(Originally published August 2008) If summer is time to stock up on charcoal and clean up the grill, it’s also a great time to brace yourself for the bold, vivacious flavors of California’s signature grape – Zinfandel. These ripe red wines can pack a wallop – in terms of flavor, body and alcohol. Zin’s ripe [...]

(Originally published April 2008) We object to that whole ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) movement. Yes, it’s true, there are lots of Chardonnays out there that suffer from being overly rich and heavy, without enough balancing fruit character. But Chardonnay is still one of all-time classic grape varieties. It takes its name from a village in [...]

(Originally published June 2007) Ed Sbragia has been making wine for Beringer Vineyards for some 30 years, taking the winery’s Private Reserve Cabernet, Chardonnay, vineyard designated wines, Howell Mountain Merlot and the delicious late-harvest dessert wine, Nightingale (in our opinion, one of the very best in California) to a level of consistent excellence that few [...]

(Originally published December 2006) Miljenko “Mike” Grgich first gained international recognition at the celebrated 1976 “Paris Tasting.” In a now-historic blind tasting, a panel of eminent French judges sampled an array of white Burgundies and a small number of “upstart” Chardonnays from the Napa Valley. When their scores were tallied, the French judges were shocked: [...]

(Originally published June 2006) Willamette Valley Vineyards is located, not surprisingly, in Oregon’s Willamette Valley – one of the premiere wine growing regions in the country. Prized for its Burgundy-ish climate and soil, the cool weather, long growing season and rolling hill vineyards produce some of the best Pinot Noir on this side of the [...]

(Originally published December 2005) When asked about our favorite California Pinot Noir makers, the answer is a pretty short list. Too often, it seems, California Pinot Noir is overly ripe and heavy – lacking in the nuances and delicate complexities that are present in great Pinots. There are, however, a few producers that manage to [...]

(Originally published October 2005) Petite Sirah is still a bit of a mystery to most people, and it’s no wonder. After years of experts claiming that the Petite Sirah grape had no relationship to the Syrah grape, scientists have now issued an about-face and connected the grape DNA dots. Beyond this, there just isn’t much [...]