Wine Wired

With summertime just around the corner, and the oppressive heat soon to follow, my wine choices seem to change.  Yes, I still grab for a big Shiraz or Cabernet with that grilled lamb or steak, but that is more in the evening and honestly not quite as often with the temperatures staying into the 90s […]

Today I want to talk to you about a white grape variety that, I think, is extremely misunderstood and underappreciated.  Arguably one of the world’s most versatile grapes, Chenin Blanc, produces wines from the most basic New World table wines to Old World long-lived elegant botrytis affected dessert wines, sparkling wines and even the base […]

I know I usually write about wine, but I had a physician I know ask me a great question yesterday.   He said that he had been to multiple wine and spirits tastings and asked a question about the difference in whiskey, Tennessee whiskey, bourbon, etc.  He was given a “politician” type answer and said […]

Many people mistakenly call all sparkling wines “Champagne,” which is technically incorrect.  That term is reserved for sparkling wine made from the traditional method within the boundries of the Champagne region of France and using only Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.  There are, however, sparkling wines made with this traditional method in other countries and […]

Just the other day I had someone ask me about a pairing with Asian cuisine and my knee-jerk response was Riesling. The person responded by saying, “I don’t like sweet wine.” I have heard this statement about Riesling before. I knew, at that moment, I had to come to the defense of this often misunderstood […]

The federal law created the American AVA in 1978 to supplement the existing appellation system. Many confuse the AVA as a quality indicator, which it is not. The AVA is a guarantee of source and, if mentioned on the bottle, 85% of the grapes came from that area. Variety is another misleading factor on the […]

Hello everyone. I just wanted to give you some information on how the USA, and especially California wine laws affect your decisions on purchasing wine. First the distinct “wine growing areas” of this country are called AVAs, or American Viticultural Area. The AVA was created by federal law in 1978 and anyone can petition for […]

I took my WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) Advanced exam a few weeks ago and am waiting for the results.  Feeling confident, I decided to research the next level of my wine education, WSET Diploma of Wine and Spirits.  This is a commitment.  The level can take up to 3 years and consists of […]