| June
'08 |
On global warming: "When I was a boy we frequently had snow. Now it is rare. Spring comes earlier every year. I am afraid when it comes time for my grandchildren to replant the vineyards, they will be using syrah." Jacques-Frederic Mugnier, Burgundy producer. |
| May
'08 |
On charging for tasting: "There was a time that the tastings were free...then wine got very popular. Now, we're trying to be creative about how to attract the real wine enthusiasts and not the partygoers." Larry Stone, general manager of Rubicon Estate. |
| April
'08 |
On the highs and lows of grape prices: "Remember that half the grapes sell for above the median, but half sell below." Jim Verhey of Silverado WineGrowers, trying to assuage unrealistic expectations by some of the growers. |
| Mar
'08 |
Grenache is like Pinot? : "We like to refer to grenache as the pinot noir of the foothills. A properly made grenache has a lot of the same characteristics as pinot noir – the fruitiness you typically find in a pinot and a little of its earthiness." - Rich Gilpin of Lavender Ridge Vineyard in Calaveras County. |
| Feb
'08 |
Pinot Noir pricing : "Single vineyard wines can be really good. But just because you only make 300 cases, it doesn't mean you should charge $75 a bottle. So many come right out of the gate with prices that are not reflective of cost -- they're reflective of ego, or what the market can bear, or of what their neighbors are charging." - Oregon winemaker Sam Tannahill. |
| Jan
'08 |
On expected price increases for Champagne: "This is the last call. I don't think we'll see Champagne at these prices for a long time to come, if ever." [We'll see] "anything from 10% to 30%." - Jeff Zacharia, president of Zachy's Wine and Liquor. |
| Dec
'07 |
On hearing that Quilceda Creek got 100 points for a Cab: "It's like saying Michelangelo is a 99-point artist." - Patrick Anderson, owner of The Vineyard Wine Shop, Seattle. |
| Nov
'07 |
On wine's health benefit : "The whole package of red wine is good for you. Even if you take the world’s worst wines, they still help to prevent heart disease." - Dr. R. Curtis Ellison, professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. |
| Oct
'07 |
Mountain wines vs. Valley wines : "It's almost like men versus women. Mountain wines are bigger, with more alcohol, more tannin. Valley floor wines are softer and a little rounder, more feminine. The world needs both men and women to continue." - Michael Honig, Honig Vineyards and Winery. |
| Sept
'07 |
On the name value of Champagne : "Consumers have said in focus groups that sparkling wine is not as good as Champagne. They'll completely leapfrog superpremium [California] sparkling wines and go to high-end Champagne, because, in their mind, French is the best." - Allison Evanow, Chandon's vice president of marketing. |
| Aug
'07 |
On the recent TTB decision to stop processing current petitions for sub-AVAs :"You can't just decide arbitrarily to stop decision-making. You must do the business you are paid to do. You can't just decide one day that it's too hard to answer the phone, so you won't do it anymore." - Terry Hall, Communications Dir, Napa Valley Vintners Assn. |
| June
'07 |
On making Pinot:"You need more restraint to make a good Pinot. Restraint isn't my game. So I leave the Pinots to our other winemakers." - Ed Sbragia, Beringer and Sbragia Family Vineyards. |
| May
'07 |
On the ageability of wines: "The average consumer is not so interested in whether a wine can age for 50 years. We try to make wines that can age 5 or 10 years, but aren't for a 30th anniversary." - Michael Honig of Honig Vineyard and Winery. |
| Apr
'07 |
On the rise or demise of SVD wines: "We're going to single-vineyard wines. Our philosophy is that we were growing in the wrong direction. So 2005 is the last year we will use outside growers." - Jonathan Emmerich, winemaker, Silverado Vineyards." |
| Mar
'07 |
About the gender distinction of palates, and recognition for women winemakers and critics: "It's not about the female palate being different, it's about the female perspective being different." - Leslie Sbrocco, author of "Wine for Women." |
| Feb
'07 |
After
hearing that wine he'd made had been destroyed : "Bummer.
