This was the second time in my life I bought a whole case of one wine. The first one was years ago in Chicago: a case of a 1985 Vouvray from the House of Glunz. Some of the bottles were dead, but the one’s that weren’t were spectacular. I paid like 10 bucks a bottle. [More]

Didier Dagueneau’s wines from the Loire have an unbelievable cult following; looking at a photo of Didier, it looks like he leads a cult. I can’t really describe this wine any better than Beaune Imports, so I’ll quote them. Would I every pay over 50 bucks for a Sauv Blanc? Absolutely. This one will age [More]

In the under $10 retail category, I was drinking one of the most delightful, charming, and refreshing wines in the history of the world. Naturally, I speak of the Whidbey Island Winery Island White. In my glass, however, it did not seem as bright and fresh as I remembered it. That’s because I was drinking [More]

I just spent a fascinating couple of hours tasting Greek wines during lunch at Crave. This is not Pine-Sol-y Retsina. These are wines made with native grapes: crisp, dry, aromatic whites and fun, fresh, stainless-steel reds. And one kick-ass rose. For the whites look for Roditis. I had a 100% Roditis and then a Roditis/Gewurtz/Sauv [More]

I have been bemoaning the lack of good Rhone whites that have come my way, but one I just tasted made me forget all that: Domaine Francois Villard St. Joseph Blanc “Mairlant (It was either the 2004 or 2005) Unbelievable. It’s a blend of 85% Marsanne, 15% Roussanne. The grapes are hand-harvested with small amounts [More]

I am absolutely in love with the white wines from Dveri-Pax. I have had two: a 2004 Sauvignon Blanc and a 2005 Eisenthur, which is a blend of Pinot Grigio and Furmint! I prefer the latter, but the Sauv Blanc is very nice; not grassy and green-beany like nasty, gross New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. But [More]

2004 Deiss Riesling Beblenheim Criminally underpriced Alsatian Riesling. Less than $25 a bottle! Incredible purity and length. It’s been a while since I was wowed by an Alsatian wine. 2004 Verget Pouilly-Fuisse Clos du Martelet “Terroir de Vergisson” Another Verget white with a very long name. A bird of a different feather from the Old [More]

Good lord, it’s like 95 degrees and humid in Seattle. This is the kind of weather that sent me running from Chicago. Sitting in my kiln of an apartment, I cannot imagine drinking red wine.* What you need are low alcohol, crisp, unoaked wines. Like Whidbey Island Whites! I drank some of the Siegerrebe and [More]