VINOGRAPHY: a wine blog

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Vinography Images: Water Droplet

Water Droplet "Taking interesting pictures in vineyards isn't easy. While many are surely picturesque, there is a lot of sameness in them -- row after row of vines -- and that repetition makes it easy to overlook little details like this that can be quite beautiful" -- Alder Yarrow INSTRUCTIONS: Download this image by right-clicking (Mac users, click and hold) on the image and selecting "save link as" or "save target as" and then select the desired location on your computer to save the image. Mac users can also just click the image and drag it to your desktop.... continue reading

Posted by: Michael on May 8, 2008 9:33 PM

Filed under: Vinography Images

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1990 Trimbach "Cuvee Frederic Emile" Riesling, Alsace

I can remember a time when the word "Alsace" only brought to mind dim memories of my 5th grade class discussion on some valley that people were fighting about in one of those big wars. In those days I definitely couldn't spell Gewurztraminer, and I had only tried one or two of them. Perhaps you'd call me a late bloomer when it came to Alsatian wine, but bloom I eventually did, and now I'm a quiet, but fierce devotee of what I believe to be some of the most individualistic wines on the planet. Alsace has always been an... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 7, 2008 9:20 PM

Filed under: Older Vintages , White Wine , Wine Reviews

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Yeast: Part of Wine's Terroir or Its Mortal Enemy?

I'd like to point you readers to an interesting post by Clark Smith, at his GrapeCrafter blog, about Natural Winemaking (yes, capitalized) and the role of yeasts in the winemaking process. Clark spent some time recently at a wine industry event where panelists and the audience discussed the definition of what Natural Winemaking actually is. It comes as no surprise to me that the group couldn't achieve consensus around a concept that remains, as far as I am concerned, a broken metaphor (vinegar is natural, wine requires technological intervention). One particular sticking point arose out of a discussion surrounding the... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 5, 2008 9:20 PM

Filed under: Ramblings and Rants

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Does Napa's Best Cabernet Live in Oakville?: A Recent Tasting

While often referred to as a single "place" when it comes to wine, Napa is hardly a single monolithic growing region. Each of its 14 established AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) lays claim to a separate identity, characterized by geology, microclimate, and different histories of production. The Oakville AVA has one of the most storied of such histories. It is home to the famed To Kalon Vineyard, purchased by H.W. Crabb in 1868, shortly after the installation of a railroad stop made the tiny village of Oakville spring to life. In 1876 Crabb's neighbor John Benson bottled his inaugural vintage of... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 4, 2008 11:08 PM

Filed under: Boutique Wines , Red Wine , Wine Reviews

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2005 Piña Napa Valley "D'Adamo Vineyard" Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa

If one were to speculate on the wine market as a savvy investor might in the small-cap stock market, the game would be the same: follow people you know with good track records. In the wine world, we'd also have to include a corollary about betting on great vineyard sites, but leaving aside the raw materials, it's clear that most good wines don't happen by accident. They're made by talented people. Finding talented people in Napa isn't hard at first. There are a lot of them, many of whom have big brand names. When they start working for a winery,... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 2, 2008 11:48 PM

Filed under: Boutique Wines , Red Wine , Wine Reviews

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Screaming Eagle Snubs The Wine Trade

The danger of a post such as this will be the fact that some of you, and perhaps the people concerned, will believe that I am simply whining. But let me assure you, though I am slightly disappointed, I am far more astonished at what seems to me to be a level of rudeness and arrogance that is thankfully rare in the wine world. Monday afternoon, April 28th, the Oakville Winegrowers Association put on a tasting of wines grown and made in Napa's Oakville AVA (American Viticultural Area) for the trade and the media. Such tastings are quite rare for... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on May 1, 2008 11:59 PM

Filed under: Ramblings and Rants

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RAP Pink Out Rose Tasting: May 13, San Francisco

It's almost impossible to write about pink wines these days without invoking some sort of cliche. Even the (true) claim that rosé wines are no longer out of fashion has been recycled so many times that I'm cringing just typing it. The fact of the matter is that after years of being vino-non-grata, pink wines are finally back in the awareness of American wine drinkers. After the success of Sutter Home White Zinfandel sent wine lovers running for the hills every time someone offered them a glass of rose, discerning palates are returning to pink wines in huge numbers. According... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 27, 2008 11:29 PM

