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. MORE >>

” It’s an interesting idea to have restaurants vary corkage fees depending on whether they like a diner’s wine–how much for Chateauneuf du Pape at Masa? SIPPED and SPIT: saber rattling. On his web site, Robert Parker threatens to sue over the recent revelations. SIPPED: tragedy. But how does it end? MORE >>

Now that I am off to Decouvertes en Vallee du Rhone next week, I was checking in with Wine & Spirits Educational Trust fellow-graduate Philip Reddaway, a former UK based adman (Mad Man?) We might taste a white Lirac from Mordoreé, an aged Chateau Beaucastel from Chateauneuf du Pape. You can read about it below. MORE >>

Clos des Papes Chateauneuf de Pape. mean if Bruce Sanderson said, the wine he could not get out of his head, the wine that haunted him all year was the Chateauneuf du Pape, I might be curious. November 18, 2007 I ground the coffee, boiled the water and poured into the French Press. Chateauchamp of the year. MORE >>

If you thought his love of Chateauneuf du Pape’s 2007 vintage was the high-water mark for his scores, think again: Parker hands out 100-point scores to 18 red wines, with several others (including first growths, Mouton, Lafite and Margaux) getting a mere 99 points. Also: Pape Clément blanc. Is this serious?!?” MORE >>