A Free Wine Encyclopedia!If you have been with us for about a year, you will remember Cask One Sauvignon Blanc (#291A). Well, the same people who make Cask One make Fran-cal. There is, in fact, no Francal Winery or Cask One Winery (or Plume Ridge Winery, for that matter, recalling last month’s Chardonnay, #291A…different producer, though). To make… read more »
With a degree in business from California State University, Los Angeles, Christina Coulourides went to work for one of the largest specialty wine retail chains in the world. She acquired a thorough, top-to-bottom understanding of the wine business. Then, in 1981, she began working for one of California’s finest “old guard” restaurants, selecting wines for… read more »
Yes, Virginia, there is wine after Napa and Sonoma. (And. . . awfully good wine, too!) In Mendocino for example… One of the best wineries from that region happens to be one of the biggest, Fetzer. Barney and Kathleen Fetzer started their winery in 1968 with help from 10 of their 12 children. Today, it… read more »
There is redeeming value in table wines, at times… and only in certain ones. This California white is one of them. To enable me to feature the glorious mature Chianti Classico Riserva described on the opposite page, my search for a California white led me to the “table” category of wines. Now I did not… read more »
In 1968, Vincenzo and Audrey Cilurzo planted the first premium varietal wine grapes in Temecula, CA. Then, in 1978, they started their winery. They were among the pioneers for this appellation that is rapidly gaining recognition as one of the better wine grape regions in the world. This, of course, is with all due respect… read more »
Heads are bowed at the mere mention of Freemark Abbey. Oddly enough, the great reverence commonly bestowed upon this winery has not a thing to do with religious affiliation, but simply quality. Originally developed as vineyard land, circa 1875, the property changed hands several times before finally receiving its current esteemed name in 1939. Three partners:… read more »
This zinfandel comes from a zinfandel specialist. He is one of very few California winemakers who prefer to produce only one kind of wine. In the case of Harold Duffer, his love is zinfandel. But he has more loves than that: he loves his winery in Plymouth, California enough to commute 487 miles, about twice… read more »
Wines evaluated last month: 301 Rejected: 249 Approved: 52 Selected: 2 It still is summer – at least from the weather point of view! – even though we are knocking at the doors of autumn. So here are two summer wines again. For the red wine this month I finally found a blush… read more »