The Meaning of Is Is

Posted 03/28/2008 at 10:23 PM by Ben

Lately, I've been worrying that new owners of Napa's Stags Leap Wine Cellars will change the style in order to curry favor with the big kahuna wine critics. I might find this latest statement from Jeff McBride, the new general manager, reassuring, except that I can't make heads or tails of it.  
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Time Travel

Posted 03/28/2008 at 06:59 AM by Ben

A recent survey on the Internet posed an intriguing question: if you were offered the gift of one superpower, what would it be? I'm pretty sure my choice would be time travel. (The winner, BTW, was the power to become invisible, which could also come in handy from time to time.) My first stop would probably be a trip to the Jurassic epoch to see some real live dinosaurs, followed by a visit to ancient Egypt to check out Cleopatra for myself.  
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The Truth About New World Pinot Noir

Posted 03/26/2008 at 08:35 AM by Ben

New World winemakers routinely warn us not to compare their wines to the corresponding wines from Europe. The soil, climate, and winemaking philosophies are just too different. This makes fair comparisons between Old World and New World wines impossible, they say.  
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Overview of 2005 Burgundy

Posted 03/25/2008 at 01:54 PM by Ben

From the moment that the 2005 Burgundies finished their bubbly fermentation in early 2006, there has been no question that this is one of the great red Burgundy vintages of all time. The only question has been whether this would also be a vintage that that would give both early as well is long-term drinking pleasure.  
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Bordeaux Swap Meet

Posted 03/21/2008 at 07:40 AM by Ben

I have recently discovered a surefire method of knocking of 80% or 90% off the price of even the most hard to find, expensive wines. There's just one little catch. To make it work, you already have to own hard to find, expensive wines. With that little caveat in mind, here's how it works.  
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Burgundy Gains Value

Posted 03/20/2008 at 05:58 AM by Ben

Over the years it has become my habit to cruise right past the red Burgundy aisle in favor of Bordeaux at the local wine shop. It's not that I have found red Burgundy any less profound than Bordeaux on a glass by glass basis, but because Burgundy is more confusing, more inconsistent from vintage to vintage, and more expensive than Bordeaux. But that's changing.  
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Another Reason I Love Champagne

Posted 03/18/2008 at 05:50 AM by Ben

Last night I enjoyed the wonderful 1998 Pol Roger vintage Brut Champagne, which cost me a hefty $80 a bottle. Tonight, I'm going to enjoy it again, but it will cost me absolutely nothing. That's because I'm not opening a second bottle, but will be finishing the one I started last night.  
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Margaux's Rising Star

Posted 03/14/2008 at 12:24 PM by Ben

Last night's French Wine Society tasting of the wines of the Margaux and Pauillac communes of Bordeaux revealed a rising star in the Margaux pecking order -- Chateau Rauzan-Segla. It trounced my sentimental favorite, Chateau Palmer, and and also beat out a number of well regarded wines from Pauillac.  
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Last Call for 2005 Bordeaux

Posted 03/13/2008 at 12:51 PM by Ben

If you're interested in 2005 Bordeaux my advice is to speak now or forever hold your peace. Prices are going nowhere but up.  
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What Goes with Asian Food

Posted 03/12/2008 at 01:19 PM by Ben

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting a neighborhood Vietnamese restaurant for a casual dinner with a few friends. Normally when a waiter comes by with the wine list, I'm the first to grab for it because I enjoy choosing the wines, and even if I don't grab for it, the duty normally falls to me anyway as the resident wine guru. But not this night. Instead, I said bring me the beer list.  
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