Wine Wired

The following is the story of my trip to Philly. I hope you enjoy. So I’m on my way to Philadelphia to take my WSET Unit 2 Diploma exam.  I thought it was going to be a relatively uneventful trip.  As I sit here in Charlotte Airport laughing to myself and waiting for my flight, […]

The following is my coursework assignment due in April.  If any of my readers has suggestions on industry journals, websites, or other resources that may be helpful, I would greatly appreciate it.  I have already begun my research but am in infancy of the assignment.  Thank for all of your support. WSET Diploma in Wine […]

Although I have been taking classes and studying for months, I don’t feel as if I have truly begun the Diploma program.  It seems strange that I feel this way.  After all, I have read the unit 2 book from the WSET, made countless note cards, and “attended” the classes (online). Somehow, until I take the […]

As many of you know, I have a wine problem.  There, I said it.  Since I’ve admitted this, I now have a decision to make.  Am I to give up on my wine studies; walk away while I still have my sanity?  After all, I worked to obtain my Intermediate and Advanced Certificates through the […]

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 […]

With Lent ending and Easter here, we celebrate with the traditional Easter dinner. For those of you having ham, I have a few recommendations. With the saltiness of the ham, I would shy away from anything tannic. My white wine recommendation is a Riesling, preferably dry (Troken) or slightly sweet (Halb-troken). If a red wine […]

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 […]

As stated in my previous article on Bordeaux, I was invited to sample a friend’s 2008 en premier right and left bank purchases. This is the first of those wines sampled that evening and reminded me of why right bank, merlot heavy, Bordeaux can be so delicious. Without getting ahead of myself, I want to […]