Earlier this year (2025), I was once again fortunate enough to be asked to judge the annual Colorado Governor’s Cup wine competition, part of a group of industry veterans who evaluated over 250 wine submissions from 40+ Colorado wineries. This year, we were also treated to entries from 8 Idaho wineries, 1 Arizona winery, and…
NEW BOOK RELEASE!! How to WIN at Wine: A Practical Playbook for Getting Maximum Enjoyment from Every Bottle
Some exciting news, peeps! I wrote another book! To be totally honest, I have no idea why I decided to write How to WIN at Wine: A Practical Playbook for Getting Maximum Enjoyment from Every Bottle — Without Spending a Fortune. I mean, I do know the reasons behind why the book now exists, of…
“A Matter of Responsibility” (a Pair of Josetta Saffirio Recent Releases)
“To make wine is a matter of responsibility.” Josetta Saffirio‘s 5th-generation vintner Sara Vezza has one of those life outlooks that might only be possible in places like Barolo. The kind of outlook that balance the contemporary and the historic; the kind that seemingly sprouts up directly from the ancient soils of the Castelletto, Ravera,…
A Room of One’s Own-Rooted (Nicolas-Jay’s 2022 Standout Pinot)
I don’t get an opportunity to highlight items from the sample pool here on these virtual pages as much as I would like these days (reason: toddler). But I am putting in ye ol’ college try to do so for this one. I might also be setting a personal record for the use of parenthesis…