Vin du Château, Mis en Bouteille au Château, Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Latour, Château Margaux, etc… Why do some wine labels mention the term “château”, and what does it mean? The term “château” is a guaranty that the wine is from the actual domain, and bottled at the property. It also means that the …
As I mentioned in the last post, this is all about winemaker Dave Phinney and the great wines that he has crafted. After tasting the two Grenache/Syrah blends – ABSTRACT & D66 – and the two Zinfandel-based wines – THE PRISONER & SALDO – we moved onto the Cabernet Sauvignons. …
A few days ago, I wrote a news article about the acquisition of the Gevrey-Chambertin château and its vineyard by the Chinese. It is the first time that a Burgundy Vineyard falls into the powerful hands of Chinese investors. However, that phenomenon isn’t new in the Bordeaux region of France. A growing Chinese …
“To good wine no publicity.” This proverbial saying comes from a latin proverb written by Columelle: “Vino vendibili suspensa hedera non opus est”, which translates to: “To popular wine, hanging ivy is not necessary.” In older times, hanging ivy was used by wine suppliers and resellers to promote their wines. It …
French minister of agriculture, Stéphane Le Foll announced recently: “This year’s grape volume is exceptionally low.” What will be the consequences on the price of wine, and its quality? Bernard Germain (Director of the Wine Cooperative of Muscat de Frontignan) has rarely seen such an important downturn: “This year 2012, …
In my last post, I mentioned a Zinfandel/Cabernet Sauvignon blend called THE PRISONER. I was first introduced to this wine around 2003. It was the first Zin/Cab blend that I had ever had, and it was the first wine by Dave Phinney that I tasted. Who is Dave Phinney you …
I was introduced to an incredible Zinfandel/Cabernet Sauvignon blend called THE PRISONER about 9 years ago when my local wine merchant suggested that I try it. And I remember what I was told at the time of purchase: “Open the bottle, pour a little into a glass, take in the …
It’s the weekend, you’ve had a long week and you decide to open a bottle of wine. Do I have your attention yet? Good! You end up loving the wine. It hits all the right places in your mouth and makes you the happiest person on earth. A week goes …
My 21-year-old son was in Italy this past year on a study abroad program through his school at CAL POLY POMONA. And having grown up with wine around him much of his life (ahem… he didn’t taste anything until he was MUCH closer to his current age), he developed an …
How would you feel if after buying a Lexus HS 250h, someone told you the car you’re driving is nothing more than a Toyota Corolla? Even if this is partially true, you would still feel cheated and angry. This marketing sham is applied in various industries, and wine is no …
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