American Viticultural Areas attempt to tie wines to places. Ideally, vineyards in a specific AVA share similarities in soil, climate, geology, and elevation. Those various things, along with human interaction, comprise what winemakers call “terroir.” Continue reading “America’s first AVA 7-19-2023”
Category: Facts About Wine
Wine texture 6-28-2023
Wine descriptions often refer to “texture.” What the heck does that mean? There is a texture difference between silk and sandpaper. There is a texture difference between a crisp apple and creamy mashed potatoes. Wine is a liquid. Liquid is liquid texture, right? Continue reading “Wine texture 6-28-2023”
Back to basics 6-21-2023
Arcane knowledge is the bane of wine writers. While we fulminate over nuance differences between bâtonnage and pump-over, readers roll their eyes over esoteric words with obscure, oddly accented letters. Continue reading “Back to basics 6-21-2023”
Wedding Champagne 6-14-2023
Last week we argued Champagne was a poor choice for a wedding reception. Too many people, too high prices, too much cacophony to appreciate expensive French bubbles. Continue reading “Wedding Champagne 6-14-2023”
Wine supply and demand 5-31-2023
The U.S. wine industry has been on an historic 50-year run. Demand from Baby Boomers drove the effort. Now the wine industry is fearful the run is done and tough choices loom. Continue reading “Wine supply and demand 5-31-2023”
Wine bottle shapes 5-24-2023
Wine bottles come in various shapes, sizes, weights, and colors of glass. A quick tour. Continue reading “Wine bottle shapes 5-24-2023”
Wente Clone made California chardonnay 5-10-2023
If you enjoy California chardonnay, you likely have Charles Wente and his children to thank for it. Continue reading “Wente Clone made California chardonnay 5-10-2023”
Wente Vineyards Riva Ranch Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco, Monterey 2021
Pale gold color; lime, yellow apple, grapefruit, spearmint, vanilla, oak on the nose; pear, citrus, apple, melon, pineapple, oak spice, butter on the palate. Continue reading “Wente Vineyards Riva Ranch Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco, Monterey 2021”
Mass production vs great wine 4-19-2023
The wine world divides into two camps: factory wines and distinct wines. That artificial division is black and white while the wine world is grey; it is simplistic and annoys those who recognize nuance. But the paradigm works in broad stroke terms. Let’s explore. Continue reading “Mass production vs great wine 4-19-2023”
Wine and Mexican food 4-12-2023
Beer or margarita is the knee-jerk response to alcohol pairing with Mexican and Tex-Mex food. All well and good, but wine can be in the conversation, too. Continue reading “Wine and Mexican food 4-12-2023”