In my fourth and final article on Loire wines I cover the western end of the Loire Valley - Anjou, the Pays Nantais and the Vendée. Anjou is frequently linked with Saumur but as Anjou and the Nantais share the same geological structure it makes equal sense to link these two adjacent areas. Both are part of the hard, igneous rock of Brittany - very different from the clay and limestone of the Paris Basin that runs eastward…
As a wine director there are multiple reasons to search out and purchase wines in the auction market. I began my own foray into buying at auction years ago, as the wine director of Redd (in Yountville, CA), when I got access to older vintages and pricing...
A few months ago, perhaps on a random whim, Ray Isle of Food & Wine Magazine invited me to be one of the five sommeliers pouring for the Reserve Tasting tent of Food & Wine’s Aspen Classic, the pinnacle of that organization’s various summer fests. I took it as a real honor. But these kinds of events usually bring a mixed bag of experiences--the good, the bad, and the somewhat, well, grotesque (a number…
Front Row Seat
By now, wine professionals and consumers outside of the wine industry have hopefully had a chance to see the year’s hottest documentary, SOMM. It’s not hard to get excited about the film as it gives the layperson visibility into our world and what its like to be a sommelier. Ian, Brian, DLynn and Dustin are like the new John, Paul, George and Ringo of wine. Musical artist, Pink tweeted out to her 17 million…
German Pinot Noir is a grotesque and ghastly wine that tastes akin to a defective, sweet, faded, diluted red Burgundy from an incompetent producer.-Robert Parker, 2002.
Do you still have this picture in your mind when it comes to German Pinot Noir? Then it is time for an update, because even in 2002 our dear friend Mr. Robert Parker was out of date concerning German Pinot Noir.
The Spread of Spätburgunder
First of…
If you are considering making the jump between a single unit operation and a multiple unit operation there are several considerations you must ask yourself before making the change. Are you someone who really enjoys working the floor, managing your own program, and retaining control over all aspects of it? Is the best part of your current position engaging with guests and staff on a daily basis? Do you like working with…
Houston has always had great wine professionals. When I first started getting into wine here people like Guy Stout MS, Paul Roberts MS and Tony McClung (Now with Copain) were already entrenched and doing exciting things. I have seen this city go from a few great wine pros to many amazing people doing exciting things. Some have come and gone but many are still here. My measure of the success of the wine industry in any…
The subject of wine bridges many different fields of study. Before developing a love for wine, I first acquired a love for science (albeit mostly due to the fact that appreciating science doesn’t have a legal age requirement), and when exposed to different disciplines or professions, one notices overlaps in terminology that, without clarification, can cause meanings to be lost in translation. The sommelier profession is…