Hilberg-Pasquero 2007 Vareij
If you’ve read any of the wine reviews I’ve posted over the last couple of years, you are well aware of my fondness for the unusual, the eccentric, and the downright …
Wine
Bottle Shock: the Movie
On May 24, 1976, a blind tasting took place in Paris. France’s historic wines were being tasted and judged alongside ones from a handful of upstart California wineries.Spoiler alert: The California …
Bruno Giacosa 2001 Dolcetto d’Alba, Piemonte
Sometimes it’s good to start the new year with a bit of auld lang syne, going back to an old friend whom you’ve neglected for one reason or another. Such is …
What is your favorite wine?
A few years back, while channel surfing, I settled on a television rarity – a program about wine that was informative without being insufferably boring or contrived. From Wine Glass to …
Future of Australia Wines
What with their over-reliance on mass-marketing lower-end products (damned critter wines!); and, of course, they are relying heavily on those high ratings that Robert Parker so lovingly gave to those big …
Jonathan Newman
Former Chairman of the PLCB and wine entrepreneur is back in the saddle and ready to make great and affordable wines available to Pennsylvania restaurants and consumers alike.Newman Wine & Spirits …
Silvio Jermann 2005 “Were Dreams,” Friuli
Still, making jokes about Italian white wines? This one will cure you. Silvio Jermann, the genius of northeast Italy, produces some of the most interesting, well-crafted whites on the boot. This …
Riesling Reviews
One of our Advanced Sommelier students spent a month drinking Riesling. I thought that was cool, so I asked him to write about it.———-One man’s journey to the light side and …
Shannon 2007 Wrangler Red, Lake County
Wet earth and menthol on the nose follow through onto the palate, where they jump into a vat of maraschino cherries. Inexpensive ($15), full-bodied, and soft tannins, this is a good …
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 …
Inniskillin 2004 Vidal Sparkling Icewine
Not for everybody, but that almost seems to be the point of this unusual, unexpected sparkler. It’s rich and sweet, but the bubbles somehow cut it all down to manageable size. …
Turkey Flat 2005 “Butcher’s Block Red,” Barossa
This classic Rhone-style blend of Shiraz, Grenache, and Mourvedre is custom-made for dry-herb-rubbed lamb chops. Or, frankly, just for sipping on its own. There’s a reason Turkey Flat has long been …
Alexander Valley Vineyards 2006 “Redemption” Zinfandel, Sonoma
A no-nonsense party wine. I would go so far as to say this was a gummi bear riding a licorice stick down a boozy river.
Domaine William Fevre 2006 Chablis
Anyone who tells you that winter is not the right time for white wine clearly hasn’t enjoyed the many charms of Chablis on a crisp day. There’s something about the often …
Canon-Moueix 1998
Though I’m a fool for wines from the Southern Rhone, the highlight of a recent French wine class the 1998 Canon-Moueix. Sure, those two bottles of 2014 Vacqueyras were lovely, but …
Cristina Ascheri 2006 Langhe Arneis, Piemont
In the land of Barbaresco and Barolo, this grape is truly, in the local patois, an unruly child, the one who doesn’t quite fit in. Once planted among rows of Nebbiolo …