would have pulled out a nice Gewurztraminer if I had one, but settled for a Fontana Candida Frascati Superiore DOC 2008. 10 *Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from the PR folks representing the brand. Getting time to clean out the old wine fridge. Here the grapes for Frascati are grown. MORE >>

John Gilman is one of the people who I have enjoyed getting to know in 2008. If its not a tasting night with samples, usually red Burgundy. What’s a top wine experience you had in 2008 where the context mattered as much as the wine? To give you a flavor of his preferences and picks, I asked him several questions via email. MORE >>

Glen Ellen Old Vine Zinfandel, Proprietor's Reserve 2008. Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from the PR folks representing the brand. In my last post I started to say something about a recent discussion I had with a few friends about 'cheap' wines and quality. This is the wine we were drinking that started that discussion. MORE >>

I had heard about the fires in Sonoma 2008. David Hirsch poured me a sample of his 2008 “The Bohans-Dillon&# pinot noir at the recent trade tasting of his New York distributor. Well, he said, this was the terroir of 2008. But I had never tasted them. He added that people like to “drink pinot and talk terroir.&# MORE >>

This is honestly one of the finest bottles of white wine I have had the pleasure to consume in 2008. There are many others to try too, this is just a sample. The family estate is called Clos du Tue-Boeuf, but Thierry Puzelat also operates a négociant business, buying grapes from nearby growers who farm as he does. Everything is good. MORE >>