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The Best German Wines You’ve Never Heard Of

Wine

Whenever someone talks about German wine, it’s usually about Riesling.  The noble grape defines Germany, especially when it is from the Mosel or Rhinegau regions.  This glorious varietal makes some killer wines — and no, not all of them are sweet.  In fact many good bottlings are labeled “trocken”.  That means dry.  You should ask for and try the trocken Rieslings without fear.

While you’ve most likely heard of Riesling, you may not know about Franken wine.  Not Frankenstein wine but Franken wine.  Franconia (Franken) is one of the 13 wine regions in Germany.  I’ve known about this region for years thanks to my mother bringing bottles home from her German travels.

I think what makes it easy for me to remember these wines is the unusual bottle shape, called the Bocksbeutel, a flat and round distinctive glass bottle.  Some have corks, others have screwcaps and the glass is either green or brown.  But they’re also memorable for the good wine inside. 

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12 Livermore Valley Wines You Need to Drink Now

Wine

In Northern California wine country, Napa Valley and Sonoma County get all the attention.  Another wine region I love is Livermore Valley, an easy drive from San Jose and Silicon Valley, and 35 miles east of San Francisco.  Livermore boasts 50 plus wineries and is still growing, with about eight new wineries that launched in the past 5 years.

Why do I love LV wine country?  Great wines are a big draw, but what’s even better is that most wineries are small and family owned.  That means you have a good chance of the winemaker or owner actually pouring your wine, which happens rarely in Napa or Sonoma (unless you make an appointment, but I digress).  Because these wineries are not as well known, you don’t get huge crowded tasting rooms or bus loads of tipsy visitors.  The roads are not clogged with tourists as they are in Napa Valley, especially in the summer.  There’s plenty to do besides taste wine, from playing golf or bocce ball to biking and eating well.

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A Perfumer’s Take on Wine Aromas

Perfume

I walk into an event room at Niner Wine Estates in Paso Robles, Ca, for a class in wine aromas expecting to see lots of wine bottles and glasses.  No such luck.  The only bottles are small vials set out on one table.  I’m thinking, ok this will be interesting.

The man seated at that table is Alexandre Schmitt.  He’s not a winemaker or an enologist.  Instead, Alexandre is a perfumer.  He calls himself a Creator of Perfumes and an Expert of Wine Aromas.  His goal is to help people working in the wine industry find a common language to express what they smell when they stick their nose in a glass.  All the vials that he brought are full of essential oils and flavored oils.

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Come to Napa Valley, but not for the Wine

Wine

Several times a year I’m asked by friends and family for recommendations on where to go when they visit Napa Valley. In addition to wineries I think they’ll like, I also include ones with interesting architecture and must see art galleries. That list usually includes The Hess Collection for its impressive display of contemporary art, Mumm Napa for the Ansel Adams photo gallery and Ma(i)sonry for the eclectic mix of art, decorative home items and lineup of Blackbird wines and more.

It’s nice to have options that don’t always include wine. You can only sample so much wine in a day, and it’s good to have a break. If you don’t drink wine at all, you may feel left out. Fortunately there’s more art in Napa Valley than even I knew was on view. Read more

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Why Skinnygirl Wines Are a Bad Idea

Wine

Recently I read a news item on WineSpectator.com that reality TV star and former Real Housewives cast member Bethanny Frankel is launching a wine label called Skinnygirl. Oh no, just what we need, another wine brand pandering to women.

Wine is intimidating enough. Women have fought hard to be considered equals when it comes to wine, whether professionally or in our private lives. Many of us get handed the wine list at the restaurant, which is great. Would we order a Skinnygirl wine? Read more

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Why Don’t You… 10 Non-Resolutions for Wine Drinkers

Wine

I love New Year’s – a good excuse to drink bubbly, but I hate the idea of making new year’s resolutions, don’t you? Instead I’m going to follow what fashion icon Diana Vreeland, the legendary Vogue editor-in-chief (pre-Anna Wintour) would say about fashion rules. Prior to her years at Vogue, Vreeland wrote a column for Harper’s Bazaar titled “Why Don’t You…” So with that inspiration, here are my top 10 suggestions (non-resolutions) for the year 2012 in wine.
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My Top 10 Wine Moments of 2011

Wine

As December comes to a close we’re all reflecting back on the year that has been 2011. Although we’re still going through challenging economic times, spirits of the vintners throughout wine country seem to be rising, as sales are slowly picking up. There’s a feeling of hope and optimism that I haven’t seen in a long time. So keeping that positive state of mind, here are my top 10 wine moments of 2011. Read more

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Giving Thanks for Garagiste Wines

Wine

You know the legendary stories about how Apple Computers and Hewitt Packard were created in a garage, by visionaries who broke all the rules and changed an industry. Wine garagistes do the same thing. What in the world is a garagiste? Garagiste [gar-uh-zhe-stuh] is a name coined for winemakers in Bordeaux, France making small amount of high quality wines in their home garages and bucking conventional wine tradition. That innovative spirit is alive and well in the United States, particularly on California’s Central Coast. That’s where you’ll find Paso Robles, home to the first ever garagiste festival in the country.

Supporting them is crucial to their survival. Read more

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