Mar 11, 2011
I don't know what the parents come up with in Dairyland when they put together an auction for their private schools. Maybe a night of dinner and milk among the cows. In Lobsterland perhaps the parents looking to raise funds for their private schools auction huge lobster tails signed by the Fisherman that hauled in the big tail, but I'm really am not sure. But what I do know is that these and other private school fund-raising auctions can't be…
Feb 11, 2011
With Robert Parker, Jr.'s announcement that he is turning over reviewing responsibilities for California wines to Antonio Galloni, there has been one major question on the minds of California wineries, wine retailers across the country and collectors: Will Galloni appreciate the same wines as Mr. Parker has appreciated? The reasons this question arises should be clear: 1. Mr. Parker's reviews of California wines have been very influential with collectors and retailers who have used the reviews to help aid them…
Nov 3, 2010
I had the chance to meet with two pretty impressive wine minds this morning and an interesting topic emerged: How will the wine media in America portray the 2010 harvest/vintage in California/Napa/Sonoma? Will they take the proper perspective, talk to numerous vintners and growers, take account of the different pace of ripenng for different varieties and give a balanced perspective? Or will they undertake to paint with a brush so broad that upon speaking with one grower who described a…
Aug 24, 2010
Back around the early 1990s if you wanted to spend time on-line discussing wine with fellow oenophiles you frequented the "wine boards" on AOL and Compuserve. These were the premier "bulletin boards" where folks passionate about wine would post topics, comment on topics and discuss the world of wine. I was somewhat active in the AOL board and its where I first witnessed not only the kind of very deep and consequential wine conversations that could be had on line,…
Jun 29, 2010
Andy Perdue, longtime editor of Wine Press Northwest and an authority on the wines and wine industry in Oregon and Washington, was kind enough to interview me at the Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, Washington last week. It was a fun interview to do and gave me the chance to think about the utility of the Wine Bloggers Conference and bloggers and my own mug.