I am a freelance wine and food writer and wine columnist for The Washington Post. My columns appear in the Wednesday Food section, though they typically are posted online several days earlier.
I am also co-founder of Drink Local Wine, a website turned organization designed to promote online writing about “wines from around here, wherever ‘here’ happens to be.” DLW has held annual conferences in Texas, Virginia, Missouri, Colorado and Maryland to introduce writers and bloggers to winemakers.
On this blog I will try out some ideas and tastings before they reach the column, and hopefully ignite some interesting discussion. Please take advantage of the Comments section to join in!
Cheers,
Dave McIntyre
Dave McIntyre's WineLine 
Hi Dave!
Love reading your Washington Post column and looking forward to meeting you at WBC11 this weekend in Charlottesville!
Shannon Jones
@GrapeOccasions
Love your wine tips. With respect to the Aug. 6 recommendations, thought you might be interested in knowing that the Zin-Phomaniac label is a take on Marilyn Monroe’s famous calendar pose (“Golden Dreams”)that was created early in her career. Exact pose, red background. I have an original of the calendar and could send you a scan, but I’m guessing you could find it online.
Pingback: Rising Tides, Backhands, Damning With Faint Praise, and that Elusive $100 Bottle of Virginia Wine « Drink What YOU Like
Hi Dave,
You have a very entertaining and at the same time knowledgeable website. I like your wine selection, very impressive. Me myself is a wine drinker. I appreciate a good quality wine even though I’m not an expert, I know how good wine taste like. Anyway, I have a proposition that will benefit you and your readers. I want to discuss this in detail. Do you think you will be interested?
Best Regards,
Daniel
I would like to see a column on how much wine was lost in the DC area due to the power and heat his past weekend. I don’t see a lot written about it. I have some damaged bottles in my modest cellar, but I can assume there are many shops whose inventory is now suspect. Your thought would be welcome.
I enjoy your column in the Post.
Dave
Grenache Day is Friday the 21st.
http://provenceventouxblog.com/2012/quaff-the-noble-grape-on-international-grenache-day-friday-sept-21-le-vivier-fetes-grenache-in-lisle-sur-la-sorgue/
Cheers
Gordon
I enjoy your column in the Post, and try to find some of the wines you recommend. I live in Towson, though, so I am far away from the wine shops you list. Can you please try to include some availability in the Baltimore area? Total Wine (formerly Beltway Fine Wine), Wells Liquor,
Grauls, Eddies, Hunt Valley, The Wine Source, Calvert, and many others come to mind. Thank you!
Hi Louise – thank you for your comment, and for reading my Post columns. I’m glad you enjoy them. Several of the stores you mention do indeed appear frequently in my listings, especially Wells and Beltway Fine Wines, Towson wines also comes to mind.
Cheers, Dave
Hey Dave- Big fans of yours and seeking some advice. My wife and I just had our first baby and I am already looking into what we’ll all drink together for our daughter’s 21st birthday. When I was little my father had purchased a French red and a bottle of port which were both vintages from my birth year of 1980 for us to drink in 2001. I’d like to do the same with some 2013 vintages for my daughter.
Any suggestions on what I should buy?
Also, in your opinion, under the scenario above, what would have been the best 21st birthday sipping scenario?
Carl Monaco
monaco2275@yahoo.com
202-905-7037
Sent from my iPhone. Please excuse any typos.
Pingback: Terlato-Chapoutier featured in Washington Post | M. CHAPOUTIER
Hi Dave,
I am looking for some wines that exhibit the terroir phenomena. We plan to explore at our next wine tasting (which you are welcome to join)!
Dave,
Here is a copy of a letter I wrote to RAMW in response to their lobbying efforts to lift the $25 limit on corkage fee in D.C. I think the new policy will certainly effect my choice of restaurants especially since Maryland has changed the law and now allows individual jurisdictions to allow restaurants to charge corkage for outside wines.
Sincerely,
Marty Rosenberg
Dear sirs,
It is not often I muster the effort to respond to a change in legislation unless it involves major social or political issues. However, I can not let this one pass.
