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Ed McCarthy
Aug 17, 2010
The Mount Etna area in northeast Sicily, the island's coolest wine region, has suddenly become one of Italy's most acclaimed wine locations for both red and white wines. Wine connoisseurs are becoming familiar with grape varieties that they never heard of a mere few years ago, such as the red Nerello Mascalese and the white Carricante.
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Ed McCarthy
Jul 20, 2010
Admittedly, I am a fanatic when it comes to wine glasses. On more than one occasion, I've brought my own wine glasses to restaurants and to friends' houses when I knew their glasses were inadequate. Of course, I always ask permission of the friends to do so; most of them happily agree, accepting their wine geek friend's eccentricities.
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Ed McCarthy
Jun 22, 2010
Four years ago, one of the world's great winemakers passed away at the age of 72, but few wine drinkers except a handful of Italian wine aficionados had ever heard of him. His name was Edoardo Valentini, and he made wine in Italy's most mountainous region, Abruzzo, on the eastern, Adriatic coast. And oh, what wine! Valentini was revered locally, where he was known as 'The Lord of the Vines.'
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Ed McCarthy
May 25, 2010
I just returned from the Langhe region around the town of Alba in Piedmont, Italy, and am thrilled to report that I have tasted a number of super Barolo wines, some of which will be arriving on our shores shortly, but many of which are here already. The so-called global warming--or at the least the extended period of very warm vintages Europe has been experiencing in the last 15 years--has actually been a blessing for Piedmont's Nebbiolo-based wines.
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Ed McCarthy
Apr 27, 2010
With all the improvements in viticulture and winemaking that have taken place in Tuscany during the last 30 years, you would think that Chianti Classico wines should be better than ever. But confusion still reigns in this region, regarding what type of wine Chianti Classico should be, and how the wine should actually be made. As a result, the consumer seldom knows what style of wine he or she is getting when Chianti Classico reaches the table.
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Ed McCarthy
Mar 30, 2010
Portuguese table wines, red and white, have been on the brink of making a breakthrough in the U.S. market for many years now, but they still remain unfamiliar to most American wine drinkers. This is a bit mystifying to me, because the wines are authentic, basically well made, and certainly offer value to the consumer--one reason that I think, during this economic climate, the time might finally be right for these wines to find acceptance.
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Ed McCarthy
Mar 2, 2010
Thirty years ago, I couldn't have written this column. There were no great Italian white wines. But at some point within the past 25 years, Italian winemakers started paying more attention to their white wines. Advances in viticulture and vinification clearly helped. Today, Italy is one of leading white-wine producing countries in the world. And almost all of its great whites are made from varieties indigenous to Italy.
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Ed McCarthy
Feb 2, 2010
It is difficult to imagine that one man could have had so great an impact on such a huge wine region as California. But Robert Mondavi almost single-handedly placed California, particularly Napa Valley, on the world's fine-wine map. California's wine history can be looked upon as BM and AM, Before Mondavi and After Mondavi, with the dividing line occurring in 1966.
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Ed McCarthy
Jan 5, 2010
The temperature is hovering between 10° and 24°F. in the frigid Northeast U.S. as I write this early January column, and my thoughts are on red wine. Like so many Americans, I consume lots of Italian dishes, this country's overwhelmingly favorite ethnic cuisine. Consequently, I find myself drinking more Italian red than any other type of red wine. During the holidays, my Italian-American relatives have treated me to many plates of pasta, lasagna, sausages, broccoli rabe, eggplant parmigiano, and so forth. As the designated wine expert in the family, I invariably provide the wine, and it's invariably Italian red.
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Ed McCarthy
Dec 8, 2009
In the hope that you may be willing to strike out in search of excellence beyond the big brands this year, here are profiles of 12 excellent, smaller Champagne houses which I believe do not receive the recognition they deserve in the U.S.-- and all are nationally available. In no particular order, they are Henriot, Deutz, Charles Heidsieck, Ayala, Alfred Gratien, Philipponnat, Bruno Pailliard, Jacquesson, Delamotte, Gosset, Louis Roederer, and Pol Roger.
