30 Second Wine Advisor
Nov. 20, 2009
Remember the old science joke about the "universal solvent"? An eager student rushes into the professor's office, jumping up and down with excitement. "I've invented a universal solvent," the student exulted. "It will dissolve anything!"
"Really," mused the prof. "So what do you intend to keep it in?"
Happily, today's Thanksgiving quest - the search for a universal wine to accompany all the meats, poultry and other goodies that load the holiday table - may be a difficult challenge, but it lacks the fatal flaw of the universal solvent. It can be done.
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Previous article: Rule-breaking blend
For the holidays - Champagnes compared by score and price
Nov. 19, 2009
In this special issue just in time for the holidays, WineBlueBookcompares over a thousand Champagnes, by score and price, based on recent scores from at least two of the major wine critics. While some prices have risen from three yers ago, a good number of Champagnes have dropped in price. Click here for an overview, or use the following link for direct information on WineBlueBook.
Randy Caparoso
Nov. 13, 2009
Everybody loves chicken dishes, right? "Chicken must be eaten with wine because that's what elevates it – no matter how it's made," writes Randy Caparoso. There are thousands of chicken recipes – and wines to go with almost all of them.
Read this article in the Denver Wine Examiner. | More of Randy's Denver Wine Examiner articles | Randy's Culinary Wine & Food Adventures.
Vino e Cucina d'Italia
Great Wine and Food in the Italian Alps
Nov. 10, 2009
Neil Duarte, back from a recent trip to the Italian Alps region, reports that the wines of Valle d'Aosta are a hidden jewel, matching the local food.
Read article. | Neil Duarte's Vino e Cucina d'Italia page.
WebWineMan
Oct. 27, 2009
Richard Fadeley and his tasting panel check out a number of his favorite wines – white burgundies. Here's his report on some good values.
Read article. | More of Richard Fadeley's columns.
Vino 101
Sept. 1, 2009
When Jorge Eduardo Castillo went out to dinner and asked his server about a specific bottle of wine, he was told about the soil the grapes grew in, the aging (both years and barrels), the winery's history, the wine's rating scores, and the winemaker's resume. Too much information?
Read article | More of Jorge Eduardo Castillo's columns
Schaefer on Wine
Doug Margerum has left the building
August 4, 2009
In Santa Barbara County winemaking circles, Doug Margerum is nearly legendary. In the 1980s, his wine shop and restaurant, Wine Cask, was ground zero for the emerging Santa Barbara County wine culture. But all that is now gone, writes reporter Dennis Schaefer — and Doug Margerum is making his own wine.
Read article. | More of Schaefer on Wine.
Amazon.com Wine Bookshelf
Hugh Johnson's 2010 Pocket Wine Book
If there's one indispensible reference for the wine lover, it's Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book. Updated annually, this handy guide packs an incredible amount of information into a pocket-size volume. Thousands of wines are rated, described, and listed with coding indicating which vintages are preferred and which are ready to drink. I buy the new edition every year, and highly recommend it. The 2009 edition has just been published, with new and updated information. You can buy it now through WineLoversPage.com for $10.19, a 32 percent discount.
You'll find all the best wine books for beginners and experts - and the top wine magazines too - in our Amazon.com Wine Bookshelf.
Italian Wine Guide
Top Brunello di Montalcino Estates
July 14, 2009
Tom Hyland has just finished his tastings of the bottlings of Brunello di Montalcino from the 2004 vintage and says that happily, 2004 was a great vintage for Brunello. Here's his report.
Read article. | More of Tom Hyland's Italian Wine Guide.
WineLovers Discussion Group
May 4, 2009
Epoisses is the cheese that tradition matches with red Burgundies. But surely that's not the only good match? Wine Lovers Discussion Group members have some ideas and opinions about this one.
Read and join the discussion!
Robin Garr's Wine Reports
Golden Kaan 2006 Western Cape Pinotage ($10)
May 1, 2009
This signature South African wine offers plums, berries and subtle spice, an attractive fresh-fruit aroma. Sour plums on the palate, high acidity makes it a winner with red meat at the dinner table but a bit tart for sipping as an aperitif. Its 14 percent alcohol is sturdy but does not manifest as undesirable harshness or heat. Simple but clean and well-made, Pinotage in the modern style.
