Italy has traditionally been known in the wine world mainly for its red wines. Throughout the 1970s to the 1990s, Italy...
The Gary Farrell Winery Today
Gary Farrell is one of the pioneers of Pinot Noir in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley, along with Joe Rochioli, his son Tom...
Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County, California) Pinot Noir 2012
I believe that the two Halberg Vineyard Pinot Noirs in this tasting were served after the winery’s Rochioli Vineyard Pinot...
What’s Happening in Paso Robles
Paso Robles is a relatively new major wine region. It became an AVA in 1983, but as late as 1990, Paso Robles was the home...
Lieb Cellars, North Fork of Long Island (New York) Pinot Blanc 2010
Made from 100 percent Pinot Blanc, this Long Island brut is a winner. It is very effervescent and lively, with a lot of...
An Assessment of Vintage Champagne
Until recently, the U.S. has not been a big market for Vintage Champagne. Non-Vintage Bruts, the least expensive...
Joseph Swan: The Man and His Wines
Many of today’s wine drinkers might not have heard the story of Joseph Swan, but you probably know of a winery named...
The New Wines of New York State
I have been living in New York State all of my life, and have been following the wines of the world since my early...
Hanzell: The Gold Standard of California Chardonnay
California Chardonnays remain the most popular wine sold in the U.S. today. I don’t often write about them, because...
Buying Bordeaux Today
Apart from purchasing older vintages of great Bordeaux at auctions or online, there are two reasons to buy red Bordeaux: ...
Prestige Cuvée Champagnes
What is a “Prestige Cuvée” Champagne? It is the finest Champagne that a producer makes, from the finest...
Non-Vintage Brut Champagnes, Plus a Great, New Book on Champagne
Before I focus on non-vintage brut Champagnes, I must tell you about a newly-published Champagne book. Every once in a while a...