There is an excitement in the air this week in Napa Valley.   Is it an exclusive, fancy event?  No.   Is it the presence of some major celebrity chef?   No.   It is the mere simple presence of… bud break!    The first of many tiny green leaves have emerged on the grape vines and signal a burst […]

Pretense so often accompanies the wine industry.   It is inevitable and there will always be a certain segment of the population that likes a certain amount of pretense in their wine.   But is it necessary?   Not really.   As you have followed my articles over the last year, you have realized that much about wine is […]

Generally I reserve warmer temperatures or seasons for drinking most white wines.   For me, I personally prefer a mid-70 degree day, the sunshine on my shoulders and a comfortable lounge chair as I sit back and sip a tropical-nosed white wine.   Sometimes, however, when a white wine has that certain proper kick of acidity, it […]

Rainy season continues to linger in Napa Valley and presently it seemingly delivers a storm every few days.  With such weather comes the ideal opportunity to drink red wine but as spring also nears, one finds that the palate is somewhat exhausted from heavy tannins.  This bears a timely educational question.    Is all red wine […]