Blog Archives
Which wine is better suited for cold weather: red wine or white wine?
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 not [More]
What is the difference between Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio?
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 not [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]
Unexpected Wine and Food Match in James Salter’s Novel “Light Years”
Sometimes when you least expect it, expect it. That’s how wine sneaks up on me. Not like a bottle quietly tiptoeing behind me and then, “SURPRISE!” More of a coming across mentions of it while reading and thinking about the author’s experience with wine. Such is the case of the novel Light Years by James [More]
Australian Chardonnay Comparative Tasting
I was invited to attend an Aussie wine seminar (thanks, Wine Australia!) and I didn’t know what the topic was until I sat down. I was delighted to see I’d be undertaking a comparative (blind) tasting of Australian Chardonnay. Since it was put on by Wine Australia, a bunch of the wines were going to [More]
Thoughts on Chile Inspired by Winemaker Rodrigo Soto
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]
Hess Collection Chardonnay, Oak, and Texture
Anyone who knows me is aware I am a fan of oaky white wines. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that at a recent lunch I was invited to I fell hard for the Hess Collection Chardonnay (2016). Hess Collection Chardonnay 2016 Joining a small group of scribes at this meal was Nicole Carter, the [More]
Pairing Chilean Chardonnay with Salmon
I covered the Sauvignon Blancs from the Wines of Chile tasting last week, but I thought it was time to give Chardonnay its due. I enjoyed pairing Chilean Chardonnay with salmon; the richness of the fish went well with the oakiness of the three Chardonnays. While the Santa Rita and the Concha y Toro had [More]
