2005 K Vintners Guido and pizza!

I've been holding on to this bottle for a while now. We didn't get much of it at the store, and I only managed to get my hands on the one bottle for myself. The first thing I thought when I tasted it was "Holy crap, I wish I had a case of this!"

This wine completely changed my perception of the winemaker Charles Smith. His wines in general have gotten a lot of critical acclaim, and he's most well known for his syrahs, and most of the ones I've had are very big wines, yet this Guido was astonishingly delicate. It's 86% Sangiovese and 14% Syrah, and it showed more authentic Sangiovese varietal character than any Sangiovese I've ever had from Washington. My wine-drinking teammate and I actually had a bottle of 2005 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano a few weeks ago, and as we were drinking the Guido we both wished we had another bottle of the Vino Nobile just so we could compare the two.

The Guido smelled so perfectly like Sangiovese, full of cherries with just a little red licorice and dried flowers. The palate was delicious and elegant, again showing cherries and raspberries, amazing balance, and pairing extremely well with our Chicago Connection sausage pizza. My only regret is that we drank it so soon. It was so delicious, yet still seemed young, and I'm sure it would have continued to improve for a good long while. I've been keeping my eye on K Vintners' website and talking to my distributor, waiting for this wine's next release and I haven't seen anything so far. I REALLY hope Charles hasn't lost his vineyard source for this wine.

3 Awesomes.

Thanksgiving wine blog!

Man, I haven't blogged in a while. And that sentence right there kind of embodies what I've always hated about the word 'blog'. It sounds like slang for a bowel movement.

Anyway, Thanksgiving has just passed. My parents had the feast to end all feasts at their house. 29 people altogether, a 36.5 pound turkey that looked more like a suckling pig than a bird, and more wine than the assembled guests could possibly have consumed. I know I tasted a lot of wines, but for the sake of brevity I'm just going to talk about the ones that really stood out.

Among the whites, the first thing I drank was the 2008 Jelu Torrontes. I was super-stoked that I liked this wine as much as I remembered liking it, because I hadn't actually tasted it in a while, and it was one of the #1 recommendations in the store. We sold over 5 cases in the couple of days leading up to Thanksgiving, and I really hope everybody enjoyed the pairing as much as I did. It was everything I remembered; beautiful aromatics, the palate full of rich fruit and citrus, and cleansing acidity. I didn't drink a whole lot of whites overall, since there was so much good Pinot Noir all over the place, but the one other that really stood out was an 2006 Dönnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese, which was AWESOME. If you've read my last blog post, you know how I feel about Riesling. I had this one with a slice of pecan pie and it was so good I almost passed out. True, it could have been the effects of the turkey, or all the wine I'd had up to that point, but either way, it worked fantastically with dessert. I'm actually a big fan of spätlese wines with desserts because they're not super-sweet, so rather than having a wine and dessert that are competing for who can be the sweetest, the wine lets the pie lead the sweetness parade, and the acidity of the Riesling comes behind, leaving your palate cleansed and refreshed.



Also, I had a bit of 2007 Cuné Rioja Rosado which once again confirmed my opinion that dry rosé is AWESOME! Seriously, if you're one of the folks who still thinks that just because it's pink it must taste like Beringer White Zin, please please please try a dry rosé. It will change your world.

So on to the reds. It should be no surprise that the table was a veritable sea of Pinot Noir, although contrary to the way the table often looks at my dad's house, not all of it was French. 2004 Stephen Ross Stone Corral Vineyard Pinot Noir was unmistakably American in style, full of rich, sweet fruit, cola, and clove. 1997 Paul Hobbs PN was definitely one of the oddest wines of the night. It showed a lot of new world fruit, but also had this crazy intense Chinese spice and ginger action on the nose. We also had a bottle of 2007 Ocio PN from Cono Sur. I was particularly interested in this wine because, as anybody who's asked me for an inexpensive Pinot Noir can tell you, I freaking love the entry level Pinot from this producer. As a matter of fact, I've found literally every wine I've had from them to be a great value in it's price category. The regular Cono Sur Pinot Noir retails for $9.49 and is genuinely the best cheap Pinot I've ever had. At $48 retail, the Ocio definitely isn't in quite the bargain category of the basic version, and it's got some stiff competition from California and Oregon from wineries like Ken Wright, Etude, Flowers, and Cristom, and the Ocio can definitely hold it's own with the big boys. It's a rich, silky style full of lush baked cherries and rose petals. I liked it.

