A couple years ago at the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival technical conference, winemaker Greg La Follette spoke about Pinot Noir lovers.  “Pinot Noir consumers are the only consumers who consistently ask about clones” he said, suggesting that use of various clones conveyed a producer’s seriousness about the wine.  I think part of the consumer fascination is also fed by the sheer number of Pinot Noir clones available and the fact that no other grape has been cultivated and studied for so long.  I had the chance to explore some …

I looked forward to trying the 2011 vintage white Burgundies at a recent Frederick Wildman tasting in San Francisco.  The vintage ended up being an extremely variable one, even by Burgundy standards, with an unusually dry and warm spring leading to early budbreak, followed by a cool and wet summer.  I gave a preview of how variable it was in my blog post from early June 2011.  Even then, winemakers like Romain Taupenot in Gevrey-Chambertain predicted that it would be an early harvest and he was right – it was …

Still basking in the glow of  the 22nd annual ZAP Zinfandel Festival at the Concourse in San Francisco, I realize I’m a Zin Head.  I mean, you know you’re a Zin Head …
… when you count down the days to the next ZAP Fest – in 2014
… when you can trace the path of Zinfandel from Croatia to Italy to Austria to Boston and finally, to the West Coast during the Gold Rush
You know you’re a Zin Head …
… when you think the Zinfandel balloons at the Concourse are cute
… …

One of my favorite events at the annual 4-day ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers) Zinfandel Fest in the city is Epicuria, an extravaganza of food and Zinfandel pairings by 50 top producers and SF Bay Area chefs.  I always look forward to see how creative chefs might be with this bold, spicy and berry-licious wine.  At Epicuria last Thursday, we saw the usual offerings of hearty braises, ragus, chilis and confits of lamb, pork or beef, BBQ ribs and the occasional tuna sashimi tacos and vegetarian quiches, all of which …

I had the opportunity recently to select the Chablis wines for a series of media events here in San Francisco and the Napa Valley, and it helped me focus on why now is a great time to buy these wines, namely:  1), the availability of a string of great vintages and 2), demand for Burgundy in the US is at an all-time high while producer stocks are relatively low.
Chablis wines have generally become more attractive in recent years, not only in price, but in taste.  Yes, they’ve always been food …