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Ed McCarthy
Nov 10, 2009
Burt Williams was a newspaper printer in San Francisco. His friend, Ed Selyem, was an accountant/ wine buyer in Forestville, a small town in Sonoma County's Russian River Valley. What both friends had in common, besides living in Russian River Valley, was a passion for Pinot Noir. They became weekend winemakers in 1979, using a local garage as their first winery. They made their first commercial Pinot Noir in 1981, under the name of Hacienda del Rio, which they changed to Williams & Selyem in 1983. Four years later, Williams & Selyem's 1985 Rochioli Vineyard Pinot Noir won the top prize at the 1987 California State Fair!
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Ed McCarthy
Oct 13, 2009
My recent trip to the charming, medieval, walled town of Soave, near Verona in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy, confirmed my belief that excellent Soave wines--indeed, better than ever--are being produced today. In fact, the best Soave producers are now making some of the best white wines in Italy, and the wines are selling at very attractive prices, because many consumers have not yet discovered how good they are.
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Ed McCarthy
Sep 15, 2009
Over 36 years, as Long Island's wineries grew from a mere handful in 1980 to over 60 wineries today, quite a few Long Island wine producers have come to the conclusion that white wine production, and lately, also sparkling wines, are more suited for Long Island's climate than are red wines.
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Ed McCarthy
Aug 18, 2009
I love Champagne, and have many favorites, but no other Champagne impresses me more than Dom Pérignon. I'm certain that quite a few of you are surprised by my enthusiasm for the Dom. After all, it's so "out there," so well-known, so available. You would think that a wine writer who specializes in Champagne such as I would choose a more esoteric Champagne to rhapsodize about. But my premise is based on the very fact that Dom Pérignon's production is huge, and yet its quality remains so high that it consistently ranks among the top Champagnes, vintage after vintage.
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Ed McCarthy
Jul 21, 2009
During the past two decades, Champagne Louis Roederer, a prestigious, family-owned, medium-sized Champagne house, has become one of the most important wine firms in the world.
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Ed McCarthy
Jul 14, 2009
I visited Austria recently with the intention of enjoying its dry, elegant white wines; after all, Austria is white wine country. But I came away enamored with one of its red wines, a wine with the classic Germanic name of Blaufränkisch. If you haven't yet tasted or even heard of Blaufränkisch, I promise you that you will be getting to know it soon, because Austrian Blaufränkisch, somewhat ignored until recently, is now better than ever.
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Ed McCarthy
May 26, 2009
Exciting Pinot Noirs are emerging from several different wine regions in California today, as well as from Oregon. But a region we hear little about might be one of the best: Anderson Valley. There are at least two possible reasons for its anonymity. First, Anderson Valley is rather small, being only about 15 miles long, with just about 25 to 30 wineries within the Valley making Pinot Noir, and another 20 or so non-Valley wineries making Pinot Noirs from grapes grown in Anderson Valley. The other reason is that its location is somewhat remote.
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Ed McCarthy
Apr 28, 2009
A few times a year, some of my wine writing colleagues and I gather in a pizzeria in New York, one in which we're allowed to bring our own wine, and feast on various pizzas. One of the main topics of conversation, of course, is which wines go best with the pizza. Over the years, I have formed some strong ideas on the best pizza wines, and I thought it would be a good idea (at least to me!) to publicly express my views on this important topic.
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Ed McCarthy
Mar 31, 2009
In early March of this year, I toured California's Sonoma Coast, a region which I think is already turning out some world-class Pinot Noirs--and it will only get better. I believe that the Sonoma Coast, even now, might be the best region in the U.S.--and perhaps the entire New World--for Pinot Noir wines, at least the type that I love.
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Ed McCarthy
Mar 3, 2009
Merlot at its best is a deeply colored red wine -- full-bodied and dry, with soft, velvety tannin and aromas and flavors of ripe, dark plums, a hint of chocolate, and a slight toasty note of oak. It fills your mouth with its fleshy texture and its plump, fruity flavors, yet it's not too soft; it has enough firmness to give it definition. That's the experience of California Merlot at its best. And who wouldn't love such a wine? Its plumpness, richness, and softness are the reason that Merlot became popular in the first place.
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Ed McCarthy
Feb 3, 2009
I've just returned from a mammoth 2004 Brunello di Montalcino tasting in New York, and I can assure you that 2004 is going to be a superb vintage for Brunello. A large majority of the 2004 Brunellos I tasted were truly top-notch.