Now, despite being the official standard-bearer for domestic wines in the store and in my family, I have to admit that two of my favorite wines for the evening were in fact Burgundy. First was one that I've had a love affair with since the first time I tried it; the 2005 Marechal Bourgogne Cuvee Gravel. This was far and away my favorite basic Bourgogne of 2005. It was every bit as delicious as it has been previously; juicy cherry cobbler fruit with fantastically balanced minerality and acidity. And last but not least, the wine of the evening, the 2001 Michel Magnien Chambolle Musigny Gruencheres. This was truly an incredible wine. I've spoken highly of a lot of wines up to this point, but this Magnien made them all look clumsy. The wine was so elegant and so perfectly balanced I actually stopped in the middle of a conversation and stared at my glass after I first tasted it. The acidity was incredible, and yet the wine didn't seem remotely tart, just mouthwatering and lush, with a finish that just wouldn't quit. 3 awesomes doesn't even seem adequate to describe this wine.

That's about all I've got for now.
I'll try not to leave so much time between posts next time.

I mean, it's not like I stopped drinking or anything.

I'm not trying to sound preachy or talk down to anybody.....

....but seriously. Ok, a customer came into my store today to pick up his wine club wines. The function of our wine club is to expose people to new and interesting wines. The customer pays a set fee, and we pick out two bottles a month for them. We try very hard to make sure that the wines are diverse, interesting, and above all, good wines. Last month one of the selections was the 2006 Selbach Riesling Kabinet. One of my co-workers reviewed the wine for our newsletter:

2006 Selbach Riesling Kabinett,
Although the 2005 vintage will forever go down in history
for its exceptional wines, the 2006 vintage is not to be overlooked.
The harvest yield was lowered due to poor weather
conditions, but those wines that did succeed are just as good,
and arguably better, than that acclaimed ’05 vintage. The Selbach
Kabinett is a good example of the high quality wines
produced in Germany during this year. On the drier side, this
wine has significant complexity and depth for a standard table
wine. A nose classic of Mosel wines, characterized by honeydew,
petrol and lemon, opens to an intense palate of citrus
peel, lemon, wet hay and green melon. The finish has a unique
grassy quality, backed by a relative amount of acidity to serve
well as a food companion. This wine would pair well with
spicy Asian dishes or lighter fare such as chicken and shellfish.

I thought the wine was kick-ass. So, imagine how it made me feel when the customer, after picking up his wines for this month, remarked "Last month we had riesling, tell them not to do that anymore. Riesling sucks!"

Now, I don't like to make absolute statements when it comes to wine. I think wine is a very subjective experience, however I have no reservations about saying absolutely that Riesling does not suck. That being said, there are plenty of Rieslings that do suck, they're generally mass-produced, cheap American Rieslings that you can find at gas stations. Basically what seems to happen to many American wine drinkers is that, in their early twenties, before they've developed a pallet for good wine, and they don't like the taste of dry wines, and they're poor college students, they end up drinking these cheap Rieslings which have all the sweetness and none of the acidity or structure that make good Rieslings good. Eventually their palates develop and they realize that these are not very good wines, and they get the mistaken impression that these wines are actually what all Rieslings taste like.

This is genuinely a tragedy. The major thing missing from Rieslings that do suck is acidity. Acidity is what makes your mouth water, what makes wines pair well with food, and what makes the difference between a sweet wine that is cloying and leaves a coating on the inside of your mouth, and one that is mouthwatering, refreshing, delicious, and generally awesome. It seems like every day I have a customer come in and tell me they don't like Riesling because it's too sweet, and one by one I try to set them straight. For every one person who I or one of my co-workers manages to re-educate and convince to try pairing a sweet German Riesling with spicy Asian food there are hundreds of people who will never realize that it was poor winemaking and poor growing conditions that made the cheap Rieslings they've had before suck. For every one person I turn on to dry Riesling from Alsace, Australia, or Washington, there are hundreds of people who may go their entire lives without knowing how awesome dry Riesling is with roast chicken.

So please, if you're reading this and you're one of the thousands of people who think that Riesling is sweet wine for old ladies and College kids, please put your hand in mine and trust me. Buy a bottle of German Riesling, order some spicy take-out from your favorite Asian restaurant. If you don't have one, then some spicy chorizo tacos will work too. Try this pairing and it will change your perception of Riesling. And if you're not convinced on the sweetness thing, or if you just don't like spicy food, then pick up a dry one (your wine professional can help you find one), put a chicken in the oven, or grill some seafood, and open your mind to one of the world's great white varietals.

