The Basics

Posted Jan 9 at 12:00am

The Problem with Wine Ratings

What's wrong with them and their affect on how we buy wine

I’ve been thinking about writing up my thoughts on this issue for some time, but I had always thought it was just too simple an issue; something that might be summed up in a few sentences, but perhaps I was wrong. The issue of course is wine ratings, we hate them and we love them, but are they really worth anything? It would be sad to realize that something so many people become emotionally invested in is actually not worth the effort, but to a large extent that is what I believe. Before going any further, let me just say that I use the 100 point scale, or about 30 points of it, when I rate wines and I find that it is a useful way to gauge how much I like one wine versus another wine of similar type. I don’t believe it is some absolute scale, and have always felt that its accuracy was...

Posted Nov 29, 2012 at 12:00am

Ports Worth Trying

The holiday season is the perfect time for dessert wines

The holiday season is prime dessert wine drinking time for several reasons. It’s hard to drink a lot of dessert wine. They come after a huge meal and many other wines. We are full. Please not a waf...

Posted Oct 17, 2012 at 12:00am

9 Basic Traits of Wine

Use GDP's tasting method to judge any and every wine you sip

Some of my recent wine reviews have featured a new approach to reviewing. I’m trying to make my reviews more useful to a broader range of wine lovers, so I’ve simplified the written review and trie...

Posted Oct 3, 2012 at 12:00am

Where Do the Plums Come From?

The story behind that plummy aroma

Have you noticed that wine writers describe wine aromas as smelling like just about anything other than grapes? It’s a funny thing. Why the heck should the wine smell like plums when it’s made of g...

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5 Wine Myths- Busted! Or Not.

What's the truth? GDP cracks the 5 most popular wine myths

Wine is a complicated matter. Or that’s at least what all wine experts are hoping you’ll believe! The truth is that wine is a remarkably flexible product, ending up as simple or as complicated as y... Read More »

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Five Key Wine Components and How to Detect Them

A lesson on the basic words and phrases you need to know about wine

How often have you run across these phrases when you’re reading a wine review: “highly structured," “crisp,” “bright," “firm tannins,” “fine-grained tannins.” How do they translate into your flavo... Read More »

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7 Mistakes Wine Drinkers Make

And how to avoid them

We are all guilty for these mistakes wine drinkers make because we all make them. I know some might argue that it should just be about the wine and how it tastes, which is true, but by knowing, rec... Read More »

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Don't Drink That, Drink This! (part 2)

Cheap wine worth drinking

Last time, I took a look at expensive wines and made some suggestions for finding relative values. Today, let’s look at cheap wines. You can buy a lot of crap out there for almost no money. How abo... Read More »

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How to Make Wine a Healthy Part of Your Diet

It's easier than you think

What is your New Year’s resolution? I bet for many of you, myself included, it is to take better care of yourselves. That usually means trying to slim down. While at first pass you might think tha... Read More »

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The $2500 Wine Cellar

Part 1: Getting started with Rioja and Beaujolais

With these fateful words, I begin what may prove to be a most vexing and trying adventure: to build a complete and representative wine cellar with options at many price points and the ability to me... Read More »

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New Year's Wine Resolutions

Starting a wine cellar with minimal time and money

With the New Year upon us, we tend to be a resolute bunch. Many of our resolutions revolve around self-betterment, peace on earth and fitting into old jeans. You know, those same old unattainable t... Read More »

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Decoding the Sparkling Wine Label

Just the facts ma'am

The time is upon us! The time to buy sparkling wine that is. Don't know where to begin? Starting here is a good place. We've put together a handy, simplified chart for figuring out what you're ... Read More »

Article

2011 Beaujolais Nouveau

Tasting the latest releases

Time to get ready for the big Turkey Day while working out one’s wine pairings. This is actually a great time to be paying attention to wine media, though what we are saying can become kind of pred... Read More »

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Comparing Wine Closures

How cork differs from synthetic or screw caps

As with wine containers, wine closures are an important choice that each winery must make. The effects of each closure go well beyond simply controlling the quality of the wine they restrain. There... Read More »