...Search

December 2006

Wine Gadgets and Gizmos
Several months ago a friend of mine was telling me about a new wine preservation gadget. He suggested that I try out the new Epicurean Preservation System...

How To Open A Champagne Bottle
Yes there is a right way and a wrong way to open your bubbly...

Mid-Columbia Wineries Have Many Gifts to Offer
'Tis the season to be jolly, and what better way to feel the Christmas spirit than by getting a fine bottle of Washington wine? For a wine lover, it's the perfect gift!

October 2006

Inside Wine Judging
I know I'm not going to have much luck convincing most of you that judging wine in high-level competition is really hard work, but it is. No, seriously. I'm not kidding about this.

Tastes of Three New Walla Walla Wineries
Selecting three new Walla Walla wineries to write about is like shooting fish in a barrel. The Walla Walla Wine Alliance estimates there are now 73 wineries in the Walla Walla Valley and licenses for 35 more, so it was no problem finding three new ones...

Who's Threatening Us Now: Homaro Cantu
Homaro Cantu, the Chicago chef who writes his menu on edible paper and bakes his bread inside out with a laser, is now turning his lasers on something else: wine.

September 2006

A Look Back at Where Washington Wine Began
Thirty years ago this month, Bill Preston of Pasco and Mike Wallace of Prosser launched what became the Mid-Columbia wine industry. Not in their wildest dreams did the two think that in three decades there would be more than 250 wineries in Eastern Washington...

A Different Wine
A homemade winemaker's pleasant surprise with the... Oregon Grape!

Romorantin Revisited
With thanks to the late Karl Hass for the pun, one grape that's famously "rare but well done" is Romorantin, an obscure but excellent variety from France's Loire valley...

July 2006

Cult Personality
“Elvis died for your sins.” Meet the man behind the cult: Red Zeppelin Winery’s stylistically eccentric wine maker, Mr. Stillman Brown.

Pinot Gris - A White to know Right Now
Pinot gris is a rising-star white wine that is fruity, tasty and food friendly. It's the No. 1 white wine in Oregon and very popular at a few Washington wineries.

Too Darn Hot
It's too darn hot to do much of anything, maybe even too hot for wine. On second thought, let's not get unrealistic about this. But still, it's hot enough to prompt one of our periodic re-evaluations of the conventional wisdom about wine.

June 2006

Summer Bubbles
When I'm in the mood for wine that's cooling and refreshing on a sultry summer day, I almost invariably turn to Prosecco...

Vinado.com Grand Opening
This may be THE wine tasting event of the year! Vinado.com, online retailer of superior imported wines, announces their launch with a wine tasting extravaganza at the W Hotel on June 22nd, 2006 at 6 p.m.

May 2006

Is Ritual Necessary?
For many of the wine enthusiasts who have already embraced the once- maligned metal screw cap as an appropriate seal for fine wines, its casual simplicity is part of the appeal of the alternative closure. But wine lovers who enjoy the brief ritual that attends the extraction of the traditional cork feel that there's something missing in a quick, careless unscrewing...

A Walla Walla Weekend
Walla Walla has been attracting a great deal of national press including stories in Sunset magazine and the Wall Street Journal. What makes Walla Walla a mecca for wine lovers is its geography. Most of the 54 wineries are within a 10 minute drive of each other. Then there is the quaintness of the historic town nestled up against wheat fields and the Blue Mountains...

April 2006

Low-cost Cabernet Sauvignon Stands Out in Tasting
Few things turn me on like finding a great cabernet sauvignon for under $10. That's exactly what happened at January's Wine Press Northwest tasting of 128 cabs...

Wireless Message in a Bottle
Riders of public transport in Chicago or Oslo know RFID technology. Bump your wallet at the turnstile and off you go--no fumbling to swipe cards. Same with skiers at some ski resorts. And drivers in the Northeast know the technology as well through E-ZPass toll collection.
The same technology is coming to wine.

Cooked!
It doesn't take most wine enthusiasts long to learn to recognize a wine that's "corked." Once you've had it pointed out, it's easy to detect... But how about the other frequent culprit in spoiled wine? "Cooked" wine - damaged by exposure to excess heat?

March 2006

“Dago Red” aka Homemade Italian Wine
Probably the reason that I have such a strong liking and respect for Zinfandel is that for years and decades it has been the main ingredient of “Dago Red.” Incidentally, this term is not meant to be derogatory, but is used with affection for Italian homemade wine; and, in families of Italian origin, homemade wine is a serious business...

Dry Riesling
Riesling is one of the most historic of wine-grape varieties, with a documented written record that extends to the 13th century and a legendary history that goes back to Charlemagne's time. It's arguably one of the most "noble" of grapes...

Pioneer Winemaker Keeping Thurston Wolfe Thriving in Prosser
Thurston Wolfe in Prosser is a perfect example of how an outstanding small family winery develops. What makes the winery stand out among the 300 or so in the state is that it's experimenting with lesser-known varieties like Zinfandel, Lemberger, Petite Sirah and Orange Muscat...

Introduction to Wine Classes
Sommelier Arnie Millan presents Introduction to Wine Classes begins March 26, 2006. The program of seven classes were featured recently in The Wall Street Journal...

February 2006

Rediscovering Australia
A crisp, elegant invitation that arrived just the other day, sent up from Down Under by my good friend Warren Mason, prompted me to realize how long it had been since I've reported on some good Australian wines...

January 2006

Eau de Vie in the Rose City
Northwest Portland is an interesting neighborhood. Here you can find old stone homes a block away from industrial properties, which in turn are just around the corner from quaint coffee shops and boutiques. It is well known as a home of good beer, with McMenamin’s and Rogue taverns scattered among many other watering holes. A lesser-known fact is that NW Portland is also home to an award-winning distillery...

Learn Wine by Tasting...Tea?
The single non-alcoholic beverage most like wine is tea, because - except for the alcohol - tea brings us many similar sensory perceptions. Just like wine, fresh tea offers complex fragrances that are typically fruity and floral, that vary depending on the variety of tea leaves and the way they are harvested and processed. Tea arguably even expresses terroir...

Vineyard Designation can be Reason Enough to Purchase Some Wines
Vineyard-designated wines regularly offer superb quality. And in the Northwest, Chateau Ste. Michelle's Cold Creek Vineyards is a consistent standout...

Additional Articles

Article Index 2005
Article Index 2004
Article Index 2003
Article Index 2002
Article Index 2001
Article Index 2000

Questions and 
answers about wine.