At a recent tasting at Aldea in NYC I had the opportunity to meet Emilia and sample some of her wonderful wines from Brunello, paired with equally great cuisine. here are my tasting notes. He also was one of the founders of the Brunello di Montalcino Wine Consortium. Good acidity and tannins in balance with a long finish.

tasted a few of them recently at a trade tasting and was impressed with the lean, taut wines from a land known all too often for buxom chardonnay and pinot noir. joked with someone at the tasting that I was probably predisposed to like the wines because of the name since it’s also mine. Rita Hills.) Tyler winery.

Stephen Bitterolf, the Wine Director at Crush , conceived of this event with an eye towards the famous La Paulée Burgundy dinners where everyone competes to bring the finest bottles and people walk from table to table tasting each others' wines. But this was as fine a wine as any that I tasted on this evening. wonderful old nose.

tastes to old wine and Burgundy since the broader Liv-Ex 100 has not fallen as sharply. ” Ack, if the auction market’s taste for Burgundy shifts into high gear, it could crush even a non-collector’s premier cru habit. The arrest of Rudy Kurniawan on March 8 coincided with the top in the fine wine market this year.

Sampled at the Vias Portfolio tasting last week in NYC The Sangiovese grapes used to produce Suolo are from two single vineyard plots on the Argiano estate, one, their oldest vineyard planted in 1966, and one of their younger ones, planted in 1989, thereby playing on the contrasting age of the vines. Nicely balanced.

“Evaluating the taste and cost of “Two-Buck Chuck”‘ [ KALW.org ]. Two Buck Chuck turns ten this year. We were reminded that Fred Franzia’s Bronco Wine Co. owns 40,000 acres of vines in the San Joaquin Valley, debt-free , which helps keep the wine price so low. How big is a 40,000 acre vineyard? American wine

As a result, many wineries have policies banning buses and limos; free wine tastings are the rare exception, rather than the norm, in an attempt to push tourism away from quantity. The guy asked the vintner why he didn’t try to make better wines. How to break out of the chug-a-lug trap and focus on quality? American wine

Sampled at the Vias Portfolio tasting last week in NYC Just southwest of famed Montalcino in Tuscany, Argiano produces this attractive blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot and 20% Syrah, each fermented and aged for several months in French and Slavonian oak separately before blending. Medium-Full body with soft tannins.

Although I try to keep my tasting notes and blog reviews to wines that are much less expensive, I also like to post about wines I enjoyed and this Bordeaux I enjoyed immensely. I am finally getting around to trying French wines. have heard that they do make some remarkable red wines. That was, what now feels like, a long time ago.

The Valcarlos winery is sleek and modern and after an extensive tour of the vineyard and the modern winery we had a tasting of the line, followed by dinner. They grilled baby lamb for us on old vines, and tasted some fabulous vintage wine. Ah, Rioja! The wines were delicious as well! The evening was very hot.

bottle generally goes for about $400, but I sampled this at The Vias Portfolio tasting last week One of the top Amarone producers in the famed Veneto and inspired by Giuseppi Quintarelli, Romano drastically lowered it's vine yields resulting in rich, expressive and dense wine. Very nice acidity and silky tannins.

asked this question while tasting with Peter and Eduardo Ojeda, cellar master at Valdespino and La Guita. Here is what the interweb says is the definition of the word sapid: -- Perceptible to the sense of taste; having flavor. Doesn't it seem like an acidic wine? And obviously it's an oxidized wine, right? And no! Peter agreed. Anyway.At

opened this wine to share with a few bites of sharp cheddar cheese and watch a movie after a full day of yard work, but while tasting this wine, l was dreaming of a grilled hamburger. I think the best way to describe this wine is just to say that it is an Italian Beaujolais. If opened blind, that is how I would have described it.

Another colorful passage is when he compares tasting wine to looking at women. Tasting  the first wine in the morning is like seeing the first pretty girl of the day – the impact is clear, the impression vivid, there is little ambiguity. Have you ever wondered what it is like to be the wine director of a restaurant? cheap #S#D?

