May 2017

Wines to Know: 2016 Massican Annia. Every person I’ve ever served this wine to has said the same word—fascinating. And that’s what I wrote, too, the first time I tasted this intriguing fresh dry white, a blend of two Italian grapes – ribolla gialla and friulano – with a small […]

April 2017

Somm-approved bottles that prove the region can do edgy and innovative or rustic and raw as well as any progressive wine stronghold. Napa Valley may still be home to California wine country’s most prized real estate, but ask any young oenophile well-versed in Champagne growers and Beaujolais crus how often […]

April 2017

In the time since I moved to Napa Valley nearly seven years ago, a great many things have changed. Shortly after my arrival, Robert Parker ended his decades-long tenure as the preeminent California wine critic and passed the reins to his then-heir apparent Antonio Galloni. A few years later, the […]

April 2017

How A NY Publisher Became A Successful Winemaker For Two Wildly Different Brands How did a Nebbiolo-lover from the New York publishing world become an icon of hipster wine while simultaneously producing some of Napa’s most exciting Cabernet for a heritage brand in Calistoga? Because Dan Petroski is uniquely suited […]

March 2017

These are the names you need to know: We rounded up the 10 up-and-coming winemakers who are challenging expectations with new varieties and exacting styles. Massican: 2015 Sauvignon Blanc – Dan Petroski’s Massican wines – like this crystalline Sauvignon – are the California winemaker’s homage to the minerally whites of […]

March 2017

How one winemaker turned “failure” into a successful product Vermouth tends to be thought of as an apt blender in a martini—a second thought to making a fine cocktail. Its history as a modern beverage dates back to the 1800s and is celebrated on its own, as well, and as […]

January 2017

[Excerpt] “…. Vermouth, if you believe the laudatory newspaper articles that appear every couple of years, has long been poised to become the next big thing — always on the verge of mainstream popularity, but never quite arriving…. Could it now finally be vermouth’s moment? …. New, local vermouth producers […]

December 2016

2015 Massican Hyde – #59: The 2015 Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay from Massican is an incredible showing. It instantly opens with beautiful and extremely complex aromas of lime zest, orchard fruit, fresh minerals, and buttered almonds followed by hints of sliced pear, honey and tropical fruits that resonate through the wine. […]

December 2016

As often happens when writing any end-of-year listicle, the task of looking back over the last 12 months has the pleasant side effect of reminding us of the highlights. Instead of analyzing a particular moment, scenario, or trend, it’s a chance to reflect on a whole years’ worth of them. […]

October 2016

2015 Annia: Crisp lime, grapefruit and green papaya flavors are bright, crisp and elegant, set on a smooth, seamless frame. Accents of wild fennel and saline linger on the finish. Tocai Friulano, Ribolla Gialla and Chardonnay. Drink now. 89 points. 2015 Sauvignon: There’s a lot of intensity and elegance in […]