Nov 7, 2016
In a fascinating chart highlighted at Wine Industry Insight and written about at the Washington Post, we learn that access to alcohol due to turning 21 years old absolutely results in increased crime. It’s not something you might think about, but when you see the data in a graphic you realized, “of course it does.” The question is: Is there anything we can or should do to eliminate the crime that results from people turning 21 and having legal access…
Oct 30, 2016
So, I took a bit of time to search through the Hillary Clinton, Sony Pictures, John Podesta and Democratic National Committee emails that were hacked, stolen and placed on Wikileaks. I was looking for some salacious news concerning our leaders, entertainers and wine. The reveal: Nothing. Nada. Zilch. A couple of mentions of a Cline Cellars wine club shipments for Podesta and a mention of how much someone liked that Ridge red they were given. Beyond this, a number of…
Sep 22, 2016
The signs that Napa Valley (and the city of Napa in particular) is growing as a world-class destination for those with discerning tastes continue to emerge, slowly and continually. Visits to the area are climbing. Hotel rates rise. New hotels rise. Heightened interest in its wines continues to be the cultural foundation. Restaurants emerge quickly after others close. All good signs. However, last December’s announcement that Blue Note Entertainment was opening Blue Note Napa as a first class venue for…
Sep 21, 2016
I get it. I understand. No one ever went broke dumbing something down. But that doesn’t mean I have to approve of it or even agree with it. And I’m particularly bored with folks who purport to be experts in wine who claim to be giving the gift of “debunking wine snobbery”. I was reminded of just how common and calculatingly high-minded this tactic is when I read the press release from Peter Lunzer of Lunzer Wine Events announcing his…
Sep 7, 2016
I think the success of “Sour Grapes” has a great deal to do with our innate desire to see the rich and famous taken down a notch. And that’s exactly what happened to many a rich and many a famous person who were exposed to the Rudy Kurniawan, the greatest of all wine fraudsters. Opening on September 16 and produced by film documentarians Jerry Rothwell and Reuben Atlas, Sour Grapes documents the rise and fall of Rudi Kurniawan, a wine…