Riesling is awesome.

Australian Premium Wine Collection Tasting

A little while ago I had the chance to go to San Francisco for the Australian Premium Wine Collection's portfolio tasting. It was a great tasting, plus I got to take a trip to San Francisco for my birthday.

Australian wines are still a relatively new to me, and up until recently I would have divided them into two categories: Yellowtail and Amon-Ra. In the 'Yellowtail' category, you've got the value brands that are often advertised on billboards or on the side of buses. While they are a pretty good wine value, I would generally rather pay the extra money to get something I'd really enjoy. In the 'Amon-Ra' category, you've got the big, highly extracted, high-alcohol wines that are so beloved by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. The 2006 Amon-Ra recieved a 97-100 point rating from Parker, it's big, full of rich blackberry and mocha, vanilla, coconut and spice. I can see what some people like about wines of this type, but as somebody who prizes elegance, subtlety, and food-friendliness, there are a lot of wines out there that I'd reach for first.

Now, all that being said, I've been drinking a lot more Australian wines lately, and I've found a lot of wines that don't fall into either of these categories. This tasting introduced me to several wines that have helped me re-evaluate my image of Australian wines.

I started with whites. Unoaked chardonnays from Wishing Tree and Elderton represented good values, both relatively inexpensive, refreshish, light without being uninteresting, and both with good acidity. When it comes to white wines, Australia's particularly well known for Riesling, and now I see why. The Clare Valley has the warm days and cool nights that allow the grapes to develop great natural acidity. The wines are vinified dry and generally come out very Alsatian in style with a lot of petrol and floral character on the nose, great acidity, and often a very distinct minerality which comes from the high content of shale in the soils of the Clare Valley. My favorite Rieslings were from Rocky Gully, Frankland Estate and Mount Horrocks. The Mount Horrocks was particularly interesting. They have a dry riesling which is good, although a little spendy, they also have a dessert riesling called Gordon Cut, which is made in a unique style. 20% of the fruit is picked at normal ripeness and vinified into dry wine. The remaining fruit is left on the vine, but the clusters are cut most of the way from the vine so that they stop recieving nutrients and therefore don't ripen any further, they just become raisins on the vine, at which point they are vinified into sweet wine, and then blended with the dry wine. The result is a dessert wine with remarkable acidity, and a sugar level that's sweet and delicious, and not all syrupy or cloying. At nearly $30 retail for a 375ml bottle, it's not exactly cheap, but it is well worth it.

Moving on to reds, I started with the couple of Pinot Noirs that were available. I've never been impressed with Pinot Noir from Australia particularly considering how well the grape does in New Zealand. I've often felt that the Aussies should just stick to the several other varietals which do work well in their climate. The first two Pinots that I tried did nothing to change my opinion, however the last I tried, from Grosset winery, was excellent. It was elegant and floral, with fruit that was juicy but not over-extracted, and a little clove and cola character on the palate. I can definitely say that this is the best Australian Pinot Noir I've ever had. However at a retail price over $40, there are a lot of less expensive Pinots from other regions that are of at least comparable in quality.

I tried a number of Grenaches and found them to be very hit-or-miss, a lot of them either too light and generally unremarkable, or too extracted and high in alcohol, but I did find a few that managed to find the balance, and showed very well. The 2006 Tir na N'og Old Vine Grenache demonstrated that it's possible to have balance and extraction at the same time. The nose is full of sweet fruit preserves, baking spice, and grilled bread. The palate starts with big fruit and a bit of spice, and finishes with blackberry, espresso, and mocha. The 2005 Old Failthful Northern Exposure Grenache has a similar sweetness in the nose, although less of dark fruit. It actually reminded me vividly of easter candy, the palate was very nicely integrated, with black currant and blueberry fruit, and charmingly fine tannins.

One of my favorite reds was from Hewitson winery, their Old Garden Mourvedre was one of the most unique and interesting things I tried all day. The nose was a combination of ripe red cherry, crystallized ginger, and baking spice. The palate was fantastically complex with sweet fruit, ripe tannins, and hints of savory spice.

