From organic vineyards in Carneros, Napa, California, light ruby colors with red fruit, jammy and gamey aromas while the palate holds spicy cinnamon, black cherry, raspberry and hints of toasty oak with smooth texture and nice finish. Here are the numbers: $35, 14.2% alcohol and 91 points from Wine Enthusiast.

Fabulous evening with Bob Pepi, wine consultant and founder of the Eponymous brand of California Reds. Bob's father bought land in Napa in 1966, grew grapes, and acquired some of the best vineyards in the Napa Valley. Wine Spectator called Bob's first Cabernet Sauvignon "a Cellar Selection.". with their ripe, meaty flavors.

An unexpectedly good red California wine for $13 a bottle (An on line search may get you closer to $11, but you'll have to do your homework). For over three decades, Liberty School has been among the best values in California wine. That’s what this Liberty School 2008 Cab is all about.

Nederburg is also famous for its auction, conceived as a platform for rare and specialty South African and today one of the top four wine auctions internationally, along with Germany’s Kloster Eberbach, France’s Hospice de Beaune and California’s Napa Valley Vintners auction. Perhaps a nice place for a MW student to do a stage, yes?).

It is very quaint, very wine-centric and in some ways similar to the restaurant where I was introduced to Robert Mondavi in California’s Napa Valley, a place frequented by local winemakers. "So here i am, at Ken Forrester's 96 Winery Road restaurant in South Africa!". Africa for many decades. During my recent trip to S. 96 Winery Road.

Helena resident John Gillespie tweeted the other day: “Trade and consumer alert – bad harvest weather in CA meant lots of grapes (Napa Cabs included) went through “flash détente” machines.” ” Since I am a political science junkie, I thought SALT II had finally made it to Napa! winemaking

The research released today shows consumers are more focused on product origins than ever before and it isn't just a passing concern, but one they feel extraordinarily strong about," said Linda Reiff, executive director of Napa Valley Vintners. Results from a recent poll of U.S. Key findings from the poll of 1,000 U.S. and beyond.

Due to the similarities of several of his favorite wine regions in France, it was California’s. Napa Valley that inspired him. With a clear vision of the potential of the Napa Valley, in 1971 he co-founded Clos du Val. He pioneered several Napa Valley regions and developed a keen focus upon Stags Leap.

I always relish the rare opportunity to taste a California wine from the 1970s, the era before rising temperatures and fruit bombs. But I recently had something even more rare: tasting the BV, Georges de Latour, Private Reserve, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon, 1958. In 1969, Beaulieu sold to Heublein; now it is owned by Diageo.

stars USA 2009 napaDeep rose color. Predominantly bacon fat on the nose. Big palate with considerable soft tannin, orange peel/citrus, bright on the finish with lingering. Hard to put my finger on. Tastes like lingering redcurrants. Purchased at Whole Foods; worth checking out.

By contrast, cut to the Auction Napa Valley this past weekend and people were breaking out the umbrellas rather than the sunscreen. Rhys Vineyards has vineyards in more of the marginal weather areas of California and therefore is rightfully weather-obsessed, so their Twitter feed is an excellent source of weather info.

Free, Christobal (a trained enologist) left his homeland to learn about winemaking in some of the most famousvineyards in the world, including Bordeaux, France (at Chateau Margaux in 2002),Barossa Valley, Australia (Rosemont Estates, also in 2002) and Napa Valley, California(Franciscan Estates in 2001). Kolye Reserve Syrah.

But I do want to share a little bit: 1994 Stony Hill Napa Valley Chardonnay , price unknown. Stony Hill has for decades been making Napa Chardonnay that pleases the old world palate, and the wines are affordable. This is the oldest vintage of Stony Hill that I've had, and this was a brilliant bottle. Is this even made from grapes?

So you know all about the e-auction that opens May 29, 2011 in alignment with the Auction Napa Valley 2011, yes? am spotlighting certain producers and interesting lots that every wine lover (and supporter of the Napa Valley's charities) should know about. Below is their offering for the Napa e-auction. Napa Valley.

