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4 days ago | 
baltimoresun.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
When people hear the word clone they might think of Dolly, the sheep, or some sci-fi movie that kept them awake at night. Don’t worry: no humans have been cloned yet. In the plant world, though, clones are not freaks of nature. In the vineyards, clones are a result of taking cuttings from a grapevine and propagating them to create a genetically identical plant. This process saved the French wine industry when healthy vines from California were grafted onto infested French rootstock.
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5 days ago | 
southfloridareporter.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
By TOM MARQUARDT and PATRICK DARR When people hear the word clone they may think of Dolly, the sheep, or some sci-fi movie that kept them awake at night. Don't worry: no humans have been cloned yet. In the plant world, though, clones are not freaks of nature. In the vineyards, clones are a result of taking cuttings from a grapevine and propagating them to create a genetically identical plant.
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1 week ago | 
capitalgazette.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
File photo / Capital Gazette Tom Marquardt and Patrick Darr have been writing a weekly, syndicated wine column since 1985. See their blog at moreaboutwine.com. They can be reached at [email protected]. PUBLISHED: May 27, 2025 at 5:00 AM EDTNo region can exclusively claim title to chardonnay, although it was first grown in the Chardonnay village in the Maconnais area of France.
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2 weeks ago | 
capitalgazette.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
PUBLISHED: May 20, 2025 at 6:00 AM EDTWe feel so fortunate to have traveled to many wine-growing regions in Europe. Not only has it been rewarding to soak in the beautiful environment that makes a wine so special, but it has been educational to learn a region’s wine history. Only when we travel overseas do we appreciate the youth of our own country. One region that should be on your bucket list is France’s Loire Valley.
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3 weeks ago | 
baltimoresun.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
Sauvignon blanc has always played a distant third in sales to chardonnay and pinot grigio. Whether it's because of the wine's tart grapefruit style or its high acidity, sauvignon blanc seems like the grape variety forever doomed to a supporting role. However, that heirarchy appears to be changing as sauvignon blanc's time might have arrived. In a declining market where sales have lost steam, sauvignon blanc sales are actually growing.
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1 month ago | 
baltimoresun.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
There was once a time in our wine writing career when women winemakers were rare. Especially in Europe, men dominated the winemaking and grape growing field. Men eventually conceded they had no special talent that made them better winemakers - in fact, women often have a better sense of smell and taste. Today, women are leading some of the best and most-respected wine producers across the globe. As we approach Mother's Day, let's pay tribute to the women who broke the glass ceiling. Where to start?
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1 month ago | 
baltimoresun.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
Winemakers are much like chefs. They search for the right ingredients that marry well whether they come together in a blender or a fermentation tank. When something doesn't work, they try again until they get it right. The experience might not be as precise as a scientist inventing a vaccine, but the process is nonetheless similar. Ryan Zepaltas was just starting his career as a yeoman winemaker and, unable to afford expensive wines, he found himself scanning the shelf for white blends.
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1 month ago | 
baltimoresun.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
Rosé wines have a fascinating history. In modern times, rosés have adapted to changing markets and consumer tastes. At mid-20th century, two familiar names dominated the rosé market: Mateus and Lancer's from Portugal. These sweet and effervescent quaffs introduced many Americans to table wines along with bulk wine producers such as Gallo and Italian Swiss Colony.
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1 month ago | 
capitalgazette.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
When we first heard of Priest Ranch Winery in Napa Valley, we were drawn by the names of its wines. How could you not want to taste a wine called Snake Oil or Coach Gun? So, we did — for several years. And then we just had to talk to winemaker Cody Hurd. Despite its name, it has nothing to do with a church but rather its founder, James Joshua Priest, a gold prospector who founded the property in 1869.
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2 months ago | 
capitalgazette.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
Who claims there are no second acts in life? Malbec, a virtually forgotten grape in its ancestral home of Bordeaux, has been reborn in a land thousands of miles away in another hemisphere. Although once an important part of the noble grape varieties of Bordeaux, a severe freeze in 1956 and a history of challenges led to a dramatic decline of malbec. It is still popular in the Cahors region of France where it makes up at least 70% of the region’s red wines.
