Category Archives: Winemakers

Mark Vlossak, unleashed

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Bill Ward

Mark Vlossak is whip-smart and quip-prone. He’s incisive and insightful. So when the conconter of all those delicious St. Innocent whites and pinot noirs opens up, a writer is best off getting out of the way. We had a wonderful lunch together recently, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Oregon Wines, Wine People, Winemakers | 1 Comment

Telmo Rodriguez, telling it like it is

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Bill Ward

I’m jealous of my friend Kent Benson. Not just because he’s an accomplished wine educator at Swirl wine school in St. Cloud, but because he got to take in a talk last night by one of Spain’s greatest winemakers, Telmo … Continue reading →

Posted in Spanish Wines, Winemakers | 4 Comments

Dooley noted: More on Stephen Ross Dooley

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Bill Ward

I thoroughly enjoyed yacking with winemaker Stephen Ross Dooley last month, and when I went to write about him in my day job, the constrictions of print media meant leaving some stuff out. A few more thoughts from the Minnesota … Continue reading →

Posted in California Wines, Winemakers | Leave a comment

Charles & Charles & Joel

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Bill Ward

Have I mentioned how much I love this gig? Not lately, because my way better half sez it might sound like gloating. OK, I’ll risk being a gloat-meister. I got to spend the afternoon drinking delicious wines with wonderful friends in … Continue reading →

Posted in California Wines, Experiences, Washington Wines, Wine People, Winemakers | 1 Comment

Winemaker profile: David Polite

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Bill Ward

Sometimes, it’s best not to listen to the experts, no matter how much you respect them. Or maybe to listen to them only a little bit. When David Polite bought some east-facing slopes in the Willamette’s Eola-Amity Hills region in … Continue reading →

Posted in Oregon Wines, Winemakers | Leave a comment

Profile: Joao Silva e Sousa

Posted on November 4, 2012 by Bill Ward

Perhaps more than any European wine region, Portugal has been a battleground for old vs. new, tradition vs. technology. And perhaps no one shows how deftly those lines can be straddled better than Joao Silva e Sousa. “I’ve probably made … Continue reading →

Posted in Portuguese Wines, Winemakers | Leave a comment

Michael Scholz, from Down Under to perking up St. Supery

Posted on October 20, 2012 by Bill Ward

Michael Scholz might be from Down Under, and he might be the winemaker at a place that accounts for 10 percent of Napa’s sauvignon blanc output. But the last thing he wants to do is produce a New Zealand-style sauv … Continue reading →

Posted in California Wines, Winemakers | Leave a comment

Mike Sullivan, scientist/vigneron

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Bill Ward

Although he says “I think of myself more as a vigneron than a California winemaker,” it’s no surprise that Mike Sullivan ended up with the latter job title. His destiny should have been clear early on. Very early on. “When … Continue reading →

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Dave Ready Jr., making the (Murphy-)Goode stuff

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Bill Ward

For a guy who looks more like a “regular guy” than any winemaker I’ve met, Dave Ready Jr. sure loves his literary devices, those metaphors, similes and allusions. Many of his Murphy-Goode labels evoke poker terms, including his “All In” … Continue reading →

Posted in California Wines, Wine People, Winemakers | 1 Comment

A Krug kind of morning

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Bill Ward

No, I’m not drinking bubbles from perhaps Champagne’s foremost producer (consarnit!). But within a half-hour just now, two Krug-related items crossed my transom. First came an email from a Star Tribune reader regarding my Liquid Assets column that addressed, among … Continue reading →

Posted in Actual News, Bubbles, Winemakers | Leave a comment