The Connoisseurs' Wine Blog

We are now in the midst of what has been described as a “Riesling Renaissance” in this country spurred by a vocal group of new Riesling champions and reflected in growing consumer interest. There is no doubt that its star is rising, but, at this point, there may be a little more talk about...

We typically do not venture down this path, but we found ourselves with a shelf full of rare and expensive late harvest Rieslings, and since we are fans of these wines, we put them to the test of the tasting table. They are superb efforts in almost every instance. Part of their success...

If we were songwriters, we would be in the midst of penning a new little ditty entitled, “Where have all the Zinfandels gone? Long-time passing. Where have all Zinfandels gone? Gone to raisins, every one. When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?” And, so with apologies to...

Merlot’s rise to pop-star status, its subsequent fall from grace and all of the reasons why are now stories beaten to death in the wine press. But despite its apparent loss of luster in the eyes of many new wine cognoscenti, it is important to remember that Merlot is still second only to...

It does not happen all that often, but we do occasionally get asked to talk to groups of industry types about the state of play of the wine world. Back about three decades ago, when the Coca-Cola company was trying to find a way to be in the inexpensive wine business, we were invited to a meeting...