Author W. Blake Gray

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W. Blake Gray
Staff Writer
Wine writer W. Blake Gray is Chairman of the Electoral College of the Vintners Hall of Fame. Previously wine writer/editor for the San Francisco Chronicle, he has contributed articles on wine and sake to The Los Angeles Times, Food & Wine, Wine & Spirits, Wine Review Online, and a variety of other publications. He travels frequently to wine regions and enjoys coming home to San Francisco.

The thinned red wine

W. Blake Gray
Features
3 min read
Imagine if I could tell grapegrowers a way to produce more wine from the same vineyard that is also actually better. Happy Thanksgiving winegrowers, I'm here for you! There's another culprit to add to the list of reasons wines are unintentionally getting higher in alcohol: crop-thinning. This revelation comes from

White Burgundy that will save some green

W. Blake Gray
Features
4 min read
Burgundy has fallen off the daily-drinking map for many wine lovers. Everyone acknowledges its greatness, but that is the problem: high demand, weak supply after several small vintages. Most Burgundies are now too expensive for Tuesday night with rotisserie chicken. This is your ever-relevant Bargain Burgundy column. In 2016, it's

Saving Sylvaner

W. Blake Gray
Features
4 min read
Wine lovers, let's help save a grape. It's not quite on its last legs, but it's misunderstood, and our obsession with ratings and blind tasting is partly to blame. The grape is Sylvaner. A century ago it was the most-planted grape in both Alsace and Germany. It's one of the