Everyone refers to "old vines" reverentially. The precise definition of 'old' varies enormously--legitimately depending on...
Wine Review Online | Columns
California Syrah: Finding the Middle Ground
This past weekend marked the 17th edition of Hospice du Rhône, a celebration of Rhône varieties worldwide that places American...
Pizza Wine for Dummies
Americans love pizza so much that we've made it our national food, along with hamburgers and hot dogs. I also happen to...
Sherry: The World’s Most Under-Appreciated Wine
After an experience at one of Barcelona's best tapas bars (Irati, just off the Ramblas), I have a better perspective on...
Discoveries in the Rhône
There's luck and there's luck, and I consider arriving in Avignon from Marseilles at dusk on a spring day, with the fading sun...
The Sonoma Coast: Pinot Noir’s New Frontier
In early March of this year, I toured California's Sonoma Coast, a region which I think is already turning out some world-class...
Wrestling with Riesling
Lovers of comeback stories who thought Mickey Rourke's performance in "The Wrestler" could never be topped might take a fresh...
Micro-Diffusion and the Rise of American Wine
I published a column here on WRO last autumn entitled, "Going Local: The Way to a Wine Culture for the USA," arguing that the...
Abruzzo, The New Tuscany, Part II
Although I've said it before, it's worth repeating: wines from Abruzzo deliver more bang for the buck than you'd expect. ...
Santa Cruz Pinot Noir Gets Its Bearings
Note: The following is adapted from a talk given at the World of Pinot Noir Conference held in Shell Beach, CA, on the...
California Merlot: Dissed but Wrongly Dismissed
Not too long ago, in the 1990s, Merlot was the "hot" California varietal red wine. After the "French Paradox," which...
Abruzzo on the Rise
If you are looking for wines that deliver more than their price suggests (and who isn't during these economic times?), it pays...