No big deal in his opinion. Sometimes that is the result of poor practice in the field, sometimes its just an effort to grow the wrong grapes in the wrong place, or a lousy growing season, or stupid mistakes in the cellar. Nothing terribly impressive but tasty with distinctive grenache nose and flavor, not overripe, not hot. MORE >>

BrooklynLady has been dealing with all kinds of stressful changes at work, the same for me, and our 5 month old has decided to wake up each night between 2 -3 AM, and start screaming. The blend is typically 75% Mourvèdre (appellation rules require that a Bandol rouge contain a minimum of 50% Mourvèdre), the rest Grenache and Cinsault. MORE >>

In the spring of 2008 I learned that the winemaking prodigy behind Pax Wine Cellars, monsieur Pax Mahle, was leaving the eponymously named venture and striking out on his own, once again. With the help of a dedicated team of growers (and countless hours of spent in the vineyards) we produced some remarkable wines and learned a great deal. MORE >>

We’re back with Part Deux of our interview with John Gilman, author of the newsletter A View from the Cellar ( part one is here ). How do you make a screwcap-sealed wine taste and smell like rotting cabbage or burning rubber- put it in the cellar for a few years. German Riesling. And I really don’t understand why. The Loire. MORE >>

So I'm going to be one of those unfashionable people who will order a Santa Maddalena (the name of the DOC), and you're going to have to just deal with it. Mostly Carignan, with some Grenache and Syrah thrown in, the 2005 Domaine des 2 Anes Corbieres Fontanilles was smooth and supple, ripe and complex. Turned out to be a real winner. MORE >>