Month: November 2021

“Great wines ought to have a sense of place, and they ought to refresh. But the sorts of wines that are age-worthy and develop complexity tend to be rare and increasingly expensive, and few people have access to them. These sorts of bottles represent a tiny fraction of what’s produced and consumed. At the same time, many people experience greatness in wines that don’t necessarily fall under the classic definition. I know I do.” In the New York Times, Eric Asimov ponders what makes a wine great.

Over the last 50-plus years, the wine club has gone from stuffy boys’ club fodder to niche restaurant selections. The pandemic has led to an explosion of options that go beyond a passive doorstep drop. Megan Krigbaum surveys the wine club scene in PUNCH.

Might our palate be conditioned by visual cues and cultural constructs? In Decanter, Andrew Jefford argues that tasting is a synesthetic experience greatly affected by assumptions and expectations

In Wine-Searcher, Barnaby Eales explore’s France’s newest wine region: Brittany.

In Forbes, Cathy Huyghe highlights two less-traveled wine regions: California’s San Benito County and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

In Grape Collective, Marco Salerno talks to Salvo Foti about the human side of winemaking on Mount Etna. 

In People, Sophie Dodd pulled together a gift guide for wine lovers.

Grapes for Port have traditionally been crushed by foot, but does that foot need to have a pulse? In Wine-Searcher, Kathleen Willcox reports on the Port producers transitioning to mechanical foot-treading machines.

In the Drop, Janice Williams rounds up the best Cyber Monday wine deals to hop on today.

Also in the Drop, Henry Jeffreys longs for carefree parties and the bad wine served at them.

Dave McIntyre highlights the best wine books of 2021 in the Washington Post.

In Wine Enthusiast, Sean P. Sullivan explores how wine auctions have evolved during the pandemic.

CNN reports on Burgundy’s catastrophic 2021 vintage, and the silver linings discovered at the Hospices de Beaune charity auction.

Meininger’s reports on the Hospices de Beaune auction and how this year’s sale seems to be representative of prospects for the 2021 vintage.

Jancis Robinson recommends a wide range of festive bubbly.

Antonio Galloni shares his notes on new Champagne releases in Vinous.