Most of you will never taste a wine from Luxembourg. The country has just 3100 acres of vines, about the same as Wente Vineyards...
Wine Review Online | Columns
Making Sense of Appellations
The overarching goal of the U.S. Treasury Department’s American Viticultural Area program is to eliminate confusion for...
Marvelous Madeira
Recently, I attended a phenomenal tasting of Blandy’s Vintage Madeiras, dating back to the early 19th century. The...
Under the Radar: Long Island Merlot
Some wine areas are vaguely familiar but not well known or fashionable. Parts of Southern Italy, such as Puglia, fit this...
Beating the Odds: Phil LaRocca
In the 1970s, when California wine was trending toward agribusiness, Phil LaRocca approached enology professors at UC Davis and...
Moët & Chandon Sets the Tone: Dryer Champagnes Are Now the Norm
The trend towards dryer Champagnes has become official. Moët & Chandon, Champagne’s largest house--selling...
Appreciation: Jess Jackson
Jess Jackson, founder of California’s Kendall-Jackson and owner of 30 other brands and 14,000 acres of vineyards, died...
Barsac Stands on Its Own
American wine drinkers are often accused of “talking dry but drinking sweet.” This slightly snobby claim is...
Tax Relief in a Bottle
Although the economic climate has improved marginally during recent months, most of us remain far more cost-conscious than we...
The Alchemy of Wine: A Reason to Cellar
In years past, when marginal weather often failed to ripen grapes adequately, winemakers rejoiced in the relatively rare years...
The True Coast
Quite a few wine writers, including yours truly, have written off California Pinot Noir as a lackluster example of the variety,...
Long Lasting Napa Valley Cabernets
From time to time someone will ask me to predict the next big thing in wine, as if I would know. Nostradamus I’m not. I...