The story of Rudy Kurniawan’s arrest on charges of selling counterfeit wine has been all over the news since the FBI arrested him on Thursday. Asimov also tweeted a link to this 2008 Men’s Vogue piece by Jay McInerney on “ billionaire winos.” at the Wine Hotel, an LA wine retail and storage facility.

So very interesting to hear the colorful stories of people who sought out a winery, nursed it to fruition, and are now making a success of their wine. Not many restaurants – especially in this economic climate – can afford to have three dozen or so employees participate in a mandatory lesson on wines of the world and how to pair them.

Denis and Florence Dubourdieu were there (Denis was featured as one of the most important people in the world of wine by Decanter), as were the Decanter team (John Abbot, Guy Woodward, and Christelle Guibert who turns out to be a fellow Master of Wine student. Fabulous opening dinner at Haut-Brion last night for the press.

Predictably, Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate and Tom Matthews of Wine Spectator poured cold water on the idea, as republished on Jancis’ site. Perhaps, especially in less anticipated vintages such as 2008, which was also being pre-sold during an economic meltdown. Bordeaux wine writing

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. Three wines were from the Yalumba Vineyard and three were picked from Erics's cellar. Table

Robert Parker: 90 pts Wine Spectator: 92 pts Retails: $35Here is a fine Napa blend of 46% Zinfandel, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 10% Petite Sirah, 2% Charbono, and 1% Grenache. Deep violet colors in the glass, spreading to a garnet outer ring, with aromas of red berry and ripe black cherry and wafts of smoke.

says Becky Wasserman, the vibrant American-born French wine importer and head of Becky Wasserman Selections who is giving a presentation to the eager young staff at London Lennie’s, a famous, casual, yet upscale high quality seafood restaurant in Queens that is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year. Awaiting the Tasting. Hours.

Similarly, the trip up Monte Bello Road is a wine lover's purgatory: The road is much too narrow, the mountain is much too high, and it is impossible to travel faster than a snail. always appreciated wine, but it was a 1995 Pagani Ranch Zinfandel that hooked me when I was working as a stock boy in a fancy wine and cheese shop during college.

But I'll have made a sincere effort to create something new and strange and different, which may be the best you can hope for in the New World." --Randall Grahm, April 2009 It's also why I ponied up $95 last night to go to a Bonny Doon wine tasting at City Winery and meet "the original Rhone deranger" himself. Neither was a "wow" wine.

home : wine recommendations : wine girl for hire : bio : articles : contact « Remedial Bubble Assistance! » Wine of the Year! December 30, 2008 Wine Spectator 100 best wines of the year issue? I mean there were at least 5 wines I wanted to drink on their list, not that bad.) Truly.

Wine Spectator 100 best wines of the year issue? There's a Portuguese wine near the top, how bad can they be?" I mean there were at least 5 wines I wanted to drink on their list, not that bad.) knew the wine was going through transition, bottles started to push their corks. Forget it. or something like that.

Steve Heimoff recently linked to my California Cult Wine Release Schedule post, and I need to take the time and space to clear up a couple of his readers' comments. even paraphrased Shinn's proprietor, David Page, at the bottom of my post, to underline the fact that the phenomenon of the "cult" wine is a creation of Madison avenue executives.

Countless studies have declared the health benefits of red wine, citing compounds such as antioxidants, resveratrol, polyphenolic compounds, etc.  But for the most part it seems these benefits are said to come from wine, and often red wine in particular. 

Having followed Israel wines for many years I knew this day would come.  Having worked at Israeli wineries I was sure that others would eventually acknowledge the high quality of up-and-coming Israeli wines.  Having chosen a career in Israeli wines I have PRAYED for universal acceptance of Israeli wines. 

Having followed Israel wines for many years I knew this day would come.  Having worked at Israeli wineries I was sure that others would eventually acknowledge the high quality of up-and-coming Israeli wines.  Having chosen a career in Israeli wines I have PRAYED for universal acceptance of Israeli wines. 

serves a dedicated market of wine lovers from across the world that wants independent tasting notes; not scores, not philosophical ramblings, not bullshit. If I like a wine, I write about it glowingly. Generally, I don't write about a wine if I really didn't like it; but sometimes I will. There's no querstion about that. SLAKED!

I have a love/hate relationship with Wine Spectator. routinely disagree with their wine scores (they gave Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 2005 only 85 points - WTF are they thinking?!) wine of great depth and class, and my favorite 2005 Napa cabernet of the night. That being said, a delicious wine. love their events.

