Style note: A very good example of a California Cabernet Sauvignon that tries to represent its terroir, this well balanced wine offers layers of flavor and some real complexity. Style note: a big, rich, full bodied California Zinfandel with a rustic balance and sense of place and demand of terroir recognition. finish length is med+. MORE >>

If I had to choose my two favorites, they would be the Chardonnay and the 2007 Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon. Lohr 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Vineyards. very clean and even, very concentrated fruit from select vineyard and excellent example of incredible terroir and winemaking. These are incredibly well crafted wines. MORE >>

So for this tasting I choose 2007 Philippe Chavy Meursault (from the village of Narvaux), the 2007 Louis Carillon Puligny-Montrachet, and the 2007 Jean Collet Chablis Vielles Vignes The idea was to open label taste the wines, then bag them and see if I (and a friend) could detect the correct wines. White Burgundy Tasting. MORE >>

The cheese course, featuring Roncal with compressed fennel and apricot membrillo, was paired with three more reds, and all three were favorites: La Forge, Corbieres-Boutenac AOP 2008, Le Viala, Minevois La Liviniere 2007, and L'Hospitalaitas, Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape AOP 2008. That blue sky, with the white puffs of clouds, is real. MORE >>

Mariann Fischer Boell, the EU Commissioner for Agriculture who oversaw a controversial reform of the wine sector in 2007, has announced she won’t seek another five-year term. SIPPED: bigger Terroir in NYC. SIPPED: match made in a barrel room. They both have wineries and vineyards in Sonoma. SPIT: trophies. SPIT: more trophies. MORE >>