Recent Blog Posts
APPELLATION Montepulciano, Italy
The Sommelier Journal May 31 2013 Catherine Fallis, MS The Denominazione d’Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) known as Montepulciano lies east of Montalcino across the Val d’Orcia in the Tuscan province of Siena, specifically the Chianti subzone Colli Senesi. From the eponymous hilltop town, one looks down over the vineyards, most on eastern- or southeastern-facing […]
INTERVIEW Kevin Zraly, Windows on the World Wine School, New York City & New Paltz, NY
The Sommelier Journal April 15 2013 Catherine Fallis MS In the two years I spent at Windows on the World as wine-school coordinator and cellar master, Kevin Zraly taught me so much about wine—the business, the people, the culture, the beauty of it all. He taught me that persistence pays off, that when people are […]
INTERVIEW Michel Rolland, Libourne, France
The Sommelier Journal June 15 2011 Catherine Fallis, MS The globetrotting consultant explains his philosophy of viticulture and winemaking. Michel Rolland is one of the most sought-after and yet one of the most divisive figures in the global wine industry today. His knowledge is immense, his client list studded with some of the […]
SOMMELIER CHALLENGE Fifth Floor, San Francisco
The Sommelier Journal February 28 2013 Catherine Fallis, MS The Challenge: Pair sakes with five courses at San Francisco’s Fifth Floor. On the blustery last day of January, the Bay Area’s wine elite gathered at the Fifth Floor restaurant and lounge in San Francisco’s Hotel Palomar to taste and judge a flight of sake-and-food pairings selected […]
INTERVIEW Mel Knox, Mel Knox Barrel Broker, San Francisco
The Sommelier Journal October 15 2012 Catherine Fallis, MS A wine-industry veteran brings French barriques to California. On one of San Francisco’s infamously cold, foggy, and damp summer days, Mel Knox regaled me with stories of his long, illustrious career as a barrel broker and winemaker. I first met Knox when I moved here more […]
WINERY SPOTLIGHT MacPhail Family Wines, Healdsburg, California
The Sommelier Journal August 31 2012 Catherine Fallis, MS James MacPhail combines a sense of place with family values. With a background in hotel management yet a love of the great outdoors, James MacPhail decided in 1995 to trade the city lights for quiet nights. Now, it’s not VIP guests but single-lot Pinots that he […]
WINERY SPOTLIGHT Bellavista, Erbusco, Italy
The Sommelier Journal July 15 2012 Catherine Fallis, MS Champagne lovers have an Italian alternative. Lights flashing on the catwalk, designers hobnobbing with the jet set, flutes overflowing with bubbly: it’s Fashion Week in Milan, and industry insiders are set to celebrate in style. But if Champagne is a given in Paris, Italians have their […]
INTERVIEW Terry Theise, Berkeley, California
The Sommelier Journal May 31 2012 Catherine Fallis, MS The famed importer’s philosophy emanates from a respect for the land. Terry Theise is a man after my own heart: passionate champion of underdogs; perfume lover (with scarce opportunities to wear it); seeker of balance in wine, people, and life; natural educator and co-conspirator; and bon vivant whose […]
APPELLATION Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy, France
The Sommelier Journal February 28 2012 Catherine Fallis MS Outstanding values are emanating from this enclave just south of the Côte d’Or. Nestled between the white-collar Côte de Beaune and the working-class Mâconnais in southern Burgundy, the Côte Chalonnaise is an often-overlooked treasure trove of delicious, earthy, and seductive Pinot Noirs; well-priced Chardonnays; and the […]
INTERVIEW Georges Duboeuf, Beaujolais, France
The Sommelier Journal January 15 2012 Catherine Fallis, MS The “king of Beaujolais” shares his views on wine, art, and his beloved home region. French winemakers don’t often use the phrase “vintage of a lifetime,” but that is what Georges Duboeuf exclaimed as we sat over a lunch of confit of Moulard duck leg and salade […]
APPELLATION Mâconnais, Burgundy, France
The Sommelier Journal October 15 2011 Catherine Fallis, MS The Côte d’Or’s southern neighbor may be ready for its closeup. French Chardonnay is at its best in the heart of Burgundy, especially in such legendary Côte de Beaune vineyards as Meursault and Montrachet. A short distance south, though, Chardonnay also stars in the Mâconnais—a small, […]
WINERY SPOTLIGHT Quady Winery, Madera, California
The Sommelier Journal June 15 2011 Catherine Fallis, MS A remote winery has blazed a path for California dessert bottlings. At three hours from San Francisco and two and a half from San Jose, Calif., Quady Winery is very much off the beaten path. Tucked in between switchbacks of the Sierra Nevada and the farmland […]
INTERVIEW Christian Moueix, Jean-Pierre Moueix, Libourne, France