Producers Giorgio Ballarin, Andrea Giordana and Aurelo Settio attended the tasting of 23 wines (representing the 23 producers of La Morra). The wines were of very different styles and all were enjoyable. Each of the 23 producers donated their wines in an effort to raise money during the Christies auction to be held the next day.

yet from the tasting notes below you can see it was worth it. Almost garnet color with very garnet, nearly transparent edges, on the nose sweet prince Edward cherry tobacco as in Bordeaux (could be a close call if blind tasting against a grand cru). Pueblo de Sol Viognier 2011. Good terroir for growing Viognier. Reserve line $14.

The charming Silvina Rosas led the tour and tasting of three fine wines, described below. This winery started in 1991 by Mr. Stagmari and they grow many different varietals that have won numerous awards, especially for Tannat. From the start the focus was on quality, beginning with limiting density in the vineyards (one meter by one meter).

Once inside, we saw the 'tasting room' for both olive oil and wine, and then went on a tour of the new multi-million dollar winery that will be designed to blend into the environment and have grass (and possibly cows!) tasted many of their olive oils and they are unique and quite gourmet. and what about a golf course? Albarino 2011.

It is a quaint vineyard and after a tour of the ferementation vessels we have our tasting in the cellar, surrounded by oak barrels. Federico speaks English well and conducts the tasting. Below are some notes from the tasting. "Welcome!" Alexander joins his. as well as a member of the Castillo Viejo family. Viognier 2011.

Now here are some tasting notes. "What exciting wines!" is my first reaction to meeting Marcelo Irurtia, who is in charge of vineyard management for his family's 100 year old winery, and Maria Silvia Bianchi, who is in charge of exportation. The brand of these two wines is Km.0 shortcut or kilometer) written in a very cool looking script.

Javiar did just that – and thus led the now-currant movement of small family wineries putting their efforts into perfecting the presentation and taste of the natural Tannat grape. Now Javiar is a man very much about “good taste.” Wine is good for your health, yet I think it should taste good. Here are some tasting notes.

After pre-judging the Bordeaux 2011 vintage prior to tasting, Parker dials back the damning commentary writing in his report that it was “much better than I first thought,” likening it to 2008 and 2001. tasting sized poursSIPPED: Jesus as store manager in the image above? LARGELY SPIT: Bordeaux 11. DrinksBusiness.com ].

The tasting room is located in a separate building and very quaint. Below are notes from the tasting. "This is an incredible park!" I couldn't help but exclaim as Victoria  Varela, the fourth generation of her family who is also in charge of the export market, shows me around her Varela Zarranz estate. Chardonnay 2011. Herbal.

or perhaps as a tasting room. “What are those curious birds!” I can’t help but ask, as we tour the vineyard of Bodega Bouza in Uruguay. My guides are Eduardo Boido, winemaker and Cristina Santoro, who manages PR and communications. According to Cristina they have some sort of “weapon” or “claw” they show when a human approaches their nest.

As we taste the delicious wines (the family produces over thirty wines, we continue to chat. As we taste it, Daniel jokes that his original vision was to make an award winning "Brunello" style wine. an absolutely fabulous visit to Pisano Wines today. The story started three centuries ago in Italy. Experimentation is also a key concept.

Ana and Carlos travel often to London and New York and other markets to hand sell their wines at various in-store tastings and private dinners. And here are some notes from the tasting. “Welcome!” says vivacious Ana Pizzorno, with a bright smile and flashing dark eyes as she picks me up at the Montevideo airport. Around $13.

I feel a little guilty here by tasting a Riesling outside the New York Finger Lakes, but I thought it may be time to see what the rest of the world has to offer with what has become my favorite white wine. What I did find, is the Vin D'alsace region of France can produce a very nice Riesling. Recommended. riesling French Alsace

David said "You know, that wine is yeasted, it smells and tastes like what they want you to think rosé smells and tastes like. tastes great, balanced and pretty and very refreshing. It's finally spring in New York. Anyway, now, it's spring. It's supposed to rain in April, for goodness sake. And a box of Tello's Farms eggs.

