Articles

Bridging wine’s language silos

by  |  30-09-2016

Vinum is a wine shop in my adopted village of Porrera where it's usually the mother of the family that owns it, Cori who you'll find behind the counter. She's from the next county over,... more »

The Grapes of Spain

by  |  28-09-2016 ~ 2 Comments

If there is one native Spanish grape that a typical wine drinker will know, it is Tempranillo, and for most consumers, the story ends there. In the second half of the 20th century, it was... more »

Enough with Sherry & Grandma

by  |  26-09-2016

It seems to have started at least a decade ago when someone introduced an article on Sherry by saying that people shouldn't confuse it with that sweet drink that your grandmother would sip on. Others... more »

In The Glass: Jean Leon – 3055 Merlot/Petit Verdot 2015

by  |  23-09-2016

One of the wineries high on my list to visit in Catalonia is that of Jean Leon. Being that it's in DO Penedès, it's a touch out of the way for just casually stopping in,... more »
Yes, that is indeed my chicken scratch

The “Correction” in wine writing

by  |  22-09-2016 ~ 5 Comments

Seems to be a melancholy, pensive time in wine writing. Steve Heimoff posted this article about the Golden Age of Wine Critics having passed. It was a nice read set in the midst of a... more »

In The Glass: Cave de Tain l’Hermitage – Cornas 2012

by  |  19-09-2016

I don't really know why the AOC Cornas appellation in Rhône isn't more sought after. It's a very small region over just over 100ha with very small production of just half a million bottles--in a... more »

The UNWTO’s first Wine Tourism Conference & Georgia

by  |  17-09-2016

After finishing up the bulk of research for a new Georgian wine book, from September 7-9th I attended the first annual Wine Tourism Conference, organized by the United Nations World Tourism Organization. Georgia was chosen... more »

8000 Vintages, a new wine shop in age-old Tbilisi

by  |  10-09-2016

I've spent the last month running across the entire country of Georgia to research a new wine guide. When I tell people this, I feel the mental image is of me lounging in a pool,... more »

In The Glass: Telavi Marani – Kondoli Sami 2012

by  |  03-09-2016

I'm not a terribly huge fan of tossing in some French varieties with local ones as the mix is often unholy. I remember tasting a Greek wine from Naoussa that was Xinomavro and Cabernet Sauvingon.... more »

Review of SOMM: Into the Bottle

by  |  01-09-2016 ~ 2 Comments

Some might wonder the logic in reviewing a film that came out eight months previous but in the case of SOMM: Into the Bottle, it was mainly because I wanted to reflect on it a... more »