tim fish

Posted: November 15, 2012 By Tim Fish

Crowd-Pleasing Wines and Thanksgiving Memories

The holiday is a time to think of family and drink what you like

Posted: November 14, 2012 By Tim Fish

When I was a kid there was never wine on our Thanksgiving table. This was the Midwest in the late 1960s and if anyone drank anything it was a highball or a beer. Thanksgiving was always at my great-grandfather Lemuel's house and to my memory it seemed like a hundred people were there. Lemuel was not a kid person, even though he sired an imposing litter that spanned two generations. He scared me to death.

Today, Thanksgiving with my family includes plenty of crowd-pleasing wines, especially now that the younger generation is coming of age. Here are some widely available favorites that pair perfectly with Thanksgiving fare.

News & Features : News

Amazon Launches Wine Sales Site

Web retail giant partners with U.S. wineries; rival Wine.com launches a competing site

Posted: November 8, 2012 By Tim Fish

Blogs : Exploring Wine with Tim Fish

Let's Get Real About 2012

Two of California's best winemakers ponder the future of this year's vintage

Posted: November 7, 2012 By Tim Fish

Winemakers in Northern California are finally catching their breath as harvest 2012 winds to a finish. In the mood to kick back, and perhaps celebrate a little, winemakers Adam Lee of Siduri and Mike Officer of Carlisle had a long lunch last week at Stark's Steakhouse in Sonoma County and let me tag along.

Oct. 31, 2012 Issue : Features

A Sonoma Tradition

With a commitment to both land and family, and good value in the bottle, Pedroncelli Winery has endured

Posted: October 31, 2012 By Tim Fish

Oct. 31, 2012 Issue : News

Crushpad Clients Left Holding Bill

Posted: October 31, 2012 By Tim Fish

Blogs : Exploring Wine with Tim Fish

10 California Merlots for $20 or Less

The 2009 vintage offers both quality and value

Posted: October 24, 2012 By Tim Fish

California Merlot falls into three basic categories: the easygoing values, the expensive Cabernet-wannabes and that big void in the middle that’s a stylistic roll of the dice. For my annual Merlot report, I tasted nearly 200 wines, and I give the lowdown in the Nov. 30, 2012, issue of Wine Spectator.

Since the high-tech proletariat seems to throw around the most weight on the Internet, I thought I’d focus today on Merlots that cost between $10 and $20. In years past, that has not always been easy, but the 2009 vintage is so good that even the value Merlots are tasty. (A few early-release 2010s show promise as well.)