Vineyards of Madeira

A daily sample of thoughtful writing and discussion from (mostly) independent wine blogs:

Tom Wark asks consumers to donate to a GoFundMe project to support getting the consumer’s voice heard in the upcoming Supreme Court case supporting interstate wine shipments.

Mike Veseth, the Wine Economist, recounts the history of Madeira.

Amanda Barnes tells the story of  Mendoza’s Clos de los Siete, an enclosed vineyard owned by several producers, unusual in the new world.

The Wine Curmudgeon has the stats on his blog visitors for 2018 and is giving away more prizes for Birthday Week.

Allison Levine profiles the the Crus vineyards of Beaujolais.

Foxress is an advocate for Albarino for Thanksgiving dinner.

Susannah Gold continues her series on Italy’s indigenous varietals with Nieddera Nero, which is grown primarily in Sardinia.

Vino-Sphere profiles the wines of San Diego County, an emerging wine regions with increasing quality.

Austin Beeman shoots a short film covering harvest at Cristom Vineyards in Willamette Valley.

Winery Visits and Travel Posts:

Wine Country Getaways profiles the city of Bordeaux.

Selected Wine Reviews:

Amber LeBeau calls New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc “the Coldplay of the wine world.” Ouch.

Fredric Koeppel reviews the Scheid Vineyards Chardonnay 2017, Monterey,

Jamie Goode reviews the Champagne Castelnau Réserve NV

Reverse Wine Snob reviews the La Posta Paulucci Malbec from Mendoza.

The Drunken Cyclist is drinking Kir Royale these days, the cocktail made with sparkling wine, using Route 23’s flavored simple syrups.

Tom Lee reviews the 2012 J. Rochioli Sauvignon Blanc Old Vines from Russian River Valley

Michelle Williams reviews several California Zinfandels.

A daily sample of thoughtful writing and discussion from (mostly) independent wine blogs:

Tom Jarvis has a complete guide to carbonic maceration.

The Wine Curmudgeon lists his most popular blog posts for 2018 and conducts his first Birthday week give away.

James the Wine Guy asks “How Many Wine Grape Varieties Exist?”

Jeremy Parzen sends his best wishes to victims of the fires in California.

Winery Visits and Travel Posts:

The Drunken Cyclist is eating and drinking his way through Prague and Budapest

Selected Wine Reviews:

Madeline Puckette has several suggestions for Thanksgiving Wine.

Fredric Koeppel reviews the  Zuccardi Serie A Bonarda 2016, Santa Rosa, from Argentina’s Mendoza region.

Reverse Wine Snob reviews the 2015  Badgerhound Zinfandel from Ammunition Wines.

Amber LeBeau reviews the Cavit Lunetta Prosecco

Jameson Fink reviews the Champagne Henriot Cuveé Hemera 2005

Food Wine Click reviews the Paetra “K” Riesling Willamette Valley 2015 with food pairings.

The Wine Daily reviews the Viader Proprietary Red Blend from Napa Valley.

Aaron Nix Gomez reviews several wines of Brunello di Montalcino from the 1980’s.

Domaine Cheval Blanc

A daily sample of thoughtful writing and discussion from (mostly) independent wine blogs:

Karen MacNeil uses the differences between food and wine to explain the importance of metaphor in wine descriptions.

Tom Wark celebrates his father, a bourbon drinker, on Veteran’s Day.

Jamie Goode argues that drinking a wine at home is a different experience than drinking the same wine in a restaurant.

Tim Gaiser distinguishes great wines from great wine experiences and the describes 5 of his most memorable experiences.

Kathleen Willcox dives into the state of modern cooperage.

Margaret Rand explores the rise of the private wine label.

Alfonso Cevola, On the Wine Trail in Italy, explores what it means to give a “master class” and develops elements that every master class should have.

The Wine Gourd explores the wine regions of Australia.

Richard Hemming works out E.J. Gallo’s share of the worlds wine market.

