It’s too easy to get cynical about Napa Valley. And that’s a problem.     Prices seem to be at an untenable premium—for land, for grapes and for the bottle—and you can only stretch the proverbial rubber-band so much by passing on the cost to the consumer before said rubber-band snaps.  Vanity projects abound, and... Read more →

Here’s the ninth and last barrel-aged imperial stout review for 2018.   Similar to the actual malt beverage, the story behind GOOSE ISLAND Bourbon County (Brand) Stout is complex, convoluted, and kinda crazy. Therefore, this review will be presented in three separate parts, which you, Dear Reader, will most likely find listed in... Read more →

Who knew Chile could make such compelling Sauvignon Blanc?   I certainly didn’t until now. The winemaker-producer is Rafael Tirado, Chilean native and one of the most sought-after consultants in the country’s wine industry. The vineyards were planted in 1993 and are perched at around 1800 feet altitude in the Maule Valley,... Read more →

There’s another Renaissance happening these days in the fabled Italian wine country of the Old World. To experience it fully, however, you have to look in places where you’re probably not looking.   One of the best wine events that takes place in Los Angeles every year is one put together by world-renowned critic James Suckling,... Read more →

Our fruit-focused, spice-sensing, and floral-finding wine drinking brothers and sisters certainly miss out on the diversity of malt beverage flavor profiles when they’re swirling and sniffing their simple drink created from fermented grape juice. One thing said wine brothers and sisters know much better than we superior beer guzzlers,... Read more →