Shiraz is, of course, the main event at any Australian tasting. I re-tasted the 2004 Command Shiraz from Elderton and I still think it's fantastic. I was also quite fond of a few I hadn't tried before, including the Hewitson Ned and Henry's Shiraz, the 2004 Coates Shiraz, with a distinctive tart cherry character, and some black tea and potpourri aromatics. One of the most unique of the Shiraz (Shirazes? What's the plural of Shiraz? Anyway...) was from Craiglee. I tried three vintages, the 2001 showed white pepper on the nose, with licorice, and was almost Barolo-ish. The 2003 was similar, showing more fruit extraction, and the 2005 showed the most fruit, and more of the mocha and vanilla that's common to so many of these wines, but still with the distinctive white pepper character.

Unfortunately by this point I'd been tasting wine for over 2 hours, and my palate was pretty much shot. We departed the tasting for a seafood restaurant in Fisherman's Wharf. I had some fresh oysters and a tuna melt with a beer.

Beer is the best thing in the world after a long wine tasting.

Fresh oysters are awesome.

2005 Amavi Walla Walla Syrah

So, the 2005 vintage was rather anxiously awaited by Walla Walla wine fans because of the disaster that was the 2004 vintage. An unexpcted freeze in 2004 damaged a massive number of vines in Walla Walla, forcing many wineries including Amavi to look to the Columbia and Yakima valleys for fruit for their 2004 vintage wines.



The major advantage for Walla Walla growers heading into the 2005 vintage was the fact that Walla Walla is a wine region that doesn't have to worry about phylloxera, so their vines are planted on their own rootstock. As a result, the vines that were killed off by the cold in 2004 didn't all have to be replanted, and they were still able to produce fruit for the 2005 vintage.



The growing conditions in 2005 are generally described as ideal, with a cool April budbreak, good temperatures through the growing season, and a slow cool-down through the end of the summer that lead to good hangtime, allowing the grapes to develop flavor complexity and excellent acidity.



The nose on the 05 Amavi opens with tart black cherry, bright blueberry, and smoked meats. As it sat open, it developed darker characters of spice and coffee, with a really charming sweet basil character. The color is clear and beautiful violet. The wine was aged in 100% French oak, 1/3 of it new. The oak opens the palate , but is very well integrated, and leads immediately into juicy blackberry, blueberry and black cherry, with dark coffee, fresh earth, and mineral. The tannins are smooth and works together with the acidity to create an impressively long finish.



This bottle retails for $24. Now, when it came to rating this wine, I had to think about it for a while. I've had better Syrahs, that's true. I've also had cheaper syrahs, but I have never had a better cheaper syrah, so I've gotta give this one...



3 Awesomes!

Domaine la Bouissiere Gigondas 2005

So, I was actually planning on having my first post on this blog be an introduction to Piedmont, but it turns out I drink a lot of wine, so it looks like I'm going to be doing a lot more tasting notes. Last night I was at my parents' house for grilled flank steak and mashed potatoes with a little truffle oil, which was paired with this great Gigondas.

So, I checked the back-story on the winemakers, apparently they're French or something. But seriously folks... Anyway, the most interesting thing about Gilles and Thierry Faravels' vineyard is one of the highest elevation vineyards in the Gigondas appellation. Oh, Gigondas is in the Rhone, just in case anybody doesn't know that. There are 13 allowed grapes in the Rhone (Thank you, Scott). Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre are the most well-known, and the only 3 in this Gigondas. The family vines average 30-50 years old. Vine age and high elevation work as a team, like Sonny and Cher... I don't really know where I was going to go with that comparison, so never mind. I guess I could go back and erase it, but if you're reading this then I obviously decided not to. The point I was trying to make was that growing conditions make for a more elegant style of wine than many other Gigondas producers. The nose is very pretty, with blackberry and spice and a little cocoa powder action to it, the palate is rich, but stops short of being the big, chunky baked-fruit affair that some wines of this region can turn into. With dusty raspberry and blackberry and some chocolate on the palate, bright juicy fruit, fine tannins and excellent acidity, this wine showed well at this age, but it's not shy about telling you to lay it down for a few years.

As I continued my research, I learned that the Faravel brothers are just the type of winemakers I've always respected. They've been farming their vineyards organically since the 80's, and they use as little added sulfites as possible in all of their wines. The grapes are always hand-picked, the wines always gravity-fed from tank to barrel, and the wines are rarely fined or filtered.

