Wine Weekly

If you look at the post below, the date says “September 23, 2009″. Of course, that isn’t the last time I posted an article. Unfortunately, this site was hacked about two weeks ago, and as a result, a big chunk of the database was wiped out — which included about 40 or so posts from the past 9 [...]

Robert Mondavi Solaire Chardonnay 2007 · Santa Lucia Highlands In the past, when I was geekier, more condescending, and had free access to world-class (read: expensive) wines, I stayed away from the “mass produced” brands. But lately I have become more humble and open to wines from any and every producer. And there’s something to [...]

Lechthaler Pinot Nero 2006 No, that’s not a mistake — Pinot Noir and Pinot Nero are the same thing, except that in Italy they like to use words with vowels at the end. I like it too, it makes language more colorful and melodic. Similarly, I like this Pinot Noir … er, Nero … which [...]

Kaiken Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Kaiken is a somewhat unknown wine brand from Argentina, which is a good thing and a bad thing. It’s a good thing, because it hasn’t yet been discovered and “taken off” in popularity, so the prices are still affordable (around ten bucks or less). It’s a bad thing, because 1) it [...]

Kosher wines don’t have to taste “funny” any more. Recent developments in kosher winemaking has resulted in high quality, great-tasting wines fit for any occasion. Here are two examples, one white, one red, that are perfect for the Passover table.

Macari Chardonnay Reserve 2007 ♦ North Fork, Long Island, NY, USA When it comes to wines from the United States, North Fork, Long Island, New York, is not exactly mentioned in the same breath as, say, Napa Valley, but nonetheless this small region does produce drinkable and enjoyable wines. Its Northeast geography lends itself to [...]

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz-Cabernet 2007 Every once in a while I get in the mood for a big, jammy, New World style red wine — something bursting with sweet red and black berry fruits — but at the same time, something that I don’t have to think much about. In other words, a bottle that [...]

Yowza. And I feel it’s OK to use “yowza” as a descriptor for a wine called “Jip Jip Rocks”. When I spend 12-13 bucks for an Aussie Shiraz, I expect to get a fruit-forward, jammy, flabby, cocktail wine which may or may not have a quick finish. And that type of wine is not necessarily [...]

Last week you read about several wines that are ideal for the Thanksgiving feast. Today the last-minute shoppers have a few more to consider. Dinari del Duca Grillo 2007 Buttery texture and flavor is the immediate characteristic hitting the palate, carrying delicious lemony citrus and pear flavor. A nice mineral component arrives somewhere in the [...]

Beaujolais Nouveau est Arrive! For those who don’t speak French, what that means is the first wine of the 2008 vintage — made from grapes picked only weeks ago — has been bottled and is available for sale right now. Many snobs scoff at Nouveau, belittling its existence and poo-pooing it as “simple plonk”. I’m [...]