A Free Wine Encyclopedia!I am what you would call a “foodie”. Don’t bother looking it up in Webster’s, because it won’t be there. I can give you a brief definition of this word coined by food critics, writers, photographers and chefs: “A foodie is a person who considers food not only vital to his body, but to his… read more »
The venerable French wine-shipping firm of Barton & Guestier (B&G) was founded by Thomas Barton in 1725, hence the proud name of this selection. Barton, of English/Irish heritage, having taken on a French partner, Daniel Guestier, was notably instrumental in developing the British Isles’ seemingly unquenchable thirst for Bordeaux wines. The massive market he helped… read more »
Paraiso Hot Springs are situated in the Santa Lucia foothills, 40 minutes south of Salinas in Northern California’s Monterey County. While establishing the Soledad Mission, Franciscan padres used the springs’ curative waters for healing purposes. The monks also planted early vineyards there. Two hundred years later (1973), current owner Richard Smith planted modern vineyards, eleven… read more »
Your first introduction to a wine is through the sense of sight. The appearance and color of a wine tells you, or warns you, about what’s coming. The first question we ask: “Is it clear?” Cloudy wines are undesirable. These wines could have several different problems; leftover sugar combining with yeast for a secondary fermentation,… read more »
Living in Los Angeles, or any other big city for that matter, means dealing with the “trends”. There are trendy clothes, restaurants, perfumes, television shows, toys, even shampoo is trendy! Even though you may not be the trendy type, certain things eventually go “out of style”, and at one point or another, you will be… read more »
“I do not think that Gerard Jaboulet has ever made greater wine than he has in 1990…a new quality threshold has been attained…” Robert Parker Jr. When we tasted this wine, we had to agree. Paul Jaboulet Aine is another family owned winery. They have achieved the dual distinction of being not only one of… read more »
If you were to try and imagine the most irregular, most unnatural, most intriguing location for a winery, would you choose downtown Los Angeles? No, seriously, I mean downtown Los Angeles! In 1917, when Santo Cambianica came from Padua Italy, winemaking in Los Angeles was truly in its infancy. He opened this winery and named… read more »
“Paul, In the newsletters it says things like, Will complex over the next two years.’ How can I tell when a wine will be at its best? M.N., North Hollywood, CA As many factors are involved, this is a complex issue (no pun intended). Unfortunately, the main factor, is experience, and that you must gain… read more »
As far back as I can remember, I have always loved to eat cake. I found it much more interesting than ice cream, and rightly so! Cake is at the center of almost any important celebration. Birthdays, weddings, showers, anniversaries, and holidays…could you imagine them without cake? Usually cakes are decorated according to the occasion…. read more »
When, between 1976 and 1984 the authorities of the Languedoc wine growing regions of France set out to change their image, the Herault district was one of the first to accept the challenge. Long known as France’s “wine reservoir”, the Languedoc needed a new image. The district of Herault uprooted 74,000 acres of vineyard to… read more »