Category Archives: BY VARIETAL

Ravenswood: Better Living Through Joel Peterson’s Chemistry—Particularly C2H5OH

Posted on September 3, 2011 by intoxreport

First off, I love how Ravenswood rolls off the tongue; it conjures up Gothic images—remote, crumbling castles on windswept moors filled with persecuted virgins and hereditary curses. The Ravenswood label, a cryptic crest displaying a trio of stylized ravens with … Continue reading →

Posted in CALIFORNIA, Sonoma, Zinfandel | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Pitchers From Some Matchbook Men

Posted on September 3, 2011 by intoxreport

There’s a  winery in the Dunnigan Hills AVA called Matchbook, which sounds more like a name for a singles networking site than a vineyard. Actually, the truth behind the name is far more disturbing—and yes, Virginia, you can get more … Continue reading →

Posted in Central Valley, Tempraillo | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

McKinley Springs: The Reputation is Spotless and the Wine’s a Hoot

Posted on September 3, 2011 by intoxreport

If you like McKinley Springs chenin blanc, thank an owl. Twenty years ago, Doug Rowell was settling into a comfortable career in forestry management when the infamous ‘Spotted Owl Incident’ butted in, putting a virtual halt to logging in Washington … Continue reading →

Posted in Chenin Blanc, Horse Heaven Hills, Viognier, WASHINGTON | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Villa Maria Estate, Hawke’s Bay: Croatian Knights and Warrior Princesses

Posted on September 3, 2011 by intoxreport

Grotty media cynics may claim that Lucy Lawless is New Zealand’s worst natural disaster, but in fact, in 1931, a monster earthquake (Richter 7.8) hit Hawke’s Bay, wiping Napier—the region’s commercial nexus—off the map.  The death toll was in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Cab/Merlot, Hawke's Bay | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Holy Trinity Wine: The Pope’s Got A Seat On High—And Another One Down Under

Posted on August 31, 2011 by intoxreport

Barossa! Just growling out the word is sort of a charge, like it could be the name of some Somali warlord hijacking vessels off the Horn of Africa, or a military operation to liberate fertile swaths of Uzbekistan so that … Continue reading →

Posted in AUSTRALIA, Barossa, Grenache, Mourvedre, Rhône, Syrah/Shiraz | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Marlborough Country Minus The Lung Disease

Posted on August 30, 2011 by intoxreport

These days, if you happen to be a Marlborough Man, you’d better sport a kiwi accent or risk falling afoul of the PC gestapo.  No worries, mate. I suppose that once having referred to New Zealand’s national bird as the … Continue reading →

Posted in Marlborough, NEW ZEALAND, Sauvignon Blanc | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sauvignon Blonde: The Wit Just Keeps Gettin’ Harder To Find

Posted on August 30, 2011 by intoxreport

Marilyn Monroe wasn’t really blonde. Oh, you already knew that? Okay, smarty pants; I suppose you also knew that Napoleon wasn’t really French, Cleopatra wasn’t really Egyptian, Hitler wasn’t German, Alexander wasn’t Greek and Stalin wasn’t Russian?   And even though … Continue reading →

Posted in CALIFORNIA, Sauvignon Blanc | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Michigan Pinot Noir: Progress of a Work in Progress

Posted on August 30, 2011 by intoxreport

They’ve discovered dinosaur bones in the Arctic, so maybe producing decent red wine in Snowball Michigan isn’t so far fetched after all—maybe it’s merely acknowledgement of evolutionary precedent. Okay, that’s an exaggeration.  Certain brave and ballsy Michigan vintners have been … Continue reading →

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The Middle Loire: White Soul, Red Heart, Pink Whatever

Posted on August 30, 2011 by intoxreport

Thanks to a confluence of sauvignon blanc, melon de bourgogne and chenin blanc, the soul of the Loire Valley runs whiter than Willie Nelson’s rump. But the heart of the region—Chinon—is red.  Boiled lobster red; red as Christian wrath; redder … Continue reading →

Posted in Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Michigan’s Rieslings: Quality on Ice

Posted on August 29, 2011 by intoxreport

Among the endless ‘doh’ moments experienced by Michigan’s frost-bitten, hard-scrabble winemakers is that the grape they grow best, riesling, accounts for less than two percent of retail wine sales nationwide. Consumer ignorance is perfectly excusable since riesling is vinified in … Continue reading →

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