The moves notably included promoting Antonio Galloni to a greater role, as Galloni took over reviewing California wines from Parker himself as well as adding coverage of Burgundy (ex-Beaujolais) to his beat that already included Champagne and all of Italy. Which California wines excite you the most? His unedited replies follow below.

our flight arrived too late for this, so arrived in time to hear Frances Mayes, author of "Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life" speak about her book. Chronicle's Michael Bauer, Bon Appetite's Heather John, and Thomas Ulrich, of the Journalism Department of California State University. Stay tuned!

I’ve started your newest book “A Year of Wine&# and instantly took a liking to what you wrote in the introduction about how enjoying wine is as much about the context as it is about the wine itself. While the book’s not finished, the story combines several loves of mine: wine, food, travel, and politics.

Pierre was California bulk red wine, bottled at a factory in Beijing. It bore a label with the stencilled image of a chateau, which the importers had copied from a coffee-table book. And apparently for decades, Chinese wine was made in “enormous, state-run industrial wineries [that] blended grapes with chemicals and coloring.&#

The Daily Mail writes: “The Broadbent claims the book suggests he invented a bid for another of the Jefferson wines – a half-bottle of 1784 Margaux – to ensure the successful bidder paid more than was necessary.&# The NYT summarizes the effect of the recession on the California wine industry: “Brutal.&#

Robert Kacher Selections is strong in bargains from Southwestern France; I highlighted the Tariquet Sauvignon ( find this wine ) in my book, A Year of Wine, as one of 10 great wines under $10 ( REDS from Patrick Campbell was also included). Industry replies, part I. They are trying to sell you the spin of romance and lifestyle.

I've been wondering recently what it would mean if Hanzell, which planted the first pinot noir vines in California in 1953, received 95+ points from the major trade press regularly. Hanzell is a story book vineyard (literally) that has all the makings to produce $600/bottle pinot noir. Pale hay color, but big Wow!

» Chardonnay in California: Part Five January 19, 2009 When I got this assignment a friend in Portland said, "Al, its going to kill you." Even though she didnt taste them all, but a good spectrum of about 50 wines from all over California, shes of the opinion that there are more styles of the wine available than a decade ago.

So buckle up and get ready to hear his thoughts on what’s wrong with Riesling from Austria and Australia, screwcaps and their problems, the Loire, California cab then and now, indigenous yeasts, roto-fermenters, small oak barrels, wines over 14% alcohol and why he uses scores! California cabs from the 70s. German Riesling.

FYI, my last bottles were drunk in the Rhone at George the Greek in 2004, pick up THE BOOK Which brings me to other night when I was barside at Balthazar comforting a friend. Turns out it was the 1998 Mont Mains and the Napa-based wine industry guy shared the wealth, he called it Chardonnay. California Chadonnay. JEALOUSY!

Laurie Daniel writing about all the wine books that have been released of late (at least 3 by NY based wine industry professionals - one of whom I have had coffee with). San Fransisco Chronicle article about Italian varietals in California (I have had some amazing Napa Sangiovese). Or California Pizza? Of course not.

The point of view seems wrong to me as most California and New World wines are made for the market -- the most obvious taste--than the product of a carefully matched grapevine to land and climate and a passionate winemaker who is part artist/philosopher and part scientist. Are there exceptions to the awfulness of California wine for you?

and "California promotes wines that dont suck" Um.since when did fresh herbs become weird?! And millions of people think that California wines dont suck.but that certainly isnt an indication of greatness. Im just coming over from the Dark Side - having just finished your book - and I already wanna smack this guy with a tack hammer.

At least thats the feeling you get after reading the book The Battle for Wine and Love by New York writer Alice Feiring, out next month. An industry answer to Fast Food Nation and Kitchen Confidential, the book paints a distressing picture of a world full of Frankenwines (my word, not Ms. Then theres the hardware. Welcome to Ms.

Does California Gets the Message?) February 01, 2008 Its unbelievable how they got away with it, but annual Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in Sacramento, California went on without me. Well, yes, I suppose but I think the statement is about finding terrific wine and California has fallen down on the job. Witty. Sharp.

With the six wines we also provide a book to take notes in as well as a label remover with an adhesive back so you can just slap it on one of the pages and scribble away on the opposite page (Thanks for the insight Matt). And last but certainly not least we head west to California. So the Alphabet City Wine Co. Can you tell? Cheers

Industry tasting : Terry Theise Grower Champagnes at the Michael Skurnik tasting. Wine scene in a book: In Saturday , by Ian McEwan, when Perowne, a successful brain surgeon, thinks about what wine to serve to his family with the seafood stew he is making. This is my 200th post here at the ol' Brooklynguy blog. Kind of hard to believe.

spend quite a bit of ink in my book talking about Clark and the word--a lovely four syllable one. And I actually dont know what Ruth said about Eric in her book. To try and ferret out the natural wine in the sea of industrial swill, for most people, it would be easier trying to find fly sh*t in pepper. Do check it out. Tell us!

Stag's Leap is one of the most prominent wine producers in California. tend to focus on the under twenty-dollar range but if I were to go above such limits in the California category this producer would on the short list. love hearing groups of wine geeks bantering about the industry. I'm just a wine geek. How do I begin?