Californian Wines

Continuum: How the Mondavis pressed on

by  |  14-05-2018

One of the grandest of sagas that took place in Napa Valley during the 20th century was the split between the original Mondavi brothers of Robert and Peter. Many a wine drinker will know the... more »

Tast del Decenni 2018: The DOQ Priorat 2008 vintage

by  |  11-05-2018

The 2008 vintage for DOQ Priorat was something of a crossing-the-Rubicon, come-to-Bacchus, everything-has-changed vintage. The wineries started the year coming off of one of their best vintages ever, 2007 (read more) and they ended the... more »
Old vines in the Mas de la Rosa vineyard

A Priorat tasting of Carignan without borders

by  |  02-05-2018

Fully booked! Sorry for those who couldn’t get in this time around! I have admittedly been a bit crazy about Carignan lately. It’s no wonder as I posted this large, “Grand Tasting of Carignan” from... more »
Mustard, Napa has it

Seeing the Napa Valley of now

by  |  26-03-2018 ~ 2 Comments

This past February, the impossible happened: I actually slept in Napa Valley. In fact, I slept seven nights and passed an entire week within the confines of these world-famous vineyards bracketed by the Mayacamas and... more »

A Judgment of Paris-y kind of tasting

by  |  26-02-2018

The “Judgment of Paris” is one of those things that anyone the least bit tinged with wine will most likely never let go of. Big events in wine are often only big to wine people,... more »

More…

by  |  06-12-2017

There’s been “big” news in the wine world over the last few weeks. I made sure to use the quotes as this news is completely meaningless to most anybody who isn’t deeply embedded in the... more »

A soirée of White Grenache

by  |  30-11-2017

Starting in October, we’ve been seeing a roll out of events to lead up to the next edition of Grenaches du Monde in April. If you’ve not heard of this event that’s because it rather... more »

Tastings & Talks happening

by  |  25-08-2017

If there’s one thing I’m not the best at, it’s shameless self promotion, which in some ways I feel is a positive as opposed to a negative. Still, the old adage of a tree falling... more »
From the Fanagoria website

Fanagoria – Cru Lermont Pinot Noir 2015

by  |  10-08-2017

Russia and wine are not two words oft spoken in the same breath. So while judging at the Decanter Awards in April, in a seriously mixed and exotic flight, my table found themselves presented with... more »

The kvevri: of clay & wine

by  |  05-08-2017

June marked the release of the new Georgian wine book and meant a trip over to Georgia for a presentation at their annual wine fair in Tbilisi. It also meant that we’d be able to... more »