Kelli White

Dear GuildSomm readers, It’s good to be back. I have many fond memories of writing for this site and am thrilled to return here to promote my newest creation, Wine Confident. I wrote this book not so much for the budding professional but for th...

I’ve been told my palate favors decay. That might sound like an insult (and it may very well have been intended as one), but I find it a reasonable assessment. After all, my favorite foods include stinky cheese, dry-aged beef, and mushrooms&mda...

Kelli White considers the state of California Merlot, tracing its evolution throughout the decades.

Senior Staff Writer Kelli White explores the history, function, and future of rootstocks.

Senior Staff Writer Kelli White interviews sommeliers Rubèn Sanz Ramiro, Mia Van de Water, Braithe Tidwell, and Brent Knoll about their experiences selling Spanish wine.

Senior Staff Writer Kelli White recounts a trip through the Loire Valley, with stops in Sancerre, Chinon, Savennières, Vouvray, Muscadet, Saumur, and Touraine.

Senior Staff Writer Kelli White explores the history of the Louis M. Martini Winery, and its Monte Rosso Vineyard, over time.

Senior Staff Writer Kelli White speaks with Brad Hickey, Pierre Graffeuille, Jason Haas, and Axel Heinz about blending and the role of so-called minor grapes.

Kelli White considers the old vines of South Africa, Australia, California, Chile, and Burgundy, examining various definitions of "old" and current science on the possible impacts of vine age on the resulting wines.

Kelli White discusses the history, science, and practice of biodynamics, with interviews from vintners working in wine regions around the world.

"Can you imagine wines being properly tasted before the advent of clear glass? . . . Perhaps the truth of the matter is that fine wine could only start to make its appearance at the turn of the eighteenth century as a result of glasses being made tha...

Senior Staff Writer Kelli White explores the complex topic of sugar in wine.

There are three kinds of wine regions in South Africa: historic regions of quality, historic regions of quantity, and the newborns. The legacy appellations can be counted on one hand and famously include Stellenbosch, Paarl, and Constantia. By contra...

In this second installment of our Influential Wine Books series, I asked four wine professionals for a list of books that guided or inspired them at various points in their careers. I love this article series for many reasons. First, it has turned me...

This is the second article of a two-part series on importers who made essential contributions to the American wine industry. The first featured interviews with Kermit Lynch and Martine Saunier. This piece explores the stories and impact of Neal Rosen...

It’s an old story. A wine region becomes established, bottle prices rise, land values follow, and young or less flush producers get pushed to the fringe. That may be a gross exaggeration, but it’s at least a viable approximation of what h...

“I never had great Muscadet or great Chablis before Martine and Kermit.” That statement, which sounds as though it might be the last words of a dying wino, came from the mouth of Larry Stone, one of the most celebrated and establishe...

In this latest interview article, I asked a handful of growers about their thoughts and practices as pertains to soil health. As you will see, the questions elicited a lot of passion! Many answers are lengthy, but are well worth reading through, as t...

Farming is a challenge, to say the least. Not only do farmers have to contend with the vagaries of the increasingly vagarious seasons, they also have to face an evolving roster of pestilences. Arguably, vineyard managers have it easier than conventio...

When I was first learning about wine, a wise man told me to always turn the bottle around and note the importer. His logic was that, if you liked a certain wine, there was a good chance you’d enjoy other wines from the same portfolio. This appr...

The object of my travels is especially to note down everything in which the Europeans surpass us, and afterward lay them before the citizens of the United States. – Agoston Haraszthy, Grape Culture, Wines, and Wine-Making Few in the annals of w...

Oxygen is the enemy of wine. This is well understood. Leave the cork out of a bottle, or the bung out of a barrel, for long enough and even the most stalwart wine will sour and decay. And yet oxygen exposure during fermentation and élevage is ...

Senior Staff Writer Kelli White discusses Mendocino County's winemaking history, AVAs, and current developments, considering both its well known coastal side and the inland area home to sprawling old vines.

GuildSomm's Kelli White explores Brettanomyces, explaining the science behind it, outlining our shifting awareness and responses over the decades, and sharing various perspectives from sommeliers and winemakers alike.

Kelli White interviews Doug Frost, Ray Isle, Chris Tanghe, and Juliette Pope about the books that influenced and inspired them early in their careers in wine.