Sandy Block

Among the most interesting and delicious but least understood Champagne categories on the market is the pure 1OO% Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs.  Softly textured and nuanced with aromatic complexity, Champagnes made exclusively with white grapes are not only highly reflective of their terroir origins but they can also often prove... Read More

Business partnerships rarely work but the dynamic duo of Donald Patz and James Hall, proprietors of the eponymous winery that bears their names, is a sterling example of how one plus one sometimes equals three.  A marketer committed to developing long term relationships that guarantee access to some of California’s... Read More

It’s almost impossible to discuss Barbera without also considering Nebbiolo. Despite increasing recognition, it remains one of the least respected red grape varieties in the world, an image problem related largely to the relationship it has with its nobler cousin in their Piemontese homeland.  There is no question that Nebbiolo... Read More

ALTHOUGH THE ECONOMY is not exactly in partying mode like it’s 2OO7, you’d never know it by the recent fortunes of Champagne in the US.  Demand for the finest prestige cuvées is high and prices are through the roof.  Despite gloomy economic forecasts and a slight decline in overall volume,... Read More

ONCE a fashionable name on the us market, Pouilly-Fuisse has not been a “go to” wine for decades, but remains nonetheless an advantageously situated Burgundy appellation nestled among hills and jagged outcroppings at the southernmost end of the Macon district.  The Chardonnays produced on its rocky vineyard amphitheaters vary considerably... Read More

ARGENTINE MALBEC CONTINUES TO SOAR on the American market.  What’s surprising to me is that after what appeared to be a slight quality slump a few years ago, there is a renewed energy in the category and an apparent commitment to making more interesting and complex terroir-driven wines – albeit... Read More

Spain’s red wines have been on fire in the US lately, with each year of the past several experiencing double digit sales growth. Blind tastings of Spanish reds, at whatever price point, continue to provide revelations of remarkable quality. What’s less widely known though is the dramatic improvement in Spain’s... Read More

Every observer with even a passing interest in California wine knows the Opus One story of trans-Atlantic collaboration between two of the Twentieth Century’s most visionary wine personalities. What’s less clear to some is the status of the iconic Napa Valley winery since the passing of both Robert Mondavi and... Read More

0regon’s wine reputation rests squarely on the high quality of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. The state’s Pinot Gris has also hit the radar screen of many wine lovers. Yet, even after a few decades of consistently outstanding production, 0regon Chardonnay remains an untold story outside of its region. Invisible though... Read More

Portugal is the world’s tenth largest wine producer but, outside of Port, its wines remain somewhat of a mystery in the US.  About fifteen years ago I devoted considerable effort to importing and marketing Portuguese wines here because of the challenge of representing a country with a rich heritage and... Read More