2008 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Chardonnay. Style Note: Very well balanced California Chardonnay with very balanced fruit, acid, tannin, and just enough oak to make it delicious and substantial enough to pair with fish prepared in many different ways. Bodegas Roda Reserva 2006. color: medium + intensity/opaque with garnet miniscus.

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. How many times have you been to Sonoma and Napa and tasted there? And NFL?

And "rock" is the appropriate word, for even though this is a California Sauvignon Blanc, the minerality is incredible. Interviews News arkenstone vineyards cabernet sauvignon Howell Mountain Napa Valley sauvignon blanc susan Krausz syrah"Have you tasted their Sauvignon Blanc? It rocks!" "Limestone soil?"

Everyone enjoyed the wine, and everyone was surprised when it was revealed to be a California Pinot Noir from 1976, a time when a lot of great wine was being made in California in the gently extracted and low alcohol old-world style. This past weekend I participated in one of the greatest wine events of my life.

Napa vintner is distilling sauvignon blanc vodka and selling it as varietal and vintage. Samples of wine and spirits can now be poured in California grocery stores. SIPPED: boom times. Wine auctions brought in a total of $408 million, nearly doubling the 2009 take according to Peter Meltzer. Bottoms up! SIPPED: chemicals. People ].

Rather risky, don’t you think, to put a California sparkling wine up for comparison among some of the best houses in Champagne? “Of course, I can detect a California sparkler!&# Yet the sixth is an “imposter&# – not a Champagne from the named region in Northern France, but a Napa Valley sparkler.

This is a practice that makes sense in our competitive market, and rather smart for the winery which farms 230 acres of estate vineyards throughout the North Coast, primarily in Napa Valley and produces 43 wines. Brooks Painter, winemaker. so recently I received three wines from V. Very good quality, 931 cases. Very concentrated fruit.

There were only 50 cases produced by winemaker Dan Petrosky at the Massican Winery in California's Napa Valley. This bottle was a perfectly timed summertime gift from my friend, and fellow food/wine blogger, Eric Guido from The VIP Table. Talk about a limited production wine?!

Here 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. Robert Parker: 90 pts Wine Spectator: 92 pts Retails: $35

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. Mumm Napa “Carlos Santana Brut” N/V.

Paul and Lynne left glamorous Syndey for McLaren Vale (which they compare to a small town like California's Napa Valley) for a new lifestyle. "It's been decades since I've been to New York," says the youthful and sporty looking Lynne Shri vin gon who has come to the U.S. The Shrivingtons are an interesting family.

Writing in the Financial Times, Jancis Robinson compared the ripeness and high alcohols she experienced to California, remarking “I have never written the word “Napa” so often in my tasting notes.&# Robert Parker posted his reviews of Bordeaux 2009 yesterday on his subscription web site. Tim Atkin noted the 14.5% 67-68 points.&#.

Example being 2500 days of these temperatures might be a nice spot in Napa, where 5000 days would be something like planting in Death Valley. good French Bordeaux can age 30 years or more while American wine is made for the California culture that wants their wine now. California winemakers boost fruit for the drink-now culture.

He’ll shop around the world’s best wine regions, including France, Italy, Spain, Australia, Argentina, South Africa, and California to find some very good juice in bulk that a vineyard might sell for $55 per bottle and sell it for $15. He sells directly to consumers on line thru his website and retails mainly at Costco.

Recently, the wife and I have been discussing a possible trip to California next year. Of course my choice would be Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley or Russian River Valley, the home of some of the best wines in the world. Tags: California Petite Sirah red wine few of the issues are for how long and where. Suggested retail is $15.

more sanguine take on the state of Napa’s economy; Nielsen data show wine sales at stores increased 4.6% Three wine makers from California who were victims of the recession receive profiles in the LAT. SPIT: reform in Maryland. Read the autopsy of reform over on Baltsun.com. SPIT: business as usual. SIPPED: turning tide?