Wine tasting notes are all-to-often laden with obscure, sometimes overly precious, redundant or otherwise silly words or phrases. ” So, have your say: which wine tasting term is officially the most useless and worthy of expulsion from our vernacular? The surprising winner was “ moist.” wine writing

The audience consisted of the city's most vibrant journalists and trade representatives -- and even though most of us were familiar with Burgundy and its terroir -- it was so valuable to taste eight prime examples of the different terroir (four reds, four whites) and take part in a tutored tasting.

fabulous experience today tasting the wines of Sartori di Verona at SD26, a fine Italian restaurant in Manhattan, where these excellent wines were paired with five courses. What made the tasting lunch so special was the passion of owner Andrea Sartori, who came across as a very traditionally-minded Italian of the classic world.

During this week, journalists are divided into small groups to taste the wines of various regions each day. am in the "blind" tasting group with several other top name journalists and together we will taste the whites and the reds of the Grand Cru Classe De Graves "blind.". Opening hours: Wine tasting reservations and visits.

Do you ever wonder when trying a new wine, if that first taste or bottle may not quite tell you what that grape is all about. Now, I won't judge any wine I am tasting for the first time until I have a chance to try a few other producers of that wine. know that for a very long time, I did just that. Aromas were a little different.

So together Laurent gave us a tour of the winery, including the press and the celler, and then we had a tasting of several vintages of his wine. could discuss tasting notes of the vintages yet in this post the most interesting thing about the winery was the absolute passion of Laurent Champs and the integrity of the wines he makes.

Herve Deschamps, the chef de cave, was in a different part of France that day yet enjoyed a fabulous tour and tasting.  Don't the glasses above looking tempting? You might not be aware of the history. the winery opened in 1811. Pierre Perrier developed the vineyards in the family of his wife Rose Jouet. Champagne perrier jouet

Finally, we come to the tasting portion. mumm tour and tastingSo after visiting the three champagne festivals, I was lucky enough to get a VIP tour of Champagne G.H. Mumm in Reims. It was a cool cloudy day with rain sometimes showering through the occasional glimpses of sun -- and the G.H. Mumm is right in the city - I took a cab.

One had the chance to speak one on one with the winemakers and/or owners from all of the chateaux below, and taste their vins clair and champagnes. Yet like the other festivals, the routine was to taste the vins clairs, discuss the vintage, and then taste the champagnes. Maillard. Paillard. Savart. Hébrard. Gerbais. Doyard.

would llke to say all were fabulous --  yet will modify this by saying all were clean and precise and from that point it is personal taste.  Many people from all over the world came here just to taste from this select group. So fab! This winemaker was Francoise Bedel and offered very terroir driven wines with minerality and acidity.

Suckling, the former Wine Spectator critic and European bureau chief, went to Montreal in early 2011 to taste wines and produce tasting notes that would appear both on his website and on that of the SAQ , he wrote at the time. Suckling was not compensated to do the tastings.” Image: PR Web. wine writing

am in Epernay at the Terroirs & Talents de Champagne tasting at the Au Restuarante Theatre.  During my WSET studies when we thought about champagne we really only learned about the chalk soil, yet during this week of tastings it was incredible to taste the vins clair from all the different soils. visit each producer in turn.

I love blind tasting. Without knowing whether or not I am intrigued by the producer, whether or not I've had it before, or any of the many other things that influence my expectations about a wine before I actually smell and taste it. Tastings Agrapart Peter Liem Pragerdid this last year at about this time , and now again.

The '08 Petite Sirah was a little tamer with a little more fruit aroma and taste. Taste like much more expensive Zins. Since the first time I tasted Bogle wines, they have been a favorite of mine. This was the first Bogle Zinfandel I tasted and as expected, I was quite pleased. That was a great move. Highly Recommended.

Champagne producers taking part at this tasting are: From La Montagne de Reims: Aspasie. Hotel Castel Jeanson , Ay, and in no particular order, here are the champagnes being presented at this tasting: You can see pics from last year here. I am SO excited to visit Champagne next week! In no particular order (!) Maxime Blin. Sélèque.

