Author Archives: intoxreport

Nuits-St-Georges Aux St. Jacques: Odoul’s With An ABV

Posted on February 26, 2015 by intoxreport

A spitball’s throw away from the hallowed estates of Vosne-Romanée lies the somewhat less hallowed estates of Nuits-St-George, but the difference in prestige (and price) may be comparable to Prince Fielder’s salary in 2015 and Jackie Robinson’s in 1957. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Burgundy | Tagged | 1 Comment

Noblesse Oblige: The Stillman Story (Again)

Posted on February 19, 2015 by intoxreport

The other day I claimed I didn’t ‘do’ obligatory, but in that, I was a bit economical with the truth; I shat yon bull, I yanked yon chain, I committed a terminological inexactitude. In short, I lied. Because every year … Continue reading →

Posted in CALIFORNIA, Paso Robles | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Côte-Rôtie: Prost! To The Roast With The Most

Posted on February 15, 2015 by intoxreport

Among their myriad character flaws, the French are ludicrously and endlessly poetic.  Thus, the Northern Rhône appellation Côte-Rôtie, which receives an inordinate amount of sunshine, has a name translated as ‘The Roasted Slope’. And since that’s not quite poetic enough … Continue reading →

Posted in FRANCE, Rhône | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Forget ‘Wine With Chocolate’; What Wine Goes With Those Cute Li’l Candy Hearts That Say ‘Blow Me’?

Posted on February 10, 2015 by intoxreport

One of the reasons I am a low-paid blogger instead of a highly-paid critic for The Daily Planet—a great metropolitan newspaper—is that I don’t do obligatory. Obligatory wine columns preceding holidays are, in the minds of many editors, pablum for … Continue reading →

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The Fourth Monkey: Pineau Evil

Posted on February 8, 2015 by intoxreport

If my description of the following Pineau des Charentes is so passionate that you feel a Svengali-like drive to go buy some, better hurry.  The hand-numbered bottle I tried was listed 885/900. Bottom of the barrel takes on a whole … Continue reading →

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O Verdicchio, Verdicchio! Wherefore Art Thou?

Posted on February 5, 2015 by intoxreport

The other day I wrote about a reputation-ravaged red (Lambrusco) and today I shift gears to confront an equally marginalized Italian white: Verdicchio. The innocuous little grape from innocuous little Marche was content to coast along on its laurels—as threadbare … Continue reading →

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Lambrusco Revisited: Don’t Say The ‘R’ Word

Posted on February 2, 2015 by intoxreport

I promised my favorite hootch hawker that I wouldn’t use the ‘R’ word in discussing his Lambrusco.  He insists—rightly—that the quintessential ‘70s Italian wine brand should remain, like their stupid slogan, on ice. Under the auspices of Banfi Vintners, said … Continue reading →

Posted in ITALY | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Non-Stupid-Sounding Tasting Notes: The Final Frontier

Posted on January 31, 2015 by intoxreport

In a world filled with terrorist temper tantrums, approaching asteroids and diseases that make your eyeballs bleed, I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about wine tasting notes. And here’s why: In theory, there exists a wine note format … Continue reading →

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Carmen Carmenère: Sixteen Bucks Of Brilliance

Posted on January 30, 2015 by intoxreport

I won’t tarry o’erlong on what the Chileans have done for Carmenère—roughly on par with what Blue Book Modeling Agency did for Norma Jeane Mortenson and Robert Johnson did for a beat-up six string. Enough to say that people who … Continue reading →

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Last Chance To Secure Seats At The ‘Writers Write; Everyone Else Attends Symposiums’ Symposium

Posted on January 27, 2015 by intoxreport

Seeking out small pockets of serious humor in a serious world preoccupied with ebola, ISIS and Tom Brady’s balls is a daunting task, but at the close of another nihilistic day, nothing is funnier than people who take themselves too … Continue reading →

Posted in GENERAL | 1 Comment