San Francisco Wine School Blog

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Insider Interviews by David Furer - Presenting Martine Saunier

Insider Interviews by David Furer - Presenting Martine Saunier

As an expatriate Frenchwoman many years back, why set yourself up as an importer in the US? When I came here in 1964 I started drinking California wines such as Beaulieu, Italian Swiss Colony, and ...

Insider Interviews by David Furer - Presenting Clark Smith

Insider Interviews by David Furer - Presenting Clark Smith

Clark Smith is one of the friendly curmudgeons of the winemaking scene. The technical consultant, teacher, and speaker makes wines himself while challenging preconceptions of commonly-applied techn...

Insider Interviews by David Furer – Presenting Mel Master

Insider Interviews by David Furer – Presenting Mel Master

Mel Master’s illustrious wine career began when he and his wife Janey ensconced themselves in Spain’s Sanlucar de Barrameda. She befriended a mule, Tommy, while Mel became entranced with the local ...

Insider Interviews by David Furer – Presenting Andrew Jefford, Part 2

Insider Interviews by David Furer – Presenting Andrew Jefford, Part 2

How is wine best distinguished between being a commodity product or an artisan’s creation? The key is consistency and predictability.

Insider Interviews by David Furer – Presenting Andrew Jefford

Insider Interviews by David Furer – Presenting Andrew Jefford

First venturing into writing of wine with a 1988 book on Port, Andrew Jefford grew into one of the world’s most skilled and hailed communicator of it along with noted tangents into whiskey, tea, an...

Insider Interviews by David Furer - Presenting Meridith May

Insider Interviews by David Furer - Presenting Meridith May

In 2007 Meridith May had been serving as publisher/editor of California-based veteran Paterson’s Beverage Journal with Anthony Dias Blue, its ongoing columnist, when the two bought the name ‘Paters...

Insider Interviews by David Furer - Presenting Gerard Basset

Insider Interviews by David Furer - Presenting Gerard Basset

France’s bi-ennial Vinisud exhibition allowed me to watch Gérard Basset presenting a range of Mediterranean wines with fellow World Champion Sommelier Paolo Basso. Most of Basset’s working hours ar...

Okanagan Valley – Wines of British Columbia

Okanagan Valley – Wines of British Columbia

Wine production, quality, and tourism are booming in the Okanagan Valley, Canada’s predominant wine district of the five contained within British Columbia; the other officially­ designated viticult...

Jura Wines on the Rise

Jura Wines on the Rise

Learning that the French Alpine Skiing team had their final training for the Sochi Olympics in Monts Jura (Lélex-Crozet), it seemed like a great time to provide an update on the Jura wine region. F...

Women in Wine on the Rise

Women in Wine on the Rise

The second half of 2013 saw an upsurge in activities for women in wine in South America. In December at the Museo del Vino was the first meeting of the Asociación de Muejeres del Vino del Uruguay (...

Alsace Goes Dry & Crab Is In

Alsace Goes Dry & Crab Is In

Since 2008, Alsace Rieslings have been obliged to be less than 9 g/l residual sugar, marking the interests of those who have long touted a preference for drier Rieslings. Vendanges Tardives (VT) an...

Riesling Rendezvous – Part II

Riesling Rendezvous – Part II

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation’s Jim Trezise introduced a national sampling done with consumers representing 90% of the those purchasing at $20+ per bottle identified themselves as Riesli...

Riesling Rendezvous – Part I

Riesling Rendezvous – Part I

A mix of 150 wine trade members and consumers gathered July 16-18 in Seattle for the fourth Riesling Rendezvous. Opening remarks by event sponsor Chateau Ste. Michelle’s president Ted Baseler start...

Burgundy Storm Report – Gambal on Damage

Burgundy Storm Report – Gambal on Damage

The French government’s provisional damage estimate is between 1,700 and 2,000 hectares were affected, 35-40% percent of the Côte de Beaune’s vineyards in its recent storms. In an email note I rece...

Catalonia’s EspaiPriorat Tasting

Catalonia’s EspaiPriorat TastingThe second biennial EspaiPriorat tasting of wines was held May 15 to commemorate the reconstruction of major portions of Catalonia’s Escaladei monastery. 50 sommelie...