When I first took an interest in wine, Ridge was my gateway to finer bottles. As a child, I’d visit my family in California every year, and I’d always see at least one Ridge bottle resting on the rack in my grandma’s pantry; it was her go-to celebration wine. By the time I was old…
Forbes calls him the “Steve Jobs of wine,” and Robert Parker named him Wine Personality of the Year–twice. Winemaker Paul Hobbs is one of those rare kingmakers of the wine world who brings good fortune to any estate. He introduced Robert Mondavi to new oak aging techniques, he brought Argentinian Cabernet into the spotlight, and…
A family friend has one of the most elaborate home wine cellars I’ve ever seen. His Florida home boasts three levels of wine shelves, gorgeous oak furniture, and special glass display cases for his many Jeroboams and Magnums. Although his home cellar is a work of art, it’s not without risks. Once, during a rowdy…
Many wine collectors assume that they can only bring one bottle of wine with them through U.S. customs when they fly home from a foreign country, but this isn’t the case. The fact is, if you handle your wine label clearance properly, you can bring as much wine as you want, and pay less in…
When you’ve been a wine collector for decades, “wine of the century” is a phrase you’ve likely heard dozens of times, yet you’d be lucky if even one recent vintage lived up to the hype. However, I’m not exaggerating when I say that 2015 German wine might make a fan out of the most jaded…
Finding One Last Bottle in a Case You Could Have Sworn Was Empty You’ve spent months staring at that pile of empty wine cases in your cellar, dreading the weekend you’ll need to spend breaking them down. As you haul your first empty case out, you feel the unmistakable sound of a single bottle rolling…
The wine world was shocked when a sudden frost hit France this spring, and so far, it looks like one of the country’s greatest casualties is the Loire Valley. The average producer in this iconic wine region has already lost up to 30 percent of the crop, and in the most frostbitten areas, the crop…
Ex-chateau Bordeaux is in the midst of a historical identity crisis. For centuries now, Bordeaux has been lauded as one of the finest wine regions in the world, but fraud and a market bubble have forced its winemakers to make a drastic move: forgoing en primeur sales in favor of ex-chateau. More estates than ever…
It all started with a rainstorm. My buddy, a local sommelier, had just finished up work for the night at a restaurant and was in the process of closing everything down. Neither of us felt like braving the rainy weather yet, and we’d both worked up a thirst, so we pulled out a bottle of…
The first time I tried a glass of Petite Sirah at a restaurant, I had no idea what was in store for my senses. Hearing the name “Petite Sirah” roll off the sommelier’s tongue conjured up images of tiny, delicate grapes, like a miniature version of the Rhone Syrah I knew so well. After one…
There’s something about the heat of the summer that makes me want to go on a wine shopping spree. By the time July or August rolls around, it’s usually been months since I invested heavily in wine for my collection. I’ll spend all spring preparing for the arrival of my back-ordered allocations, but once those…
There’s a common saying among barbecue experts, “If you’re looking, you’re not cooking.” The idea is that the more you peek under the barbecue lid, the longer it takes for your food to cook. Yet this cliche applies to your wine collection too; the more you fidget with your bottles, the less opportunity they have…
