I read Tamlyn Currin’s “On a pink soap box” from Jancis Robinson’s site with great interest. It focuses on the trend of rosé wine bottles coming in all kinds of shapes and sizes. As well as labels you might charitably define as whimsical but more likely garish. Currin brings up many important points regarding this [More]
Living that lavender lovin’ life. That’s what drinking Provence rosé should be all about. A chilled glass transports you to a specific time and place. It’s the “Calgon, Take Me Away” of wine. Wow, the beginning of this commercial is very intense. And, conversely, the calming properties of a bath with Calgon are prodigious. Also, [More]
I constantly drink pink wine. But most of those bottles are blends, particularly in the style of Provence. Lots of Grenache, Carignan, Syrah,Mourvèdre, and/or Cinsault in various percentages. (And other grapes, too.) But I want to focus on Pinot Noir and particularly the Rodney Strong Vineyards Rosé. The winery sent me a sample bottle along [More]
I met Rodrigo Soto back in 2012 when I was visiting the Veramonte winery in Chile. (Sidebar: they have a really cool antique corkscrew collection there.) He’s been at the forefront of converting vineyards to organic farming for the Ritual, Neyen, Primus, and Veramonte labels. Recently I had a chance to reconnect with him for [More]
Hard to think of any grape that blew up in popularity like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Certainly, no white wine has had the kind of spectacular success and continued growth as NZ SB. But is it a little one-note, samey-same? This is an issue I explore on the latest episode of the What We’re Tasting [More]
I was sent three sample bottles from Italian winery Scaia. The first thing I want to say about them, to put on my old retailer hat, is how much I appreciate they are “line-priced.” As in the bottles all cost the same, each with a $13 suggested retail price. That’s good, because these are the [More]
Hello. Here’s the second episode of the podcast I’m hosting for Wine Enthusiast, What We’re Tasting. It’s a look into Central Coast Syrah. Now when you think of California wine, of course Napa and its iconic Cabernet get the lion’s share of praise. So it was great to speak with Matt Kettmann, who is a [More]
Hey there. I have some news to share. I’m hosting the first season of a new Wine Enthusiast show, the What We’re Tasting podcast. Each episode I’ll be chatting with a guest and discussing three wines, organized around a theme, selected by yours truly. For these inaugural shows, I’ll be joined by an editor from [More]