I was going to give this wine two and a half awesomes, but I was really trying to stick to the 3-point system, and if I'm going to use half-awesomes, I should have just made it a 6-point system, or a 10-point system. I thought about adding a second level of scoring, like it gets two awesomes and a gold star or something, but that seemed a little silly. So, after thinking back over my original criteria, I'm giving this one two awesomes. I can't go so far as to call it perfect, but it's an excellent Gigondas, a great food wine, and at $30 retail, an excellent value.

Two Awesomes!

My first tasting notes!

Hooray! I tried a wine last night, and here's what I thought about it!

2004 Mount Eden Vineyards Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains.

Ok, I have to admit that I was a little turned off by the packaging of this wine. I know that's petty, but here's the thing: the wine is labeled as Cabernet, but in smaller letters on the front of the bottle is the varietal breakdown, it's actually just enough Cabernet to be able to be legally labeled Cabernet, the rest is Merlot, and a splash of Cab Franc. Now, don't misunderstand me, I have absolutely no problem with them making a blended wine, and I think they actually do a great job of it, my problem is, if you're going for a Bordeaux style with your wine, you're not doing yourself a favor by labeling it as Cabernet because people looking at the bottle are going to think it's just another big California Cab. That's just what I think though, maybe I'm a nitpicky little baby.

So, first impressions out of the way, I tried the wine. The nose was the first indication that this wasn't a typical California Cab. The fruit didn't jump out of the glass at me, and the oak, far from the overpowering wood of so many wines from Napa, was almost a whisper underneath the cassis and tart black cherry fruit. So far, I was intrigued. Moving on to the palate, remember that tart black cherry I talked about? Holy god! I'm sure that my first impression on the palate was tainted by the fact that I was still expecting something typical, and that's absolutely not what I got. I reset my expectations and went back in for another taste, and I was really impressed by how well-made this wine is. It's got blackberry and cassis and a very subtle ribbon of vanilla to go along with that tart black cherry, very fine tannins, and acidity that makes it cry out for food.

After tasting the wine I've got to stick with my initial criticism of the labeling. I think this is a really good bordeaux-styled wine, and as such, should just be labeled with the varietal breakdown, or just labeled as a red blend.

Ok, this is the end of my notes for this wine, and I guess I need like a ratings system. I'm not a big fan of the points system because then you get into the whole "what's the difference between a 92 point wine that costs $60 and a 93 point wine that costs $25" b.s. So I'm going to opt for a simpler 3-point system, using 'Awesome' as my unit of measurement.
A wine receiving 3 Awesomes is pretty much perfect as far as I'm concerned. It's classic in style, and well-worth going to great lengths to find.
A wine receiving 2 Awesomes is a good wine, I enjoyed it, it's worth it's price, I totally recommend it, I consider it to be a standout in it's category either on measure of quality, value, or both.
A wine recieving 1 Awesome is also a good wine, but I've had better. I'm not offended by it, I don't hate it, but I'm not over the moon about it either.
A wine receiving no Awesomes sucks. Now remember it's just my opinion, and who the hell am I? I'm just somebody who drinks a lot of wine and has a big mouth. If I taste a wine that makes me want to spit it out immediately, if I taste a wine that tastes absolutely nothing like the varietal it's supposed to be, if I taste a wine that makes me say 'screw it, I'll just drink water,' that's a 0 Awesome wine.

So, the Mount Eden 2004 Cab scores 2 Awesomes. Hooray!

Some basics on Piedmont

I started my relationship with wine while working in an Italian wine bar on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Since Italians were the first wines I really got to know, I thought they'd be a good subject for my first post. But then I got all busy writing tasting notes about the Cabernet and the Gigondas below, and I put this post on the back burner, but here it is, finally complete in all it's glory.

So, we've got a map of the wine regions of Piedmont over here, and as you can see, it's a little complicated. I'm going to do my best here to break down the basics.

