Not all California wines are created equal. There are so many grape varieties and styles to choose from. Here is a quartet of interesting selections, grown and produced in the Santa Barbara appellation. Read more
Wines based on the pinot noir grape are among the most popular in today’s wine world. But here’s a curve ball in your search for what is good in wine: Think about pinot in connection with white wines. Read more
Here are three refreshing, light wines worth popping open regularly all summer. Read more
To prepare for all the fresh summertime fish that will soon be available, I suggest stocking your refrigerator with the right white wines. Read more
Italian and Mediterranean foods — a growing category among Hawaii restaurants — offer lots of vegetables in their preparations. When pairing wines with this kind of fare, search out lighter- to medium-bodied, tasty, savory and well-balanced Italian “country”- style red wines. Read more
Pizza is a comfort food, often casually served and thus requiring more value-driven wine suggestions. Read more
With all the facets of wine to appreciate, it can be easy to forget a most basic one: Wine should be enjoyable. Read more
In terms of finding great values in wine, there are indeed numerous approaches. Read more
In January, the inaugural Wine Speak event offered rare opportunities to learn from top wine professionals who shared their insights, wisdom and experiences from many perspectives. Read more
Many parts of Corsica, the birthplace of Napoleon, remain undeveloped. We drove for hours on almost perversely narrow, winding roads through mountainous, rocky, wild countrysides and never saw a hint of civilization. Read more
The Hawaii Food & Wine Festival hits Oahu this month with a list of unforgettable events that feature chefs, winemakers, master sommeliers and mixologists who are superstars in their fields. Read more
California pinot noirs that garner high scores from the wine media these days are showy, flamboyant, dark-colored at the core, quite viscous, wonderfully lush, surprisingly opulent and often oak-laden. But someone who buys wines based on media scores and accolades could miss out on wines like that stunning pinot I tasted the other night. And that would be a shame. Read more
Wines from these family-owned projects, each from a different wine-growing region of the world, are worth checking out. Read more
In the Old World, especially along the Mediterranean basin, wine was an integral part of dining. It still is. Through the generations, each region has developed food specialties, and along the way has figured out which wines add to the enjoyment of a meal. Read more
A group of us at Vino Italian Tapas & Wine Bar were fortunate recently to explore the connection between wine and food through a workshop featuring seven of Hawaii’s top wine professionals. Read more
To find high-quality and affordable wines, find out where vineyard land is less expensive. Then seek out sites owned by one family for generations, where land mortgage costs minimally affect bottle costs, if at all. Here are four examples. Read more
I am a wine person who believes that soils and growing conditions greatly affect what ends up in the bottle. Fortunately, Old World countries such as France and Italy have had decades — and in some cases, even centuries — to pinpoint the areas of truly special vineyards. Read more
A longtime friend recently contacted me to say he would be vacationing on Maui and wanted to come to Honolulu to have lunch. It turned out to be a special afternoon as we reminisced about the old days when I was cellarmaster at what was then the Kahala Hilton Hotel. Read more
Although the daytime temperatures can be quite high in Paso Robles, Calif., they easily drop into the 50s at night. This range of temperatures has the potential to produce ripe, juicy grapes, and from those are made unique wines with a wonderful savory quality andintriguing minerality. Read more
Master sommelier Michael “MJ” Jordan is a guitar-playing, good-fun local boy (a Kalani High School graduate) who is a relentless, dedicated wine educator and is committed to making wine accessible, fun and enjoyable for all who will listen to his messages. Read more
Looking back at 2017 and all the wines tasted, here is a shortlist of some of the most memorable ones that offer value as well as quality. Read more
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