Archive for May, 2008

Since this is my last post for UnReserved, I decided to take a look back at the most hotly debated topics over the past 11 months. The number of comments on each shows which topics touched your nerves. The topics of the posts most commented on included:

Global Warming
Californian vs. European Wine
Tempranillo (who knew?)
Screwcaps and Corks
Two-Buck Chuck

We also had a great run in a post where I asked people to nominate alternative names for American-made Port-style wines. “Forto” was the winner.

I wonder what made these subjects so compelling, and what other subjects in wine you would like to discuss.

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A week after the death of Robert Mondavi the waves of sympathy for the family, and appreciation of Bob’s countless contributions to wine continue to swirl around the Napa Valley, the wine world and the Internet.

At a seminar in St. Helena Wednesday sponsored by French barrel maker Taransaud, British wine merchant Anthony Hanson, a Master of Wine, author and Christie’s auction house agent, was moderator. He dedicated the day-long session to Robert Mondavi. Looking around the room, I could see several winemakers who worked directly for Mondavi, particularly Zelma Long, who was a speaker. She took over as Mondavi winemaker in the 1970s and went on to an illustrious career heading up Simi Winery in Sonoma County and in the past several years as a winemaking consultant in California and wine entrepreneur in South Africa. Many others in the crowd were also directly or indirectly connected to Robert Mondavi.

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I have to admit I didn’t rise to the challenge of Mother’s Day this year. Pathetically, I managed a phone call to my mom, but no flowers or other gifts.

It didn’t strike me until this morning what I should have gotten her for Mother’s Day: wine in a package that she could open herself.

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When was the last time you read an article saying, “I hate French wine. It sucks. I never drink it anymore and I pour it down the drain.”

Talk about rash generalizations. Talk about Francophobia. Talk about intolerance.

But that’s basically what wine writer Alice Feiring said in an op-ed piece in the LA Times. Only she didn’t say it about France, she said it about California.

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