Wine news July 25, 2017
July 24, 2026 Dorothy J. Gaiter & John BrecherBYOB Rules: Why the Debate Is So Heated Right Now
BYOB is especially contentious right now. As wine lovers with our own small collection, we’ve always looked for restaurants that allow us to bring an exceptional bottle and pay a corkage fee. We’ve written about BYOB over the years and we know that some restaurateurs really dislike it. As one told us once: “What’s next? Letting people bring their own steaks?” But opinions about BYOB are at a high pitch right now. We recently joined Laurie Forster on her podcast,…
July 17, 2026 Lee PaiJustin Willett on Defining the Potential of Santa Barbara
- July 10, 2026 Christopher Barnes
Argentina: Wine, Football, and the Catena Family
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BYOB Rules: Why the Debate Is So Heated Right Now
July 24, 2026 Dorothy J. Gaiter & John BrecherBYOB is especially contentious right now. As wine lovers with our own small collection, we’ve always looked for restaurants that…Justin Willett on Defining the Potential of Santa Barbara
July 17, 2026 Lee PaiThis story is perhaps overtold, but to this day, when we talk about Santa Barbara, the first thing that probably…Argentina: Wine, Football, and the Catena Family
July 10, 2026 Christopher BarnesIn Argentina, wine and football (soccer) are not hobbies, they are close to national institutions. Between the 1880s and the…Melon in a Glass? Long Island Wineries Embrace ‘a Weird Name’
July 10, 2026 Dorothy J. Gaiter & John BrecherDuring our first trip to California Wine Country, back in the early 1970s, we visited Sebastiani Winery in Sonoma and…
Paulo Machado and the Azores: Portugal’s Volcanic Treasure
July 3, 2026 Lee PaiLooking at the Azores archipelago on Google Maps brings to mind the island where Tom Hanks’ character in the 2000…A Knicksian Surprise: Well-Priced Burgundy by the Glass
June 26, 2026 Dorothy J. Gaiter & John BrecherSome restaurants care about their wines by the glass. And there are still some good values in Burgundy. These forces…Georgia: The Birthplace of Wine Looks to the Future
June 19, 2026 Lisa DenningIt's known as the Cradle of Wine, yet many Americans think of a U.S. state when they hear its name.…Sigrid’s Vintage: We Reunited a Napa Winemaker With a Cherished Bottle
June 12, 2026 Dorothy J. Gaiter & John BrecherWe all need some good news these days and here it is, though it is also bittersweet. We have been…
Chris Walsh: Winemaker at the End of Nowhere
June 9, 2026 Lisa DenningChris Walsh makes wine in a garage. Not the two-car garage at his grandparents’ house, where he launched End of…Alberto Arizu Jr. and His 125th Anniversary with Luigi Bosca
June 5, 2026 Lee PaiWhen talking about great wine regions and producers, we often associate them with heritage and legacy, something that can only…
Schiava: The Alpine Red You Should Be Drinking
June 5, 2026 Christopher BarnesSchiava, the ancient red grape of Alto Adige in northeastern Italy, has spent decades absorbing criticism. As recently as 2002,…Joe’s Stone Crab Sells How Many Bottles? And No. 1 Is….
May 29, 2026 Dorothy J. Gaiter & John BrecherEvery year about this time we feel super nostalgic. We met 53 years ago on June 4 in the newsroom…
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July 3, 2026 Lee PaiLooking at the Azores archipelago on Google Maps brings to mind the island where Tom Hanks’ character in the 2000 film Cast Away was stranded on for four years. Sitting in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the Azores seems to be hidden within the vast ocean. But instead of looking for Wilson, we are seeking the wines from Paulo…- June 26, 2026 Dorothy J. Gaiter & John BrecherSome restaurants care about their wines by the glass. And there are still some good values in Burgundy. These forces collide only once every 53 years, but when they do, watch out. We’re only joking about the 53 years, but this column was born of our celebration of our 53rd anniversary, which happened to coincide with the NBA Finals in…
- June 19, 2026 Lisa DenningIt's known as the Cradle of Wine, yet many Americans think of a U.S. state when they hear its name. The country of Georgia, located in the South Caucasus between Europe and Asia, is home to the oldest known evidence of winemaking. Archaeologists discovered traces of grape residue in Stone Age clay vessels south of what is now Tbilisi, dating…
- June 12, 2026 Dorothy J. Gaiter & John BrecherWe all need some good news these days and here it is, though it is also bittersweet. We have been working for more than two years to find the ending to this story. In 1976, a former professor of European history named Jerry Seps and his wife, Sigrid, visited Napa Valley and fell in love with a spot north of…
FROM THE VAULTS
Grape Collective’s Favorite Wine Cocktails
In Jon Bonné’s recent Inside Scoop SF article, he talks about wine and winemaking becoming more “freestyle” and the anticipated...
Jeff Cole and Sullivan Rutherford are Bringing Merlot Back to Napa
“Napa forgot Merlot. I didn’t.” That is Jeff Cole’s statement from his Instagram bio. His handle, @themerlotmovement, is just as...
SpeakEasy: Pamela Heiligenthal, Enobytes
Pamela Heiligenthal of Enobytes on wine, wine apps, and a wine professional’s wackiest day of the year.
The Stumper: Vermentino Perplexes Wine Judges
Why would a Vermentino baffle judges? Dan Berger reflects on why this happened at a recent wine competition.
Delectable: A Wine App That Could Revolutionize Drinking
Since downloading Delectable last fall, Alexander Niehenke has been moving towards oenophilia at lightning speed.
Faouzi Issa of Domaine des Tourelles: Making the Adopted Grape Cinsault Shine in Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
"In my opinion, Cinsault is an adopted grape in Lebanon. Since the French don’t like it anymore, we adopted it....
Open That Bottle Night: Academics Agree That ‘Self-Control May Be Overapplied’
"Open that bottle! Celebrate the memories! Appreciate the wine for what it is, not what it might have become or...