AUTHOR: Dave McIntyre TITLE: Celebrate American Fizz! DATE: 12/30/2007 11:33:00 AM ----- BODY:
Earlier this year I visited the Champagne region at harvest time, and I've enjoyed tasting several different Champagnes in the months since. At the same time, I explored the current range of American fizz for my December article in Washingtonian magazine. Just as the finest Champagnes are a complex expression of the place, soil and time they are made, some top U.S. sparkling wine producers are focusing on specific appellations and achieving top quality. Which areas are top for U.S. bubbly? Think Carneros, Green Valley, Russian River Valley, Anderson Valley - and one you probably don't know yet: Carter's Mountain. Details in WineLine #63, now available on dmwineline.com. Cheers, and Happy New Year!

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----- -------- AUTHOR: Dave McIntyre TITLE: Wyncroft: Winning Wines from Michigan DATE: 6/10/2007 01:19:00 PM ----- BODY:
I’m an alcohol snob. If I see 14.8% on a label for most wines, especially a white, I’ll put it back on the shelf and buy something else. Most wines I’ve tasted in that range are out-of-balance, weighty, over-oaked monstrosities that make me want to cry over the wasted potential of those grapes. Of course, there are a rare few that are carefully made with exceptional fruit where the alcohol is integrated and the final result is a full-bodied, complex wine that stimulates the palate, the imagination, and conversation.
Like Wyncroft Chardonnay from Avonlea vineyard.
In Michigan.
Read more in WineLine #61.

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