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. Citrus Vinaigrette.

The wines are sourced from preeminent and emerging wine growing regions including Monterey County; California Central Coast; Marlborough, New Zealand; Spain and Hungary. Monthaven Chardonnay is made in California's largest small-lot winery," notes Jeff. It truly delivers artisan wine, a glass at a time," says Richardson.

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.

While the New World producers (specifically California) are using all sorts of alternative technologies and products to make wines that lose that something special. I just read a recent post by Eric Asimov of the New York Times on his blog The Pour. My take on all of this falls somewhere in the middle. Until then, happy WHATEVER wine tasting.

He fumed at the EUs stupidity for not allowing the Spanish wine industry to "adjust for global warming." In conferences dominated by scientists, biodynamics in particular provokes sneers, but Jose Ramon Lissarague a professor of viticulture in Madrid said he agreed. Its amazing how many people are experimenting for years.

Where does it come from and why is it so popular and plentiful in California and not so much everywhere else. Well, as with most viticultural history the story of this grape is very closely linked with the ebbs and flows of world history. Okay, so now we know where the grape came from but how did it get all the way to California?

Historically one of the most important countries in South America for viticulture Chile along with Mexico (Yes, Mexico) and Peru were the first to experience wine cultivation due to the Spanish conquistadors. And last but certainly not least we head west to California. So the Alphabet City Wine Co. We hope to continue on the assist.

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.