Hard to tell which phrase would strike more fear in the heart of Napa: finances that are “very weak&# or “on life support.&# But probably the scariest phrase is this: “High-rollers are discovering that there are lots of drinkable $20 to $40 bottles of wine.&# ["Vineyard Defaults Surge as Bargain Wines Hurt Napa" Bloomberg ].

SPIT: California bargains. Mike Steinberger contemplates the puzzle of why so few “superstar&# winemakers in California make wines under $20. We discussed the lack of tasty California values last year in relation to Fred Franzia , and heard from wine importer Bobby Kacher and winemaker Patrick Campbell. LA Times ]. NYT ].

Isn't there some sort of buzz predicting the price lowering of high end California wine? And yes, you have probably heard gloom and doom statements about "overpriced" California wine. Now you must be asking yourself some questions, quite possibly: 1. Isn't there supposed to be a recession? Who are the biggest buyers?

Alder Yarrow was moderator of a social media panel, with the panel consisting of Doug Cook, Director of Search for Twitter, Steve Heimoff, California Editor for Wine Enthusiast, Joe Roberts, 1winedude.com, and Patrick Comiskey, Wine & Spirits. This year Tuesday kicked off with optional visits to To Kalon or Cade vineyards. Stay tuned!

But that is a part of the character and charm of Monte Bello, which distinguishes it from so many other wines from California, even those -- if not especially those -- from Napa Valley. Tags: Cellar Selection 3 stars 2005 2003 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Napa Valley deep plum color, with a certain vibrancy, like polished wax.

Let’s turn the floor over to John for his views from the cellar… Mayacamas Vineyards is one of the greatest cabernet sauvignon producers in the history of California. John Gilman, author of the newsletter A View from the Cellar , weighs in today with his thoughts on Mayacamas Vineyards. 2015-2050. superb vintage for Mayacamas.

Evan Dawson, who writes about Finger Lakes wines for the New York Cork Report (and who we last saw here ), recently tweeted that he was in Napa. Whither Napa Cabernet? There is no tasting room on one of Napa’s two main thoroughfares. Maybe Napa has changed over the years. Today we have his thoughts. By Evan Dawson.

Throughout the evening we sampled a broad spectrum of 5 wonderful wines, 1 Italian white, 3 Italian reds and 1 California Cab. Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 70% form Napa, 30% from Sonoma with a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. Well, here they are.

The old saw seems true in life as well as wine, at least, that was the feeling I got the other night after the wines were revealed in a tasting of 2005 California Cult Cabernet organized by none other than David Hamburger of Vintage Tastings. Very Napa, with pepper and mild spices. He was young and rich. It’s not expensive,” he said.

Napa (California): 44,000 acres planted, or about three Manhattans. Recently, someone asked me, “so just how big is Burgundy, say, compared to Manhattan?&# Excellent question! all sources appear after the jump.). Romanee-Conti (DRC) vineyard: 4.4 acres, about half of Bryant Park. Burgundy: 70,470 acres or about five Manhattans.

More tasting notes from the Snooth California Cabernet Sauvignon Blind Tasting earlier this month. The grower group responsible for this wine has consistently scored in the mid 90s and with 2007 being one of the best years that Napa has seen, making this wine truly exceptional Made from 90% Cabernet, 6% Tempranillo, 4% Syrah.

My tasting notes from the Snooth California Cabernet Sauvignon Blind Tasting earlier this month yielded this natural winner for me. Sourced from some of the best vineyards in Mount Veeder, Oakville, Rutherford, and Spring Mountain, this wine receives continual 91, 92, and 93 point scores.

2008 Sauvignon Blanc, Modus Operandi, Napa Valley, California. ? 2007 Granache, Beckmen Vineyards, Santa Ynez, California. ? Right now, at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Dr. Manmohan Singh, prime minister of India, is being feted at a state dinner! alcohol, not exactly my recipe for good times with green curry. White House Arugula.

