http://www.delongwine.com/news An American Winegeek in London Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:03:18 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I just got back from a trip to Rome with a bitter taste in my mouth. No, it wasn’t a bad trip or anything like that. It’s just that amazing bitter aftertaste in so many Italian wines both red and white. Is there any country that ... http://www.delongwine.com/news/2008/04/07/classic-wine-flavors-flavours/ This article appeared in the June 2007 edition of Connections Magazine (Ireland) People who know nothing about wine – no, not you, I'm talking about people who think Chardonnay is a brand name – somehow know enough to say “I like a dry wine” even if they don't. Yes, the ... http://www.delongwine.com/news/2008/02/05/are-oaked-wines-naff/ These are my top ten most memorable and enjoyable wines from the past year. The only common thread in this eclectic group is that most would be good stumpers in a blind tasting. In no apparent order: Valdespino Coliseo Amontillado VORS Sherry I’ve heard that this wine can ... http://www.delongwine.com/news/2008/01/15/2007-wrap-up/ “I’ll be pouring some excellent Cab Francs today.” Whatever happened to “We’re tasting some excellent Cab Francs today?” Everyone seems to be pouring everywhere these days. Am I the only person who thinks that this sounds strange? What would the equivalent be with chocolate chip cookies? ... http://www.delongwine.com/news/2007/12/13/extreme-pours-2007/ This article appeared in the December 2007 edition of Connections Magazine (Ireland) So what do you get for the wine lover who has everything? Bottles of wine can be tricky unless you really understand the receiver’s preferences very well. And even then, the element of surprise – the hallmark of ... http://www.delongwine.com/news/2007/12/07/extreme-wine-accessories/ An evening at the Autour d’ un Verre Copyright 2007 Brice Dunwoodie This article appeared in the October 2007 edition of Connections Magazine (Ireland) People used to say that you can’t get a bad meal in Paris. Sadly, this is no longer true (perhaps it never was!) and the same goes ... http://www.delongwine.com/news/2007/11/20/paris-for-wine-and-food-lovers/ It used to be said – actually quite often – that wine people are all so nice. But Bacchus got bored of that. Polite disagreements turned into towel-swatting. Towel-swatting turned into fisticuffs. And fisticuffs turned into an all out head-in-the-turnbuckle, tomahawk chopping, pile driving, suplexing brawl. ... http://www.delongwine.com/news/2007/11/01/the-world-wide-wine-federation/ Is it OK to yell blueberry milkshake in a crowded wine tasting? Portugal and Spain are often described as both new world and old world wine countries because of the mix of traditional and modern methods. This doesn’t just mean that there are new players making wine among the traditionalists. ... http://www.delongwine.com/news/2007/10/10/portugal-old-and-new/ This article is a part of Wine Blogging Wednesday "go native"1 sponsored by Dr. Vino. Verdelho, along with Sercial, Malmsey and Bual, is one of the 4 main Madeira grape varieties. As one of the dry styles of Madeira, it’s made in a way similar to sherry; in other words, ... http://www.delongwine.com/news/2007/09/12/old-and-new-world-verdelho/ Out of habit, everyone (myself included) keeps referring to the big 6 grape varieties - Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon – but the list seems a little outdated. Where’s the Syrah? Where’s the Zin? Where’s the Sangiovese? Winemetrics published this list last week based ... http://www.delongwine.com/news/2007/08/23/the-big-ten/