Vinography: A Wine Blog

Text Size:

11.21.2008

Stop The Thanksgiving Wine Recommendations!

I read a lot of wine writing. And when I say a lot, I mean a lot. And when I say read, I mean, well, I scan all the headlines, and I read a good portion of it. Magazines, newspapers, hundreds of blogs. It's overwhelming at times, and damned hard work. But I enjoy it. Except for two particular times of year. The first is mid-summer, when everyone seems to be writing the exact same article about "Summer Sippers," white and pink wines that are as refreshing as they are delicious. But ever so much more evil and mind-numbing than... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on November 21, 2008 10:27 PM: Filed under: Ramblings and Rants; Comments (6) - TrackBacks (0) - Permalink

11.20.2008

Ye Olde Wine Shoppe

When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do on the weekends was to go to garage sales. I liked looking at all the stuff that other people had (which I didn't) but perhaps more importantly, I loved that I could buy it for a nickel. Or something like that. I'm sure my mother did, too, since we couldn't exactly afford shopping sprees at ToysRUs. I don't know when was the last garage sale I visited, but I'm pretty sure there wasn't anything there for a nickel. It's easy to get nostalgic about what amazing things we... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on November 20, 2008 11:36 PM: Filed under: Ramblings and Rants; Comments (4) - TrackBacks (0) - Permalink

11.19.2008

The Skeptic's Guide to Biodynamic Wine

The average wine consumer has no idea what it means for a wine to be organic. And when it comes to Biodynamic wines, most wine drinkers have never even heard of them. But that doesn't matter, because an increasing number of the most sought-after, expensive wines in the world are biodynamically produced, which means that biodynamics is one of the most significant modern trends in global winemaking. The only problem (for those who care) is that biodynamic winemaking involves a maddening, paradoxical mixture of scientifically sound farming practices and utterly ridiculous new-age mysticism. If you want to know just how... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on November 19, 2008 11:10 PM: Filed under: Ramblings and Rants; Comments (24) - TrackBacks (0) - Permalink

11.18.2008

2004 E. Guigal "Chateau d'Ampuis" Côte-Rôtie, Northern Rhone, France

One of the greatest experiences that a wine lover can encounter is a wine that stops them in their tracks. I'll admit that I'm excitable in general, but there's nothing that gets me quite so giddy as a schoolboy as when I stumble across a wine that truly bowls me over. Such wines are the closest I get anymore to the emotions of that first passionate kiss in a new relationship -- they electrify me. While the world slows down to a crawl around me, all I want to do is stick my nose in the glass and inhale slowly.... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on November 18, 2008 10:36 PM: Filed under: Red Wine , Wine Reviews; Comments (1) - TrackBacks (0) - Permalink

11.16.2008

The Best South African Wines, Part II: Cape Wine 2008 Scores

I went to South Africa to learn about South African wine, and the primary way for me to do that is to taste. So taste I did -- probably more than 500 wines by the end of the week -- spending two full days going from booth to booth at the Cape Wine 2008 expo trying to taste a wide cross section of South African wine while at the same time making sure to hit some of the producers I knew were among South Africa's best. The end result? Scores for more than 350 wines, and a very rapid education... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on November 16, 2008 10:11 PM: Filed under: Wine Activities , Wine Reviews; Comments (6) - TrackBacks (0) - Permalink

11.14.2008

E-mail Scammers Hit Wine Retailer

One of the latest e-mail scams going around the Internet appears to be targeted at the wine industry. This scam operates at a slightly more sophisticated level than the now famous Nigerian scam. That scam begins with polite greetings (usually in all capital letters) and ends with with promises to share in a large sum of money if the victim will only help with the transfer of a large sum of money out of [insert country name here]. This latest wine focused scam masquerades as request for a private wine tasting and dinner for a large group from "out of... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on November 14, 2008 9:31 PM: Filed under: Wine News; Comments (10) - TrackBacks (0) - Permalink

11.12.2008

1999 Perrier Jouet "Cuvee la Belle Epoque" Brut Champagne, Epernay, France

As some of you know, there was a time when I didn't really care for Champagne. But like so many preferences formed early in our lives, it turns out that I just hadn't had the good stuff. Unfortunately for my pocketbook, I eventually did find out what all the fuss was about, and now I enjoy it immensely. That is, as long as it is good. And good Champagne, invariably means expensive. I run the risk of coming off as snobbish, or at the very least elitist by saying this, but more so than most wines, you really get what... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on November 12, 2008 10:05 PM: Filed under: Sparkling Wine , Wine Reviews; Comments (6) - TrackBacks (0) - Permalink

