Tag Archives: Wine

Great Values of 2017

This is a new feature I’ll probably do annually for The Washington Post, highlighting my favorite wines of the past year that I gave the “Great Value” designation. I’m deleting the store listings here, so it won’t be such a … Continue reading

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Champagne Pannier Rosé Brut

Berries and roses, not whiskers on kittens; bubbles up noses, not warm woolen mittens. These are a few of my favorite things — in my glass! Champagne Pannier Brut Rosé NV, 12% abv, $48.

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Dutton Goldfield Riesling – Marin County

I can’t say I’ve tasted many wines from California’s Marin County over the years. Marin for me is the scenic, Gucci-hippie oceanside territory I drive through on my way from San Francisco to wine country. Marin is not “wine country.” … Continue reading

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Christmas in Vienna

This gallery contains 14 photos.

Last year, I was lucky enough to spend this week in Vienna, Austria, for my day job. During the evenings, I braved the December cold to visit the city’s Christmas markets. My goal was to explore the city’s food, enjoy … Continue reading

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Wednesday wine recommendations, 12/6/2017

This week’s recommendations include two delicious wines made from Semillon, a grape too often ignored by producers and consumers. Plus, we have an exotic white wine from Italy, an intriguing “natural” wine made of grenache from southern France, and an … Continue reading

Posted in Bargain Wines, Biodynamic, Champagne, France, Natural Wine, Sparkling Wine, Wine | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Thanksgiving wine conundrum …

Every November, wine columnists warn us about the difficulty of pairing wine with the traditional turkey & trimmings we feast on at Thanksgiving. It’s all silly, and most writers hate the theme. I know I do. I’m not looking forward … Continue reading

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It’s not about the #wine.

This is a slightly revised version of my column published October 12 on washingtonpost.com. As I write this, fires continue to spread across Northern California’s wine country for a sixth day, and it is still impossible to estimate the full … Continue reading

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Defining terroir with technology

I was thinking of writing a column exploring the concept of “terroir” and its different meanings for wine lovers and winemakers. But a quick search of my past columns on washingtonpost.com reveals this from February 2015. Been there, done that. Not … Continue reading

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Chatting up the best and worst of cheap wines

I had fun yesterday taking a long lunch break from my day job to participate in the weekly online chat for The Washington Post’s Food section. My feature published that day on rating the best-selling U.S. wine brands inspired a … Continue reading

Posted in Argentina, Cheap Wine, Chile, Too Much Alcohol!, Washington Post, Wine, Wine Humor | Tagged | 2 Comments

Vintage perspective from Hugh Johnson

One of my favorite books to pick up whenever I have a few free moments (seldom) or need inspiration for my wine writing (often) is Hugh Johnson on Wine: Good Bits from 55 Years of Scribbling, published last year by Mitchell Beazley. … Continue reading

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