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 Valley New World Viognier typically falls into two categories: The Good and The Ugly. This one carves out a …
Wine Reviews
Paul Lehrner “Cuvée Claus,” Mittelburgenland This 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 …
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 …
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, …
Winery Tour and Tourism
Similar to what the video did to the radio star in the ’80s, tourism has had a massive effect on wine tasting in Napa over the last 10+ years. It’s not …
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 …
Who’s the Wine Snob Anyway?
Sure, we’ve all seen them. Turning their noses up at what they perceive to be merely average or inferior wines, the so-called wine snob is as much of a fixture in …
We’re Back, and the Pigs are Safe
I never thought the day would come, but here it is, in all its perplexing, fat-streaked glory: I’m taking a break from ham. It even feels weird to type that. I’m. …
Smackdowns, Boots and Hexagons, and the Future of the Human Race
Tomorrow evening, the Wine School‘s resident Italian-wine expert, and I will do battle in a Smackdown for the ages. Planetary polarity may shift. Weather patterns could run amok. Children and grown …
Sauvignon Blanc Season
Finally, it seems, winter has loosened its grip on us. Or, to be more accurate, we’ve finally been treated to something resembling springtime weather: Yes, this past week, we experienced not …