That wine was going to get me some chicks." - David
Jurena, Feather River Vnyds. (It turns out that David
himself had broken into the winery and destroyed the
wine to cover up a flawed product.) |
| Jan
'07 |
On
the TTB proposal to require re-labeling wine with allergen
information : "It's
a solution in search of a problem. I kind of feel
like its Shakespearean in nature. It's much ado about
nothing." - Pete
Downs, VP with Kendall-Jackson
Wine Estates. |
| Dec
'06 |
On the blending of foreign wine : "No other country allows blending of foreign wine with domestic wine. We are definitely looking into the blending of foreign wine with California wine and calling it American wine, but are not sure what actions we will ultimately take." - Karen Ross, CAWG president. |
| Nov
'06 |
On alternative oak sources : "I'm not a wood house; I'm a flavor house. It just so happens my flavor gets into the wine through the wood. We have vanilla, caramel, chocolate, creme Brule, coffee, mocha . . . and that warm spread on your tongue." Alicia McBride, Innerstave. |
| Oct
'06 |
Women and wine : "Wine is more approachable for women -- it's about enjoying life -- we tend to be less focused [than men] on collecting, vintages and ratings."- Crystal L. Kennedy, executive director of education and events for Sam's Wines & Spirits |
| Sept
'06 |
On
pricing : "We want to be among a peer group. If a wine is $250 to $300 a bottle and consumers think it's worth it, we don't want to be perceived as not being as good because our price is lower."- Tom Shelton, CEO Joseph Phelps |
| Aug
'06 |
On
the growing climates: "When grapes are grown on the edge of where they
will ripen, you are in the right place."- Adam Tolmach, Ojai Vineyards |
| July
'06 |
On
the validity of ratings: "We've lost wineries (as advertisers) because we've
given wines bad reviews. We're thriving because wine drinkers
find us credible and authoritative."-
Tom Matthews, executive editor, Wine Spectator |
| June
'06 |
On
wine and women: "Wine is more approachable for women -- it's about
enjoying life -- we tend to be less focused [than men]
on collecting, vintages and ratings." - Crystal L. Kennedy, executive director of education and
events for Sam's Wines & Spirits |
| May
'06 |
On
charging for tasting: "Research is showing that people will buy more wine
if they have to pay for it. It is also showing that people
are looking for a special experience." -
Barbara
Insel of MKF Research in St. Helena |
| Apr
'06 |
On
wine labels : "Yes, there are important wineries that have been
in families since the 1600s. But get over it. If a wine
has a flying saucer on it, does that mean it's not real
and good?" - John
Locke, marketing director of Bonny Doon Vineyard |
| Mar
'06 |
On
a particular style of wine :
"It is what it is. For what it is, it's a
great example of what it is." - John
Tomasso |
| Feb
'06 |
On
wines that are "off the list" at restaurants:
"With a big spender who doesn't know anything
about wine, putting a bottle of Château d'Yquem
on the table is like giving a Porsche to a 16-year-old."
- Sommelier
Aaron Brown, Ortolan restaurant, Los Angeles |
| Jan
'06 |
In
reaction to a recent Wine Market Council study:
"This is something that should be a real
wake-up call for California's wine industry. California
used to have 90% of the business in the U.S. and now it
is down to 74%," including restaurants and other
places that sell wine." - Michaela
Rodeno, chief executive of St. Supery Vineyard & Winery |
| Dec
'05 |
As
red wines overtake white wine sales:
"We used to make a lot of chardonnay to support
our hobby of pinot noir." Americans used to feel
insecure about wine. Then they branched out and tried
merlot, and they tried pinot noir. It's simply a matter
of experience." - Walter
Schug, Schug Winery |
| Nov
'05 |
On
the importance of labels :
"Labels are what consumers buy. Eighty percent
of wine purchases in the U.S. are made based on the label.
