New Rules for 10/12/2021
The conventional wisdom that has pervaded the wine-loving community for the last several decades could very well be updated by newer rules that make more sense.But for reasons that are unclear to me,...
View ArticleWine for Cooking for 10/19/2021
The phrase "cooking wine" conjures up horrid images from an era when such liquids were so bad that cooks wouldn't drink them.But when a recipe calls for a cup of dry wine, what wine is best? Recipes...
View ArticleMerlot for 10/26/2021
I like many red wines that use merlot as their sole or dominant grape, especially when the merlot is grown in a cooler climate and has some of its natural varietal aroma characteristics.That is a...
View ArticleThanksgiving Wine for 11/02/2021
Almost any wine, red, white, rose or even sparkling, will be fine with all the myriad flavors extant on the traditional Thanksgiving table — but there's one huge proviso: as long as you don't expect...
View ArticleBeaujolais Nouveau for 11/09/2021
Today's younger wine buyers are more interested in drinkability, different styles and simply having fun — and seemingly aren't interested in expensive, iconic wines.With their current interest in craft...
View ArticleSane Consumption for 11/16/2021
Year-end parties usually are liquid-y, so even before we reach the height of the celebratory season, which includes Christmas and New Year's Eve, a bit of planning may avoid hangovers — and could well...
View ArticleOrphan Varieties for 11/23/2021
One reason Italians developed dozens of types of pasta was an appreciation for diversity. Americans, by and large, love spaghetti and little else, but visit Italy and you'll find many different kinds...
View ArticleMissing Wines for 11/30/2021
Winemakers often are creative people who are happiest when they can experiment to see if they can improve on tradition.Such activities, as noble and as fascinating as they are, often lead to projects...
View ArticleSauvignon Blanc for 12/07/2021
Those involved in a close liaison with wine for decades make lots of demands on the wines we're happiest to consume.Just because a wine is tasty is no reason to get excited about it, I believe, if it...
View ArticleWine Tips for 2022 for 12/14/2021
I'm not very good at making New Year's resolutions.Correction: I'm very good at making New Year's resolutions, but not very good at keeping them.But as I got to thinking about what our lives would be...
View ArticleAuthenticity for 12/21/2021
When we buy a bottle of a famed wine, we take it on faith that it's genuine and not a fake.In fact, fake wine is precisely why corks began to be branded with the name of a winery as well as the vintage...
View ArticleUnseasonal Touring for 12/28/2021
By any measure, Ezra Pound was a controversial figure, but it was one of his poems that joined forces with the current inclement weather as I hunkered down in my den to suggest you spend this cold...
View ArticleIt's Champagne Season for 01/04/2022
It's Champagne season — a line you might think indicates that this article is being published two weeks too late.And sure, sparkling wines usually are reserved for toasting at Christmas and New Year's....
View ArticleAromatic Intrusions for 01/11/2022
I renamed it the "unhappy hour," even though the thought was appreciated.The hotel put out two wines at 4 p.m. in its lobby, a white and a red. A sign invited guests to help themselves. Ignoring that...
View ArticleBlended Red Wines for 01/18/2022
One of the most popular categories of wines in the last two years is the nearly ubiquitous blended red wine, which is so popular that it has become synonymous with everyday drinking for millions of...
View ArticleMerlot Prices for 01/25/2022
Living in the heart of Sonoma County wine country gives me direct access to winemakers, occasionally in grocery stores or parking lots.Two weeks ago, I bumped into a friend, a winemaker for a small...
View ArticleIce Wines for 02/01/2022
You'd think that the 2022 U.S. wine-grape harvest ended months ago, but curiously it's now harvest time in a small number of northern hemisphere areas with conditions that couldn't be stranger.That's...
View ArticlePlace Names for 02/08/2022
When you buy a French Chablis, it will be made only from Chardonnay grapes grown in a small district in France, because that is required under French law. Likewise, when you buy a Sancerre, it can only...
View ArticleWine's Infinities for 02/16/2022
When I first began to consume wine as a novice in the 1960s, I had no idea how many forms it could take and how complicated the subject can be once you get into it even on a cursory basis.The confusing...
View ArticleWine's Many Paths for 02/22/2022
The complications arising in the production of wine can be so voluminous that it takes a multi-year college degree to master the basics, and after that it takes years to become an expert in all of its...
View Article