Filed under: Wine Activities

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The Mountain Wines of Napa: Tasting Notes From Altitude

We live in a world of marketing, where everyone struggles to distinguish their product from the competition and where seduction is the name of the game. Winemakers and producers seemingly must participate in this cacophony of messages in order for their wines to attract the attention of consumers. This competition for eyeballs in the store (or online), and then share of wallet (or, one might say, share of cellar) leads to an awful lot of hype. Wine labels and web sites are now chock full of all sorts of claims and phrases, leaving consumers to sort out the honest descriptions... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 26, 2008 11:25 PM

Filed under: Wine Activities , Wine Reviews

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The Complete List of Wine Blogs

I never thought this day would come. Really. When I started Vinography more than four years ago, part of my inspiration was the fact that when I typed "wine blog" into Google, I got zero results. I did the same with all the major blogging sites/services and came up pretty much empty handed. There were one or two wine blogs that had been started several months earlier, but they had been abandoned. So I started tapping out my thoughts about in my own little dark corner of the Internet, assuming that in a while I'd have one or two friends... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 25, 2008 10:52 PM

Filed under: Ramblings and Rants

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Vinography Images: Path to Tree

Path to tree "Photographing vineyards isn't the easiest thing in the world. While they all have their own particular beauties, there's a lot that stays the same -- rows of grapevines, one after another. I often find myself wandering outside the vineyards themselves to see what new perspectives I can get. I liked this tree that sits behind the crest of the vineyard hill. You an barely see the last row of vines at the top of the hill." -- Michael Regnier INSTRUCTIONS: Download this image by right-clicking (Mac users, click and hold) on the image and selecting "save... continue reading

Posted by: Michael on April 24, 2008 9:31 PM

Filed under: Vinography Images

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Wine Critics are Parasites, But That Doesn't Mean We Can Be Bought

One of the world's leading wine critics has just proclaimed that wine writers, journalists, and critics are all parasites. According to Decanter magazine, while being paid to hang out in a plush cliffside hotel in Ronda, Spain, Jancis Robinson took a moment out from tasting some of the world's best wines to admonish her fellow journalists, "We must always remember that we are parasites on the business of winemaking." From Websters: Parasite \ˈper-ə-ˌsīt, ˈpa-rə-\ . Noun. 1 : a person who exploits the hospitality of the rich and earns welcome by flattery 2 : an organism living in, with, or... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 23, 2008 11:36 PM

Filed under: Ramblings and Rants , Wine News

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2005 Domaine Albert Boxler Pinot Gris "Vieilles Vignes," Alsace

Like Jazz standards interpreted endlessly by masters and amateurs alike, grapes find infinite expression in the hands of winemakers around the world. These interpretations, filtered through the lens of a regions climate and geology, are often wildly different from place to place. Syrah from Paso Robles in California, the Barossa Valley in Australia, Cornas in France's Northern Rhone Valley, and Washington State's Colombia Gorge are so wildly different you might even question that they were the same grape in a blind tasting. Such variation serves to both delight and befuddle wine lovers at different turns, and can often prompt the... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 21, 2008 10:58 PM

Filed under: Boutique Wines , White Wine , Wine Reviews

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Wines of Portugal Tasting: April 22, San Francisco

I'm a little late to the game on this one folks, so apologies for the last minute notification. But if you're not busy on Tuesday evening and you are either a fan of Port or interested in one of the more interesting up-and-coming red wine regions of the world, you may want to pay attention. We get plenty of opportunities to taste California wines around here, and some chances to explore France and Italy, but Portuguese wine tastings are rare in most of the United States. This tasting has been billed as the largest Portuguese wine tasting in America. Of... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 20, 2008 9:51 PM

Filed under: Wine Activities

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Wine Decanters Aren't Worth the Money or The Hassle

I'm sure that by the end of the week, Georg Riedel will have a contract out on my life, but no matter. This needs saying, and I'm ready to face the consequences. Fancy wine decanters are a waste of your money. They are also a royal pain in the neck. Oh sure, they're beautiful and elegant. They exude class and sophistication. Some of them even rise to the level of art. But when it comes to what they're actually good for, 97.9999% of them are a complete waste of money. Don't get me wrong. This is not a rant against... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 19, 2008 8:51 PM

Filed under: Ramblings and Rants

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Does Expensive Wine Taste Better Than Cheap Wine?

