As I drive around Alexander Valley with Ronald Du Preez, the assistant winemaker at Jordan Winery, he points across the road and exclaims enthusiastically, “That’s really good dirt,” or in an equally emphatic manner, “that’s yucky dirt over there.” He is expressing a paradigm shift in California winemaking philosophy that’s exemplified by Jordan’s now virtually complete transformation from an “estate” winery to one that buys almost all of their grapes from local farmers.… Read more
Category Archives: Articles
Negroamaro: Black & Bitter from Italy’s Heel
“Black and bitter.” It certainly wasn’t a name create by a public relations firm. To be fair, Luigi Rubino, President of the Puglia Best Wine Consortium points out the name really means “black and black” from both the Latin (negro) and Greek (amaro) for black. … Read more
Puglia Will Fool Ya
Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot, is hot, mostly flat, and sun drenched. Italy’s third largest wine producing region after the Veneto and Emilia-Romagna, Puglia accounts for more wine even than Sicily. This is, basically, a recipe for low-quality bulk wine. … Read more
Banfi Does It Again
Earlier this month a $12 wine, Castello Banfi’s 2010 Centine, was voted the best red wine at the Ninth Annual Critics Challenge International Wine Competition held in San Diego.
To be voted best red is a high honor for any wine, but is absolutely extraordinary for one costing twelve bucks. … Read more
Bordeaux’s second wines affordable, exceptional
We Americans don’t realize it, but the Chinese are determining what wine we drink.
They’re not flooding the market with knockoffs or gray-market bottles. Instead, their voracious appetite for big-name Bordeaux has relegated us to buying the leftovers.
Fortunately, there is a silver lining.… Read more
Chablis Short List
One of my goals for Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne, a weeklong series of tastings held in Burgundy every two years, was to learn about the differences between vineyards in Chablis.
It was the ideal setting, a day-long tasting with over 100 Chablis producers pouring over 600 wines, all from Chablis. … Read more
Chablis: The World’s Greatest White Wine Bargain
Chablis has a long history of being misunderstood. The appropriation of this regulated site-specific name to generic white California jug wine–Gallo White Chablis (as if there were red wine in Chablis)–ruined Chablis’ image and cachet for decades. Now, with the movement away from super ripe, buttery, oaky New World Chardonnay and the increasing popularity of “unoaked” Chardonnay, interest in Chablis is making a resurgence. … Read more
A Tale of Two Vintages
Is it hype or is it true? Do 2009 and 2010 represent back-to-back great vintages for Burgundy or is it just another case of the French crying wolf with yet more “vintages of the century?” My vote goes to truth rather than hype, although the two vintages couldn’t be more different.… Read more
2009 Bordeaux: Voluptuous Wines
They’re here! The much-praised 2009 Bordeaux, the region’s priciest vintage, has arrived. Representatives from the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGC) were in New York this past week as part of their nationwide tour to give the trade the first comprehensive look at this much-heralded vintage. … Read more
The Scientific Low-Down on High Alcohol Wines
“Officer, the Breathalyzer must be wrong. I only drank two glasses of Chardonnay,” the young woman complained. “How is that possible?” Well, it is possible.… Read more
The Paradoxes of Champagne
Champagne must not have gotten the memo about the French appellation controllée (AOC) laws. They have their own regulations–after all, Champagne is an AOC–but they seem to have originated in Rome or Athens, not Paris.
