One could be forgiven for expecting an overdose of “yes, I did in fact write those checks” bullsh*t when visiting Cowhorn Vineyard & Garden in Oregon’s Applegate Valley, based solely on the facts that a) it takes its name from the most infamous preparation (#500, which involves burying a cow’s horn full of manure) in…
Category: kick-ass wines
Block & Tackle (Troon Vineyard Recent Releases)
You know that your brand is in trouble when, instead of talking about your forty-plus-year history in a nascent wine region, or your long hours of sun, 1300-foot vineyard elevation, diurnal temperature shifts of over fifty degrees Fahrenheit, or any of the other factors that make your terroir an ideal place for ripening interesting grape…
There’s A Red House Over Yonder (Masroig Montsant Recent Releases)
In the lower-ish (we’re still talking about 400-or-so meters of elevation) valley of Spain’s sunny Montsant region sits a small town (ok, village) of El Masroig. El Masroig is quaint enough to be named (in Catalan, of course) “red country house” (most likely from the red clay soils that dominate this area of Priorat country),…
That Is One Big Pile Of… Enthusiasm (Vinyes Domènech Recent Releases)
If you visit Montsant’s Vinyes Domènech, located in the southern portion of the winemaking district that nearly encircles Spain’s famous Priorat area like a talon, be forewarned that owner Joan Ignasi Domènech is likely to talk sh*t. As in, literally speak about sh*t. Like, fertilizer. Along with solar energy, water collection, and all things botanical….