Oh Merlot! The step-child of the wine world. The grape that could have been if it weren’t for a stupid line in a movie that also may be the MOST misunderstood line in any movie ever. But thankfully, Merlot seems to be on the rise again. Let’s celebrate it this Thursday, International Merlot Day. The…
One of my goals in wine education is to make it less snooty. Wine should not only be enjoyed by a few, rather it should be enjoyed by the masses. There is a constant line in the sand that separates oenophile aficionados and the wine neophyte. I wish this line wasn’t there, but it is…
Burgundian History Chardonnay’s birthplace is Burgundy, France. When the western half of the Roman Empire collapsed, Germanic people crossed the Rhine and established their dominancy at Worms in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The area is situated on the Upper Rhine about 60 km (40 mi) south-southwest of Frankfurt am Main. Worms is one of the oldest cities of northern Europe. Over the next…
I recently came across a conversation in the Wine Scholar Guild’s community section titled “Is it time to ditch wine scores?” The discussion was created by Justin Martindale, MW. He brought up the dialogue about wine score inflation. This is not an old topic. In fact, back in 2013 Wine Spectator, James Laub wrote “Anyone who…
Happy International Sherry Week! This week is the tenth celebration and you can find events near you by checking out the website. As with many of the wine regions in Spain, winemaking dates back to the Phoenicians in 1100 BC. Initially settling in the city of Gadir, now known as Cádiz and migrating inland to…
In an article recently published in Meininger’s International titled WHO Shifts Its Alcohol Narratives and the Wine Industry Faces New Challenges it is discussed how the World Health Organization is now on a mission to attack the wine world similarly to how it assaulted the tobacco industry. It seems that their newest goal is to make…
An article recently found its way to my inbox from Vanguard Magazine. It was titled Women who believe white wine makes them do crazy things! The heading was perfect clickbait, as it immediately raised my blood pressure and I found myself clicking the link to read more. The article begins with “After guzzling a few…
One of my favorite movies is Nightmare on Elm Street. I drove my college roommate crazy with all my Freddy Krueger paraphernalia.(especially the 3-D Freddy – sorry Jamie!) One of the most bone chilling scenes in the movie was when Freddy was in the boiler room with Nancy and he ran his finger knives along…
Last week, I read an article in Fortune Magazine about the Federal Bureau of Investigation pursuing charges against Sherry-Lehmann Wine & Spirits in New York. The FBI issued a search warrant after an article in the New York Times reported “customers and former employees have complained about missing wine.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation searched…
I read an article in late April in Wine Enthusiast titled Stop Calling Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carignan, ‘Rhône Varieties’ and it struck a chord in me. As a Spanish Wine Scholar, it truly made me think. I have had the pleasure of visiting Jumilla and enjoyed sipping some incredible Monastrell. In Navarra I was delighted by…
