From the Lytton West vineyard in Dry Creek Valley, this is a dark blue syrah blended with 6% viognier , which adds a honeyed and floral note to the nose. At only 14.5% alcohol, the wine is very strong in the mouth, almost austere, but the wine is well structured - the tannins are fine and the purple fruit notes dominate. MORE >>

A few weeks ago I sat with Gary Grunner and tasted the wines of Il Borro and Castiglion del Bosco, the wineries owned by the Ferragamo family, the well known Italian fashion house. Flavors of pear and vanilla balanced with nice acidity. The hand harvested grapes are immediately transferred to the winery and sorted manually. alcohol content. MORE >>

Cursing my way through the torrential rain last night, I made my way down East 4th Street to meet Ellen at In Vino--one of her favorite NYC wine bars. With a menu composed of Italian varietals and fare, In Vino takes the love of everything Bacchanal to the extreme. The interior resembles a wine cave, MORE >>

This little project of mine keeps getting crazier and crazier. am overwhelmed with information and trying to keep focus. am going to take this opportunity while I am researching the history of Greek wine culture to talk about the god they associated with the vine: Dionysus. The stories of Dionysus are very cool. And Hera, his wife, went APE. Crazy. MORE >>

Many already know. Joe Dressner, my mentor and a character in my life and in my book has brain cancer. This has been just one of the reasons for my silence over the past few weeks. just don't know what to write. And frankly, I've been very upset about the journey my friend and his family have to go on. Read Joe's newest blog MORE >>