Originally published August 28, 2008 Threw together a quick varietal mini-tasting this week, with three comparably-priced New World Pinot Gris. My fellow taster and I thought the MacMurray Ranch 2007 Pinot Gris Sonoma Coast ($20) was a little disjointed, with too much ripeness on the one hand, and a tinge of bitterness on the other. [...]

Originally published August 26, 2008 About once a week, I pick up some interesting looking cheese, gather some go-withs, and see what kind of wine and cheese and whatever pairing I can put together. This week, it was a block of the One-Year-Aged Flagship from Beecher’s Handmade Cheese. This Seattle-based artisan cheesemaker produces a range [...]

Originally published August 21, 2008 For years people have been predicting that Syrah is going to emerge as California’s new hot wine. Any minute now, it’s going to catch on with consumers… Maybe. Personally, I haven’t loved so many California Syrahs. Dollar for dollar, the Washington versions I’ve tasted have offered more of the complexity [...]

Originally published August 20, 2008 Sometimes you have to work for a really perfect cheese pairing… Such was the case with me and Garrotxa. This popular Spanish goat’s milk, semifirm cheese is a tasty little snacking cheese all on its own, but I wanted to come up with some great pairing. My first effort was [...]

Originally published August 19, 2008 I recently tasted the latest vintages from Da Vinci and am more convinced than ever that their “entry level” Chianti is my favorite of the lineup. Consistently fresh and clean and bright, easy to pair with food, and at an affordable price — what beats that? Da Vinci 2006 Chianti [...]

Originally published August 17, 2008 I see a lot of new wines come through the door — yet more “zoo labels” push their way in along with celebrity-owned ventures and other wines that scream “let’s take a shot at making money on wine.” So when a box of samples arrived from Clif Bar Family Winery, [...]

Originally published August 16, 2008 I never have a ton of luck with California Pinot Grigio… I often find them on the flabby, sweet side — arguably fruitier than many Italian versions, but also less light and refreshing. There are times that straightforward and simple are best, and I tend to think this is one [...]