Earlier this year I featured chardonnays from another vintner in Napa Valley which I believe embrace and capture the nuances of the actual Chardonnay grape.   To prove that this feat is on the rise, prevalent and obtainable, I have selected another Chardonnay of similar style. As I have in the past regaled the merits of […]

Throughout California, chardonnay grapes are planted abundantly and by the late 1980’s surpassed the number of plantings in France.   With so much competition, Chardonnay varies greatly by winemaker and depending on the aging process, the styles can be dizzying:  oaked, over-oaked, tannic, unoaked, buttery, flinty, creamy, vanilla, citrus, honey, melon, butterscotch, green apple, nutty, bubblegum […]

Stop scratching your head.   Stop wrinkling your nose.   Good aged white wine?  Could it be possible? Visit countless wineries and you will hear the same advice repeatedly:   “Drink your white wines young, maybe one or two years post release.”    And generally, this advice is true.  However, there are some white wines which can be aged […]

‘Tis the Season . . . for Dungeness Crab and Sparkling Wine!    While December can bring colder temperatures and often inclement weather, it makes up for it by delivering fresh Dungeness Crab to the Bay Area.   In the Bay Area, Dungeness Crab season typically begins in December and thus the delicious seafood finds its way […]

This weekend surprised Napa Valley with an uncharacteristic thunderstorm and cool, cloudy weather.   While the moisture was welcomed, it certainly was atypical for Harvest.   However, it provided ample opportunity to mull over autumn recipes and pour a white wine better suited for slightly cooler temperatures:   Chardonnay. Chardonnay originally hails from France and in the region […]