February can be pretty damned grim. The holidays are officially over, now that even Super Bowl parties are in the...
Wine Review Online | Columns
Bordeaux 2020: Clay and Limestone as King and Queen of the Vintage
From emotions to geeky delights by way of potential bargains, Bordeaux 2020 from barrel has much to offer. When assessing...
What I’ve Been Drinking Lately, re Thanksgiving
My grandmother—my mother’s mother—often described herself as “an old East Texas farm lady.” ...
Who I Am and What I’ve Been Drinking Lately
I began writing about wine as a protest. Not because I didn’t like wine—I love wine and have from the moment...
What I’ve Been Drinking Lately: January 2021
For most of us, the grand wines and grander Champagnes in our cellars met their Waterloo over the holidays. Drunk with...
A Closer Look at Michigan Wine Country
When winegrowing regions of the United States are considered, the focus is naturally on the west coast – vineyards in...
What I’ve Been Drinking Lately: Good and Surprisingly Affordable Burgundies
It seems that I am eternally in search of affordable burgundies. Good affordable burgundies, that is. There are days when...
Pinot Blanc: The Forgotten Member of the Family
The Pinot Blanc variety has long been overlooked when the discussion turns to fine wine grapes. It is, I believe, a grape...
Who Should You Trust for Wine Buying Advice?
You know the feeling: You walk into your local market or wine shop, turn down an aisle and it hits you -- hundreds, maybe...
Sicily: Front and Center for 2020
My year ahead will include a major immersion in the wines of Sicily, which have improved so broadly and rapidly that this...
Oh, Sherry: A Primer on a Spanish Classic
When was the last time you considered sherry? Not Sherry, the friendly woman down the street who likes to garden, but the...
Northern Rhône Sweet Spot: Saint-Joseph
Fine Syrah from France’s Northern Rhône Valley is one of the world’s greatest wines, but the sad fact is that...