Rhone Rangers Ride Into DC

Tonight, June 11 at the Museum of Natural History, the Rhone Rangers continue a series of special events in DC by participating in The Smithsonian’s Savoring Sustainable Seafood reception.  The winemakers of the organization will pour wines made from Rhone varietals to match with dishes prepared by dozens of notable DC chefs, including Robert Wiedmaier, [...]

Cline Cellars’ Reliably Delicious Wines

Ask me what wineries produce portfolios that are all reliably terrific and Cline Cellars immediately comes to mind.  And after a couple visits to their tasting room, I can also attest that it is among the friendliest in Sonoma. Cline Cellars was founded by Fred Cline, grandson of Valeriano Jacuzzi, inventor of the Jacuzzi tub [...]

Colonial Estate Émigré, Barossa Valley, 2005

If you are looking to spurge on a very big, delicious red wine this winter consider Colonial Estate Émigré, 2005 from Australia’s Barossa Valley. This is a beautifully rich blend of old-vine Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvedre, Muscadelle, and Cabernet Sauvignon. In 2007, the Wine Advocate rated it 94, noting it will age well through 2025, which [...]

Tablas Creek Wine: Bringing the Rhone Tradition to America

Jason Haas of Tablas Creek Vineyards presented some wonderful wines at a class on wine blending at the Society of Wine Educators annual meeting this past summer–and all of them are worth procuring. The seminar focused on blending wines because Tablas focuses the Rhone-style wine blends, which Tablas maintains makes for wonderfully complex and delicious [...]

2006 Domaine La Barroche, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France

The first pick of 2010 comes from Kristina Long, sommelier at one of North America’s finest resorts, the Post Hotel & Spa at Lake Louise in Alberta:  ”This Chateauneuf-du-Pape offers bright blackberry and cherry fruit with notes of dried herb and black olive.  It’s got soft tannins, but still maintains a firm structure making it [...]

Next Page »