Wine Reviews: The Essential Guide
As long as there’s been wine, there’s been wine reviews. In Roman times, Pliny the Elder was very adept at identifying the best wines in the empire. A good review from …
Wine Spectator
Wine Ratings 101
How Wine Ratings Came to BeWine ratings are both standardized and controversial. The ratings are often subject to individual preferences and tastes. However, they are also a systematic way to rank …
Starmont 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Here we have a wine from the second label of Napa Valley’s Merryvale Vineyard. Wine Spectator frequently calls out that their cabernets are deluxe in a way only Napa Cabs …
St. Urbans-Hof 2011 Zickelgarten Riesling Spatlese
I tried this wine for the first time almost one year ago. I was at the annual trade tasting for a wine importer. He had just brought this wine less than …
Bad Science
A bevy of news outlets are reporting that only wine professionals can taste complexity in wine:Ever wondered why you can’t quite detect those hints of vanilla and cardamom touted in a …
Dessert & Sparkling Wine Reviews
Seven sparkling & dessert wines for your holiday splurges! For more, we strongly recommend signing up for a wine tasting class (we do in-person and virtual) or signing up for our …
Alexander Valley Vineyards 2004 “Top of the Crop” Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
A bottling from AVV’s new Reserve line, this Cabernet is a good step forward for this family-owned winery. The aromatics begin with a whiff of buttered popcorn flowing into fresh tobacco …
Bestest Day Ever
Oh POOP, this is GREAT! I rolled into the school late today, expecting a rather boring day in the office. The usual: need to file a UC report to the state, …
Sicilian Red Wines
Last October, we ran a wine tasting class focused on Sicily. The gist of which is that the island at the crossroads of the Mediterranean is undergoing an exciting transformation in its …