Regional Blends Predominate
Elsewhere in France, the most prized and expensive wines come from individual and distinct vineyards. … Read more
Sardinia: Italy’s Other Island
“People can’t find Sardinia on a map,” complained Valentina Argiolas, a member of the family that owns Sardinia’s leading winery. She was speaking literally in describing the fundamental hurdle producers need to overcome to sell their wines. At a recent tasting and seminar of Sardinian wines in San Francisco and again in Japan, she was mortified when the map the organizers projected onto the screen failed to show Italy’s second largest island. … Read more
Our Burgeoning Wine Culture
Despite the economic turmoil, wine consumption in the United States continues to increase. Up only a mere one percent in 2010, according to the Wine Market Council, but that was enough to make us the world’s largest wine market, surpassing France. … Read more
A Simple Strategy for Buying Burgundy
Burgundy produces some of the world’s most exciting wines. Although many, such as those from Domaine Romanée Conti, Domaine Leroy, or Domaine Rousseau are priced in the stratosphere, affordable well-priced Burgundies do exist. But finding them can be like walking through a minefield.… Read more
Krug: How to be the Best
Although Olivier Krug, Krug’s House Director, and Maggie Henriquez, Krug’s President and CEO, both deny it, Krug is the best Champagne in the world. While Krug and Henriquez both agree that Krug is “unique,” they refuse to describe it as “the best.”… Read more
Alcohol levels can make a big difference
“I only had two glasses of wine.”
It’s not an unreasonable amount to drink with dinner, yet how much you feel from those two glasses can vary widely – whether you’re worried about a curbside Breathalyzer or just hoping you don’t feel the effects the next day.… Read more
Beaujolais Renaissance
Six centuries after Philippe the Bold exiled the “vile and noxious” Gamay grape from Burgundy in favor of the “elegant” Pinot Noir, Burgundians are once again embracing the grape in the wines of Beaujolais. The region has long been known primarily for Beaujolais Nouveau, a beverage closer to alcoholic grape juice than wine, but is now undergoing a dramatic change as Beaune-based négociants buy vineyards and identify unique parcels for separate bottlings.
… Read more Location, Location, Location: Port’s No Different
In all the great wine producing areas of the world it is an article of faith that where the grapes grow determines the style and quality of the wine. However, when we think of Port, we tend to forget this fundamental notion.… Read more
China and Wine: We’ve Not Seen Anything Yet
By now most wine lovers have heard that the Chinese are having an enormous impact on the world’s wine market. But the current wave of wine buying frenzy by the Chinese may seem tame compared to the potential tsunami coming in the future.… Read more
Wine culture starting to take hold in China
The scene stopped me in my tracks. There, on the street in the middle of the bustling market, stalls filled with fake Longchamp bags and knockoff Ralph Lauren, was a young Chinese man standing behind a table wearing a portable microphone and hawking vacuum-powered wine-pump openers.… Read more
Under the Radar: Long Island Merlot
Some wine areas are vaguely familiar but not well known or fashionable. Parts of Southern Italy, such as Puglia, fit this category, as do parts of Spain, such as Manchuela. But there are other areas, such as Long Island, that fly almost completely under the proverbial radar, showing up on the “screen” of very few consumers.… Read more
The Alchemy of Wine: A Reason to Cellar
In years past, when marginal weather often failed to ripen grapes adequately, winemakers rejoiced in the relatively rare years when Nature provided ripe fruit flavors. These days, with delayed harvesting, modern winemaking and global warming, it’s easy to get fruit in a wine. … Read more
Not Just Any Port in a Storm
“An overpowering wine,” was how Adrian Bridge, CEO of Taylor Fladgate, described their just released pre-phylloxera Tawny Port, which he dated to about 1855. Labeled Scion, it was overpowering, but not so much in taste–it was rich but vibrant–as much as its origin and its price, about $3,200 a bottle.… Read more
Renaissance in South Africa
“We had to leapfrog the sanctions,” explained Simon Barlow, the affable owner of Rustenberg Wines in Stellenbosch, South Africa, as he described the dramatic transformation of his family’s estate following the democratic elections in South Africa in 1994 that marked the official end of apartheid. … Read more
Malbec: Another Merlot?
