was in Jerez in October , and one night I had dinner at La Carbona with Peter Liem and Eduardo Ojeda, the cellar master at La Guita and Valdespino. Peter generously brought a bottle of Selosse Champagne from France for my birthday in the fall. Well, of the last few months anyway. And La Carbona is by not even a steakhouse. MORE >>

Definitely a good party wine. Last March I posted a press release on a new collection of artisan wines in an innovative attractive new package. An international wine collection with six brands and ten items packaged in a new exciting premium 3L wine cask from the Octavin Home Wine Bar ™. The Chardonnay was not impressive. MORE >>

The Marques de Concha Casa, at $20, was definitely the best of the three, although the Casillero del Diablo was a great buy. This is the third of the Carmenere wines I tasted this month. As I stated in my previous two articles, Carmenere is one of the wines I've pushed aside in the past, but have placed on a list to re-examine in 2010. MORE >>

ve got no money or no space in the cellar or whatever, I’m just going to miss it.”. My own sense is that five to 10 years ago, Riesling was definitely in on the ascent. It was the last place in France that was dominated by negociants, everywhere else in France, wine drinkers had learned to seek out the best domains. MORE >>

Not too many decades ago, nefarious producers and negotiants used inexpensive wine from the south of France to add volume to Pinot Noir from Burgundy. Guests at the 21 Club. Did you know that the U.S. is the second-largest export market for Champagne, behind the United Kingdom? Over 20 million bottles were shipped to the U.S. in 2004 alone. MORE >>