Sides taste fresh and delicious - those beans are home-made. BBQ at The Joint , in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans. That's some BBQ. The meat is unadorned - no rub, no sauce - you have to put that stuff on yourself, if you feel like you want it. The ribs are truly ridiculous, so is the pulled pork. Brisket is excellent too. Trips

Other journalists from around the world are here to taste the 2011 vintage of wines from Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint-Estephe, and Haut-Medoc. Overall - aside from the Sauternes and the whites from Pessac-Leognan, this was one of the best tastings, with virtually all the wines scoring very high points. "What a gorgeous chateau!".

had tasted the wind blind earlier during a formal "blind tasting" event organized by the UCG and was glad to see when the tasting was over and the scores compared, it received one of my highest ratings and read: "purple color, subtle fuchsia rim, very subtle yet focused aroma of ripe,  sweet, concentrated plums with a hint of tobacco.

So we don’t know the taste and profile of the different villages. Telmo Rodriguez was in full cry when I met him in New York City recently. Although the 50-year-old “driving winemaker” studied enology in Bordeaux, worked a vintage at J.L. Just a few brands? Nobody wants to talk about site, or villages. We don’t know Rioja.

If you are looking to explore a delicious value priced wine with refreshing acidity and minerality, this wine is an excellent choice. The grape is Melon de Bourgogne, and it is a "classic" from Nantes in the Loire Valley. An aromatic mineral, almost saline nose leads to a medium-bodied palate with pleasant fruit flavors. Refreshing crisp dry finish.

Well, some rushed to pre-judge expressing “no interest” in the wines, while others went and tasted with full reports due soon. tasting sized poursSIPPED: award. According to the illustrious Hosemaster of Wine, wine bloggers are barking poodles calling out for attention. Saveur.com ]. SPIT: vintage of the century.

knowing the wines that will increase in value is especially important now, as I have just returned from Bordeaux to taste the 2011 vintage. first met Hristo a few years ago, either at the five star restaurant Jean-George where he was a sommelier or at a tasting. Creating a wine collection that reflects one’s personal tastes and values.

The driver has just deposited me at this famous wine estate in Saint-Emilion and since I have a small collection at home, am very excited to talk about the wine and taste some classic vintages during dinner. “Welcome!” says vivacious yet petite Laure d’Aramon, nee Manencourt, who grew up at Chateau Figeac. It is made with 100% new oak. 

"2011 was a tricky year that required precision and care," Florence Cathiard explained, standing in the picture above near husband Daniel, before a tasting of the 2011 Smith Haut Lafitte vintage.  It was especially important to pay close attention to the tannins.". Of course, the second wines were delicious too.

Perhaps today at En Primeur with the tasting of Haut Medoc and Pauillac and Saint Estephe it means "luck for the vintage" for the very important Asian market. "Do you know the significance of a golden carrot? Especially when 14 people are dining with you?". The spell-like meaning of a carrot with a gold sauce, served to 14 people, is luck.

After a discussion of these factors, we tasted several examples of high quality wine from various regions. "There are five essential conditions for a quality vintage," says famed professor Denis Dubourdieu, speaking in front of over a hundred journalists from virtually every corner of the world.

so here I am, a Chateau Fourcas Dupre, tasting an incredible line-up of more than forty wines. am in the 'blind tasting group' filled with names you usually see in the international wine columns. have a collection of 1982 Chateau Malescot Saint-Exupery so I was curious to taste the 2011 vintage. Inky and seductive.

"Gorgeous weather for tasting Sauternes!". In any event, thanks Chateau Coutet for the weather (fabulous) and for also sponsoring the tasting of the region's 2011 vintage, which was excellent nearly across the board. Of course, a bright blue sky and a warm yellow sun is precisely the message needed to spread the word that Sauternes.

Eric tastes every few days, and when he feels the wine is closed, he has the wine racked to avoid reductive flavors. ah, the Bordeaux airport! have just arrived via an eight hour layover in Madrid and am adjusting from Spanish to French. Sebastian , a smartly attired driver in a black suit suit awaits me with a sign. Welcome!" basket press.

"I'm having a vertical tasting of Figeac!" responded so quickly I did not realize the tasting was in Philadelphia, and I live in New York! The opportunity to taste several vintages of this famous chateau is intoxicating. said a friend in an email. and I love history and a good story almost as much as wine.

