Wine Reviews - Palate Press

1 min read

A beautiful, bright gem-like garnet color greets you in the glass. Black fruit shows on the nose, with a hint of tobacco from the tiny amount of Cabernet Franc sneaking out. Classic Napa Cabernet Sauvignon cassis and a touch of blackberry come through on the palate. Six years out from

“We believe in Sagrantino”: The villas and vistas of Montefalco

Michelle Locke

Features

5 min read

In Montefalco, they’re bringing Sagrantino back and creating a new “must see” wine country. Ah, Tuscany... storied land of rooms with views, Florentine frescoes and home of the wine that Hannibal Lecter likes to pair with liver. But did you know that right next door in Umbria you get the

Is Provence more than rosé? Peut-être.

Roger Morris

Feature Stories

4 min read

I had never been to Provence before, so I was excited by the prospect of going there this past fall. As a wine writer of more than 30 vendanges, I find myself in France at least two or three times each year, sometimes on a specific assignment, but often as

Does “Gran Selezione” only mean “good with steak?”

W. Blake Gray

Features

4 min read

Why are wines inherently more valuable when they don't go with any food but steak? I got to thinking about this in Tuscany recently, where a helpful chart explains why "great" wines aren't actually as useful as ordinary wines. Here's the setup. Chianti Classicos are some of my favorite wines

A silver bullet to replace copper in the vineyard?

Simon J Woolf

Feature Stories

3 min read

When I first meet Dutch winemaker Stan Beurskens, I've already heard quite a bit about him. He's one of very few Netherlands producers farming organically, he's an interesting character, he likes to work with unusual grape varieties,and so forth. Our first exchange therefore baffles me: Me: “I saw there is

What We’re Drinking – St. Urbans-Hof Riesling

David Honig

Wine Reviews

1 min read

Guava, baked apple and sweet key lime show on the nose. The palate is marvelously soft, silky, and round. Complex layers of tropical and citrus fruits last seemingly forever, then fade gently to nutmeg and sweet lime. Drink with fresh grouper. Highly Recommended. 92 points. DBH WHO: St. Urbans-Hof WHAT: Riesling

End pinot racism: Skin color genetics and pink pinot gris

Erika Szymanski

Features

5 min read

You've likely heard that pinot noir and pinot gris (and pinot blanc) are genetically the same grapes. If you found that unsatisfying, you had the same reaction I did. Obviously they're not the same. Unless the interns go out and paint all of the pinot noir clusters purple at veraison,

What We’re Drinking – Schloss Schönborn Riesling Trocken

David Honig

Wine Reviews

1 min read

The nose shows apples, lemon zest, and a tiny touch of ginger. Terrific brightness zings across the palate, Honeycrisp apples, fresh-squeezed lemon and lime, with lemon and lime zest lingering with a few crumbles of Ginger Snaps. Drink with stone crab claws. Recommended. 88 points. DBH WHO: Graf v. Schönborn WHAT:

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