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Review: Emmolo “No. 8” Méthode Traditionnelle California Sparkling Wine (NV)
This year is the 50th anniversary of the Judgment of Paris–the famous 1976 wine competition that humbled French oenophiles and made Napa Valley famous. For months, my wine calendar has been full of “France vs. United States”-themed classes and tastings. The exercise throws you straight into the deep end of the philosophy of winemaking. Can…
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Merlot Thursday: PlumpJack Napa Valley Merlot (2022)
PlumpJack’s Merlot is plump, for sure–an exuberantly fruity, spice-packed treat. Full of unapologetic, born-this-way Merlot moxie, it divided the room between those who love Merlot and those who remain unconvinced. But, as you might have guessed from this #MerlotThursday series (now in its 53rd installment!) we are not hesitant sippers. We’re fully on board the…
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How to get from San Francisco to Napa for under $20
The words “Napa Valley” evoke visions of majestic estates, vine-clad foothills, and world-class Cabernet poured in lavish tasting rooms. It’s one of the world’s great wine tourism destinations—always in demand, and with prices to match. Napa is expensive for wine-tasting. That’s expected. But the hardest part is shelling out hundreds of dollars before the first…
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Merlot Thursday: Shafer Napa Valley Merlot (2023)
The 2023 vintage in Napa Valley has wine writers using some immoderate language. “2023 was as perfect as any Napa vintage in living memory. It was Napa’s ‘1961 Bordeaux,’” writes Karen MacNeil in Decanter. “The Vintage of a Lifetime,” proclaims the Napa Valley Harvest’s vintage summary. “With consistent, mild weather throughout the season, above-average crop yields,…
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Merlot Thursday: Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot (2022)
Today’s wine was presaged by a special omen: Duck family! In my yard! Mr. and Mrs. Mallard stopped by this morning, grubbing up worms from the driveway after the rain. Whenever they found one, he nudged it toward her to taste it first–just like my partner does when I order something weird off a wine…
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Review: Truchard Carneros Napa Valley Chardonnay (2023)
To drink a glass of well-made Chardonnay is like taking a short walk on a sunny afternoon. Is it thrilling? No. Are you going to tell a story about it at your next cocktail party? Probably not. But it’s pleasant. It’s wholesome. And when you’re finished, you feel a little glow inside–like you just ingested…
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Merlot Thursday: St. Supéry Rutherford Estate Vineyard Merlot (2021)
I’ve pinched myself a bunch of times today, but it hasn’t worked. This is no dream…I really am in California. It’s the last full day of the Wine Writers’ Symposium in Napa Valley. It’s just after sundown. And there is excellent wine everywhere. Earlier today, I woke up in a cottage on the side of…
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Napa Zin for the win: A visit to Robert Biale Vineyards
Trying to choose just one winery to visit in Napa Valley is a torturous exercise, like buying a single scoop from an ice cream shop with dozens of bins. Whatever you pick, it’s sure to be good. But choosing Pistachio means passing up Boysenberry and Black Walnut and Lavender Honey–there’s only so much flavor you…
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Merlot Thursday: Decoy by Duckhorn California Merlot (2022)
It’s time for some Merlot on this Merlot Thursday! 🍇 Today’s Merlot was tasted at a Duckhorn dinner at Carrabba’s Italian Grill in Dallas. Decoy by Duckhorn is one of the restaurant chain’s two permanent by-the-glass Merlots. (The other one is Bogle, which was our #MerlotThursday pick a few months ago). Duckhorn has been a…
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Local wines by the Bay at Winery Collective (San Francisco, CA)
Fisherman’s Wharf in December is not a bustling place. The cruise ships have mostly left for the season and the sidewalks are nearly empty. It’s too chilly and gray to catch any California sunshine on the waterfront. The Ghirardelli Chocolate building shines on the top of the hill, its marble counters spotless, its sundae glasses…
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Stressed Vines tasting at The Wine Authority (Richardson, TX)
The best wines are pressed from grapes that are stressed. That’s the philosophy behind Stressed Vines, a boutique winery that specializes in vine-bothering. These are all wines that have been though a little bit of heck on their way from field to bottle–small-production wines from some of California’s best old-vine, dry-farmed, and high-elevation vineyards. The…
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Robert Biale Vineyards tasting at The Wine Authority (Richardson, TX)
In the Cabernet-obsessed realm of Napa Valley, Robert Biale Vineyards is an outlier: A heritage winery focused mainly on Zinfandel. When commercial winemaking was restored in California after Prohibition, the Biale family, as immigrants from Northern Italy, chose to cultivate (only) this flavorful and hardy grape. Aldo Biale’s homemade wines were sold–illicitly at first–beginning in…