Don't Get Upset About Red Bicyclette
The wine world is abuzz today over a French court's conviction of a dozen wine merchants who sold tanker-loads of merlot and syrah to California winery Gallo, telling them it was pinot noir --and which...
View ArticleIt's My Blanc in a Box
It's a dirty little secret of the wine biz: Producers don't always grow, process, ferment and bottle their own grapes. They do a lot of buying and selling on a large, fast-moving bulk market to mix,...
View ArticleFifty Words on Hogue Cellars Reserve Merlot
My first great wine love: Hogue fume blanc. Most recent disappointment: 2006 Hogue Cellars Reserve Merlot Wahluke Slope ($30). Very oaky, with dark fruit aromas, but the alcohol (15.4%) dominates....
View ArticleA Fashionable Way To Sell Wine
Know what might work well with that Marc Jacobs parka in your shopping cart? A discounted bottle of Champagne. It might seem like a stretch, but that's exactly what Gilt.com, the members-only site...
View ArticleFifty Words on a Rubicon Vertical
Right now, a small group of wine writers is sitting in a private room at Charlie Palmer's Aureole noshing on lunch, having just sipped and spit each of Napa Valley winery Rubicon Estate's cabernet...
View ArticleNew Zealand's 2009 Wines
Every year around this time, the wineries and grape growers of New Zealand rent out a space here in New York, set the country's new and forthcoming releases to market on long tables, and invite buyers...
View ArticleBitters And Seltzer: A Hangover Remedy That Actually Works
Recently, my colleagues David Ewalt and Michael Noer wrote about unusual hangover remedies and prevention methods. David's approach essentially involves restraint, and Michael's involves rabbit feces....
View ArticleA Martini's Vermouth Matters
For a moment, forget the argument about martinis being made of gin or vodka --it's more pointless than Miller Lite's "Less filling, tastes great" debate. Most cocktail drinkers probably agree that the...
View ArticleA Sotheby's Tasting Before A Big Auction
This time last week, I was standing in the French Quarter of New Orleans watching the masses stumble by, clutching plastic hand grenades and oversize beer cups. As beads flew, liquids spilled and bad...
View ArticleHow To Start Your Own Winery
There are winemakers, and then there are winemakers with a great sense of humor. Greg Harrington is most definitely in the latter category.
View ArticleDon't Pass Over Kosher Wines
A coworker recently texted me the question that always seems to come up this time of year: "Kosher wine--ever acceptable?"
View ArticleBillionaire's RICO Suit Against Christie's Alleges Wine Counterfeiting
This post, written by Asher Hawkins, has been reproduced from its original publication on our legal blog On The Docket. You can see it here.
View Article2009 Bordeaux Is Great? Pass.
Right now, the world's top wine critics, writers and merchants -- and several hangers-on -- are in Bordeaux, France, sipping and spitting barrel samples from the 2009 vintage. It's an annual...
View ArticleDaniel Negreanu Should Keep His Day Job
There are two general rules to follow when it comes to buying music:
View ArticleFifty Words On Pfendler Pinot Noir 2007
Wealthy, former Hollywood-insider owner? Check. High-profile consultant winemaker (Greg Bjornstad)? Check. High alcohol (14.6%)? Check. Charred oak and bright fruit aromas? Aplenty. Bold, juicy fruit...
View ArticleWine Deals Abound --For Now
A couple months ago I wrote this post about sample-sale retailer Gilt partnering with Wine.com to offer well-known wines at cut-rate prices for a limited time. It turns out, Gilt might just be the...
View Article50 Words On Tanunda Shiraz, Riesling
Chateau Tanunda Grand Barossa Riesling 2009 ($16.50) Nice, bright green apple aromas. Despite being crisp and dry, it also tastes a little thin and watery. There's not much going on here --but it is...
View ArticleComing Around On California Wine?
I recently met a wine salesperson who confessed that he thinks all Oregon pinot noirs taste alike. I may not agree with him, but I can certainly see where he's coming from --because I've long lived...
View Article50 Words On Three Selvapiana Reds
Dalla Terra, a Napa-based agent, offers a range of wines from about 20 Italian producers. The bottles go directly from the wineries to U.S. distributors, and are then shipped direct to consumers at...
View ArticleIn Austrian Wine, Is Cheaper Better?
About four years ago, I was wandering through a pre-World-Cup-buzzing Berlin with a friend. The weather was starting to warm, the air and streets were (probably) cleaner than usual and you got the...
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