11.11.2008

The Truth About American Wine Drinking

Looks like a piece of news slipped by me a couple of months ago. Every year I look forward to a report, which more than any other single piece of news, speaks the truth about the state of wine in America. Restaurant Wine magazine commissions and publishes a report every year on the top 100 wines and top 100 wine brands sold in restaurants around the country, from family diners to fine dining restaurants. Based on the simple measure of how many cases of each wine were sold at these restaurants, we get a picture of the most important person... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on November 11, 2008 10:50 PM: Filed under: Ramblings and Rants , Wine News; Comments (25) - TrackBacks (0) - Permalink

11.09.2008

I Don't Understand San Francisco Wine Week

Perhaps I'm just getting too old, but I can't for the life of me really understand what San Francisco Wine Week is all about. Here we are living in one of the greatest wine and food cities of the world. We're spoiled rotten when it comes to our wine and food. We expect, and regularly receive great local ingredients in our food, an incredible selection of wines from California and around the world, and completely take for granted the fact that we can bring a bottle of our favorite wine to any restaurant we like. If there was ever a... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on November 9, 2008 10:23 PM: Filed under: Ramblings and Rants; Comments (16) - TrackBacks (0) - Permalink

11.08.2008

2006 Handley Cellars "Hein Vineyard" Pinot Blanc, Anderson Valley

California's Anderson Valley remains one of its least known and most under-appreciated wine regions. In particular I believe it to be under-appreciated for its Pinot Noir, in particular, and in some cases, its Alsatian varieties of wine. I offer a slight caveat to the latter because while Anderson Valley is certainly known for producing wines in the style and varieties of those found in Alsace, France, in my experience they are mixed in quality. But when winemakers manage to get things right, Anderson Valley can produce some stunning examples of wines that might, in the right circumstances be mistaken for... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on November 8, 2008 11:28 PM: Filed under: Boutique Wines , Wine Reviews , Wines under $20; Comments (4) - TrackBacks (0) - Permalink

11.07.2008

Semi-Debunking Wild Yeast Fermentation in Wine

If you've read many wine labels, especially those of wines that cost more than $25, you've almost certainly seen on that contains the phrase "fermented with wild yeasts" or "native yeast fermentation." This indication that the winemaker has not used a so-called "commercial" yeast is often a telltale clue as to the overall philosophy of the winemaker. Making wine without commercial yeasts can be more difficult, more unpredictable, and more risky than some are willing to accept. Those who do eschew commercial yeasts often do so because they are committed to making what they believe is a more natural wine,... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on November 7, 2008 9:41 PM: Filed under: Ramblings and Rants; Comments (18) - TrackBacks (0) - Permalink

11.06.2008

Three Cheers For a Wine Democracy

I've always privately believed that if everyone just drank a bit more wine, the world would be a better place. Who knows if that's really true, but apparently it's quite likely that if everyone drank more wine, the world would be more democratic. According to analysis by Jon Bonné, Wine Editor for the San Francisco Chronicle, Obama was elected by The Wine Vote. What's that, you ask? Wine drinking liberal elitists? Guilty as charged. But get this little statistic: Amount of wine produced in states that McCain won: 4.3 Million Gallons Amount of wine produced in states that Obama won:... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on November 6, 2008 9:06 PM: Filed under: Ramblings and Rants , Wine News; Comments (15) - TrackBacks (0) - Permalink

11.04.2008

2004 La Stoppa "Ageno" White Blend, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Most people faced a with the choice of merely a specific color of wine to drink will consider their stated preference between the options of red, white, or pink. My choice is none of the above. If I had to swear my allegiance to one color of wine, it would be orange. I have a friend who has seriously suggested that the world ought to acknowledge orange as a legitimate fourth color when it comes to wine. I don't know that I'd go that far, but I would seriously suggest that everyone drink as much of it as they can... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on November 4, 2008 6:13 PM: Filed under: Boutique Wines , Undiscovered Wines , White Wine; Comments (12) - TrackBacks (0) - Permalink

