by Clark Smith
August 18, 2008

The current bottom line is this: Today smart shoppers go to Suisun to buy Sauvignon Blanc and Petite Sirah. They would buy A LOT of these two varietals because they are not only often terrific values but among the most distinctive and enjoyable in the State. But for wine geeks like me, the real adventure lies ahead. Kept barefoot and pregnant by major wineries throughout the 20th Century, Suisun is only now beginning to explore its potential and to find its identity. For our money, the great wines this region is capable of haven’t been made yet.

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by Alan Goldfarb
August 4, 2008

After more than four decades, the producers of Willamette Pinot Noir have garnered a track record to be reckoned with. They face the future with new clones in the ground, and newly designated sub-appellations that they feel will transcend marketing stratagems. With exceptions such as Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Chardonnay, it’s Pinot Noir that will surely be the horse that the Willamette Valley will ride.

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by Craig Pinhey
July 25, 2008

Just northeast of Toronto discover a unique Canadian Designated Viticultural Area (DVA) which is producing a surprisingly wide array of varietals whose distinctive minerality is derived from the region's limestone soils. Some think of Prince Edward County as 'the Burgundy of Canada'. With its particularly harsh winters, others call it a miracle.

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by Jean Deitz Sexton
May 16, 2008

An informal Rhone varietal cabal in the Sierra Foothills back in 1988 led to the first Rhone Rangers tasting a decade later. Today, the Sierra Foothills is a leader in the production of Rhone varietals in the U.S. The quality of the wines grows higher as well as shown at the first BEST-OF-APPELLATION EVALUATION tasting which yielded numerous Gold and Silver awards.

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