Arrowood and Amapola Creek

  Not being one for idol-worship, I have however followed Dick Arrowood around through his very successful career. Not just to hold his cape, mind you, but because I always knew that – where Arrowood was – great wine could always be found. From 1974 to 1990, he was at the helm at Chateau St. [...]

Albariño from Rias Biaxas

  The traditional notion is that Albariño, the deliciously fruity wine from Spain, is best with paella and gazpacho. There is no desire here to dispute that advice, but unless you find yourself in one of D.C.’s few very good Spanish restaurants, that would leave little reason to discover this little gem. In fact, Albariño [...]

Beaujolais Nouveau Day

  “Le Nouveau est arrivée!” One may see these words in the windows of wine retailers today, marking the release of the 2011 Beaujolais Nouveau. It is wine made of Gamay grapes and fermented for only a few weeks after harvest before reaching the market. Historically, the wine was for local (French) consumption only until [...]

Not All Pinots Are Red

In the U.S., red wine has been all the rage since the 1980s, when American wine lovers discovered that the depth and texture of these dark wines offered more rewards than the simple, sometimes flat white wines that were being served back then. American white wines were simply soulless, and the European white wines that [...]

Recent Purchases: Vintage Bubbly

  If the first step towards curing addiction is admitting one has a problem, then maybe I should admit I am hooked on online wine auctions. They are a fantastic opportunity for bargains, especially on bottles that make less frequent appearances on retail shelves. I recently picked up a magnum of vintage Champagne from one [...]

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