Wine Blog

  Everyone has one. That singular point in time when you "got" wine for the very first time. It's your vinous "ah ha moment" and there isn't a sweeter sip to be had. Lots of people drink wine, but once you've experience your wine WOW you will never approach a glass in the same manner. You stop merely sipping wine and start savouring wine by taking in all that it has to offer including the wine's history, geography, sensibility, and winemaking tradition. My wine "ah ha [...]

Harvest time rocks. It signifies a time of change. Take for example the changing of the seasons from summer to fall with leaves changing from green to autumnal colors. Better yet, the veggies on our table go from flowering to root, meats are roasted instead of grilled and (wait for it) the grapes on the vine are changed into wine! The French word vintage means harvest. So the date on that bottle of wine you are holding is actually the year in which the grapes [...]

 Every so often, I taste a wine that screams Tuesday night! It is a wine that pairs perfectly with a burger, pizza or a simple salad. More importantly, it does so for around $10 - $15...and for me, Four Vines Naked Chardonnay did just that. In fact, I chatted about this wine more than a year ago on the WAVE here in Cleveland: wine_on_the_wave_Sept 10 2009 According to Wine Business Monthly, "Four Vines, which is located near Paso Robles, was recently selected as a [...]

The newness of fall brings exciting flavors sip after sip. From Moster Zin to a crisp VdP Chardonnay from the Barons de Rothschild portfolio. It's all about keeping your glass half full.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zif1EuElPHk Check out this video to finally learn how to use that beautiful decanter you got for Christmas, wedding or birthday gift...

One of the biggest complaints I hear from my students is that they cannot remember labels. We have all been there. You taste  great little value wine or even a premium wine and the next day, you cannot remember the name on the label. At Cellar Door, we hear often hear customers stuggle with labels and even try to paint a picture such as... "The wine had a blue label and a picture of a duck on it" with high [...]

Unlike any other grape I  know, Pinot Noir has nervous energy that (simply put) is addictive. Zesty, full of life and honest, this thin-skinned grape likes to grow in cool climates graced with plenty of sunshine. From Burgundy, France to Oregon to Central Otago region of New Zealand, Pinot Noir has mastered the art of expression. No other grape provides such "sense of place" in the glass. No other grape is as nervous. Here's why.In the vineyard, Pinot Noir presents a challenge for grape [...]

Last month, I chatted about pairing wine with chocolate and, as part of the Fabulous Food Show, teamed up Joel Fink of Fantasy Chocolate on the Wine Theatre stage. The tasting was a huge success. Earlier this month, Joel and I teamed up again, but this time on Ohio Authority's At Cellar Door wine video. Click here to check out the video. Cheers.

http://www.ohioauthority.com/articles/food-and-drink/at-cellar-door-exploring-spanish-wines A few months ago, I was approached by a former WSET student about a new on-line magazine he and a few of his past co-workers were creating after their employer, Northern Ohio Live, closed its doors. A testament to the adage - hard work pays off - the site is up, running and catching the eyes, ears and keyboards of thousands of viewers across the state of Ohio. Cheers to Ivan and the team at Ohio Authority! While the magazine [...]