We have lived in Annapolis for almost 40 years and frequently eat out. We have the choice of heading north to Baltimore or west to D.C. and one of the major
draws for us has been the $25 corkage fee in the District. I have collected wine since finishing school and now have many older wines that are not available in
most restaurants. Although they may not have been expensive when purchased they have become more difficult to obtain. It is always a pleasure to have a fine
meal matched with a well aged wine. I think the recent decision to allow restaurants to charge a corkage on what they think is acceptable will have unintended
consequences. The cost of the corkage fee certainly will affect my decision as to which restaurants I will frequent as it has already done when we travel to New
York City to spend time with our two sons. And the assumption the lower corkage costs the restaurants income flies in the face of the fact that there has been a
resurgence in the restaurant scene in Philadelphia sparked by the opening of a multitude of small BYO restaurants which charge no corkage fee. I guess time will
tell if this policy helps or hurts the restaurant scene in D.C. I would suggest RAMW print a list of the corkage fees the restaurants now charge as I can envision
people unaware of the new policy bringing wine to dinner only to find the cost exceeds the price they would consider fare. I know I will certainly ask what the fee
will be and it will affect my choice of restaurants in the future.
Sincerely Yours,
Martin Rosenberg
Hi Dave, I was looking for information about how to send you sample bottles of French, terroir-driven wines from a company that I work with, whose wines are available in Washington DC. Have I missed this info somewhere on your site, or could you kindly mail it to me? Many thanks in advance. louisehurren (at) wanadoo (dot) fr
Check out the NEW TEAM at Rogers Ford Farm Winery. Johnny Puckett owner, Floyd Oslin vineyard & winery consultant . Making some NEW exciting wines !!!!! Sangiovese, Merlot, Syrah,Chardonnay , Abbey Rose. Converted 1850’s Farm House into there new Tasting room, Events Center.
Hi Dave: Any idea where I can find Deutz Brut champagne in the DC/MD/VA area? Leslie
Pingback: This Much I Know – Reflections and Opinions on the State of Virginia Wine Industry, MMXIII (and MMXIV) Edition | Drink What YOU Like
Read yesterday’s column on glassware (Jan 8th in Post “Food” section), particularly the Riedel stems. Last year, on a continuing sojourn to as many of Virginia’s wineries as retirement permits, we stopped a North Gate Vineyard near Leesburg and Purcellville. We had a great pourer — both knowledgeable and conversant — and the conversation turned to stem ware and all of the cheap little souvenir glasses one gets at tastings. The owner heard us and informed the group that they used to use Riedel stems (as Jefferson Vineyard, near Ch’ville does) but it became cost-prohibitive. However, they still had some. They then repoured the tasting samples and everything tasted different and better. Ah, crystal !
Hi Dave! Are you interested to discover BEAUJOLAIS CRUS? we are a group of winemakers in southern Burgundy
Need some help with wine pairing. Want to feature a different local Md wine with each course. Could use some advise please!
Enjoy your column – I write for the Washington Post’s real estate section occasionally but am now doing some travel related writing for Southern Living, in flight magazines and other travel publications. Next week I am attending a press conference sponsored by the newly launched Vintage Atlantic group. I am not a wine expert, but was wondering if you could recommend Mid Atlantic resources that would be useful for research and background for destination travel related to this region. I know Kevin Atticks who runs the Maryland Association – he was helpful when I wrote a feature on the Frederick Wine Trail. Thanks!
Hi there, I want to address your recent blog/column regarding the flap over the title of sommelier. Specifically, your words at the end, “if people like me want to learn more about wine and gain a deeper respect for those who serve it in restaurants, so what if we earn a lapel pin in the process?” First, you mean you took the course because you wanted to gain a deeper respect for service workers? I think not. You should in general have respect for service professionals, not just those who serve the wine (tho good of you to take a wine course and inadvertently gain that respect).
Secondly, if you want to learn more about wine without wishing to excel in the service business, your efforts should be directed to WSET & the Master of Wine program, which is for people who want to learn more about wine but have no desire or intention to work in service (too bad the Master of Wine program wasn’t featured in a movie, eh?). Otherwise, this is a misguided impulse– spurred by a movie–that made a prestigious title seem covetable but truly involves a lot more grunt work, low-paid sweat, and dedication, even before the test, that wasn’t shown in the movie. Your pursuit was not to gain deeper accomplishment as a service worker, your pursuit was uneducated and seems rather vain.
