Best of
Updated 7/15/12: Since there are well over 500 posts on this blog, readers might find helpful a list of what I consider among my best/most informative pieces to date. The following list includes the posts that have received the most hits and on which I receive the most comments from others in the wine world. The categories are Introductions to Wine & Wine Enjoyment; Wine Regions; Great Producers/Winemakers; Great Vineyards; Criticism and Opinion; and Memorable Wines and Meals.
I. Introductions to Wine & Wine Enjoyment
- Advice
- Grapes
- Cabernet Sauvignon: Cabernet Sauvignon: A Question of Style (1/4/12)
- Chardonnay: Minerality, Tropical Fruit or Butter? The Styles of Chardonnay (12/28/11)
- Muscat/Moscato: Moscato Madness: Identifying the Good Stuff (2/8/12)
- Petite Sirah: Petite Sirah: French Reject Excels in California (2/21/12)
- Pinot Noir: The Many Moods of Pinot Noir (1/10/12)
- Sangiovese: Sangiovese: Italy’s Most Ubiquitous Grape (3/14/12)
- Sauvignon Blanc: Acid & Smoke: The Styles of Sauvignon Blanc (2/15/12)
- Syrah: Syrah: The Rodney Dangerfield of Wine (1/24/12)
- Zinfandel: Zinfandel Styles: Sublime to Ridiculous (2/1/12)
II. Wine Regions
- Argentina
Argentine and Chilean Wines assessed: current releases and other thoughts (6/22/11) - California
- Dry Creek Valley
Visit to Dry Creek Valley Part I: A Tale of Generations (8/15/11)
Visit to Dry Creek Valley Part II: Organic and Fish Friendly Farming (8/15/11)
Visit to Dry Creek Valley Part III: Northern DCV and Rockpile Ridge Vineyard (8/15/11) - Marin
Marin County AVA: tiny but growing source for delicate, minerally Pinot Noir (6/11/11) - Santa Lucia Highlands
Santa Lucia Highlands Tasting: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay Country (9/20/11) - Sta. Rita Hills
Sta. Rita Hills: Young Appellation Fulfilling its Promise (4/12/12)
- Dry Creek Valley
- Chile
Argentine and Chilean Wines assessed: current releases and other thoughts (6/22/11) - Croatia
Croatian Blindtasting: Plavac Malis and Croatia’s first Zinfandel bottling (3/28/11) - Eastern Europe
Intriguing Wine Exotica: Eastern European and Balkans New Releases (2/25/11) - France
- Beaujolais
More 2009 Beaujolais: a dozen blindtasted (1/4/11) - Burgundy
Full Monty Dinner: Montrachet & Le Montrachet (9/18/09)
Understanding Burgundy: Birthplace of “Terroir” (2/29/12) - Champagne
All-Champagne Euro Lunch: Clos des Goisses, Salon (2/27/11) - Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Harry Karis visit pt. II: Old Châteauneuf-du-Papes from his cellar (2/4/11) - Jura
The Mellowness Inducing Wines of the Jura (6/12/11)
- Beaujolais
- Greece
Greek Wines: Aromatic Whites and Ageworthy Reds (7/4/12) - Italy
- Chianti
Chianti: Vast Region Makes Vast Improvements (7/11/12) - Piedmont
Magnificent 1960s Barolo: Giacomo Conterno, Bartolo Mascarello, Rinaldi, Cappellano, Oddero (1/19/11)
Bipin Desai Old Barolo & Barbaresco Tasting: 1947-1978 (3/20/11) - Prosecco
Prosecco’s New World Order: Simple Bubbly Gets Serious (3/6/12) - Tuscany
Super Tuscans: Legacy of a One-Time Wine World Darling (6/4/11)
- Chianti
- Portugal
- Spain
- Virginia
Virginia Wine: Serious Winemaking Overcoming Serious Challenges (8/3/11)
