October 2008
Posted: Oct 31, 2008 1:46pm ET
I got some good advice on wine values and the economy from an old friend recently. The old guy is elderly but still very young at heart. He has seen times like this come and go, both in life and wine, and he knows the same old storyline about wine prices that only go in one direction no matter which way the economy is heading.
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Posted: Oct 29, 2008 3:10pm ET
Beer drinking goes hand in hand with winemaking. So why not have a winery that’s also a brewery under one roof, with an easily accessible tasting room? Napa Smith Brewing Co. had barely brewed its first batches before it decided to add a winery in the same facility.
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Posted: Oct 27, 2008 4:30pm ET
As we all begin to rethink our wine-buying strategies, one of the unexpected surprises you’ll find is how many great wines there are that sell in an affordable range. Granted, what constitutes a good value depends on your budget.
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Posted: Oct 24, 2008 12:58pm ET
Caught sunrise in Carneros this morning. My internal clock has been off a bit, shuttling between Napa and New York and back, so there are times lately when I’ve risen before sunlight. One of the things you notice on the country back roads waiting for the sun is the photographers.
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Posted: Oct 21, 2008 2:00pm ET
Choosing a restaurant in a city that’s new to you presents its own set of challenges. On my recent trip from Napa to New York I spent a Saturday night in Oakland in order to catch an early flight the next morning and decided to scout out Jack London Square for dinner.
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Posted: Oct 13, 2008 4:07pm ET
One of the exciting things about emerging wine regions is that many of the pioneers are still present. You can meet them and appreciate their contributions to wine. David Lett, who died last week, was an Oregon pioneer I knew early on in his career.
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Posted: Oct 10, 2008 5:00pm ET
Today we look forward, with a glimpse of what lies ahead with vintage 2007 in California. In recent days, I’ve tasted some purely sensational young wines. While it was an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny peek at a much bigger picture, it has been exciting.
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Posted: Oct 8, 2008 4:55pm ET
No wine drinker I know is going to stop drinking wine. But everyone I know is rethinking what he or she will buy and how much he or she will spend, with an obvious eye to caution. Over the years, I’ve spent more money on wine than perhaps I should have, and I have a nice cellar.
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Posted: Oct 7, 2008 1:17am ET
You do the best you can, and then there are forces that are well beyond your control. Today’s thought applies to two scenarios: the global economic turmoil and California’s harvest 2008. No matter how well you’ve planned, or saved, or diversified your interests, it’s been impossible to avoid the current fiscal vortex.
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Posted: Oct 2, 2008 2:23pm ET
Taking a disciplined approach to buying wine is something I admire and something everyone should consider. One of my longtime friends, Dan, used to draw the line on buying a bottle of wine at $10 or $15, and always found bargains.
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Posted: Oct 1, 2008 2:50pm ET
This is a good time to have a cellar, along with cash under the mattress. I don’t think most people collect wines and build cellars for times of uncertainty or fiscal restraint. But it sure helps if you have a cache of wine you can tap.
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