In Spain’s La Mancha winegrowing region, there is a saying (and no, it’s not “Don Quixote slept here,” though that’s a reasonable guess): “Nueve meses de invierno y tres meses de infierno.” Which means, “nine months of Winter, and three months of hell.” This is how the locals describe the climate of La Mancha, where…
Category: overachiever wines
The Greatest California Vineyard You Don’t Know About (Communing – And Drinking! – With Old Souls In Lodi)
Well, you may actually know about it, but that would certainly put you in better shape than I was when my friend and sommelier legend Randy Caparoso kidnapped me from Premiere Napa Valley in February, insisting that I spend some time in Lodi to see some down-home, old school wine farming. What I wasn’t entirely…
Minerals And Mustachios (Can Muscadet Be Aged For The Long Haul)?
The short answer to the question posed in the title, for the impatient among you, is “Yes.” At least 35 years, in fact (maybe more). The long answer is considerably, well, longer… and a lot more complicated, but those who choose to brave its circuitous path will be rewarded with tidbits of French wine family…
Stop Hating On Pinotage, Already
Seriously. Stop hating on Pinotage. Why? Because there’s nothing “wrong” with it. I am here today to tell you that Pinotage is not bad; it is simply different. And if you don’t like this oft-maligned but more-oft-misunderstood South African cross between Pinot noir and Cinsaut, that’s your prerogative. Just stop drinking it and shut about…