III. Great Producers/Winemakers
- Cayuse
Cayuse: Frenchman in Oregon Crafts Intense, Flavorful Wines Amongst the Cobblestones (6/23/12) - Charter Oak
Charter Oak Wines: Quiet Pursuit of Excellence (4/17/12) - Chave
Chave: Great Northern Rhone Dynasty (5/12/12) - Cheval Blanc
Cheval Blanc Vertical Dinner: 1970-2004 (4/3/2010) - D’Oliveiras
17 D’Oliveiras Vintage Madeiras with Luis D’Oliveira (5/21/10) - John Kongsgaard
Lunch with John and Maggie Kongsgaard (7/17/04) - Leacock Family (Madeira)
Leacock Family Madeira Tasting (6/6/09) - Marchesi di Grésy
Stunning Barbarescos: Marchesi di Grésy’s Martinenga (1/25/12) - Marco de Bartoli
Marsala Master and Sicilian Icon Marco De Bartoli (6/25-26/11) - Mount Eden/Jeffrey Patterson
Mount Eden: One of California’s Oldest and Greatest Producers (3/21/12) - Petrus
Petrus 1921 – 1966, all the great years, in Magnum (9/28/03) - Produttori del Barbaresco
Produttori del Barbaresco Rabajà Reserva Vertical: 1967-2005 (6/2/11) - Quinta do Noval
Visit to Quinta do Noval, with vertical of Nacional (5/18/10) - Rhys
Tour of Rhys Vineyards’s New Cave with Kevin Harvey (11/11/10)
Tour of Rhys Vineyards with Kevin Harvey (5/2/08) - Ridge
Ridge Monte Bello Vertical Blindtasted 1977-2010 (6/17/11)
Ridge Lytton Springs Bloggers’ Tasting: 10 vintages of Lytton Springs plus small format Monte Bello (9/26/10) - Small Vines
High Density Planting: Visit with Paul Sloan of Small Vines Wines (7/31/11)
IV. Great Vineyards
- California Historic Vineyards
A Tour of Historic California Vineyards (5/30/12)
V. Criticism and Opinion
- Aesthetics
My Wine Aesthetic (4/20/10) - Balance Movement
California Wine Gets More Diverse: The Balance Movement (3/28/12) - Bloggers Conference
2011 Wine Bloggers Conference: Sponsor Programming Heavy, Relevant Content Light (7/25/11) - Robert Parker
Liquid Sex? Retrospective blindtasting of Parker Aussie favorite Oliverhill (3/14/11)
Robert Parker is a reeking pile of pus (4/29/10) - Stems and Pinot Noir
Curse of the Stems: Domaine de L’Arlot tasting (7/20/10)
J’Accuse: Criminal Stem Inclusion Levels in 2009 Bouchard Red Burgundies (8/17/11) - Tasting Notes
The Wine Tasting Note: Its Role and Value (8/7/11) - Traveling Consultants
Long Shadows Vintners and the phenomenon of big name, long-distance joint venturing (9/30/11) - Wine Competitions
Why I am Dubious of Wine Competitions: Medals for Everybody (10/12/11) - Wine Marketing
New Cult Wines, by winemaker Heidi Barrett? (10/29/10) - Wine’s Wonder
The Wonder of Wine (5/8/12)
VI. Memorable Wines and Meals
- Adventures in Wine Pairing Part I: Haute Cuisine by Chef Dan (4/30/10)
- Alinea Restaurant Wine Pairings (5/14/09)
- 40th Anniversary of Saturday Wine Lunch Group (7/10/04)
- Great 1950s Cabernet from California’s Big Four: Beaulieu, Charles Krug, Inglenook & Louis Martini (10/15/11)
- Memorable Wines to Celebrate the New Year in the South of France (12/26/07-1/3/08)
- Most Memorable Meal of 2010: Manresa Restaurant (11/21/10)
- My Top 15 Wines in 2011 (12/30/11)





















Hi Richard: Best of luck! Hope you win both catagories!!!!!!!!
Thank you Dotty! It’s wonderful to hear from you.