Today, spicy flavors are all the rage in the culinary world given a never-ending variety of chilies now available in the market and a greater than ever selection from home gardens. But for wine lovers, the question of what wine to choose often represents a dilemma. All too frequently, the de…

On July 16, the Robert Mondavi Winery hosted one of the most inspiring and well grounded anniversary celebrations I can ever recall attending. This “50th” was a massive reunion of former and current employees, local dignitaries and many fans of Mondavi, the man and the winery. Following the …

I have known Master Sommelier Kevin Vogt for more than 10 years both professionally and personally, and am always amazed by his far-reaching knowledge of wine along with his impeccable palate and ability to conceive enchanting pairings with a wide array of culinary delights.

Two weeks ago, the Coombsville Vintners and Growers (CVG) hosted their first media tasting in the sprawling new caves of the magnificent Covert Estate. This tasting marked a big step forward for the Coombsville AVA, and will sharpen the focus on the newest, and for many, the most individuali…

For most people, their first impression (and often their lasting impression) of a wine is taste. Little attention is directed toward the wine’s aroma and even less to its texture and balance. And virtually no notice is given to the components responsible for these very important elements and…

Quite a few years ago, I co-authored a book with the stated goal of “de-mystifying” wine to make the entire vinous experience more enjoyable rather than intimidating.

I would be hard pressed to recall how many times I’ve heard the exclamation, “I’m saving this wine for a special occasion,” when someone spoke of a specific bottle just received as a gift or discovered while meandering around the cellar. We’ve probably all said it at some point, but what doe…

This October, my wife, Barbara, and I are leading a group of wine-loving friends on an in-depth visit to two of Italy’s most productive and beautiful wine regions: Veneto to the northeast and Tuscany to the northwest.

I am a lover of music and was excited several years ago to join Chamber Music in Napa Valley (CMNV), so expertly orchestrated (pun intended) by John and Maggy Kongsgaard. Together the Kongsgaards bring celebrated soloists and chamber groups from around the globe to Napa for intimate performa…

Since 1990 my wife, Barbara, and I have produced a large annual charity wine tasting and auction benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s research and care programs, raising more than $28 million since the event’s inception. “A Culinary Evening With the California Winemasters” treats our …

For many, white wines are reserved for the seasonal warmer weather of spring and summer with some consumers disparagingly saying that a “white is something to drink while waiting for the reds to appear.” But that’s not the way it’s always been. And with a new generation of adventurous wine e…

Last weekend, my wife, Barbara, and I once again attended the Relais & Château GourmetFest in Carmel. This is the third annual GourmetFest under the direction and planning of our good friend and host “extraordinaire” David Fink, founder and CEO of Mirabel Hotel & Restaurant Group.

There has long been a somewhat unspoken belief by wine marketers in the U.S. that “Americans tend to think dry but prefer to drink sweet.” This explains the many sweet or semi-sweet wines achieving high sales volume in the market while bearing varietal names such as chardonnay, merlot, zinfa…

Chardonnay ranks No. 5 in wine grape plantings worldwide and No. 1 in the U.S. It is planted in more winemaking areas of the world than any other varietal and is produced in diverse styles. Some are more representative of the growing area (terroir) while others are more expressive of the win…

The latest Direct to Consumer report is a wine wonk’s delight.

Several weeks ago I was conducting a tasting for a group visiting Napa Valley, and as we were enjoying a broad range of local wines the conversation turned to the frequently heard (and often misunderstood) descriptor “complexity.” We are all familiar with the term (and its adjective form “co…

In the June 1992 issue of Decanter magazine, Hugh Johnson, OBE (a world-renowned wine authority and longtime writer for this heralded publication), expressed his view of wine tastings. “Wine is not only for tasting, nor analysis (let alone scoring). It is for living with, discussing and drinking.”

The wine market is a constantly moving landscape driven by ever-changing demographics on the consumer side as well as new discoveries in wine-grape growing areas and little-known varietals on the production side.

I often hear the comment, “I’m confused when reading wine labels and wish they could be more easily understood.” Sound familiar? Have you had this experience?

Last week, our son Randy joined us in Napa with his family and several friends from Southern California. And just for fun, we hosted them all at our home on Sunday for a wine tasting and dinner. Everyone in the group loves wine but is more familiar with younger wines and the more recent vintages.

As the holidays approach, I begin thinking about interesting and new vinous delights to share with friends and family for all the different celebrations and culinary diversity that marks this festive time of year. And I tend to look for a range of choice rather than perfection in a single pairing.