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Ed McCarthy
Jan 6, 2009
I just returned from a trip to Piedmont, Italy, and I am happy to report that traditional Barolos are once again in fashion among the barolistas--the local name for Barolo winemakers. Roberto Conterno, proprietor-winemaker of the iconic Giacomo Conterno Winery, long the bastion of traditional Barolos, laughed when I brought up the topic to him. 'They never went away. I'm making Barolo the way I always did, the way my father (Giovanni Conterno) did, and the way my grandfather (Giacomo Conterno, the founder) did!'
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Ed McCarthy
Dec 9, 2008
Italian-inspired varietal wines have enjoyed limited success in California, up to this point. Whereas most French varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc have had few problems adapting to California terroir (although some might argue about Pinot Noir the Italian varieties -- Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and company --have been a bitch for California vintners, to put it mildly.
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Ed McCarthy
Nov 11, 2008
Over the years, many changes have taken place in California Cabernet Sauvignons, and not all of them for the better. Of course, many improvements have occurred because of advances in knowledge and technology. But many of today's Cabernets are too jammy, extracted, and high in alcohol for my palate (and this applies not only to the Cabernets from California, by the way, but Cabernets from all over the world). Lest you dismiss me for just another old-timer living in the past, I do believe that fine California Cabs are still being made today in a more restrained style, and you can find them especially in the current 2005 vintage.
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Ed McCarthy
Oct 14, 2008
Brazilian wines? I can hear some readers saying, 'Do they make wine in Brazil?' Most of us in the U.S. probably have had little or no experience with Brazilian wines, but that will be changing shortly. Those of us who have enough grey hair can recall when Chilean and Argentine wines were unknown quantities here, and look how popular these wines are now in the USA!
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Ed McCarthy
Sep 16, 2008
I happen to love the Pinot Noir grape variety, like so many wino friends of mine. When I recall the greatest wines that I have ever tasted, about half of them have been red Burgundies. When California Pinot Noir started becoming popular in the 1990s, I was thrilled. But something has happened to too many California Pinot Noirs during the last decade or so. For me, they've gone in the wrong direction.
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Ed McCarthy
Aug 19, 2008
I'm seeing a new trend in wine drinking in this country in the 21st century. Restaurants and retail stores are starting to carry non-mainstream varietal wines, which hail primarily from their original home, Europe--especially Italy, France, and Spain.
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Ed McCarthy
Jul 22, 2008
Many people like Champagne, but only a few of us, I have observed, actually enjoy Champagne throughout dinner. I love to have Champagne with dinner, and have found that it really complements most of the foods that I enjoy.
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Ed McCarthy
Jun 24, 2008
Lighter-styled Champagnes are ideal as aperitifs, and also go very well with fish and seafood, an important part of my dining lately. Lighter-styled Champagnes also complement all kinds of Asian cuisine, especially Japanese food.
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Ed McCarthy
May 27, 2008
California Sauvignon Blanc, or Fumé Blanc as it is sometimes called, is the darling of many winemakers, sommeliers, and some wine writers. But up until recently, it did not stir the same enthusiasm among many consumers. I agree with those consumers; up until recently, most California Sauvignon Blancs were not very good.
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Ed McCarthy
Apr 29, 2008
Global warming appears to be actually benefiting Italy's Piedmont wine region, at least for now. Never in the region's history have so many fine vintages occurred within such a short period.
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Ed McCarthy
Apr 1, 2008
When I tell people that I don't drink much Chardonnay, I'm not exactly speaking the complete truth. True, I hardly ever buy varietal wines named 'Chardonnay,' or order them in restaurants. But I certainly drink more than my fair share of Chablis, other assorted white Burgundies that I can afford, and Blanc de Blancs Champagnes, all of which are made entirely from the Chardonnay grape.
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Ed McCarthy
Mar 4, 2008
For more years than I can remember, I've been hearing that consumers are, or will be, getting tired of Chardonnay, and that they will be turning towards other white varietal wines. Well, it ain't happening in the U.S. right now, and doesn't seem likely to take place in the near future. Chardonnay is still reigning as Queen of our domestic white wines, and is resting comfortably on her throne.
