“The elves are dressed in leather And the angels are in chains The sugar plums are rancid And the stockings are in flames!” – from “Christmas with the Devil” by Spinal Tap Amidst the elite wine world personalities, there are a handful of famous names that hate the modern style of California wines. Actually, “hate”…
Category: California wine
Prime Time: Another New Kid on the ‘Napa Cab’ Block
Remember our not-so-old friends, Volta? Seems there are a few other winemakers out there who do, too. Take Ted Henry of the newly-minted wine producers Prime Cellars in Napa. “I was in Volta‘s Winemaker Massimo’s class at UC Davis,” Ted told me. “We used to drink beers together in his Silver Oak days…” As it…
Blind Tasting Smackdown: East Coast Vs. West Coast!
Actually, it’s not so much a smackdown as, it turns out, a comparison of apples and oranges. Or, a comparison of Old World style vs. New World style. After visiting both Opus One and Penns Woods Winery, located on the Left and Right Coasts, respectively, I thought it would be interesting to host a blind…
“A Sense of Urgency”: The Reinvention of Opus One from the Ground Up
“Every living thing at Opus One, whether it be person or grape vine, needs to have a sense of urgency.” It was yet another gorgeous, sun-filled day in Oakville, the fog having completely burned off, the sunshine making quick work of the remnants of the previous evening’s chill still present in the air. I was…