Is La Mancha ready for Primetime?

Last week, I attended my first wine event as a member of the “trade”.  The event was hosted by “Wines of La Mancha“.  Since it was my first such event as a member of the trade,  I wasn’t sure what to expect, other than Spanish Wine – which I enjoy, having had wines mostly from the…

T.G.I.F. Champagne and the like – Great QPR Sparkling Rosé from S. Africa!

My virtual trip around the wide world of sparklers continues this week with a sparkler from Graham Beck of South Africa, which has over a three-hundred year history of grape growing.  Although, until relatively recently, most of the grapes were used to make cheap distilled spirits, or grape juice concentrate of which South Africa is…

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…

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…

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…