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amber wine, australia, cabernet sauvignon, frankland river, mclaren vale, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, western australia, yarra valley -

australia

Living here in California, I’ve learnt that Australian wine can be a difficult sell. There are preconceptions, often based on the success of yellow tail, that all Australian wine is simple and fruity. And as Australia has a similar climate to California and trends have paralleled since the 1990s, then why drink Australia instead of California? Well, dig a little deeper and you’ll discover esoteric winemakers, unexpected grape varieties, historic but lesser-known wine regions, and a wide range of quality wines. Let’s start with Grenache, because there are plenty of old vines which represent the tapestry of Australian winemaking history...

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australia, california, grenache, mclaren vale, san luis obispo -

two different types of grenache

Grenache has always been one of my favorite grape varieties, ever since I first started drinking wine. It's the heart of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, one of France's great appellations, and is grown across the Mediterranean: southern Rhône, Provence, Languedoc, Roussillon, north-east Spain, and in Sardinia. It's made in many different styles: light-bodied, full-bodied, powerful, pale-colored, rosé, sparkling. It's used in blends, or on its own; made from young vines or from old. And yet, despite all that versatility, Grenache has gained a low reputation. It's considered to produce wines too high in alcohol, too low in acidity and tannin, lacking the balance...

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rethinking pinotage

Let's talk about Pinotage. It's a grape variety that is associated with burnt rubber, paint aromas, neither of which sounds attractive. That reputation comes from several factors: South Africa's wine industry stalled in the twentieth century because of apartheid and the dominance of the government-controlled co-op KMV; quality in general wasn't as high as it should have been, and when South Africa re-emerged internationally in 1994 after the transition to democracy, there was a focus on inexpensive wine for exports; when a group of British MWs visited South Africa in the 1970s, they really didn't like the Pinotage they tasted—and...

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carignan, cinsault, france, grenache, languedoc, mourvedre, provence, rhône, sardinia, syrah -

south of france

The south of France has always been a favorite place to visit for its beauty, its weather, its diverse geography, its food, and of course its wines. There's such a range of wines made, mostly red, but also plenty of rosé, a little bit of white, some fortified wine, and a small amount of sparkling. You don't have to venture far to try every style of wine—and at many different price points. rosé I've had rosé from the south of France in the club before, including from the famous village of Tavel and from Provence. Provençal rosé has transformed international...

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germany, no alcohol, nolo -

nolo wines

Dry January is a frustrating trend. It hits the wine industry hard, and it doesn't really meet health concerns. Drinking lots of alcohol in December, stopping for a month, and then beginning again in February isn't the best model of abstinence. So I'm writing this post about low alcohol wines in February, because they can be drunk any time of the year. The term "Nolo" refers to wines that have no or low alcohol. I've always been a bit skeptical because most of those I've tried have been at best tasteless and at worst plain terrible. But one of the...

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