It's always great to experience a vertical tasting, especially when the owners are there to provide insight. really enjoyed the 2001 Shiraz, which received 98 points from Wine Advocate, though I enjoyed the 2008 equally well with its jammy red fruits and "inky black fruit over vanilla ice cream" character. MORE >>

It was the first time I would meet Dennis Cakebread, and it was a thrill to be able to taste the wines and pepper him with questions about the winery's history. it's always fun to sit next to a winemaker / winery owner during a wine dinner at a top restaurant like Park Avenue Spring in New York City. cakebread cake. MORE >>

Of course my choice would be Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley or Russian River Valley, the home of some of the best wines in the world. The past few months I have been tasting, or should I say consuming, some really fantastic California wines from many different AVA's. few of the issues are for how long and where. Suggested retail is $15. MORE >>

So Ross Schwartz told the assembled group at the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers in Napa last week. It loosely depicts the events of the Paris tasting of 1976 when a Chateau Montelena Chardonnay and a Stag’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon surprised the wine world by beating their French peers in a blind tasting. MORE >>

Kit's Kiler Cab 2008. Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet Sauvignon fruit comes from an alluvial fan on Ritchie Creek in Calistoga, and the 8% Merlot and 8% Malbac comes from a vienyard along the Napa River. Some excellent wines this week, an assortment of reds and whites from around the globe. Terrezas de los Andes. MORE >>