Monthly Archives: November 2011

Wines of the Week: Nov. 21-27

Posted on November 26, 2011 by Bill Ward

Everyday: Dow is known, with good reason, for its Ports, but the Dow Vale de Bomfim Duoro Valley is a fabulous red table wine year in and year out, and an absolute steal at $12-$14. There’s vivid red fruit with … Continue reading →

Posted in California Wines, Portuguese Wines | Leave a comment

Wine rhymes

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Bill Ward

So it was actually fairly early in our wine-soaked evening when my friend Joe committed, and repeated what I’ll dub a Bacchian slip. We were talking about the grape of of a certain southeast-France region when he started asking, “Gamay Beaujolais: … Continue reading →

Posted in Funny(ish) stuff | Leave a comment

Thankful for these pairings

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Bill Ward

Writing about Thanksgiving pairings is something writers tend to either love or loathe. I fall in the former category: I had a ton of fun writing this and this for the Star Tribune in recent years. Basically, at a table … Continue reading →

Posted in Pairings | 4 Comments

Wines of the week: Nov. 14-20

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Bill Ward

Everyday: For a meal that generally revolves around turkey, one of the best affordable pairing options is what my way better half calls “the chicken wine.” That’s because the ever-reliable La Vieilles Ferme Côtes du Ventoux red ($10) has a … Continue reading →

Posted in Bubbles, French Wines | Leave a comment

Not gonna work

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Bill Ward

I really enjoyed reporting and writing my recent Strib piece on wine labels. It could actually have been a series delving into different facets of how wineries try to lure buyers and how consumers end up getting lured. But with … Continue reading →

Posted in Italian Wines | 1 Comment

Wines of the Week: Nov. 7-13

Posted on November 13, 2011 by Bill Ward

Everyday: There’s no telling what one will get when sampling a chardonnay from Argentina. But with the Bodega Elena de Mendoza Chardonnay 2010 ($11), it’s freshness, on the nose, the palate and the finish. There’s some seriously tasty fruit of the citrus, … Continue reading →

Posted in California Wines, South American Wines | Leave a comment

Stellar wine from … Tennessee?

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Bill Ward

On my second go-round in military school,  I met Cadet Brooks, who was the first (and still only) person I encountered who went by the name of Kix. About a decade and a half later, we crossed paths again in … Continue reading →

Posted in U.S. Wines, Wine People | 2 Comments

An economic crash

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Bill Ward

I hate when this happens.

Posted in Actual News, Retail | Leave a comment

Wines of the Week: Oct. 31-Nov. 6

Posted on November 6, 2011 by Bill Ward

Everyday: As with all things in life, the more one delves into wine, the easier it is to get jaded about certain types. Blessedly, with chardonnay, there are a boatload of styles that showcase this popular grape in a wide … Continue reading →

Posted in California Wines | Leave a comment

Pinot Camp (sorta-kinda), Part II

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Bill Ward

It would take a dozen posts to pass along everything interesting that was shared at a mini-, Minnesota version of Pinot Camp, but I’ve winnowed it down to two. (Part I is here.) A recap of the Oregon vintners who … Continue reading →

Posted in Experiences, Oregon Wines, Wine People, Winemakers | Leave a comment