It was a party celebrating births, birthdays, anniversaries and cancer survival. The guests ranged from their early 20s to early 70s, and a more convivial, connected and intrinsically homogenous group would be hard to find. Everyone present had connections to the wine trade, and our five-hour gathering flew by–a party that seemed suspended in good […]
Arturo Ciompi
Posted inNews
Follow the pinot noir road
Why even write a wine article about pinot noir these days, with pinot becoming such a hot commodity in the wake of the popular movie Sideways? A March 2005 article written by Adam Strum of Wine Enthusiast magazine notes that nationwide retail sales of pinot noir have increased 15 percent since the movie’s release. So […]
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Cape of good wine
The average American lacks any strong feelings toward South African wine. Unlike its southern neighbors Australia, New Zealand and Chile, South Africa has yet to find a discernable market niche and some kind of identity for its exports. Maybe it needs a mascot like a koala or a penguin? There are so many to choose […]
Posted inGuides
Wine with Mexican food?
Lulu Bertran says: “Very few Mexicans are worried about cholesterol. Our cooking is based on pork lard. There’s absolutely no interest in cooking with less grease.” Historically, Mexicans “condition” their stomachs to the oncoming spice and richness by having a shot of tequila. Americans embrace beer before and during their Latin repasts. I would like […]
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Esterlina–Catnip for humans
Steve Sterling has the healthy glow of a native Californian, reared in the valleys of Merced County among the almonds, walnuts and his family’s herd of prime cattle. He spent his formative years there, alongside numerous friends who were the children of Gallo winery employees. Steve’s father, Murio, is a fourth generation rancher from a […]
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Picks of the litter
Sharper than a serpent’s tooth, the bills of January come slicing home, reminding us of our misplaced generosity toward uncle Alfred and cousin Allison. Stunning credit card totals could inspire a country song entitled “I’ve got the MasterCard, Visa and Diner’s Club Blues.” It’s time to resolve to drink well, but frugally, for the foreseeable […]
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A holiday wine
It was a bottle of 1926 Chateau Cheval Blanc. Recently out of graduate school, I was a freelance clarinetist in New York City. (Freelance: an adjective meaning “rarely employed.”) My other waking hours were spent bagging almonds and dried apricots in an upper west side health food store, feverishly practicing my instrument toward my big […]
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Barolo and Son
“It’s not the words that count, but the rush of what is said.” –Jack Kerouac Seemingly all wine regions have a “vintage of the century” (every couple of years), so why should Italy’s Piemonte be any different ? After a long string of terrific, prolific summers, their good fortune has culminated in what may well […]
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Queen Chardonnay: The boom that may must
Chardonnay was California’s first “glamour girl” wine. In the mid ’70s, exploding like a model from a birthday cake, its popularity skyrocketed and grew. Thirty years later, like many a pretty face, it may be losing its center stage charm. The diva may soon be relegated to a place where perhaps it should be; one […]
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The long days of summer
The squirrels are still mating at my back yard feeder, which leads me to believe that we’re in for a long regular and Indian summer ahead. (When it comes to weather prognostication, I’ll trust the science of the squirrel every time.) So, fire up your grills and keep the whites chilled. I recently tasted 28 […]