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1 week ago | 
dmwineline.substack.com | Dave McIntyre
I cheer the growth of the non-alcohol (NA) wine sector, even as most of it still falls short of mimicking or tasting like the beverage we call wine. We need alternatives, for people who want to moderate their alcohol consumption for whatever reasons. Designated drivers at parties. Someone looking to reduce calories or alcohol consumption without being ideological about it.
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2 weeks ago | 
dmwineline.substack.com | Dave McIntyre
Last weekend, two articles published online shed light on the situation wine lovers face with what I’ve called The New Prohibition — the effort by anti-alcohol forces to change our public policy discussion from moderate, responsible drinking to abstinence and potentially prohibition. One article carried the force of a sledgehammer, while the other was the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove. I’ll start with the sledgehammer.
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2 weeks ago | 
dmwineline.substack.com | Dave McIntyre
Life intervened this week, so I’m a day late with this post. Plenty of good reading on wine — these are a few of my favorites. Tannat from Virginia receives some love from Wine Enthusiast. (Link) Meanwhile, Matthew Fitzsimmons reports on a comparative tasting of tannats from Virginia and South America.
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3 weeks ago | 
dmwineline.substack.com | Dave McIntyre
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3 weeks ago | 
dmwineline.substack.com | Dave McIntyre
Solar panels on our homes. Rainscapes in our yards. Permeable driveways to capture runoff into the groundwater. Hybrid or electric cars to reduce emissions. Paper over plastic. Organic produce, locally raised meat: Many of our decisions and purchases are influenced by a desire to reduce our environmental impact. Wine is no different. Choices we make in our purchases can lessen our environmental footprint, however incrementally.
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3 weeks ago | 
dmwineline.substack.com | Dave McIntyre
Adam Lee is well known to pinot noir lovers as the creator of Siduri, a label through which he crafted delicious pinot noirs from various regions in California and Oregon. Adam sold Siduri to Jackson Family Wines several years ago and then launched a new label, Clarice, using an innovative subscription model to avoid the hassles and vagaries of the three-tier distribution system. He then helped Rombauer develop its first pinot noir.
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1 month ago | 
dmwineline.substack.com | Dave McIntyre
We may not hear much about Earth Day in the current political climate in Washington, D.C., but of course for winemakers, every day is Earth Day. As Spring colors burst forward and vine buds shake off winter’s last chill (and hopefully avoid frost), Mother Nature reminds us to look around and appreciate the fragile beauty that sustains us.
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1 month ago | 
dmwineline.substack.com | Dave McIntyre
I’ve been reading a lot about wine the past few weeks, trying to keep my mind off the news. Today’s selection includes articles from some of my favorite wine Substackers, Simon J. Woolf, Henry Jeffrey, Felicity Carter and Mark Spivak, as well as news of the ever charming and ever energetic Dr. Laura Catena. Austria, Naturally. Simon J. Woolf, in The Morning Claret, shares a delightfully insouciant piece he wrote for Noble Rot about his favorite natural wines from Austria.
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1 month ago | 
dmwineline.substack.com | Dave McIntyre
Years ago, I jokingly referred to natural wine advocates as the “anti-vaxxers of wine.” My wife cringed and urged me not to say that, and I honestly can’t remember if I ever uttered the phrase in public. I’m pretty sure I never put it in print, until now. My argument: The natural wine movement rejected science, rejected Louis Pasteur’s conclusions about the process of fermentation and how to protect wine from microbial contamination.
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1 month ago | 
dmwineline.substack.com | Dave McIntyre
Long-time readers know I love to explore local wines. The good news is, the creativity is strong and the wines continue to get better. Here are some bottles I’ve enjoyed recently. Look for these if you’re ever in their area — as I like to say, enjoy wines from around here, wherever “here” happens to be. Old Westminster Winery Tendril First Edition, Maryland ($20). This delightful, easy-drinking red is 70% chambourcin, with the balance cabernet franc.