11.03.2008

Wine and the Flavor of Curiousity

I never tire of looking out an airplane window at the shifting landscape below, mottled with the patchy light of cloud and shadow. The view is always new, fluid and streaming like the same river that we are told we never cross twice. Wine holds the same fascination for the same reasons, as if that proverbial river was bottled but still moving -- shifting and changing in defiance of its containment. Whenever I have the good fortune to drink older wines, I am reminded that they indeed move and shift in their own time, as if, like dogs and hummingbirds... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on November 3, 2008 8:28 PM: Filed under: Ramblings and Rants; Comments (6) - TrackBacks (0) - Permalink

11.02.2008

Sake: Drinking, Serving, Storing and Enjoying

As many of you know, I have a thing for sake, after being introduced to the high-end stuff when I was living and working in Japan. I try to review great sakes here on Vinography as often as I can, while at the same time trying to teach those who are unfamiliar with the stuff a bit more about it. Some readers, either through their questions, or their outright requests, have rightly pointed out that I have skipped over some of the basics when it comes to sake, and these basics aren't exactly as well known among my readers as,... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on November 2, 2008 10:43 PM: Filed under: Sake; Comments (6) - TrackBacks (0) - Permalink

10.29.2008

Dangerous Wine or Dangerous Reporting?

I look up to journalists. I really do. They actually get paid for doing what I play at here every day, and most of them are way better at it than I am. But every once in a while someone publishes a story that makes me wonder how we all manage to avoid riding journalists out of town on a rail. Witness the headlines that are rapidly rocketing their way across the internet: Heavy Metals Found in Wine, Metals in wine may be health danger, and Euro wines carrying potentially dangerous levels of heavy metals. If this is really true,... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on October 29, 2008 11:23 PM: Filed under: Ramblings and Rants , Wine News; Comments (23) - TrackBacks (0) - Permalink

10.28.2008

2007 York Creek Vineyards Touriga Nacional Rose, Sonoma County

One of my favorite punching bags in the world is the sorry state of California rosé. For some reason, winemakers just don't seem to be able to produce the beautifully dry, crisp, tart rosés that I have come to expect from southern France, southern Italy, and northern Spain. These Mediterranean wines are the benchmark for rosé, and most American wines fall quite short. Which is why I'm so enthusiastic when I discover pink wines that are made well in this country. And when they're made of exotic grape varieties, so much the better! If you gave me three guesses as... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on October 28, 2008 9:59 PM: Filed under: Pink Wine , Wine Reviews , Wines under $20; Comments (8) - TrackBacks (0) - Permalink

10.27.2008

Is There Any Point to Negative Wine Reviews?

A little less than five years ago when I started this blog, I naively thought that I might try to do something different from all those big wine critics. They were only telling part of the story, I said to myself, but I was going to tell the whole thing. I wasn't going to pull the punches that I felt everyone else was avoiding. I decided I was going to write negative wine reviews -- just what the world needed. Or so I thought. I think my pioneering attitude lasted about six weeks, after which I was left with a... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on October 27, 2008 11:14 PM: Filed under: Ramblings and Rants; Comments (44) - TrackBacks (0) - Permalink

10.25.2008

A Conference for Wine Bloggers

A strange concept if there ever was one. A gathering of more than 150 wine bloggers in one place. Such a notion conjures a medley of reactions in my brain, but mostly it makes me feel old. "Why Sonny, I remember when there were only three wine blogs in the world..." I had planned on attending the entire two-and-a-half day event in Santa Rosa, California, but then my wife Ruth fell ill, and all sorts of things got put on hold. As a result I've driven up today to speak in one of the breakout sessions with my friend Tom... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on October 25, 2008 11:52 AM: Filed under: Ramblings and Rants; Comments (13) - TrackBacks (0) - Permalink

10.24.2008

Cadaretta Winery, Walla Walla, WA: Current Releases

I make it my habit to pay attention to new, small wineries. Generally that means seeking them out at public tastings, perking up my ears when I hear the names of wineries I don't know, and approaching each box of unknown wine I get on my doorstep as the potential to be something new and exciting. Generally, whatever you might like to call these efforts of mine, if they can be described as efforts, tend to be focused on California. This probably comes as no surprise to most, but that has nothing to do with my preferences, so much as... continue reading