My friends at Grape Radio have posted a great interview with Rex Pickett, the author of ‘Sideways’ and its sequel ‘Vertical.’ Although the guys spend much of the podcast talking about ‘Sideways’ Pickett does work in plenty of details about his latest novel. Between this and the written interview posted recently by Blake Gray, I [...]
By all accounts, the 2009 Pinot Noir vintage in California is spectacular. These wines are now largely in the market place or will be coming on the market soon. It's one of the things that makes me so excited about...
Unfortunately, due to a scheduling conflict, getting to the next several Vintages tastings will be problematic for me. Therefore in the interim period, I intend to scribe about some of the foods I like to play around with and talk about how some of the wines I’ve had worked particularly well with the finished dish. [...]
I received this information from the American Sommelier Association and thought I would pass this on to our readers. In these economic times there are many out of work or in transition wanting to shift careers. Perhaps this intensive course may pave the way for a future career in the wine business. It appears that there are some scholarship funds that can reduce the cost of the training course by 50%.
Continue reading →
The winning streak continues around here for California Pinot Noir with the 2009 Failla Keefer Ranch Pinot Noir. I've been hearing good things about Failla (pronounced FAY-la) from a number of friends so when Wine Spectator dropped a big 95-point rating ("Classic") on this one the hunt was on. We were able to track some down before things got too out of hand and I'm pleased to report the wine delivered. Kind of like when Arizona Cardinals coach Dennis Green said the Bears "are who we thought they were" (). Well, maybe not just like that but the point I'm trying to make is I had high expectations and the wine delivered in a big way. Here are my notes...2009 Failla Keefer Ranch Pinot Noir $45 Release Price 13.9% Alcohol 550 Cases Produced Another one of these California Pinot Noirs that charms with it's fruit-forward aromatics and ultimately satisfies for how clean and free of "off" notes it is. Pure. Something for everyone I think, with aromas of tart cherries, orange oil, and soft leather. Well balanced. Silky smooth on the palate with a beautiful finish without any strange aftertastes. Fantastic stuff. Cellar Tracker Wine-Searcher93/100 WWP: OutstadningBottom Line It might be hard to find this particular bottling but I'd definitely be interested in seeking out other Pinot Noirs from Failla. Especially the 2009s.Check 'em out: Failla Website @faillawinesI'm compiling some thoughts and tasting notes for 2008 Oregon Pinot Noir (what the heck happened to that vintage?) and 2009 California Pinot Noir. Especially if you're interested in domestic Pinot Noir I'd love it if you subscribed to the site so we can keep in touch.Question of the Day: Have you tasted Failla's wines? What did you think? What have you heard?
Insight and education and entertainment does result from exploring the expertise of authorities in any given field. But sometimes, simply questioning the authority on more mundane matters can also deliver insight...and surprises. The "Questioning Authority" interview series on FERMENTATION is...
Two weeks from today, nearly 100 international wine judges will converge on Fairplex to sniff, swirl and spit their way through more than 3,000 wines – all in attempt to crown the best of the best. The Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition begins May 27. Right now, wine staff are busy preparing the thousands [...]