If you've got an impactful label, you'll make that first
sale" - Jay
Tapp, Tapp Technologies |
| Oct
'05 |
Cabernet
vs. Pinot : "...God made
Cabernet Sauvignon, whereas the devil made Pinot Noir." - André Tchelistcheff |
| Sept
'05 |
On
switching to screwcaps : "We
will be as open-minded but as careful as possible: I don’t
want to go from one inconvenience to another. It is certainly
frustrating to find corked bottles of wine, but frustration
may not be a good reason for making such a drastic change."
- Chateau
Margaux director Paul Pontallier |
| Aug
'05 |
On
the wine with frequently higher alcohol levels : "It
used to be anything above 14 percent was really up there.
Now, 15 is the new 14." - Bob
Lindquist, Qupé Wine Cellars. |
| July
'05 |
On
his release of a $4 wine from Napa Valley : "We
challenge anyone to have a blind tasting and see where
our wines come out. We think we can run with the top dogs
at $100-plus. There's no wine worth more than 10 bucks
a bottle." - Fred
Franzia, Bronco Wine Co. |
| June
'05 |
"Rhône
wines are not stuck-up. They are friendly; in the glass
they come to you and jump on your nose." - Gigondas
producer Louis Barruol of St. Cosme. |
| May
'05 |
On
why he's into Pinot Noir : "...Pinot needs constant care and attention. You
know? And in fact it can only grow in these really specific,
little, tucked away corners of the world. And, and only
the most patient and nurturing of growers can do it, really.
Only somebody who really takes the time to understand
Pinot's potential can then coax it into its fullest expression...."
Miles Raymond, played by Paul
Giamatti in the
movie 'Sideways.' |
| Apr
'05 |
On
the recent effects of the movie, 'Sideways': "As winemakers we have struck the mother lode. The
timing of 'Sideways' is perfect. The increased attention
to the pinots of our region is happening as Santa Barbara
vineyards are just discovering themselves." Frank
Ostini, owner of Hitching Post II, Buellton. |
| Mar
'05 |
In
defending a recent labeling decision by a federal court:
"Consumers understand that food -- and wine in particular
-- is very much a product of the place where it's grown...The
bottom line is that a wine label shouldn't suggest the
grapes come from Napa unless they really do. " Linda
Reiff - executive director, Napa Valley Vintners. |
| Feb
'05 |
On
the Cazadero area on the Sonoma Coast: "Just a few generations ago, this area was primal
redwood rain forest. When they cut down all the trees,
it really changed the environment. It turned this area
into a summer desert, with greater extremes of heat and
cold." David
Hirsch, Hirsch Vineyards. |
| Jan
'05 |
On
'hang time': "It is a myth to say that hang time improves quality
and is necessary to make great wine... Can manipulating
the harvest date make up for other deficiencies in vineyard
practices?" Richard Smart,
Tasmanian viticulturist. |
| Dec
'04 |
On
label graphics: "Most people buy our wines in pairs, one to drink
and one to display." Robert
Holder, President of Marilyn Wines a division of Nova
Wines, Inc. |
| Nov
'04 |
On
production cycles: "By the time we get to 2006 there will be no growth
in production. People have to start looking ahead from
our current level of excess to what is likely to be a
developing shortage."
Bill Turrentine, Turrentine Wine Brokerage |
| Oct
'04 |
Seeking
to test market a new print media campaign: "The numbers don't lie. Either the sales will be
higher, the same or lower, and we fully expect that sales
will be higher." John
Gillespie, Wine Market Council president |
| Sept
'04 |
On
corkage: "We think people should feel comfortable bringing
their wine to dinner, but they should expect to pay for
us to serve the wine."
Scott Beattie, Martini House restaurant, St. Helena |
| Aug
'04 |
On
promoting wine to the average consumer: "If you were developing a new fruit beverage today,
would you put it in a glass bottle that comes in only
one size and requires a special implement to open?"
Larry
Lockshin, director, Wine Marketing Research Group, Univ.
of South Australia |
| July
'04 |
On
corks: "At some point, the idea that you need a piece of
bark to close your wine bottle is sort of outdated."
