New Zealand winery has embraced this green concept of sustainable growing and committed to Mother Earth in many different ways.… Read More »
Unfiltered: Kelly Brook Celebrates with 1,000 Magnums of Veuve (Wine Spectator)
Plus, Top Chef's Fabio Viviani’s new wine label, Russell Simmons teams up with Bombay, Long Island’s Walter Channing dies, and more
Anson on Thursday: What have the Romans done for us?
It's not everyday that someone hand delivers a fossilised 2,000 year old vine plant to my front door, but last week I found myself sitting at my kitchen table with viticulture and agronomy consultant Tamara McIntosh, a Roman vine laid carefully out in front of us.
Latour L’Enclos vineyard goes fully organic
The famed 47-hectare walled vineyard of Chateau Latour, known as L'Enclos, has converted entirely to organic farming for the 2015 vintage.
Taste test: Does a £9.99 Aldi bottle count as ‘fine wine’? – Telegraph.co.uk
Telegraph.co.ukTaste test: Does a £9.99 Aldi bottle count as 'fine wine'?Telegraph.co.ukAldi has been targeting middle-class consumers and, following on from gourmet products such as lobster tail and waygu beef, is attempting to acquire a reputation as a wine merchant. The cut-price supermarket claims to have worked with some of the most ..
Another Senate probe into wine industry
Murray Valley winegrowers have welcomed the Senate’s inquiry into the wine industry, stating the issues affecting the industry a decade ago are still present. The Senate’s Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee is expected to conduct a wide-ranging inquiry that tackles issues of grower profitability, the impact on industry pe
Hangover-Free Red Wine? I Got Drunk On Veglio Michelino & Figlio’s…
In my line of work there are a few perks, and testing out a wine that reduces the dreaded "red-wine headache" is surely one of them. Although I would not go as far to say that Veglio Michelino & Figlio's low-histamine wine is absolutely hangover-resistant, it did certainly make for a better drinking experience.
Say it loud and there’s music playing / Say it soft and it’s almost like praying
Last time we talked, dear buttery reader, was when I blathered on for ages about drinking a Waitrose St Emilion and not really having an opinion. I like to think that, in contrast with (say) Ed Miliband, I was at least honest about my lack of opinion, and didn’t artificially attempt to take a position purely for the appearance thereof. One of
Shoehorn in a Tube strike reference, why don’t you?
Wowch, hello, Lunate Fiano. This is a properly powerful character. Lots of Fianos are the kind of middling, inoffensive cack that’s practically crying out for a Tesco’s Finest label. This one isn’t. It’s bloody full, for a start. Sort of like Earl’s Court station has been, lately. But it smells a fair bit better. (Jes
How to Plan a Wine Vacation in Tuscany
Tuscany could be called a triple threat – breathtaking scenery, delicious cuisine, and amazing wines. It’s not hard to see why it’s considered one of the most iconic vacation destinations in the world, especially for wine lovers. But it can be a difficult place to plan a wine vacation. Most travelers to Tuscany follow the