Post Card from Napa – Antica
August 29, 2011 by Dick Rosano
We arrived by car, but it seemed at times that even mountain goats would have trouble ascending these slopes. The narrow paved road curved from left to right and, at the top, revealed a stunning hilltop winery that seemed to emerge from our imagination. We had reached Atlas Peak, the mountain but also the [...]
Cabernet with — Cooler Air!
July 26, 2011 by Dick Rosano
With temperatures breaking thermometers – let alone records – and the Weather Channel refusing to report the next forecast, the thought of anything sizzling on the grill sounds like a scene from a Stephen King horror story. So most of us have huddled inside our homes where the air conditioner groans under loads that [...]
Let American Champagne Light the Night!
July 3, 2011 by Dick Rosano
There’s nothing like a good bottle of Champagne to celebrate America’s independence. Right? Wrong. Champagne is made in France and, despite Gaul’s claim to having helped the Colonists wrest their freedom from Mother England, there’s no reason for us to pop their sparkling wine when we have so much of our own to enjoy. Known [...]
The Rhone Rangers Ride Again
June 8, 2011 by Derek Swanson
This week a number of American winemakers who craft wines in the style of those made in the Rhone Valley will descend upon DC for the Smithsonian’s seminar on Sustainable, Organic and Biodynamic American Rhones. The seminar, moderated by WaPo wine columnist Dave McIntyre, features tastings of sustainable and organic Rhone wines, as well as [...]
2010 MASSICAN, “annia,” Napa Valley White Wine
April 28, 2011 by Derek Swanson
Dennis Kelly, sommelier at The French Laundry, recommended a beautiful white wine to us over two years ago. The Riesling from Stony Hill Vineyard is an atypical varietal of Napa, and a wonderful example of what winemakers can do when they push the limits of terroir. The capacity for such a recommendation is the one reason Mr. [...]
