Blog Archives
An Unexpected Duo at Dutton-Goldfield
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]
Rigor and Reward: Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
I was fortunate to receive a sample bottle of Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon from the winery’s director of marketing and communications, Lisa Mattson. You should also know she’s the author of a wine-soaked dating memoir, The Exes in My Glass: How I Refined My Taste in Men & Alcohol. Perhaps I should take a stroll down the [More]
Love That Mountain Fruit
Look, the region is called Napa VALLEY. You’d expect there’s plenty of good stuff at low elevations. But I’ve always been excited by the uppermost regions, which I first explored at Cain and Smith-Madrone on Spring Mountain. So I was excited to be invited to a tasting of wines from Antica Napa Valley, located on Atlas Peak. [More]
Chateau Montelena Dream Tasting
Few wineries have played as large a part in American wine history as Chateau Montelena. When I was invited to attend a tasting including five decades of the Napa Valley winery’s Cabernet Sauvignon, I couldn’t say “yes” fast enough. So earlier this summer I buckled up for a wine event of a lifetime. Our Master [More]
Get to Know Central Coast Syrah
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]
Randy Meyer of Geyser Peak Winery Talks Roses (Flowers)
Recently I was invited to taste through a lineup of Sauvignon Blanc from Geyser Peak Winery. Located in Healdsburg, California, I was at first intrigued because it seems, well, audacious for a place to make four (!) Sauvignon Blancs. It reminded me of Matanzas Creek, the only other Sonoma winery I could think of also [More]
Freemark Abbey Cabernet Bosché is a Napa Valley Classic
I’ll admit that I spend my wine days and nights in New York chasing the obscure. Bring me all your wonderfully weird wines! Sometimes, though, this is at the expense of the classics. Case in point would be the Freemark Abbey Cabernet Bosché. I had the pleasure of tasting this wine with Ted Edwards, director [More]
Do You Know Petit Verdot?
Primarily used as a component in Bordeaux-style blends, Petit Verdot could use a champion or three. I found a trio of winemakers who take this grape beyond the blend, making it the star of the show. My first article for SevenFifty Daily takes a look at Petit Verdot through three winemakers: Kevin Morrisey, Ehlers Estate, [More]