George
Rose, VP, Jackson Wine Estates |
| June
'04 |
Point-Counter
point, on "nutritional value" labels:
"Telling people that the wine is 100 percent zinfandel
from a tiny vineyard 1,300 feet up ... doesn't really
tell American consumers very much about the wine,"
Paul
Wagner, Balzac Communications & Marketing.
"For the non-generic wine market, I think it'd be
a detriment. Taking wine out of its more craftsmanship
positioning and putting it into the cereal category. You're
drinking wine because of enjoyment. If you're counting
calories you probably shouldn't be drinking wine."
Erica Valentine, co-owner of the Napa-based wine shop,
Vineyard Outlet. |
| May
'04 |
On
wine descriptors:
"If
you can't describe it in words and talk about it, like
'It reminds me of gym socks or my grandmother's blackberry
pie,' you can't remember it." -
Karen MacNeill, Culinary Institute of America. |
| Apr
'04 |
On
bottle variation:
"If
you drink wine and know wine, you know there's bottle
variation for innumerable reasons, whether the wine is
produced in large or small quantities. Not only does the
wine itself change, the context changes." -
Thomas Matthews, Wine Spectator Executive Editor. |
| Mar
'04 |
On
wine-direct shipping:
"This issue is about kids, communities and common
sense. We
must not weaken our system to satisfy the demands of a
small elitist group.'' - Juanita Duggan, president of the Wine and Spirits
Wholesalers of America. |
| Feb
'04 |
On
the distinction of brand name vs. place of origin on wine
labels: "...
No one assumes Hawaiian Punch is from Hawaii or London
Fog raincoats are from London.''
- Fred Franzia, Bronco Winery. |
| Jan
'04 |
On
corkage charges:
"... others were bringing in wine just to save money.
So, I thought, the only way to deal with that was to charge
retail, plus corkage. If you're buying your wines at retail,
you're better off buying your wine off our list...."
Nick
Peyton, owner of Market on Main, St. Helena. |
| Dec
'03 |
"Everybody
on the East Coast spits. Nobody spits here. If you see
somebody spit, they're probably a professional taster."
Krista McCorkle, of Three Rivers Winery near Walla Walla. |
| Nov
'03 |
On
the need for more coastal vineyard regulation:
"Most
of the time, when they plant out on the coast, very little
of the land ends up actually being used for grapes. On
average I think 10 to 20 percent of a property might be
cleared and planted, and the rest of it stays in habitat."
Nick
Frey, Sonoma County Grape Growers Association. |
| Oct
'03 |
On
the use
of use oak staves, rather than purchase new barrels:
"I
can control the oak factor better and change variables
more often [with staves], and it just happens to be much
less expensive. I have well over 1,000 barrels, and I
haven't had to buy new barrels for two years." Scott
Harvey, president and winemaker of Folie a'Deux. |
| Sept
'03 |
"There
are 11 million visitors running up and down California
every year and many have been in the tasting rooms wanting
to know why they can't get the wines they like shipped
directly to their home." Steve
Gross, The Wine Institute. |
| Aug
'03 |
"I'm
seeing more wine labels around town. "It doesn't
matter where they come from, they're still taking up space
on the shelves." Nils
Venge, Saddleback Cellars. |
| July
'03 |
"You
don't just plant cabernet and chardonnay because you like
them. There were lots of grapes planted in the wrong location.
Now we're trying to define areas that have specific character." John
MacKay, winemaker for Napa Wine Co. |
| June
'03 |
"We're
in the business to produce and sell wine, not to store
inventory." President and CEO Peter Huwiler
of Merryvale. |
| May
'03 |
"In
the eyes of a lot of Americans, foreign wines are better
than ours because they're more expensive,'' Al
Brounstein, owner of Diamond Creek Vineyards...as
he doubled the price of his top cabernet to $200 a bottle,
and urged other U.S. winemakers to follow suit. |
| April
'03 |
"No
one is arguing over wine quality issues with screw caps.
