Articles by
John Tilson
2019 BURGUNDIAN RED WINES
A Pair To Draw To These are two amazing Burgundian red wines. And, as for 2019, what can be said about 2019 Burgundy and Beaujolais? Based on my admittedly limited tastings Wow is an understatement. Without question 2019 is certainly a gorgeous vintage. Very knowledgeable people who I know and respect are saying it […]
Click here to read entire article »MELISSE RESTAURANT- GREAT FOOD ACCOMPANIED BY GREAT WINE – A WIN/WIN!
Laurie and I recently had dinner at Melisse in Los Angeles with some friends who live in Los Angeles and dine there regularly. We all brought special wines to accompany our meal. In my mind there is no question that chef/owner Josiah Citrin is simply an amazing chef whose food is creative, unique, and […]
Click here to read entire article »FREDERICK ESMONIN
I have been buying, tasting and drinking the wines of Frédérick Esmonin for many years. Now the 2019s are here. As usual they are very special and without question they are great wines from a great vintage (to read an earlier article with background commentary on the domaine and tasting notes on the […]
Click here to read entire article »OLD CHAMPAGNE – ONE OF LIFE’S GREAT PLEASURES
There is nothing in the world like Champagne. It is simply phenomenal and has no equal. Yet as good as it is there is one thing that is even better. That is well cellared old Champagne! The transition between young Champagne and old Champagne is simply magical. For Christmas I opened a bottle of […]
Click here to read entire article »MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR – THE GAMES HAVE BEGUN!
It is hard to believe but it has been almost 30 years since we bought our land here in Montecito, about 25 years since we started building, and nearly 22 years since we moved in, which just happened to correspond with the beginning of the millennium. Adjacent to us across San Ysidro Creek is the […]
Click here to read entire article »TIS THE SEASON!
Yes once again tis the season and the new year is fast approaching. We are blessed to have this wonderful time of the year and it is a time to celebrate and enjoy life. And what better way to celebrate than with Champagne? This year one celebration featured Krug – a rosé and a 1982 […]
Click here to read entire article »THANKSGIVING 2021
Yes it is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is almost here again. But that is always a good thing! Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. It is a time to give thanks for all our blessings and be with family and friends and enjoy great food and wine. My wife Laurie and […]
Click here to read entire article »TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD
Background Tablas Creek Vineyard is a partnership between the Perrin family, proprietors of Chateau Beaucastel in Chateauneuf du Pape, and Robert Haas, founder of Vineyard Brands, as majority partners and French and American friends as minority partners. The search for a vineyard location to grow Rhone varietals began in 1987 and in 1989 they purchased […]
Click here to read entire article »BELATED BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION AT CANYON VILLA
My birthday is March 27 and this year I turned 77. I planned a birthday celebration with a few friends at Canyon Villa in Paso Robles, but unfortunately I wound up in the hospital on my birthday which meant that the celebration was postponed until September 30. Canyon Villa is a wonderful inn and restaurant […]
Click here to read entire article »OLDER CHANIN WINE COMPANY WINES
Recently Gavin Chanin brought some of his old wines for me to taste with a few other friends. As expected the wines were superb. Without question Gavin is making some of the best Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in California after learning the trade from the late pioneer Santa Barbara wine maker Jim Clendenen (to […]
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