Why I Don’t Give Up
Once, I was in a plane crash. The plane had been hit by lightning twice, knocking out its electrical system and landing gear, forcing it to a crash landing, in the dark, late at night.… Continue reading
It’s Actually Not Flavor That Counts
What are we looking for in great wine? Whenever I ask winemakers in Napa Valley or Bordeaux who make wines based on Cabernet Sauvignon this question, they often talk about their effort to get good… Continue reading
Drinking Deception—How Cannabis Steals Wine’s Story
“The next time you attend an upscale gathering, don’t be surprised if alongside—or instead of—the… Continue reading
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BRAVE NEW WORLD…Wine at a Critical Crossroad
Following is an edited version of my keynote speech to the DTC Conference in Monterey,… Continue reading
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HIDING GUILT AND RACISM
I live in California which has the highest share of undocumented crop workers in the country. But California is not alone. In the U.S. as a whole, 42% of agricultural workers are undocumented according to… Continue reading
What I Wish I Could Tell the Surgeon General
The Insidious Dangers of Dry January
My parents, like so many of the generation who became parents in the 1940s and 50s, drank spirits—in their case, Seagrams whiskey highballs. They drank a lot of them. Too many in fact. As a… Continue reading
Between the Earth and the Sky
A Vertical of Napa Valley’s famous Cabernet: Corison “Kronos”
(This piece originally appeared in Somm Journal) Cathy Corison has made 48 vintages of Napa… Continue reading
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Five Stunning Napa Cabernets
From a “Vintage of the Century”
Every century, every place, has its legendary vintages. 1945 and 1961 in Bordeaux, for example,… Continue reading
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Red Leaves? WAIT, Don’t Take That Photo
This time of year, scores of photographers and wine lovers line up along the roads… Continue reading
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Holiday Entertaining: Wine Wisdom from Karen MacNeil
Five Tips for Making Your Holiday Event Exceptional and Exclusive
Make your holiday party sensational this season, it’s easy to do. I’ve given lots of… Continue reading
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The Best Thing You’ll Ever Drink with Pumpkin Pie
A Thanksgiving Secret
Needless to say, pumpkin pie is sweet … but it’s also more than that. It’s savory and earthy and a little bit spicy. It needs a wine of energy, aliveness, and complexity–a wine that’s a… Continue reading
Six Great Napa Cabernets
Unfurling Themselves--Right Now
Two and half years ago, when most of the 2021 vintage Cabernets in the Napa… Continue reading
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