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Ed McCarthy
Feb 5, 2008
Economic times might be tough, but you might be one of those fortunate people whose job allows you the opportunity to order fine wines for your clients when entertaining them in restaurants. In fact, this could be an important requisite of your job--but it's a challenge many professionals don't look forward to, because they're not wine geeks, and the often inscrutable wine list might as well have been written in an unfathomable language. Many view it with a combination of fear and dread. If this applies to you, I can offer some advice.
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Ed McCarthy
Jan 8, 2008
Over the years, through trial and error, I've compiled a list of full-bodied, powerful Champagnes that work best for me at the dinner table. Many of these Champagnes have the body and style of still wines; for me, they typically are very Burgundian, but with bubbles.
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Ed McCarthy
Dec 11, 2007
I recall that the Planeta Chardonnay, always their biggest-selling wine, was really dominated by oak, to the point that it certainly was not to my taste. The owner of Valentino, the affable Piero Selvaggio, was beaming with pride for his fellow-Sicilian, the attractive, charming Francesca, as we tasted the wines. Well, Piero, I can tell you now that you have reason to be proud of Planeta. The Chardonnay is no longer oak-dominated; in fact, it's a real beauty.
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Ed McCarthy
Nov 13, 2007
A major difference between Western Australia -- especially the southern part -- and other Aussie wine regions where Syrah is made is the temperature. Most Australian wine regions get quite hot in the summer; the Barossa Valley, where much elite Shiraz is made, is a prime example. While Cabernet Sauvignon can perform admirably on the Napa Valley floor, South Australia, and many other relatively warm regions, Syrah, or at least the Syrah that I enjoy, seems to do best in cooler regions. The Frankland River sub-region in the Great Southern, for example, is a particularly fine growing region for Syrah.
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Ed McCarthy
Oct 16, 2007
Before I visited Western Australia, I accepted the common wisdom that this region produces good Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. By the time I left, I realized that Western Australia's greatest vinous strength is its Rieslings.
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Ed McCarthy
Sep 18, 2007
I don't want to condemn the currently available 2003 Barolo vintage with faint praise. But after tasting other 2003s from various wine regions in Europe, I really was not looking forward to the '03 Barolos. It was just too damn hot throughout Europe that summer, as many of you can recall.
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Ed McCarthy
Aug 21, 2007
There's a common misperception that Israel is too hot, too much of a desert, to make fine wine. True, Israel is dry, with rain falling only in the fall and winter. But with the use of well-controlled irrigation and the discovery of good vineyard sites in the higher altitude northern regions--such as Golan Heights and Upper Galilee--Israel is now making fine wines, especially red wines.
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Ed McCarthy
Jul 24, 2007
As much as I enjoy drinking lively, refreshing whites and rosés during the summer, I cannot go through an entire season without my 'fix' of red wines. But I have discovered over the years that only certain kinds of red wines are satisfying in warm weather -- at least in my neck of the woods, the humid East Coast of the U.S.
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Ed McCarthy
Jun 26, 2007
I've just returned from my fourth visit to northeastern Italy's Alto Adige--and have concluded that it might be the world's most beautiful wine region. I know that's a big claim, with Alsace, the Douro Valley in Portugal, the Mosel in Germany, and New Zealand's South Island all strong contenders, but for sheer dramatic, breath-catching beauty, I'll take Alto Adige.
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Ed McCarthy
May 29, 2007
After many years of letting Tuscany, Piedmont, the Veneto, and other Northern Italy regions take the spotlight in the wine world, Southern Italy--primarily Sicily, Puglia, and Campania--is now getting its share of attention in a major way. And for me, the wines from Campania are Southern Italy's most interesting, largely because almost all of Campania's wines are made from native varieties.
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Ed McCarthy
May 22, 2007
I've heard some grumblings from my friends, who share the same passion for Bordeaux that I have, that some '82 red Bordeaux are getting tired and have 'passed their peak' of fine drinking. And so it was with some trepidation that I recently attended a tasting of 17 top 1982 Bordeaux wines, served 'blind.' I do happen to own a number of 1982 Bordeaux myself, and so this was a golden opportunity to check their progress.
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Ed McCarthy
May 1, 2007
Almost all the Italian wines that are acclaimed by critics hail from north of Rome: renowned wines like Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico, and the Super-Tuscans, such as Sassicaia and Ornellaia. But one of Italy's best red wines comes from a region in southern Italy which is practically unknown to the outside world--Basilicata.
