Apr 28, 2006
I think it’s simple: A designated growing area, an appellation or, as they are called in the United States, American Viticultural Areas, are only useful if they are able to deliver expectation to the drinker. If I can’t have a pretty good idea of what I’ll experience in the bottle if it says "Anderson Valley" or ‘Oakville" or "Russian River Valley" on the label, then what’s the point of putting the appellation on the bottle at all? This is also…
Apr 5, 2006
"Lodi was famous for wines," lamented John Beckman, a city councilman. "Suddenly we became famous for terrorists." It’s not hard to understand the frustration that Councilman Beckman feels. His little town out outskirts of the Bay Area is becoming more and more connected with terrorism as the trial of two Lodi men on terrorism charges has gained national attention. This is an interesting PR situation for Lodi wineries and wineries that put "Lodi" on their label to indicate this is…
Apr 4, 2006
Terroir. I never tire of this subject. It is unquestionably the most intellectually stimulating subject in the world of New World wine today. Happily, in the near future we are going to see much more writiing on the idea that wine should taste like a place. The recently completed U.C. Davis Terroir Conference assures that a number of treatise will emerge from what has reported to have been a spirited, if not somewhat academic and confusing, get together or winemakers,…
Mar 30, 2006
Yesterday’s post on Biodynamicism, faith, gambling and viticultural techniques appeared to some (see comments) as a bit of a rant…perhaps even over the top. First of all I’m shocked, shocked I tell you, that anything that appears on FERMENTATION would be considered a rant. I much prefer it be considered "unhinged verbosity." That said, There is a place where one can go to find a someone different, and perhaps more reasoned perspective on the state and nature of Biodynamic Viticulture….
Mar 23, 2006
On occasion Roger Dial of Appellation America shoots off an e-mail to their mailing list. They are very often very interesting missives. Todays was particularly enlightening and held one particular statement of great importance and foresight. In general, Roger is arguing that understanding what makes America’s appellations, and the wines that come from them, unique is of critical importance to the American wine culture. But the very last paragraph of his communique reads like this: The fact that so much…