“Ripeness” may be a winemaker’s most important decision. Ask three different winemakers their definition of ripeness, however, and it is possible you will get six different answers. Ripeness is just that complex. Continue reading “Ripeness 1-26-2022”
Category: Recent Columns
Vigneron-Vintner-Négociant 1-19-2021
“Vigneron” “vintner” “négociant” are wine terms. What are their exact meanings? This being wine, they don’t really have exact meanings. Here is an overview. Continue reading “Vigneron-Vintner-Négociant 1-19-2021”
Wine labor woes 1-12-2022
Farming has never been easy the past 8,000 years. Workers are the current challenge in the wine world. Continue reading “Wine labor woes 1-12-2022”
2022 wine trends 1-5-2022
With the beginning of a new year, a look forward to trends in wine. Continue reading “2022 wine trends 1-5-2022”
Optimism 1-4-2023
New year. No matter if you look back on 2022 with a sigh of satisfaction or you are grovelingly thankful to survive another solar circumnavigation, time for optimism. Continue reading “Optimism 1-4-2023”
Wine hangover 12-29-2021
New Year’s Eve is called “amateur drunk” night because folks who do not regularly consume alcohol decide they might as well join the “oh-be-joyous” fest on the last night of the year. Continue reading “Wine hangover 12-29-2021”
Bubbly for the holidays 12-22-2021
’Tis the season to be bubbly. December is the hottest month for sparkling wine. Festive, fun, special. People who don’t drink wine, drink sparkling as we endure the darkest days of winter and toast the dawn of a new year. Continue reading “Bubbly for the holidays 12-22-2021”
Expensive wine 12-15-2021
This being the month of lavish giving and celebration, expensive wine may be on your agenda. Here are some things to look for, and a cautionary note, too. Continue reading “Expensive wine 12-15-2021”
Wine no-no’s 12-8-2021
Holidays can be prime time for vino blunders. Be your better self. This is a time for joy and bonhomie, so pass on these unwholesome wine gaffes: Continue reading “Wine no-no’s 12-8-2021”
Dramatic drop in wine production 12-1-2021
At its heart, winemaking is farming. And, at its heart, farming is an inconstant, ever-challenging enterprise. The year 2021 is a case in point. Continue reading “Dramatic drop in wine production 12-1-2021”