by Lisa Richardson | Apr 12, 2015 | Wine & Spirits, Wine & Spirits blog
The Tuscan panorama is forever as we make our way on the strada. Here in Montalcino, vineyards, olive and fruit trees share the gentle verdant hills with medieval villages and castles. On one perch, historic Castello Poggio alle Mura (meaning walled hilltop) graces...
by Lisa Richardson | Apr 12, 2015 | Wine & Spirits, Wine & Spirits blog
The famed terroir is situated about two kilometers from the imposing fortress in Montalcino. Five hundred meters of cypress trees frame the entry to Tenuta Greppo, home of Biondi-Santi wines in southern Tuscany. We join three other couples and Sabine, our...
by Scott W. Clemens | Apr 7, 2015 | Wine & Spirits blog
I first posted this piece in 2011 and the problem persists. The vast majority of the wines I taste each year are tasted blind. I only learn the name of the wine after I’ve made my notes. My ratings are based entirely on taste. I don’t discount a...
by Scott W. Clemens | Apr 1, 2015 | Wine & Spirits, Wine & Spirits blog, Wine Reviews
Mirassou, 2011 California Cabernet Sauvignon: With its plum, spice, cinnamon, clove and vanilla flavors, the 2011 Mirassou Cabernet is almost too intense (like mulled wine). Yet on the palate it has a silky texture, good structure, and a long fruit-spice-earth finish....
by Susanna Gaertner | Mar 12, 2015 | Wine & Spirits, Wine & Spirits blog
Founded in 2003, the Grandes Pagos de España — great growths of Spain— honors single estate wines from its thirty premium member wineries. Many of them were on display at a recent tasting in San Francisco, at the Absinthe Brasserie & Bar, where the food...
by Tom Hyland | Mar 10, 2015 | Wine & Spirits, Wine & Spirits blog
The Barolo production zone is comprised of eleven communes that vary in size as well as style. While there are a few that are quite small, containing only a few dozen acres of Nebbiolo vines used to produce Barolo, there are five that emerge as the leading areas for...
by Scott W. Clemens | Mar 7, 2015 | Wine & Spirits, Wine & Spirits blog, Wine Reviews
I’m taking a slight chance in recommending these wines, simply because they’re non-vintage, and therefore the batches I tried may not be the exact same wines you find on the supermarket shelf. Nonetheless, I feel that Gallo, which makes the wine, has sufficient...
by Jan Ross | Mar 2, 2015 | Wine & Spirits, Wine & Spirits blog
If you like to cook, drink wine, or just enjoy a fabulous meal prepared by someone else, you must plan a getaway to the Gervasi Vineyard in Canton, Ohio. Hidden away in a quiet neighborhood, you will probably think you have taken a wrong turn until you spot the...
by Scott W. Clemens | Mar 1, 2015 | Wine & Spirits, Wine & Spirits blog
When I began drinking wine in 1970, Bordeaux was the standard by which all other Cabernet and Bordeaux-style blends were judged. At the time, it was understood that only the best wines benefited from age, and that aging was necessary to coax out the flavors in these...
by Scott W. Clemens | Feb 19, 2015 | Wine & Spirits, Wine & Spirits blog, Wine Reviews
2012 was a difficult vintage by all accounts. Those wineries leaning more heavily on Merlot did better, as the Merlot ripened before the rain hit. The Cabernet Sauvignon was late in ripening; rain hit in the last week of September and continued on and off through...
by Scott W. Clemens | Feb 15, 2015 | Wine & Spirits, Wine & Spirits blog, Wine Reviews
2013 Geyser Peak, California, Sauvignon Blanc: A relatively simple wine with tart grapefruit and melon rind flavors, it’s refreshing and properly structured to work well as an aperitif or paired with oily foods. 86 points. $7.00 2013 Mark West,...
by Tom Hyland | Feb 12, 2015 | Wine & Spirits, Wine & Spirits blog
The following is an excerpt from the upcoming book The Essence of Champagne: In the Glass and at the Table by Tom Hyland, to be published in 2015. Text and photos ©Tom Hyland. Jean-Paul Hébrart, Champagne Marc Hébrart (Photo ©Tom Hyland) At Champagne...
