Consumer warning: this is a lengthy article debunking the myths and legends of sulfites. Let me cut to the chase and provide dessert before the entrée: unless you are asthmatic or one of the 1% club of people who have a bone fide sulfite allergy, it is highly unlikely that sulfites are the cause of…
Washington Wine Vanguards
A lively session at the 2014 Symposium for Professional Wine Writers, hosted by Jon Bonne and Eric Asimov, inspired a maelstrom of chatter on social media and a verbal boxing match. The session frame was simple and elegant: introduce writers to California winemakers who are experimenting in a “back to the future” movement with old…
Imitation is the finest form of flattery…
Sublime. That exquisite moment when the first nibble of a perfectly prepared dish melds in layers of flavor with the first sip of a gorgeous wine. It’s an art, and yet a science, the joyful experience of pairing wine with food. Few chefs can resist the temptation to tart up a dish with multiple ingredients…
Sassy Sauvignon Blanc
A group of 10 Cincinnati women who are wine lovers have enthusiastically embraced the “wine school” challenge issued three months ago by Eric Asimov and The New York Times. The gatherings are so popular that husbands and friends have clamored to expand “Femmes du Vins” to “Femmes et Hommes du Vins.” After a safe start…
Taste of Premiere Napa Valley
Fair warning to readers: this is a long piece including lists/descriptions of 36 wines. There are a bewildering number of wineries to choose from in Napa Valley. They fit neatly together like a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle, aligned in tightly woven vineyard ribbons lacing Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail, along the eastern slopes of the…
Robert M. Parker Advocates for Civility in Wine Writing
Videos, verbatims and viscissitudes have been flying through the blogosphere from many of the wine writers who attended last week’s annual Symposium for Professional Wine Writers held at Meadowood in Napa Valley. For your reading pleasure, I recommend posts by Alder Yarrow (Vinography), David White (Terroirist), Fred Swan (Norcalwine), Richard Jennings (RJonWine), Bill Ward (Decant…
Paso Robles Possibilities
With 30 years of robust history most often credited to entrepreneur Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon, Rhone Rangers are firmly fixed on the California wine landscape. Since 1983, the winemakers of Paso Robles and York Mountain AVAs have played a significant role in shaping the future of Rhone varieties in the US. It’s a familiar…
Stories of the Vine: Tuscan Icon Warms Up Cold Night
Posted by Amy Neyer, CSW, WSET Advanced Certified I admit it. The prospect of staying in the comfort of my warm house with a mug of hot tea and a stack of Decanter magazines was almost too tempting during last Monday’s Polar Vortex redux. Happily, I’m really glad I didn’t or I would have missed a…
Domaine Michel Lafarge, Volnay
Finding Domaine Lafarge started off as an uncertain conquest! The charming village of Volnay is quite hilly with narrow winding streets. As if the natural challenge of finding rue de la Combe wasn’t enough, it turned out that the street was undergoing major road repair. After seeking guidance from two different sympathetic residents, we finally…
Feast of Saint Vincent: A Burgundy Tradition
Each year in January, 80 wine villages throughout Burgundy celebrate the feast of Saint Vincent as the guardian of winemakers. While the officially designated feast date is January 22, many wine villages organize elaborate festivals around that date honoring the 20th century tradition of the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin. For example, on January 18…