Santa Cruz Mountain AVA      The Santa Cruz Mountains comprise some of the most important places in California wine history. While Napa and Sonoma are more famous today, this rugged, alpine region, with vineyards planted above...

If you love red wine, chances are you love Spain. And vice-versa - it’s almost impossible to imagine even the shortest visit w/out vino roja. Indeed, just add an “i” to that Spanish word for...

Viva Mexico Besides being tendentious and all kinds of historically problematic, the wine world’s anachronistic tic of bifurcating itself  into “Old” and “New” makes increasingly little sense in just plain descriptive terms. Viticulture in the...

SOUTH AFRICA The history of South African wine traces back to 1659 when Jan van Riebeeck, the founder and governor, produced the very first bottle in Cape Town. The 18th century marked a significant expansion...

Pinot Noir from the Southern Hemisphere “Pinot Noir” derives from the French words “pine” and “black,” describing the grape’s tight, pine cone-like clusters and dark color. Studies show that Pinot Noir is a very old...