M. Senegor

Have you ever loved a wine in a winery  and then bought it, only to find that at home, some time later, it tasted totally different? Often this experience is memorable because the wine tastes much worse than what you remembered, and you wonder why on earth you spent good money on it. If you have, join the club. Most do.In a recent trip to the northern Sonoma region, biking and wine tasting, I thought about this phenomenon. While there are several variables that contribute to this problem, in my opinion one is the biggest. First the lesser ones. The[...]

This blog is not about wine.The picture you see above seems like a warm weather resort, but it's not. It is actually the latest incarnation of the Francis Ford Coppola winery in Sonoma, right off Highway 101 near Geyserville. Visitors to this winery are greeted by various layers of orientation to direct them to activities featured there which include a giant swimming pool with a stage area in the background which is a replica of the wedding scene from Godfather II. Lining the pool are Italian style cabana changing rooms, dark blue chaise-longs and multicolored umbrellas. Various uniformed wait staff[...]

It is already happening. The grand recession of 2007-2008 which decimated the local wine industry is coming to an end. In a sure sign that the pendulum is swinging the other way, the Wall Street Journal today reported that California grape growers will not be able to meet demand this year. Over the last decade, having overplanted more vineyards than needed, growers have pulled them down and switched to other crops like nuts, vegetables and other fruits in the fertile lands of California. This certainly accelerated with the sharp drop in demand after the onset of the recession. While recovery[...]

Can lightning strike twice?Domaine Tempier Bandol, one of the truly fine grand cru of the Provence, is usually a favorite among my wine drinking friends. Located on France's Mediterranean coast, between Toulon and Marseilles, the town of Bandol features what might be called a natural amphitheater of vineyards that slope towards the sea. Here the varietal of mouvedere, also grown in nearby Spain and nowadays in California,  finds its finest expression in the world. The estate which has been in existence since the 1830's and won medals in the 1850's for their wine, was elevated to an exalted status beginning in the 1940's[...]

For those of us lucky enough to experience excellent fine wine regularly, the issue of what to do on ceremonial occasions becomes a problem. I have recently had two experiences that gave me new insight into this. The first was a dinner in honor of my wife's birthday at a fancy local French restaurant with one other couple. I decided to bring my own bottle to the occasion and chose the above label, a Chateau Calon Segur from Sait Estephe, Bordeaux. Usually a solid and reliable performer, this label turned out to be absolutely wrong for the occasion. The problem was [...]

Last night a sublime and elegant wine poured out of the bottle you see in the picture. It was ruby red in color, with an instantly recognizable Bordeaux nose, and a smooth, clean, multi-phase presentation in the palate. It had perfect balance of fruit, alcohol  and acidity. It carried  no hint of roughness. It was by all measures, a grand Bordeaux wine. And yet Chateau Gloria, well known and well respected among Bordeaux lovers, does not belong in the elite group of 61 chateaux classified under the famed 1855 list, and is merely a Cru Bourgeois. The fate of Gloria is[...]