Archive for the ‘Rating Wine’ Category
We are on the verge of a discussion that could turn out to be of some import. As the California grape harvest begins to move into its final phases, it appears that this could be a year when grape sugars come in significantly lower, particularly for late ripening grapes like Cabernet. This in turn means we may be in for 2011 Cabs with lower alcohols. If this does occur, look for an industry-wide discussion asking, "Is this harvest good for…
As reported by Dr. Vino, California’s Sea Smoke Cellars out of Santa Rita Hills has placed the following wording on six of their 2009 vintage labels and on one 2008 Sparkling Wine label: “CALIFORNIA GRAND CRU” This is, in my mind, the most audacious packaging move I’ve ever seen a California wine ever make. According to the good Dr., Sea Smoke explained its unique new labeling message by referencing a March 2008 blog post at the WineSpectator.com in which Jim…
I'M NOT SO SURE… 1…Millennials have much to offer ultra premium wineriesYes, they are adopting wine on a shorter timetable than past generations, but as Rob McMillan of Silicon Valley Bank has pointed out, these young'uns aren't buying much of the good stuff. They drinking wine with greater diversity and have a greater penchant for imported wines and enjoy really silly labels. But if I were selling $40+ bottles of wine, they would not be my target demographic. 2….It's smart…
By all accounts, the 2009 Pinot Noir vintage in California is spectacular. These wines are now largely in the market place or will be coming on the market soon. It's one of the things that makes me so excited about he upcoming Pinot On the River tasting on October 23 in Healdsburg, California. Of the 2009 California Pinot Noirs Jim Labue of the Wine Spectator wrote: "There is no such thing as a perfect vintage, but 2009 comes close to…
Who doesn't love a good list? I love lists. I love listing. A great little list was recently released in the form of THE WINE ENTHUSIAST'S 100 BEST BUYS OF 2011. What we are talking about here are the best value wines the reviewers came across over the past 12 months. Curious about the breakdown? BY COLOR (and type)Red Wines: 51White Wines: 41Sparkling: 3Rose: 3Sparkling: 1 BY COUNTRY/REGIONCalifornia: 22France: 12Portugal: 10Spain: 9Chile: 9Washington: 7Argentina: 7Italy: 7Australia: 6South Africa: 3Oregon: 3Austria:…
