Mike DeSimone

New York

Wine Editor at Robb Report

Wine,Food and Travel Writers. Authors. Lifestyle Editors, WIne Enthusiast. #winelover

Articles

Everything You Need to Know About Sicilian Wine

4 days ago | robbreport.com | Mike DeSimone |Jeff Jenssen

History of Wine in Sicily While it is thought that wild grapes grew on the island prior to the first Phoenician settlements around 800 BCE, that merchant and sailing civilization cultivated the first vines here and sold wine from Sicily throughout the Mediterranean during its reign.
What Happened When This Founder Bought His Winery Back From Its Corporate Parent

5 days ago | robbreport.com | Mike DeSimone |Jeff Jenssen

This story is from an installment of The Oeno Files, our weekly insider newsletter to the world of fine wine. Sign up here. James Hall didn’t intend to buy back Patz & Hall, the Sonoma winery he cofounded in 1988, any more than he meant to sell it in the first place. When Patz & Hall was sold to Washington State’s Ste. Michelle Wine Estates in 2015, Hall stayed on as director of winemaking while his former business partner went on to establish Maritana Vineyards in Sonoma.
The 7 Best Oregon Pinot Noir Brands to Buy Now in 2025

1 week ago | robbreport.com | Mike DeSimone |Jeff Jenssen

Pinot Noir was first planted in various parts of California during the 1849 Gold Rush, finally made it north to Oregon 1965, and yet it didn’t become popular until Domain Drouhin started cultivating it in 1987. Today Drouhin has a stunning 235-acre estate in the Dundee Hills AVA of the Willamette Valley and the domain was the impetus for many other French families and investors to move to the area. Other current French-founded wineries include Nicolas-Jay, Lingua Franca, Chapter 24, and Résonance.
Robb Report Australia and New Zealand

1 week ago | robbreport.com.au | Jeff Jensen |Mike DeSimone

A landmark alliance between a pair of the leading wineries in Australia and France has produced a uniquely delicious shiraz-syrah marriage. Professional partnerships in the wine industry are far less frequent than fashion or watch collaborations.
How Winemakers Use Native and Commercial Yeast to Craft Their Wine

1 week ago | robbreport.com | Mike DeSimone |Jeff Jenssen

Speaking with a winemaker recently and asking about indigenous yeast, she cut us off and asked why she would leave a major decision about her winemaking—fermentation—up to chance. When we delve into what goes into making a particular wine, enologists often talk about their yeast program, including the decision to use native yeast that is living on the skins of their grapes or chose a different strain of yeast to achieve a specific fermentation target.
How Winemakers Use Native and Commercial Yeast to Craft Their Wine

1 week ago | buff.ly | Mike DeSimone |Jeff Jenssen

Speaking with a winemaker recently and asking about indigenous yeast, she cut us off and asked why she would leave a major decision about her winemaking—fermentation—up to chance. When we delve into what goes into making a particular wine, enologists often talk about their yeast program, including the decision to use native yeast that is living on the skins of their grapes or chose a different strain of yeast to achieve a specific fermentation target.
How Sullivan Rutherford Estate Made the Best American Cabernet Sauvignon of the Year

1 week ago | flipboard.com | Mike DeSimone |Jeff Jenssen

2 hours agoArgentine Malbec On A Budget: The Best Bottles Under $25Malbec may have been born in France, but it was popularized by Argentina. Though the grape originated in Cahors (France) and once thrived in …4 days agoThe 32 Best Pinot Noirs for 2025It’s fickle and delicate. It’s ancient and ethereal. Pinot Noir is one of the most fascinating grape varieties on the planet.
How Sullivan Rutherford Estate Made the Best American Cabernet Sauvignon of the Year

1 week ago | yahoo.com | Mike DeSimone |Jeff Jenssen

This story is from an installment of The Oeno Files, our weekly insider newsletter to the world of fine wine. Sign up here. Seeking a spot in Napa Valley to grow grapes and make wine, Sullivan Rutherford Estate founder James O’Neil Sullivan and his wife, JoAnna, purchased a particular 26 acres of land in the heart of region in 1972, on the advice of André Tchelistcheff, a man referred to as the dean of American winemaking.
The Best Chardonnays From Around the World to Drink Now in 2025

2 weeks ago | robbreport.com | Mike DeSimone |Jeff Jenssen

While we are big fans of well-made Chardonnay, we recognize the fact that there are a lot of our readers, colleagues, and friends that will do whatever they can to avoid drinking a glass, let alone open a bottle. We freely admit that there is little worse than a poorly made Chardonnay, but when it is managed correctly with a steady, artistic winemaking hand there are few pleasures in the glass that can come close.
The 11 Best Wines of the Year, From Chalk Hill’s Chardonnay to Domaine Faiveley’s Red Burgundy

2 weeks ago | robbreport.com | Mike DeSimone |Jeff Jenssen

As we blind-taste samples, visit wineries around the world, and enjoy new bottlings and older vintages with winemakers throughout the year, we are constantly on the lookout for those that may rank among Best of the Best. Although many are drinking perfectly now, library vintages are immediately removed from the equation because to make this highly coveted list, bottles must have been released within the previous year.