New From Smith-Madrone

Earlier this year I reviewed the 2017 Chardonnay and Riesling from Smith-Madrone. Eddie and I really liked the wines and my two-bottle review is here if you would like to read it. To give you an idea of how much we appreciated these wines, here was my opening: When was the last time you tried…

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Start Date Announced for 2021 Champagne Harvest

  EPERNAY, FRANCE – The Comité Champagne has announced the 2021 Champagne harvest started on 6 September. Weather conditions in the Champagne region are good for the ripening of the grapes, but conditions across the vineyard are unusually varied. Because Champagne always picks its grapes by hand, this means that the organization of picking this year will have to be adjusted. Weather conditions…

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Piper-Heidsieck Chief Winemaker Named 2021 Sparkling Winemaker of the Year

REIMS, FRANCE (PRWEB) – At 34 years old, Piper-Heidsieck Chief Winemaker Emilien Boutillat has been named the 2021 Sparkling Winemaker of the Year at this year’s annual International Wine Challenge (IWC) held in London, United Kingdom. Emilien joined the Piper-Heidsieck family in October 2018, taking over from renowned winemaker Regis Camus, and is the youngest chef de…

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Tasting Monteru French Brandy with the Southern California Whiskey Club, aka a Masterclass of Single Grape Varietals

Never heard of Monteru French Brandy before Ries Michael of the So Cal Whiskey Club invited me to this particular class and I did some research on them ahead of time. They’ve won their fair share of medals in worldwide spirits competitions, received high ratings from respected critics, besides the styles listed in our tasting…

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Josh Cellars Launches New Prosecco Rosé

STAMFORD, Conn. /PRNewswire/ — Josh Cellars is giving us a new reason to celebrate: Prosecco Rosé. America’s most popular premium ($10+) wine brand is among the first to market with Italy’s newest approved sparkling varietal.   Josh Cellars is among the first to market with Italy’s newest approved sparkling varietal: Prosecco Rosé. “We all have reasons…

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