To many uninitiated American consumers, one of the most recognizable areas in Piedmont is the Asti area. Some great wines come out of this region, however it's fame comes not from the quality of wines, but rather from that Martini and Rossi Asti Spumanti garbage that was marketed all over TV in the 80's. I've met a lot of people who have shied away from any wines with the d'Asti designation because of this association. Rest assured, that mass-marketed plonk is in no way representative of the real wines from the Asti region. The Asti Spumanti crap from tv was a bastardization of Moscato a'Asti, a low-alcohol, slightly sparkling, slightly sweet white wine that I happen to love. As an aperitif, it's a great alternative to Champagne, with acidity that makes them a great palate cleanser, which also makes it a great wine to serve between courses, especially if you're changing from one wine to another, or serving sorbet or anything like that. It's also an awesome wine to serve with spicy food, and if you've never tried pairing lightly sweet wine with spicy food, you're missing out. A sweet German Riesling with some spicy Thai food can be an incredible combination, and I absolutely love Moscato d'Asti paired with spicy seafood tacos. I might have to start putting recipes on my blog too, because my spicy seafood tacos are the stuff that dreams are made of.

So, whites aren't really the big thing in Piedmont. The only other white that I can even think of off the top of my head is Roero Arneis. Arneis tends toward delicate, grassy, sometimes floral character on the nose, crisp on the palate, finishing with an almost nutty character.

If there are any wine people reading this, you're probably getting pretty irritated at the fact that I've been talking this long about Piedmont without mentioning Barolo, and to those people I say, calm down. I'm trying to make this crap accessible here, and this is some dense material. So, Barolo is the big daddy wine of Piedmont. It's frequently referred to as "The king of wines, and the wine of kings." It's kind of weird to me that, while Barolo and Barbaresco are commonly described as the masculine and feminine expressions of the Nebbiolo grape respectively, no body's ever tried calling Barbaresco "The queen of wines, the wine of queens." I guess that does sound kind of gay though.

The Nebbiolo grapes tend to ripen earlier in Barbaresco, and the wines undergo a shorter maceration, and so generally mature earlier, usually becoming ready to drink within 5-10 years of vintage. Barbaresco commonly shows aromatic notes of roses or violets, with tart cherry, truffles, and licorice on the palate. Barolos generally need at least 10 years to reach maturity, especially the more traditionally styled wines. Mature Barolos will also tend to show floral characteristics on the nose, but they will generally be accompanied by darker character of tar, leather and tobacco.

The folks in Piedmont can't sit around waiting for their wine to mature all the time, of course, so they also make several wines which are meant to be consumed within just a few years of bottling. Nebbiolo grapes are also used to make younger wines called Nebbiolo d'Alba and Langhe Nebbiolo, which can be great entry-level wines for somebody trying to learn about Barolo and Barbaresco, but not wanting to spend a fortune. These wines are only required to age for 1 year before bottling, and are generally lighter, less intense versions of Barolo and Barbaresco. Also intended for early consumption are Barbera and Dolcetto, and you can generally find a broad selection of good quality wines from each of these grapes for under $20. Both wines are generally light to medium bodied. Barberas are generally slightly smoky, with ripe fruit flavors. Dolcetto's name translates literally as "little sweet one," however these are not sweet wines. The name most likely is a reference to the sweetness of the grapes, but may also refer to the aromatics of the wine, which can be very fruity and floral, and can give off the impression of sweetness on the nose. There are also a few producers who make barrique-aged Barbera wines, which are generally more intense and complex, and will last much longer in the cellar. Unfortunately there's not a different DOC designation to alert the consumer of which they're buying, so often the only way to tell is by price, as the barriqued versions are usually about 50% more expensive than their counterparts.

Ok, I'm done talking about Piedmont for the moment. I know I didn't cover everything, so I'm sorry if there are any Freisa Fanatics out there who feel overlooked.

I'm sure I'll have something else I need to spout off about before too long.

Until then, may the force be with you.

Why are you writing a wine blog?

Leil, why are you writing a wine blog?

Well that's an excellent rhetorical question, self. Here's why: I know some things about wine. I'd never claim to know everything, and truth be told, there are even some basics that I have trouble with. I can never remember which bank is which in Bordeaux, and if you named a Burgundian appellation, I'd have trouble telling you whether it was Cote de Beaune or Cote D'or. That being said, I do know some stuff, and I'm always trying to learn more, so this here's my wine blog. The areas about which I know most are Italian and American, and I'm working on beefing up my knowledge of French and Spanish wines. I'll put things that I know on here in the hopes that it helps people who want to learn about wine, and if there's something you thing I should know about, please feel free to post comments. I'll also post tasting notes on here of wines I'm drinking. I do work in a wine store, so most of the wines I'm tasting will be wines I'm selling, but I will do my best to be even-handed with my tasting notes, and not just try to sell stuff.

Thanks, and cheers.
Leil