As much as I enjoyed last month’s exploration of lagers it feels so refreshing to jump back into wine for this month. The last varietal I had chosen was the often-maligned Merlot and for April I’ve selected another that has seen its fair share of criticism. When cultivated in mediocre locations, as too often happens, … Continue reading Varietal of the Month: Pinot Grigio Week 1
At last I come to the final stretch of the month. Unfortunately due to a combination of a lack of time and the lack of distribution of lagers (at least where I live), I had to finish this month with 26 beers. Even if there isn’t a beer for every single day I think I’ve … Continue reading The Great American Lager Hunt – Part 4
Last week I covered the best lager I’ve ever had, so it’s only going to be downhill from here, right? I certainly hope not, and as you’ll see in the rest of the article, other breweries are kicking it up a notch when it comes to the much-maligned lager. So without further ado, let’s jump … Continue reading The Great American Lager Hunt – Part 3
I’m glad I took the chance to begin a series like this. More and more lagers are coming to my attention and as we could see from last week, some of them can stand up to a number of ales or even surpass some. I’m even more excited about the beers for these least several … Continue reading The Great American Lager Hunt – Part 2
Craft beer has been booming for decades and the competition and enthusiasm are only growing stronger. But this feverish pitch is almost entirely based on ales. People clamor for IPAs, stouts, porters, Belgian or American strong ales, Trappist ales, lambics, sour ales, barleywines, saisons, and Scotch ales, but what about the humble lager? What about … Continue reading The Great American Lager Hunt – Part 1
The region I discuss today is certainly known around the world for its Cabernet Sauvignon, and though Merlot may fall under its shadow much of the time it deserves some recognition too. A joint venture between the Bordeaux Rothschilds and Santa Rita, resulting in the famous Los Vascos Winery, should provide further testament to the … Continue reading Varietal of the Month: Merlot, Week 3
Another year has passed so I may as well make this a tradition if I’m to keep up with this blog. At this point I don’t know how many different wines and beers I’ve tasted, I just know that I’ve written reviews for a few hundred of them. I’ll be looking forward to seeing what … Continue reading Looking Back: the Best of Year 2
Ever since the 2004 movie, Sideways, Merlot has been facing an uphill battle for popularity and prestige in California. It had dominated the landscape in the 1990s but one snobbish character accused the varietal of being boring and insipid. And with as much of a glut as there was of Merlot, he certainly had a … Continue reading Varietal of the Month: Merlot, Week 2
There’s a fair amount of derision leveled at the varietal I’ve chosen for this month, and while critics may have the occasional fair point, there have been some unfair evaluations too. I can even admit to being among those deriders for a while, even though it’s frequently a great introduction to other red varietals and … Continue reading Varietal of the Month: Merlot, Week 1
The first three weeks were easy to select as far as what regions I would examine for Riesling, but the fourth presented a challenge. There are still a few other high quality regions that deserve recognition for their work with this noble varietal but with only one left I had to make a choice. Do … Continue reading Varietal of the Month: Riesling, Week 4
The Friendly Snob 