Regardless of your level of wine knowledge, and independent of the price you normally pay for a bottle of wine, I'm willing to bet that you'll agree with the following statement: On average (which is to say, not ALWAYS) a bottle of wine that costs $150 will taste better than a bottle that costs $2. That's what I would assume, at least. And built into that assumption is another assumption -- that many people (though certainly not all) would be able to tell the difference between the two. According to a recent paper from the delightful folks at the Journal... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 17, 2008 11:32 PM

Filed under: Wine News

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2003 Pulenta Estate "Gran Corte VII" Red Wine, Mendoza, Argentina

Three years ago this week I was making my way around the top restaurants of Buenos Aires, ordering too much food, too much wine, and having a grand old time. I had come to Argentina, in addition to simply relax, to find out whether or not there was anything worth drinking made out of a grape called Malbec. The answer, of course, was a resounding "yes!" I managed to figure out why some serious wine lovers (and critics alike) had begun to quietly suggest that Argentinean Malbec was going to be the Next Big Thing. This wine was NOT one... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 16, 2008 11:09 PM

Filed under: Boutique Wines , Red Wine , Wine Reviews

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Book Review: House of Mondavi by Julia Flynn Siler

Review by W. Blake Gray. Carlo Rossi was a real person: a relative of Ernest and Julio Gallo. In the 1970s, the Gallos launched a new jug wine and decided "Carlo Rossi" (though he actually went by "Charlie.") had the right ring to it. Now he's famous and synonymous with cheap wine. This is not a bad thing: songs and even a band have been named after him. And people who buy Carlo Rossi wine do not turn up their noses at it -- it's bringing pleasure into their lives. It seems that Robert Mondavi may be headed down the... continue reading

Posted by: Blake on April 14, 2008 9:02 PM

Filed under: Book Reviews

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Lest You Forget That Wine is Business...

As wine lovers, we all belong to a club whose entrance criteria include passion and romanticism. We return to wine again and again for its magical ability to transcend what is in the glass, and to transport us in memory and experience to both favorite and new places. By far the most pleasurable and rewarding relationship with wine involves an affair of just these sorts of passions, blissfully ignorant of the facts which demand that wine also be understood in terms of economics, politics, and science. Many of us are content to live in a world where there is no... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 13, 2008 5:09 PM

Filed under: Ramblings and Rants , Wine News

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Wine Blogging Wednesday #45 Announced: Old World Riesling

Seven years ago, I didn't really know anything about Riesling. Seriously. Most of the Rieslings I had tasted at that point were purchased in supermarkets. Which meant that they were all from California or Washington, and that almost without exception, they sucked. I had yet to begin exploring the wines of Germany and Austria (I would shudder at the thought of decoding those inscrutable five-syllable names) and when it came to the wines of Alsace, I tended to pass over Riesling in favor of Gewurztraminer and Pinot Blanc. I had probably tasted one or two Rieslings from the Clare Valley... continue reading

Posted by: Alder on April 12, 2008 11:38 PM

Filed under: Wine Activities

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Vinography Images: Wire and Posts

Wire and Posts "This is a recent image from a trip to Sonoma. I'm always attracted to the trees in the vineyards, and their relationships to the vines. At this time of year they both take on a sculptural aspect with bare branches against the sky, at times criscrossed by the threads of exposed trellis wire." -- Michael Regnier INSTRUCTIONS: Download this image by right-clicking (Mac users, click and hold) on the image and selecting "save link as" or "save target as" and then select the desired location on your computer to save the image. Mac users can also... continue reading

Posted by: Michael on April 11, 2008 11:59 PM

Filed under: Vinography Images

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