Category: Articles

Wine Tourism: Côtes Catalanes

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I just got back from France and Spain, where I spent most of my time in both Spanish Catalonia and French Catalonia (or Northern Catalonia). This post will focus on wine tourism in the latter.  Continue reading

California Off the Beaten Track Part 3

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Whenever I come home to California, I like to explore lesser known Californian producers, regions and varieties. If you’re looking to find something else besides Napa Cab and save some money, here are the highlights of what I tasted, including a bonus review on wine from Hawaii.  Continue reading

Can we put ice in wine?

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I know most of you are in winter, but it’s summer here in Chile, so it’s rosé time. I decided to experiment with putting ice in my rosé. Although most wine connoisseurs would scoff at the idea of putting ice in wine if not downright berate you for doing it, it is not as uncommon as you’d think. Should we ever put ice in our wine? Continue reading

The Cult of Wine

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I hosted a wine tasting recently with other wine geek friends and their significant others. However, one of the wine geeks brought her new boyfriend, who knew very little about wine. It was as if she was testing him. Would he be accepting of her lifestyle? Would he convert to being a wine lover too? Another wine lover, after several glasses of wine in him, asked the new boyfriend to share his feelings about what he was experiencing and learning while being surrounded by a bunch of wine encyclopedias commenting about every sip they were taking of the over a dozen bottles we had opened. This was after other wine geeks had shared their personal stories of how they came to love wine so much and for some, work in the industry. Then it suddenly hit me: being a wine lover is like being in a cult.  Continue reading

Charity Wines: Should we buy them?

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All types of products, including wine, claim many things on their labels and in their advertising to show how ethical, healthy and good for the world they are. Often this is more marketing than reality. For wine, some claim to be organic, eco-friendly, and/or contributing to charities. I want to focus on the latter and examine if it’s something wine lovers should support.  Continue reading

Bordeaux Off the Beaten Path: Forgotten Grapes, Pirates & Robots

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In addition to visiting some well-established Bordeaux chateaux and going beyond Bordeaux along the Dordogne, I decided to explore less orthodox Bordeaux producers who might be the future of the region: Château Cazebonne & Château Luchey-Halde.   Continue reading

Wine Tourism: Visiting Bordeaux 101

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Here are a few basic tips for amateur wine enthusiasts visiting Bordeaux and a recap of my recent trip there. Highlights include La Gaffeliere in Saint Emilion, Sauternes, Carbonnieux and a vertical of Branaire-Ducru.  Continue reading