Essays
Going your own way means a lot more paperwork

Revisiting the disclosure issue in wine writing

by  |  20-01-2021 ~ 8 Comments

The assault on journalism never stops. Just within the last week I've seen two grave ethical violations of purported "journalism" in wine, and these are but the latest examples... One was an article about Georgian... more »

Riedel me this!

by  |  12-01-2021

I have a guilty secret that I’ve been hiding from the wine world. No, it’s not a sneaking admiration for white Zinfandel, it’s far more embarrassing than that. The truth is that I prefer drinking... more »

Coravin Model Five/Six vs the Model Two

by  |  21-12-2020

I’ve been using the Coravin system profusely for a few years now. While I don’t own a wine bar or a winery (two of the best use cases), it serves me exceedingly well to taste... more »

Vischoqueña, el Valle de Cinti, & Bolivian wines

by  |  04-05-2020

There has thankfully emerged a subset amongst wine geeks who are those with the curiosity to seek out this fine beverage being made in any and every corner of the world, whether that be near... more »

The “Anchor Wine” concept

by  |  01-04-2020

In Spanish, there’s the saying, empezar la casa por el tejado, “start the house from the roof down” which basically means that you’re finishing at the end and haven’t set a proper foundation and you’re... more »

Wines for la Cuesta de Enero/Uphill January

by  |  02-01-2020

To all who have survived family and the holidays, well done. Now we arrive to the cold, murky days of January, probably broke, or at at least a bit broken. You probably don’t even want... more »

Perhaps a #dryjuly for the future?

by  |  28-08-2019 ~ 4 Comments

When living in Spain, July and August mark the time of year that I patently hate as everything grinds to a halt--doubly so when there are the now annual strikes at the airport. While August... more »

That chilling the red wine thing

by  |  25-07-2019

If this latest heatwave has shown us anything, it’s that there are a few more bends to go before we see the “shade” at the end of the tunnel which signals that another summer has... more »
Cartoon by Mike Lester: mikelester.com

A guide to what’s good, bad, & questionable in wine titles

by  |  16-07-2019 ~ 7 Comments

Long gone are the days of a bellied, middle-aged white man proclaiming himself a wine expert because well, he likes wine and wants to tell you about what he likes. No, we've reached an age... more »

In Cain I Trust

by  |  17-06-2019

When writing about wine, everything digital is your best friend–right after a spittoon. A lightweight laptop, or in a pinch, the mobile, armed with either Google Keep for quick notes or Excel for longer tastings... more »