Kosta Browne, Turnbull, J. Lohr and the Texas Hill Country

I recently had the pleasure of tasting some wines from Kosta Browne (from Sonoma County) with winemaker Julien Howsepian, and some wines from Turnbull (Napa Valley) with winemaker Peter Heitz. KOSTA BROWN Long heralded as some of the best Pinot Noirs on the planet, with limitations on buying from the...

Great Values in Red Wines

Winter is red wine season.  On a cold night, it is hard to beat a burger, roasted chicken or a steak with a perfectly matched red wine.  Here are some winners in all price ranges selected from several hundred red wines I have tasted over the last three months. CABERNETS Brandlin Estate Cabernet...

Great Value White, Rosé and Red Wines

There are great values in all price ranges. After tasting through over 200 wines in the last few months, the following are all highly recommended: WINES Pine Ridge Viognier/Chenin Blanc California 2019 at $11.99 District 7 Estate Grown Chardonnay Monterey 2019 From certified sustainable vineyards at...

Wine and Food Pairing for the Holidays

By Denman Moody – My all-time favorite wine for holidays, birthday parties and all celebrations is Champagne or California or Oregon sparkling wines. And for me, even though Champagne goes with light courses, the best pairings are with hors d’oeuvres, such as smoked salmon on a cracker with crème...

Why I Write Wine Articles

I was dining with a Master of Wine one evening when he casually mentioned that he does not have much use for wine writers. I responded that I understood, because most wine writers, like myself, are not writing about wine for Masters of Wine. And my book, The Advanced Oenophile, was not written for Masters of...

Dr. Revana and His Journey into the World of Wine

When it comes to owning a winery, we don’t envision a practicing doctor as the sole proprietor. Houston cardiologist Dr. Madaiah Revana is here to change our minds. He owns three wineries, two in different states and one overseas, all of which have had their wines listed in the Wine Spectator Top 100...

Brennan Vineyards

Brennan Vineyards is one of the best kept secrets in Texas winedom. It is located in Comanche about two hours north of Fredericksburg and an hour and a half southwest of Fort Worth. Most of the wines are sold either at the winery or at The Texas Wine Collective, formerly 4.0, which is the unified tasting...

Sparkling Wine and White Wine Recommendations

Although I am not a techie and still shop at Spec’s, where I have bought about a jillion dollars worth of wine since 1973, and have recently shopped at Total Wine, I must tell you about a new and convenient wine source: Vivino. In this not-so-normal condition we now face as a society, online wine sales...

Enjoy Learning More About Wine

In the mid-70s, America was not a wine-drinking nation. At a restaurant, people who drank usually ordered a mixed drink or a beer before the meal, had the meal, and then left. If the restaurant was high-end, the waiter might ask if the guest would like to order wine. The waiter would remark with a slight...

Basic Knowledge to Becoming an Advanced Oenophile

Recently, I was discussing wine with a new acquaintance who said that he and some friends had visited Eleven Madison in New York, and that since he knew all about wine, he acted as their sommelier.  We continued our conversation, and at one point, I asked if he had ever had a pre-phylloxera wine.  “What...

Great Values in Red Wines from $9.95 to $225

Whereas chilled white wines are “de rigueur” in warm weather, red wines take front stage in cold weather. After tasting around 200 red wines in the last couple months, here is the cream of the crop. Pinot Noir My favorite red with chicken, duck, grilled salmon and most veggies. Ryder Estate Pinot Noir...

Successful Entertaining

At Home With Decoy Wines And Small-Bite Courses Many times, the least expensive wines of a great wine estate are superior to other equally priced wines in the market.  Duckhorn Portfolio is one of the world’s top wine estates, with Duckhorn Vineyards, Goldeneye, Migration, Paraduxx, Calera and...

Wine: Art, Science or Just Personal Preference?

For a viticulturist or winemaker, growing grapes or making wine is mostly science – at first. There are certain things one must know about farming, including weather, soil, elevation, drainage, etc., that without that knowledge, quality grape growing for wine would not be possible. Also, there are...

Perfect Hill Country Wine Days

From Houston, San Antonio or Austin, the perfect wine day begins at 11 am at the Fall Creek Tasting Room in Driftwood, about 25 minutes south of Austin. Fall Creek owners Susan and Ed Auler are the co-pioneers of the modern Texas wine industry. Ed, an Austin attorney, was instrumental in working with the...

Allen Shoup, Long Shadows, Seattle and Woodinville

By Denman Moody – Allen Shoup is firmly ensconced in my list of “Top 20 Most Important Wine Luminaries of the World.” While he is modest about his impact on the world of wine, his achievements are worthy of praise. He almost single-handedly created the second-largest wine state in the U.S. Allen...