Wine In Vessels Photo Series

Tweet As crazy as it sounds, I really like to look at wine; in shops, cellar tanks, barrels, wine cellar racks, and especially proper glassware.  When you think about connecting visually with wine after juice leaves grape, vessels are non negotiable.  Unless, of course, spilling all over your rug or tablecloth produces perverse visual jollies. [...]

Top Three Wines of May: Loire Valley and Niagara, Ontario

Tweet May’s “Top Three Wines” headline does not contain a typo.  The reference to Ontario, Canada is purposeful. As a matter of fact, southern Ontario’s wine region (41°-44°) finds itself in a close latitudinal relationship with the Loire Valley (46°-47°), home turf for May’s other top wines.  A couple of this month’s finishers are certain [...]

Sur Lie and Bottle Aged Muscadet in May

Tweet Years ago on a bright seventy degree afternoon, moments after tying off our boat in the Camargue’s picturesque Marseillan port, I fell in love with Muscadet and its Melon de Bourgogne grape lounging in a simple oyster restaurant’s tiny outdoor courtyard.  It was a magical few hours.  I was taken by the wine’s satiating freshness, crisp [...]

Chenin Heaven from Vouvray’s Bernard Fouquet and Domaine des Aubuisieres’ 2008 Les Girardieres

Tweet Bernard Fouquet is an accomplished and quality Vouvray producer, focused on Chenin Blanc across 25 hectares and and seven vineyards that make up Domaine des Aubuisieres’ fruit sources.  All of unique character and terroir, they split into two primary soil types including clay/limestone or clay/flint.  His portfolio includes soil specific blends and vineyard specific bottlings. [...]

WineZag Alert: How to Stretch the $US in France's Wine Market

Tweet I want to share a stunning winner from the Loire Valley, made by Marc Ollivier, fully hand harvested, from Muscadet’s heralded appellation between the Sevre and Maine rivers, that sits on its lees until bottling, which you can drink now or lay away for more than 25 years, brought to us by Louis/Dressner .  Oh and by the way, it costs $13.  [...]