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.

When Sake Gets Too Polished

W. Blake Gray
Features
4 min read
Rice needs to be polished to make premium sake. But there's an arms race going on, and American consumers have something to do with it, because unlike so much about sake, we can easily understand numbers. Hollywood celebrities and Las Vegas high rollers are seeking out sakes with absurdly low

2012 Redux: Wine Snobs, Unite!

W. Blake Gray
Features
1 min read
Palate Press has selected our top ten stories from 2012 and will publish a 2012 Redux article each weekday until January 4, 2013. These stories highlight our featured columnists, widely recognized contributors, and most popular works published through the year. The Palate Press editorial board hopes you enjoy these highlights as we look

Wine and Turkey: Not a Thanksgiving Story

W. Blake Gray
Features
6 min read
Turkish wines are historic, interesting and in many cases pretty good. And the Islamic ruling party would be happy for you to take more of them away from the country. Turkey is a fascinating place for wine researchers because it appears to be the birthplace of wine. The center of

Struggling with Wine Tasting Notes

W. Blake Gray
Features
5 min read
Tasting notes are the hardest thing for me to write about wine. I have strong opinions about the elements of a good tasting note. But while I love a good argument, I have stayed out of this one because I don't feel comfortable telling other people how to write them.