We tried the 2009 the winery created for En Primeur, After the tasting, we enjoyed a 3-flight tasting of the 2006, 2003, and 2000 vintages in a presentation led by Sarah Jane Evans MW with wines procured by Sylvain Boivert, Director of the Conseil des Grands Crus Classes en 1855. They are replicated here. Chateau LaGrange.

As much as I'm looking forward to the food and wine pairing, I'm looking to tasting the new vintage of Lynch-Bages (and hopefully some older vintages as well, and will share my notes with you). It had been the first wine I bought at auction and I've tasted through the various vintages here in New York. Viticulture.

Every 3 to 5 months subject to tasting. Here is a link to several tasting notes over the years. Very excited to visit this first growth Chateau in Sauternes, which is located on the high ground near the villages of Bommes.  As a first growth it is ranked first in the 1855 classification. The chateau became knwon as Pichard-Peyraguey. 

I’m a big believer in the importance of tasting wine. It is the best way to learn about your wine “likes & dislikes” and whenever possible you should taste a wine before committing to the bottle. Given the significance I place on tasting I was psyched to learn about and visit a GREAT new wine shop in [.].

Here’s a taste: “In France we do not even have a word for fat. ” tasting sized poursSIPPED: circa 1933. Fortune.com republished a lengthy archive article from 1934 over the weekend. SIPPED: LOLz. “Jay McInerney writes for the 1%–that is, the 1% who are happy he replaced John and Dottie.”

This is one of those wines that just smells great so you just keep swirling and sniffing for a few minutes before tasting. Over the past two years I became very fond of a white wine for the Rias Baixas region of Spain made from the Albarino grape. On one of my reviews a comment suggested that I also try another Spanish white wine, Verdejo.

could share all my tasting notes but it would not matter '' the 1998 was ready to drink, and while one could happily drink all the others now this is a wine that needs TIME to develop fully. News 1997 1998 2001 2003 2005 antonio gaia sperss tasting vinexoFabulous vertical of sperss today at  Vinexpo. That is why Sperss means nostalgia.

ran into Davide Paterlini who invited me to a fabulous 2 30 tasting narated by sommelier Massimo Castellani who was incredibly dramatic and impressive. FABULOUS self pour tasting of various regions with sommeliers there to explain and assist. so Vinitaly started out with a gorgeous day and lots of high energy. 46th edition of Vinitaly.

a guest exclaims, entering the ground floor reception area of the famous Clos de Vougeot and seeing handsomely uniformed waiters pouring tastes of the region's finest red and white wines. The clever thing is that ALL the wines are tasted blind. "This is absolutely fantastic!"

This was my 3rd time at the event (which takes place every two years) and involves tasting the wines of various regions each day of the week. The tasting was fabulous and is quickly becoming one of my favorite regions. Fabulous 11th edition of the Grands Jours for trade and media in Burgundy. About Chablis. About Grand Auxerrois.

Fabulous two days of tasting at Diva Beaune, a small event in conjunction with the Grands Jours de Bourgogne where small producers as well as major names and brands poured wine. discovered many talented small producers here. Didier et Jean Louis AMIOT. Domaine Robert AMPEAU et Fils. Domaine Marquis D'ANGERVILLE. Domaine ARLAUD Père et Fils.

My tastes changed, I stopped buying and drinking the wines. It was clean and bright tasting, relying on a lean intensity. I could probably grow old drinking exactly what's in my cellar now and be perfectly happy. mean really - Burgundy, the Loire, Sherry, Champagne.what's not to love? So I'm trying to do this again. bought one bottle.

Well, not really, the authors say : “What we found is that the fundamental taste ability of an expert is different,” said John Hayes, assistant professor, food science, and director of Penn State’s sensory evaluation center. As we’ve seen, blind tasting can have more bitter outcomes than PROP.). ” Oh noes!

It’s the time of year when distributors and/or importers have annual (or semi-annual) portfolio tastings. Yesterday was the Polaner Selections tasting and I dropped by for a while in the second half. Over in the domestic wine area, Pax Mahle of Wind Gap and Duncan and Erin Meyers of Arnot Roberts made for some good tasting.

