I gathered this week with several colleagues from our software firm for a wine tasting of Italian varietals. I wondered if the American palettes would be biased toward the California-grown Italian varietals. I was surprised by the “favorites” rating results. Our tasting menu included Italian appetizer pairing with appetizers catered by Cavalli's/Dallas/McKinney. Here is the wine progression with ratings: Wine Appetizer Pairing 2011 Gattavecchi Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG Salmon Puffs 2011 Costamolino/Argiolas Vermentino di SardegnaDOCG (WA 90 Pts.) 2006 Canneto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG (WA 91 Pts.) Stuffed mushrooms (Vegetable herb stuffing) 2004 Casisano- Colombaio Brunello di Montalcino,... Continue reading

Taste of the Seacoast Magazine by Tricia H.Conover, C.W.P. Initially, Chanticleer’s founder George Grodahl and his wife Caddy were just going to grow grapes to supply other vineyards. “Then we got serious and partnered with Chris Dearden, a veteran winemaker and consultant,” he says. Grodahl successfully made the transition from investment banker to boutique winemaker, recovering his start-up costs following his first vintage, a tribute to his business acumen in a valley where profitability is hard won. “Chanticleer was the proud rooster who used wit and cunning to succeed in the story ‘The Nun’s Priest Tale’ from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales,”... Continue reading

While the wine news is reporting a record Premiere Napa Valley auction event, where 10 cases of Dana Estates sold for $70,000 or $1167/bottle, it is important to note the incredible contribution of women winemakers among the Napa Valley vintners. One of the 10 top wines to be sold at this auction was from Amuse Bouche, Heidi Peterson Barrett's Pomerol-style Merlot. Heidi's successes are legendary including early clients like Screaming Eagle. Prior to the auction I attended a preview event exclusive to some of the more well-known women winemakers. There were some spectacular wines featured in-preview including: Meander's "Conspire" Sauvignon... Continue reading

Many of my associated wine professionals have been raving about the quality and value of Cameron Hughes wines. So, I thought I would do some sampling on my own. I purchased the 2009 Lot 303 Stags Leap District, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2009 Lot 271 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. The Cab had wonderful scents of blackberry and plum, and had a good minerality with overtones of dark chocolate. It had very fine tannins. For $34 where are you going to find this quality of wine? Not any other place in Stags Leap appellation. Perfect for that rib... Continue reading

In the latest issue of The Tuscan Magazine, you will find my detailed Top 10 tips on "Hosting a Tuscan Wine Competition at Home". Wine professionals recommend having tasting exercises often and recording your handwritten observations immediately. Can you image a wine judge tasting over 100 wines at a competition and not taking notes? Our recommendations for a Tasting Competition at Home can apply to any vertical or horizontal tasting exercise. Expose your guests to some new as well as some familiar wines. Broadening the palate and "sensory rolodex" is important for improving sensory detection for any level of wine-drinker.... Continue reading

I was asked to put together a snack-friendly wine list for my editor at Tuscan Magazine. It's soccer/footie season in Italy. Italians have the same desire as we do in the States to find wine that is a complement to their snacks. Go Fiorentina! Check out the Tuscan Magazine Blog at: Tuscan Magazine Blog Continue reading

I'ts April Fools Day. You don't want to be the fool caught drinking a poor value wine. The most commonly asked question I get is: Are there any good value wines out there? The answer is "yes", literally there are hundreds of them. Be discerning, do a little research, and you should be able to find some wonderful wines. Here is my "No Fools" list of some great finds: 2009 Cameron Hughes Sauvignon Blank (Leyda Valley) $12 2008 Castle Rock Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley) $12 2009 Sand Rita Reserva Malbec (Colchagua Valley) $12 2009 Tangley Oaks Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast)... Continue reading

I just returned from the Premiere Napa Valley Wine Auction and the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers. A new star has emerged from the Auction - Scarecrow - by winemaker Celia Welch. A Japanese importer paid $125,000 for a 5 cases, or $2083 per bottle. Two years ago that same lot went for $80,000. The Auction took place at the Culinary Institute of America, Napa Valley, where the crowd of 1,000 consisted of vintners, retailers, restaurateurs, distributors, brokers and media from across the country and around the world. The PNV Wine Auction began in 1997 as a "bake sale" by... Continue reading

Since the SuperBowl is in Dallas next week, the partying in our hometown has started early. Last night I was at a wine event – Côte du Coeur Wine Society of the American Heart Association - and this wine/snack pairing discussion came up frequently. Beer is terrific with snacks, but some of us just want a great value wine with our nachos, sliders, and chili. Here are my best rating-for-the-dollar recommendations (under $20/bottle in most places) for the best wine that will hold up to unusual and spicy tastes of snack foods. (RATINGS NOTE: WS-Wine Spectator, RP Robert Parker, W&S... Continue reading