Two weeks ago, I was invited to a lunch hosted by Tânia Branco Oliveira of the noted port producer Sogevinus. During lunch Tânia led our group on a port adventure by treating us to 14 different ports produced by Sogevinus, from aged white ports to a dashing 2010 Kopke Vinhas Velhas (an old v…

There is probably no subject involving wine that is more often discussed by oenophiles and novices alike than “vintage” and the range of sub-topics surrounding it. Vintage is not only the date on the bottle but an expression of all that occurred during the growing season in a specific area a…

We naturally expect excellent food and service when dining out for a simple meal or to celebrate an important occasion. And rightfully so. But why are the same standards not always applied to wine service even at some of the most renowned restaurants?

Tasting notes on wine have been written for centuries with very simple descriptions going back to ancient Greek and Roman times. In the 17th century more advanced notes contained added detail and explanation. But it’s only since the late-1970s that tasting notes and reviews including various…

When wine professionals, serious oenophiles and critics taste wines either blind or open, they are often looking for different characteristics. The question frequently arises as to whether it is more important that their impressions are true to the grape or to the wine.

When spring and summer approach, we read many articles extolling the greatness of dry rosé and its compatibility with these warmer seasons. Now that summer is winding down, many of us “automatically” begin looking to the more robust wines we’ve become accustomed to for the cooler months ahea…

A few weeks ago, I was talking with a friend and fellow collector who has a beautiful cellar spanning many vintages and prized labels from around the world. I have always admired his collection and the breadth of wines he enjoys. Our conversation gradually shifted from some of our favorite w…

Until recently (over the last 30 or so years), no one felt it necessary to discuss the level of alcohol (abv) in a wine. It was always assumed the abv was correct and in balance depending on the normal grape-growing and winemaking conditions of the vintage and growing area.

Everyone seems to agree the earth’s temperatures are on the rise and storm cycles have increased both in number and ferocity as climatic changes have occurred. Admittedly, there are arguments as to the cause of these changes, but prevailing science seems solidly on the side of man’s interven…

Now that spring is winding down, it’s time to look ahead to summer, one of the most exciting seasons of the year in Napa Valley. While our home gardens are in bloom (though with a lot less watering) the vineyards are working hard to deliver yet another great harvest with more memorable wines…

LOS ANGELES — I have been to some remarkable events during my time as editor of these wine pages. Among them I’d include the Auction Napa Valley and any party thrown by Jean-Charles Boisset, the ebullient owner of Raymond, Buena Vista and DeLoach Vineyards wineries in California and, it seem…

A recent article by Julian Hinter in Decanter (England’s premier wine publication) on England’s influence in shaping the world of wine prompted me to look further into the historic significance of this keen observation.

Cognac is often referred to as the “king” of brandies with a glorious history dating back centuries. It is produced under stringent regulations of the Bureau National Interprofessional du Cognac (BNIC) and the Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité (INAO) under its Appellation d’Ori…

Wine’s connection to history is rarely considered when discussing its more familiar attributes such as how it pairs with the meal, adds to the conviviality of a celebration or embodies the character of the vineyard and vintage. Yet throughout the millennia, countless significant moments in t…

It seems almost every time I escort a group through wine country or chat about wine with friends, the same questions are sure to arise whether the participants are seasoned wine lovers or “newbies.”

Sunday, I had a very scary experience while walking our little beagle named Jazzy on Browns Valley Road near Thompson Avenue. She twisted out of her leash/harness and ran across Browns Valley Road and then on to Thompson.

Many people see wine and food pairing as an exact science and are often intimidated by making the wrong decision. But the frequently heard, timeless mantra of “white with fish and red with meat” is now far from the reality, especially given the myriad tantalizing culinary delights available today.

Paul Draper is an icon of California winemaking and a past recipient of Decanter Magazine’s prestigious “Man of the Year” award in recognition of his significant contribution to the world of wine. But more than that he is one of the most interesting, compassionate and knowledgeable people I’…

Without a doubt, when it comes to wine, European (aka Old World) taste preferences differ greatly from those of the U.S. and New World even when evaluating the same wines. The European palate seems more traditionally oriented to finely structured wines that speak largely of the growing area …

Long before Super Bowl arrives my wife, Barbara, and I look forward to one of the more exceptional Super Bowl parties ever imagined. This annual bash is hosted at the Southern California home of our friends Sharon and Hal Lampert.