It is a sham to receive a title reserved for professionals pursing excellence when you didn’t finish the course to its end nor aspire to its goals. Sorry, but what’s wrong is you are a pretender to what the lapel pin seems to signify. Court of Master Sommeliers needs to change their award system, in light of this.
Mel – You misunderstood my column. I took the two CMS levels before the movie came out, because I have come to know several of the dedicated sommeliers in the DC area who are pursuing the Master Sommelier title, and as The Washington Post’s wine columnist I wanted to write about them. Many of them encouraged me to take it and let me sit in on some of their tastings and prep sessions. I didn’t do it to earn a pin or a certification as such, and certainly not a title. And I do respect other service professionals, not just “inadvertantly” either. You obviously don’t know me, because if you did, you’d realize how silly your rant is.
Dave McIntyre
>
Hi Dave,
What’s going on with tasting fees at Virginia wineries? I generally visit several each year, and at each enjoy a tasting and buy at least 6 bottles. In the past, since I was buying, they waived the tasting fee, but not lately. When I asked about it, one responded, “We do not waive tasting fees for wine purchases, we give discounts instead; plus the VABC frowns upon that.”
My perception is that at Virginia wineries prices are already a little higher than for the equivalent NY, CA, and imported wines. This has always puzzled me, because if I’m at the winery there’s no shipping, so the price should be lower, not higher. But I just figure there are other factors, and it’s nice to try before buying, so I’ve never let it bother me too much. But for some reason the tasting fee does bother me.
I already also go to Paul’s (in D.C.), where Friday night tastings are free, and good wine is less expensive. If VABC really does require tasting fees on top of purchases, I’ll just go to Paul’s more often, and wineries less often; and I’ll stop asking wineries to waive the tasting fee when I do visit. I don’t want to put them on the spot.
So my question is: is it legal for a Virginia winery to comp tasting fees when there’s a purchase?
Thanks!
I suppose finding a wine encyclopedia from 1988 is exciting. How would you feel about Frank Schoonmaker’s Encyclopedia of Wine published in 1964? Schoonmaker may qualify as the Robert Parker of his day. His book is French-centric, as was the wine world back then, but he devotes limited space to Australia and Washington State. No mention of New Zealand or Oregon, not to mention Texas or Tennessee. He thought California could be one of the very good, possibly great , wine districts of the world. If you are interested, I would be willing to loan you my copy of this book. I live in Rockville.
Colin R. Thompson
Hi Dave,
In your wine column, Post Food, Wed. Jan. 14, you touted a great value in the Diaz R. Cab Franc at $8 a bottle. On Wed. morning I called Dawson’s Liquors, which was listed as carrying the wine. They had never heard of it, but said they would call the distributor. I called back today, and the wine manager said they had one bottle, but were expected to receive more next Friday. The price is $10.99, which is a 37% hike over the $8 a bottle. I said thanks but no thanks.
Regardless of who is hiking the price–the winery; the distributor; and/or the retail store, this is a real disservice to the consumer, and precisely why I do not buy local anymore.
Hi Dave, we at India Today Spice (India’s largest luxury magazine) would like to invite you to write a column for us for our 10th anniversary issue. Would love to hear back from you.
Dave, Just wanted to touch base and alert you to a unique program we are launching this summer in Loudoun County, Virginia. It is our first-ever Loudoun Wine Awards. There will be two rounds of judging, the first by county winemakers (moderated by Bruce Zoecklein), and the second round (the medal round) comprised, equally, of consumers and professional judges. I would love to talk to you about it.
Hi Dave, I enjoyed your recent ariel about the 1855 classification, curious to know where the 63 figure for the number of classified properties comes from as there are currently 61 – is it historical? Thanks Wendy
I think the original classification was 160 wines in the Medoc and four in Sauternes making 164. The only change was the addition of Mouton which makes 161 for the Medoc and the same 4 sweet wines for a total of 165.
