The theme, apparently, was California wines with ties to Mexico. Given that, here’s the range of California wines they could choose from: almost all of them. The California wine industry would produce few bottles of wine if it weren’t for the work of Mexican viticultural laborers. alcohol Chardonnay!

The wines are sourced from preeminent and emerging wine growing regions including Monterey County; California Central Coast; Marlborough, New Zealand; Spain and Hungary. The first wine to be released in the new Octavin Home Wine Bar is Monthaven Winery Monterey County Central Coast Chardonnay.

The NYT summarizes the effect of the recession on the California wine industry: “Brutal.&# Meanwhile, John Brecher and Dorothy Gaiter estimate that the value of juice in Fred Franzia’s new Down Under Chardonnay (retail: about $3) costs “about 35 U.S. Random House will defend the lawsuit. Image: The Daily Mail).

After all, no one has the money for $300 cabernet sauvignon from California, and even alluding to Cult Wines, let alone drinking them, is so out of fashion that one hesitates to mention the plethora of emails arriving daily intra-continentally. February Peter Michael 2006 Les Pavots $185; chardonnays avg. Flights are delayed.

I didn't expect to like this 2004 Chardonnay from Hanzell Vineyards as much as I did. 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 previously reviewed: 2005 Chardonnay 1995 Pinot Noir.

home : wine recommendations : wine girl for hire : bio : articles : contact « Chardonnay Series: Part Four. » Chardonnay in California: Part Five January 19, 2009 When I got this assignment a friend in Portland said, "Al, its going to kill you." Is Chardonnays salvation in its skins? found it compelling.

Turns out it was the 1998 Mont Mains and the Napa-based wine industry guy shared the wealth, he called it Chardonnay. The wine was still fresh yet overripe and though I cringe at calling Chablis chardonnay, he was right. California Chadonnay. Then I get an email from a friend about that 1947 Louis Martini. JEALOUSY!

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. Doesnt the fellow realize there would be no California wine without Europe? Now, what could make the fellow happier? Sheesh.

began in a French table area and tried some Sancerres (made from Sauvignon Blanc), some white Burgundys (made from Chardonnay) and some white blends. He wants his wines to show a nice purity of fruit (Chardonnay) and as such uses large 600 liter (mostly neutral) barrels. Made from Chardonnay, this wine had an exploding bouquet.

tasted California wines, Oregon wines, French wines, Italian wines, young wines, sweet wines, old wines (I had an AMAZING 1967 Barolo that was very much alive & a 1993 Chardonnay that sadly tasted oxidized). When speaking to many people in the industry, their love of wine and passion for it is very evident.

He fumed at the EUs stupidity for not allowing the Spanish wine industry to "adjust for global warming." The New World is going to be more pressed to observe the rules of nature, meaning perhaps people wont continue to grow chardonnay in hot climates. Pity that vermentino is supposed to be the next chardonnay. Lets hope not.

What is definite though is that in the late 1800's and early 1900's Argentina saw a huge influx of European immigrants settle on their land bringing with them all kinds of vitis vinifera rootstocks, from Barbera to Chardonnay and from Syrah to Cot or Malbec. The country's wine industry was being formed but only on a domestic level.

Where does it come from and why is it so popular and plentiful in California and not so much everywhere else. And if Primitivo from Apulia is closely related to Zinfandel how did Zinfandel become so popular in California? Okay, so now we know where the grape came from but how did it get all the way to California? in most wine).

Organic" WAS conventional, in that it was just-the-way-things-were-done, up until about a half century ago when chemical companies began calling on farmers (I interviewed one of the patriarchs of California agriculture recently, and he was the one who turned on that lightbulb for me. Main | Hearty Burgundy at Sanford? Do check it out.

When shopping for wine in a place like Sam's Club one should focus on bottles not from California (unless the wine buyer caught the wine geek bug one day and ordered some boutique stuff that is quite good and in that case stock up before it is gone) but -in my experience- South American and certain Spanish and Italian wines of good quality.

Stag's Leap Cellars was rolling out their new chardonnay at BLT Fish; someone just canceled would I like to attend. Stag's Leap is one of the most prominent wine producers in California. They have a line of cabernet and chardonnay that truly reflect what the state has to offer. I'm just a wine geek. Food, company, atmosphere.