Many of you may be familiar with a distinct minty, camphor aroma in certain Napa or Australian red wines.  Heitz’ Martha’s Vineyard in the Napa Valley is one of the more famous for this character.  Researchers in both countries have since established what many producers have known for a long time – that the minty aromas originate from the fragrant oils of nearby eucalytpus trees which are cast onto the grapes and leaves and then fermented with the skins.  The compound is “eucalyptol” aka 1,8 cineole and the species e. globulus more commonly known as the Blue …

In the Napa Valley, consumers will often ask why the vineyards are on the valley floor vs. the hillsides.  There are a lot of benefits to planting on hillsides such as better drainage of rainfall, which checks the vigor of vines, and sun exposure.  In fact, even in Napa Valley’s early history, the value of planting on slopes was appreciated.  In Illustrations of Napa County published in 1877, George W. Gift, an editor of the Napa Valley  Reporter, wrote:  “Hillside exposures, facing the morning and mid-day sun, are preferred…the gravelly thin lands produce the grapes from which …

Is it the sommelier, the “established critical media”, the hand-selling of fine wine retailers, or producers?  I recall one of the earliest pieces I read regarding the value of wine – and implied salability - came from a UC Davis AIC (Agricultural Issues Center) report in 2003 that used empirical data to assign values to wine attributes such as vintage, grape varietal, appellation and Wine Spectator scores at release.  In that study, the price of an average bottle of California wine increased by 5% for every Wine Spectator point. 
In today’s rapidly changing world, such studies are archaic.  Today, wine …

A nice base for us visiting the Southern Rhone was the Hotel Bellerive in Rasteau.  It is “homey”, very quiet, with beautiful views of vineyards and the Dentelles de Montmirail.  It is within half an hour to Vinsobres, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Beaumes-de-Venise and the Cotes du Rhone Villages of Seguret, Sabelet and Cairanne.  Like most hotels in rural wine regions, don’t expect wifi or even a reliable wake-up call, but they do have the most hospitable cat I have ever come across, and good breakfasts. 
Favorite Restaurants:
Les Florets in Gigondas.  One of the best …

Ageing of wine in wood adds complexity to wine and is influenced by the type of wood used, its origin, how it was cured, age of wood,  length of ageing and  size of container.  Another important element in the winemaker’s recipe book is the toasting level.  Toasting of wood in new barrels is done at the time the barrel is made, when the staves are being shaped over an oak fire.  Toasting can enhance or create flavors from the breakdown of carbohydrate, phenolic or fatty compounds in wood, resulting in aromas such as spice, nutty, espresso, vanilla and coconut.  There …

The Northern and Southern Rhone share the moderating effects of the Rhone River, the Mistral and share a few grapes varieties.  But in terms of climate, soils, terrain and wine styles, they are quite different.  The Northern Rhone has a continental climate, slightly cooler, less sunny and slightly wetter than the South which is more Mediterranean.  The Mistral – the cool wind from the North – has less impact in Cote-Rotie, the narrowest part of the Rhone, and only begins to pick up speed in Hermitage where the Valley begins to widen.  The …