Fast forward almost 2 years and I'm finally tasting the fruits of his noble effort, a Pinot Noir made from California grapes. Back in April of 2010 my friend's Justin did exactly what he said he would do. Make wine. That's right, he's making wine in the bathtub of his 475 square foot apartment in NYC's East Harlem. I'm impressed!

So, it was a very short tour, but a very enjoyable day and I got to taste some very nice wines from one of the youngest wineries in the Finger Lakes. had already tasted and reviewed their 2007 Cabernet Franc and found that to be one of the best Finger Lakes '07 Cab Francs from what was a very good FLX vintage. Entrance sign off W.

largely agree with that last point: while the tale of bling, duplicity and gullibility has undeniably enticing details, I spend my professional life tasting wine and writing about principally because I like to drink it with dinner. One sommelier told me this week that he opened a bottle that a collector had brought in. wine collecting

so I don't usually drink white wines, yet who can turn down a Sauvignon blanc (SB) from Italy? Fattori Vecchie Scuole had an amazing acidity that went so well with grilled branzino. It's 100% SB fermented in stainless steel with lots of tropical ripe yet crisp fruit and a long, dry, mineral finish. So refreshing. Both were delicious. Stay tuned!

Sure enough, Eric posted the wines served, complete with tasting notes. The White House usher has frequently poured sparkling wines with dessert; as I’ve said before, I’m not a fan of the idea as I think the dessert’s sweetness is likely to leave the wine tasting too tart, even in this case. Appetizers: crostini.

We drive through the vineyard, getting out several times to see the trellis system, examine the soil, and taste the grapes. The Tasting. We taste the 2009 vintage and other vintages in the sleek, very modern tasting room on adjoining the Mas. Christian Seely just posted a video of blending at Mas Belles Eaux. The Winery.

tasting sized poursSPIT: Metrokane’s The Rabbit. Install a machine such as in the above video and you will really one-up your neighbors in the corkscrew department. SIPPED: reading. That LA Times is dropping stars for restaurant reviews? I’m 99+ points on that. LAT ]. NO LONGER SIPPING: wine bars. Daily News ]. BBC ].

have over the past few years mentioned or at least insinuated that my favorite Savignon Blancs came from that region, but I had never tasted a New Zealand Pinot Gris. A few weeks ago, while I was taking a little time off with the wine, I received some New Zealand wines from TGIC Importers. Different than what I am use to, but very, very nice.

prefer the way Fino style wines smell and taste out of white wine glasses, but copitas are fine too, and it certainly feels more like a tapas bar that way. And I should say that I've never tasted even one of the main dishes. I want to tell you about my favorite place to drink Sherry in NYC, a tapas bar called Palo Cortado.

News christina turley isabel ferrando skurnik tasting nycFabulous event. virtually everyone in the wine world was there! Pictured above is Isabel Ferrando of Domaine Isabel Ferrando in Cdp who makes fabulous wines. will be doing a story on her soon. Below is Christina Turley, who brought four fabulous Cali Zins!

Fabulous tasting of several Ribera del Duero wines today at the sleek Trump tower downtown. However, the day kicked off with a spectacular seminar and tasting of Vega Sicilia wines. It was great to see the wines were all doing well. defined by finesse and elegance. April S. News April S.

Eric Asimov writes in the NYT about the arrest and recalls the go-go days, when Rudy Kurniawan apparently used his tasting ability to make him an arbiter on what on the table was fake and what was not. The compliant states that Kurniawan had been living illegally in the US since 2003. He ran up $11 million of debt in 2007 alone.

spent a lot of time at the Wines of Origins tasting where I could taste and compare hundreds of wines of different quality levels from the same region - very helpful. so I've been to the London wine far and now, just got back from ProWein 2012, International Trade Fair Wines and Spirits,in Düsseldorf, Germany. It was a MASSIVE fair.

