Oct 11, 2006
I received a bottle of 2004 Bishop’s Peak Rock Solid Red from the UPS man today. Brian Talley sent it to me with information about the wine. It was sent in the hopes that I would review it. (Thank you very much, Brian!) There a few things I want to say about this. First, I want to say upfront that I do not review wine at Fermentation: The Daily Wine Blog. The reasons are many, but let me hit the…
Sep 27, 2006
I’m feeling rather paternal today. A Wark Communications client, Goosecross Cellars, recently launched their own blog, aptly named, "The Goosecross Cellars Blog". The Goosecross Cellars Blog is the second winery blog we’ve helped birth. The question with any blog, winery related or not is two fold: Can you write on a regular enough basis to keep the attention of your audience and can you deliver content that is both compelling and the unique voice of the winery. I was extraordinarily…
Sep 26, 2006
Today Wark Communications will help Saintsbury carry out the kind of even that I am most fond of: A tutored tasting of wines gong back 20 years conducted and hosted by the owners of Saintsbury and their winemaker. I personally like these events because they appeal to the geek in me, they give me time to really consider the way wines age and the pace is always appropriate. The attendees will be mainly wine writers and members of the wine…
Sep 21, 2006
Vinography is the location of some of the best blog-hosted conversations in wine blogdom. This of course is due to Alder Yarrow’s incisive writing and observation skill. I was reminded of this, and provoked to some deep thinking, when I read Alder’s and his commenters’ thoughts on Wine Spectator Matt Kramer’s August 31 column in that magazine. Alder points out in a post entitled "What is Matt Kramer Smoking", that Kramer, in writing about the problems and difficulties in recommending…
Sep 21, 2006
I had chance to very briefly chat with Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon the other day. In the midst of a short conversation he explained his belief that we live in a "post-varietal" world. This would put him in line with Appellation America (a Wark Communications client) publisher Roger Dial who also believes the future of North American wine culture is terroir driven. This idea that we are moving toward a terroir-driven understanding of wine in America doesn’t necessarily conflict…