A conversation I had at the tail end of the 2014 Premiere Napa Valley Auction: Alder Yarrow: “So, where are you visiting when you’re in town?” Me: “I’ve got appointments at Stony Hill, Kapcsandy, Casa Nuestra…” Alder: “Casa Nuestra! Oh, yeeeah!” Me: “Did you just squeal?” And so there you have it, one of the…
Tag: California wine
Dude, Where’s My “Wine?” (Marijuana And Wine Remain Popular Pairing For California Winemakers)
I recently had a conversation with a celebrity involved in the California wine biz that went something like this: CA Wine Celebrity: “Hey – have you ever had cannabis-infused wine?” Me: “Cannabis-infused?” CWC: “Yeah. Totally. Pot wine?” Me: “No – but I wouldn’t be surprised if every other winemaker in California was drinking it; and…
What I Learned At Summer Wine Judging Camp (Inside The 2011 Lake County Wine Awards, Part One)
A little over a week ago I helped to judge the 2011 Lake County Wine Awards Competition, which was held at Brassfield Estate Winery in the ludicrously-beautiful Clearlake Oaks area. Over 180 wines carrying the Lake County AVA on their labels were submitted to the competition. While I’m well-past the “cutting teeth” stage of judging…
Joe Vs. The 100-Point Wine (Thoughts On The 2006 Cardinale Cab And The Yoke Of “Blind Collection Mode”)
Imagine a a narrow, unevenly lit, and thoroughly cramped comic book shop near the Delaware / Pennsylvania state borders, inside of which we find a short, lanky kid in a blue-and-white 3/4-sleeve t-shirt fresh from rummaging through the bargain-bin boxes. He’s holding up two “B-grade” comic books – one in each hand, suspended like some…