Wine & Words

I may get some pushback for saying this, but I think I may like Chenin even more than I do Riesling.

A recent Internet wine meme says something significant about those of us who don't just like to drink wine but to think about wine.

Following up last year's report on the new winery La Porta di Vertine, Neil has now tasted the winery's organic offerings on a recent visit Here's his report.

:oaded with tight, mouth-drying tannins, Bordeaux is utterly unapproachable for many Americans, who aren't even vaguely tempted to buy it. Maybe that's OK, writes Taylor Eason.

Riesling seems to be forever branded by consumers as a "sweet" wine. But there's a lot more than sweetness to this variety.

The recent issue of Wine Blue Book features not only Red Burgundy, Northern Red Rhone and West Coast Pinot Noir wines, but also some Piedmont Reds and Argentine Malbecs.

When John Juergens visited California's Anderson Valley, he was overwhelmed by the natural beauty - and found some excellent wineries.

If there's one indispensible reference for the wine lover, it's Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book. Updated annually, the 2011 edition is now available. This handy guide packs an incredible amount of information into a pocket-size volume.

Here's a direct link to Steve De Long's delightfully geeky new wine-grape chart, a must-have gift for the serious wine hobbyist on your list.

Well, hello! What's this? A red wine like a blackberry chocolate cupcake with a mocha coulis"? And it's called "Cupcake"? Why write about something like that? Because sometimes it's not just about us.

Did Willie Sutton really say he robbed banks because "that's where the money is"? What does this have to do with wine?

From columnist Neil Duarte comes this video created by Jean-Baptiste Avril – a beautiful little 8-minute film of the wine year in Burgundy. Enjoy!

Spring returned early this year, and its balmy glories open a delicious invitation: Come back to Beaujolais!

Frank Cornelissen followed his dream to Sicily's Mt. Etna, where he established a vineyard and winery. A true believer in the purity of natural winemaking, he avoids all external chemical or other outside treatment in his organic vineyards.

The ultra-limited-production, hand-made Loire Valley wines of Puzelat-Bonhomme are rare indeed, and indisputably well-done.

Italy isn't particularly known for high quality white wine, writes Taylor Eason. But Soave just might be the next big thing out of Italy since the Super Tuscan was born.

Inspired by the arrival of another good, reasonably priced Chinon, let's return to the Loire today.

Valentine's Day can be stressful for the faint of heart. Richard Fadeley offers some no-fail rules for a Valentine wine dinner at home.

By the ancient standards of Tuscany, Ruffino Chianti is a relatively recent arrival. Still, it spans the entire modern era of this classic Tuscan wine.