As a retail wine guy, one of the mantras of the business (and grocery in general) is “Stack it high and watch it fly.” For any beverage (beer/wine/cider/soda/water) the other old saw is “If it’s cold, it’s sold.” You don’t see red wine a lot, if ever, in the cooler, though. That’s changing, as more [More]
I’ve been answering wine queries on the question and answer site Quora. I’ll share some of the most interesting questions I’ve been asked and, of course, my answers. I limit myself to spending a couple minutes on each response, not doing any research or “cheating.” I rely on my experience and opinion, which is probably [More]
Rightfully best-known for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Dutton-Goldfield is a winery with a few tricks up its sleeve. Well, not tricky-type tricks, because that implies some kind of sleight-of-hand or tomfoolery. Rather a couple of surprises. Two unique bottles were part of a recent samples shipment the winery sent to me. (Thanks, DG.) Dutton-Goldfield 2018 [More]
I’ve become a regular reader of Quora, a question-and-answer website, because of the interesting queries posed. Now, my definition of “interesting” is quite…broad. Examples from my most recent Quora Digest: What are some of the biggest hoaxes in history? Have any actors or actresses watched their careers get destroyed by being in a superhero movie? [More]
In the halls of legendary wines rewarding decades of patience in a subterranean cellar, surely reds reign supreme. Burgundy, Bordeaux, Barolo, and beyond. But at a recent media dinner I was flabbergasted by the ageability and affordability* of an Italian white wine: Garofoli Verdicchio. This winery is making surprising whites, recalibrating any notion that cellaring wines [More]
Sometimes you defeat a wine, sometimes a wine defeats you. This was my experience with a recent sample bottle of Cantele Amativo. I tried my darndest to tame it, but had to give in and be humbled in/by its presence. This is an Italian wine from the Salento region. Located within Puglia, the heel of [More]
Prosecco: cheap fizz. And…scene. It’s mind-boggling to think about the ascent and success of this Italian bubbly in the last decade or so, but one of the final hurdles for the region/category is to realize it’s not just inexpensive, cheerful, and a little cloying. I can think of no better prescription for overcoming these preconceptions [More]
Hello from Reno! I am back again to visit my Mom and teach another wine class for her and a group of neighbors. If you missed my last one, it was all about Syrah. This time, I’m focusing on some grapes deserving more love. It’s a smokin’ lineup, if I do say so myself. I [More]