View full tasting report | Robin Garr's Tasting Notes Index. | Find this wine on Wine-Searcher.com
Bucko's Wine Reports
April 27, 2009
Spring is in full force in much of the Northern Hemisphere. It's time to start charcoaling those steaks and smoking that brisket.
Randy "Bucko" Buckner offers some big Zins, crisp whites and more as he presents his monthly report on 100 new wine releases.
Read article | More of Bucko's wine reports
BUY WINES ONLINE! Check sources, compare prices and, if you like, order these recently reviewed wines from online merchants through Wine-Searcher.com using the hotlinks below:
- Golden Kaan 2006 Western Cape Pinotage
- Marqués de Riscal 2004 Rioja Reserva
- Martin Codax 2006 "Ergo" Rioja Tempranillo
- Bloom 2005 "Red Petals" Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Dornfelder Qualitätswein
- Muga 2004 Rioja Reserva
- Mionetto Valdobbiadene Prosecco Brut
- d'Arenberg 2007 "The Hermit Crab" Adelaide Viognier Marsanne
- Matteo Correggia 2004 "La Val dei Preti" Nebbiolo d'Alba
- Chateau La Freynelle 2006 Bordeaux
Oxford Town Wines
Jan. 21, 2009
Is it OK to blend wines from different bottles? John Juergens does it all the time — as part of his wine-tasting class. Here's why. Read article. | More of Oxford Town Wines.
Dibbern on Wine
Jan. 11, 2009
Lots of wine drinkers enjoy having wine regularly with dinner, but don’t plan to finish a whole bottle. In this month's column, Donald Dibbern offers some options for keeping "leftover wine" - useful advice in these lean economic times.
Read article. | More of Dibbern on Wine.
Amazon.com Wine Bookshelf
Hugh Johnson's 2010 Pocket Wine Book
If there's one indispensible reference for the wine lover, it's Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book. Updated annually, this handy guide packs an incredible amount of information into a pocket-size volume. Thousands of wines are rated, described, and listed with coding indicating which vintages are preferred and which are ready to drink. I buy the new edition every year, and highly recommend it. The 2009 edition has just been published, with new and updated information. You can buy it now through WineLoversPage.com for $10.17, a 32 percent discount.
You'll find all the best wine books for beginners and experts - and the top wine magazines too - in our Amazon.com Wine Bookshelf.
Rogov's Ramblings
Dec. 14, 2008
As a young man, Daniel Rogov learned that some of the best schools for learning about and enjoying the wines and foods of France were the quaint and cozy bistrots à vin found throughout Paris. He offers us this loving remembrance, with details about a half-dozen favorites.
Read article. | Rogov's Ramblings on WineLoversPage.com.
Amazon.com Wine Bookshelf
The 30 Second Wine Advisor: The book
It has been almost nine years since I sent out the first edition of The 30 Second Wine Advisor, and since that day early in 1999, almost 2,000 columns have gone out to a growing Email list that now numbers some 40,000 wine lovers in more than 100 countries around the world.
Over those years, quite a few of you have asked a frequent question: "Why don't you assemble a bunch of these articles into a handy learn-about-wine book?"
Makes sense to me! Have a look at our new book, "The 30 Second Wine Advisor: Learn about wine in 30-second tastes - quick, easy & fun."
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Wine Grape Varietal Table  The most innovative wine-enthusiast publication of the year, Steve and Deborah De Long's Wine Grape Varietal Table mimics the familiar periodic table of the elements to categorize a world of wine grape varieties. It's a great gift for a wine-loving friend ... or yourself. Click the image or link above to buy it today! |
For The Love of Port
"The times they are a'changing" in Portugal's Douro Valley, as the increasing appearance of Single Quinta Vintage Port (SQVP) starts to blur the distinction between "classic" vintages and the more frequently released "second labels." This trend is here to stay and it looks to be a positive, for both the Port trade and consumers, says Port expert Roy Hersh, who offers this extensive report on the Vintage Ports of 2004.
Burghound.com
Burghound.com Selection of the Week
Each week we feature a different Burgundy rated as a top value by Burghound. While there will be a mix of vintages, most wines featured will be those that can normally be found at a variety of fine wine retailers. Each wine will be described and rated with a suggested window of peak drinkability indicated after the numerical score. Click to view this week's selection.