Marty, The 1855 classification includes 60 in the Medoc, 1 in Graves and 27 in Sauternes and Barsac. Mouton was not added in 1973 but promoted from a 2nd to a 1st. Dave mentions 63 in his article so I am curious where this figure comes from Thanks Wendy
Thanks for the recent mention on Rabble Wines Dave!! Looking forward to reading and drinking my way through more posts.
-Andrew
Enjoyed your 2/17 Wash Post column on Madeira. I know column word counts are tight, but I half-expected a mention of the Limeliters’ delightful song “Madeira m’Dear?” If you don’t know it, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hO4qvEtPZ4
Hello Dave,
Great to join the WineLine…enjoy your blog and Post articles. Wanted to make you aware of a local DC couple, David Smith and Sonia Ruseler, who are presently living in Mendoza making some great Malbecs at their finca. Their website is http://www.sonvidawine.com. Great wine and great story. Thanks.
Hi Dave, After reading an old article you wrote for the Post, we uncorked a 1986 Byrd Cotoctin cabernet in honor of our daughter’s 30th birthday. It was given to us the day she was born in July, 1986. Not only was it delicious, it was fun to enjoy a “vintage” wine in her honor!Cheers from Stephanie in Brookeville, MD
Hi Dave,
In today’s Washington Post on wine recommendations, you say Vienna is the only world capital with working wineries inside the city limits. Guess what? Did you know that there was a working winery, Great Frog, inside the city of Annapolis?
Love your recommendations.
Pingback: Recommended reading for “National Drink Wine Day”
Hi Dave,
We enjoy reading your articles and appreciate that you are an advocate for local wines. We would love to have you try out our Reserve Chambourcin, that recently won a double gold award at the FingerLakes International Wine Competition.
http://www.linganorewines.com/linganore-winecellars-announces-the-release-of-our-2015-reserve-chambourcin/
Kind Regards – Michael
Hi Dave– Thought you might be interested in a little wine club (SWIRL) that’s landed here in DC. I started it in Hawaii and I’ve now recreated it in three different states (as I move). It represents kind of a new approach to wine tasting– more casual, more communal, less high-brow. Each event we cover a specific region, varietal, or theme, and we focus equally on the food. We’re having a special (“secret”) event this Saturday at a wine store in DC if you’re interested… contact me (swirl.dc@gmail.com) if so?
(Just to be clear– I have a day job in another field, and I run SWIRL non-profit, so– not promoting anything! We cap each event at 10 and its always full. Just thought you might be interested.)
Thanks for organizing DLW!
I am currently in Portugal tasting lots of Portuguese wines from different microclimates.
Not too D.C. local!
Looking forward to other events in the future…
Hello Dave, I am Hernan from Chile, I have read his column and his interests for the Chilean wines, especially by various old ones from the Valley of Itata, VIII region of Chile … I am interested in how these have taken force lately, but it has given me sadness, the companies waste this varieties as if it were raw material for other varieties. At the moment I participate in a scientific project that seeks to find the different terroir in the Itata Valley, looking for the typicity in the varieties that we study.
kind Regards
Hernán A.
Hello, Hernán – I think you will be encouraged by my reports from the folks I met with in Chile, especially De Martino, J. Bouchon and Santa Carolina.
Hi David! I found your great reviews of wine on Washington Post.
I’m in charge of several projects including the most popular and unique Israeli spirit. It was imported to the US this year.
I thought you might be interested in an editorial collaboration. To be exact, it’s about publishing one or more articles now or in the future.
Please, let me know if you are interested at galya@digitalpivot.net
Thanks in advance!
Have a great day!
Dear Mr. McIntyre,
I am a big fan of your weekly column in the Post; probably half of my regular wine purchases are based on your recommendations, which seldom if ever fail.
I recently came across something that was new to me, and am wondering if you or your readership could comment. I purchased a bottle of 2015 Bodegas Naia, a white wine made from Verdejo grapes from the Rueda region of Spain, and found that it tasted nothing like other Verdejo’s or Ruedas I had sampled. In fact, it was very reminiscent of dry sherry — right country, wrong region! Wikipedia sheds some light on this, making reference in its article on Verdejo to a “strongly oxidized, sherry-like” wine traditionally made from the grape in Rueda. Is this style of Rueda Verdejo wine still commonplace? If so, how do I tell the difference when shopping Spanish wine?
