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 The wine never ends! Be careful what you wish for. When I first started writing about wine I had a vision of helping to set public opinion by publishing my thoughts on and experiences with particular bottles. And sure enough, once I established myself within the industry as a reliable taster, wine samples flowed my way.
And flowed. And flowed. Now I receive a minimum of four cases per month, and while I’m able to fit most of the bottles I like into various themes there are some that I’m unable to shoehorn into tidy cubbyholes. Some were tasted too soon after a column about similar wines. Others require a delay to allow importation into the U.S. of the current vintage. Some even occupy the niche of true oddball without compare. Regardless of reason, what follows are notes on some of my favorite sample bottles, not easily categorized, that I’ve tasted over the past several months. Continue reading Weinberg’s Wine Notes #117 - Potpourri Part I
 The height of summer at Clayhouse Winery in Paso Robles It may seem odd to recommend high-end Cabernet Sauvignon during the dog days of August. As I said last week (see Red Wines for Summer), tannic beasts (i.e., most Cab Sauvs) aren’t always the best bottles for summer sipping. After all, who wants a mouthful of heavy, bitter wine when the sun is beating down like a white-hot jackhammer? Continue reading Weinberg’s Wine Notes #116 - Big-Time Cabernet Sauvignon
 Summertime, and the Wine Living's Easy My last few columns have dealt with whites and rosés that are perfect for serious summer enjoyment (see Porch-Pounding Wines, More Summer Sippers, and Even More Summer Sippers). Now it’s time for reds.
Are reds even suitable at the table during the height of the summer season? After all, it’s just plain hot outside, and varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot naturally contain high levels of summer-hating tannins. When the thermometer tops out and streets shimmer with reflected waves of heat, it’s these tannins that make such wines too spicy and thickly textured for my taste. Many other subspecies such as Zinfandel and Syrah, if fermented and stored in relatively new tannin-rich oak, can also be too stout for August imbibing. Continue reading Weinberg’s Wine Notes #115 - Red Wines for Summer
 So Many Wines to Taste! Here we go again. The load of samples sent to me while I was traveling through wine country (see Tuscan Wines in Tuscany, Napa Wines in Napa and Sonoma Wines in Sonoma) has finally been sampled. I’ve waded my way through all of them, and while in my last column I focused exclusively on whites and rosés (see More Summer Sippers), there are certainly also lots of great reds perfect for summertime thirst quenching. Continue reading Weinberg’s Wine Notes #114 - Even More Summer Sippers
 Wine country is always fun but can be exhausting I’ve been on the road in wine country for three of the past four weeks, and it’s been great. First I toured Tuscany and Umbria in Italy (see Tuscan Wines in Tuscany), and then I visited Napa and Sonoma in California (see Napa Wines in Napa, Sonoma Wines in Sonoma).
Now I’m finally home for a bit, and I have to confess I’m pretty happy about that. Not only can I relax and recharge in familiar settings, but I can also tackle the mountain of wine samples that have accumulated in my absence. Thus, what follows are recommendations based on samples I’ve tasted in the past week or two. This time I’ll focus on whites and rosés, with other selections (including red wines) in upcoming weeks. Continue reading Weinberg’s Wine Notes #113 - More Summer Sippers
 Stunning Sonoma Last week I detailed the first half of my wine tasting adventure in Northern California (see Napa Wines in Napa). This time it’s Sonoma’s turn. Sonoma is quite a bit larger and much less tamed than its cousin to the east. Therefore I invited my friend Steve along, gaining the benefit of his palate while sharing driving, navigational, photographic and food-spotting duties. Continue reading Weinberg’s Wine Notes #112 - Sonoma Wines in Sonoma
 Napa is awesome if you know where to look For wine lovers living in the U.S., northern California is by far the easiest region to tour and taste. Partly this is because Napa and Sonoma counties and, to a lesser extent, Lake County, the Sierra Foothills and other north-Cali wine locales, have embraced wine tourism with gusto. There is a plethora of wineries. Lodgings are available at all price levels. Scores of top-notch restaurants (as well as fashionably down-and-out dive bars) tempt even the most jaded palate. Continue reading Weinberg’s Wine Notes #111 - Napa Wines in Napa
A “porch-pounder” is a wine to knock back (i.e., pound) while one is ensconced on the porch at the height of summer. However, as with many other topics in wine, that’s only part of the story.
 Summer in Bolgheri, Italy First, the porch. While just about any shady space is wonderful for summer lounging, even the minimal amount of sugar remaining in dry wine is enough to attract insects. So, if you can, try to do your wine pounding in a screened space.
Next, the pounders. While big, red wines have their place in the wine lifestyle most bottles worth opening on a warm porch will probably be either white or pink. Whites and rosés are generally lighter than most reds. However, as we’ll see later, there are definitely red wines that deserve a vernal mention. And of course, in order to be properly poundable, prices must be reasonable. Continue reading Weinberg’s Wine Notes #110 - Porch-Pounding Wines
 Rosé is always fun Rosé, pink wine that is relatively dry, usually gets short shrift. This is probably because we’re accustomed to thinking of wine as either white or red. In fact, there’s a whole universe of blush out there, and many of them rival the quality of those boring old whites and reds at a fraction of the cost.
One of the best things about dry, pink wines is how well they match a variety of foods, particularly on the lighter end of the flavor spectrum. Rosés are therefore often produced specifically for the summer season. Their higher acidity and hint of tannin allow them to pair perfectly with warm-weather appetizers through main courses all the way to dessert. Blushers can be sparkling or still, bone-dry or slightly sweet, but all are by definition food wines. Continue reading Weinberg’s Wine Notes #109 - Rosé Equals Summer
 A foggy morning in Chianti Classico Italy defines micro-regionality. Every village and hamlet has its own unique drinks, foods, architectural styles, even dialects. Certainly this is true of Tuscany, where my wife Yaël and I spent the last week tasting great wines, eating fabulous food, and generally living la dolcé vita. Continue reading Weinberg’s Wine Notes #108 - Tuscan Wines in Tuscany
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In reference to any wine prices I publish in my writings, they are based on the lowest generally available prices I find in the U.S. at the time of publication. I use commercially available wine searching software such as Winesearcher Pro and Global Wine Stocks in my analyses, and as such, these prices may not be available to consumers in all markets.
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