A Free Wine Encyclopedia!Let me point out that, no, Lee Poo Yee is not from an obscure estate hidden away in the picturesque hills of some exotic province in China. It does come instead, from the familiar Loire Valley of France. This is a regional blend identified in the industry as a “negociant wine”. Though the term might… read more »
In 1962 home winemaking buff Professor Lloyd Woodbourne, plus a few of his similarly inclined colleagues from the University of Washington, founded what is now Washington states oldest premium winery. At that time it was called Associated Vintners (six years ago the name was changed to the current Columbia Winery). Pooling their resources they bought… read more »
Here is the gist of a typical conversation that has repeated itself during the last year between Paul Jr. and myself (Sr.), since I moved to Julian (It is usually the following sequence of events). Paul Jr. goes to a trade tasting sponsored by a distributor, and does his thing of tasting every wine at… read more »
In case you hadn’t heard, spring is here! That means, berries and luscious summer fruits are not far behind. Although, these days, seasons are all mixed up with fruits out of season coming from south of the border orchards. Personally, I consciously refuse to purchase these fruits, because my head tells me they belong to… read more »
During the 1880’s a vine plague, the root burrowing phylloxera vastratrix, spawned a mass exodus of several hundred French families from Bordeaux due south 150 miles to Spain’s uninfected Ebro Valley. An unprecedented surge in Spanish wine production ensued. The Rioja vine growing region got its name from a small tributary called Rio Oja of… read more »
The Lambert Bridge wine estate was once part of the ranch of a Mr. C.L. Lambert, who owned much of Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley in the early 1900’s. The acreage included a school, a store, a road and a bridge (the bridge was named after him and spans Dry Creek). So when winery founder… read more »
Last week, at a charity wine tasting, I overheard a conversation of two enthusiasts. Though rather interesting in scope it lead me to believe that the two characteristics “aroma” and “bouquet” are often used interchangeably when further investigation shows a distinct difference between the two. The following is a reprint of the 9/89 newsletter with… read more »
Natchitoches, Louisiana, founded in 1714, is a quaint, historic town, planted on the scenic, majestic Cane River. It is a town with a sense of true Southern Comfort. The film, “Steel Magnolia” was shot here. Martha Maynard, our charming office manager, is from Natchitoches, and when you call our W.O.M. office, your ears will cuddle-up… read more »
“You can drink and enjoy German wines during the evening and still feel good in the morning.” – words of wisdom, promotional but true, from Peter Limberger, President and C.E.O. of Schmitt and Soehne in America. H. Schmitt Soehne GmbH has been producing quality wines in Germany’s Mosel valley for more than two hundred years…. read more »
If you want history, try to read the label on this bottle. Some correlation! But here is the current story of this winery. Proprietor Dr. Douglas Cartwright has actually been growing grapes for many years on his spacious ranch in Northern Sonoma County, having planted 34 acres there in 1964. Prior to the 1984 harvest… read more »