varietal character index

Sign In

Subscribe to our newsletter

Feature In

A taste of Livermore Valley

Livermore Valley
The New Old Livermore Valley By Laura Ness

Matanzas Creek Winery

Bennett Valley
MATANZAS CREEK By Alan Goldfarb

Hamptons Long Island AVA

Hamptons Long Island
So Many Grapes, So Little Land to Grow Them On By Roger Morris

North Fork Long Island: Is it just for Merlot?

North Fork of Long Island
Long Island’s North Fork Loves Merlot – But Do the Two Want to Get Married? By Roger Morris

Texas Hill Country's main drag

Texas Hill Country
From Tuscany to Provence in Texas Hill Country By Eleanor & Ray Heald

Halter Ranch on westside Paso Robles

Paso Robles
Deep Roots In Paso:
Growing the Future at Halter Ranch By Laura Ness

Bella Oaks Vineyard is sold.

Rutherford ~ Napa Valley
Legendary Vineyard Bella Oaks Sold By Alan Goldfarb

Lemon Creek Winery in Lake Michigan Shore AVA

Lake Michigan Shore
No Citrus But Loads of Intriguing Wines at Lemon Creek Winery By Eleanor & Ray Heald

The story behind Joseph Phelps Insignia

Napa Valley
Joseph Phelps Insignia:
The Components of Terroir
The Terroir of the Components By Alan Goldfarb

Gainey Vineyard

Santa Ynez Valley
Gainey Vineyard
Runs Hot and Cold* By Dennis Schaefer

Contessa Wine Cellars

Lake Michigan Shore
Contessa Wine Cellars:
Where Hybrid Grapes are King By Eleanor & Ray Heald

Hestan Vineyards

Napa Valley
Hestan Vineyards Is Off the Beaten Track but Its Grapes
are Right on Course By Alan Goldfarb

Round Barn Winery in Michigan

Lake Michigan Shore
Round Barn Winery’s
World is Not Flat By Eleanor & Ray Heald

Kiona Vineyards

Red Mountain
Kiona Vineyards
John Williams boldly went where no one had gone before. By Anne Sampson

Wolf Mountain Winery in Georgia

Georgia
Georgia Gold Country is Now Golden for Wine By Gregory McCluney

Kirk Venge makes wine for his own winery as well as dozens of clients.

Napa Valley
Kirk Venge: The further rising
of a rising superstar winemaker By Alan Goldfarb

2 Lads Winery in Michigan

Old Mission Peninsula
2 Lads Winery's Success
is 2 Good to be True By Eleanor & Ray Heald

GustavoThrace Winery

Napa Valley
Bottle Shocked:
Uncorking the Real Gustavo Brambila By Alan Goldfarb

Prince Edward County Wineries Achieve Finesse and Flavor with Low Alcohol Wines

Prince Edward County
Prince Edward County Wineries Achieve Finesse and Flavor
with Low Alcohol Wines By Craig Pinhey

Tapteil Vineyard

Red Mountain
Tapteil Estate Taps
The Riches Of Red Mountain By Anne Sampson

Terra Blanca Winery in Red Mountain AVA

Red Mountain
The Pilgrims Land on Red Mountain By Anne Sampson

Hightower Cellars in Red Mountain AVA

Red Mountain
Hightower Cellars Towers High in Red Mountain By Anne Sampson

Red Hills in Lake County AVA

Red Hills Lake County
An Up and Coming AVA in
an Up and Coming AVA By Harry Haff

Mountains of Difference

Napa Valley
Napa Valley High:
Mountains of Difference By Roger Dial

Klipsun Vineyard

Red Mountain
The Sun Shines Bright
On Klipsun Vineyard By Anne Sampson

Envy Wines is in Calistoga, the north part of Napa Valley

Napa Valley
It’s The Envy of Napa Valley By Alan Goldfarb

The new old Stag's Leap Wine Cellars

Stags Leap District ~ Napa Valley
The Owners Have Changed
at Stag's Leap...Has Anything Else? By Alan Goldfarb

