May is the Mother’s Day month in the United States. Continue reading “Mother’s Day 5-3-2023”
Category: Recent Columns
Wine myths 4-26-2023
Wine can be complicated—hardly a dumbfounding revelation. It does explain why there are some false rules about wine. Let’s bust some myths. Continue reading “Wine myths 4-26-2023”
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”
Wine grapes 11,000 years old 4-5-2023
It is long established that grapevines and wine date back thousands of years. Until recently, the accepted date was 8,000 years ago. New research has pushed that back to 11,000 years. Continue reading “Wine grapes 11,000 years old 4-5-2023”
What is your vinotype? 3-29-2023
What type of wine do you like? If you are unsure, there are many online tests to point you in the right direction. The most popular determines your “vinotype.” Continue reading “What is your vinotype? 3-29-2023”
Wine questions answered #2 3-22-2023
Answers to your pressing wine wine questions. Continue reading “Wine questions answered #2 3-22-2023”
Wine’s love-hate relationship 3-15-2023
Wine has a love-hate relationship to oxygen. Not enough oxygen when it is in the winery and wine can be reductive—engendering volatile sulfur compounds. Burnt match and rotten eggs are common odor descriptors. Too much oxygen and the wine tastes “tired” and eventually turns to vinegar. Continue reading “Wine’s love-hate relationship 3-15-2023”
Wine questions answered 3-8-2023
Answers to whimsical wine questions. Continue reading “Wine questions answered 3-8-2023”
Finally, rain in California wine country 3-1-2023
After suffering desiccating drought for years, California found itself awash in alluvian floods in 2023. The state that produces almost 90 percent of U.S. wine is almost 170 percent ahead of normal precipitation. Continue reading “Finally, rain in California wine country 3-1-2023”