Viognier: One Lucky Grape
Written for The Guardian, 5 May 2017 Always a tricky one to pronounce (ignore the g, it’s pronounced vee-on-nay), viognier has a long and interesting history. While most consider viognier a Rhône variety, it actually originated in Croatia. Legend has it that Roman Emperor Probus was so enamoured with the wine – and its characteristic […]
Women in Wine: Argentina
Twenty years ago, it was hard-won to find a female working in the wine industry in Argentina, let alone a female winemaker. But today women are taking their place in the sector and this year’s Argentina Wine Awards boasted an all-female tasting panel, bringing to light the role that many of the fairer sex now […]
Empanada and Wine Pairing
Written for Grape Collective If there’s one dish that you’ll find in every country in South America, it’s the mighty empanada. It may be fluffy and moist, or crisp and crunchy, bite sized or head sized, baked or fried… whatever texture and filling variation comes your way, these pockets of pastry are a perfect, unpretentious […]
Interview with Robert Kamen, Kamen Estate
Interview for Wine-Searcher You grew up in the city projects in the Bronx. How did you end up as a California winemaker? I sold my first screenplay to Warner for $135,000 in 1979. I called my friend to celebrate and came down to Sonoma to meet him. We bought some wine, rolled some joints and […]
Five Argentine wines to charm your Valentine’s
This weekend is February 14th. A date which men see as another date in another month, and most women see as the date of the month. Score some extra points this Valentine’s Day by gifting your lady a beautiful bottle of Argentine wine. Here are five for five very different type of women. Written for […]
Top 5 wine countries in South America
Written for the Grape Collective, January 2015 Where else in the world can you find glaciers, jungles, extreme deserts, and high altitude mountains all within one continent? South America is a land of extremes and even though the Spanish introduced wine over 500 years ago, it is still a new discovery to many wine drinkers […]
Perfect Pairings for Thanksgiving
Written for Grape Collective Picking a wine for Thanksgiving is no easy feat. One of the most anticipated events of the year, you’ve got a long day of drinking and eating ahead, a large family to please, and the inevitable competition coming from beer drinkers — this is a tough holiday for the noble bottle […]
A selection of His & Hers wines from Mendoza
Written for The Vines of Mendoza While it feels awfully sexist to try and generalize about the tastes of women, and men, we all know that there are certain attributes that make a wine more feminine, or more manly. You might struggle to gift a man a bottle of Rosé in public, or a shy […]
Top 5 wines from Patagonia
Recently I’ve been down south exploring the gorgeous wilderness of Patagonia, which definitely needs to be on everyone’s bucket list. At the same time, I’ve been exploring the wine lists and cellars of various dining establishments and here are five fabulous wines to try. Bodega Chacra, Pinot Noir This boutique production winery makes a beautifully […]
Lunching in Mendoza’s wine country: Ruca Malen
Ever since moving to the sunny and pleasant land of Mendoza, my favorite pastime has been eating in wineries. Yes, the mountains are awe-inspiring, the sunny days permeate your skin to warm your soul and the people all flatter you till your knees melt; but for me, it’s all about lunch… Ruca Malen has been […]
