Monthly Archives: February 2012

Calera: remote and distinctive

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Bill Ward

We came to Calera to taste some world-class pinot noir and check out the steep, remote vineyards from which it sprang. We departed utterly sated on both counts. But the revelation was Calera’s other wines: a 1978 Late Harvest Zin, … Continue reading →

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Words of wine wisdom from worldly writers

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Bill Ward

Some of my favorite viniferous quotes from great (or at least very good) authors: • “Wine rejoices the heart of man, and joy is the mother of all virtues.” — Goethe • “Wine makes the true savor of love intelligible to … Continue reading →

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Wines of the Week: Feb. 20-26

Posted on February 25, 2012 by Bill Ward

Everyday: Whoever wants to make vermentino on these shores — and here’s hoping there are more than a few of you — could do worse than to learn  how the Yalumba Langhorne Creek Vermentino ($13) is crafted. This is a pure, snappy, balanced beauty. … Continue reading →

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AVAs are A-OK, except when they’re not

Posted on February 25, 2012 by Bill Ward

A year ago this weekend I sampled a buttload of tasty wines at the Premiere Napa barrel tasting. Along with the outstanding/out-of-my-price-range Scarecrows, Continuums,  Schraders and Pahlmeyers, there was some actual discovery: four delicious offerings from the Coombsville area. Cabernets from Farella-Park, Palmaz, Porter Family … Continue reading →

Posted in Actual News, California Wines, Oregon Wines | 1 Comment

I am so drinking some #@&*-ing merlot

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Bill Ward

Sorry for yet another “Sideways” reference in the headline, but I have merlot on the brain, having written about Washington’s swell array of it in this week’s Liquid Assets column. I mentioned in a recent post that some folks react … Continue reading →

Posted in California Wines, Washington Wines | 2 Comments

Straight talk from Sonoma, by way of Bulgaria

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Bill Ward

I knew I was going to like Miro Tcholakov as soon as he started talking about the first wine at our lunch tasting, a pinot noir. “It’s clone 667, clone 3-something, I don’t remember the names, so boring …,” he said … Continue reading →

Posted in California Wines, Winemakers | 2 Comments

A healthy gameplan

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Bill Ward
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Wines of the Week: Feb. 13-19

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Bill Ward

Everyday: You’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger fan of Italy’s wide range of white varietals than yours truly, but they also know how to make some dandy blends over there. The Banfi Toscano Centine ($12) has a huge, utterly enticing citrus/floral nose and … Continue reading →

Posted in Italian Wines, Spanish Wines | 1 Comment

Muscat love

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Bill Ward

I’ve been oft-amused recently by trade talk and media coverage around muscat/moscato. Especially the predictions that the surge in sales — 73-percent growth in 2011 after 100-percent growth in 2010 — has peaked. We’ll see, obviously, but I’m not buying … Continue reading →

Posted in California Wines, Italian Wines | 1 Comment

Turned sideways

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Bill Ward

So everything was in place for a perfect Feb. 14 evening with my decidedly better half. Filets had been studded with a buttload of coarsely crushed peppercorns, awaiting their au poivre prep. Wine had been uncorked: 2002 cabernet sauvignon from … Continue reading →

Posted in California Wines, Experiences | 1 Comment