Puglia
Still trying to get my head around the wines of Puglia, where I spent several days last week. All sorts of great native grapes — negroamaro, primitivo, uva di troia, bombino bianco, malvasia, fiano —...
View ArticleWater Witching like Marc Mondavi
When I was little, we went out on my great-uncle’s farm in Illinois one day, while he was figuring out where to dig a new well. My great-uncle had hired a dowser, which was the preferred Midwestern...
View ArticleSurprises — good — with Pays d’Oc wines at lunch
I was kind of surprised at a luncheon last week to find that a former table-wine area of France has really grown up nicely. Several of the Pays d’Oc IGP wines I sampled were much finer than I had...
View ArticleMore Unsatisfactory Chardonnay
So much of the time I’m disappointed – or even appalled – when I taste Chardonnay wines. I’d like to say this time was different. But it wasn’t. Paul Hobbs’ 2013 Crossbarn Chardonnay (around $26)...
View ArticleBlack Box Wines: More to Like? Yes and No
If you’re like me and you want great wine at a great price, sometimes you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find a prince. (Though, as a positive-type person, I don’t tend to write about most of...
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