Thomas Jefferson was the first distinguished American connoisseur of wine. He travelled widely throughout Europe, tasting and collecting wines, and became particularly enamored with the wines of France during his appointment as Minister to France between 1784-1789. He would later plant cuttings of vitis vinifera at Monticello, unsuccessfully, and build …
This is the book I’ve been waiting for. It fills in many of the gaps in our knowledge of monks and wine against the backdrop of cultural, political and economic influences of the time. It helps us gain a better understanding of the factors driving wine quality that continue to this day. And by adding emphasis on the reputations of Givry and Cote Chalonnaise wines, the authors elevate the image of this lesser-known and under-appreciated region of southern Bourgogne.
Last week, the Bourgogne wine region also known as Burgundy joined a global coalition of other classic wine regions to protect place name and origin. Now is the perfect time to start calling Burgundy by its French name, as we do for all other French wine regions. Going hand in hand with the authenticity of the Bourgogne name is the authenticity of its wines based on “climat”, the Bourgogne version of terroir.
When I heard that Beaujolais juggernaut Vins Georges Duboeuf was not planning a huge celebration for their 50th anniversary on September 4, 2014, I was truly surprised. But then I met the man behind the brand, Georges Duboeuf. He dispelled all the preconceptions I had about the brand, and of Beaujolais itself…
About this time every year, I emerge from winter’s cocoon with only one thought: sipping a glass of gossamer-hued, mouth-watering, fruity rosé from Provence. They’re light-bodied, crisp and fruity wines that are always dry. But what I discovered at a Provence Wine Council tasting in SF last week is that these wines can also show beautiful depth, expressiveness and even class that are unique to this region.
On the very edge of Southern France and bound by an ampitheater of mountains and the sea, Roussillon in some ways is isolated from renown. This is the true South of France.
Mike Grgich is renowned for having crafted the Judgment of Paris Chardonnay but what sets apart award-winning wines from truly great wines? The ability to age. I recently attended a vertical of Grgich Chardonnay from the 1970s to today, and this is what I found.
Robert Mondavi left a great legacy to the Napa Valley but one of his most enduring gifts may be the core values he drove into his own team of successors, each of whom have also changed the world of wine in their own way
Food and wine charities are not new. Professionals in the hospitality industry who participate in these events are by nature, generous people, …
At a Stags Leap District tasting April 26 commemorating its 25th anniversary as an AVA, vintners shared their perspectives on the evolution of the appellation since the 1970s. Constantly innovating, constantly adapting, vintners continue to move the region forward with but one goal: to preserve the legend of Stags Leap.