by Scott W. Clemens | Sep 22, 2022 | Wine & Spirits, Wine & Spirits blog, Wine Reviews
Five of us recently spent an overnight at a friend’s apartment on the top of Russian Hill in San Francisco. In the morning we trekked down the Broadway steps to China Town and North Beach, where we foraged for appetizers at Molinari’s delicatessen. We came away with...
by Scott W. Clemens | Sep 22, 2018 | Wine & Spirits, Wine & Spirits blog, Wine Reviews
From time to time I use this space to report on the age-ability of older wines. I’m not really a collector. I buy wine to drink. I drink more white wine than red, none of which I age, and as I prefer relatively young Pinot Noir there is none in my wine cellar. The...
by Susanna Gaertner | Feb 26, 2018 | Wine & Spirits, Wine & Spirits blog, Wine Reviews
At first glimpse of the bottle from this hitherto unknown to me Texan winery, I didn’t know exactly what to think, not to mention that “Texas Red Wine” did not sound promising. But you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. While I freely admit to not loving...
by Nicholas Kontis | Feb 8, 2018 | Wine & Spirits, Wine & Spirits blog, Wine Reviews
What are the odds that two waiters could save enough tip money in order to make wine that would be a smashing success? With no formal training, the highly unlikely ascent to winemaking success makes Dan Kosta and Michael Browne cult figures around Sonoma’s...
by Susanna Gaertner | Sep 30, 2016 | Wine & Spirits, Wine & Spirits blog, Wine Reviews
Here’s a light and lovely red that has all the charm of a Beaujolais but is made right here in California. I admit that I knew nothing about this grape variety, which is also known as Napa Gamay or Napa Gamay 15. At its point of origin in the Longueduc-Rousillon...
by Scott W. Clemens | Oct 6, 2015 | Wine & Spirits, Wine & Spirits blog, Wine Reviews
Every year for the past 13 years Barbara Drady, of Affairs of the Vine, has been organizing the Pinot Noir Shootout and subsequent Pinot Noir Summit. The Shootout is not one event, but a series of blind tastings held over several months in which professional wine...
by Scott W. Clemens | Aug 11, 2015 | Wine & Spirits, Wine & Spirits blog, Wine Reviews
Rosés are pretty, but they’re not the most complex wines; they’re not powerful or full-flavored. In fact, they’re delicate, light, uncomplicated and easy to drink without much contemplation. Perhaps that’s why rosé consumption is on the rise. In France, where...
by Scott W. Clemens | Aug 1, 2015 | Wine & Spirits, Wine & Spirits blog, Wine Reviews
Dry Creek Vineyard, 2014, Wilson Ranch, Clarksburg Chenin Blanc: Though technically at the threshold of off-dry (.6 residual sugar) it strikes my palate as completely dry with a silky texture and firm acidity. Consistent year after year, the flavors call to mind fresh...
by Scott W. Clemens | Jul 29, 2015 | Wine & Spirits, Wine & Spirits blog, Wine Reviews
Wines, like people, age at different rates. Some elderly people are young at heart, vibrant, full of life, and still in their prime, while others are creaking curmudgeons, dried out husks of the persons they had once been. Likewise, some old wines are vibrant and...
by Scott W. Clemens | Jul 8, 2015 | Wine & Spirits, Wine & Spirits blog, Wine Reviews
Summertime calls for refreshing white wine. There are plenty of candidates to choose from: Albariño, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino — the list goes on. All are worthy to grace our table, but if I had to confine myself to just one...
by Scott W. Clemens | Jun 30, 2015 | Wine & Spirits, Wine & Spirits blog, Wine Reviews
Cartlidge & Browne 2013 North Coast Chardonnay: Value doesn’t mean dirt-cheap; it means better quality than expectations dictate. I suspect other reviewers have discounted this wine solely because of its reasonable price. Nonetheless, this Chardonnay is right in...
by Susanna Gaertner | Jun 4, 2015 | Wine & Spirits, Wine & Spirits blog, Wine Reviews
Here’s a rosé to rave about, and this from someone who is not normally a rosé fan. I don’t enjoy their slightly sweet, pinky-dinky quality…and then I found the 2014 Mourvedre Rosé from Tercero. Instead of the usual strawberry and/or melon...