A Wine Spectator 90+ wine according to my mom - when did she start paying attention to such things? It's a big wine, dense, dry and tart, probably best served not too warm. Good as hell, we stashed the leftovers from the party in the cellar

I hope that all who celebrated had a nice Rosh Hashana holiday, filled with fabulous wine & great food.  So much food & wine that I was compelled to hit the gym last night after returning home from 48+ hours of overeating.  Happy muscle strengthening wine tasting! I know I did!  Alcohol delays recovery from exercise."

Everyone loves this wine: Cellartracker , Robert Parker , Wine Spectator , Stephen Tanzer, Alder Yarrow. No interest in huge, in-your-face wines that lack a mid-palate or structure. and there's very little I can add to the discussion, except to say that if you have a bottle or find a bottle, you should try it now.

home : wine recommendations : wine girl for hire : bio : articles : contact « Wine Spectator Award of Excellence? Main | New Biodynamic Regulations Coming » The Return of Airplane Wine (almost) August 23, 2008 Post 9/11, when I couldnt travel with a corkscrew I decanted wine into a water bottle.

home : wine recommendations : wine girl for hire : bio : articles : contact « Demeter Europe/USA: A friend asks why | Main | Wine Spectator Award of Excellence? » New Biodynamic Regulations Coming August 11, 2008 August. 2b) Gold Standard Biodynamic which is ultimately a natural wine. am here.

home : wine recommendations : wine girl for hire : bio : articles : contact « New Biodynamic Regulations Coming | Main | The Return of Airplane Wine (almost) » Wine Spectator Award of Excellence? August 19, 2008 Mom called. He paid money and got himself a Wine Spec badge of honor. Fraud?

There is a great rosé made by Israeli producer Galil Mountain that I recently poured at a tasting, and while I think the wine is amazing, there were guests there who saw the color and assumed it would be a sweet wine.  But why, even following a feature article last summer in Wine Spectator, was rosé still not being fully embraced? 

Henry's Drive is making some spectacular wines. I first tried their "Pillbox Red" last year in a blind tasting of ten Spanish and Australian wines and chose it as my favorite wine of the night - it was also the second cheapest. And if you care about such things -- Robert Parker scored this 95 points; Wine Spectator, 91.

The 1997 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello is a sometimes gorgeous wine. My previous experience with this wine, at a Wine Spectator tasting in 2007, was phenomenal. This time around, the wine was very clearly Monte Bello, with dark berry fruits, thick tannins, and strong underlying acidity.

I've recently begun to work with a wine distributor. spent a good amount of time with the general manger at the store and I noticed that he wasn't carrying a certain wine. The GM explained that while he is a big fan of most of the wines this company distributes, this particular wine, a Viognier, is not to his liking.

Do you know what corked wine smells like? At this point I have to say that I cannot reliably identify corked wine unless there is an unaffected bottle open for comparison. bet I'm not alone in this and I mean among you, people who drink a lot of wine. open wine almost every day and I never seem to hit a corked bottle.

This according to the website of the medical journal Cell Metabolism ( as per Wine Spectator online). And keep drinking red wine - to your health! Happy AND HEALTHY wine tasting! Yet another article about resveratrol and its benefits. nice piece. Check it out.

Yes, I have been tempted to write about Israeli wines a lot lately given the fabulous press they have been getting with recent articles in Wine Spectator (online version only available to subscribers) & The San Fransisco Chronicle (found online at the SF Gate ). People have complained about the expense of Israeli wines.

I brought up the red wine compound resveratrol in a post early last week. Discussing yet another article I found (thanks to Wine Spectator online emails) that brought up studies regarding the health benefits of resveratrol. Who would've thunk it, a patch to get your red wine fix ;) Happy.red wine.wearing????? Drink up!

I'll be attending the Wine Enthusiast "Toast of the Town" tasting later today and will have a full report posted by tomorrow. In the meantime I want to write a quick post about a compound found in red wine that is frequently mentioned as its health benefits have been cited in multiple studies. Happy HEALTHY COMPOUND wine tasting.&

I used whatever time I had this (late) evening to peruse some wine blogs and other wine related write ups but sadly came away with nothing of special interest to write about. That said, I feel compelled to write about something, so how about a quick plug for wine and its corresponding health benefits. That is all for tonight.

This pre-Passover wine season has me running around to tastings and writing all kinds of articles.  I have also been plugging away at my Israel wine project.  have over the past few years encountered many people who have informed me that they can not drink red wine as they are allergic or it gives them headaches. 

