talian wines paved the way for my wine education, but last night my friend Eric Guido provided a detour for me: A blind tasting of six Australian wines from the famed Barossa Valley. All six were reds and either 100% Shiraz or a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. This wine was my overall favorite by far, and the majority of tasters agreed. MORE >>

jean gilles standing with Jeanne Marie de Champs. friendly wagging dog greets our arrival at the home of vignoble Gilles Lafouge, who now runs this sixth generation Auxey-Duresses winery. Like Sylvani Langoureau, Gilles Lafouge (the son) has his cellar, and a vat room, in his own middle class house located in a typical Burgundy neighborhood. screw. MORE >>

Thanks to my then girlfriend, now wife BrooklynLady, sometime in 2004 I rediscovered wine. had no idea, really, of what it was that I liked (and I'm still figuring it out). mostly bought daily drinking wines, but I also made the occasional purchase of a special bottle, something a bit more expensive. One of the things I used was a vintage chart. MORE >>

Jeanne-Marie De Champs is the owner of Domaines et Saveurs Collection and works with several Burgundian producers to bring their wines to the United States. Her taste and specifications for those producers in her collection is very high, so I look forward to meeting the four producers she has chosen for our visit. No Coats Needed in the Cellar. MORE >>

“Welcome to Domaine De D’Arlot,&# says Sylvain Pellegrinelli, technical director at this gorgeous AXA property in Premeaux, located near the south of Nuits St. George. Today Sylvain is giving me a tour of the property and a tasting. It is November, very chilly, and in Beaune the region is gearing up for the Hospices de Beaune. MORE >>