In honor of one of the iconoclastic producers of Brunello di Montalcino who passed away yesterday, Gianfranco Soldera, I decided to do a little review of the region. Soldera was originally in the insurance business before purchasing his Case Basse estate in Montalcino. I can’t claim to know him personally, but from everything I’ve read … More Montalcino
Today I’d like to offer a brief overview of some of the faults or taints associated with wines. These are the bane of every wine lover’s existence… you have cellared a treasured bottle for 15 years, you have the perfect occasion to open it and enjoy it in all of its perfectly matured glory, you … More Wine faults
Hello again! Apologies for the extreme delay in correspondence! As you all know… things always seem to get in the way of your hobbies and distract attention from what you really want to do. So it is with me as between work, family, and my professional amateur athletics career there is barely enough time left … More Northern Rhone tidbits
I was fortunate to be able to take a trip back to Burgundy this fall. We spent a week in Beaune with some friends enjoying food, wine, and company. I’ll try to put together a more comprehensive piece on this in the near future, but here are a few of the highlights from the trip. … More A few highlights from Burgundy
I have written before on this site of my admiration for the Eyrie Vineyards wines in Oregon. Founder David Lett was the first to plant grapes in the Willamette Valley and anyone who has visited in the last several years and seen the thriving wine business that has overtaken that area will find it hard … More Eyrie South Block
As I seek to prepare my palate for our upcoming jaunt to Burgundy, I invited a couple of friends over to compare the chardonnay produced in the famous villages of the Côte de Beaune. Previously I have largely ignored the whites of the Côte d’Or for a couple of reasons; 1 – I love Chablis … More White Burgundy Dinner
My lovely wife and I took a brief trip this weekend to the northwest corner of our beautiful state to see some friends in Whitefish, MT. My good friend Chef Krezowski is a classically trained French chef who dabbles in cardiology on the side. We always have a great time and given the fact that … More Dinner Chez Krezowski
I saw recently in the news that Monsieur Clape passed away at the age of 93. This domaine has played a huge role in the renaissance of Cornas and given his death I wanted to take just a minute to reflect on a great domaine and winemaker. I have not had the chance to visit … More Domaine Auguste Clape
I suspect that most people this time of year (at least in the Northern Hemisphere) are experiencing the full on heat of summer. Here in Montana the heat is usually mitigated a bit, but over the last 2 weeks even we have crept toward highs in the 90s! Compared to places I’ve lived previously it’s … More Thirst quenching wines for summer heat!
Hello again! Yes I realize this is a quick turn around compared to normal, but you have to take advantage of time and motivation when you have it right?! The good news is since it hasn’t been several months since our last rendezvous, I won’t have as many updates on my non vinous life which … More Vosne-Romanee