During my month-long trip to Italy in October, I had the pleasure of meeting with Sarah Frasier, editor of the Tuscan Magazine. I join British, Canadian, Irish, German, and Italian writers as their sole American journalist. It's a privilege. Sara and her husband, Richard are Brits who have relocated to Lucca, Toscana, Italy and are the authors of Tuscan Living: From the Yorkshire Moors to the Tuscan Hills. I have featured their book in my Amazon.com "I Recommend" section. To get a glimpse of this wonderful English-speaking publication of Tuscany, go to: http://tuscanlivingmagazine.com/\ My article appears on Page 40 of... Continue reading

This is a webzine that you'll want to visit often if you love chocolate, and need advice on all things and places "Chocolate Covered". I have a new article: Wine Roads and the Chocolate Valley of Italy: Take the A-11 Autostrada to Health. http://www.chocolateatlas.com/index.htm Continue reading

And go to Chocolate Atlas for the remainder of the Article: http://www.chocolateatlas.com/L2Europe/6BConover_Italy/Wine_Roads_and_Chocolate.html Continue reading

I was asked in September to participate as a Certified Wine Professional to help promote a wine and chocolate pairing on Dallas’ KDAF TV 33 segment, “The RC Project”. This pairing of chocolates from Steve Smith’s company, Nib Chocolates, and Waterbrook Winery, Columbia Valley, WA, will be served at the after-party of the AT&T Dallas Symphony gala, September 11. The Côtes du Coeur of the American Heart Association, of which I am a Society member, is providing the wine. This appearance made me contemplate the healthy pairing of wine and chocolate as part of our GrapeStone Concepts “point of view”... Continue reading

I just returned from the Professional Wine Writers Symposium in Napa Valley, www.winewriterssymposium.org. Our keynote speaker was the eloquent Frances Mayes, author of Under the Tuscan Sun, and her new book: Every Day in Tuscany, Seasons of an Italian Life. I was encouraged by Frances and several well-know wine editors to really consider documenting the positive health effects of great wine with delicious, local food ingredients, and inspiring travel adventures….”una bella vita”. Gary Walther, one of our distinguished lecturers and former editor of the luxury lifestyle magazine, ForbesLife, specifically discussed the trend of pressure-strained folks to seek a healthy, stress-reducing... Continue reading

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A valid look at the 2009 Top Wines of the year should include a combination of the results from both the Wine Spectator (WS) and Wine Enthusiast’s (WE)” Top 100 Wines of the Year”. What are the trends? What are the top countries and producers? Is one of the publications more biased towards Italy? Is one of the publications more focused on Pinot noirs? Is the USA representation appropriate? To make this analysis statistically more significant, the two lists are pooled, and some interesting facts are revealed. What are the most inexpensive wines of the 2009 selected? What are the... Continue reading

Happy New Year to all the new followers of GrapeStone Concepts! I'll be posting a retrospective analysis on everyone's Top 100 Wines of 2009 very soon. Combined, there are some interesting trends to observe. In the meantime, be safe and have a wonderful evening. Continue reading

I am a follower of the wonderful “Wall Street Journal“ writers, Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher. Normally every weekend in the Personal Journal section they have extensive wine articles, wine reviews, and interviews. On November 21 they stated: “At the beginning of this year, we printed a checklist of 20 things to do in 2009 to make wine more fun—easy, doable things. Put very simply, some of the items on the list were to open a sparkler for no reason; try a Sauternes; have a blind tasting; organize your labels; finally replace that old corkscrew; and attend a winemaker's dinner.... Continue reading

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“Working with the Founder of Vineyard Wine Cellars, Gary Daniels, has been a pure pleasure.” Tricia Conover, C.W.P. You can reach Gary and his team of professionals at: www.vineyardwinecellars.com. Continue reading

Want to make the most of your trip to Napa and Sonoma Valleys? Start out your tasting adventure with a two-hour class, “Tasting Like a Professional” at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone. The setting for the class is an impressive amphitheater in the Rudd Center for Wine Studies, an old stone structure overlooking the vineyards of Charles Krug winery. This semi-circular room is complete with individual stations equipped with tasting sinks, viewing lights, and rows of stemware. At the class on a Saturday in late September, we had couples and singles from Iowa, Texas, California, New York,... Continue reading

The dilemma every holiday: How do I please all my guests and also serve a wine or wines that pair well with the cuisine.? Here are some basic suggestions for the 2009 Holiday Season. Christmas Dinner Wines: Merry pairings - It is always a smart move for the Thanksgiving or Holiday dinner host to offer a choice of wines. This year, my choices are Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Zinfandel. Pinot Noir’s balance of crisp berries, light spiciness, and managed, moderate tannins make it the versatile wine of the holidays. Sauvignon Blanc’s crisp acidity matches well with first course salads.... Continue reading