It is a kosher Cabernet Sauvigon from California.  Not Napa Valley, but Alexander Valley fruit.  I’ve had the wine before.  Having tasted previous vintages of it, I was not surprised to hear that it was awarded 90 points from Wine Enthusiast.

This red from California is from the second flight at Snooth's Cabernet Blind Tasting last week. Actually this is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Syrah and 4% Merlot and made from grapes from Mendocino, Lake County and Napa County (45%, 30%, 25%). alcohol and $12.99.

On Wednesday, Suzanne invited me to California WineWorks, in Ramsey, New Jersey, to partake in the pressing of her group’s Cabernet Franc. Just one week prior, they’d gone to crush the grapes, which came from Napa, their fist step towards making and bottling their own barrel of wine.

Parker and the organizer selected a lineup of 18 grenache based wines, seven from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, five from other parts of Spain, two from California (including one aptly named Pandora), and four from Australia. So the King of Spain, 18 bottles of Grenache, and a man wanted by Interpol walk into a conference in Rioja.

Premature oxidation of dry, age-worthy white wines–be they from Burgundy, Bordeaux or California–is a tremendous problem today, and at this point in time it does not look to me as if any meaningful progress has been made since the scourge first became readily apparent when the 1996 white Burgundies began to tank. think not.

They have already signed up some Whole Foods locations in Northern California and they recently announced the addition of American Airlines Admirals Club lounges. In the classic Bond film, Goldfinger tries to corner the world market for gold. Is Amorim trying to do the same thing for cork? And don’t forget cork art !

Elliot Stern, chief operating officer of the Sorting Table, a Napa Valley-based wine distributor, is quoted as saying, "If you're a $90 wine and all of a sudden you're on the Internet at $50, how do you ever become a $90 wine again?" The nuts and bolts of this story is that Americans are still drinking wine, they're just spending less.

But the Napa Valley 2000 vintage hit the market with a lame thud. So I spent very little time and money on Napa 2000, which in retrospect was a mistake. And in comparison to Bordeaux prices and today's prices for California Cult wines, the 2000 Napa wines were (and in many cases still are) a bargain. Unctuous and opaque.

Also tasted: 2004 Kongsgaard Chardonnay Napa Valley Lush, full-bodied, a touch sweet, with underlying salty minerality reminiscent of young German riesling. Tags: 2004 Central California 2006 1988 3 stars Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Napa Valley 4 stars This wine put the 1989 to shame. You can smell the twenty-one years on this.

We tasted these wines blind over the past five nights, with a 2004 Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon thrown in to mix things up. The 2004 Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ** by contrast was mote black and abundantly oaky on the nose at first glance. But the predominant note on day 1 was the vanilla.

Tags: 2004 USA Central California Sonoma Napa Valley 4 stars

Welcome Napa Valley Vintners! And you’re probably remembering just how nice it is to live in California. As you can see from my tasting card, I didn’t get to taste all of the wines at last night’s A Taste of Napa Valley with Morrell & Co. Tags: 2 stars USA 2006 3 stars 1 star 2005 Napa Valley didn’t even try.

So Ross Schwartz told the assembled group at the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers in Napa last week. He started researching the script in 2001 (well before Taber’s book was published, he pointed out) on “the Napa side&# by talking to Jim and Bo Barrett of Chateau Montelena and their then-winemaker Mike Grgich.

Attended another blind tasting last night hosted by Greg dal Piaz of Snooth: 2005 Cosentino Il Chiaretto California 14.8% $18 On the nose resinous leather, fruit, white pepper, plastic wrap, high alcohol, with a palate of sour cherries, licorice sticks or twizzlers, and a woodsy profile. tasting like a Merlot blend.

2006 Neyers Napa Valley California - Hudson Vineyards Syrah 14.1% - $40 On the nose a funky barnyard waft and later opened but showed a medicinal aroma, while up front on the palate dark sour cherries and mainly black pepper in the mid palate. 2005 LaTour Vineyards Napa Valley California Syrah 14.8% - $26.50 Liked it.

