Wine Weekly

What makes a wine “wild fermented”? Without going into too much detail, it means the winemaker chose let the wine ferment of its own accord, catalyzed by yeasts existing on the grape skins and in the winery. For those who don’t know the intricacies of winemaking, most wines — generally speaking — are fermented after [...]

If you are living in a similar part of the world as me — where the summer weather has become hot and sticky — then you likely are reaching into the fridge for chilled white wines to cool you off. No doubt Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc are standbys, but if you haven’t given Albariño [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Too often people walk right by that section of the wine shop where all the tall and skinny green bottles are shelved — also known as “Germany” and/or “Alsace”. Those confusing-looking labels with long, unpronounceable names like “Trockenberenauslese” and “Gewurztraminer” are too intimidating for the average wine buyer. And if that description fits you, don’t [...]

What’s a “pomelo”, and how do you make wine from it? Truth is, though this wine is called “Pomelo”, it’s not made from the pomelo fruit — instead, it’s made from Sauvignon Blanc grown in Lake County, California. From the back label: Pomelo – Giant citrus fruit native to Malaysia and thought to be ancestor [...]

Villa Antinori Toscana Bianco 2006 IGT A few years back, Pinot Grigio replaced Chardonnay as the number-one selling white wine in the USA. As a result, prices for established, reliable Pinot Grigio skyrocketed, and a slew of unknown Pinots — of varying degrees of quality — flooded the market. The popularity of the wine became [...]

Simi Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County 2007 Usually when in the wine shop, I try to pick up a bottle (or vintage) that I’ve never tasted before — to me, exploration and discovering something new is what wine drinking is all about. Once in a while, though — and often when I’m purchasing a bottle for [...]

Blancaneaux 2006 Not all high-quality white wines from Napa, California, are Chardonnay. Never one to do the same thing everyone else is doing, pioneering filmmaker and winery owner Francis Ford Coppola chose to do something unusual with a patch of land on his Rubicon Estate — grow Rhone white varietals Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier. The [...]