Wine Wired

Motivation and ideas for writing come from a variety of avenues. Sometimes it’s what I am drinking at that moment or through a conversation with a friend. It can also be, as in this case, stimulated from assisting with a private wine dinner. Recently, I had the pleasure of selecting wines and speaking for, what […]

I have recently agreed to start doing reviews for a few different brands.  With all of these reviews, I offer a disclaimer.   Dark Horse Chardonnay This is a classic style California Chardonnay with unctuous notes of peach nectar, rich apple blossom and a ‘toasted’ component that presents as cedar and kernel. The viscous mouth […]

My tastes seem to wax and wane with the different seasons. Winter’s cold and rain have me craving port-style wine in the evenings. With Spring right around the corner, however, I find myself trading these heavier wines for a lighter, fresher beverage. What a great opportunity to discuss one of my favorite categories, sparkling wines. […]

Bottle Talk: An escape from the red zone and into Malbec Land As I said in my first column last month, I love to get people to move outside their “wine comfort zone.” There are thousands of wines made in so many interesting ways that we can only hope to one day try them all. […]

Although I have been taking classes and studying for months, I don’t feel as if I have truly begun the Diploma program.  It seems strange that I feel this way.  After all, I have read the unit 2 book from the WSET, made countless note cards, and “attended” the classes (online). Somehow, until I take the […]

As many of you know, I have a wine problem.  There, I said it.  Since I’ve admitted this, I now have a decision to make.  Am I to give up on my wine studies; walk away while I still have my sanity?  After all, I worked to obtain my Intermediate and Advanced Certificates through the […]

South Africa’s wine has matured greatly over the last 20 years. This is largely due to a flood of foreign investment monies and foreign winemaking knowledge. One of the early legislative decisions, back in 1973, was the creation of the “Wine of Origin” concept. The country, it seems , has caught up with and may […]