Goose Ridge 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley
The big four –Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, International Wine Cellar, and the Wine Advocate– all liked this wine. None of them loved it, but they all gave the wine a solid …
New World
Nieto Senetiner 2012 Reserva Torrontes
Nieto Senetiner is an ancient winery by New World standards: it was founded over a century ago in the La Rioja region of Argentina. While their early work is lost to …
Montinore 2006 Gewurztraminer, Willamette Valley
Yet another beauty from the land of beards and Birkenstocks. This one is every bit as exotic as the best of Alsace, but with the added weight that the New World …
Terranoble 2009 Carmenere Gran Reserva
Most folks who came to my table at a recent wine tasting event hadn’t heard of Carmenere, and the majority of them opted for something more familiar. One guy, on the …
Nimbus Estate 2006 Syrah “Single Vineyard,” Casablanca
A nose of super ripe, concentrated blackberry and plum, cigar smoke, cedar, grilled meat, and a touch of alcohol heat lead the way to a red-berry-fruit palate buttressed by fine-grained tannins, …
Moletto 2004 “La Pisara” Salento
By now, most oenophiles know about the Primitivo-Zinfandel connection. And most would be able to sniff and sip the differences in North American zin and a dark, spicy, mildly tannic Salento …
Feudo Maccari 2005″ReNoto” Sicilia
Sicily is developing a reputation as the “California” of Italian wine, a region where ambiguous regulations allow winemakers latitude regarding production and freedom to experiment.The inclusion of non-Italian grapes to the …
Terre Nera 2005 “Calderara Sottana”, Etna
The volcanic soils of the Etna DOC, like those created by the ancient activity of Campania’s Vesuvio, impart to its wines an expression of southern Italian power and flavor. The zone’s …
Bertani “Le Lave” 2002 Veneto
…Old and New World styles synthesize in this full-bodied, creamy blend born of volcanic soil that is the antithesis of vapid, watery white wines from the Veneto. Garganega, the basis of …
Italian Wine Reviews
File this in the”old dog, new tricks” category. I’ve never been a fan of Italian Merlot. The ones I’d had the misfortune to experience were thin, too vegetal, and in some …
Getting schooled at the Philly Beer School
“Philadelphia is to beer what Sonoma is to wine,” says Keith Wallace to anyone who’ll listen. Considering the source, the proclamation, perhaps incendiary outside Pennsylvania, might sound outright puzzling within city limits. That’s because in 2001, Wallace, a winemaker, wine columnist, and author of two upcoming wine books, founded and still runs Philly’s best-known vinology school. So why is he extolling his territory’s beer lust at the expense of its pursuit of viticultural knowledge?
Because, acknowledging a craft revolution, he’s invited beer to take a permanent seat at The Wine School‘s table.
Wallace’s partner, a burly bald man named Dean Browne, asserts the alliance as he introduces himself to a group assembled in one of The Wine School’s classrooms on an early March night.
Niepoort 2001 Vertente, Douro (PR)
The wines of Niepoort exemplify how much potential northern Portugal has, and the Vertente’s seamless integration of native grape varieties with a decidedly New World sensibility is nothing short of magical. …
Prince Michel of Virginia Cabernet Sauvignon NV
Sure, the wine was overoaked and a bit melodramatic, but it was, nonetheless, surprisingly tasty considering its provenance. Super-ripe raspberry fruit on the nose and deep aromas of coffee and vanilla …