Black Star Farms Inn

Leelanau Peninsula
Black Star Farms:
Wine Agritourism Grows Up By Eleanor & Ray Heald

Robert Mondavi Winery update

Oakville ~ Napa Valley
How Robert Mondavi Winery
Maintains Its Original Vision By Alan Goldfarb

Persimmon Creek Vineyards

Georgia
Persimmon Creek Vineyards Shows Off the Changing Landscape of Georgia Wineries By Gregory McCluney

Howell Mountain ~ Napa Valley
What is Howell Mountain?
(A) a logistical nightmare
(B) a winemaker’s dream By Alan Goldfarb

Childress Vineyards in the Yadkin Valley, North Carolina

Yadkin Valley
Recipe for Wine Success:
Take One Nascar Driver,
Add a Winemaker from Long Island,
Mix Well By Barbara Ensrud

Spring Mountain District

Spring Mountain District ~ Napa Valley
The folks on Spring Mountain
‘have to know what they’re doing’ By Alan Goldfarb

Long Shadows Vintners

Columbia Valley
Long Shadows Vintners
Casts a Long Shadow By Eleanor & Ray Heald

Old Mission Peninsula
Bowers Harbor: The Focused Evolution of a Michigan Vineyard By Eleanor & Ray Heald

Golden Mile Winery

Okanagan Valley
Michael Bartier is
The Okanagan Mixmaster By John Schreiner

Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley

Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley
Oak Knoll District:
Where Merlot Gets the Vote by Default By Alan Goldfarb

Clarence Frediani and Jim Luvisi

Napa Valley
Nothing New About the Success of These Old Napa Vineyards By Alan Goldfarb

Napa Valley Cabernet AVA differences

Napa Valley
Just What are the AVA Distinctions
of Napa Valley Cabernet? By Alan Goldfarb

An interview with Bernard Griffin winemaker Rob Griffin

Washington
Washington State Grapes
+ Winemaker Rob Griffin
= A Brilliant, Expanding Future By Anne Sampson

Martin Ranch Cab makes music.

Santa Cruz Mountains
Tango in the Vineyard - The Love Affair of Martin Ranch By Laura Ness

Eastern Cabernet Franc is coming into its own

Pennsylvania
Is Cabernet Franc the Cinderella
of the Vineyard? By David Falchek

Carneros is the sweet spot for Pinot and Chardonnay.

Carneros ~ Los Carneros
Carneros AVA -- The Sweet Spot
for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay By Alan Goldfarb

Freemark Abbey enters a new era

St. Helena ~ Napa Valley
Freemark Abbey enters a new era By Alan Goldfarb

Welcome to Napa Valley

Napa Valley
Pop Quiz: Do appellation differences exist in the Napa Valley? By Alan Goldfarb

Damiani Wine Cellars has some serious red wines.

Finger Lakes
Damiani Wine Cellars Forges Red Wine
Reputation in The Finger Lakes By Craig Pinhey

Some Like it Hot

America
Some Like It Hot By Clark Smith

The caves at Del Dotto Vineyards & Winery

St. Helena ~ Napa Valley
Gerard Zanzonico’s Winemaking Adventures in Xanadu By Alan Goldfarb

Hess Select - Just Say No

Mount Veeder ~ Napa Valley
THE HESS ULTIMATUM By Alan Goldfarb

2007 All Canadian Wine Championships report

Canada
2007 All Canadian Wine Championships Documents National Trends By Craig Pinhey

Dan Aykroyd's new career as wine-meister.

Niagara Peninsula
The Blues Brother Drinks Red and White:
Dan Aykroyd Builds a Canadian Winery By Tony Aspler

The Niagara Escarpment can be seen at the top of the photo.

