THE VINEYARD OR THE WINEMAKING? WHAT REALLY MATTERS?

Allen R. Balik recently wrote an article in the Napa Valley Register entitled “Is it about the vineyard or the winemaking?”  That’s an often asked question. But, is it a good question or a bad question? I would say that it depends on your perspective. Here are some of the highlights of Allen’s article: Although […]

NAPA VALLEY WINES – JUST WHEN I THOUGHT WE HAD SEEN EVERYTHING!

  Well, if you will excuse me, I guess I was barking up the wrong tree. Even though I love dogs (we have 4 – all rescue dogs), this one is a real howler. Would you believe that  a winery for dogs, named for the French bulldog of Raymond Vineyards proprietor Jean-Charles Boisset, has opened […]

THE MAYACAMAS MOUNTAINS OF NAPA VALLEY & THREE PIONEER PRODUCERS

  Recently I visited Napa Valley with my good friend and Underground contributing editor, John Morrill. We visited friends and some new people, but also revisited three wineries that I first visited in the early 1970s shortly after they produced their first wines. For decades, all continued to produce traditional wines that are balanced and […]

A GRAND EVENT: FEATURING OLD CALIFORNIA WINES FROM PIONEER PRODUCERS

Earlier this year I attended a wine and food dinner featuring old Santa Cruz Mountain wines from two of the early pioneers, Hallcrest and Martin Ray. There was also an old BV Pinot Noir from Napa Valley, a very old Madeira, and a very rare Cabernet Sauvignon from Hanzell.

YIKES! THE TIDE MAY BE GOING OUT SOON! WHO’S SWIMMING NAKED?

Geez, I had barely got my Underground Wine Line commentary “What Is Wine” out and I get an email offer saying “Stay tuned…This Could Get Interesting.” If you have not already read my “What Is Wine?” article I encourage you to do so. (To read the article click here) And, then please consider the following […]

HEARD ON THE GRAPEVINE

MEDICAL ALERT I just heard this from my UNDERGROUND Grape Vine So here is a  major announcement A single glass of wine at night could mean a peaceful, uninterrupted night’s sleep. And I kid you not… There Is A New Wine for Seniors California vintners in the Napa Valley have developed a new hybrid grape […]

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.

Que Syrah, Syrah…Wherefore Art Thou?

I began talking about the glut of Syrah early last year. And, it seems that glut is continuing unabated as I get regular offers of big discounts on big Syrahs. The forces of supply/demand are clearly at work, but at what appears to be a slow pace. There is a lot of Syrah available, but maybe there would be less of a glut if some of it were used to make a different style of wine.

Dom Pérignon in the Napa Valley

Monday evening, an intimate affair was hosted at a private residence in the Napa Valley to celebrate the wines of Dom Pérignon, while offering a rare insight of upcoming releases for 2010. This is part of a subtle global effort to selectively feature some exclusive offerings—yet to be released—including the Dom Pérignon 2002 vintage (set to release this fall), Dom Pérignon Œnothèque from the 1996 and 1969 vintages and, not lastly, the launch of Dom Pérignon Rosé Œnothèque.

A Vineyard 29 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Retrospective Tasting

A Vineyard 29 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Retrospective Tasting

A retrospective tasting of Vineyard 29 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon took place in July of last year at the Rancho Santa Fe home of former Vineyard 29 owners, Tom Paine and Teresa Norton. Christine Graham and Ron Brown were in attendance.

The tasting featured thirteen vintages from 1992, the debut vintage, to 2004.