by Andrew John Chalk
Many readers will have visited Sonoma County in northern California wine country and sampled the Zinfandels made in the sub-region named Dry Creek Valley. The 70+ wineries there are so small (median production is only about 4750 cases) that most sell all that they make at the “cellar door” (either in a tasting room or through Internet orders). Additionally, 150 grape growers sell fruit to these winemakers and another 80+ wineries besides. This direct sales link is vital to small wineries as it vastly reduces their costs of distribution. One result, is that there are many good wines that do not make their way onto retail shelves here, or do so only at a restricted set of outlets (basically the finer wine stores in town).To taste the gamut of Dry Creek wine making you really need to visi...
by John Neimann
Trying new types of wine is half the fun of finding that special bottle. Getting recommendations from friends and associates is always easier in taking that first step to try something new. With hundreds of different varietals and even more wine regions across the world, it can all seem overwhelming. So from time to time Today's wine will publish recommendations from our Tasting Panel to help you discover that great bottle of wine. First of all, a couple of our favorite varietals as of late are Petit Syrah and Carmenere Both these varietals tend to have bold flavors and and tannins, and the Petit Syrahs are a lovely inky dark color. One of our favorites was one we had in Paso Robles – the San Simeon Petit Syrah from San Antonio Vineyard. Midnight Cellars in Paso Robles was one o...
by John Neimann
What could be complicated about buying a wine bottle opener? If your only experience has been with those handy, disposable two piece plastic corkscrews hanging on the rack at the checkout counter, then your wine bottle opening life has been simple, perhaps a bit frustrating, but nonetheless simple. We'll provide information that will help you avoid buying an opener that has you using a strainer to remove cork debris and a towel for clean up as often as you use the opener.Damaged Wine CorkDamaged Cork 2Damaged Cork and Wine SpillNow that you think you are ready to move up or are planning on buying a wine bottle opener as a gift there are a number of factors to consider. As with any decision where many choices are available, a little information, thought and analysis about what’s availab...
by Ron Kapon
When I told my friends that I was spending a January week in Southern California they asked me where I was going. I was flying in and out of Los Angeles to visit friends and then spending 4 days in Palm Desert staying with another friend. In between I would be spending a day in Temecula. I got a lot of blank stares. Where the heck is Temecula and why are you going there? Here is your answer. In 1820 mission vineyards were established 18 miles east of Temecula at Mission San Juan Capistrano. In the early 19th century the California wine industry was located in Southern California. That area supplied most of the wines that came out of California until it was supplanted by Northern California as the wine production center of the state. In 1974 Callaway Winery was founded by the late Eli Calla...
by Chef David Darugh
Ever feast on the tender asparagus flavored stalks of Solomon’s seal; the exalted and elusive morel mushroom, or the succulent coiled fronds of the woodland fern? It’s time to remind your senses why the traditional wild ingredients of Appalachian cuisine are now the hallmark of culinary innovation in restaurants across the country – and even around the world. But, be forewarned, foraging for wild foods is thorny, itchy, muddy, prickly, sticky, snaky and sometimes toxic work. As early hominids did their homework on foraging they learned the hard way about the laxative properties of the senna plant, and to only eat poke weed that is cooked and then only in the early spring. Through this trial and the occasional fatal error, our ancestors sorted the edible from the inedible, the useful ...
by Lori Budd
I guess you can take the girl out of science (since I now teach Physical Education) but you can’t take the science out of the girl. My undergrad and graduate degrees in Biology and the way too many years as a microbiologist are ingrained in me. Although I don’t deal with science on a day to day basis anymore, I actually really do still love the topic. Using my wonderful Blogshelf ii iPad app, I now subscribe to about thirty blogs. Although most are about wine, I have sneaked in a few about sports (Go Fins, Rangers, Nets, and Mets) and several about science, genetics being my love.When I taught AP Biology, I always got a little happier when it came to the point of the school year where we talked about genetics. Think about it. Without going into real detail, it is amazing that you...
by Frank Whitman
I’m told that wine is made in all 50 states. Although it’s hard to imagine the wine country in some states - cold North Dakota or hot Arizona for instance - grapes are very adaptable. Almost 90 percent of American wine comes from the west coast. In the Northeast, New York is the big producer.Connecticut has a thriving if modest wine industry that merits a look. More than 30 wineries across the state make intriguing reds, refreshing whites, and distinctive fruit wines. The grape varieties may be new to you, but the wines are worthy of your attention and conveniently close to the New York Metro area. The New England climate is a little cool for the traditional European wine grapes, but grapes such as Riesling, Seyval Blanc, Pinot Gris and Cabernet Franc like it that way. The majority ...
by Andrew John Chalk
by Andrew Chalk photos by Robert BostickWe have reported that the Roussanne grape does well in Texas’s climate and soil and pondered whether it is the next breakthrough Texas grape. The answer will come when Texas Roussanne wines match the quality of Roussanne wines from California. In order to find out how they are doing, I organized a blind tasting open to all Texas Roussanne producers. Nearly all of them submitted two bottles of their current offering.We knew that Roussanne is much less widely made than Viognier, the premier white grape in the state. Nonetheless, we got participation from a total of six wineries who provided nine different wines. Submissions had to comply with the Federal rule that at least 75% of the grapes in the bottle must be the variety that appears on the label...
by Jerry Greenfield
What's Up in Santa Barbara!byThe Wine Whisperer™You may recall that the hit movie "Sideways" chronicles the misadventures of two old college buddies who spend a week playing golf and drinking wine in the vineyard country west of Santa Barbara, about two hours north of Los Angeles. Since I had never been to that area, everything I knew about it (or thought I knew) was gleaned from what I saw in the film.Boy, was I misinformed. A trip out there last year was something of a revelation: good and not-so-good. I foolishly thought, because of the movie, that everybody who made wine in Santa Maria and Santa Ynez spent all their time growing, crushing, and bottling Pinot Noir. Not so. They grow an amazing variety of wine grapes, including Spanish, Italian, and French types, that I never expect...
by Andrew John Chalk
by Andrew ChalkIn 1976, wine experts blind-tasted some of the most storied wines from France against similar styles from upstart California in. The mainly-French expert jury in what came to be known as The Judgement of Paris announced the California wines to be the winners. It was a shot heard round the world (I remember it being reported on the front page of British newspapers at the time) and California wine’s time on the global stage had come.One of the most remarkable victories in a set of remarkable victories was in the white wine category. A 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay came top, beating out four Burgundies. That wine was made by a young croatian-American, Mike Grgich. No flash-in-the-pan, Grgich won the Great Chardonnay Showdown in 1980 with the very first vintage (1977) of...
