Is “2011 A Very Bad Year for Wine”?…

Well, it is according to this a post entitled 2011 a very bad year for wine foist upon us by  NBC News Bay Area, which leads with the following statement… “Years from now at some fancy wine shop, don’t expect to pay top dollar for the 2011 vintage.  If there is any for sale.” Wow!  Talk about…

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Q & A With Richard Jennings; The Man Who Tasted 5000 Wines Last Year

I recently posted a blog about Richard Jennings of RJonWine.com, the most prolific wine taster I know.  Richard was kind enough to grant me an interview, which covered a wide range of topics. The interview has been edited for length and is focused on wine tasting. Q. How did you come to be interested in wine, and how…

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T.G.I.F. Champagne and the like – N.V. Chandon Blanc de Noirs

This week’s selection is an old favorite, a “go to” sparkler that I’ve enjoyed over the years – Chandon Blanc de Noir.  Blanc de Noirs (a French term literally meaning “white of blacks”) are sparklers made with black, or red-skinned grapes – in this case Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. Domaine Chandon was the first…

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Corks or Screw-Cap?…Which is better for Mother Earth?

From SF Gate.com, an article that asks what’s Better for the environment: wine cork or screw-cap? (as if we didn’t have enough to think about)! I happen to like screw-caps, but it turns out that’s not the most eco-friendly option.  According to the article… …the natural cork is the most eco-friendly option. Just be sure…

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T.G.I.F. Champagne and the like…2004 Korbel Le Premier

This week’s sparkling wine is a Korbel’s “ultimate reserve champagne”, from the 2004 vintage.  Korbel, which sells the largest volume of sparkling wine (over 1 million cases) produced using the Méthode Traditionnelle, makes a very modest 1400 cases of this “prestige” cuveé.  It’s unusual to see a vintage sparkler at this price point.  So what’s the difference…

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