The Best Wines of 2012 - According to Us

He Said: Some of them I absolutely adored..... She Said: As is usually the case, a combination of place, the wine itself, and the company with which I shared the particular wine all played important roles in determining my favorite wine of 2012.  Continue »

Heavy is the Head that Wears the Crown

He said: In my former life as the wine director at a restaurant in Chicago, I remember, with no small amount of disdain, the first time a bottle of wine arrived on our doorstep bedecked in a kind of heavy armor version of something looking vaguely reminiscent of a wine bottle....She Said: Heavier wine bottles appear more expensive because they are more expensive. But to what expense a solution?  Continue »

This American Grape: Who should wear the sash and hold the sceptre on our shores?

He Said: As the fireworks rage and the barbeques smoke and bellow this July 4th, the cans of High Life crushed on dimpled foreheads and Mike's Hard Lemonades sloshed back in mighty, diabetic gulps, one is left to wonder why there isn't a wine that symbolizes the American spirit similarly.... She Said: As a gal who came to Oregon via Missouri, I tip my hat to your Norton theory. However, Independence Day is all about barbeque and fireworks, hot weather and flip-flops. Only in Oregon are we still enjoying red wine during the day, as summer has yet to actually begin here.  Continue »

Wine Marketing to Millennials: Who gives a f*$%?

He Said: There's been a maelstrom of articles, blogs, and random blatherings bandied about lately regarding how, exactly, to market wines to Millennials. Apparently, this group of people represents the Most Important Demographic Ever, especially if you ask them, and we all need to unlock their mysteries before it's too late.... She Said: Who outgrew NKOTB?  Continue »

Yeah! More posts about the Natural Wine Movement

He Said: "He does it with a better grace, but I do it more natural".... She Said: I, too, have been reading about all of these tiny, French producers who have been telling everyone who will listen that they make better wine because they do it 'naturally.' But as you point out, what does naturally mean??  Continue »

Dear Marketing Department: It's Willamette, Dammit!

He Said: The US has gone Sub-AVA crazy.... She Said: Marketing a wine region is tough business. There's all manner of back and forth regarding how to best go about this.  Continue »

Size Matters: Quality & Scale in the Wine Industry

He Said: A recent article in the Wine Spectator suggested that small wineries are better than large wineries, for a variety of reasons.... She Said: It does seem that many of today's wine writers write for the niche market, rather than the Gary's of the world, doesn't it?  Continue »

Dear Pinot Noir and Chocolate: I Hate You

He Said: I'm not sure who to blame for this. Probably Hallmark for their insistence in sissifying February 14th into the willowy, cream-puffed doily that it has become, perpetuating the notion that chocolate, pink stuff, tulle and a dozen roses is everyone's idea of romance.... She Said: I'm going to have to disagree with your chocolate and hot tub assessment. Other than that, I concur. The chocolate and Pinot Noir pairing has been a pet peeve of mine for many years.  Continue »

Getting a bit sentimental/ philosophical about our love for wine

He Said: I've been thinking a lot lately about how very funny it is that I work in the wine industry.... She Said: This post, in all of it's poetic excess, has sat unanswered on my desktop for months. I don't often extoll the virtues of wine to such degree (at least not until I've consumed at least a bottle of the stuff in question, and by that time my writing skills are subpar - I could never have lasted as a beat poet).  Continue »

Movies are important! What happens when you add wine.

He Said: Most wine enthusiasts read or saw the tale of soggy and fragile Miles as he wended his way through California wine country with his philandering friend Jack in "Sideways."... She Said: While I'm all for drawing comparisons between wine and one's other interests, the movie/wine metaphor falls short for me.  Continue »