OMG – IS IT THE END OF THE WORLD OR NOT?

The Ol’ Drive By Sip And Spit (See The Underground Wine Line “Vinous Drive By – It’s The Drive By Sip And Spit”) is being replaced by the ol’ plug and play. Hah! As I write this, the day has just passed for the time that the world was supposed to have ended. As far as I know, we are all still here.

TAKE THE WINE CHALLENGE – BLENDING IS YOUR FRIEND!

Like I said in the Dueling Inexpensive Red Wine Line-Up article, I am curious. This leads to the turning over rocks thing that I talked about. Very simply, you have to turn over a rock to know what is underneath. And, I am always looking for something more than what is on the surface. So it was in doing the tasting and writing for the article that I had an inspiration.

NEW RELEASE TRADE TASTING – NEW ZEALAND WINES

I recently attended a new release trade tasting in Los Angeles for New Zealand wines. Some 26 wineries were represented and there were well over 100 wines available to taste in a 3 hour period. These types of tastings are a way to get a general idea of the wines. But, for me, they are not an opportunity to write detailed notes on each wine.

TRADE TASTING – CALIFORNIA PINOT NOIR “IN PURSUIT OF BALANCE”

I recently attended a trade tasting featuring California Pinot Noir. It was held at restaurant RN74 in San Francisco. Rajat Parr, the sommelier, has been a strong proponent of wines with alcohols lower than 15%. Lower alcohol wines are something that has been advocated by many of us for a very long time.

Call For Torrontes, Other Terrific Inexpensive White Wines, An Old Friend Chardonnay, And A New Friend Pinot Noir

Recently, in buying wines for my Inexpensive Red Wines article, I picked up a few other wines. Voila! I hit the mother lode! All these wines are terrific and not expensive.

I found a new Torrontes, 2009 Trapiche. Earlier, in my Under The Radar 2009 Wines article, I reviewed two others, 2009 Inacayal Vineards and 2009 Zolo. All are from Argentina and all are outstanding.

THE BORDEAUX ROAD AHEAD – A BUBBLE, A SPEED BUMP, OR BLISS?

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Let the word be spread into every nook and cranny of the world and beyond. All rejoice and give praise. The day has arrived. By royal decree of the big numbers gods, the new Bordeaux vintage has been declared “Vintage Of The Century.”

The Dueling Inexpensive Red Wine Line-Ups — Which Ones Went To The Drinking Round And Which Ones Went Down The Drain?

I have always been curious. In all of my endeavors, I have referred to this trait as “turning over rocks.” You have to turn over rocks to see what is underneath. That takes some effort. Many people do not care. But for those that do, there is no assurance of what you will find. Maybe it will be a gold nugget or maybe it will be a rattle snake! Or, even more likely, it will be something in between. So it is with wine.

THE OLD BURGUNDIANS

A few years ago, my friends and contributing editors, Edward Lazarus and John Brincko, and I, along with John’s wife, Debbie, and my wife, Laurie, decided to form a group dedicated to drinking old Burgundies from our cellars. We named the group The Old Burgundians, not because of our ages, but because of the old Burgundies that would be our focus.

One New Star Producer For White And Red Burgundy, Revisiting An Old Favorite Producer For Affordable White and Red Burgundy, And Trying To Get Back A Best In Class Rosé

One New Star Producer For White And Red Burgundy, Revisiting An Old Favorite Producer For Affordable White and Red Burgundy, And Trying To Get Back A Best In Class Rose

HERE AT LAST – BEYOND 100 POINTS – NIRVANA!

Well, it was bound to happen. In fact, I have been predicting it for years. And now it looks like that day is about to arrive. This should be music to the ears of all the folks who drink numbers. They have dreamed, lusted, and drooled for something beyond the 100 point wines that, in recent years, have been cropping up like wild flowers and weeds after a spring rain. This is, to my knowledge, the first wine ever anointed with a score above 100.