Malbec is the new “black.” Then again, maybe not so new, since the wine from Cahors in south central France, the traditional home to Malbec, was known as the “black wine” in the 13th century because of its power and concentration. … Read more
Gifts for the Wine Lover
Friends and professional colleagues always tell me they shy away from giving me wine. They profess not to know what to give. They say that they don’t want to embarrass themselves with an “ordinary” bottle. Those excuses, and all the others, are silly. … Read more
2009 Burgundies: A First Look
The Bordelais are not the only ones licking their chops as they offer the 2009 vintage for sale. Burgundians too are smiling as they taste their 2009s currently aging in barrels. In the words of Philippe Prost, the technical director at Bouchard Père et Fils, the wines are, “La beauté du Diable,” a French idiom that roughly means “too good to be true.”… Read more
Burgundy: Sorting Out the ‘0 Tens’
“Let’s taste some 0 tens,” was Louis-Fabrice Latour’s invitation as I met him in late September at the imposing Chateau Grancey, the heart of the Domaine Latour estate in the picturesque Burgundian village of Aloxe-Corton where they vinify all the reds from their Domaine. … Read more
In Defense of the Burgundy Négociant
I am always surprised how many experienced Burgundy aficionados, be they sommeliers or just plain passionate consumers, overlook or denigrate Burgundy’s négociants while heaping praise on the growers’ wines. Sommeliers may shun them because of commercial reasons. Négociants’ wines are more widely available and many sommeliers prefer to list wines from small growers whose wines are difficult for diners to find in retail stores. … Read more
Rose Love In Bloom
I’ve been converted. Sort of.
Despite the tsunami of enthusiasm that appears every summer, I’ve never been a fan of rosés, except, of course, for rosé Champagne. The argument for rosé is that they are perfect for summertime because they are not too serious, they stand up to and go with hearty cold salads or grilled fish, and they cut through summer’s heat and humidity.… Read more
Riesling: America’s Favorite Wine Grape?
It’s not of course. Chardonnay still holds that position. But to listen to wine professionals, it should be. … Read more
Ornellaia: An Italian Icon, Part 2
As Axel Heinz, the winemaker at Ornellaia, pointed out, luck played a role in Ornellaia’s success. It was lucky that Lodovico Antinori, Ornellaia’s founder, went to California in search of vineyards because it was there that he met André Tchelistcheff, Beaulieu Vineyards’ legendary winemaker. … Read more
Ornellaia: An Italian Icon
“It was luck,” according to Axel Heinz, the winemaker at Ornellaia, that accounted for the extraordinarily rapid ascent of Ornellaia in the eyes of the world. “It was lucky that Mario Incisa della Rocchetta [owner of Sassicaia] planted Bordeaux varieties when [in the 1940s] and where he did [Bolgheri]. … Read more
Spring Whites
With bright sunshine and temperatures flirting with 80 degrees here in the Northeast, it’s time to put parkas and boots away. Grilled fish dribbled with olive oil and other lighter fare replaces hearty long-simmered stews. To accompany this change of culinary seasons, lively whites will appear in place of those robust reds. … Read more
Brunello di Montalcino 2.0
In preparation for my attendance at Benvenuto Brunello, the annual tasting of the newly released 2005 Brunello di Montalcino, held in that Tuscan hilltop town, I did some homework by opening and drinking some from my cellar—a 2001 La Gerla, a 1999 Fulgini, a 1998 Banfi Poggio alle Mura, and a 1997 Banfi Poggio all’Oro.… Read more
Manchuela, or Mushrooms After A Rain
One of the great things about wine is how new areas appear or spring up seemingly overnight–almost like mushrooms after a rain–and wind up producing world class wines. It happens all over the world. The Marlborough region in New Zealand was a cow pasture, but now is producing great Sauvignon Blanc and showing strong potential for Pinot Noir as well. … Read more
California Chardonnay: A Paradigm Shift
It may be odd that I, a confirmed Francophile with a special affection for Burgundy, should be extolling the virtues of California Chardonnay.
But it’s true. Don’t think I’m comparing California–or any New World Chardonnay–with Burgundy. I’m not. Burgundians insist their wines are vehicles for transmitting the flavor of the vineyard–a.k.a. … Read more
Please, No More Killer Cabernets
My hope for the New Year is that winemakers turn down the “volume” so we wine drinkers can savor the music.
