Blog Index

James Laube

Why Winemakers Seek Greener Pastures

Posted: 11:56 AM ET, 07/10/07

In response to one of my recent blogs, an industry veteran questioned why winemakers in California change jobs. He also asked about my thoughts on the vintner-winemaker “power-relationship.”

Winemakers seek greener pastures for new opportunities, manifested in many ways, not the least of which is money. Read more

James Suckling

More Rumors on 2006 Bordeaux

Posted: 11:03 AM ET, 07/10/07

In between tasting hundreds of Tuscan wines for the magazine over the last couple of weeks, I have been hearing some interesting things about 2006 Bordeaux futures. The US distributors I have spoken to say that they haven't sold a thing, and that consumers are totally uninterested. Read more

James Laube

A Three Dog Night in Sonoma

Posted: 12:21 PM ET, 07/09/07

Midway through what amounted to a cellar cleansing, my friend Ms. V sighed, “God, do I have a lot of swill in here or what?”

Ms. V is a hip wine drinker, with a first-class collection and plenty of gems, stored under prefect cellar conditions in her home in Sonoma. Read more

Harvey Steiman

My Red Wine's Too Warm

Posted: 11:28 AM ET, 07/09/07

I am perched atop a high stool at a wrought-iron table in the patio of D19, one of my favorite restaurants in Aspen, Colo., where we spend a good part of our summer. It's a warm noon, but we are protected from the sun by a wide umbrella. Checking over the wines by the glass for something to sip with my bison burger (outstanding with braised onions and bacon), I home in on Seghesio Zinfandel Sonoma County 2005. Read more

James Laube

Beware of the Heat

Posted: 12:04 PM ET, 07/06/07

In the spirit of brevity, with hot weather upon us, now is the most dangerous time of year to ship or receive wine. Heat is wine’s greatest enemy, and even a few minutes of sizzling sunshine can ruin your prized possessions.

I know most of you are aware of this. Read more

James Laube

How Two-Buck Could Have Won

Posted: 01:54 PM ET, 07/05/07

People can accept the fact that Two-Buck Chuck Chardonnay is a decent wine at an incredible price.

But the best Chardonnay in California? That’s harder to swallow.

This isn’t a rant against wine competitions. Overall, they serve a purpose, and at the least they provide a system to evaluate thousands of wines that might otherwise not be tasted or evaluated. Read more

James Suckling

St.-Emilion Pedigree at a Price

Posted: 11:37 AM ET, 07/03/07

I just heard that the 2006 Cheval-Blanc came out today in Bordeaux. It's very expensive—perhaps as much as $700 a bottle as a future. Yikes. I am not sure what to say about that.

It made me think of another St.-Emilion estate that also makes excellent wines and has a wonderful pedigree for long-lived, super-classy wines. Read more

Rajat Parr

When Sommeliers Collide

Posted: 11:37 AM ET, 07/03/07

Larry Stone and I started a sommelier tradition in 1997. We were working at Rubicon in San Francisco (which won a Wine Spectator Grand Award for its wine program in 1998). On Saturday nights, after service, we invited a few friends to join us for a late-night blind-tasting session. Read more

James Laube

July 4 Wines: Patriotic or Independent—or Both?

Posted: 12:05 PM ET, 07/02/07

Should Independence Day cause us to be patriotic and celebrate with American wines like Zinfandel, an obvious choice? Or should we embrace independent thinking and try something completely new, whether it’s from the good old US of A or beyond our shores?

If you decide to focus on homegrown wines, try uncorking and drinking one that you’ve never tried. Read more

James Suckling

The Mouthwash

Posted: 11:05 AM ET, 07/02/07

I finished off the evening yesterday with a few glasses of Graham 10-year-old tawny Port and a cigar—Ramon Allones Specially Selected. I was looking out at the stars, having a conversation with one of my best friends, and thinking what a great deal this Port is. Read more

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