Wine Sediments

By Tom Wark
Fermentation
It’s the rare winery tasting room that doesn’t display the medals it has been awarded at the many wine “competitions” across the country. And why wouldn’t they? They are proud of them. Plus, the medals help sell wine, particularly to tasting room visitors.
Yet the world of wine competitions can be somewhat Byzantine, arbitrary, […]

By Tom Wark
Fermentation

Bottom Line: The movie “Sideways” changed the wine industry. It elevated Pinot Noir to an altogether new status, to a place of recognition among casual wine drinkers, so that Pinot’s sales nearly doubled in America in the year after the movie was released.
But if new Pinot drinkers took to the varietal after seeing […]

By Tom Wark
Fermentation

Well-aged wine isn’t special because it is well aged. It isn’t special because its flavors and aromas are defiantly subdued and evolved. Well-aged wine — a bottle with some experience — is special because it has the ability to make us contemplate the past, where we’ve been, and how we got to this […]

By Tom Wark
Fermentation

As Congress discusses the state of our borders and undocumented aliens and as the people take to the streets, the wine industry sits and waits. The outcome of the illegal alien debate will affect this industry in a significant way.
Its no secret that the agriculture industry in California in maintained in great part […]

By Tom Wark
Fermentation
Once or twice per week the general news media seems to latch on to a wine-related story that has hit the wires. I spend a bit of time with these kinds of stories, looking at them and determining what made them of interest to editors scanning the wires for filler stories.
This week […]

By Tom Wark
Fermentation
Look around the wine Blogosphere and youll see a consistent message from wine bloggers: This blog is not about wine snobbery.
I think Id like to come to the defense of wine snobbery not only as a self-identifying moniker, but also as an approach to wine appreciation. But, since wine snobbery is a notion […]

By Tom Wark
Fermentation
Do you care if you wine comes from somewhere? Or do you just want to drink the stuff?
It you fall into the latter category you are likely to live a stress free wine life. However, if you are of the former ilk, well, youd best prepare to resign yourself to a life of […]

By Tom Wark
Fermentation

Despite what you’ve heard, there is more to the traditional wine media than just Robert Parker Jr.’s “Wine Advocate” and the “Wine Spectator”.
Yes, the “Wine Spectator” is an advertising behemoth that has a loyal following of upwards of half a million readers. And Parker’s “Wine Advocate”, though fairly small in its circulation, is […]