Archive for the ‘Wine Education’ Category
Napa Valley and Sonoma County may remain the premier wine destinations in the country. However, the recent exposure that Oregon wine has received has solidified it’s place as a significant destination for wine travelers…specifically, the Willamette Valley. So, the question arises, if you are looking forward to a post-vaccine wine holiday, which destination should you choose? Here, we compare the merits of Napa Valley vs Willamette Valley (north). In the context of wine regions, these are two very different placed,…
The single word that best describes the latest edition of the venerated The New Sothebys Wine Encyclopedia is “ambitious”. Like the other “encyclopedias” covering wine that have been published in the past, this tome attempts, through survey and codification and not a little editorial comment, to catalog the current state of wine. It is the kind of book that will see its mighty slipcover fray and tear over time as it is slid off and slid back on to the…
Is the wine industry in America racist? It’s a pertinent and timely question given not only the current movement for social justice and racial equality but also considering the various articles that have been published over the past few weeks highlighting the experiences of African Americans working in the wine industry here in the United States. INDUSTRY STRUCTURE To begin with, what should be uncontroversial is that the structure of the wine industry is not racist. That is to say,…
I can’t be sure how much it amounts to, but I know that I owe Michael Broadbent a debt. The great Michael Broadbent MW has passed at the well-cellared age of 92. The man was an absolute giant in the international wine world. I’m not sure he can be replaced nor should he. As one would expect, Jancis Robinson has penned the best obituary/remembrance of Mr. Broadbent. I recommend it. As for my debt, it is directly related to Broadbent’s…
God bless Alain Ducasse. So upset and infuriated is the legendary French chef with the entire concept of “Dry January” that in response he has significantly lowered the price of his best Rhone, Burgundy and Bordeaux bottles at his Parisian restaurants during the first month of the year. The idea is to coax people off their pledge to not drink in January by enticing them with restaurant wine prices they can’t refuse. I’ve heard people who dismiss the Dry January…
