Is it fair to compare a grape produced in the old world, with centuries of history, to one made in the New World, thousands of miles away? Or is it better to appreciate them for what they are – unique in their own ways? Is it fair to compare Malbecs
Sicily's wine revolution and the challenge of marketing unfamiliar grapes I'm sitting in a Sicilian fish restaurant overlooking the Mediterranean, a glass of white wine in my hand that pairs perfectly with a plate of seafood yanked out of the water just hours ago. Clean, crisp and versatile, the wine
![By Brian Sterling (Flickr: Vineyard on Montebello Ridge) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://www.palatepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Vineyard_on_Monte_Bello_Ridge_Cabernet_Sauvignon-360x240.jpeg)
One of the main statistical canards about wine is that smaller yields equal better quality. This is so widely believed in Europe that wine seminars become predictable. If a winemaker is on a podium talking about a wine, the first question is never about philosophy or intention, but "What was
Is there a single word that's caused more controversy and argument amongst wine connoisseurs/geeks/lovers than “natural”? At least recently, I doubt it. The debate about “natural wine” has raged for a good few years now. During that time, zealots and detractors have nailed their colours to the mast so frequently
The international authority on chimpanzees taught me something about wine this past month. If you were fascinated with animals as a kid or even enjoyed reading non-fiction, you probably remember Jane Goodall; the story of the fearless young woman sallying out into the African forest to live with the chimps
The Lodi Native Project highlights non-interventionist winemaking and individual style. When I headed off to Lodi for a press visit, I got some ribbing from other wine writers. All good natured, but if you’re already irritated by the stereotypical California style of wine, Lodi might seem to be the worst
There’s a reason most Oregonians don’t leave the state for vacations: they have everything they need right here. The same could be said about Oregon’s wines, too – which is what I found when I finally went beyond the famed Willamette Valley region a few months ago. Along with the
That one of the world’s biggest wine competitions is associated with a rodeo might come as a surprise. The images of an oenophile studiously judging wine and one of a cowboy flailing atop a frantically bucking bronco across a dirt-laden corral are a bit discordant, but the fact that the