Are Wine Critics Useless To Consumers?

New wine research is blurring the efficacy of highly detailed wine reviews authored by wine writers and critics. Besides a case for the favored consumer engagement writers can create by formulaically humanizing wines made here last week, now there is further scientific evidence that consumers do not relate to the acute level of flavor specificity critics are [...]

Case For Tasting Bordeaux, Barolo, and California Syrah

Tasting wine in peer groups always feels clinically informative, digging around for distinguishing nuances against identical backgrounds of grape variety, vintage, or appellation. It trains my palate and sharpens a vocabulary of descriptors. Tasting a potpourri of unrelated wines from completely different vintages, continents, countries, and varieties can be as discerning in different ways.  I [...]

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

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.  On [...]

Perennially Crystal Quail

Regulars know it’s not possible to completely describe the transcendental experience of a Crystal Quail evening.   After the ritual pilgramage through the back-est of Center Barnstead, New Hampshire country roads and arriving in the middle of nowhere to find a small 18th century farmhouse glowing in the setting sun just twenty yards uphill of the rear over sized garden whose bounty is being prepped at [...]