Everyone is a wine critic, or at least everyone has an opinion about wine. With all of the thousands of wine producers, grape varieties and wine regions around the world, it helps to be able to turn to a source to help guide us.
Some people like the professional wine critic who scores wines. But sometimes a number does not tell us enough. Descriptions, anecdotes and insights can be a better way to understand a wine and help us connect with what we may like.
This post originally appeared in Wine Tourist Magazine
Staying on a vineyard in Italy or Greece sounds dreamy, but you can also do that in California....
This post originally appeared in Wine Tourist Magazine
<img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/557b2f2ee4b080726f94407e/579c13ce29687f4dd9d12de0/579c13ce579fb37b1a26a796/1469846480794/A+View+of+the+Fumanelli+vineyard.jpg" alt="A View of the Fumanelli vineyard.jpg" />
<img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/557b2f2ee4b080726f94407e/579c13ce29687f4dd9d12de0/579c13df579fb37b1a26a801/1469846496110/Fumanelli+Cherry+Party%286%29.jpg" alt="Fumanelli Cherry Party(6).jpg"...
This post originally appeared in Wine Tourist Magazine
When you think of Greece, do you think about the hundreds of islands? What about the beaches and...
Youthful, passionate, energetic, driven, professional, tasty....these are just some of the descriptions that come to mind about Baldoria in Little Tokyo. Baldoria, which is Italian for a "revelry, merrymaking, a good time," is a restaurant that is celebrating the good things in life. It is about small plates and shared plates; it is about good food, good wine and good drink.
This little neighborhood gem is also about friendship and fun. It is owned and run by David King, Duke Gervais, Matt Bostick and Aaron Justice. Owner David King previously worked as a sommelier at Mozza and was the beverage director and partner at Cube. It was at Cube that he met chef Duke Gervais and Aaron Justice, who oversees the front of house at Baldoria. It was at Mozza where King met Matt Bostick who is the beverage director at Baldoria.
Baldoria has only been open a few months but the level of professionalism makes it seem as if the restaurant has been open for years. It is because these four guys, who are all in their early 30s, have such great respect for each other, as well as respect and passion for what they are doing. They come from fine dining backgrounds which is reflected in the professionalism and seamless service.
This story originally appeared in the Napa Valley Register.
“Many people do not think Chablis is chardonnay but just a dry white wine that people love,” explained Gwenaël Laroche of Domaine Laroche as she spoke. “Chablis is in a class of its own.”
Chablis is located in the northernmost region of Burgundy, France. With a cool continental climate and soils consisting of limestone over marine fossil-rich Kimmeridgian clay, Chablis is home to chardonnay, and only chardonnay, making one-third of the total production of white wine in Burgundy.
“Chablis is the real image of Burgundy,” Laroche said. There are 40 Premier Cru vineyards and seven Grand Cru vineyards in Chablis. From one vineyard to the next, the notion of terroir is expressed in each wine, which has its own style.
Domaine Laroche is showcasing the terroirs of Chablis in their portfolio of wines. Michel Laroche, husband of Gwenaël, grew up in Chablis where his parents had six hectares in the 1960s. As a young adult, Michel created a negociant business in which he was buying and selling juice.
With the money he made, he bought 40 hectares (100 acres) in 1990. Today, with 90 hectares (220 acres), Laroche has 30 hectares in Premier Cru vineyards and six hectares in Grand Cru vineyards. In fact, Laroche is the largest land owner of Grand Cru vineyards in Chablis.
Champagne Palmer is likely an unfamiliar Champagne name. It is actually a new brand to the United States. But it is not a new brand. The Champagne house was started in 1947. It came to the East Coast of the United States in January 2015 and now it is available on the West Coast as well.
In Champagne, the three main types of producers are négociant, grower and cooperative. Négociant Champagne, with names such as Möet and Veuve Clicquot, are the most familiar types of Champagne. These Champagne houses buy their grapes from all over the region and blend them together to produce a consistent style each year.
Grower Champagne is produced by the winemaker who typically owns small parcels of vineyards. The wines are made with estate fruit and will vary year to year. Co-operative Champagne houses are made up of a group of growers who supply their grapes to the co-op to be made into wine.
Champagne Palmer was founded as a co-operative. Instead of focusing on their specific terroirs, seven Grand Cru growers decided to blend them and created Champagne Palmer. Today there are 320 growers who are all shareholders, committed to a minimum of 10-year contracts and are committed to producing excellent quality grapes.
