Clinton Stark
Clinton shoots videos for Stark Insider. San Francisco Bay Area arts, Ingmar Bergman and French New Wave, and chasing the perfect home espresso shot 25 seconds at a time (and failing). Peloton: ClintTheMint. Camera: Video Gear
Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année 1997 $100 (94 pts.)
94 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année 1997. Citrus. Smooth and refreshing, with a light finish. Everything I could hope for in a Champagne, and with special sushi prepared by a special person. 2009 starts in style $100 — C.S. Read the full review and food pairing.
‘Windows on the World Complete Wine Course’: A must-have book for wine beginners and pros alike
Finding a wine book that is 'just right' is not easy. Some writers are too flowery, often evoking unnecessary sensuality and generally "phoofy" language to describe wine and the industry. Others are too technical in explaining the wine making process and sap the joy right out of the whole...
Clos du Bois Sonoma Reserve Chardonnay 2006 $13.49 (87 pts.)
87 Clos du Bois Reserve Chardonnay 2006. What I like about this wine is the balance. Although you have some citrus and melon scents on the nose, I detected slight complexity with hints of vanilla and spice on the finish. And yet the whole time I never felt there was...
Mouton Cadet Blanc Bordeaux 2007 $7.99 (82 pts.)
82 Mouton Cadet Blanc Bordeaux 2007. A dry blend, 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 50% Semillon, 10% Muscadelle. Some minerals evident along with a slight sour tinge. Lemon and tart fruit. Not bad, especially at this price, if you enjoy a simple grassy style white Bordeaux blend. $7.99 — C.S.
Napa River Merlot 2005 $4.99 (78 pts.)
The flavor itself is unbalanced, with a mix of unpleasant tannins, with occasional hints of blackberry trying to break through. I also found it slightly sour.
Week in review: The calm before the storm?
Somehow, some way, I managed to survive a week here surrounded by two Kao women, with Loni's sister in town from Toronto for a visit. Thank goodness I spend part of my evenings and weekends reviewing wine! Well, okay, it was actually a lot of fun. I'm not sure...
Weekend wine recommendations (value picks)
There are plenty of great wines out there. Recently I read that it's now less about choosing a bad wine then a boring wine — suggesting wine-making has progressed to the point where a respectable label should give you at least an acceptable showing. Of course, in practice this...
“All Things Canadian” re-visited: Obama BeaverTail edition
Last December we ran our "All Things Canadian" series as we enjoyed a snowy week with family and friends up in my hometown of Ottawa, Canada.
It seems like Obama made quite a positive impression on this government town as he completed his first official trip outside of U.S. borders...
Twitter and the wine industry: Micro-blogging, marketing and waxing poetic
Today, the Napa Valley Marriott asked on Twitter if a list of wineries that use Twitter existed. I'm guessing plenty of responses came in, as is usually the case when a challenge or contest is posted on Twitter.
Shortly after, napamarriott posted a response that indeed included a link to...
