I wrote the following poem on the evening of September 21,2022 after attending a “Conversation” at Ashes & Diamonds winery in the Napa Valley. The presentation—by five winemakers—centered around the topic of sustainability. But, as tears in the audience revealed,...
I have been a wine writer for nearly 40 years. And yet, for the first time in my career, I’m worried. Despondent even. Wine writing as a profession, a craft, even sometimes an art, is disappearing. And it’s not clear what, if anything, will replace it. I recently gave...
St (Saint) Joseph is an appellation in the northern Rhône Valley of France. But St Emilion, St Estèphe, and St Julien are all famous appellations within Bordeaux. Interestingly, most French appellations with “Saint” in their names are masculine (abbreviated St). Only two noteworthy ones, both also in Bordeaux, are feminine—Sainte (abbreviated as Ste): Sainte Croix du Mont and Sainte Foy Bordeaux.