While I’ve talked about visiting Australia’s Victoria region (over ten years ago!), highlighted wines from its unusually ancient soils, and explored selections from its primarily family-owned producers, I haven’t really talked about the fact that the region still packs quite a punch in terms of value delivered per hard-earned buck spent. Ever-changing tarriff issues aside,…
Author: 1WineDude
Blogger. Wine-O. Bass Funkifier. Hiney Shaker.
Strong All Along (2025 Santa Barbara County Tasting Report)
A quick update to let you know that another 2025 tasting report in which I had a hand in creating is now available on Cristaldi & Co., this time focusing on the under-served California wine region of Santa Barbara County.
10+ wineries and 150+ wines are deatured therein!…
“The World’s Oldest Startup” (Catching Up With Livermore Valley’s Wente Family)
At this point, I think that I’ve met most of the 5th generation of the Wente family (including jamming with Winegrower & Chief Land and Supply Officer Karl Wente at his then unfinished house several years ago, which is just the kind of thing that happens to people like me on wine travels, I guess)….
“The Biggest Fear” (Catching Up With Bolgheri’s Tenuta Argentiera)
“We want to have elegance be the main focus of our wines. The biggest fear for me is over-extraction.” Tenuta Argentiera winemaker Nicolò Carrara is right to be a little afraid. He is dealing with ripening and fermenting grapes in Tuscany’s Bolgheri, after all, where sunlight and the potential for big levels of ripeness—not to…