Their attention to quality and detail put them at the forefront of Italian wines. This dry red Super Tuscan Italian wine is made from 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Sangiovese Rosso. Wine Spectator gave this a 97. This wine really, really made my day. 2008 photo by Dave Trieger

Italy • ©2008 photo Dave Trieger This clean deep ruby red Sangiovese Chianti has aromas of ripe fresh fruits and flavors of cherry, tangy strawberry and plums. Wine Spectator gave this wine 86 points. very good deal for $11. And in case you didn't know, Davinci is made by Gallo.

home : wine recommendations : wine girl for hire : bio : articles : contact « Pontet-Canet and Wine Spectator | Main | Jenny & Francois: The Spring 08 Tasting Report » Alice Expunged From eBob March 12, 2008 Just in from a reader in Oregon about the eRobertparker.com forum. Good going guys. Hot pink?

I still need to complete my "best Israeli wines for Passover" post as well as my Best of the Skurnik tasting entry.  But today's quick post is a SERIOUS post about a study I found via Wine Spectator online. Check out the article and happy & HEALTHY wine drinking this holiday weekend. I will get to those ASAP.

At the urging of a good friend and confidante, I would like to ATTEMPT to discuss some of the suggested methods for wine tasting. Wine Spectator has their "S's", which are (in order): SEE, SNIFF, SIP & SPIT. SNIFF : "Smell the wine" by first swirling it in the glass to release aromas. Same basic idea.

©photo 2008 Dave Trieger Italy • The grapes are 90% Sangiovese with the remainder a mix of Malvasia nera, Colorino , Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from one of the original Chianti regions, Rufina. The Frescobaldi family has been around since the 11th century and the story goes Michelangelo exchanged paintings for wine.

 Quick wine deal. I've never had this wine before but the 2004 Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf du Pape apparently given a 91 by Wine Spectator & priced here at $30 seems to be a good deal for CDP lovers.  Happy wine bargain hunting! It is sold elsewhere online for between $36.50-$45. 

The full article, compliments of wine spectator online, can be found here. Now maybe I'll remember that wine I drank the other night. Yes, the news we have all been waiting for.  Drinking actually HELPS IMPROVE our memory.  I'll drink to that. Happy remembering!

It's one of those rare vineyards where the soil, climate, cultivation, history, and lore of the place produces a unique wine. have tasted Monte Bello cabernets from 1976, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1993, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2004, and I am constantly amazed by the wine's ability to age gracefully. These wines require patience.

Although $37 is a lot for a bottle of wine, when others are selling the same bottle for NO LESS THAN $45 and as much as $70 the $37 price tag doesn't seem so bad. The Two Hands 'Harry Edward's' Shiraz being sold here for $37 was given positive ratings by both Wine Spectator (91) and Robert Parker (91). prices.

Sadly this is yet another wine I have not had the opportunity to try, so I can only recommend it on the basis of it being priced better here than in other places I found it for sale. It received a 93 from Wine Spectator (not that that should matter as much as YOUR PALATE) and looks to be an interesting wine. 

Anno Italiano 2008 - continued. There is absolutely no reason to drink cheap Italian wine. Outside of an Italian restaurant that serves nothing else, there is absolutely no reason to drink cheap Italian wine. lot of cheap Italian wine tastes acerbic, volatile, dry, occasionally harsh, and less than forthcoming to me.

Got this fabulous headline from a Wine Spectator email. Yet another study hailing the health benefits of RESPONSIBLE wine consumption. There is a big Australian wine tasting today in lower Manhattan that i will be heading to. Until then, Happy (and HEALTHY) wine drinking! A study published Jan.

I've been thinking a lot about what to blog about tonight and two controversial issues come to mind, relating to the following two topics: 1 - Internet sales of wine 2 - Wine ratings/reviews The first, internet sales of wine has come up as there is presently a very exciting project underway to sell Israeli wines online.

Ripasso style: 70% of grapes are vinified and 30% is left to dry for 4 months, then vinified and refermented with the first batch, to get a more rounded wine. This wine was on the Top 100 Wine Spectator list for 5 years in a row ( I believe 2000-2005) and it's well worth the $16 price tag Bing cherries on the Palate.

I've been a bit neglectful of my Oregon wines lately. I've become such an old world wine nut that I seem to reach for a Burgundy every time I want Pinot. But I went to Portland recently, I will have to go several times again this year, I have a load of Oregon wines in my cellar, and I need to refresh my Oregon wine palate.