September 2010
Tasting the state’s signature variety back to 1979
Posted: Sep 27, 2010 11:00am ET
Earlier in September I had the opportunity to taste older wines from Oregon, presented by Harry Peterson-Nedry of Chehalem and Rollin Soles of Argyle. I don't have the experience to put Oregon's wines in context with Burgundy's, or California's, especially not when it comes to older vintages. But like most wine lovers, I am fascinated by Pinot Noir, and I jumped at the chance to explore its history in Oregon.
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A tasting of older vintages brings some surprises
Posted: Sep 20, 2010 3:00pm ET
Does it really matter how well wines age? Today, more and more wines are made in a style that permits—and perhaps even encourages—us to drink them young.
Nonetheless, there's a persistent belief among wine lovers that for a wine to be great, or important, it has to prove it can age well. And, I'll admit, in my experience, the best mature wines are more interesting and, yes, better, than the best young wines. So I was happy to be invited recently to a tasting of older wines from Oregon.
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What happens when you hate a wine someone else loves?
Posted: Sep 13, 2010 10:00am ET
Have you ever disagreed sharply with someone over the quality of a wine you were sharing? What would you do if someone were praising a wine you thought was technically flawed to the point of being undrinkable?
That's the situation I found myself in during an otherwise exceedingly pleasant tasting dinner at the Brooklyn Wine Exchange, a new retail store in downtown Brooklyn.
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Do our wine preferences evolve in a predictable pattern?
Posted: Sep 7, 2010 1:00pm ET
In our Forums, a thread has evolved I'll call "The Palate's Progress." The
initial post theorized that wine lovers journey along a predictable path as their palates evolve, from New World reds to Old World reds and, finally, if they're wise, to the great dry whites of the world.
So far, nearly 60 responses have been posted. No real pattern has emerged,
however. While some posters followed this pattern, others began their
wine journeys with sweeter Rieslings or Old World reds or even blush wines
like white Zin. But almost everyone seemed to accept the idea that people's
palates do change as they experience different wines and learn more about them.
My wine epiphany came when I was 25.
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