Merlot Masters
December 7, 2011 by Dick Rosano
Too many Sideways fans have pushed the debate on wine in the wrong direction. Not that there’s anything wrong with a decent Pinot Noir, but these people have tried to convince the wine-loving public that all Merlot is insipid plonk. Well, maybe some of it is, and that’s the reason this reasoning has gotten traction. [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
Reviews of Ten Sisters and Emblem
June 23, 2010 by Derek Swanson
Last Friday the baby-sitter bailed on me last minute, so my plans to meet the WWP staff with wine samples at Charlie Palmer Steak (they offer free corkage on Fridays) were scratched. Plan B: When I informed my wine-loving neighbor Scott I had 3 bottles to review, he said he had 4 steaks to review [...]
