It's hard to imagine an age when wine might have literally been seen as treasure. Certainly those of us with the privilege of living in first-world countries take the idea of drinking wine for granted as an everyday pleasure. There was a time, however, that wine, especially the good stuff,...
The weekend of 2 September northern California experienced the hottest temperatures ever recorded, at least since written records began in the middle of the nineteenth century. San Francisco hit 106 °F/41 °C, Livermore reached 115 °F/46 °C, and Napa shattered all previous records at 113 °F/45 °C. Despite ample warning,...
Hello, and welcome to my periodic dig through the samples pile. I'm pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently. This week included a set of new releases from what may be the world's...
As some of you know, I recently moved house. After 17 years in San Francisco, we needed a bit more space and were ready to invest in real estate rather than in private school. I've always said I'd rather get a root canal than move, and that's definitely true. It's...
GIRONDE, FRANCE: The last light of evening strikes a cloud on the horizon, as shadows deepen on a stone chapel and vines Chateau Ausone in Gironde on Bordeaux's Right Bank near Saint-Émilion. Ausone is one of only 4 wines classified as Premier Grand Cru Classé in the Saint-Émilion classification. INSTRUCTIONS:...
Hello, and welcome to my periodic dig through the samples pile. I'm pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently. This week included a couple of the newest releases from Dierberg Vineyards, a lovely...