It seems inevitable. Whatever is “in” eventually will be “out.” Whatever is out eventually will be the next big thing. In the wine world, orange/amber wine and qvevri are examples. Continue reading “Qvevri 11-29-2023”
Category: Recent Columns
Laura Catena interview Part Three 11-22-2023
Dr. Laura Catena is the managing director of Bodega Catena Zapata and often called the face of Argentinian wine. A fourth-generation vintner, she also is a magna cum laude grad from Harvard and earned a medical degree from Stanford. She practiced medicine in San Francisco for 25 years while helping run the family winery. Continue reading “Laura Catena interview Part Three 11-22-2023”
Thanksgiving strategies 11-15-2023
Thanksgiving is the greatest of all the food-centered holidays. July Fourth is hot dogs and beer. Christmas is sugar highs and multitudinous distractions. New Years is about regrets in the cold, harsh light of the next morning. Continue reading “Thanksgiving strategies 11-15-2023”
Laura Catena interview Part Two 11-8-2023
Dr. Laura Catena is managing director of Bodega Catena Zapata, one of Argentina’s leading wineries, and spokesperson for the brand. This is part two of my recent interview. Continue reading “Laura Catena interview Part Two 11-8-2023”
Laura Catena interview Part One 11-1-2023
Laura Catena is considered the face of Argentine wine and a wine world leader. I recently interviewed her and will share the interview in columns in November and December. Continue reading “Laura Catena interview Part One 11-1-2023”
Random wine facts and hacks 10-25-2023
Random notes on wine conundrums, weird facts, and wine hacks. Continue reading “Random wine facts and hacks 10-25-2023”
Wine is history 10-18-2023
Every bottle of wine is a history. Usually a wine is an expression of a single year. It tells the story of that year’s climate, the people working the vineyard, the people making the wine. Plus, there is the backstory of the grapes, the vineyard, the winery, the people. Continue reading “Wine is history 10-18-2023”
Texas wine AVAs episode #2 10-11-2023
Texas wine facts: Texas is the fifth-largest winemaking state, behind California, Washington, New York, and Oregon. And Texas wine is No. 3 in economic impact, just behind California and New York. Both rankings according to the National Association of American Wineries. Continue reading “Texas wine AVAs episode #2 10-11-2023”
Texas wine AVAs episode #1 10-4-2023
Texas wine once was an amusing blip on the wine world radar. There was interesting activity around Lubbock, an ambitious project in the Big Bend, dreamers in the Hill Country, and—of course—ardent over-achievers around College Station. Continue reading “Texas wine AVAs episode #1 10-4-2023”
Wine geekiness 9-27-2023
It comes with the wine writer territory: people encounter me at the grocery store, in elevators, on the street and ask me about wine. “As a wine geek…” they begin their question. Continue reading “Wine geekiness 9-27-2023”