Wine Reviews

Posted Apr 25 at 12:00am

San Leonardo Vertical

Italy's Finest Taglio Bordolese!

Somethings are simply surprising. Snakes on planes for example, or the popularity of animated mice. You have to wonder why these things are in fact surprising. In the abstract, many of us tend to dislike both snakes and mice. Put them on a plane and they become scary, animate them and they are endearing. It seems that context plays a bigger role here than content. Often with wine, it is much the same. If you really get down to the bottom of things, and lets just limit out discussion of Bordeaux blends today since we are on this Meritage kick, different wines are simply different mixes of the same old things. Throw in a little Cabernet, some Merlot, Carmenere and maybe a bit of Cabernet Franc, each well represented as varietal wines, but mix them together and they are sometimes surpris...

Posted Apr 23 at 12:00am

Turning Water into Wine

Stark Thirst the wine to donate profit to WaterAid

I have to admit to having only learned of WaterAid earlier this year. I don't believe in coincidences, so when I was asked by a friend if I might be interested in tasting a wine whose mission is to...

Posted Mar 28 at 12:00am

Top 5 Red Wines for Spring

Light and fruity options to welcome warmer weather

Quick, don’t blink or you’ll miss spring! One moment it’s here, the next it’s not. You have to be prepared if you want to enjoy some springtime fresh wines before the summer rolls in! I laid out a...

Posted Mar 27 at 12:00am

Viognier Tasting Notes

The renaissance of a White Rhone varietal

One of the great stories of the past decade has been the renaissance of Viognier. With new producers in the Rhône Valley as well as an explosion of producers from emerging regions like Virginia, W...

Article

10 White Wines for Spring

Great transitional wines for the season we've been waiting for!

Spring has definitely sprung around these parts and while I am fully cognizant of the fact that I'm going to get caught in a trap, I'm thinking of my wines for spring already! I know, I'll be out ... Read More »

Article

New York State White Wines

5 delicious selections from the Hudson Valley perfect for Spring

White wines tend to be more forgiving than red wines. The worst a winemaker can extract from an unripe white wine is high acid and lean, citrussy flavors. Unripe red wines run the gamut from vegeta... Read More »

Article

New York State Red Wines

5 delicious selections from the Hudson Valley

The Hudson Valley was once the land of strange hybrid wines that were sweet, foxy and just outright weird! Today, most of the reds are produced with more familiar European varieties like Pinot Noi... Read More »

Article

Aged Sangivoese Tasting Notes

Siepi vs. Percarlo - a vintage showdown

I know that I am biased and that my biases are not always correct. I also know enough to not worry about things like this and just accept my new reality. If you’ve been following my writing, you mi... Read More »

Article

6 Top Value Sangiovese Wines from 2010

A vintage of very young and approachable wines

The wines of 2010 are the youngest Sangiovese you will find in the marketplace at this time. As real youngsters, these wines tend to be fruity and bright. As the product of a particularly promising... Read More »

Article

5 Top Value Sangiovese Wines from 2009

A wonderful year for entry level Chianti

2009 is a vintage of highs and lows in Tuscany. High heat and low rainfall produced some wonderful wines that are full with ripe fruit and soft structure, but others were affected in an adverse way... Read More »

Article

Sangiovese Buying Guide

Great wine at modest price points

Sangiovese is not always thought of as a generous wine. In fact, many argue that this is one of the grape’s most appealing features: austere tannins, a generally light body and refreshing red fruit... Read More »

Article

2007 Brunello

Notes from the Italian Wine Masters Tasting

When word of the Italian Wine Masters tasting hit my inbox, I was quick to hit the reply button. In the years I’ve been writing and attending tastings, I don’t recall ever attending a more compreh... Read More »

Article

1997 vs.1999 Sangiovese

Comparative notes from a recent tasting

It was a showdown, 1997 versus 1999. We tasted four producers all from my cellar to test the vintages, see if each deserved its reputation, and if one or both vintages have been misrepresented. Th... Read More »

Article

Sangiovese from Italy and California

Capitalizing on an adaptable grape variety

Today, I’m publishing two sets of tasting notes featuring Sangiovese-based wines from both Chianti and the U.S.’s West Coast. In many ways it is an interesting juxtaposition of wines, showing that ... Read More »

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966800siddsidd INDIAN WINES COMING OF AGE Wines made in India are getting better every month.In terms of land selection,proper care for vineyards,mixing and aging,the whole process is gradually coming up not only parallel to world standards but also in few cases excelling expectation.An industry just over a decade in the country,is looking forward with promises to offer excellent labels with perfect compositions and of brilliant structure. Keep an eye on Indian brands specially white and red.Probably country has a great advantage of having a plethora of foreign brands from all over the country just next to the variety produced within the country. Continuous comparison and efforts to learn and improve is probably the reason of the sheen already seen on the edges of Indian wine.
41453lizjewel I am surprised at the name change from Shiraz to SYRAH. I was just getting used to Shiraz. I wonder what it was called before it was Shiraz, anyone know? As a native Swede I'm not impressed by the name change. The word SYRAH does not ring well in a Swedish ear. The Swedish word "syra" (no h) means "acid". Yeah... Try selling "acid" wine to the Swedes, they'd get a good laugh!