Last year was a worldwide wine calamity. From wildfires in Chile, South Africa, Portugal, and Spain, not to mention...
Climate Change Means Wine Change
read more
Paul Lukacs
Pulenta Estate, Mendoza (Argentina) Malbec 2015
Like many Argentinean wines made under the watchful eye of Paul Hobbs, this Malbec proves seductive because of its...
Linne Calodo, Paso Robles, Willow Creek District (Central Coast, California) 2014
An unconventional, limited edition blend of Tempranillo, Grenache, Mourvedre and Tannat, this wine tastes seamless and...
Seaside Cellars, New Zealand (New Zealand) Pinot Noir 2014
Sourced from coastal vineyards in multiple regions, this wine offers excellent value. At a time when most under $20...
Anciano, Calatayud (Aragon, Spain) Garnacha 2015
An increasingly popular grape variety with American consumers, Grenache (or Garnacha in Spanish) offers a supple texture...
Les Rocailles, Savoie (France) 2016
Made with the local Jacquère grape, this is a stony, mineral-rich wine, filled with a cornucopia of fruit flavors...
Looking Back
This year marks my 25th of writing professionally about wine--the quality of specific bottles in columns and reviews, as well as...
Nativ, Taurasi (Campania, Italy) 2010
Firmly tannic with deep, dark flavors and woodsy notes, this is a rustic wine that nonetheless exudes class and...
Hanna, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County, California) Sauvignon Blanc 2016
This is the rare Golden State Sauvignon Blanc that actually tastes varietally true. Its fruit flavors resemble...
Etude, Bannockburn (Central Otago, New Zealand) Pinot Noir 2014
A very pretty wine, with a supple, silky texture, sufficient acidity for balance, and plenty of sexy fruit and spice...
Two New Paradigms
The contemporary wine world largely defines quality in terms of varietal typicity, the ability of a wine to taste of the grape...
Esk Valley, Gimblett Gravels (Hawkes Bay, New Zealand) 2014
Most American wine drinkers associate New Zealand with Sauvignon Blanc. If they have to think red, they likely go for...