Banfi has done it again. About 30 years ago, Banfi astounded-and frightened--the locals in Montalcino when they purchased...
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If There Were an Award for Largest Cajones . . .
If there were an award for the largest cajones at the 26th annual San Diego International Wine Competition, Cakebread Cellars...
Godfather of Paso Wine Scores Huge Win in San Diego
In the picture above I'm chatting with Gary Eberle at the start of the Paso Robles winery cookoff last summer. This is an event...
Sojourn a Bright New Star in California Pinot
It seems to me California Pinot Noir is coming of age. At the very least the state of current California Pinot is a far cry...
Ventana Scores Rare Double at Monterey Competition
Winemaker Reggie Hammond of Ventana Vineyards may have earned a new nickname over the weekend. "Mister California Riesling"...
Ticked Off About Ultra-Heavy Bottles
'Don't sell the steak, sell the sizzle!' is an old sales adage that has logged a lot of miles over the years and helped push a...
My Newfound Passion for Vermouth
My parents always had a bottle of dry vermouth sitting on the bar--right next to the gin, of course. This was the era of...
Franz’s First Perfect
We virtually never post reviews in this blog space, but this is an exception worth making. I've been reviewing wines...
Valentine’s Day Libations
Valentine's Day is easily one of my favorite occasions of the year. Not only do I have the opportunity to stoke the fires of...
A Daring New Venture: Roxo Port Cellars
Picture this: The year is 2005 and two young couples are sitting around a campfire throwing ideas around when one of the...
New Product: The Respirer Wine Aerator
Well before Christmas I recommended the nifty Vinturi wine aerator, which I love and gave as gifts to several friends. That...
Good Time to Be a Wine ‘Buyer’
Christian Roguenant emailed yesterday to bow out of his position as a judge at the 2009 Monterey Wine Competition, scheduled for...