Follow Along
BY MIKE DUNNE
Blends Surprisingly Impressive, Cabernets Surprisingly Sluggish
At the recent 2023 Los Angeles Invitational Wine Competition in Santa Rosa, our panel opening day tasted 125 wines spread across 14 classes, from Sauvignon Blanc to Port. By far, the most provocative class was “other red blends,” which meant that just about any...
D’Agostini: Historic Brand About to be Relaunched
An historic and revered but long-dormant name in winemaking along the Sierra Nevada foothills is being revived. D’Agostini, which from 1911 until 1984 was the name of a winery that dated from the Gold Rush in Amador County’s Shenandoah Valley, again will appear on...
Balmy Weather Forecast, Wine Garden to Open
The 2023 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo commences Tuesday. It will run for nearly three weeks, ending March 19. There will be a livestock show and rodeos, of course, but also a concert series featuring such entertainers as Bun B’s Southern Takeover, Machine Gun...
Bogle: Hospitable Wines And Hospitable Setting
At the recent Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento, one message often iterated was that if wineries hope to connect with a younger clientele they need to introduce programs that offer visitors entertainment and engagement. Bogle Family Vineyards just...
Joe Shebl Saddles Up And Strides Into New Arena
Joe Shebl is saddled up and about to proceed with the next leg of his ride into California wine lore as one of the state’s more reliable, adaptable and daring winemakers. His new brand is aptly named “Stride,” a term that evokes strength and determination. Think Pony...
Really, Neo-Prohibitionists Are Our Friends
Either as an aside or at length, wine-writing friends often call out “neo-Prohibitionists.” These are people my colleagues they see as not liking wine and who seek bliss in denying it to others. Myself, I can’t get alarmed by “neo-Prohibitionists.” There are few of...