Ok… so… South African wine is almost hopelessly underpriced. As in, shot-themselves-in-the-foot-and-will-be-limping-through-the-U.S.-wine-market-for-a-few-more-years underpriced. Which means that exciting bargains exist for the budget-conscious wine lover who’s willing to seek out the best wines from SA. That’s the big take-away for me from my time speaking at the 2013 Nederburg Wine Auction near Cape Town earlier this…
Category: overachiever wines
On Publix, South Africa, And High-Acid Versions Of Low-Acid Grapes (Tasting Silkbush Vigonier)
Sometimes synchronicity of seemingly unrelated events feels like it’s biting you on the ass (like when you get an increase in property taxes, health care premiums, and the price of your favorite beer, all in the same week). But other times, synchronicity is amicable, gently applying a sort of lifestyle deep tissue massage to your…
The Riesling Up-And-Comers That You’re Probably Ignoring (Riesling Rendezvous 2013)
You’d think that, as a self-professed Riesling freak, I’d have been in a Happy Place that was damn near orgasmic in attending the 2013 Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, as a media guest of the organizers. And you’d be right, of course. For Riesling lovers, this was “I’d better go change my pants again” kind of…
(Surprising) Results Of The 2013 Critics Challenge
Late last month, I wrapped up a stint at the fourth and final wine competition in which I’d be judging in 2013, the 10th Annual Critics Challenge in (Stay Classy) San Diego. The results of that comp. have been announced. Following are some thoughts on the Critics Challenge itself, and notes on some of the…