The argument is they're ugly." - William
Borghetti - CEO,
Gardner Technologies - creator of MetaSeal |
| Mar
'03 |
"Pinot
noir is the ultimate wine to have at the table. It's a
white wine masquerading as red...[while] chardonnay is
a red masquerading as a white." - Kevin
Zraly, author and wine teacher. |
| Feb
'03 |
On
baby-boomer demographics:
"This generation has grown up sipping Starbucks.
To take someone from a double espresso to a big, beautiful
Cabernet is not a stretch."
- Joel
Quigley, executive director of Wine
Brats. |
| Jan
'03 |
On...uh...expelling
wine: "When I'm tasting
with other sommeliers, we all look out of the corner of
the eye to check the other guy's spitting ability. It's
noticed, and any sommelier who tells you otherwise is
not telling the whole story." - Daniel
Johnnes, the wine director at Montrachet. |
| Dec
'02 |
On
farming methods:
"Organic growers have a
vision. No one wants to listen to them. They're all a
bunch of hippies and all that's true. But they want a
safer environment for themselves and their children." - Paul
Dolan, president of Fetzer Vineyards. |
| Nov
'02 |
On
the yeast, Brettanomyces:
"We like Brett. We like
a little, not too much. It's an important stylistic tool.
It brings an Old World style to wines and makes them appear
not overly fruity, which California wines can be."
- Scott
McLeod, winemaker at Niebaum-Coppola in Napa Valley. |
| Oct
'02 |
On
Californian vs. Old World quality:
"The
French producers in California have kept prices down
and created wine that is fundamentally more simple than
Champagne. And that's helped perpetuate the notion that
if it ain't Champagne, it ain't good." Hugh
Davies, winemaker and general manager, Schramsberg Vineyards |
| Aug
'02 |
A
Burgundian, on New World quality: "We
must adapt. Under pressure from New World producers, quality
standards have changed. Today, they make very good wines
at very good prices." Pierre-Henry
Gagey, head of Maison Louis Jadot. |
| July
'02 |
On
geographic brand names: "It is
fundamentally unfair to use a brand name with viticultural
significance on a bottle of wine where the grapes do not
come from that area.... In my mind, it's consumer fraud."
Tom Shelton, CEO of Joseph Phelps
Vineyards. |
| June
'02 |
On
direct marketing: "No doubt direct
sales are growing.... In the old days, wineries held back
only a small amount of wine for their wine clubs and other
direct marketing programs. That's changing."
Scott Meloney - MicroWorks Software, a Napa-based direct
marketing consultant. |
| May
'02 |
On
labeling and appearance: "Today,
many people make decisions on what to buy based on what
the bottle and the label looks like, especially when they're
trying something new." Bob Fellion, Herdell
Printing, Napa Valley. |
| April
'02 |
On
the double whammy of new acreage coming into production,
while per capita wine consumption remains flat: "To
make it through this, we all have to drink wine every
day. That's all we ask." Tom Hobart, Allied
Domecq Wines, USA. |
| Mar
'02 |
On
the 2001 harvest: "Wine inventories
are abundant right now. The industry needed a low-yield,
high-quality vintage and that's what Mother Nature provided."
- Bill Turrentine of Turrentine Wine Brokerage. |
| Feb
'02 |
On
allowing people to enjoy wine on their own terms: "The
wine community imposes its values on consumers. It tells
consumers what wine they should drink, and I disagree
with that violently."
- Tim Hanni, WineQuest, a wine consulting firm in Napa. |
| Jan
'02 |
On
tasting room etiquette: "There
are two kinds of tastings: civilized and uncivilized.
There have always been both kinds, and there will always
be both kinds." - Karen MacNeil-Fife, chairman
of the wine department at the Culinary Institite of America,
St. Helena, CA. |
| Dec
'01 |
"A
wine just goes in my mouth, and I just see it I see
it in all three dimensions."
- Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate. |
| Nov
'01 |
On
the softening high-end wine market..."I've
never seen such an abrupt, one-year turnaround in my
26 years in the business." - Larry Maguire,
marketing manager, Far Niente. |
| Oct
'01 |
"The
Wine Spectator has picked up on Paso Robles, Santa Barbara
and the North Coast, but they haven't really decided
the Sierra foothills exist."
- Ed Coulson, co-owner and winemaker at Coulson Winery
in Camino, El Dorado Co. |
| Sept
'01 |
On
a proposed Tasting Room moratorium in Santa Barbara
County, "It is not necessary
for successful wine marketing to have a wine tasting
room and entertainment events." - Supervisor
Gail Marshall.
"I don't think that Gail Marshall really has any idea
how important the tasting room is to the personality
of the wine." - Foxen winery co-owner Richard
Doré. |
| Aug
'01 |
"A
winemaker has to have a philosophy, but a consultant
has to have no philosophy."
- Michel Rolland |
| July
'01 |
"Anything
above a 90-rating denotes real quality. What a gold
medal tells the consumer is that there's no question
this is top quality." "...Third-party endorsement is
the key. Americans are still very uncomfortable with
wine. Having a gold medal is definitely a recommendation
to them."
Sandy Flanders of Trinchero Family Estates |
| June
'01 |
On
wine critics: "Many
wine critics are articulate but can't taste their way
out of a paper bag." -
Ronn Wiegand, Restaurant Wine. |
| May
'01 |
Referring
to falling French wine sales: "The
sad fact is that at least half the total output of the
whole Bordeaux region now faces terrifying competition
from New World wines, particularily Chilean and Australian."
-
Christian Depeuch, of the Bordeaux wine merchant, Ginestet. |
| Apr
'01 |
Speaking
before legislators about those who wish to change Maryland's
current three-tier system: "Sometimes
they can't get everything they want, and that's just
the way it is" -
Jay Schwartz, Lobbyist - Maryland State Licensed Beverage
Association |
| Mar
'01 |
On
wine competitions: "Wines
that tend to win competitions are potent, powerhouse
wines. Finesse and elegance are usually not part of
their profiles. If you are chasing a style to win a
competition, you're neglecting your own territory, your
piece of land and the uniqueness of your vineyard" -
Robert Sinskey, owner - Robert Sinskey Vineyards (Napa,
CA.) |
| Feb
'01 |
On
the threat of looming oversupply of Central Valley grapes:
"There
is no glut of grapes for wines that sell for more than
$7 a bottle." -
David Freed, Chairman - UCC Group vineyard and winery
investment company (Napa, CA.) |
| Jan
'01 |
On
the effects of the stock market on wine sales: "The
high price of wine is a direct reflection of the stock
market. The same forces that enabled the runup in wine
will lead to its collapse." -
David Parker, President - Brentwood Wine (an online
auctioneer in West Linn, OR.) |
| Dec
'00 |
On
efforts to make wine more appealing to new, younger
customers: "Historically,
Americans have a mentality of binge drinking on weekends,
rather than doing it throughout the week, during meals,
in moderation, like other countries." -
Joel Quigley - Executive Director, winebrats.org |
| Nov
'00 |
On
the potential large-scale arrival of glassy-winged sharpshooters:
"Of
course we're frightened to death, but it's not as if
you can stand on the porch with a shotgun." -
Don Weaver - Director, Harlan Estate - Napa Valley |
| Oct
'00 |
On
winery visits: "I
think there's a greater appreciation of wine by visitors.
