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Happy New Year, friends! In what I hope will be an ongoing series, I offer up thoughts and recommendations for excellent, nicely priced bottles still seen on retail shelves. Read the rest of this entry »

It is so rare when I find a domestic white that is not too much (fill in the blank with money, heat, wooden/ soda pop flavors, etc.), but it makes me happy when I stumble across an exception. The 2007 Cline Viognier is a delight for $10 – $12. It offers plenty of body to carry the ripe apricot and peach flavors across the palate. The fragrances of white flowers and pineapple are enticing. It actually expresses a great deal of Viognier character, which all too often is not the case for many of this grape’s domestic renderings  I’ve tried throughout the years.

This is certainly a departure from the more lean, mineral crusted European whites I tend to favor, but this well priced bottle is plenty of fun, and all sorts of wine drinkers seem to enjoy it when I pour it in their glass. I’ve gone through half a dozen bottles in recent months — consistently enjoyable. Find this wine

Reunions are always happy events, and even happier so after 6 years of absence. We’d last broken bread and shared wine with Allan Bree aka califusa in 2003, so when it was announced that he would be assisting Alan Kerr aka Canadian Zinfan in the kitchen at this year’s MoCool festivities, we extended to him the use of our spare bedroom during his stay.

From Left: Larry Meehan, Madame Mystery, George Heritier, Alan Kerr, Allan Bree, Kim Adams

We enjoyed a number of fine wines and some excellent food during Bree’s visit, but the highlight was undoubtedly the 6-course wine dinner he prepared, with a more-than-able assist from Kim. Allan had brought along 6 different 1999 Rochioli Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs to pair with different courses, and I’m happy to report that both the victuals and the vino were sublime. The participants included Messrs. Bree and Kerr, Cousin Larry Meehan, the enigmatic Madame Mystery and of course, Kim and this taster. Read the rest of this entry »