Back in 2009, we spent some time talking to a young man from California who was headed to Burgundy to make wine …or more properly stated, to make Burgundy! Ray Walker has now been making wines in Nuits-Saint-Georges for the last seven vintages under his label, Maison Ilan. So, we thought we’d check in with […]

It all began in 1880 when Dr. François Durif, a grape botanist and grape breeder at the University of Montpellier in Southern France, released a new variety that he named after himself. It grew from a seed he extracted from fruit of the old French variety Peloursin. Dr. Durif didn’t know the pollen source at […]

This seminar from the 2015 World of Pinot Noir is the perfect bookend to the “Latitudes and Longitudes” seminar, where we heard from Pinot producers from around the world. This time, we’re back to the “homeland” of Pinot Noir – France’s Burgundy region, and specifically the wines of Domaine Marc Roy in Gevrey-Chambertin. Join us […]

Pinot Noir seems to be grown almost everywhere these days. Of course, we’re all familiar with Pinot from its ancestral home in Burgundy, as well as those from California, and of course Oregon. But, have you ever had Pinot from South Africa? Or, how about Pinot from Germany? Given the many shades of Pinot, we’ve […]

Originating from the Burgundy region of France, the pinot noir grape seems to have literally gotten a toehold in every corner of the globe. And, clonal material aside, it is the same grape that has been transplanted to these other climes. So, how does a reputedly fussy grape deal with the various climates and geology? […]

Along with Biondi-Santi, the Colombini family helped build the reputation of Brunello di Montalcino as a wine of great quality and prestige worldwide. Fattoria dei Barbi is among the original producers of Brunello di Montalcino with bottles dating back to the 1892 vintage in its cellar. The estate includes vineyards in Montalcino, Scansano and Chianti […]

The wines of Burgundy always elicit emotions – and frequently more than just the aromas and the flavors. In this seminar from the 2015 World of Pinot Noir, the two presenters conduct a mock trial to determine which of two Côte de Nuits powerhouses has the better wines. The case of Gevrey-Chambertin vs. Vosne Romanée […]

With their purchase of the Steltzner vineyard in 2012, the PlumpJack Group added the Odette Estate Winery to their portfolio. Although the Steltzner Vineyard’s first vintage was 1977, the vineyard was planted in 1965, making it the second vineyard planted to Cabernet in the District (after Nathan Fay). Extensive work to both the vineyard as […]

Brooks Winery was founded in 1998 by Portland native, Jimi Brooks. Like most of his counterparts in Oregon, Jimi had a pioneering spirit that carried through to his love of life and winemaking. Sadly, Jimi passed away in 2004 from an aortic aneurism. In the aftermath of such tragedy, it speaks volumes for the Oregon […]

“Tenuta Sette Cieli,” or “the estate of the seven skies,” is located between Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci, on the Tuscan coast 1,300 above sea level. The 173-acre estate overlooks terraced vineyards and the Mediterranean Sea, and is surrounded by the lush woods of Monteverdi Marittimo. Seventeen acres of high-density vineyards are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, […]

One of the biggest thrills in wine, is finding bottles that perform above their price level. And, while Burgundy is not particularly known for bargains, there are still some excellent quality-to-price values to be found from several, shall we say, “lost” appellations and villages. One of these appellations is the Côte Chalonnaise. These wines are […]

Many wine lovers dream of taking that step of making wine for themselves. However, it’s a much bigger step – a leap of faith, in fact – to turn one’s avocation into the business of making and selling your wines to the public. Join us as we talk with winemaker Eric Carucci, about how he […]

Winegrowing is in Hubert de Boüard’s genes. He grew up surrounded by his family’s vines at Château Angélus in Saint-Emilion, and his father bought him his first pair of secateurs, when he was 7, so he could go out and prune the vines. The estate has been owned by the Boüard de Laforest family since […]

Is wine more art than science, or vice versa? Arguably, it takes both art AND science to create and deliver the optimum wine-drinking experience. So, we were quite pleased when both these gentlemen came to the studio to talk with us about their winemaking efforts. Coming from different backgrounds (wine vs. food science), each brings […]

Talley Vineyards produced its first wine in 1986 with the production of 450 cases. However, for three generations the Talley family has farmed in Coastal San Luis Obispo County. It all began in 1948 when Oliver Talley founded Talley Farms and started growing specialty vegetables in the Arroyo Grande Valley. During the 1970s extensive planting […]

It was the late ’60s, and Dick and Nancy Ponzi had moved their young family to Oregon’s Willamette Valley. After several research trips to Burgundy and an extensive search for an ideal vineyard location, they purchased 20 acres on a small farm just southwest of Portland. The Ponzi’s were about to embark on a quest […]