Big Table Farm: Wines from Oregon’s Willamette Valley

By Robin Alix Austin It is impossible to meet Brian Marcy and Clare Carver and not fall in love with Big Table Farm. The winemaker/artist team produces outstanding wines from their 70 acre farm in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The name comes from a desire to provide a gracious and welcoming table for enjoying handcrafted wine [...]

A Taste of Finger Lakes Riesling

With its cool climate and the influence of lakes and hills, the Finger Lakes region in New York is well suited for Riesling. This AVA (American Viticultural Area) is located in the western part of the state, about a five hour drive from New York City. The 2010 Finger Lakes Rieslings are available now and [...]

Great Value Summer Whites

Keep your summer going well into September with one of these great value white wines.  They’re perfect for an outdoor picnic, a day at the beach, as an aperitif or whenever it’s too hot to drink a red wine (or later on when you wish it was too hot for red). All of these whites [...]

It's Time for Wine: Winemakers Named Greg

If You Want Your Son To Be a Winemaker, Name Him Greg By Monty and Sara Preiser It is understandable that winemakers who toil for years in the vineyards, labs, and wineries as employees of a high powered vintner long to not only have their own name on a label, but to work for themselves. [...]

Something Sweet: Dessert & Fortified Wines

Some like it sweet — I certainly do.  So I couldn’t wait to explore the world of sweet and fortified wines during the “Sweet Dreams” seminar at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Hosted by Master Sommeliers Laura DePasquale, John Blazon, Eric Hemer and Doug Frost (also a Master of Wine), the seminar featured [...]

Thanksgiving Wine Pairings

A great Thanksgiving feast deserves a great wine!  Though selecting a bottle for your holiday dinner may seem a little daunting at first, the many flavors mean you can serve a variety of wines. I’ve come up with a list of traditional pairings like Pinot Noir and Zinfandel, less common ones like semi-sweet white wines [...]

Colorado Wine: Bookcliff Vineyards

Before I could leave Colorado I had to try some of the state’s wine.  There are more than 40 wineries in Colorado but unfortunately I only had the chance to check out one.  Fortunately it was a good one: Bookcliff Vineyards. Bookcliff Vineyards was founded in 1999 by husband and wife John Garlich and Ulla [...]

AG Pick: Heron Hill Riesling

I’m really excited about the wines that are coming from my home state, New York.  There are some impressive Rieslings being produced in the Finger Lakes region. That’s where Heron Hill Winery is located.  It’s in a town called Hammondsport, about a 5 hour drive from New York City.  The scenic route will take you [...]