From his base in Santa Cruz, he rose to fame (and a good bit of fortune) by following the path of grape varieties traditionally from the Rhone and Italy–with a dose of Zinfandel. But his biggest experiment is with his 2008 wine called Le Cigare Volant, a blend of Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah. Absolutely. MORE >>

If you want to see sweet and dry in action, try tasting these two Leitz wines or a Northern Rhone syrah against a ripe, sweet version of the same grape from somewhere in the New World (but not all are ripe and sweet Sweet wines generally start at about 45 grams of residual sugar (RS). What’s the opposite of sweet? need water!&# MORE >>

Christian Seely led a very interesting test, in which we tasted two groups of base wine: Group 1 was 2008 Merlot, and Group 2 was Cabernet Franc. The Languedoc, located in the south of France, borders the Mediterranean between the Pyrenees and the Rhone Valley. Grapes planted include Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Carignan. MORE >>

Find your Mojo" at Hospices du Rhone 2011 in Paso Robles opens with "L.A. Tensley Wines 2009 Vineyard Syrah - opaque purple, on the nose intense minerality, On the palate, cool mint, intense earth and minerals, rich concentrated fruit, with finish of very intense earth and fruit. Hard to believe it is a CA wine, very northern syrah. MORE >>

Domain de Mourchon Seguret Loubie (Rose) 2007 Having a Cote du Rhone designation, this Loubie Rose blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah comes from 40 year old estate grown vines. Flavor: broad and fresh; the characteristic fruity aromas of the bouquet come through with complexity and end with a clean finish. MORE >>