Sandy Block

One of the reasons Riesling appeals to us so much more immediately than many other varieties is that it’s not an acquired taste: you don’t have to search for flavor undertones and subtleties. At the same time they are often present, so the grape also has the potential to excite... Read More

Judging by aggregate sales figures for the first 7 months of 2OO6, Americans are doing a lot of celebrating. Whereas imported wines in general keep creeping higher as a percentage of the overall US wine market, Champagne has always constituted a category unto itself. Sales trends in this unique segment... Read More

The dramatic increase in the popularity of Pinot Gris over the past few years has vaulted it into second place among the white grapes that Americans choose most frequently, right behind Chardonnay. The vast majority of the bottles, however, are labeled Pinot Grigio and imported from Italy or produced in... Read More

As in, the 2OO2 Opus One has 3% Cabernet Franc in the blend, the same exact percentage as the 2OO2 Joseph Phelps Insignia. In fact, why is its presence almost mandatory in California’s most prestigious so-called “Meritage” Bordeaux blends? Questions abound. How can the presence of such a small percentage... Read More

Not that the wine it makes ever knocks you out with dramatic flavor. Its charms are subtlety and understatement. It flows rather than rushes at you. More Debussy than Wagner. But this is exactly what I’m looking for lately in a multi-purpose white wine with fish. In fact, one of... Read More

The idea even seems a bit quaint. Having recently sat on a blind tasting panel composed mainly of sommeliers from around the world, I can report that it’s not a popular grape among many of the young guns in the field. Not that anyone comes out and actually says they... Read More

It’s not exactly news that Pinot Grigio is and has been the ascending star in the white wine business. What’s interesting is how little of its mass appeal has spilled over into that other rendition of the grape labeled Pinot Gris, which remains somewhat of a secret outside of the... Read More

As a recent vertical tasting at the inappropriately named California Wine Experience in Chicago clearly established, the Chateau has over the past twenty odd years produced a series of impeccably structured, absolutely delicious wines which rank among the most thrilling in the world. Expectations at this level, at the pinnacle... Read More

A large part of the attraction wine holds appears to be the fact that it offers great potential for discovering exciting new taste experiences. Whereas the amazing diversity of products available once appeared to paralyze most of us with indecision, today we are embracing it fully. Not only have more... Read More

To me wine is seasonal primarily to the extent that I’m drawn to certain dishes at different points on the calendar. To complement the lighter, fresher fare that makes up a large part of my diet during the warmer months, I’ll often choose wines that are lower in alcohol, un-oaked,... Read More