If there is a grape which is followed with fervor and passion in Napa Valley, it is Petite Sirah.   Despite its name’s diminutive reference, the grape is capable of creating a big, bold tannic red wine loaded with complexity.  Primarily grown today in California (despite initially being grown in France), this grape is adored by […]

Port, that pleasing after dinner wine, is best known for its sweeter and “fortified” representation of your favorite wine grape.  Like any other wine, no two ports are alike and can vary greatly.   First, there are four primary types of port:  (i) vintage (which is a single grape port and often very expensive); (ii) ruby […]

Generally those who appreciate wine have an obscure grape that they each hold dear.   For me, that grape is Alicante Bouschet.   Presently, less than one percent of the grape is planted in California and it is difficult to find a vintage made with one hundred percent of the grape.   Alicante Bouschet was not originally obscure […]

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 […]