Earlier this year, I happened to get invited to the 2019 Austrian Wine Summit because, well, I’m just that kind of lucky fellow these days. Since one should almost always begin with bubbles, it seems apt that my first foray into an Austrian wine feature would be about the official changes to their sparkling wine…
Category: on the road
Quadrinity of Trinities (Israeli Wine, Part 2)
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…
Trinity Of Trinities (Israeli Wine, Part 1)
For a year and a half now, I’ve struggled. It’s been that long since I had my feet on the ground among the vines in Israeli wine country, and until now I’d yet to write a word about the experience, apart from a few social media updates and the odd mini-review. The mistake I’d made…
Sweet Sixteen (Highlights From The 2019 Critics Challenge Wine Competition)
A few weeks ago, I visited San Diego for yet another stint of judging at the annual Critics Challenge International Wine Competition, now in its sixteenth year. As is always the case with CC, the organization, staff, and execution were all top-notch, allowing us critic-judge-types to give the wines their fair due under the palate…