Barrel 27 2010 High on the Hog White
Tucked between a self-storage park and a recycling plant in a correlated office park in Central California sits this winery. Looks can be deceiving, as this is actually a side project …
California
Philadelphia Daily News: Get a taste, and degree, for wine
If you don’t know a pinot gris from a pinot noir, resolve this year to become a wine pro.
With the popularity of movies like “Sideways,” a film about love and marriage set in southern California’s Santa Barbara County wine district, as well as increased interest among young professionals who are starting wine clubs and going to tastings, there’s no better time to sip and learn.
A Service Dog and Her Winemaker
This article is one of the few articles written about Keith’s life before founding the Wine School. It prominently features Rosie, his dog of many years. Sadly, Rosie passed away in …
Erna Schein 2006 Petite Sirah
California Wine Review A bruisingly fun and vibrant wine from the Spring Mountain AVA in Napa Valley. It is also pleasantly bruising. Possibly even richly deep. Like all Petite Sirah, this isn’t …
Philadelphia Inquirer: Not all are toasting changes uncorked by LCB
It is a case of vintage revenge. Wine merchants in Delaware and South Jersey are now clearing shelf space for their old nemesis: Jonathan Newman, former chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
The “xChairman Selections,” as one shop calls them, are the discounted wines that Newman’s new company will introduce in Pennsylvania border states this month.
Newman had risen to the unlikely status of folk hero among Pennsylvania wine lovers, partly because of his celebrated Chairman’s Selection specials. But one year ago, he resigned in protest after Gov. Rendell’s controversial appointment of Joe Conti as chief executive officer of the LCB.
While Newman’s entry into the private sector is intriguing the sip-and-swirl crowd, it also casts a spotlight back on the LCB. The $1.69 billion-a-year agency has been the subject of skepticism and upheaval since Newman left.
Associated Press: Wine vending machines make their debut
Numerous attempts at reform have been turned back by special interests intent on keeping their slice of the pie. So simply stocking Chianti and cabernet on supermarket shelves is not an option under the state’s post-Prohibition liquor laws. The liquor board has tried to be more consumer-friendly in recent years, including opening 19 full-service state stores in supermarkets. The board touts the kiosks as another step toward modernization – “an added level of convenience in today’s busy society,” liquor board Chairman Patrick Stapleton said in a statement.
Not everyone is swallowing that line. Craig Wolf, president and CEO of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, questioned the machines’ efficacy in preventing sales to minors.
Keith Wallace, president and founder of The Wine School of Philadelphia, described the kiosks as well-intentioned failures with limited selections and overtones of Big Brother. “The process is cumbersome and assumes the worst in Pennsylvania’s wine consumers – that we are a bunch of conniving underage drunks,” Wallace wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press. “(Liquor board) members are clearly detached from reality if they think these machines offer any value to the consumer.”
Philadelphia Inquirer: Wine in a box
The story was originally published by the Philadelphia Inquirer on August 25, 2008. The article is reprinted solely for educational purposes. It is intended to offer insight into the history of …
Wall Street Journal: Wine School is in.
The story was originally published by the Wall Street Journal on January 8, 2010. The article is reprinted solely for educational purposes. It is intended to offer insight into the history of …
Jet Wine Bar
When I met Jill Weber, she was an archaeologist with a taste for wines from impossible places. Her palate followed her work: into the ancient vineyards of Syria and Turkey, through the ancient …
How a Class Can Enhance Your Wine Experience
The story was originally published by the Wall Street Journal on February 10, 2006. Learning the Ropes About Vines:How a Class Can Enhance Your Wine ExperienceBy DOROTHY J. GAITER and JOHN BRECHERAbout …
City Paper: Class Act
The story was originally published by the Philadelphia City Paper on April 10, 2007. The article is reprinted solely for educational purposes. It is intended to offer insight into the history of wine …
Passitivo 2010 Primitivo, Puglia
Judging wines isn’t a linear job. It’s not really about grading all wines as a spectrum of quality. We don’t judge a Red Zinfandel from Russian River next to a bottle …
Saxon Brown 2008 Pinot Noir Durell Hayfield
ReviewBeautiful and luxurious in the glass. Aromas of red cherry and espresso bolt out with nary a swirl. Soon after, there is an exquisite moment of flavor when dark and bright cherry flavors …
Viognier Review: Angoves 2009 Nine Vines from Australia
A Viognier review from Epikur Magazine. Hands down, this is the bargain sipper of the moment. Angoves is one of the oldest wineries in Australia, dating back to 1892, and is still family owned. The “Nine Vines” label is their value line.
Gloria Ferrer 2002 Royal Cuvee
The Ferrer family is best known for their other winery, the Spanish bubbly producer Freixenet. However, this Sonoma County winery, named after the family’s matriarch, almost always exceeds the quality of …
Dry Creek Vineyards 2008 “Foggy Oaks” Chardonnay, Russian River Valley
Despite packing the double-whammy of barrel fermentation AND barrel aging, this wine still retains wonderful fruit flavors, particularly fresh pineapple, and lemon curd. Flavors reminiscent of Grannie’s apple pie come into …