A brief history of Canadian winemaking
Canadian wine, particularly from British Columbia, is piquing American interest.
When it comes to wine, like father, like son
Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting with winemakers Aurelio Montes Sr. and Jr. It was a special occasion. Aurelio, the elder, was born…
Good sips for the money
There are inexpensive wines in the world that tend to be fruity and one-dimensional. And there are expensive wines in the world that are…
Pro Prosecco
Prior to the financial meltdown of 2007-08, weekend or dinner guests would often bring a celebratory bottle of Champagne to my house to get…
Catalonia, a region for everyone
Not long ago when I visited a wine estate on a trip to the Languedoc-Roussillon region of Southern France, the owner talked to me…
A charmed winemaking life
“I don’t drink Chardonnay,” a smart lawyer- friend of mine told me not long ago. I asked her why and she told me, “It’s…
The art of Champagne
With the holidays just around the corner, wineries that produce sparkling wines are getting busy. Decades ago the Champagne region did an amazing job…
Sake to me
I’ve never felt the effects of sake because, quite honestly, I have never finished the small porcelain cup it was offered in and I’ve…
The wine world’s unending horizon
Kevin Zraly is one of those guys that everyone in the world of wine, and well beyond, is familiar with. Kevin has been teaching…
Wine of our fathers
I just returned from the island of Madeira — due west of Casablanca, Morocco, in the Atlantic but claimed by Portugal in 1420 when…
Celebrating an American success story
Joseph Carr has arrived: I was recently invited to a media dinner hosted by Carr, creator of Josh Cellars Wines, at David Bouley’s Bouley…
Accent on Aussie wines
There’s something about an Australian accent that makes me smile. It’s not only the melodic rhythm and the tempo of the talk but also…
Méthode (Ancestrale) acting
In southern France there is everything. There are small metro areas complete with tall buildings and trolley systems. There are charming micro villages brimming…
Hungary. Fine wine. Who knew?
So what flavors do you get when you plant Furmint grape vines in the varied, volcanic soils of Hungary? Sweet, savory and unctuous, with…
All wineries big and boutique
When I was a kid, my parents and my considerably older siblings would drink gallon-size bottles of Gallo or Almaden or Inglenook on ski…
Trans-Port-ed by an after-dinner wine
In the last couple of years I have had the good fortune of being invited to two epic vertical wine experiences in New York…
The Tuscany you don’t know
As will happen when land prices escalate, acreage becomes scarce and suitable grape planting areas are tapped out, wine producers start to explore other…
Hold the bubbles?
So, there’s a battle raging in northern Portugal, or, should I say, gently and pleasantly simmering. Vinho Verde describes a winemaking style and a…
A vintner’s eco-minded approach yields results
Like most wine entrepreneurs around the globe, Christine Hanna, president of Hanna Winery, is paying a lot of attention to her environment and its…
Choose a label, choose a cause
Paul Newman once said of Newman’s Own, his charitable food service organization, “It started as a joke and got out of control.” Newman’s Own…