Dow’s Quinta Senhora da Ribeira 2001 Vintage Port
Here is a wine with a history. This vineyard was purchased by Dow in 1890 and soon became known as one of the top three vineyards in Portugal. By 1954, it …
vintage
Chateau Carignan 2005 “Prima” Cotes de Bordeaux
When I took a group of my students to Bordeaux, we stayed just a few miles from this Chateau. I did not expect much of this wine when I first tasted …
Sommeliers: A rare vintage
At the five-year-old Wine School of Philadelphia, located in Fairmount, 60 students are taking sommelier courses, even though director Keith Wallace decries the profession as “the worst position on the face of the earth. At most places, they’re glorified restaurant managers, talked down to and condescended to.”
Beverage managers, responsible for all libations served, make “marginal income,” between $30,000 and $40,000 after long hours, Wallace says, “at the very top, you can make $60,000 to $80,000,” but the hours are punishing. “The wine industry itself is an amazing place to work,” Wallace says. He directs students to industry positions, advertising for a large wine company, importing, running portfolios for distributors all offering the possibility of better pay, travel, nights and weekends off. (Contrary to assumptions, there are import and distribution jobs in Pennsylvania, but only one buyer.)
Offley 2006 Late Bottled Vintage Porto
Sometimes is about having something good at an impossible price. The ’06 vintage isn’t the greatest. The ’05 and the ’07 Offley bottlings are better. However, at the price that the PLCB …
Domaine du Cayron 2007 Gigondas
The price tag (over $30) may seem like a lot to pay for a Southern Rhone bottling that’s not Chateauneuf-du-Pape (although those tend to be far more these days…), but this …
Selvapiana 2003 “Vigna Bucerchiale” Chianti Rufina Riserva
Of the seven sub-zones of the Chianti DOCG outside the Classico area, Rufina is the most highly regarded. Tucked into the foothills approaching the regional border with Emilia-Romagna, its production is …
Forget Vintage, Take the “Bomb Pulse”
When it comes to wine, scientists are, in fact, using radioactive carbon traces to determine a bottle’s age. Specifically, new research has shown that the amount of radioactive carbon captured in …
Vinicola del Priorat 2006 “Onix Classic” Priorat
We first sampled a different vintage of this wine at a charming restaurant in Priorat during our 2008 school trip to the region. Since then, we’ve been loyal fans of this …
Frank Phelan 2003 St.-Estephe
From the super-ripe 2003 vintage comes this amazingly affordable St.-Estephe red. Rich currant fruit and judicious oak combine to make this second-label wine a standout.
M. Sorrel 2005 Crozes-Hermitage Blanc
In the Rhone Valley, the reds get all the attention and the lion’s share of love. But fans of the region’s whites know that they are every bit as wonderful as …
The First Great Pennsylvania Wine Vintage
Lost in the Valley Eric really should have told me to take a right in front of the Amish lass picking flowers. She was there every time I sped past. Eric …
Pio Cesare 2004 Barbaresco
With truffles, roses, and perhaps violets on the nose, this wine has a sense of perfumed levity that’s just irresistible. There’s a freshness here, though the fruit is far from the …
Quinta do Castelinho 1999 Vintage Port
Beautiful ruby color with hints of blue and purple at the edges. Aromas of raisins, toffee, herbs, and earth leads to a gorgeous palate of raisins, red berries, and something almost …
Verget 2005 Pouilly Fuissé
Verget’s wines can sometimes be unjustifiable in the price department, especially this time of year. But this Pouilly Fuissé, from a classic vintage, is beyond easy to love. Not cheap, but …
Chateau d’Arche 2005 Sauternes
There are several reasons to be amazed by this $43.49 wine. First, it’s a Sauternes, not necessarily a hotbed of sub-$50 bottlings in 750ml. Second, it’s from the legendary 2005 vintage. …
Chateau Carbonnieux 2005 Graves
This consistently under-the-radar producer has turned out a series of stellar wines in recent years. Their 2005 is yet another success in a string of them, showing beautiful fruit, typical Bordeaux …