Paul Frank, a good friend, retired vintner and founder of Napa Valley’s Gemstone, raised an intriguing question in response to my Dec. 5 column — “Champagne: Not just for toasting” — that justified further research and comment.

Premox may be an unfamiliar term to many, but it is receiving considerable attention in the wine industry and among wine lovers. The term refers to the “premature oxidation” syndrome first noted with white Burgundies from the mid-1990s and now being observed in both whites and reds from othe…

The holiday season is well known for toasting and celebration, so what wine has become synonymous with this time of year? Champagne, of course, but its appeal extends far beyond the clink of glasses and the “Happy New Year” revelry.

The term “minerality” is often used as a wine descriptor (e.g., in more than 26,000 Wine Spectator tasting notes according to a 2013 Wine Business Monthly study) but has no real definition or generally accepted scientific basis for its existence.

My last column “A visit to the Old World” focused on the portion of our recent trip to France when my wife, Barbara, and I visited Bordeaux. Our next stop was Paris to meet up with the rest of our group (21 wine and fun-loving enthusiasts) prior to heading off to Dijon for our six-day barge …

Last weekend, my wife, Barbara, and I returned from a two-week visit to France with an immersion in the wines and traditions of the Old World. As the cornerstone of this trip I was invited to guide a wine tasting adventure for 21 passengers on the barge Caprice through the Canal de Bourgogne…

A few weeks ago, I was escorting a group of visitors through the valley as harvest was just getting underway. We visited several wineries during crush and took advantage of the opportunity to taste a few wines from tank and barrel during fermentation as well as several vintage 2013 from barrel.

During a recent flight east, the gentleman sitting next to me noticed I was reading a wine journal and asked if I was in the industry. Apparently, Gene’s wife is a wine drinker, and he is an enthusiastic beer drinker. He just doesn’t understand all of the hullabaloo that seems (in his perspe…

Early last Saturday morning, I was driving up-valley to visit a client’s vineyard. Slowly, I became aware of a very different set of sights and sounds than those I normally experience on an autumn morning during harvest.

Fall is, in itself, a transitional season between the warm sunny days of summer and the cold rainy (we hope) weather of winter. But what will we do with the terrific wines we’ve been enjoying for their bright fruit, enticing aromatics and congenial pairings with the lighter fare of summer?

The rich history of Champagne dates centuries to a time long before the area was recognized for sparkling wines. From the 14th century Champagne’s still red (almost pink) wine was known as the “wine of royalty.” And today Champagne remains synonymous with joy, happiness and celebration the w…

Few topics regarding a bottle of wine generate more impassioned and diverse opinions than the type of closure used. Natural cork is the centuries-old stand-by that has come under relentless attack over the last couple of decades. It has been somewhat replaced with varying rates of success by…

When thinking of wine in its youthful stages two questions come to mind. First is this wine intended for enjoyment in its early years? Or am I looking for the necessary components, balance and structure indicating its ability to mature with grace and offer a far more complex personality as i…

As springtime unfolds into summer, my senses awaken to all that’s about to happen in the Napa Valley. Budbreak signals a new growing season and flowers are blooming everywhere. Yet I also look at spring as the “kick-off” to summer and all the seasonal activities, meals and wines we will enjo…

In mid-May, my wife Barbara and I were in Los Angeles preparing for our 25th anniversary celebration of “A Culinary Evening with the California Winemasters,” the charity wine event we founded in 1990. I was speaking to an old friend and wine-tasting buddy, Lenny Ripps, at our pre-event Washi…

A few weeks ago, I was hosting a group in the Napa Valley and the question arose about the “true role” of the winemaker and if it bears any similarity to a chef’s talent in the kitchen. As with so many similar questions surrounding the art, science and business of winemaking, the answer is c…

It was once said that California wines were so consistent you need not worry about the vintage as they were all good. This simple adage was meant to differentiate “the weather is always the same” view of New World wine growing areas as opposed to the more traditional and variable Old World r…

It’s no secret that our sense of smell is one of our most valuable assets and goes far beyond the nose. Smell is a critical component in our ability to discern the many flavors of food and beverage. It is an integral part of what we perceive as the sense of taste.

A couple months ago in my column on “Reflections from a collector,” I mentioned that among my regrets in collecting wine was my oversight in not adding more German riesling to our cellar. So it is timely that I had the chance to revisit that omission just a few weeks ago.