Well, I think it is safe to say that summer has hit Washington like a filibuster filling the senate floor with hot air. The notorious Washington summer has sent the thermometer into the blistering territory. And it is the humidity. It’s time to break out the chill busters.
Click here to listen to my thirst quenching recommendations on WTOP Radio’s Wine of the Week
Click here to read about my favorites wines to chill out with
It is said that on Saint Patrick’s Day, everyone is Irish. And while I think the same analogy can be drawn that everyone is French while celebrating the famous date that commemorates the beginning of the French Revolution, I would go so far as to take the liberty of modifying the statement just a tad. On Bastille Day, everyone drinks French.
Click here to listen to my Revolutionary French Wines selection on WTOP Radio’s Wine of the Week
Click here to read which French wines I will be celebrating with on July 14th
The Brothers Anderson were known for having a knack for telling wonderful tales, but the Brothers Rick and Jon Genderson have a knack for knowing wine. And believe me, they have a lot of wine to know about.
The Gendersons are the third generation owners of Washington, DC’s oldest wine shop, Schneider’s of Capitol Hill, whose clients include senators, congressmen, Supreme Court justices, ambassadors, diplomats, dignitaries, television personalities as well as everyday consumers from the surrounding neighborhoods and beyond. Spending time in their shop is akin to sitting at an outdoor table at a Paris café – you just never know who you’ll see stroll by.
Click here to read the full story in this month’s The Tasting Panel Magazine
Woe is me – Every June, I have to schlep out to San Francisco where I am forced to swirl, sip, gurgle and spit over 200 wines per day for three straight days as I judge wines from around the world in the annual San Francisco International Wine Competition. Oh, how I suffer for my art!
Each year – this is the 34th year – wines from each corner of the world pour into San Francisco where they compete in the industry’s most influential wine competition in America.
The contest is judged by multiple panels of judges and is done on a blind, consensual procedure, meaning that the three-judge panel tasting a particular set of varietals has to come to agreement on each wine tasted. For a wine to be awarded a Double Gold, it had to receive a Gold score from all three judges.
This year, 4,539 wines from 1,400 wineries, 30 countries, and 29 states were submitted to the competition. There were a total of 178 Double Gold awards handed out, with many of the top wines available for less than $35. These medal recipients represent some of the best values available in their class.
The complete list of award winners is available at www.sfwinecomp.com
Celebrating the birth of our nation in our nation’s capital is about as patriotic of an experience as it gets. Between the National Symphony Orchestra playing on the lawn of the Capitol and the fireworks on the Mall, it’s enough to make one want to give the Washington Monument a big hug. So it’s only natural that the wines I am recommending to enjoy this Fourth of July are All-American. And to help beat the summer heat, here are a few delicious crisp white wines that will keep your mouth cool, your palate refreshed and your fireworks hot.
Click here to find out what All American Wines I recommend on WTOP Radio’s Wine of the Week
For my first assignment with The Tasting Panel magazine, I was given the privilege of interviewing the most famous wine critic in the world, Robert M. Parker, Jr. While I consider Bob a friend, it is still an honor that he would take the time to answer a few questions about the recent sale of The Wine Advocate and what’s next for the man who is considered the most influential critic of any media anywhere in the world.
Click here to read the exclusive interview with friend and mentor, Robert M. Parker, Jr.
There is something about cooking food outside on the grill that just seems to make everything taste better. I love grilling a wide variety of foods, including everything from fresh fish, chicken and vegetables to traditional grill-fare of burgers and New York strip steaks. However, finding the right wine to slide alongside can be a tricky assignment, particularly if marinades and sauces play a prominent role in the recipe.
Click here to listen to my recommendations on WTOP Radio’s Wine of the Week
Pacific Prime Wines is a consortium of five New Zealand wineries who have joined together to share resources in order to get the word out that New Zealand has more to offer the American consumer than just lamb. Eric Platt is Vice President, Director of Sales, for PPW and he has convinced me that this venture offers American wine lovers wines that are value-oriented, has great fruit, structure and balance, and they are readily available in local wine shops. What’s not to love?
Click here to listen to my reviews on WTOP radio’s Wine of the Week
Last week, while reviewing delicious white wines from Washington State, I pointed out that the state’s wine industry has been on a proverbial tear for the last several years. But Washington is not new to the red winemaking game either. It’s no coincidence that many of the red wine grape varietals planted in these valleys have quickly adapted to their new surroundings. It turns out that Washington’s wine country is situated on just about the same latitude – 46 degrees north – as some of the greatest French wine regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy. And just like European wine-growing regions, Washington has been blessed with an abundance of prime wine grape-growing areas.
Click here to listen to the top red wines from Washington State on WTOP Radio’s Wine of the Week
For the last 50 years, Washington State has quietly but steadily been producing a bevy of tasty wines ranging from crisp, dry whites to spicy, bold reds, and just about everything in between. In order to spread the word on Washington State wines – and get a broader range of feedback, I decided to assemble a panel of enthusiastic amateur wine consumers to help me taste over 20 white wines. The varietals included chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, riesling, pinot gris and viognier.