Baccarat 's presentation of their beautifully designed crystal wine glasses was matched only by the vertical tasting of 3 vintages of Chateau Rauzan-Segla Gran Cru Classe-Margaux. The new design of the Chateau Baccarat glass collection successfully unleashes the full potential of the wines. Cabernet Sauvignon, 33.5%

Today journalists had the opportunity to taste the 2010 vintage of Joseph Drouhin at Benoit in Manhattan. it was a very small affair limited to NYT journalists like Howard Goldberg as well as members of the prestigous Wine Media Guild. Fans of Joseph Drouhin all have their favorites. News joseph drouhin 2010 vintage

Compare wines at large tasting venues such as Wines of Origin. Jotting tasting notes on your blackberry is fine yet taking physical notes allows you to see a linear view of your tasting experience with charts and extra scribblings.  . Prowein is the largest and most exciting wine fair in the world right now. Bring a notebook.

This was the 2012 Buy Wine event, which allowed the trade to meet producers small and large, and taste some of the best Tuscan wines across several vintages. The opportunity to taste dozens of Vin Santos, Chiantis, and other classic Italian wines in one space and talk to such fabulous producers was priceless. "What a fabulous fair!".

I remarke  to a friend, after an amazing visit to Plan dell' Orino in Montalcino, Italy with owners/winemakers Jan Hendrick Erback and Caroline Pobitzer, who gave us a tour and tasting at their modest winery. "They're sacrificing their lives for grapes!" It is literally an old farmhouse that they bought after spending many months (years?)

The tasting room above is very "old school" yet the cellar and vat room are located in this incredible structure. Merlot flourishes on the clay soils, and as I taste through the lines (value-priced Zingari, high end Quercegobbe) I am struck by a strong similarity to Pomerol. Hand harvesting rules, along with indigenous yeast.

We taste the wines - there are three, each meant to express a different type of soil. "My great-grandmother was famous for being a harsh negotiator," Gaia Gaja tells me, telling a cute story about her great-grandmother and her marketplace shopping habits, which explains the name of the winery which means "endless negotiations" in Italian.

Beyond this ultra rare, difficult to procure, and very high-end wines (think Sassicaia) it's a rare privilege and extreme pleasure to visit this winery and taste these fine wines. Isn't this art incredibly gorgeous? Who would have thought that it is located in a Tuscan winery, not a museum! Yet before the art there is the wine.

Or if it will elicit as much of a yawn from buyers has it does from the online commentariat–after all, 20 wines had received scores as possible 100 pointers based on barrel tastings. The problem is that 2009 is the greatest vintage I have ever tasted in Bordeaux. The top scores are mind-numbing. Is this serious?!?” Clinet.

so this is a quick post as I am SLOWLY talking about the fabulous producers I met at the Vertical Tasting in association with La Paulee in San Francisco organized by Daniel Johnnes. In any event, todayI'll write about Jean-Marc Roulot, who had three vintages of his "Les Luchets" vineyard to taste, 08, 07, and 05. More soon.

Nicolas Joly’s talk wasn’t the only thing packed on Monday; the tasting itself at Return to Terroir, NYC edition, was really crowded in the latter half. didn’t get a chance to taste all the wines (I hear I really missed out by not hitting the German area), but I did taste some really good ones. wine picks

In 2012, Eric Boissenot's work will be on display in the big tasting room of the chateau until March 2013. "Wine and art. it's everywhere!". Henri Lurton, owner and winemaker of the Second Growth Bordeaux Brane-Cantenac , has long been a supporter of the arts, bringing in world-famous soprano Elizabeth Vidal to sing during En Primeur 2011.

The last time I tasted this vintage of the Nipozzano was over two years ago and it's really interesting to see how it has changed, or. stayed the same. Back then there were "fruity aromas of pomegranate and black currant, with exotic notes of leather, vanilla, and barnyard." This time on the nose is black fruit and violet, mint and hazelnut.

“The concept of taste linked to a certain place has been totally destroyed by technology,” Nicolas Joly told a standing-room-only audience yesterday. He then dismissed us saying that we haddn’t come to listen to him and that we should all go taste some wine. “Earth receives life.” Gigahertz are everywhere!”

And most home-made wines that I’ve tasted have gotten 99 points for effort and decidedly fewer for what’s in the glass. One of the most exciting drink stories in America is the craft beer revolution and its related rise in home brewing. Indeed, Belgian breweries are even buying American hops. American wine winemaking