Part One January 15, 2009 Assign her a story on California Chardonnay and tell her its good for her. You know, my impatience with much of California wine is somewhat well known by now. So, if you love the opulence of California Chardonnay, please dont take offense. 2006 Heitz (Napa)-- Guess what? Serves her right!

I purchased this wine at the Bounty Hounter during the historically wet March of 2005 in Napa Valley. At the time, the "Canis Major" was one of the best pinot noirs from California I had ever tasted. Deep purple color (rare for a California pinot noir) with strong dried herbs, mud, and raspberry jam on the nose. own a dog.

am more and more convinced that all chardonnay vines should be ripped out of California and replaced with trebbiano. It was in the Napa Register by some guy named L. am more and more convinced that all chardonnay vines should be ripped out of California and replaced with trebbiano. 1991 Cote de Rhone La Tache? Who knows. Craft.

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. Tags: USA Corrections Napa Valley It costs about $34 as a future. Second - and this is really the most important thing - the list is for informational purposes. Mmmmm.

If you're into California Cult wines, then you might want to know when they come out, and how much they will cost, but there is no comprehensive release schedule for these wines -- anywhere -- and the cults themselves are the last people to ask. You aren't alone. This list is by no means complete, and it may very well be inaccurate.

America California overtakes France to move into second place in the UK wine market, thanks to high volume supermarket brands, particularly rosé (aka white zin?). Crushpad, a custom wine maker San Francisco, has released the pricing on a 2007 Napa Cab. SIPPED: American wine in the UK! SIPPED: resveratrol. news.com.au ]. Bailout wine ].

last seen at Viader in Napa) or is it amphora? When I was in California one cellar rat told me, as he was looking over a line-up of pinot, "I can tell if the winemaker uses gum arabic just by the look of the legs." What is the chicest container for fermenting wine in? Is it the cement egg? Good question. Could these be the culprit?

last seen at Viader in Napa) or is it amphora? When I was in California one cellar rat told me, as he was looking over a line-up of pinot, "I can tell if the winemaker uses gum arabic just by the look of the legs." last seen at Viader in Napa) or is it amphora? Is it the cement egg? Good question. Could these be the culprit?

Turns out it was the 1998 Mont Mains and the Napa-based wine industry guy shared the wealth, he called it Chardonnay. California Chadonnay. have had nothing that excited me, except the recent night sky with the moon squaring off with Venus and Jupiter. Then I get an email from a friend about that 1947 Louis Martini. JEALOUSY! JEALOUSY!

We gathered at Cafe Loup on 13th Street in NYC to sample these wonderful old Cabs from the Maestro of California wines. This opulent, deep opaque purple Cabernet has a softness that I savor so much. And there were lots of sensory memories from my past that I had to call upon in free association. 2008 photo by Dave Trieger

2002 Seavey Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ** A big Napa cabernet of dried cherries with smokey and chewey tannins. NV Barefoot Pinot Grigio California * Bright and light acidity, with nice grapefruit and orange notes Mexico is a difficult place to find a good bottle of wine. drink beer.  2004 Mouton Cadet Bordeaux.

As G-20 leaders met in Washington this weekend while the economic world burns, they sipped Shafer Hillside Select 2003, a $250 Napa cab ( find this wine ). NYT restaurant critic Frank Bruni goes public about his dislike of Sauvignon Blanc as he tasted one from California, “he offered a grimace and a cry of anguish.&# Reuters ].

Lot 86, a 2006 Lodi Zinfandel from California: Nose: warm, wood, jammy on the sweet side of dry, juicy and chewy, also very nice. Lot 72, a 2005 Meritage from California: Nose: sweet, earthy aromas with a Bordeaux model. All were very good, my 2 standout favorites were the Spanish Tempranillo and the California Zinfandel

2004 Napa Valley Merlot **+ Thoroughly enjoyable. Mondavi's website states the wine is made from 100% Napa Valley fruit and sees 20% new French oak. 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ** The merlot was so good I went back and bought a bottle of the Cabernet Sauvignon. The 1997 Napa Valley Cabernet is a stunning wine.

