It’s in Israel‘s north, along the borders with Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan, where you realize that you’re definitely not in Kansas anymore, Toto, viticulturally-speaking. Actually, let’s correct that – it’s not just viticulturally-speaking, it’s just-about-everything-speaking. Certainly the rocky hills in the Golan Heights and Galilee speak to Israel’s unique location as a transition zone between…
Category: overachiever wines
2 Legit 2 Quit (The Revitalization of Château Pédesclaux)
Ah, good old, dependable Château Pédesclaux. Well, for those in the know when it comes to Bordeaux, this Pauillac producer was dependable for decades… in that one could usually depend on it to under-perform. Established back in 1810 by the wine broker who gave it its name (Pierre Urbain Pédesclaux), Pédesclaux rose to prominence rather…
Southern Rhône’s Troubled Middle Child (Welcome To Lirac)
Lirac has a bit of a troubled middle child syndrome on its hands. Being a middle child myself, I can relate. Look at it this way: if I asked you to tell me about some killer Southern Rhône reds (which is 85% of Lirac’s output), you’re probably going to start waxing poetic about Châteauneuf-du-Pape. You…
“Sweet Lincoln’s Mullet!” (2019 San Diego International Wine & Spirits Challenge Highlights)
I recently had the honor of judging at the 2019 San Diego International Wine & Spirits Challenge (now in its 37th year!), the results of which have been published, allowing me to share some of my thoughts on a few surprises that my panel had the good fortune of tasting during the competition. When I…
