Three days in Seattle. So much Riesling! The fifth annual Riesling Rendezvous was in town, and I attended it for the first time. Riesling is a grape that has had…
The judgement of… How useful are comparative blind tastings?
It’s 40 years since Steven Spurrier’s famous Judgement of Paris (also a story in Greek Mythology). This was the tasting that is credited with opening the way for New World…
Underwood: Oregon wine in a can
Underwood wines come in 375 ml cans. It’s striking packaging. I was curious, so I bought a pair to try, for $5.99 each from World Foods in Portland, Oregon. They…
Riesling Rendezvous: why analytical data don’t tell us much about the taste of Riesling
I’m at the Riesling Rendezvous conference in Seattle, Washington State. Held every three years, it’s an in-depth dive into this most distinctive of white wine grapes. It began on Sunday…
Three days in Portland, Oregon
Portland is one of the USA’s most vibrant cities. It’s known for its food and drink scene, and for being a hub for artistic, creative and alternative types. And…
In Oregon: Beckham Estate Vineyard
Andrew and Annedria Beckham (pictured above) are making some of Oregon’s most compelling wines, and they have a great story, too. We visited their property in Parrett Mountain (in the…
In Oregon: heading to the coast and Cannon Beach
In a gap between visiting wineries in the Willamette Valley, I had the chance to visit the Oregon coast for the first time. We stayed at Cannon Beach. It has…
The 2014s from Evening Land: Oregon’s new pacesetter
Yesterday I got to taste the as yet unreleased 2014s from Evening Land Vineyards. This is the first step in a new phase of the project, which is based on…
Extended tasting note: Brooks Ara Riesling 2008 and Brooks Janus 2008, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Sometimes, short tasting notes don’t really tell you all that much about a wine. So, in the past, I’ve tried to write the occasional extended tasting note, bringing in the…