Audrey, reading Wine Spectator in Lake Tahoe, Spring 2008) So it was with glee and trepidation that I ordered one ticket for the California Wine Experience at the Marriot in NYC - but mostly glee. Araujo Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley "Eisele Vineyard" 2005 * Smoky garnet color. Viader Napa Valley 2005 Bouquet of dried spring flowers.

Greg opened 3 beautiful California reds for us: Joseph Phelps Backus Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1985. (originally posted on snooth.com by the author) I'm fairly new to snooth , but since the beginning of 2008 I founded a wine blog and website and having a great time doing it. pretty diverse group. And last but not least.

On the night of the great VP debates, the Imbibe Wine Club met to sample some 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon from California. We had three from the Napa/Sonoma region, and one from Carmel Valley in Central Coast.

Then there was that California style Bordeaux, narrowing the margin between the wines, moving a wine I sort of like (Bordeaux) too close to a wine I really didnt warm to, (Napa Cab/Merlot). This marked the year of the complete coup; reverse osmosis/micro bullage machines rolled into town like WW2 German tanks. They became the norm.

I've decided to list these two Ridge zins together, but they really couldn't be more diverse. The 2006 Paso Robles * from Benito Dusi's Ranch, 100% zinfandel from old old vines, is actually a light bodied, mild-mannered 14.6% alcohol (if such a thing exists) showing nicely ripe red fruit and not too much heat. It's deep.

This Pine Ridge 2005 Carneros Merlot from the Napa Valley/Carneros region of California is 98% Merlot , 1% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Malbec and aged 15 months in French oak barrels. tasted this wine at the California Wine Month expo at Espace on west 42nd street in NYC SRP is $45.

In my opinion Kongsgaard sets the bar for chardonnay in California, followed closely by Peter Michael and Kistler Almost perfect today, and still a four star wine anyway. This chardonnay is an aged gold color, with huge tropical fruits, nuts, and full citrus notes throughout. Big, bright, fruity, intense - just simply a "wow" wine.

San Fransisco Chronicle article about Italian varietals in California (I have had some amazing Napa Sangiovese). And consulting winemakers, a phenomenon I became familiar with while working in Napa (although made popular by Frenchman & Mondovino character Michael Rolland). Or California Pizza? Are they all the same?

This rich deep rose colored Cabernet from Napa , California is full-bodied, clean and smooth. Made from 85% Cabernet Sauvignon aging in French oak barrels for 18 months, then 15% Merlot added to the final bottled blend. On the nose wafts chocolate, oak and herb. Extremely concentrated and complex with an alcohol content of 14.9%

There were exclusively California wines that ran the gamut, but I'll be concentrating on the reds I enjoyed. First up is the Merlot from Napa County, California. This is one of my favorites from a tasting I attended this past weekend at The Restaurant at Sun & Surf Beach Club in Atlantic Beach, N.Y. alcohol content.

If you are looking for a New Zeland sauvignon from California - this is it! Straw/hay color. Very nice bouquet of lemon poppeyseed muffins. On the palate the wine exhibits warm grass notes, mellon, and lemon meringue pie. This is very reminiscent of a New Zealand sauvignon, with equal parts fresh cut grass and steel.

Of course, Im in California (dry.) California. White Rocket Wine Company Unearths a Treasure in Geode for Millennial Generation Chardonnay Drinkers NAPA, Calif.--(BUSINESS Geode arises from vineyards in the rolling hills of Santa Barbara County, a majestic, world-class growing region along Californias South Coast.

They are also often (but certainly not always) more affordable than their southernly neighbors from Napa. While Washington's wine region receives much less attention than California, Israel's wine region gets almost no recognition when compared to some of its European neighbors. Happy lesser known wine region wine tasting!

