“New Jersey was a revelation.” Linda Murphy is talking about wine. American Wine to be exact, which is the name of the book she has just co-authored with Jancis Robinson, a Master of Wine and leading authority on all things grape related around the world. Linda is a well-respected wine writer and was most recently the wine editor for the San Francisco Chronicle, and now writes for Decanter and is the west coast editor for Jancis’ website JancisRobinson.com. In the months and years leading up to publishing of American Wine: The Ultimate Companion to the Wines and Wineries of the United States, Linda did most of what Jancis calls “the heavy lifting.” She traveled across the country, seeking out unfamiliar varietals in states not known for making quality wine, in what Linda and Jancis have come to call “the other 47.” These are the states where wine is being made…
Deep into Santa Cruz Mountains Wine Country at Fernwood Cellars
Talk about off the beaten path. This has to be one of the most scenic drives to a winery I’ve ever been on. I’m not talking sweeping, panoramic views. Instead the road is shrouded in morning mist, and the oak trees form a tunnel above the pavement and redwood trees touch the sky. The atmosphere is eerily romantic. That Fernwood Cellars is nestled into northern California’s Santa Cruz Mountains is an understatement. It sits on the site of a former retreat, at the very end of the historic Redwood Retreat Road in Gilroy, a town more famous for garlic than wine. Arriving at the barn that houses the small Fernwood winemaking operation, you feel you’ve really gotten away from it all – and discovered really good wine as a bonus. The Fernwood property has been in winemaker Matt Oetinger’s mother’s family since 1860. His great grandfather homesteaded here and started…
“King of Chardonnay” Miljenko Grgich Still Going Strong at 90
“In all my life I have been associated with two W’s.” The beret clad Miljenko “Mike” Grgich is standing in front of us, a group of wine press gathered at the Grgich Hills Estate winery in Napa Valley, to celebrate his 90th birthday. “Guess what that is?” One of the W’s is for wine of course. The other? Women. Grgich is quite the charmer, and one of his favorite sayings is “Good wines and good ladies improve with maturity.” He should know. For 40 years Grgich has been making some of the best, if not the best, Chardonnay in the business, wines which have not only matured well but are still very much alive. Proof of that ageability? Grgich poured tastes of the 1972 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that he made, where he was winemaker and limited partner, as his inaugural vintage for the new Napa Valley winery. Today this wine…
Tasting Wine With Tony Terlato
On a recent sunny Sunday, a small group of sommeliers gathered at the Andaz hotel in Napa Valley to take part in a wine tasting. That’s not unusual; somms have tasting groups and often attend tastings to keep their palates up to date. But this tasting was not organized by just anybody. This invitation was to what he calls the Options tasting, led by Tony Terlato, chairman of Terlato Wines International. The Terlato portfolio runs deep and large across the international wine world. Terlato owns a number of wineries, and has partnerships with others to import wine to the American market. “I don’t like to talk too much because I’m sure all of you have listened to winemakers talk about the wind and the rain and the soil so you really don’t need to hear that from me,” is how Tony kicks off this tasting, a blind tasting of…
A New Kind of Wine Club
On International Women’s Day the courtyard of the Westin Versa in Napa Valley is a lively scene with people having a great time sipping, eating and talking. As you walk around to the 30 or so tables where wines are being poured, you don’t see any men. These are the Women of the Vine, and they have a compelling story to tell behind their own wine labels. Deborah Brenner is what you would call a connector. She’s a dynamo, and has managed to court some of the best vintners in wine country for Women of the Vine, a venerable a who’s who list: Gina Gallo, Pam Starr, Milla Handley, Genevieve Janssens and more. It all started as she was researching and writing Women of the Vine, published in 2006, where she explores the contributions women have made to the American wine landscape. While her book was successful, she wanted another way to connect…
The Wine Version Of A Tupperware Party In Your Own Home
I’m sitting in the living room of my friend’s home, where she’s gathered a small group of friends for a wine tasting. Betty Kaufman is pouring a sparkling wine. While my friend is the host for the evening, Betty is our wine guide and will be taking us through five wines, all paired with a small bite. But she’s not a sommelier and doesn’t work for a winery. Betty is an Independent Consultant for WineShop At Home, a company with a mission to take the intimidation out of learning about wine and the wine buying experience by holding a casual tasting in the comfort of people’s homes. Think of it as a Tupperware party for wine. Yes there is a sales pitch, but it’s a soft sell. You get to try before you buy. No one is judging your knowledge about wine or what you’re tasting in the glass. It’s all about…
One of Napa’s Best Dining Experiences Isn’t At A Restaurant – It’s At A Winery
Signorello Estate is a boutique family-owned winery that sits on a west facing hillside overlooking the Napa Valley. It is nestled between the appellations of Stag’s Leap District and Oak Knoll on the Silverado Trail and is best known for Cabernet Sauvignon. The winery owns 100 acres of land, of which 45 acres is planted to estate vineyards. Signorello is also becoming known for the culinary experience it offers visitors. The estate winery takes food and wine pairing seriously. They are partners with Snake River Farms in Idaho which produces American Wagyu Kobe-style beef, and Signorello offers tastes of it during its various epicurean experiences. A winery creating food and wine pairings for guests is nothing new, and Napa Valley certainly has plenty of wonderful restaurants. But I have to say that I was blown away by the pairing that the winery calls Enoteca Signorello. Usually…
Only Pink Bubbles Will Do For Valentine’s Day
What’s more romantic than Champagne? Pink Champagne or sparkling wine. I’ve been pitched all sorts of wines to recommend for Valentine Day celebrations, but most of the wines are still wines. None of those will do. For me, it’s bubbles or nothing. And they should be pink. The traditional choice is Champagne, and my go-to wine is the Billecart-Salmon NV Rosé, with its delicate bubbles and salmon pink hue. This is a brut sparkler, very dry, with a subdued floral and fruity aroma, a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. At around $75 it is a splurge – but believe it or not, it’s available on Amazon.com I’m a big fan of California sparkling wine, and some of the best bubbly is produced by Domaine Carneros. This house is in the Carneros region of Napa, which is a fantastic region for growing sparkling wine grapes. For Valentine’s…
The One Wine Trend I Want To Go Away
First we had “critter” labels for wine — you know, Yellow Tail, Little Penguin, Dancing Bull, Smoking Loon. Then came what I call “dessert” labels — Cupcake, Layer Cake. Let’s not forget the “mommy” labels – MommyJuice, Mommy’s Little Helper. Now we have what I’m calling “identity” labels – Middle Sister, Bridesmaid and Skinnygirl. Do we really need a wine label to tell us who we are or how we should Be?
I cringe when I see these labels. There’s the Be. label, where each varietal is labeled something different. There’s Be. Flirty, Be. Bright and so on. The line of Middle Sister wines breaks it down to Drama Queen, Goodie Two Shoes, Forever Cool and more. I’ve also seen Bridesmaid and Mad Housewife wine labels. Please please wine gods, make it stop.
How To Love Wine: Eric Asimov Says “Pull Corks”
Eric Asimov, The New York Times wine critic, is still learning about wine. “Absolutely,” he says. He’s in Berkeley, CA at Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, about to do a reading from his new book How to Love Wine. Asimov also admits to being wrong sometimes on blind tastings. Surprising? Yes. Comforting? Oh yes.
“People often talk to me about how they feel about wine and often it takes the form of telling me their troubles ‘I like wine I know I should I just don’t get all those aromas and flavors,” says Asimov. This creates what he calls wine anxiety. And that’s what’s standing in the way of people loving wine.