Amber LeBeau explores the top audiobooks on California wine history. In addition, she writes a thoughtful post on wine blogging and its relationship to other wine media.

Talk A Vino brings us the full force of New England’s colorful foliage

Selected Wine Reviews:

Jamie Goode profiles Lamoreaux Landing in New York’s Finger Lakes.

Allison Levine’s Pick of the Week is the Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes

Reverse Wine Snob reviews the 2016 Winehaven Minnesota Marquette Reserve and reviews the best Rosé Wines for under $20.

Cheap Wine Ratings profiles Washington State’s Maryhill Winery.

Cindy Rynning profiles Carmenère and reviews two from Chile’s Hacienda Araucano.

Martin Redmond’s Wine of the Day is the 2014 Bedrock Wine Co. Heritage Wine Evangelho Vineyard, a red blend from Contra Costa.

Tom Lee reviews the 2011 Carlisle Zinfandel Carlisle Vineyard

Joey Casco reviews the 2017 Suhru Pinot Grigio from Long Island’s North Fork.

JvB Uncorked recommends wines for Thanksgiving.

Red Wine Please reviews the 2015 Concha y Toro Don Melchor

Dallas Wine Chick reviews several Bordeaux-style wines from Virginia.

BC Wine Trends reviews a Cabernet Sauvignon from Hidden Chapel in the Okanagan Valley.

A daily sample of thoughtful writing and discussion from (mostly) independent wine blogs:

The Wine Curmudgeon reminisces about the old Black Tower TV commercial from 1982

The Wine Curmudgeon also announces prizes for a week long celebration of his blog’s 11th birthday which begins on Monday.

The Drunken Cyclist is giving away an evening with him at the Zinfandel Experience in San Francisco.

Alan Tardi extolls the virtues of Bardolino Rosé

Selected Wine Reviews:

Jamie Goode tastes three Pinot Noirs from Franz Haas, Alto Adige, Italy

Fredric Koeppel reviews Dow’s Late Bottled Vintage Port 2012

Reverse Wine Snob reviews the AL Sauvignon Blanc from Wrath Wines, a wine in a can.

Amber LeBeau reviews the 2012 El Puntido Rioja.

The Wine Stalker reviews the 2017 Justin Bogaty Winemaker Selection Tannat from Virginia.

Pam Strayer tastes wines from indigenous Italian grapes grown organically at a book launch party for Daniele Cernelli’s The Essential Guide to Italian wine.

A daily sample of thoughtful writing and discussion from (mostly) independent wine blogs:

Elaine Chukan Brown promotes the European trade show ProWein as a venue for marketing U.S. wines.

Tom Wark reviews Coffee and Wine: Two Worlds Compared by Morten Scholer.

The Wine Curmudgeon’s Wine of the Week is the Tenuta Caparzo Sangiovese 2015

Amber LeBeau provides an insider’s peak into Champagne.

Julien Miquel reports that Château Latour becomes the first 1st Growth to be Certified Organic for its red wine

Outwines head is about to explode as she prepares for an exam on bubbly

Bob on Sonoma classifies categories of wine tourists.

Winery Visits and Travel Posts

Jamie Goode visits De La Terre in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand

1 Wine Dude profiles Somontano, a little known appellation in Spain.

The Drunken Cyclist spends a few days in Budapest.

Quentin Sadler visits Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Tom Plant visits several wineries in San Diego County’s Ramona Valley.

Selected Wine Reviews:

Fredric Koeppel reviews nine savory white wines ideal for autumn.

Reverse Wine Snob discovers the best Italian wines for under $20.

Tom Lee’s Zinfandel of the month is the 2016 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Old Vine

Food Wine Click compares Washington and California Merlot

wineORL enjoys a vertical tasting of three vintages from Christian Moueix Ulysses.

Pull That Cork reviews the Chalk Hill Sonoma Coast Chardonnay

Cyndy Rynning reviews the Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 from Napa Valley

Appetite for wine profiles Farmhouse Wines, affordable natural wine from Cline Family Cellars.