It is clear that current popular taste embraces the ultra-intense style of wine–both white and red. Alcohol levels in these wines often soar to 15+ percent–and acid levels drop–as winemakers leave grapes on the vine to achieve ever more ripeness. … Read more
Burgundy on the Rise
Burgundians were heralding the quality of the 2009 vintage–perhaps another “vintage of the century”–even before the grapes were harvested, let alone transformed into wine. That’s because the weather during the growing season predicted an extremely successful vintage. Prices at the just concluded 2009 Hospices de Beaune auction confirm the locals’ enthusiasm for the vintage. … Read more
The Wines of . . . Madrid?
When you think of Madrid, what pops into your mind? Vino or Prado? Prado, of course, one of the world’s most magnificent museums. But Madrid, not the city proper, but the autonomous region of Madrid–the roughly 3,000 square miles around the city–is home to about 50 wineries who produce a wide range of wines from indigenous as well as international grapes. … Read more
Italy’s Soave region split over DOCG label
Italy – Everything should be coming up roses for Soave. The wines, historically among Italy’s best whites, have never been better.
Yet a debate over whether to use a new designation, Superiore DOCG, threatens to spoil the renaissance of a region that has finally recovered from a long spell as a source of underwhelming wine.… Read more
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc: All the Same?
“All Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc tastes the same,” is the major misconception that the industry must combat, according to Darryl Woolley, Chief Winemaker for the Constellation Group, which controls about ten percent of Marlborough’s production through their labels. Certainly the hallmark of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is the zesty, pleasantly pungent, grapefruit-like zing that makes these wines extraordinarily versatile–and popular–with a wide variety of foods, from simply grilled fish to Asian-influenced cuisine. … Read more
An Unlikely Area Producing Very Likeable Wines
The Niagara Peninsula is as unlikely a place as you can imagine for producing fine wines. Let’s start with the obvious. It’s in Canada–and not Western Canada where more temperate climate prevails. The Niagara Peninsula is a strip of land in Eastern Canada separating Lake Ontario from Lake Erie.… Read more
Please Don’t Dilute
Many wine regulations make no sense. But to me, the worst is the one that allows a portion, usually 15%, of grapes from outside of an appellation to be included in a wine and yet keep the appellation’s name of the label.… Read more
Does wine really prevent heart problems?
When people discover that I’m a liver doctor and a wine writer, they invariably ask, “How much can I drink without developing liver disease?” They never ask, “How much should I drink to stay healthy?”
People know that alcohol – and wine – can cause liver disease.… Read more
2007: An Excellent Vintage for White Burgundies
White Burgundy fans should be very happy. The 2007 vintage produced a wide array–from Chablis to Mâcon–of excellent white wines. And the world-wide economic crisis means that prices are lower. That combination is a “perfect tranquility” for Burgundy lovers.
I reported my preliminary assessment of the vintage last fall and update it now for the whites since they are especially appealing and are starting to arrive on retailers’ shelves.… Read more
Are Stags Leap District Wines Unique?
Everyone seems to agree that the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley is unique because of its topography, climate and soil. The question remains whether that uniqueness translates into distinctive wines that reflect the site.
To test the theory, I spent two days in the Stags Leap District comparing the same vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon made from grapes grown in the Stags Leap District to those made from grapes grown in other California locales. … Read more
American Viticultural Areas (AVAs): Do They Make Sense?
Americans have never been particularly adept at geography. Since most would fail to locate Kansas on an unlabeled map of the United States, how would they fare with finding Chambolle-Musigny? This is why the American practice of naming wines by grape name is so successful for marketing
However, winemakers everywhere–from California to France–insist that wine is ‘made in the vineyard,’ and that location matters.… Read more
Economic squeeze hitting Bordeaux wines
“This could be the crash of the century instead of the vintage of the century,” quipped Coco Conroy of Château Brane-Cantenac, a second-growth property in Margaux, as she jokingly referred to Bordeaux’s 2008 vintage.
Like other blue chips, Bordeaux, the bluest of blue chips in the world’s wine market, is not immune to this economic downturn.… Read more
Age Matters
Everyone refers to “old vines” reverentially. The precise definition of ‘old’ varies enormously–legitimately depending on the varietal (Zinfandel and Pinot Noir do not have the same lifespan)–and more subjectively depending on whether you are speaking to a winemaker/viticulturist or someone in the marketing department.… Read more