Feb 21, 2006
I think it’s fair to say that Pinot Noir is the most exciting area of winemaking in California today. The Pinot Noir category is churning up new producers. Newer Pinot producing regions are strutting their stuff. And, various styles of Pinot Noir are lining the shelves, one next to the other, from the more elegantly styled to the blockbuster powerhouses. It’s really a time of great experimentation and change when it comes to Pinot. This is why it’s so exciting…
Feb 20, 2006
It struck me as I was reading a news report of the dire situation Arizona wineries find themselves in (thanks to wine middlemen) that the wine wholesalers who want to convince legislators to stop all forms of direct shipment and direct sales by wineries are making a very unique argument: "EVERYONE IS INCOMPETENT BUT US WHOLESALERS!" In Arizona the wholesalers are pushing a bill that would forbid Arizona wineries from selling direct to consumers and selling direct to retailers. Arizona…
Feb 20, 2006
There was a time, not too long ago, when birthday’s freaked me out. The aging thing. My response was to spend my birthdays pretty much alone, at home, reflecting. I tended to partner these bouts of melancholy with vintage port. I could usually get through Godfather 1 and 2 and a good bottle of Warres or Fonseca and the dreaded day would be over. Things have changed. I don’t mind birthday’s nearly as much. However, I do still indulge myself….
Feb 18, 2006
FERMENTATION’S WEEKEND LINKSFebruary 18, 2006 1. Proposed Federal Budget Hits Wineries Hard 2. Koeppel’s Primer on Red Wine & Chocolate 3. Calling for Competition 4. Wine Events…Everywhere 5. Where Wine, Food & Travel Writers Mingle 6. The eGullet Wine Forums 7. Cheap, Well-Aged, California Pinot Noir 8. The Terroir Confernce 9. Thomas Jefferson’s Cultivated Life 10. Wine Blog of the Week: The Zinquisition