A daily sample of thoughtful writing and discussion from (mostly) independent wine blogs:

Madeline Puckette tests 5 of the world’s best wine glasses.

Liza Zimmerman reports on the increased scrutiny of the three tier system by the courts.

The Drunken Cyclist considers the pros and cons of attending VinItaly, the massive Italian trade show.

Alder Yarrow promotes the 2018 Spring Mountain Harvest Tasting, on Sunday, November 18

The Wine Curmudgeon comments on wine delivery, wine taxes, and believe it or not, IHOP wine.

Uber wine geek Amber LeBeau has plans for an expanded geekdom.

Jeremy Parzen departs from his usual reflections on wine to reflect on the state of Jewry in the U.S. And Tom Wark gives us further reasons for reading Jeremy’s blog, Do Bianchi.

Winery Visits and Travel Posts:

Amanda Barnes, Around the World in 80 Harvests, covers the past and present of Central Otago with winemaker Grant Taylor of Valli Wine and discusses the grape varietals and viticulture of Central Otago in this post.

Jamie Goode visits Red Newt Winery in the Finger Lakes.

Vino Sphere reports on a wine and culinary experience at Three Rivers Winery in Walla Walla.

Selected Wine Reviews:

Allison Levine samples several wines from Setúbal, a region in the southwest of Portugal.

Reverse Wine Snob reviews the  La Posta Pizzella Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina

LIsa Johnston reviews La Sirene de Giscours Margaux 2014

A daily sample of thoughtful writing and discussion from (mostly) independent wine blogs:

The Wine Curmudgeon investigates how much people actually spend on wine, which is less than what the industry would have you believe.

Dr. Vino promotes Reboule du Rhone, a New York charity event featuring wines and winemakers from Northern Rhone

Bob Highfill writes about Lodi’s efforts to market their wine overseas.

The Hosemaster of Wine sends up the Court’s Sommelier Exam scandal.

BC Wine Trends looks back at their predictions for 2018 in British Columbia.

Sonoma Bob explains why people don’t drink wine.

Winery Visits and Travel Posts:

Amanda Barnes, Around the World in 80 Harvests, visits Felton Road winery in Bannockburn, New Zealand.

Jamie Goode visits Clearview Estate in Hawke’s Bay New Zealand.

JvB Uncorked visits Owen Roe winery in Washington’s Yakima Valley.

Selected Wine Reviews:

Jamie Goode reviews Champagne Pommery’s English sparkling wine

Reverse Wine Snob reviews the 2015 Windrun Sta Rita Hills Pinot Noir

Courtney Schiessl implores us to give Gewurztraminer a chance and reviews several from diverse locations.

Amber LeBeau reviews the Villa Wolf Pinot Noir Rosé from the Pfalz region of Germany.

Brianne Cohen visits Lenné Estates in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

Larry the Wine Guy reviews the 2017 F.Y.I Red Blend Valdepeñas

Pull That Cork reviews the 2016 Domaine de Bila-Haut L’esquerda, Côtes du Roussillon Villages Lesquerde, a Syrah, Grenache, Carignan blend.

Quentin Sadler’s wine of the week is the 2011 Roger Goulart Brut Gran Reserva DO / PDO Cava

A daily sample of thoughtful writing and discussion from (mostly) independent wine blogs:

Becca Yeomans, The Academic Wino, has an interesting post summarizing data about what sorts of activities draw wine tourists to a region.

Read ‘em and weep. Natalie Sellers reports on the world’s most expensive wines.

Madeline Puckette teaches us about orange wine.

The Wine Curmudgeon gets curmudgeonly about restaurant wine lists and their inflated prices.

Amber LeBeau is skeptical about the rapid expansion of Prosecco production and its effect on quality.

A Most Particular Taste compares the virtues and intoxicating effects of wine and cannabis.

