Acorn Zin on a Friday Night
Acorn Alegría Vineyards Zinfandel "Heritage Vines"2005 This wine is deep ruby, with a very interesting nose. It starts light, like blueberry, or maybe just…
Chateau Beauchene Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Chateau BeaucheneChâteauneuf-du-Pape "Grande Réserve"2005 This wine has a soft, earthy nose with smoke and chocolate. It's herbaceous on the palate, with anise and pine,…
Beef Stew with Zinfandel
On New Year’s Eve I served my guests beef stew with Zinfandel. It’s a homely dish, but always spectacular, and it seemed just right…
Bogleman
BoglePhantom2005 In Phantom, Bogle creates a monster. A blend of Petite Sirah, old vine Zinfandel, and old vine Mourvedre, this inky red packs a…
Giving Thanks, and the Best Apple Pie Ever
This year we hosted the family for Thanksgiving dinner. Although there were only six of us—too few, really, for a big turkey—I decided to…
A Dark Wine for a November Night
Clay StationPetite Sirah Lodi2005 This inky, full-bodied Sirah has a surprisingly cedary, herbal nose, while the palate offers lots of chocolate and dark fruits,…
Fresh and Lovely—And a Little Dark, Too
Oxford LandingGSM (Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre) South Australia2006 This Rhône blend from Australia has a bright, lively spirit—with a dark side. In the glass it…
A Really Lush Zin
SeghesioSonoma County Zinfandel2006 Take small sips: this Zin is incredibly concentrated, lavish, and unrestrained. The nose bursts with the brightness of cherries, but is…
Edible
This afternoon I stopped in at the King Arthur Flour Baker's Store in Norwich, Vermont, to buy a cranberry scone. On my way out…
Shiraz/Syrah
Cape MentelleShiraz "Margaret River"2004 This Shiraz has some of the funkiness of French Syrah on the nose: dark chocolate, tobacco, earth, menthol, and red…
Wine Flavors Visualization
Carl Tashian has created a visualization of the flavor profiles of various wines, using words that appeared in over 5,000 wine reviews. Simple, but…
Yes, a Vermont Wine
Snow Farm VineyardVermont Léon Millot2007 Léon Millot is a hybrid red grape varietal grown primarily in the eastern United States. According to The Wine…