Articles by
John Tilson
RIDGE VINEYARDS & THE DROUGHT YEARS 2012-2015
A RECENT VISIT AND SOME REALLY STUNNING WINES I have been visiting Ridge Vineyards since the 60s and writing about them since just before the launch of The Underground Wineletter in 1979. During this entire period I have been buying, cellaring, and drinking Ridge Vineyards wines. They have always given me immense pleasure and […]
Click here to read entire article »BONNY DOON VINEYARD: A PIONEER PRODUCER WHERE OLD IS NEW
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND & TASTING NOTES Introduction and Background Randall Grahm is the Bonny Doon Vineyard founder and winemaker. My long time good friend, wine buddy and Underground Associate Editor, Ed Lazarus, introduced me to Randall in the 1970s. Randall was searching for property to plant Pinot Noir in the Santa Cruz Mountains and […]
Click here to read entire article »BACK TO THE FUTURE
STARTING IN LODI WITH LODI NATIVE I am always looking for new wines to try. Sometimes it is a wine that is a type of wine I like so I just take a chance. For me, Rosés are a great example as are Champagnes, Burgundies, Sancerres, and many other types of wines. […]
Click here to read entire article »A VIEW OF THE 2015 BURGUNDY VINTAGE IN ADVANCE OF THE ANNUAL UNDERGROUND WINELETTER TRIP TO BURGUNDY TO TASTE THE 2014S
I will soon be leaving for Burgundy to taste the 2014 wines from barrel. This is the 35th year since my first trip with my friends in 1981. During that time, I missed a few years because of business demands or illness, but my long time friend and Underground Contributing Editor, Geoffrey Troy, has […]
Click here to read entire article »MOUNT EDEN VINEYARDS CHARDONNAY AND PINOT NOIR
GREAT HISTORIC MAGNUMS OF MOUNT EDEN VINEYARDS CHARDONNAY AND PINOT NOIR A few years ago I was able to buy 2 pristine magnums of 1972 Mount Eden Vineyards Pinot Noir from a couple who were original investors in Mount Eden Vineyards. They had owned the bottles since release and the bottles were in […]
Click here to read entire article »I HATE TO TELL YOU “I TOLD YOU SO” BUT “I TOLD YOU SO!”
Just as I was putting the last notes together on my October rosé article (to read that article click here), saying for the umpteenth zillion time that rosés are not just for summer enjoyment, but for enjoyment all year round, look what came floating in from the CIVP/Provence Wine Council: Provence Rosé Exports […]
Click here to read entire article »2014 ROSÉS – IS IT THE SEASON OR THE END OF THE SEASON?
I think year round is the season for rosé. But, the cries from some importers and retailers would imply the season is over. A friend mentioned to me in August that some East Coast importers and wholesalers were rushing to unload their remaining 2014 rosés. Why? Because in this country there is the fixation […]
Click here to read entire article »A GRAND WINE & FOOD DINNER IN VANCOUVER
FEATURING GREAT OLD CHAMPAGNE, BORDEAUX, AND DESSERT WINES The Event This article is an account of a wonderful wine and food dinner I attended in December of last year. It was hosted and arranged by Albert Givton and featured superb wines from his cellar. The location was in Vancouver at the La […]
Click here to read entire article »WHAT’S IN YOUR WINE GLASS?
While I am an ardent believer in free choice when it comes to wine (to read my article Drink What You Like And Like What You Drink click here), I must confess that I do not like wines that are manipulated and over the top and that includes a lot of the high octane […]
Click here to read entire article »TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD
NEW RELEASES Tablas Creek Vineyard is producing consistently superb wines and I have written about them often (to read an earlier article click here). Recently in a list of the 101 best wineries in America, Tablas Creek Vineyard was named the number one winery by The Daily Meal where I am on the wine nominating […]
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