Jun 14, 2006
Ever wonder what the life of a barrel looks like? Annette Hoff, winemaker at Cima Collina, a client of Wark Communications, one who works in a region I’m quickly coming to conclude is on the cutting edge of all that is great about California winemaking (Monterey), and who also is a great blogger, has a post on just this subject. The fact is, Annette simply doesn’t’t blog enough…or, enough for me. Each of her posts are a delight, very personal,…
Jun 12, 2006
It’s not unprecedented but it is unusual. Robert Parker’s agreement to write a weekly column for Business Week Magazine is a fairly rare even for the most powerful wine critic on the planet. Since beginning publishing his Wine Advocate newsletter he has taken up very few gigs outside that venue. He wrote fleetingly for both Wine Enthusiast Magazine and for Food & Wine Magazine. But most of his efforts have gone into his newsletter. So bringing on Parker to write…
Jun 12, 2006
I can recall the era when the emergence of a new wine growing region, while somewhat exciting, was also met with a bit of skepticism by the wine trade and the hard core consumer. The issue was 1) can the new area producing anything of merit and is there any talent making wine in the region. It was also the case that getting out the word on wines from an emerging region was also a difficult task. The wine media…
Jun 12, 2006
Taj at Cork & Demon has apparently finished her notorious Western Wine Tour. It was, as far as I know, "on the road" wine blogging event to hit the blogosphere. Taj started in Texas, made here way through the southwest, up through California, Oregon and Washington, then back home. Along the way she stopped and visited wineries, talked to owners and winemakers and blogged it all. I envy Taj. Who doesn’t really. There is something very substantially American about the…
Jun 9, 2006
From the "Be Careful What You Say" File: Decanter reports that a maker of Portuguese wine Vida Nova was provoked by his host on a British TV show to denounce his own wine as "That’s rubbish. I wouldn’t pay for that, it’s tainted, it’s insipid. It tastes like vinaigrette. I’d never buy that." Ouch. Of course it was a blind tasting. The winemaker, Cliff Richard, should have known better. But what’s more interesting is how this episode in self emulation…