Well it’s finally happened, earlier than expected but I’m okay with that, my thirst for rosé has arrived in full force! This lovely blast of summer-like weather in mid-March is glorious! And it has stirred up my somewhat dormant desire for the pink stuff. So what better way to kick off the first days of [...read more]

Here’s your next great wine find. Bernard Baudry’s Chinon is a superstar’s bottling — a Cab Franc from the Loire that delivers an enormous heap of value. I remember my first glass of the domaine’s wine. My friend Big Al — wine geek par excellence — sent me an email from San Francisco. He told [...read more]

You can tell when autumn has truly arrived. Besides the cooler weather, the falling leaves, and football, there is something else that your senses tell you it’s here. You can smell it. The air is crisp, smoky, earthy, and rich. During this time of year I want a wine that mimics that aroma. The Pardevalles [...read more]

Patz & Hall embodies old-school California winemaking. Since 1988 they’ve been bottling powerful, rich Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the most esteemed sites in California. This is a very different style of Pinot Noir; a  house style that Patz & Hall has built their cult reputation on. Some people really get into the opulence. They [...read more]

Svelte, balanced and fleshy… I’m a sucker for Pinot Noir. I greedily horde the best bottlings. Sometimes I hang out in my cellar, in the dark, with my Pinot Noir. My preciousssss… But mostly I drink them. No other single variety speaks of its birthplace the way Pinot does – a vinous umbilical chord stretching [...read more]

Barbaresco’s a different kind of player. The kind that starts out all unassuming, with a few simple warm-up chords over in the corner.  Then it sneaks onto the stage, hammers out something amazing on that beat-up old guitar, and leaves the party with your girl. Watch out Barolo.  That’s exactly the kind of thing a [...read more]

I covet wines that encourage almost unhealthy fantasies about tables full of cured meats; powerful cheeses, artisan bread and fresh pasta sauced with lots of braised anything. Northern-Italian wines are always on my mind. Especially wines from those svelte kings of Nebbiolo: Barolo and Barbaresco. These communes – the giants of Piedmont – produce wines [...read more]

I love sparkling pink wines. It’s not the boldest statement, maybe not the most interesting or provocative, but it’s true.  It’s me at my girliest.  Something about a pretty flute of pink bubbles makes me absolutely giddy! Cue the Bottex Vin du Bugey from Savoie, France.  The Wonder Woman of wines, she can do ANYTHING!  Allow [...read more]

This wine comes from the Nahe region in Germany. The Nahe’s vineyards thrive in a variety of soils along the steep slopes of the Nahe River and its tributaries, so it offers an amazing diversity for its size.  The Nahe is one of Germany’s smaller wine regions, with just over 10,000 acres planted. Loam, clay, sandstone and [...read more]