Smith-Madrone: Humble Beginnings, Unforgettable Wines
Stu Smith, the Enologist and Managing Partner for Smith-Madrone Winery, didn’t set out to own premium real estate valued for upwards of $400,000 an acre. His goal was only to find a site in the mountains of Napa Valley versus the valley floor, to make the elegant, balanced, European-inspired wines he enjoyed. […]
Sixmilebridge Vineyard: The Second Chapter of Jim Moroney
Sixmilebridge Vineyard: The Second Chapter of Jim Moroney Jim Moroney, Proprietor Sixmilebridge Vineyard For forty years, Jim Moroney was a champion of free press and led Dallas’ only daily paper through a digital transformation. But as he told me, “When you work for a public company like A.H. Belo Corporation, you have a shelf […]
Storytelling Through A Lens and A Bottle: The Story of Jesse and Andy Katz
Jesse Katz, Winemaker Aperture Cellars and Devil Proof Vineyards A good photographer has an eye for detail that brings all the elements together to convey the right vision. Little did Andy Katz, world-renown photographer, know that his eye for detail in the vineyards would spark a passion for wine for his son, Jesse Katz, […]
Virginia is for Wine Lovers: A Mix of History, Diversity and Great Wine
This October, I had the opportunity to attend the Virginia Wine Harvest Party, which was a two-day whirlwind media tour that was held in conjunction with Virginia Wine Month, the longest running state wine month. As I mentioned before, it had been 7 years since I visited the region. I had heard some great buzz […]
Tasting the Sweet Wines of Bordeaux: It’s Time to Branch Out Beyond Dessert Choices
When I received the Snooth invitation to taste Sweet Bordeaux, my mind immediately went to Sauternes. I was surprised to learn that only 43% of the dessert wines produced in Bordeaux don the Sauternes label – there is an entire other world out there as 10 Bordeaux AOC’s produce sweet wine. Those regions are: Sauternes, […]
A Conversation with Russ Weis: The Silverado Philosophy from Vine to Bottle
Russ Weis, General Manager, Silverado Last week I wrote about the ‘House of Cab Dallas’ tasting that brought together 13 Stags Leap District vintners and owners to debut current releases. As a bonus, I had the chance to sit down with Russ Weis, the general manager of Silverado Vineyards. Russ has a mantra that I have […]
Another Edition of the Round Up of Wine: Six Countries, Twenty Four Wines
It’s time for another wine round up column filled with some of my favorite samples. This time I tried 46 wines from six countries with 24 making the cut today. Sparkling NV Ferrari Rose Sparking – I’ve had the amazing opportunity of visiting Ferrari back in April. To read more, click here. Ferrari Trento was […]