** Disclaimer: I received these wines from Martellotto Wine s One of the benefits of writing a wine blog is the occasional UPS delivery of wine to taste and review on the blog. The wine is 85% Cab/Sauv, 10% Merlot and 5% Syrah which gives it a nice fruity and peppery finish. Now Cabs I have no problem with. MORE >>

Now most of my readers know I have another blog. My Pro Cycling Blog. Cashmere is a silky and wonderful blend of Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Syrah. Well, all was great, life was fun, but the reality of living forever soon wears off as some of those friends and classmates and those we meet in our adult life begin to pass on. MORE >>

The hard part was deciding which ones I would post on the blog. With May and New York Riesling month coming to close soon, it is safe to say that I tasted more Riesling this month than any one year in my life. After this article I will post once more on a NY Riesling and may list all those I have had. Why, I'm not sure. Truly enjoyable. MORE >>

John Gilman, author of the newsletter The View from the Cellar , joins us again for a Q&A. asked him six questions; he replied with over 10,000 words! Natural wines are growing in popularity. Are these wines forcibly better? But let’s look at each sector that you discussed separately, rather than painting with those broad brushstrokes. MORE >>

But I’m not turning this into an Australian wine blog (though I do wonder why there isn’t one of those focusing on the lesser-known wines; it could even be called “beyond the fruit bomb&# ). 2006 Clarendon Hills Astralis Vineyard Shiraz (Syrah), McLaren Vale. 2002 Castagna Genesis Syrah, Beechworth. Day One. MORE >>