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1 week 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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2 weeks 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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3 weeks 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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3 weeks ago | 
moreaboutwine.com | Tom Marquardt
One would think that higher tariffs on European wine would help California winemakers crawl out of their financial hole. But that’s not necessarily the case. Depending on the final tariff - if any - consumers may set aside their love of French burgundy and bordeaux. But my guess is that wealthy collectors are not going to be deterred by a 10 percent increase. The rest of us may - I certainly will cut back purchases of European wine if prices escalate substantially.
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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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1 month 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.
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1 month ago | 
baltimoresun.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
When most wine aficionados think of the Piedmont region of Italy, the nebbiolos of Barolo and Barbaresco usually come to mind. However, there are a plethora of other grapes grown in this region in the northwestern corner of Italy that rival the notoriety of barolo and barbaresco even if many Americans don't associate them with Piedmont. Barbera and moscato are the leading grapes grown in Piedmont and many Americans have consumed them despite not knowing where they are grown.
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1 month ago | 
baltimoresun.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
Wine labeling can be confusing to many consumers. Most Americans are familiar with California wine labels that prominently display the grape varietal with the general region as secondary. Other new world wineries follow the same pattern. But Old World wineries still cling to their tradition of focusing on the vineyard location with no mention of the grape variety. The pride associated with location is paramount. France, Germany, Spain and Portugal follow this time-tested labeling custom.
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1 month ago | 
baltimoresun.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
It pays to have connections. That's certainly the case for Kale Anderson, a wine consultant for several premium wineries in Napa Valley. He interned at Colgin Cellars, became winemaker at Cliff Lede and then served as director of winemaking at Pahlmeyer from 2012 to 2016. He has worked with such luminaries as Helen Turley and Randy Dunn, and his hands were on the 2016 Pahlmeyer Raison d'Etre that scored a perfect 100 points from the Wine Advocate.
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2 months ago | 
baltimoresun.com | Tom Marquardt |Patrick Darr
Sometimes the craziest ideas are the best. Yes, they come at risk and often out of desperation. But staying the course, remaining steadfastly conservative and rejecting bold ideas might mean missed opportunities. Such is the case at Kosta Browne, one of the top and most-recognized pinot noir producers in California. Once known as a Sonoma County producer, it had already ventured into new territory, including Sta. Rita Hills, Anderson Valley and even the Willamette Valley.
