The Hero of Her Own Story
By Karen MacNeil She thought she’d stay in France. After Château Haut-Brion, why think of being anyplace else? Wine, she felt, was in her core. From the age of 14, she knew she wanted to be a winemaker. She could not not make wine. And interning at a First...
SOMETIMES A GREAT NOTION
Summary: Founded in 1967 on the rugged slopes of Pritchard Hill, Chappellet Winery helped define Napa Valley mountain wines long before the area became iconic. Through vision, grit, and striking architecture, Donn and Molly Chappellet established a winery that remains...
Sometimes a Great Notion
By Karen MacNeil February 13, 2026 It began with a mountainside. A mountainside so remote and rocky that few believed anything would thrive there except for the old oaks that twisted themselves along the canyons and contours of the mountain.The following content is...
IN PURSUIT OF BEAUTY
What Matters When You Taste Wine By Karen MacNeil In this article, Karen MacNeil argues that wine tasting should focus less on technical analysis and more on emotional response. Rather than relying solely on tasting grids and flavor identification, MacNeil...
In Pursuit of Beauty
What Matters When You Taste Wine By Karen MacNeil I once had an employee (a woman who was smart and knew a lot about wine) who, when she loved a wine would always describe it as “pretty.” It drove me crazy. Just about every time she used that descriptor, I’d...
The Best Chardonnays
California Chardonnay has never been better. I don’t say that casually. It’s easy to make B- level Chardonnay that’s creamy, oaky, and boring. Making A+++ Chardonnay is infinitely harder. The following content is accessible for members only, please sign...
The Origin of the 750ml Wine Bottle
Every week or every month (or every day) we open wine bottles. The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.
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