Nov 11, 2010
This year has been one of the most active and consequential for wine-related politics and legal issues. Below is my list of top Political and Legal Stories of 2010. 1. HR 5034Written, promoted and paid for by America's beer and wine distributors, HR 5034 is an attempt to change the legal rules of the alcohol game by a group of players that don't like the current set of rules. Introduced in mid year, the bill was given a hearing in…
Sep 2, 2010
"I do not believe nature has any use for our democracies. Some things are better than others, and on of our functions is to guide our readers toward appreciation of these distinctions as gracefully a we're able." This is Terry Theise, the great importer of wine, explaining his belief that quality is objective and can be discerned in wine. It is also Terry explaining that it is the obligation of the learned wine aficionado to tutor the less knowledgeable in…
Jul 1, 2010
I've mentioned before on this blog that the idea of "Terroir" is somewhat troubling to me for a few different reasons. The first is that if the vast majority of wine drinkers can't taste or describe or identify the difference between a Carneros Pinot Noir and a Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, then what's the point? Second, in most regions of the world, and certainly in America, the official appellations such as Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Central Coast, Paso…
Jun 17, 2010
I like toys and I like games. It's a vice, I admit. I love the Xbox. I love computer games. I don't get to use them as often as I like, but I do love them. I love maps too. Hence my fascination with GoogleEarth, perhaps the greatest time-sucker I've come across on the web. So, it's no surprise that I love The Wine Map. I'm not sure how long it has been in existence, but I'm pretty bummed I…
Jun 1, 2010
Is it possible to judge a wine without ever having laid foot in the region where it was produced? I've been wondering about this really fascinating question ever since reading this comment by MW Tim Atkin, made at the opening of Fine Wine 2010 in Spain in April and published in Wine Business Monthly: "Critics who judge wines without visiting the country they come from are insane and insulting….Our interpretation of fine wine regions and grape varieties has barely evolved…