The Sommelier Journal January 31 2011 Catherine Fallis, MS A top Bordeaux producer has a passion for Napa. As I pulled into the parking lot of Dominus in Yountville, Calif., I couldn’t help but notice the difference between this discreet, nearly invisible structure and the many architectural showcases along Highway 29. I had already learned […]
WINERY SPOTLIGHT Cantine Borgo di Colleredo, Molise, Italy
The Sommelier Journal September 15 2010 Catherine Fallis, MS A meticulous producer has helped put Molise on the wine map. If nothing else can be said about sommeliers as a group, one thing is certain: they are passionate about seeking out new wines, meeting new winemakers, and discovering off-the-beaten-path producers in remote areas. Importer Stephen […]
INTERVIEW Leonardo LoCascio, Winebow
The Sommelier Journal July 31 2010 Catherine Fallis, MS A Sicilian native has brought intriguing, family-based Italian wines to America for three decades. Leonardo LoCascio is as bold in his fashion choices as he is in his beliefs. He recently sat next to me at a Consorzio Brunello di Montalcino tasting in San Francisco, […]
INTERVIEW Laura Catena, Catena Zapata, Mendoza, Argentina
The Sommelier Journal April 30 2010 Catherine Fallis, MS This San Francisco physician is one of the leading figures on the Argentine wine scene. I’ve known Laura Catena for years through the wine industry and see her fairly often, since we live near each other in San Francisco. She leaves as much of a lasting […]
WINERY SPOTLIGHT Arnaldo Caprai, Umbria, Italy
The Sommelier Journal March 15 2010 Catherine Fallis, MS Marco Caprai has elevated Sagrantino to the top rank of Italian varietals. For Italy, Arnaldo Caprai is a relatively new wine producer—especially when compared with the centuries of experience of the Antinori, Frescobaldi, or even Biondi-Santi families. Arnaldo Caprai founded this Umbrian winery in 1971, after […]
SOMMELIER SPOTLIGHT Madeline Triffon, Matt Prentice Restaurant Group, Detroit
The Sommelier Journal November 2009 Catherine Fallis, MS America’s first woman Master Sommelier is a role model for those who have followed in her path. In 1987, Madeline Triffon became America’s first and the world’s second female Master Sommelier, following England’s Claudia Harris. She passed on her first try (the only woman to do so […]
INTERVIEW Doug Shafer, Shafer Vineyards, Napa, California
The Sommelier Journal October 2009 Catherine Fallis, MS For this premium producer, it’s all about sustainability, balance, and paying attention to the little things. Wines from Shafer Vineyards, in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley, are highly sought after year after year by top collectors and restaurant wine directors around the world. These awe-inspiring […]
COVER STORY Provence: Heaven for the Senses
The Sommelier Journal September 2009 Catherine Fallis, MS With plentiful sunshine, a rugged coastline, quaint fishing villages, and some of the most delicious seafood in the world, Provence is almost as well known to American visitors as Paris is. Situated between the Rhône delta and Nice in southeastern France, Provence is easily accessible by land […]
WINERY SPOTLIGHT Dom Pérignon, Champagne, France
The Sommelier Journal August 2009 Catherine Fallis, MS This iconic Champagne virtually sells itself. Dom Pérignon, the flagship wine of Champagne powerhouse Moët & Chandon, defines luxury in all its effervescent glory. Dom Pérignon is an international symbol of success, a universal icon believed even by teetotalers to be the best Champagne in the world. […]
INTERVIEW Josh Jensen, Calera Wine Company, Mount Harlan, California
The Sommelier Journal July 2009 Catherine Fallis, MS Limestone is the magic ingredient for this neo-Burgundian winemaker perched atop the Gabilan Mountains. Calera had been on my radar from the earliest days of my wine education. I had read about it in the textbooks for Harriet Lembeck’s wine course, a prerequisite for my job at […]
INTERVIEW Donald Ziraldo, Inniskillin, Ontario and British Columbia
The Sommelier Journal June 2009 Catherine Fallis, MS Noted for both extreme skiing and extreme winemaking, this northern pioneer describes how he helped launch the modern Canadian wine industry. I first met Donald Ziraldo while researching Canada for The Global Encyclopedia of Wine several years ago. He organized extensive, region-wide tours and tastings for me and […]
RESTAURANT SPOTLIGHT Alexander’s Steakhouse, Cupertino, California
The Sommelier Journal May 2009 Catherine Fallis, MS A passion for wine, a sophisticated menu, and a knowledgeable staff are the hallmarks of this Bay Area steakhouse. I first met JC Chen, owner of Alexander’s Steakhouse in Cupertino, Calif., at La Paulée de San Francisco last year. He was a guest at my assigned station […]
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