20121214
Cult Wine Contenders - For Sommelier Journal
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| Winemaker Martha McClellan with owners Dennis O’Neil and Steph Martin of Checkerboard Vineyards on Diamond Mountain. |
The term “cult wine” polarizes. Some winemakers despise the designation as elitist—which it is—and unfairly biased toward a select group of wines, as one could certainly argue. But whether you detest or embrace the phrase, many consumers go to great lengths to invest in, acquire, and enjoy these wines, particularly California Cabernet Sauvignons. To meet the demand of the connoisseurs who collect such ultra-premium bottlings and, often, convert them into auction assets—not to mention the sommeliers who cellar them to add cachet to restaurant wine lists—a growing segment of high-net-worth individuals is clamoring to create them.
The history of California’s cult Cabernets can be read in three chapters, the last of which
may be seen as an introduction to a cast of characterswho will be featured in the sequels to
come.....
Full article available free online or in this month's print issue of Sommelier Journal.
Free article access: http://www.sommelierjournal.com/articles/sm_2012-11-70.pdf.
20121002
Appellation Commandaria for Sommelier Journal
APPELLATION Commandaria, Cyprus Ben Narasin
The "wine of kings" is still produced by the ancient methods on this eastern Mediterranean island. The sun shone bright on his back as the Neolithic man stepped out of his rammed-earth abode, raised a clay container to his lips, and enjoyed the sweet sip of magic liquid that never failed to lift his mind from the pain of the day. The wine had barely touched the back of his throat when the world lifted, hurling him into darkness—the small pot broken into shards beside him a...This is only a preview of the article:
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