Author: gusclemens

Branding wine varietals—selling the name of the grape—is marketing breakthrough that elevated American, then world, wine consumption to levels enjoyed today. Continue reading →

The marketing masterstroke of naming wines by the grape from which they are made is a major reason for today’s wine boom. Continue reading →

Commodity wine producers see their mission as making a wine product rather than serving as stewards of a vineyard, so they naturally focus on best-selling wine grapes. Continue reading →

Starting in the 1970s and really taking off in past quarter century, wine became a beverage enjoyed by all levels of American society. Continue reading →

Loosely speaking, there are two types of wine making. Continue reading →

Pinot Gris–Pinot Grigio. Same grape, often not same wine. Continue reading →

Labor Day weekend cometh. Even if autumnal equinox is more than two weeks away, the weekend is easy excuse for a last garden gathering or final shorts-and-flip-flops party before kids trek back to school and hazy-lazy-crazy days fade to memories. Continue reading →

Barbera is a grape similar to Longfellow’s girl with the curl. When it is good, it is very good indeed. And when it is bad, it is horrid. Continue reading →

Ordering by the glass seems the perfect restaurant wine strategy. Continue reading →

Worst wine deals at a restaurant usually are at lowest end of the wine list. Continue reading →