I’m in a vineyard on top of a graceful hill overlooking the Rhône River from the right bank. Right bank meaning not Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In the Southern Rhône Cru Lirac. The morning was incredibly rainy; driving to Lirac from Avignon, water poured down the sloped roads and normally-sunny Provence was saturated.
Can California wineries make Champagne? Of course they can! Over the past three years, at least four California wineries have started doing so. Before I get sabered by a regiment of WSET candidates for dealing in alternative facts, let me hasten to add that these Californians are making their signature
Eighty Four Wines is a new project from Doug Shafer, of Shafer Wines, and Elias Fernandez, Shafer's long-time winemaker. The grapes came from four acres they planted in Carneros in 2012. The nose shows honeysuckle, citrus blossoms, key lime and fresh peaches. Vibrant and fresh on the palate, barely ripe
The color is beautiful, pink with hints of copper, clear and bright. Strawberries with a light sprinkle of sweet cream waft up from the glass. Strawberry is joined by citrus on the palate, sweet tangerine and tart lemon, with a clean grapefruit-pith bite. The finish lingers nicely. This is a
So I got invited to visit Chile and Argentina early this spring, right at the beginning of harvest in the Southern Hemisphere. I leapt at the chance. No matter that I was invited by one particular company, Montes. They are known for experimenting in the vineyards, and I wanted to
This wine has one of those noses that almost makes you forget to take a drink. Aromas of orange blossoms, distant magnolia, and freshly-sliced pears all float up from the glass. Soft, round fruits lead on the palate, poached pears and mangos, with cut grass in the background. Pink and
Imagine waking up in a place surrounded by some of the most famous Italian vineyards - the wineries of Barolo. Picture opening the window and seeing the sun’s rays stretching along the hills, brightening a carpet of grapevines. To a wine lover, this may be the absolute best way to
Recently I visited Italy’s Marche region for the first time. The landscape in this tiny, unheralded area of the boot is astounding. To the west, the steeper eastern slopes of the Apennines bear down, while the gentle Adriatic eclipses the horizon to the east. Upon rounding each hair-raising turn on