So Ace of Spades now has this thing called Armand de Brignac Dynastie that’s a collection of every available bottle format it comes in. It goes for the low, low price of half a million bucks. Why’s it called Dynastie? Wouldn’t have anything to do with Jay-Z’s Dynasty album, would it now? This Dynastie includes nine … Continue reading »
Here’s the most important thing you need to know about biodynamic wine: it’s often exceptionally, potentially mind-blowing good. I applaud anyone farming organically, but don’t usually taste a difference. With biodynamics I usually do. OK so what is it? I went to a whole talk with Nicolas Joly, one of biodynamics’ passionate pioneers who makes … Continue reading »
In the 50s, Jack Cakebread had a car repair business, Cakebread’s Garage. But he’d also studied with photographer Ansel Adams and, in 1972, was hired to take wine country photos for a book. While snapping pictures in Napa, Jack visited some old family friends and wound up buying their property. Cakebread Cellars was born. Now it’s an iconic … Continue reading »
It’s Earth Day, and we’re going green all week! The latest study with news we should pay attention to: suitable winemaking areas will decrease between 25% and 73% by 2050. That’s the impact global warming will have on some wine regions, creating potential water conservation issues. There are all different levels of how green wineries can … Continue reading »
Love stories like this – the random grapes, the entrepreneurship via social media, the awesome attitude in video slate cards. This winemaker Regan Medor is a dude who likes weird grapes. I have literally never even heard of Teroldego, but it’s a red grape from Alto Adige (which I’m mildly obsessed with) and that’s what … Continue reading »
Mouton Rothschild is probably the most famous wine that gets artists to do their labels, but Ornellaia has done their “Vendemmia d’Artista” series for the past five years and it’s awesome. They get an artist to produce a special label that reflects the character of the vintage. Every year they auction off a salmanazar (that’s equivalent to 12 … Continue reading »
If you haven’t been to Stone Barns, it’s one of the best restaurants ever. Farm to table and super delicious and innovative. I could almost have water with the food (only almost) but luckily we got to drink Dave Matthews’ Dreaming Tree wines with every course so I didn’t even have to contemplate such a … Continue reading »
It’s the Year of the Snake! I’ve seen lots of people celebrating by giving out cute little pieces of money or by eating in Chinatown. I love well-made Chinese food and with all those goopy sauces and fried dumplings, Champagne is a fantastic choice to go with. Feel free to choose any sparkler to go … Continue reading »
Chalk this up to more amazing things about the French when it comes to wine: Blood donors traditionally get a meal and a glass of wine after giving blood! However, just recently the French Blood Association banned the practice, saying the wine adds to the risk of people fainting or falling over. Jean-Paul Garnier is … Continue reading »
For those of you travelling out of DC today, here’s a little silver lining: the Starbucks at Dulles now serves wine (and reportedly LAX is getting one next year). In non-airport land, these “Starbucks Evenings” places are now in LA, Atlanta, Portland, and Chicago. The variety is actually really good; they all have one sparkling, … Continue reading »
