Very impressed by this pair by Villa Maria, one of New Zealand’s most consistent producers. Villa Maria Cellar Selection Pinot Noir 2009 Marlborough Seriously seductive Pinot. Sweet cherry and berry…
Some more Sonoma pics
On my way home now, but here are some more Sonoma pictures. The light was just so good this week.
A memorable meal at Shimo, Healdsburg
Last night’s meal at Shimo, Healdsburg will live long in the memory. It describes its offerings as ‘modern steak’, and the steak we had was probably the best I’ve ever…
An afternoon in Sonoma wine country
Yesterday afternoon was fun, with two contrasting winery visits. Scott Burr, my host, arranged two appointments, on a gloriously bright spring day. On the one hand, Kenwood: a relatively large…
10 lovely US wines with dinner at Willi’s Wine Bar
Some very nice wines at Willi’s Wine Bar here in Santa Rosa last night. It’s an interesting place: they offer wine in a range of measures, including 2 oz tasting…
A Frenchman in Portugal: Francois Lurton’s Douro wines
Francois Lurton (website here) makes wine in France, Chile, Argentina, Spain and now Portugal. He bought his first Douro property in 2006 (Quinta Beira), and has subsequently added a second (Quinta…
Two natural-tasting, affordable French wines
Always good to find decent, natural tasting French wines that I can afford. Here are a couple imported directly by London merchant Roberson. Both are organic. Julien Sunier Beaujolais-Villages 2008…
Another good Aussie Riesling
Here’s another classic Aussie Riesling, from the Eden Valley. It’s a wine that is held back before release, which is great, because few consumers have a chance to cellar wines…
A brief trip to Hungary
Just on my way home for a brief trip to Eger, in Hungary. I was attending a meeting organized by agrochemical company BASF for some of their most important (viticulture)…