Paul Thompson
pthompsonhr@gmail.com
You mentioned the Santa Rita cab in the Wash Post Food Section of Sept 6. I could not find it at Magruders and went to the Santa Rita website. Here is what I saw: “0 result for search “Santa Rita 120 2015 Maule Valley cabernet” ”
Any help? Thanks!
I bought it at Morris Miller.
Sent from my iPhone
>
Dave, Can you email me where you found the research below in your Washington Post article, Thanks, Lowell Jooste lowell@ljcraftedwines.com “various studies have attributed as much as 60 percent of the wine industry’s carbon footprint to bottles.”
Re recycling bottles.
Thanks for the article on recycling. I live in Arlington and have wondered about glass recycling. Most of my glass is empty wine bottles! I especially appreciated the comment about box wine. I have been trying to find a decent box wine for some time, and lately have been even more inspired. Maybe you could devote a column (or two?) focused on box wine. The other solution is to follow the lead of microbrews and offer bottle or growler refills. Almost all my beer purchases now are growler refills. I remember traveling in France and seeing village wine shops refilling customer bottles from barrels. Are there any local wineries or wine shops that offer this? I belong to a couple of local Virginia wine clubs, and the offer of refills would entice me to join them.
I too enjoyed the article on recycling. I was just wondering why there was no mention of the awful recent industry trend of unnecessarily extra heavy oversize bottles.
Hi Dave,
As a Burgundy fan I was very pleased to see the Côte Chalonnaise getting such exposure. Its ready for it ! I just spent a week every month for a year shooting a photo book, “4 Seasons in the Côte Chalonnaise” which I can end you a link to if you review books or would be interested to see. Its quite a different place to Côte d’Or which I have covered photographically for twenty years for a range of magazines such as Wine Spectator and World of Fine Wine. Thanks for such a good piece but don’t think the big boys have all the best wines !
Maybe jonatcorton.com will interest you…
Dear Dave, we have just started a small estate winery in Aruba (Dutch Caribbean) and would love to send you a bottle of wine for your review. Please let us know if this is possible: david@davidkock.com
Dave,
As a long time subscriber to the Washington Post, I have read and enjoyed your writing for many years. Alas, I live in Fairfax County, Virginia. The wines you recommend are rarely available in Virginia. Case in point, today’s list (March 10, 2021) only 1 in 5 wines are even available in Virginia. This is often the case, or when a Virginia retailer is shown, it is more often than not in Richmond or Fredericksburg or somewhere a good distance from where most Post subscribers in Virginia live. I recognize I can drive into the District, but it is less than convenient these days with WFH. So much easier when I could walk across the street from my office to Sherry’s or make a short hop to Calvert Woodley but those days are over.
Thanks for the knowledge over the years.
Ken Slattery
Fairfax, VA
Happy Virginia Wine month! Thank you so much for your thorough coverage of the farmers, artisans and entrepreneurs that are making amazing Virginia wines. Here is a story about Gabriele Rause that I thought you might enjoy. https://wineandcountrylife.com/gabriele-rausse-father-of-virginias-vineyards/
I’d like to comment on your piece in the Washington Post today about the customer who left a rude comment on his credit card bill after a dispute with a restaurant over an added charge for employee health insurance. While I strongly agree both that abusive language is not appropriate and that all workers should receive health coverage, I am also tired of “unbundling”, especially if it’s sprung on the customer after he/she has committed to the purchase. This is happening in many industries, from telecom companies to airlines and car dealerships. None of these industries are very well liked, and restauranteurs wanting a good relationship with their patrons shouldn’t follow their lead. Raising prices and explaining what’s covered is more honest, and prices that don’t require the customer to do additional math is far more friendly. (“Hmm. The main course is $29.99, and there’s 6% sales tax plus a 4% meals tax plus a 20% tip and a 2% heath insurance fee, and. . . .” And the customer footing the bill needs to consider this for everyone in the party?)