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, …
WSoP Support
Dominio del Plata 2006 “Crios de Susana Balbo,” Mendoza
There’s nothing terribly new about Argentina, but the blend here might be unfamiliar: Syrah (which you know) and Bonarda (which you might not). But for $12.99 in PA right now, it’s …
The Top Ten Truths of Tuscan Tourism
The Wine School of Philadelphia took our show on the road the first week of June, converting the Villa Giusterna in Chianti into our Tuscan campus. Instead of boring everyone with …
Montesole 2003 Fiano di Avellino, Campania
.This varietal stands out from the unassuming crowd of white wines from the region, all of them interesting in their own right but whose nuances are not easily discerned. Fiano has …
R Wines 2007 Shiraz “Luchador,” Barossa
Maybe it’s our love of Distrito’s wrestling-mask motif. Or of everything Jack Black ever commits to celluloid. Whatever it is, this well-priced Shiraz offers everything you’d want in an affordable bottling …
Wishing Tree 2004 Shiraz
When I want to show how good a ten-dollar bottle of Shiraz can be, I often pull out this one. This is the Anti-Yellow Tail. There are actual wine flavors in …
Cellarist Speaks
In this week’s Cellarist, Jon Bonne’ makes this excellent point: “If we can’t say ‘clos,’ do we get to ban such Franco-American labels as Fat Bastard and French Rabbit, or the …
A Sideways Blast into the Past
Just going through some old files on the wine school‘s web server when I found an old promo for a yet-to-be-released movie called Sideways. The school had been given about 20 …
Castello di Verduno Pelaverga 2004 “Basadone”Piemonte
In a region famous for its Nebbiolo-based wines, several varietals don’t get the attention they deserve, and this is one. Pelaverga is an ancient cultivar native to the Langhe, once planted …
Olivares Altos De La Hoya 2005 Monastrell
For the past three vintages, The Altos has been a unique & consistent great value. I am glad to see the trend continues. On the nose, a distinct minerality is coupled …
The UC Davis Diary
My former wine certification student Jenny S. is a first-year grad student in the Oenology & Viticulture Department of the University of California at Davis. Her emails about her first year …
Chateau Bouscaut 2005 Pessac Léognan
Extraordinary value for a Grand Cru Classé des Graves. Exceptionally full-bodied, this wine has the tannic structure and acidity to cellar for at least a decade. After being decanted for six …
Unexpected Pairings
This past summer, I fell madly in love with a perhaps unexpected food and wine pairing: Braised beef ravioli with tomato sauce alongside a bottle of Grand Cru Burgundy. This past …
Foreau NV Vouvray Brut
Too often, even the most ardent wine lovers forget about Vouvray. This is unfortunate because bottlings like this offered plenty to love: Good fruit, a real sense of structure, and unexpected …
Cantine Cardeto 2002 “Rupestro” IGT, Umbria
Even though Sangiovese is Italy’s most prolific and widely planted grape, it is popularly associated with Tuscany- Chianti, to be specific. In the hills near Orvieto, blended with Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo, and …
La Spinetta 2003 “Bionzo” Barbera d’Asti Superiore, Piemonte
This is one of Piedmont’s larger and more successful producers, whose wines are unfiltered, unfined, and in most cases created using biodynamic methods. The “Bionzo” Barbera debuted in 1998, and only …