Smoke Taint
California is no stranger to wildfires. But recent years have been exceptional by all accounts. Fires swept through wine land, leaving many growers worried about “smoke taint.” And in these strained …
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Botromagno Primitivo, Gravina
The Botromagno winery is located in an area more known for white wines from a grab bag of Malvasia, Trebbiano Toscana, and Greco di Tufo among others. The source for this varietal …
Summer Wine Suggestions
To desire wine is to throw oneself into a lifelong adventure that will never be fully satisfied. And The Wine School – with its no-frills and down-to-earth manner – has been …
I stand corrected
A couple of days back, I wrote a quickie post regarding George Taber’s original “Judgement of Paris” article published in TIME magazine, 1976. I pointed out that it is now available …
Surprising Wines from the Land Down Under
Last night, I taught our once-a-year Top 10 Regions wine class on the wines of Australia, and, just as was the case with the Napa Valley class a month or so …
What the Nose Knows – A Book Review
If I were to describe a wine as boasting a nose with hints of geosmin (damp earth), phenyl ethyl alcohol (rosy scent), some methylthiobutryate (feces), and a lingering waft of androstenone …
Wine Reviews
Sign up for our wine newsletter here. Rolf Binder Viognier “Hovah,” Barossa ValleyNew World Viognier typically falls into two categories: The Good and The Ugly. This one carves out a whole …
Wine Reviews
Paul Lehrner “Cuvée Claus,” MittelburgenlandThis blend of Zweigelt and Blaufrankisch exhibits all the berry and spice character you’d expect as well as a lighter frame that makes it all go down …
German Riesling Wine Reviews
Jakoby-Mathy Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Auslese “Eulenlay,” Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Quite a mouth-full both in name and in flavor. This is a super-friendly, surprisingly light-on-its-feet Auslese with pronounced notes of lychee and an almost …
Wine Reviews
Sign up for our wine newsletter here. Grant Burge “Barossa Vine” Chardonnay. This is a steal. Aromas are of fresh apple and pear, with just a whiff of butter. Soft but …
Ask the Wino
Dear Wino,I’m writing about a bottle of 1999 Chateau Lafitte Rothschild we have. In the past, we have had wines that we drank before they peaked and other wines we drank …
Bordeaux, or no?
“The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.” – Groucho Marx In the article Wine Scams: A Counterfeiter Confesses, wine writer …
Wine Reviews
From October 2008. Check out our current wine reviews here. Domaine Serene 2005 Chardonnay “Cote Sud” – 15.5 / 20A clean, Burgundy-by-way-of-Oregon Chardonnay, with hints of vanilla, baked apples and pears …
Veuve Moisans Cuvee Brut Rose
The nose of this refreshing pink sparkler wears its red-berry fruit lightly, which allows a hint of mushroom and thyme to come through relatively unimpeded. The palate, however, is all strawberry, …
Monteloro 2007 “Mezzo Braccio” IGT, Toscana
You know the old saying, “If you can’t say something nice, say nothing”? It probably accounts for my rarely holding forth on Pinot Egregious…sorry, Pinot GRIGIO. A grape is often derided …
Dino Illuminati 2005 “Ilico”, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC
Montepulciano is one of those Rodney Dangerfield grapes, the kind that gets no respect. It can be a crowd-pleaser for its pronounced, rounded fruitiness and soft tannins. A modest grape not …