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Ed McCarthy
Apr 3, 2007
Sauvignon Blanc, long the Pretender to the White Wine Throne of Queen Chardonnay, is once again making serious attempts to depose the queen. Two regions in France--Bordeaux and the Loire Valley--have always made fine Sauvignon Blanc wines, but lately, the Loire Valley in particular is really focusing on this variety.
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Ed McCarthy
Mar 6, 2007
The 2004 vintage for red Burgundy, according to most reports and based on my own visit to Bourgogne last September and from subsequent tastings, generally is average to good (the whites are considerably better). But rating charts don't really apply to the six exceptional Grand Cru red wines of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti - and its one sublime white, the Grand Cru Montrachet.
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Ed McCarthy
Feb 6, 2007
Like so many other winemaking countries during the last two decades, Chile has made enormous strides in its winemaking: better vineyard practices, improved winemaking from experienced, highly educated winemakers, more consultants, and perhaps most importantly, attending more closely to its terroir--especially, growing particular grape varieties in the most suitable locations.
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Ed McCarthy
Jan 2, 2007
My favorite red wines are Barolo, Barbaresco and Bordeaux (I love Burgundy, as well, but not quite as much as the other three "B" reds). But the wine I drink the most is Barbera.
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Ed McCarthy
Dec 12, 2006
The red wines that I find complementing food especially well invariably come from fairly cool-climate regions. Many are made from indigenous varieties that might be unfamiliar to some, but in my judgment are definitely worth trying.
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Ed McCarthy
Nov 14, 2006
Most of the world's well-renowned wines come from Europe -- many of them being either Bordeaux or Burgundy. That's no surprise, because European wine regions have been established for hundreds of years. The California wine industry really didn't get moving until 40 years ago, and so it is somewhat amazing that the state can boast of a wine that is regarded by many as world class, but Opus One has attained that status.
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Ed McCarthy
Oct 17, 2006
Like a matador waving his cape at the bull to attract his attention, Robert Whitley has managed to get this bull's attention. I can just see Robert chuckling to himself as he was writing his pro-globalization piece, knowing that he would be pressing the buttons of many of his colleagues. Well, Robert, you succeeded. I am dead set against the globalization of wines.
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Ed McCarthy
Sep 19, 2006
I know, you're saying, 'What kind of red Burgundies can I buy for under $30?' Burgundy's image always has been that it's expensive and rare. That is certainly true for its grand crus and most of its prestigious premier crus, but I found a number of very satisfying red Burgundies from lesser appellations retailing in the $10 to $30 price range in a recent shopping expedition.
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Ed McCarthy
Aug 22, 2006
Last August, I wrote a Wine Review Online column about the 1996 vintage in Champagne; my message was that 1996 is a truly superb vintage in the region, and Champagne lovers should get their hands on as many 1996s as they can before they disappear. But the 1996 vintage warrants a re-visit now for several important reasons.
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Ed McCarthy
Jul 25, 2006
Cuvée Dom Pérignon remains one of the great Champagnes, worthy of its price tag. But to truly appreciate Dom Pérignon's greatness, you really have to allow it to mature slowly and gracefully, in a cool, dark, preferably humid place.
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Ed McCarthy
Jun 27, 2006
During summer, we drink a lot more white wines and rosés than red wines. The thought of drinking a full-bodied, tannic red in warm weather is a bit overwhelming for me. I know that lots of fine, light-bodied red wines are out there, but the foods I eat in the summer--salads, fish, seafood, and vegetables--just lend themselves to pairing with white wines. But not just any white wines. I prefer a style that I call 'Aromatic Whites.'
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Ed McCarthy
May 30, 2006
It is astonishing to me that someone can spend thousands of dollars on fine wines and then skimp on his or her wine glasses. I suspect that the explanation for this is that many wine drinkers simply don't realize how important wine glasses are in conveying the taste and complete flavor profile of the wine to our palates.
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Ed McCarthy
May 2, 2006
Is there a more beautiful wine region in the world than Provence? It is difficult to believe that I am actually "working" when I travel from village to village along the French Riviera, soaking in the fragrance of the flowers and the aromas of the Mediterranean Sea, enjoying the warm sunshine and the brilliant light underneath the dazzling blue sky. No wonder so many artists were inspired to do their best work here!
