There’s a new episode of I’ll Drink to That! available. Episode 495 features Steve Doerner, who is listed these days as Winemaker Emeritus by Cristom Vineyards in Oregon. Steve Doerner was minding his own business in a biochemistry lab when the invitation to JOIN AN EPIC SCENE AND LIVE THE WINE LIFE OF GLORY arrived for him in the form …

Barra of Mendocino is crafting very good wines at very reasonable prices under the guiding hand of winemaker Randy Meyer.  We are especially impressed with Barra’s new releases of Chardonnay and Petite Sirah. Read our reviews below. Winemaker Randy Meyer The Barra of Mendocino project began in 1954 when Charlie Barra purchased Redwood Valley Vineyards located at the headwaters of …

With a long and illustrious career as a wine entrepreneur, following in the footsteps of both his and his wife’s family,  Dott. Carlo Campanini Bonomi has long recognised Sardinia’s undiscovered jewels and untapped potential. However, in 2000, when he left his wine venture on the island – then Sardinia’s largest wine producer, with 500 ha under vine – he didn’t …

The passport to the Cellar Collection, an exclusive tasting experience offered to Decanter Fine Wine Encounter guests. Passports in hand, they waited patiently. Despite getting there early to avoid the inevitable crowds, the queue quickly grew, the hundreds of like-minded souls buzzing with excitement at their impending world tour. No, not your typical Saturday morning at Heathrow Terminal 5, but …

Grapes at harvest time. Home of top-quality Paso wine, Adelaida is the westernmost of the sub-districts and closest to the Pacific Ocean. At its closest point, Adelaida lies just less than 10km from the coast, with the Santa Lucia Range mountains in between the two. The average rainfall in Adelaida is generally the highest in the Paso region, at 635mm …

Heart Hill in the Willow Creek AVA Just south of the sub-AVA Adelaida District lies Willow Creek, a high rainfall, high-elevation sub-district with similar properties. J Dusi Wines, a legacy Paso producer, has been farming the Paper Street vineyard, which straddles Adelaida and Willow Creek, for close to 10 years. The vineyard is planted to head-trained Zinfandel with cuttings from …

Southern Rhône 2022 overall vintage rating: 4/5 Extreme weather conditions produced reds that range from light and juicy to dense and powerful. Blockages in ripening caused by heat and drought made for moderate alcohol levels, but sometimes tough tannins. Whites can lack freshness. Some excellent, ageworthy Châteauneuf-du-Papes; also good in Rasteau. ‘Hot, dry vintages tend to favour red wines and …

Antoine Daumen of Domaine de la Vieille Julienne was unsure about the season as it progressed. ‘We were cautious to begin with, we had low expectations,’ he says, ‘but the old vines were still very healthy at the end despite the dryness.’ He was pleased with the domaine’s wines in 2022 – they have silky tannins, moderate alcohol and good …

A sunset view with the villa in the foreground. That dream of giving it all up and making wine on a Greek island against a crystal-blue ocean backdrop could become a reality – although it’ll cost several million euros to make it happen at this stone-walled villa. A view from the terrace. Credit: Greece Sotheby’s International Realty. Named ‘Estrella’, this …

Old Zinfandel vines in Sonoma Valley. For a time, Zinfandel was thought of as indigenous to the United States. Still, that commonly held belief was proven premature as the connections to Italian Primitivo proved the two nearly an exact genetic match. Though that association with California has not always been a positive one, Zinfandel has long been an important part …

Subdued at first, then opens up to reveals beautiful purity and fleshy, generous fruit, with a deep vein of salinity. Full but not heavy, with dried ginger, verbena and yuzu punctuating the fruit and mineral core. Very intriguing and texturally complex, which makes this one for the cellar. Drink now through 2032. 125 cases made, 40 cases imported. Source : …

Charming and drinkable, this red is light and crisp but not shy on flavor, with touches of pomegranate, açaí berry and wild strawberry, along with green tea, white pepper and dried violet notes that linger on a light, fresh body. Shiraz and Sangiovese. Drink now. 5,000 cases imported. Source : 7c3e6e714cb55e1bf24e34890a0e0d93