Archive for March, 2017
ROSE CHAMPAGNE NOT JUST FOR THE LADIES
January/February 2017 Glass of Bubbly Issue 16 Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis Despite the general perception, Rose Champagne is not for ladies only, although the very thought of it brings mouthwatering visions of decadence and frolic to mind. Rose is actually the weightiest and richest of Champagne styles, is made in non-vintage, vintage and luxury […]
LE MESNIL’S RISING STAR
November/December 2016 Glass of Bubbly Issue 15 Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis With a budget of $400 US, or $850, one can easily obtain one of the best Champagnes in the world, a bottle of Salon or Krug Clos de Mesnil. With any luck, the Grand Cru Chardonnay-based bubbly will be expressive, generous and fine, though […]
BOTTEGA LIQUID METALS
September/October 2016 Glass of Bubbly Issue 14 Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis Are you gold, rose or platinum? Like the iPhone 6sPlus, Bottega Liquid Metals offers choices of platinum, gold and rose gold metal coated bottles to showcase their premium Italian sparkling wines. The innovative and eye-catching packaging includes Moscato (platinum), Prosecco (gold) and sparkling […]
SMALL DISCOVERIES
January/February 2016 Glass of Bubbly Issue 10 Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis With its iconic hand painted flower bottle, Perrier Jouet’s Cuvee Belle Epoque, formerly known as Fleur de Champagne, is one of the world’s most recognizable luxury brands, let alone Champagnes. To make their current releases even more memorable, the house teamed up young designers […]
AUSTRIA’S WALTZING VARIETAL
February/March 2016 The SOMM Journal planet grape by Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF RIESLING Benchmark old world Riesling is one of the world’s great vinous treasures, and Austria delivers it in spades. Supremely intense, rich, pungent and dry, quite different from the lacy, low alcohol, delicate, minerally, acidic […]
NO MORE GEEK SPEAK
February/March 2017 The SOMM Journal planet grape by Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis FOR SOMMS ON THE FLOOR, HOSPITALITY COMES FIRST Food servers have it down to an art, whether by training, instinct or experience. No server would earn big bucks by selling the restaurant’s food with ego-infused technical geek speak. Beyond that, no chef would […]
BEYOND TAPAS
December/January 2016 2017 The SOMM Journal planet grape by Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis BASQUE PINTXOS TAKE IT UPSCALE Tapas, simple bites such as cured meats, chorizo sausage, olives, or fried seafood have their origin in Southern Spain. One story claims that King Alfonso X stopped in Cadiz to rest from a long journey and ordered […]
WHERE VIOGNIER SHINES
October/November 2016 The SOMM Journal planet grape by Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis THE ANCIENT GRAPE IS AT ITS BEST IN CONDRIEU AND SOUTH WEST FRANCE Viognier (vee oh nyay) was grown in the Northern Rhone during the Roman Empire. When the Romans were forced out of Gaul in the 5th Century, the vines remained uncultivated […]
OUT FROM UNDER THE SHADOW OF NAPA VALLEY
August/September 2016 The SOMM Journal planet grape by Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis DISCOVERING THE LONG ESTABLISHED, NEWLY RECOGNIZED COOMBSVILLE AVA Just five minutes east of bustling downtown Napa with its popular riverfront and Oxbow Market is the bucolic, off-the-beaten-path Coombsville, a cool southern valley area protected by an ancient caldera which was granted AVA status […]
WHERE PINOT REIGNS
June/July 2016 The SOMM Journal planet grape by Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis AN INAUGURAL BARREL AUCTION MARKS A 50-YEAR MILESTONE FOR WILLAMETTE VALLEY WINES While wine grapes were cultivated in Southern Oregon in the mid and late 1800’s, it wasn’t until 1965 that marked the first plantings the Willamette Valley, when David and Diana Lett […]
PROSECCO DOC MOVES TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY
Press Release PROSECCO DOC MOVES TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY The denomination is making important steps in its commitment to a healthy environment For years, the debate on sustainability and its various meanings has become an unavoidable topic of discussion in the world of agriculture at every level, from local to international, from producer to consumer. Clear, consistent, […]
2017 INTERNATIONAL ALSACE VARIETALS FESTIVAL FEATURING CREMANT D’ALSACE
Planet Grape Wine Review presented this past weekend during the sold out Educational Session at the 2017 International Alsace Varietals Festival, held at the Mendocino Fairgrounds in Boonville amidst the rolling hills and meadows of California’s Anderson Valley. Dr. Liz Thach MW and Fred Swan Diploma WSET joined me for a lively panel presentation of the sparkling […]
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