They're not just talking to some employee when they
visit a winery. A lot of times the winemakers are a
story unto themselves." -
Fred Slater, California Division of Tourism |
| Sept
'00 |
On
the the value of wine scoring: "Winemaking
is part art and part science. Given the same grapes
from the same vineyard and the same facilities, no two
winemakers will make the same wine." - Lewis Perdue, The Wrath of Grapes, 1999 |
| Aug
'00 |
On
the the value of wine scoring: "Americans
demand short answers and a direct approach, a wine writer
job is to provide a simple summation of judgement." - Steve Tanzer, editor and publisher of International
Wine Cellar |
| July
'00 |
On
the TV ad campaign slogan, "Wine. What are you saving
it for?" : "Taking
a humorous approach is to show wine as an uncomplicated
and enjoyable part of everyday life." - John Gillespie, Wine Market Council |
| June
'00 |
On
a new bottle closure for its $135 Reserve Cabernet :
"...Many
people are saying it is about time someone made the
move to screw-tops." - John Conover, PlumpJack Winery |
| May
'00 |
Arguing
the meaning/purpose of appellation : "To
say that only 85% has to be from that area is to make
a mockery of the whole thing." - Hugh Johnson, wine writer |
| April
'00 |
On
California style, vis-a-vis sameness: "...when
you get right down to it, a big, fat Syrah isn't a whole
lot different from a big fat Merlot." - Rod Smith, wine columnist |
| Mar
'00 |
On
returning wine: "Wine
is not like a pair of shoes you can sell to another
person. At the moment the wine is tasted, the risk is
taken. You don't change your mind five minutes later
after other people at the table decide they don't like
it." - Drew Nieporent, restaurateur |
| Feb
'00 |
"I
have no doubt at all that those who wish to, and have
the financial means to do so, will make better Cabernet
Sauvignon in the future than has ever been made in the
past" - James Halliday, 1993 |
| Jan
'00 |
"Humidity
in the home cellar is an irrelevancy." - Matt Kramer |
| Dec
'99 |
On
tasting notes: "Note making
can turn into a fetish; it can become a hobby like collecting
stamps." - Michael Broadbent |
| Nov
'99 |
"Invariably,
a restaurant with a large, pretentious wine list has
a large and pretentious staff ...." - Kevin Barron |
| Oct
'99 |
On
price-to-quality ratios: "Unfortunately,
a lot of people taste with their pocketbooks." - Tim Mondavi |
| Sept
'99 |
On
varietals:"In case you're wondering:
yes, it is certainly conceivable that someone might
find a wine pleasing to drink but a terrible version
of the varietal, and vice versa. " - Thomas
Maresca |
| July
'99 |
"Consumers
should not purchase wines based on scores alone." - Robert
M. Parker, Jr., The
Wine Advocate 6/99 |
| June
'99 |
"Wine
is a living thing. It is made, not only of grapes and
yeasts, but of skill and patience. When drinking it
remember that to the making of that wine has gone, not
only the labor and care of years, but the experience
of centuries." - Allan
Sichel |
| May
'99 |
"While
it was science that correctly said the Salinas Valley
would be great grape-growing ground, it was also science
that told Bernard Fetzer when he built his winery in
the hills of Mendocino County that no vine would survive
the first winter." -
Lindy Linquist |
| April
'99 |
On
the subject of showing the proper respect for a wine:
"First you must hold your glass
to the light and swirl the wine slowly to study its
color. Then you bring the glass to your nose to breathe
the wine's bouquet. And then, you set your glass down
and you talk about it." - Charles-Maurice
de Talleyrand-Périgord |
| Mar
'99 |
"The
smack of California earth shall linger on the palate
of your grandson." -
Robert Louis Stevenson |
| Feb
'99 |
"Ask
a French wine producer in Bordeaux what wine region
in the world has the best chance of competing qualitatively
with his, and the answer will not be California's Napa
Valley, but Spain." -
Robert M. Parker, The Wine Advocate 6/86 |
| Jan
'99 |
"...it
is not the year, the producer, or even the label that
determines the quality of the wine; it is the wine in
the glass, whatever the label or producer or year....
Drink wine, not labels." -
Dr. Maynard Amerine |
| Dec
'98 |
"In
wine tasting and wine talk there is an enormous amount
of humbug." -
T. G. Shaw |
| Nov
'98 |
"
It's a naive domestic burgundy without any breeding,
but I think you'll be amused by its presumption." -
James Thurber |
| |
|
