Tasting notes from the cellar
For the past two weeks, I have spent almost every day in a professional warehouse inspecting thousands of bottles from what I am now convinced is the greatest cellar in America. Having had the privilege of being in hundreds of great cellars in the United States, I can diligently say this cellar is beyond compare. [...]
Scores, scores, scores… and DRC Romanèe Conti 2002
Oh dear… this is that terrible business of wine scoring again. Tom Wark over at Fermentations makes a point that perhaps we should draw distinctions between a $1600 wine and one that, well, costs a lot less… See here The Wine Critic’s Responsibility & the $1600 Wine. Of course, this isn’t a new story, far [...]
The wine has ’swing’: or, wine as jazz and vice versa
I recently came across this interesting analogy entitled ‘Does jazz rejoice the heart’? I make no apologies for the fact it was written for a jazz festival 12 years ago (1993), since its currency is obvious. Xavier Felgeyrolles wrote it to promote
Ramandolo ” a unique sweet wine, from a distinct grape, grown in a special place
In June I bought a bottle of wine I had never heard of before: Ramandolo. I was intrigued by the taste and as a result travelled to the area a month later. I wrote this article as a result of my trip.
The wine of Ramandolo, a sweet wine, is quite unique for a number [...]
Harvest images
If you have ever wanted to see just how a harvest looked then Hugel & Fils in Alsace have taken the initiative of putting up some videos on their web site. These start from January 2005 showing the vineyards under snow.
You can see all these videos at the following address: http://www.hugel.com/en/videovendange/index_webcam.php
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The New York Tasting of 2005
That’s what it was, in effect. Months of planning had culminated this past Thursday in our modern-day recreation of the 1976 Paris Tasting, the tasting heard ’round the world that forever changed the global perception of California wine. Close to sixty people, including four panelists, gathered together to see if all the gains made in [...]
Sweet Vouvray
Dear wine lovers,
When it comes to cheese and dessert, the truth is, it is difficult finding a wine that will go with both dishes. Hopefully, Vouvray has some treasures for you…
Vouvray, a beautiful village located near Tour in the Loire Valley, is a place where you can admire lots of authentic Châteaux from the 16th [...]