A Free Wine Encyclopedia!Few wineries (or brands, or companies in general, for that matter) can boast the extensive heritage which the Marquis de Goulaine winery is heir to. The origins and history of the Goulaine family and its wine are, one can easily say, an inextricable part of the legend of the Loire Valley, its famous chateaux and… read more »
American Wine Merchants’ Cask One Sauvignon Blanc is yet another one of those “negociant” wines which we happily wind up with every now and then. The closest way to describe a negociant wine accurately is to call it a “brand”, as it is not a winery. Some of the most famous wine-makers in France are… read more »
Penfolds was established in South Australia by Dr. Christopher Penfold in 1844. He had emigrated from England bringing with him his wife Mary and some wax-sealed vine cuttings. Four miles from Adelaide in Magill they built a white-washed stone cottage, naming it The Grange after Mary’s home in England. The doctor used his wines, grown… read more »
In 1979, Les and Lynne Russell both left successful careers and their newly completed dream house in the Bay Area to move to the Sierra Foothills in order to begin fulfilling a new dream. They had decided to venture into the wine-grape growing business. The husband and wife team believed that the consistently sunny days,… read more »
Snoqualmie Winery is one of Washington State’s on-rush of good new wineries. Founded in 1983, it released its first wines in mid-summer 1984. The winery is located 27 miles east of Seattle close to the town of Snoqualmie (the winery quips this translates as “Twin Peaks”). This facility currently only serves for an ageing cellar,… read more »
Revelations never cease, it seems, when I investigate good Italian wines. While researching this article the translation of the name “Badia a Coltibuono” (something I had been in mystery about for nearly ten years) like the answer to an ancient riddle, suddenly appeared: the “Abbey of the Good Harvest”. La Badia was built as a… read more »
The Paraiso Springs label belongs to Richard Smith. He does not own vineyards or a winery. Instead he selects the best grapes he can find, orders them crushed according to his specifications, and then fermented under the direction of Ron Niino, an expatriate from San Martin. He also buys bulk wines that meet his blending… read more »
Black Marlin? I would prefer just calling it Semillon! This month’s imported white wine comes from the celebrated Hunter River Valley in Northern Australia. Gaining a reputation of late of producing wines of distinction, the Hunter River Valley has a history dating back to :1824 when a young Scot by the name of James Busby… read more »
The Hacienda Winery is a family business. In days of takeovers and large company buyouts, it is refreshing to find quality wines from a winery owned and operated by the family. In 1879 the Cooley family moved west from Ohio in search of their share of the Gold rush. And as luck would have it,… read more »
Vouvray is situated on the north bank of the Loire river just 6 miles north of the town Tours (If you ever find yourself in Tours, be sure to lunch at the Hotel de Bordeaux. The food is exquisite). Vouvray is considered the best appellation in the Loire Valley. The 3,950 acres that constitute the… read more »