Need proof that wine is complicated, that a real learning curve exists in becoming wine-competent? How about an entire book just to decipher and translate wine labels. I don’t bemoan the fact that wine is a complicated product. In fact in large part it is the complications of the different appellations, varieties, vintages, governing bodies and descriptors that go toward helping to describe a wine that makes the beverage so interesting. I mean, you don’t see many books the label…

Here is one of the best reviews of the controversial film, "Mondovino". Composed by Kerry Howley of Reason Magazine, the review is balanced and inquisitive. There is just one part of the review that confuses me. I can’t figure out if the author is offering the view of one side of the debate or if the author truly believes this: "The space between Guibert (portrayed as the anti-globalist) and Mondavi (portrayed as the globalist)i is wine’s battlefield. Terroir, a central…

In 1976 Bob Morrisey created the Wine Spectator Magazine. It was a fairly visionary move. He went out and hired some great writers, many of whom went on to become very successful. He and his writers created a tabloid on wine that was upbeat, at times humorous, and a long needed addition to the wine writing genre in America. In 1979 Marvin Shanken, a fan of the magazine, bought it and made it into the most important wine magazine in…

Neal Martin at The Wine Journal coaxed a fascinating quote out of Michael Broadbent in what is really a fabulous interview: "What I cannot understand are these writers who write columns in the papers about supermarket wines. I guess it is horses for courses, but I, for one, am not interested in writing about Sauvignon Blanc for example. These wines are for drinking, not for writing about." "For drinking, not for writing about" I think I agree. What is there…