One of the great pleasures of wine exploration is not just in encountering something new, but something special. Italy is full of something new. An inquisitive consumer can find dozens of new grape varieties to explore, red and white, fat and thin, rich and ripping. That's not a promise that
April is the time of year when wine people start pricking up their ears, scanning for news from Bordeaux. A few actually go there for the en primeur tastings of the latest vintage in early April, while the rest wait around until their tasting notes are made public. Occasionally, we
The average lifespan of a wine grape vine is one score years and five. Then it’s unceremoniously ripped out and sent on to a second life as compost, BBQ fuel, or crafting material. But at Cakebread Cellars in the Napa Valley, viticulturist Toby Halkovich and his crew have broken with
"Wine is just too fancy for Maryland," explained Rob Deford, the owner of Boordy Vineyards in Baltimore County, as he discussed the local wine industry's challenges. "We eat crabs here; we drink beer." The audience at this year's Drink Local Wine conference chuckled in agreement. Blue crabs and Natty Boh
The AVA name "Red Mountain" sells a lot of wine in steakhouses. I learned this from master sommelier Thomas Price of Seattle's Metropolitan Grill, who says people just like the sound and will order wine from there without knowing a thing about it. "Red Mountain is probably the best AVA
A long time ago, in ancient Italy, two neighboring republics were established - the Republic of Siena and the Republic of Florence. And between these two regions was a place called Chianti Classico. It is unclear where the name “Chianti” comes from, but it’s almost certainly Etruscan - the people
Hugely dark, no light can penetrate the wine's depths. Blackcurrants, vanilla, and black pepper show on the nose. A hint of green pepper shows for the briefest moment on the attack, giving hints of the South American origins, but disappears immediately. Blackcurrant and black pepper are joined on the mid-palate
Tom Mansell, Ph.D., Palate Press' Science Editor, offers a seven-part lecture in the science of wine. He discusses yeast, esters, flaws, and even how to fix some flaws. Tom is an entertaining and informative speaker. We hope you enjoy Wine Science Part 7, Wrap Up. d d d