Tag Archives: Wine

Two stunning (though not surprising) chardonnays

I cut my wine teeth when “ABC,” or anything but chardonnay, was all the rage. This was the golden era of buttery, oaky chards that cried out for “chicken in a cream sauce,” and I found myself gravitating more toward … Continue reading

Posted in Burgundy, California, Oregon | Tagged , | 6 Comments

What do wine lovers really want?

When preparing yesterday’s rant about the current existential dread in the wine industry over the indifference of younger consumers to our favorite tipple, I came across this piece I wrote just more than 10 years ago. It still rings true … Continue reading

Posted in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bargain Wines, Books, Bordeaux, Burgundy, California, Champagne, Chile, China, DrinkLocalWine.com, Eastern US, Local Wine, Maryland, Riesling, Sustainable, Weblogs, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Loving those fizzy Italian reds

Back in the mid-70s, I remember my mother would sometimes keep a jug of Riunite in the door of the fridge. We were not a drinking family — my father was a health nut, into fitness and exercise (a frequent … Continue reading

Posted in Italy, Sparkling Wine, Wine | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Bedrock and Tablas Creek make gains for boxes and kegs

Two of my favorite California wineries made announcements this past week that should help push the needle further on alternative packaging for wine. On February 1, Morgan Twain-Peterson, co-owner of Bedrock Wine Co., announced on Instagram that Bedrock was releasing … Continue reading

Posted in Climate Change | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Is Prohibition returning?

A new wave of anti-alcohol sentiment is sweeping the US.
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Posted in Anti-Alcohol | Tagged , | 9 Comments

Where to find me

Back when I was regularly updating this blog, several readers who were not subscribers to The Washington Post asked me where they could read my columns. You know, pesky paywall and all. First of all, I want to urge everyone … Continue reading

Posted in Chocolate and Wine, Italy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Traditions and Rituals

Wine lovers develop certain habits that may seem strange in polite company. These customs and rituals are part of wine appreciation. They are also easy to ridicule, and become the essence of wine snobbery to the uninitiated. Yet they (almost … Continue reading

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Toasting Independence Day with Madeira

With the heat and humidity of July here in the Mid-Atlantic, it may seem counterintuitive to suggest a fortified wine to toast Independence Day. But the Founding Fathers, up there in “foul, fetid, fuming, foggy, filthy Philadelphia,” as John Adams … Continue reading

Posted in Madeira, Port, Portugal, Washington Post, Wine, Wine Trivia, writers | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

In Vino Veritas

In vino veritas, the Roman author Pliny the Elder wrote. In wine is truth. It’s an old Latin phrase making fun of people who speak their minds under the influence of alcohol. The quote is buried in a rather hilarious … Continue reading

Posted in California, Food and Drink, Rants, Religion, Wine, writers | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Excitement in Portugal

My list of my favorite “Great Value” wines of 2017 — posted here yesterday and published earlier this month in The Washington Post — caused a mini stir in Portugal. Or at least, the winery that produces my #3 wine, … Continue reading

Posted in Bargain Wines, Cheap Wine, Humor, Portugal, Washington Post, Wine | Tagged , | 1 Comment