Whereas a good Bordeaux can age for 30, 40, 50 years and more, Pushing your California Cab past 20 years or Australian Shiraz past 10 might be a bit of a gamble. California Pinot on the other hand is generally made in a fruit forward style that I gather is made to be drunk young. What is better, an old wine or a young wine?

Levendi's 2004 Napa Valley Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is a perfect, "special occasion" wine. This wine shows that it is possible to bring subtly to Napa Valley. Even though it is a Napa cab it is not a huge powerhouse of a wine prohibiting the faint of heart from enjoying a glass or four. personally love this wine.

It alludes to a group of wine drinkers I first learned about in Napa from friends who worked in a tasting room called in the article "score-chasers" (known more crudely as "score-whores"). It mentions some studies that I have discussed in the past regarding consumers scientifically determined increased pleasure from wine that costs more.

Making my way past the French wines I landed in the California section. But the lure of the reds grabbed me and it was the California reds and people I either knew or recognized who convinced me that white time was up. His 2004 Neiman Cellars Napa Valley Red is a blend of 1/3 Cab Sauvignon, 1/3 Merlot, & 1/3 Cab Franc.

Today after work a few of us got together and sampled a really powerful bottle of wine from California. Called Black Coyote Bates Creek Vineyard 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Powerful because it is 15.1% alcohol, but also because it's intensity is almost visible. The color is a unique deep purple with the opacity of ink.

April 12 for the Twenty-third California Futures Tasting at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, featuring wines from 48 producers' 2006 vintage, plus a number of additional samples. What is happening with California winemakers always drinking French wines behind the scenes? traveled down to Wasihngton D.C. French wines! Awesome.

home : wine recommendations : wine girl for hire : bio : articles : contact « Tasting California: The Teaser | Main | Publishers Weekly Is UP! » California Style and Corisons No Show Girls March 20, 2008 Still on the California mission, my next stop was the Skurnik tasting. The owner is from Texas. First impression?

Part of this "snobbery" or "high expectation" comes as a result of time spent in Napa (and surrounding California wine country) where they do it. I went to a wine bar last night and there were a few things that disturbed me about this place.  The first, which I don't want to get too deeply into is how they handled a "taste".  Thanks.

According to the professional wine critics, 2004 was a very good vintage for California cabernets, merlots, and blends. Wine Spectator loved the fully extracted and massively endowed wines produced in Napa. Monte Bello is my favorite winery/vineyard. No two vintages of Monte Bello taste the same, and each vintage evolves in the cellar.

OK, the title is a little old-man-pun style, and the article was written citing some recent research done by Standford Business School and California Institute of technology (regarding how price influences people's appreciation of wine).but I just enjoyed another article written by Laurie Daniel for the San Jose Mercury News. SORRY!

There is certainly plenty of exposure and sunlight - even more per day on average than in the Napa Valley. Are they an extension of the bad aspects of Napa, or are they making wines that reflect something about their own place? Primehouse New York hosted the event. That is one busy bull. Would he go on strike? Sorry, back to reality.

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).

The same can be said about those what worked in the trade while I was working in Napa. And truth be told there are wineries and winemakers in both California and Israel whom I met and did not like one bit.  It is after 3AM and I have not slept much since getting to Israel 5 days ago. What of the WINE SNOBS or KNOW IT ALLS???

Napa Valley wine can emit 2.6 SO, we should not be buying wine from California because of carbon emissions, we can't afford to be buying French and other European wines (let along wait for them to be mature, or ready to be drunk), so where does that leave us??? pounds of carbon dioxide in total. GOOD QUESTION! Have a fabulous weekend.

The waitress recommended a California Pinot, but at $80 bottle, kinda steep, especially for someone who is not a big fan of California Pinot - too fruity!  My Napa contacts might kill me for saying this, but I think I preferred this wine to some of the high scoring California Pinot's I have had. On to the wine.