One very interesting aspect of the wine tasting profession is the notion of a regional palate. The difference is clear to those who judge at competitions that use tasters from all over the world, or even just from different parts of North America, from east to west coast. There is
When I was in the French region of Armagnac in December, everyone was all excited about selling Armagnac in China. As well they should be. While Armagnac is a beautiful, tawny, aromatic spirit with a long tradition, in recent decades it has fallen far below Cognac in world recognition, consequently
Pliny the Elder, the Roman author, was a fan of wines from the Rhône Valley. Something he wrote nearly 2,000 years ago struck winemaker Pierre Gaillard, a student of wine history, as a tip for finding something almost incredible today: unused Grand Cru-level terroir in the heart of French wine
Brian Mullaney and John Dawson at Zachy’s Wine and Liquor in Scarsdale, New York, are hoping a donation of 20 lots of incredible wines will help a family which has suffered for months from their daughter’s summer disappearance. Robert and Charlene Spierer’s daughter Lauren disappeared from Indiana University June 4,
At 143 years of age, the Original Grandpere Vineyard in the Sierra Foothills is the oldest documented Zinfandel vineyard in California, and it still produces wines of high quality. Its history is closely linked with that of California wine, and with United States wine consumption in general. The identity of
“How do we farm in such a way that we actually contribute to the expression and the nature of our products?” asked Paul Dolan. This was one of the questions taken up by an all-star cast of winemakers from around the globe during an event organized by Canadian wine agency
It started with Barolo. It was the first wine that made clear to me not only the sociological, cultural and historical relevance of wine—the way it can teach us about the humanity of a place and time—but also the way it helps us understand, in a simple, profound way our
In 2011, winemaker Paul Hobbs oversaw the release of his new Cahors collaboration as well as the expansion of one of his American labels, CrossBarn Wines by Paul Hobbs. His schedule is brutal, but the chance to work in Cahors, the traditional region for French Malbec was too exciting for