Niagara Escarpment (NY)
Arrowhead Spring Vineyard:
Winemaking Where the Niagara Falls By Lenn Thompson

13 the Meritage wine has become 14 with the addition of a new sub-appellation.

Napa Valley
Psst…Have You Heard About…
…The ‘Margarita Night’ Meritage? By Alan Goldfarb

An esteemed panel tastes Virginia wines but not under the gun.

Virginia
Virginia Wines Wow the Brits By Barbara Ensrud

Welcome to Arkansas Wine Country

Altus
An Introduction to Arkansas Wine:
Diamonds in the Mountains of Altus By Tim Pingelton

Trademarking a vineyard to protect its name and reputation.

Carneros ~ Los Carneros
Trademarked Vineyards
A hedge against the devaluation
of “Vineyard Designates” By Alan Goldfarb

An interview with Doug Meador, Meador Estate winery

Arroyo Seco
Doug Meador is convinced:
Monterey is one of the world’s great wine areas. By Laurie Daniel

An interview with Ray Signorello Jr. of Signorello Vineyards

Napa Valley
Signorello Vineyards: No Sub-AVA, No Problem By Alan Goldfarb

An interview with Cooper Garrod Estate's Bill Cooper

Santa Cruz Mountains
Steward of the Terroir:
Cooper-Garrod's Bill Cooper By Laura Ness

Highland Estates wines are KJ's AVA designated wines.

California
KJ Takes the "High" Road:
Consumers' Terroir Education with Highland Estates Wines By Alan Goldfarb

The Snake River Valley is the first separate AVA in Idaho.

Snake River Valley
Snake River Valley Appellation a First for Idaho By Cole Danehower

Valley View Cabernet is made from grapes grown in nearby Rogue Valley.

Applegate Valley
One of the Oldest Wineries in the Southern Oregon AVA Has Some New Ideas By Cole Danehower

An interview with Eric Titus of Titus Vineyards

St. Helena ~ Napa Valley
The Titus Touch at the
Choke Point of the Napa Valley By Alan Goldfarb

Esterlina Vineyards in the Cole Ranch AVA

Cole Ranch
The Tiniest Appellation in the US:
Diversity in the Cole Ranch AVA By Laura Ness

Zinman is Perry Creek's most popular wine.

Fair Play
Perry Creek Adjusts Focus:
New Owners Change Winery's Direction By Jean Deitz Sexton

Dominari is the domain of winemaker Marie Schutz.

Atlas Peak ~ Napa Valley
Little Dominari About To Grow By Alan Goldfarb

Vermont's Shelburne Vineyard produces organic wines.

Vermont
Growing Organically in the Green Mountain State By Brigid Carroll

Roanoke Vineyards is on the North Fork of Long Island

North Fork of Long Island
Roanoke Vineyards – Producing Cab
That Ricochets Around the Room By Lenn Thompson

Peter Luthi precise knowledge of terroir of Trefethen

Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley
A Precise and Intimate Knowledge of the Oak Knoll District: An interview with Peter Luthi By Alan Goldfarb

Bill Collins Understands the Terroir of St. Helena

St. Helena ~ Napa Valley
A 30 Year Education in the Terroir of St. Helena: An Interview with Bill Collins By Alan Goldfarb

Oregon's Wine Culture

Oregon
Oregon Wines: Exploring Terroir of the Land and the Mind By Cole Danehower

Featured Merlot

Bargetto Winery 2004 Reserve Merlot (Santa Cruz Mountains)
The 2004 Reserve Santa Cruz Mountains Merlot is a big, dark red wine from Regan Estate Vineyards.

buy wine

$35.00

Lolonis Winery 2001 Petros, Heritage Vineyards (Redwood Valley)
An easy drink. Soft in texture, with sweet tannins, this wine flatters with black currants and cherry flavors.

buy wine

$40.00

Latest Merlot Recommendations (Reviews)

Advertisements

src="http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-56nLJV27kJUrg.gif" height="1"/>