A rather remarkable project is underway at The Wine Country Club Blog. John Olney is writing his book online, in blog form, rather than in private and out of view. The books is a history of Napa Valley wineries that pre-date 1900 but can still be viewed today. The emphasis is on the people and owners at each of these properties. It’s an ambitious project. Writing and re-writing the book in a blog format makes the project a somewhat collaborative…
Being a regular wine blog browser, I can say with little hesitation that first impressions are important. And while that first post or first wine review sets a certain tone for the blog’s readers, it’s really the initial visual impact that draws the reader in. So when in it comes to blogs, and that means wine blogs too, it is the current nature of the beast that this visual impact is most often centered on the blogs masthead, that strip…
Stony Hill Vineyard on Spring Mountain in Napa Valley is celebrating its 50th anniversary. This alone is notable, yet not remarkable. What is remarkable is that Stony Hill has created a true cult following over the years by sticking to a style of Chardonnay that is rarely seen any more: crisp, fruit forward, long aging, un-oaked. A few years back, taken completely by this Chardonnay after having tasted a 15 year old example that was stunning, I set out on…
There is something very interesting going on over at the new wine blog, Swirl & Sniff, that I mention in the post above. They employ a 16 point rating system in which the Value, Color & Clarity, Bouquet and Flavor of a wine can be scored between 1 -4 points each. For example, their review of the Seresin Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is scored thusly: Value: 3.5 Color & Clarity: 4.0 Bouquet: 3.5 Flavor: 3.5 The wine gets 14.5 points out of…
There is a new wine blogger out there whose work impresses me, even after only five posts. Swirl & Sniff originates out of Seattle. I don’t know who is behind it as there is no name attached to the blog. I came across the Swirl & Sniff after its author left a comment after on of my posts. Clearly the new blogger follows the trend set by a number of other wine bloggers; they want to help make wines and…
