The wine writing genre is something pretty impressive. At Wark Communications we have a media list of over 400 writers who write often or occasionally about wine. How many consumable products can you find that are so well covered by the press. Know any “Onion Writers” or “Frozen Pizza Writers? I don’t. Why wine motivates such devotion is fodder for another post. What I want to draw your attention to here is a nice development in the realm of the…

1. My family is healthy and happy 2. 2005 is the “vintage of the century” for all Californian winemakers 3. Wark Communications and its clients continue to enjoy success 4. Great success to my family and friends 5. I get into the finals of the Rock Paper Scissors Championship at Roshambo Winery 6. Anderson Valley get “discovered” 7. Huge Johnson posts more on the state of the wine industry 8. The SF Chronicle adds even another page to their Wine…

I’ve wanted for some time to address the issue of “terroir” in this blog. But I’ve not found a real good way to approach what is an interesting, though controversial and misunderstood notion. “Terroir” is most important because it is the notion that a wine represents a particular place at a particular moment in time that makes it a romantic, mysterious drink. Yet notice, this statement of terroir really says nothing about what a wine tastes like or what its…

This is the second in a series of reviews of wine publications CALIFORNIA GRAPEVINE I’ve been reading California Grapevine for more than fifteen years. The bi-monthly newsletter rarely strays from its charge: Give California wines a good, detailed, technical review along with commentary by the best writers in the business. California Grapevine is no nonsense and no frills. In each issue, printed in black and white on its beige pages, you will find nothing but reviews of California wines, each…

The numbers that are being reported regarding the tsunami really can’t measure the immensity of what has happened. Instead of listing here all the ways you can help, I recommend you read Juliette Rossant’s perfect post at her SuperChef Blog. Now is the time to help. Juliette can show you how.