Sometimes I get a free bottle of wine and I look at it and think, “Is it crap and that’s why I’m getting it? Or might I be surprised?” Chalk this one up to a pleasant surprise; I thought it had some potential. 2002 Ross Estate Semillon Barossa Valley (Unwooded) This wine is showing very [More]

Had an indulgent meal that my friend Jerry and I cooked for a couple of well-deserving women: King Salmon with a fennel and apple salad with an orange dressing. Then beef tenderloin with a nettle risotto. We boiled the nettles and saved the liquid; it was like tea. I then made the risotto with about [More]

Sorry, it was late and I don’t remember the producer. But two things: 1) Great vintage.2) Great region of Burgundy for relative value. Ecard is a favorite of mine. Wait, make that three things: 3) I LOVE saying “Savigny”; I think it is such a pretty, elegant word. Sah-vih-knee! It sounds like the wines taste.

The 2003 Smith & Hook Cabernet Sauvignon is smokin’! It needs at least an hour to breathe and gives you a lot of Bordeaux-type qualities. What is really unusual about it is the region: the Santa Lucia Highlands. Mountain fruit! This is one for the cellar and it should retail for about 25 bucks. This [More]

Wow! These wines are great. The rose is 100% Pinot Noir from the Fiddlesticks Vineyard; this is not cheap juice! The label is great, too. I was really impressed with the Sauvignon Blancs; they are Bordeaux-style wines that can definitely age. I was wondering why make Pinot Noir and Sauv Blanc instead of Chardonnay, but [More]

What a lovely day to go up to Whidbey Island and taste some wines. It may see a strange place to be growing grapes, but they are having success with some off-beat grapes. Like the Island White, which is a blend of Madeleine Sylvaner and Madeleine Angevine. Sure, they are right up there with Chardonnay [More]

I have this bottle in my wine storage that I keep forgetting I have. Like a nerd, I looked up the review by Parker and it’s really geeking me. I’ll have to drink this soon. 1996 Dal Forno Romano Valpolicella Superiore The 1996 Valpolicella is amazing. Readers will have to redefine their definition of Valpolicella [More]

“As we are all reviewers and our opinions carry a certain weight with those who follow our blogs, we should be open to the prejudices that are behind our opinions. These are not always evident, but they can be fair if we are honest with our readership. Sometimes it just requires a little introspection, and [More]