All of Pat's Picks, Featured / 01.03.2017

There’s more than one way to skin a cat. (Skin a cat? Hey, I don’t make up these old sayings. I just repeat them.) And there’s more than one way to make red wine. The folks down at Willamette Valley Vineyard south of Salem used the non-traditional “whole cluster” method when they crafted this 2015 pinot noir.   Usually, Oregon pinot is tart and earthy. This one is just the opposite. It’s semi-sweet and fruity, due in part to the whole cluster process. Think strawberry and cherry. If you normally...

All of Pat's Picks, Featured / 01.03.2017

What is it about the word “zinfandel” that compels zin producers to come up with wacky play-on-word names for their wines?  “Seven Deadly Zins”. “Artezin”. “Brazin”. “Zinful”. Then there’s “Menage a Trois”. I’m not gonna touch that. Thankfully, the Seghesio family, producers of zinfandel in Sonoma County for over 100 years, don’t force it. They called theirs, “Seghesio Sonoma County Zinfandel”. Perfect. And the wine is just as straightforward as the name. The 2014 Seghesio is a solid representation with the rich pepper and spice flavors that zinfandel is known for. What it doesn’t have is...

About Wine, Featured, Wine Rules!, Wine Tips / 09.02.2017

The vast majority of wine that you’ll find at your neighborhood grocery is not age-worthy. Vintners intentionally craft most wines so they taste their best shortly after their release. Wine expert Kevin Zraly claims “less than 1 percent of the world’s wines are meant to be aged for more than 5 years.”...