Burgundy’s reputation for growing the finest Chardonnay on the market comes down to the one-of-a-kind clay, limestone, and chalk terroir that provides its wines with intense minerality. Modern winemakers clamber to buy grapes from every subregion of Burgundy, making it the region with the most widely-replanted white grape roots in the world. Terroirs in Napa…
Over the past 10 years, more and more wine producers are using skin-contact pigeage on white wines, a practice that for centuries was viewed as a flaw in white varietals. Every year, dozens of guests gather barefoot at Peju Province, tucked away in the dry hills of Napa Valley. There, they sink their freshly-cleaned feet…
An excellent wine collection requires dedication and joy in the thrill of the hunt. Serious collectors like Leslie Rudd never allow their cellars to lay dormant, constantly seeking out special additions that excite them. Rudd owns more than 10,000 bottles of wine, yet he is still on the search for the best new vintages…
Many wine collectors are turning to “do-it-yourself” self-service wine locker facilities as a supposedly cheap way to invest in wine. These are often viewed as the most cost effective way to store your wine collection. What collectors fail to take into consideration are three often-ignored reasons that self-service facilities typically end up costing far more…
When I took a family wine tour of my hometown near Napa Valley a few years ago, we were all ecstatic about trying a 25-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon that my friend had kept on her estate for a special occasion. We opened the bottle, savored the intense violet bouquet, and took our first sip.…
When we talk about fine winemaking techniques, chances are that horses and cows don’t enter the equation. What many of the most discerning wine connoisseurs don’t realize is that livestock can create a wine more vivid in flavor than any previous vintage on the same estate. Not only do animals naturally fertilize the vineyard’s soil,…
The 1939 Treasure Island World’s Fair marked the birth of Napa Valley wine tours as we know them. Under Beringer’s direction, my great uncle enticed movie stars like Clark Gable to visit the then-unknown Napa Valley wine scene for the first time shortly after Prohibition ended. Hollywood soon became enamored with the tiny, premium wineries…
Sonoma winemaker Adam Lee once said, “I’m just not a fan of Brett, whether it’s a lot or a little. It’s like someone saying they’re a little bit pregnant.” Most wine connoisseurs would agree with him, but trendsetters are taking an entirely new approach to this long-maligned quality in wines. Biodynamic producers such as Terroir…
Climate change experts agree that the planet is on the cusp of another huge heat wave that could last for centuries, and this year, wine producers around the globe felt the impact. While the heat and subsequent hailstorm in the Chablis region of France threatens to destroy this year’s precious crop, Oregon is in the…
For centuries, Spain has been in the shadow of its world-renowned winemaking neighbor, France. However, the land of Don Quixote is the third-largest wine producer in the world, with over one million acres dedicated to vineyards, more than any other wine-producing country on the planet. While I have been enjoying great Spanish wines for…
Spaniards live for pleasure: lazy afternoons by the seashore, big lunches with abundant wine and sherry, siestas and nightlife. I love that about Spain. If a Spaniard has one penny, he will spend it enjoying life. Wine is a big part of enjoying life in Spain, and the country has no lack of wineries.…
MENTIONED IN THIS POST: Screaming Eagle Of the many excellent, highly-acclaimed wines of Napa Valley, why does Screaming Eagle soar above the rest? Not only does this winery enjoy a reputation as one of the finest producers in the United States (if not the world), it’s also one of the most exclusive. These wines, cultivated…
