Rebecca Murphy

Jul 23, 2024 | winereviewonline.com | Rebecca Murphy

For most people, a wine competition is a mysterious source of the medals they encounter on the wines they buy at their local wine store. To those who make wine, a wine competition is something that requires them to pay an exorbitant entry fee, only to be disappointed when their creation is ignored by the judges. To a wine judge and wine competition organizer (i.e., me), a wine competition is a labor of love filled with challenges and stresses. Let me explain.

May 28, 2024 | winereviewonline.com | Rebecca Murphy

A recent article about formal wine education by journalist, Tim Atkin MW, made me think about my career in wine. He wrote “the pointlessness of certifications, can be thrown at wine education times three.   And then there is blind tasting, the cornerstone of wine examinations, which (almost) everyone who succeeded in it agrees is absolutely necessary, while never actually undertaking it in public ever again.

Mar 5, 2024 | winereviewonline.com | Rebecca Murphy

A recent webinar I attended featuring Tannat wines from Uruguay, hosted by Peter Granoff, MS. It brought back fond memories of my visit to that South American country four years ago. It is a beautiful place, with the Atlantic Ocean on the southeast, the Uruguay River on the west bordering Argentina, and Brazil to the north and east. I found it to be a peaceful, forward-thinking country that is easy to travel in. For example, while Spanish is the primary language, most people also speak English.

Dec 19, 2023 | winereviewonline.com | Rebecca Murphy

Anne Bosquet, Co-owner of Domaine Bousquet in Argentina, visited Texas a few weeks ago. I was excited to meet her, because I admire the wines made at their address. The winery and vineyards are located in the Gualtallary region in the Tupungato district named after the volcanic Mount Tupungato of Mendoza’s Uco Valley, situated close to the border with Chile.  Her father, Jean Bousquet, was the fourth-generation owner of his family’s vineyards and winery in Carcassonne in the south of France.

Oct 24, 2023 | winereviewonline.com | Rebecca Murphy

My husband and I recently returned from visiting wineries in Sicily. I am fortunate to have visited the vinous island three times. The first was with the British-based Circle of Wine Writers in 2013. The second was a press trip in 2016 and, the third was the Etna Days event sponsored by the Etna Consorzio in 2022. My husband decided it was time for him to go to Sicily and started planning a trip for us. Turns out that Sicilian wineries welcome visitors “Napa Style,” at a price with a reservation.