In honor of Australia Day last week, and because I think syrah is most seasonally apt in the winter, I tried a Northern Rhone syrah against an Aussie shiraz. Tags: Australian wine wine picks French wine Okay, there was no shootout. Sort of a duel, but without the guns, wounds or Aaron Burr. Joseph. If only Hamilton had been so lucky. MORE >>

And a final wine that met a very warm reception was the Domaine Montpertuis , vignoble de la Ramiere, Cotes du Rhone, 2009. wine picksSometimes you can seek solace in wine. Our town was shaken by an unthinkable tragedy this week. Right now, all I want from wine is to act as a bit of a balm. They really liked the wine too. alcohol. MORE >>

When I asked winemaker Roli Velich of the Moric winery which grape was the most apt comparison for Blaufränkisch, he suggested no fewer than three: pinot noir from Burgundy, Syrah from the Northern Rhone and Nebbiolo from Piedmont. Tags: wine picks Adding insult to injury, the asking price at the winery was only 20 schillings (about 1.50 MORE >>

Even more broadly, it’s still a tough sell: producers and retailers have repeatedly told me that save for a few appellations in the Northern Rhone, the homeland of the grape, Syrah remains a sluggish category. Next up was the Eric Texier , Cotes du Rhone, Brezeme 2007 (about $19). Tags: American wine French wine wine picks MORE >>

Their clear favorites were the Wineberry Cotes de Rhone red and the Eztezargues , boxes that I have also recommended. wine picksAs a fan of the box wine format , though not always the wine inside, I was pleased to see Eric Asimov and the NYT wine panel recommend some box wines. Solid rosé, especially for the equivalent of $7.50 MORE >>