Israel's winemaking history can be traced back thousands of years, but only recently have its wines attracted widespread attention. Still unfamiliar not only to most consumers but also to many sommeliers, Israel is becoming an important player in the wine world and deserves this newfound interest and respect.
Wine is an integral part of the Jewish religion. The Hebrew Scriptures celebrate wine…
Brad Webb had landed the dream job. It was 1956, and he’d just been appointed winemaker at a new winery, Hanzell, founded by James D. Zellerbach, the wealthy US ambassador to Italy. Zellerbach had spared no expense in pursuing his dream of making classically styled Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to rival the wines of Burgundy. Webb had at…
I have fond memories of living in Sydney in 2005 and 2006. Coming from England, the city’s lifestyle was eminently appealing. Runs from Bondi to Bronte for a dip in an ocean-filled pool etched into the cliffs. Long lunches, dominated by oversized sunnies and cold glasses of Chardonnay. Leaving the office with the sun still shining for happy hour bites at a street-side cafe, often with the glinting waters of one of Sydney…
Part of the job of a sommelier is to accurately represent wine regions to guests. So how are sommeliers doing when it comes to the wines of the Russian River Valley? Rod Berglund of Joseph Swan Vineyard thinks there's room for improvement. “The Russian...
Wine has been intertwined with history from the outset of Western Civilization. Grape harvesting flourished in the Ancient Near East and Egypt; evidence shows Celtic tribes in Gaul cultivated wild grapevines prior to the arrival of the Phoenicians, who...
When I lived in Los Angeles in the late ‘90s its downtown, filled with beautiful Art Deco and Beaux Arts architecture, was a wasteland. There was very little nightlife, and the streets were ominously empty after dark. Going for drinks in the area’s dive bars was slightly risky and seldom attempted alone. By 2006, when I returned from a few years in NYC, not much had changed. The ensuing ten years, however, have ushered…