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Ed McCarthy
Apr 4, 2006
The Champagne region of France has the loftiest reputation for sparkling wines, while Spain leads the world in the quantity of sparkling wine produced. In the middle are California bruts, a step up in quality from under $10 Spanish cavas, but generally less expensive than Champagne.
The best California bruts are top quality -- for me clearly the best in the world after Champagne. (By the way, I use the word "brut" interchangeably with "sparkling wine," because almost all of the better California bubblies fall into the brut -- very dry -- category.)
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Ed McCarthy
Mar 7, 2006
On my first trip to Galicia's Rías Baixas district a couple of years ago, I thought that I had entered another country. This was not the Spain that I knew. Spain, to me, meant hot, sunny, clear days, and very dry in most places.
Each day that week in late September in Rîas Baixas and in the nearby pilgrim mecca of Santiago de Compostela, of Crusades fame, the sky was dark and gloomy, and it rained ceaselessly. I later confirmed that it doesn't rain every day in Galicia; we just picked a bad week.
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Ed McCarthy
Mar 7, 2006
As recently as five years ago many winedrinkers had never heard of Albariño or Rías Baixas. Today you can find Albariño varietal wines on many restaurant wine lists and in better wine shops throughout the U.S.
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Ed McCarthy
Feb 7, 2006
There are two important questions I consider when buying Burgundy, whether from a restaurant wine list or in a wine shop. First, is this producer consistently reliable, vintage after vintage? Second, is this wine a good value? Drouhin is one of very few Burgundy producers whose wines consistently meet these criteria.
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Ed McCarthy
Jan 10, 2006
Chianti has gone through more changes in the last 40 year than almost any other important wine. Invariably, wine drinkers have many diverse opinions about Chianti, but we would all agree that it remains one of the most well-known red wines in the world.
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Ed McCarthy
Dec 20, 2005
During this time of year, most of us will be buying and/or drinking Champagne. For me, the Holiday Season, culminating with New Year's Eve, is such a special time that I serve only the real thing, Champagne, from the Champagne region of France.
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Ed McCarthy
Nov 22, 2005
When you talk about Argentine wines, you must start with Mendoza. This gigantic region in the western part the country, directly west of Buenos Aires on the coast, accounts for over 70 percent of the country's wines.
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Ed McCarthy
Oct 25, 2005
The Rhône Valley is a vast wine region in southeast France; the Rhône River runs southwards through the Valley, winding its way through vineyards on both banks. The region has two distinct parts: the Northern Rhône, with its continental climate and serious red wines such as Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie; and the Southern Rhône, with a warmer Mediterranean climate, renowned reds such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas, and the popular rosé, Tavel. But the vast majority of wines in the Southern Rhône Valley are red Côtes du Rhône wines.
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Ed McCarthy
Sep 27, 2005
Big, fruity, ripe, high-alcohol wines have been popular choices for many wine drinkers during the past decade or so, but I am starting to detect a backlash. Or is this just wishful thinking? I know that I cannot drink that style of wine with pleasure, nor can quite a few of my colleagues. I enjoy subtle, graceful, understated wines-wines that can complement my dinner. That is the reason that I still drink red Bordeaux.
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Ed McCarthy
Aug 30, 2005
When I first started drinking the two great Piedmontese wines, Barolo and Barbaresco, in the 1970s, I can recall that there were two great vintages, 1971 and 1978, and one pretty good one, 1974. That was about par for the course. In the 1960s, the 1961 and 1964--especially the '64--were standouts, with the 1967 pretty good, while only 1958 really stood out in the previous decade. Much of the 1980s continued the same pattern, with only 1982 and 1985 solid vintages in the 1980-1987 era.
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Ed McCarthy
Aug 1, 2005
Only once in a great while, a vintage that's extraordinary comes along in the Champagne region. 1996 was such a vintage. Richard Juhlin, the noted Swedish Champagne authority, in his new book, "4000 Champagnes" (Flammarion, 2005), calls 1996 "one of the great vintages of all time," and I am inclined to agree, based on the 1996s that I have tasted so far.
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Cool Is 'Hot' for Sicilian Wines
