If you, like us, tend to prefer dry white wines over sweet ones, the Chateau Ste Michelle Dr. Loosen Eroica 2005 may surprise you.  This off-dry, German style Riesling makes a seriously positive impression thanks to its exceptional balance of a touch of sugar, a slightly bigger body than usual for the varietal, and bright, but consistent, acidity throughout.  It was particularly the latter quality of the wine that effectively neutralized any issue […]

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Here are events we think are worth checking out this week:

California

Sonoma

Russian River Wine Road 30th Annual Barrel Tasting: March 1 - 2 & 8 - 9, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.; see list of participating wineries at the event’s web site by clicking here; $20 at the door of the first winery you visit gets […]

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Bonarda, an Argentine grape, accounts for more acreage than Malbec in Argentina.  Despite this, I’d guess that most people in the U.S. probably haven’t heard of it.  In fact, I have to admit that I am speaking from experience: up until I came into possession of this bottle by gift a few weeks ago, I hadn’t heard of […]

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In our post of last Monday, we reviewed Iron Horse Vineyards in the Russian River Valley, one of our favorite wineries in Northern California.  Combine the below itinerary with a visit to Iron Horse or any of the other RRV wineries, and you’re guaranteed a postcard perfect wine country visit.
1.  Wine Tasting: Begin in the early afternoon by […]

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Every once in a while we open a bottle for which we had high hopes that ends up disappointing – fortunately, it’s rare, but it happens.  Last night, the poor performer was intended to be the subject of today’s Weekend Wine posting: a Viognier from California’s Lodi (the link is to Wikipedia) region.  The wine in question lacked structure because it was too short on acidity, and it […]

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Here are some activities that we recommend for this weekend and beyond:

California (Calistoga)

Vincent Arroyo Barrel Tasting Event: February 23, 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. at Vincent Arroyo Winery; no tasting fee.  This is the annual barrel tasting event at Vincent Arroyo Winery, which we reviewed in our February 4th posting, and it occurs on the last Saturday of each February.  […]

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Recently, I was looking for a reasonably priced Merlot in the ten to fifteen dollar range, when I came upon the Château la Colline Côté Ouest 2004.  Aside from being a superb value at $13.50 and another perfect companion on a chilly winter’s day, the Côté Ouest’s blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon is made all the more […]

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In recognition of Presidents’ Day, we thought it timely to talk about Iron Horse Vineyards, whose wines have been served by every presidential administration in the White House since 1985, the year when then-President Ronald Reagan brought its sparkling wines to his historic summit meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev in Reykjavik, Iceland.  But while this winery’s connections to Washington, D.C. distinguish it […]

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