Outwines reports on the lessons learned and the humbling experience of a blind tasting class with a Master of Wine.

Selected Wine Reviews:

Jamie Goode reviews the Gantenbein Chardonnay 2014 from Switzerland.

1 Wine Dude reviews recent releases from Cowhorn Vineyards in Oregon’s Applegate Valley

Enobytes tastes four Chablis from four different climats.

Reverse Wine Snob reviews the Mas Fi Cava Brut from Penedes, Spain.

A daily sample of thoughtful writing and discussion from (mostly) independent wine blogs:

Kathleen Willcox explains how millennials  have redefined the role of sommelier.

Tom Wark reminisces about Halloween of old.

A group of Masters of Wine visits California with Elaine Chukan Brown.

Julien Miquel tries to open a bottle of wine with a shoe.

Jeremy Parzen has a Go Fund Me campaign for an ad protesting a confederate memorial.

Tom Barras explains how to research what you’re drinking.

Elizabeth Smith interviews Madeline Puckette, creator of Wine Folly

Alfonso Cevola, On the Wine Trail in Italy,  shares links to some his newspaper columns.

For history buffs, Elizabeth’s Vines has the story of Vice Admiral Lord Nelson’s Naples connection and the Marsala wine he served his troops.

Winery Visits and Travel Posts

Crushed Grape Chronicles visits Caderetta’s Southwind Vineyard in Walla Walla Washington.

Selected Wine Reviews:

Fredric Koeppel reviews the Eva Fricke Wisperwind Lorcher Riesling 2015, Rheingau

The Wine Curmudgeon’s Wine of the Week is the Feudo Arancio Stemmari Grillo 2017

Jamie Goode reviews the Gamay 45, Yvon Métras Moulin-à-Vent 2015

The Drunken Cyclist abides Halloween reviewing the 2017 Two Hands Gnarly Dudes Shiraz Barossa Valley

Reverse Wine Snob reviews the 2015 Avalon Blend a Zinfandel dominated blend from California.

Tom Lee reviews the Proprietary Blend and Cabernet Sauvignon from William and Mary Winery with fruit sourced from Oak Knoll.

Red Wine Please reviews the lineup from Gooseneck Vineyards which sources grapes and wine from around the world.

Pull That Cork reviews three wines from Left Coast Estate in Willamette Valley

As The Dude abides, Swirling Dervish reviews her Halloween wine, the  2017 Gnarly Dudes Barossa Valley Shiraz

A daily sample of thoughtful writing and discussion from (mostly) independent wine blogs:

W. Blake Gray compares Robert Parker the man with Robert Parker the brand.

The Wine Curmudgeon covers bad wine writing, an ancient wine discovery, and another challenge to three tier.

Jameson Fink is looking forward to Raw Wine New York, which happens next week.

Winery Visits and Travel Posts:

The Drunken Cyclist is visiting Prague.

Allison Levine helps Fiddlehead Cellars of Sta Rita Hills celebrate their 30th birthday.

Wine Country Getaways explains the differences between Napa and Sonoma.

Good Vitus continues his obsession with Willamette Valley with visits to Penner-Ash and Trisaetum.

Tom Lee visits Limerick Lane Winery in Russian River Valley

Talk A Vino visits Chowdafest held at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport Connecticut

Selected Wine Reviews:

Fredric Koeppel reviews the Fiddlehead Cellars “Seven Twenty Eight” Pinot Noir 2013, Sta. Rita Hills

Reverse Wine Snob reviews the 90 Plus Cellars Lot 158 Beaujolais, 2017

Amber LeBeau reviews the La Vostra Prosecco from Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Amber LeBeau also takes an in depth look at several Bordeaux from 2017 and evaluates their futures offerings.

Lisa Johnston reviews the Domaine Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2012 La Crau

Wine Travel Eats reviews Markham Merlot 2015, Napa Valley

JVB Uncorked reviews Bodegas Lan Rioja Gran Reserva 2010