Category Archives: Wine Articles

Alvaro Castro: Outstanding Selections from the Dão

Posted on July 31, 2020 by don

Alvaro Castro is one of the most accomplished winemakers in Portugal.  Since 1980 he has served as winemaker for his family’s properties at Quinta da Pellada and Quinta de Saes. Alvaro crafts elegant wines sourced from traditional varieties with minimal intervention … Continue reading →

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Proposed US Wine Tariffs Would Radically Change the Wine Market

Posted on June 29, 2020 by don

The US is the world’s most important importer of wine, purchasing about $18 billion in wine in 2019.  So changes in the US market have outsize effects on countries that are the major exporters of wine. The US wine market has … Continue reading →

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Pairing Champagne and Food at Washington DC’s Fabulous Blue Duck Tavern

Posted on November 15, 2019 by mike

The Blue Duck Tavern is one of Washington DC’s finest restaurants. Located in the Park Hyatt in Georgetown, the upscale restaurant serves seasonal cuisine with ingredients sourced from local farms and purveyors. The center of the restaurant is an open … Continue reading →

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Thomas Jefferson’s Champagne (Sillery) & Food

Posted on November 14, 2019 by don

In this article, we report on our tasting of the wine and food of Thomas Jefferson with special focus on Champagne and the recipes Jefferson acquired while living in France. Our tasting included the Champagne from one of his favorite … Continue reading →

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Hors Catégorie: A Bit of Northern Rhone in Northern Oregon

Posted on April 9, 2019 by don

Christophe Baron, most famous for his vineyards in The Rocks, has a new discovery, a very steeply sloped basalt hillside vineyard called Hors Catégorie located on the north fork of the Walla Walla River near the Oregon border with Washington … Continue reading →

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Vergelegen: Modern Wines from a 300 Year Old Estate

Posted on March 4, 2019 by don

Vergelegen is one of South Africa’s finest producers of premium wines. It’s located in an idyllic setting just 6 km from the sea with sloping mountainside vineyards, and winemaker André Van Rensburg is one of South Africa’s most passionate winemakers. … Continue reading →

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Graham Beck: Exclusive Focus on Premium Sparkling

Posted on February 18, 2019 by don

Industrialist Graham Beck founded his eponymous vineyard and winery in Robertson in 1983.  A few years later Pieter Ferreira joined Graham Beck, making his first sparkling wine  (called MCC or Methode Cap Classique in South Africa) in 1991. We visited … Continue reading →

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Richard Kershaw Lifts Elgin to New Heights

Posted on February 11, 2019 by don

Richard Kershaw, South Africa’s first MW (Master of Wine), worked at wineries around the world (including Simi in California) before becoming winemaker at Mulderbosch  and then, in 2012, starting his own eponymous winery in Elgin, South Africa’s coolest growing area. … Continue reading →

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Cabernet Sauvignon Reigns Supreme in Washington State

Posted on February 7, 2019 by don

Washington State’s Cabernet Sauvignon plantings have increased dramatically in recent years, driven by consumer demand and the price premium this grape commands.  Cabernet Sauvignon plantings have also taken off in California in appellations like Lodi and Paso Robles.  So is … Continue reading →

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Hermann J. Wiemer of the Finger Lakes: A Great American Winery

Posted on February 4, 2019 by don

Hermann J. Wiemer is one of the pioneers of viticulture and winemaking in the Finger Lakes. A native of Bernkastel, Germany, he studied at the world famous Neustadt Viticultural Research Institute, took a winemaking job in the Finger Lakes, and … Continue reading →

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