It Smells When Champagne is Exposed to Light for 12/20/2008
With the economy in shambles and New Year's Eve approaching, inexpensive bubbly is going to replace real Champagne, the stuff with the capital C, at most parties.Champagne is the real deal, of course,...
View ArticleTough Times Threaten New York Wine and Grape Foundation for 12/27/2008
Governmental budget trimming with a rusty ax appears to be a grand sport these days, what with the economy tanking and all manner of worthwhile programs being lumped in with those that are...
View ArticleIcon Estates Seeks to Make More of Blackstone Label for 01/03/2009
Wine brands can be mystifying, especially when the ?regular? bottling of something is $5.99 and the ?special selection? bottling of the same wine company is $7.99 — and especially when the cheaper wine...
View ArticleThere Are Guidelines for Decanting Wines for 01/10/2009
The art and ritual of decanting very old red wines is such a classic image, but one fraught with pitfalls.The general idea is to let that red wine ?breathe,? as if without decanting the wine would...
View ArticleAustralian Wines Deliver Value and Variety for 01/17/2009
Those who seek good value in wine seem to have found that Australia and Chile both deliver nicely balanced wines at fair prices.Indeed, with the U.S. economy struggling, all wine producers are keenly...
View ArticleBrunello: Italian Red Wine Tastes Best With Age for 01/24/2009
A diner who was charged with ordering the wine for a table where everyone had ordered meat dishes asked the waiter for a wine suggestion.The waiter suggested a Brunello.The diner asked, ?Is that...
View ArticleNothing Comes Easy for Pinot Noir for 01/31/2009
Pinot noir, one of the most difficult wines to make well, seems to be the new darling among many wine consumers, most of whom know little of the drama behind this little rascal of a grape.Persnickety...
View ArticleWell-Trained Wine Servers Earn Their Tips for 02/07/2009
Training young people to be great wine servers is a thankless task, restaurant owners tell me, because ?the good ones leave for better jobs.?I've heard this repeatedly, in one form or another, for the...
View ArticlePassionate Old Farmer Regains Control of His Crop for 02/14/2009
Paul Draper of Ridge Vineyards and Joel Peterson of Ravenswood were the featured players in a book some years ago about zinfandel, that most American of wines.The book, ?Angels' Visits: An Inquiry into...
View ArticleAngove Takes Australian Wines to a New Height for 02/21/2009
Australian wine, once seen merely as a good quaff for about $10 a bottle or less, is flexing its muscles and offering U.S. wine lovers some vintages that sell for $30, $50 and more.While the vast...
View ArticleA Primer on Wine Snobbery for 02/28/2009
Some people drink wine as a beverage and don't care that it's a beverage of conversation in some quarters.The culture that revolves around knowing wine very well is one that can be populated by snobs...
View ArticlePort: A Capital Idea for 03/07/2009
The chill of winter isn't the only time to consider a warming glass of Port, the stuff with a capital P. But I can think of few other wines that so befit the climate.The British love their Portuguese...
View ArticleSanta Rita Hills Has the Right Kind of Cool for Pinot Noir for 03/13/2009
With pinot noir on the lips, literally, of most wine lovers, prices for this most difficult-to-make wine have skyrocketed.For decades, this light red wine — perhaps the complete opposite of today's...
View ArticleBigger: Is it Better? for 03/21/2009
Back in the early 1980s, the common wisdom was that wines with 14 percent alcohol or more were considered high in alcohol. Some even thought 13.5 percent alcohol was a bit too much for a dry red wine...
View ArticleClearly, Not All Winemaking Procedures Are Necessary for 03/28/2009
Fine wine is a product of two disciplines, growing grapes and turning their juice into a more sublime potable.To maximize the quality of the wine, each task must be done with a degree of precision. And...
View ArticleHard to Explain the Lack of Appreciation for Rose for 04/04/2009
Rose is a wine that typically generates sneers from wine snobs. Even white wine comes in for some denigration, so you can imagine how disrespectful some people can be about pink.Once, during a very hot...
View ArticleHess Wines are Quietly on the Move for 04/11/2009
NAPA, Calif. — The drive up Redwood Road from the center of Napa is deceptively steep because you drive many miles, and when you reach the winery, you are literally on the slopes of Mount Veeder, high...
View ArticleWhat Do You Trust More, Medals or Scores? for 04/18/2009
The most widely used marketing tool for wine is the score.In just about every wine shop you'll find tags on the shelves stating that the above wine got a score from some self-anointed wine expert that...
View ArticleSavvy Wine Consumers Making Most of Sour Economy for 04/25/2009
Sadly for many in the wine industry, the worldwide weakness in the economy is having a calamitous impact. Consequently, smart consumers are cashing in. Or should that be caching?The news this past week...
View ArticleTough Times Call for More From 'Restaurant Service' for 05/02/2009
With the economy in free fall, with millions of people on a budget, and with wine moving from an optional purchase to a luxury, a number of once-treasured lifestyle events are now hard to...
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