Corks and Caftans

Burgundy is complicated: the wine, the geography, the influence of vintage. Thankfully, there are some basic guidelines to follow. Burgundy is divided into a north, and a south; Pinot Noir is the heartbeat of the reds, Chardonnay of the whites. The most sought-after Pinot Noir is considered to be a product of  the north, or [...]

It’s hard to know where to start wrapping something like this up—and it certainly can’t be done in one post. My life was changed, this I know, and I have what feels like a years’ worth of personal, mental debriefing to do. [A post-fermentation pH testing.]

When I arrived at Walnut City Wineworks over a month ago, my eyes immediately fell on WF1 (white fermenter 1, we assume), a 2000+ gallon oak fermenter whose age is unknown, 25+ years maybe. She was one of the most recent additions to the facility after Michael Lundeen, the winemaker, took his post at WCW [...]

It’s turkey season! That didn’t  mean a whole lot to me before I moved to VT—but I know better now. This is serious business. For 30 days, my co-worker, John, wakes up before 4:00 am, heads into the woods, settles in, waits for dawn, makes some sexy hen noises, and draws in a big ‘ole [...]

  Two points of interest on the C+C blog, from our vantage point, uncovered over dinner on Friday night: 1., this was never intended to be a blog that actually had photographs in it, gasp! and 2., when it comes to comments, on our blog, quality definitely wins out over quantity, and we like it [...]

  Four good things happened last night. First, I found the cord (not chord, smarty pants; the second pertains to my guitar) for my photo lights. That, along with longer days, makes my life easier. Second, Carey located a groovy leather headband, which may or may not have been one of Sacajawea’s actual personal items. Third, [...]

A sinister snowflake? A sparsely-spined sea urchin? A magnified mini Koosh?  Nope! The artwork for Alta Maria Vineyards features hand-hewn iron nails used by homesteaders in Santa Maria before the Industrial Revolution introduced mass-produced, machine-cut nails. Despite its lowly function, each nail is unique from the next according to the conditions in which it was made [...]

Riedel didn’t seek the help of California Pinot Noir vintners when this outstanding glass was produced a number of years ago; in fact, it was the Oregonian vintners that curried favor. The result was this monolithic glass—in every tasting room we had the privilege of entering on our trip last year. A monster bowl for [...]

Shea Wine Cellars, Ken Wright, St. Innocent, Penner-Ash, Alexana, Panther Creek, Berström, Auteur, Sin Qua Non, Loring Wine Co., Raptor Ridge, J.K. Carrier, Elk Cove, Patricia Green, Stevenson Barrie, Westrey, Rex Hill, Broadly and Beaux Frères. All these wineries have, or have had, something in common, and that is: Shea Vineyard, one of America’s great vineyards. I [...]

We drank a lot of wine this summer—some great, but most good. For the first time in a while, I had little interest in taking risks. Schedules were insane and time was precious—my tolerance for sifting through bargain fails to find the occasional gem was fleeting at best. I found myself relying more on repeats [...]

    Rosy, complex in its infancy, and subtly sweet in just the right places. I have been following the path of Seghesio’s coastal Pinot Noir since its launch in 2004. This is, by far, their strongest effort. In the glass, it’s bliss. On paper, from the perspective of a hardcore Pinot enthusiast, there may [...]

Monday morning, 7:00 am. I drive 50 miles to Vermont for work, avoid hitting deer in rut while listening to audio books on my Kindle. [The author used the word "phallus" today, which I revealed to a giggly Carey when I got home.] 4:00 pm. I drive 50 miles back, tail the honey wagon toting cow [...]