If there’s one thing that can really draw me to a wine, it’s discovering a unique story behind the bottle. Not every wine is a labor of love, but for those that are, their points of distinction vary drastically from house to house: Vineyard managers growing international grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon versus native varieties like Portugal’s Touriga Nacional; winemakers who might choose to ferment wines using natural yeast; wines aged in amphorae rather than the more ubiquitous barrels and stainless steel; even technical matters like pressing grapes gently as whole clusters, or hand-picking them from the vines at night. All of these differences—whether grand gestures or subtle attention to detail—come through in the complexity of the final wine, each bottle a love letter from the winemaker to a place, a grape, or a year. Continue reading →

When autumn hits, I put away the clean, crisp wines of summer and turn to aromatic riesling, its delicious nectar warming my body and soul against the onset of cold. I’ve explored the unctuous rieslings of Germany and Austria, tasted Eden Valley’s Australian delights, adored Alsace’s bone-dry take. But it was only in the past year or so that I discovered New Zealand’s hidden secret. Continue reading →

My boyfriend’s brother finally got his green card, after 15 years in the US on visa after visa. We decided to have a little celebration at home (a little vegetarian pasta anyone?), but that didn’t mean the wine couldn’t be special. I rooted through my wines, the ones I have tucked away for aging or for special occasions, to find one that I thought could be fun and fitting for the meal. Continue reading →

I am really, earnestly trying to teach myself to like pinot noir. Sometimes, I find bottles that really inspire me; other times, ones I like; and then there are the times that I stumble upon something that I really, really dislike.

I opened one such bottle last night— the 2011 Rascal from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. To be fair, I have not yet found a taste for Oregon pinots, and I said as much to the wine clerk, usually because I find them jammy, overripe, and lacking in acidity. But, in the spirit of trying something new, I decided to go for it, and $24 later opened a bottle of… grape juice. Thin, almost watery, fruit-punchy on the palate, and somehow possessing a whopping 13% alcohol, this wine left me wanting. Anything else, really.

0 out of 5 stars (low score due to price/quality ratio; would maybe rate a tad higher if I hadn’t shelled out $25 + tax)

Sonoma doesn’t get the recognition for cabernet sauvignon that its chic neighbor Napa Valley receives, perhaps because Napa so defines the flavor and body of the typical California red.

Sonoma, closer to the ocean, has a slightly milder climate, which lends itself to creating a more elegant cab in certain areas like the Alexander Valley and Sonoma Valley.

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