Wine

Email John at chjonmc@yahoo.com.

From value wines to big-buck beauties

John McDonald
1 hour ago
It’s been a while since I’ve written of Fess Parker. People of a certain age may remember Fess as...

A wallet-friendly tour of French wines

John McDonald
1 week ago
Looking for affordable French reds? Search for Costieres de Nimes region of the Southern Rhone. One...

Lessons about cellaring wines for later years

John McDonald
2 weeks ago
Welcome to 2019. Looking forward to a great year and wishing all the same. I’m typing this on the...

Great food wines to start the new year right

John McDonald
3 weeks ago
I hope all had a wonderful Christmas. It’s not too late to find wine for New Year’s Eve/Day...

Wines for last-minute gifts and well-earned rewards

John McDonald
4 weeks ago
Are you looking to shop locally? Trying to find a gift for that tough-to-satisfy curmudgeon wino...

Big-buck Cabernet or good-value Chardonnay, take...

John McDonald
1 month ago
If great, expensive Cabernet is your metier, vice or nirvana, there is an anomaly in the market...

Head to Cali’s Central Coast if you enjoy Zinfandel

John McDonald
1 month ago
R.I.P. President George H. W. Bush. Whether one supported our 41st president’s policies or not, few...

Try a few sparklers and chardonnays for a light touch

John McDonald
1 month ago
Did you know: One medical term for hangover is veisalgia, derived from a Norwegian word meaning “...

Plenty of wine options to keep spirits bright

John McDonald
1 month ago
Hope all had a Thanksgiving to be thankful. Are you now frantically exercising, running and walking...

Sparklers take a shine to turkey, however you...

John McDonald
2 months ago
Most sparklers make fine choices for Thanksgiving wines. They support fried foods, most bacon and...

Trust your own taste buds, not the wine’s price tag

John McDonald
2 months ago
Let’s start with an FYI about evaluating wines: https://biggeekdad.com/2018/11/we-are-all-so-stupid...

Viognier, vintage Port and a side step into Syrah

John McDonald
2 months ago
Last week’s column mentioned there were roughly 25 Napa wineries in 1968 when Trefethen was founded...

Vintage Imports show offers peeks at past and future

John McDonald
2 months ago
Watch the hype on the new release 2008 Roederer Cristal, $24, 93 McD. It is being compared to the...

Sauvignon Blancs to pair with oysters and more

John McDonald
2 months ago
Tim wanted to know how to decide which wine is worth aging. The answer is very complex, and many...

A refresher on terms for sparkling wines

John McDonald
3 months ago
I’ve had samples galore to evaluate and many were quite good, outside the mainstream and favorably...

Some Sauternes to savor now, cellar for later

John McDonald
3 months ago
Sauternes wines have “sweet” attached to their name, a fair appraisal. Those few of us left who...

More Bordeaux to keep palate and pocketbook happy

John McDonald
3 months ago
More affordable, wonderful wine from Bordeaux leads off this week with Château Le Grand Moulin...

Read wine labels carefully to distinguish top level...

John McDonald
3 months ago
Chateau Olivier is a Pessac Leognan (Graves) wine producer that excels with both its flagship red...

Take a little detour into white Bordeaux

John McDonald
4 months ago
Bordeaux immediately evokes French, red, expensive. One should remember that Bordeaux, unlike...

A bounty of Bordeaux at prudent prices

John McDonald
4 months ago
RIP Aretha Franklin and John McCain. It was quite disturbing, all the political and distracting...

Thinking ahead for red meat and wine pairings

John McDonald
4 months ago
Spent Saturday in Philly at Sensorium, a 14-hour music and art event produced by Tweed, son Daniel’...

Pair fresh summer foods with lighter-bodied wines

John McDonald
4 months ago
Barbara and I spent this past weekend in Boston at my nephew’s wedding. If you visit the area,...

Don’t let wine snobbery keep you from finding bargains

John McDonald
5 months ago
I'm so looking forward to October. Grove Market, my other job, is busy with a full house every...

While summer lingers, explore more lovely sauvignon...

John McDonald
5 months ago
Hi - Thank you for the emails on my letter to the editor. They were balanced between moron and...

Try a sneak peek at Sake for a change of taste

John McDonald
5 months ago
Here are a few ideas for our recent tropical weather and ongoing forecast. 2015 Domaine du Vieil...

Explore some Greek whites; revisit French chablis

John McDonald
5 months ago
I just sampled the new release 2016 Hunt & Harvest Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, blended of 84...

Some recent standouts and old favorites

John McDonald
5 months ago
Lots to cover, so let's jump right in with a lovely, affordable Bila Haut Cotes du Roussillon...

Find Cali Cabs at reasonable cost here

John McDonald
6 months ago
Thank you to all who read my columns, especially those who take the time to write letters to the...

Advice to wine writers: Abandon all hype

John McDonald
6 months ago
Editor's note: This article was written by Oliver Styles for Wine-Searcher, where it was first...

Wine critics should explain more, gush less

John McDonald
6 months ago
Editor's note: This is the first in a two-part series about wine writers. The next installment will...

Many red Burgundies are made of the varietal grape

John McDonald
6 months ago
Can you spell police state? Should I move to North Korea or Cuba? Solace in a glass is my only out...

Look for good values on reds for Father’s Day

John McDonald
7 months ago
Happy Father's Day! If your dad, pop, granddaddy, grampa or gramps enjoys steaks on the barbecue...

Be ready with compatible wines when seafood is at peak

John McDonald
7 months ago
Criticizing the wine critics by Oliver Styles made me chuckle. To get a sense of it, he writes of...

Wine prices can go from cellar to clouds just on hype

John McDonald
7 months ago
Resellers who bought Chateau Troplong Mondot 2005 (100 points Parker) on my recommendation in 2013...

A little history and some worthy new finds

John McDonald
7 months ago
A recent update claims that there are only 11 states where shipping of alcohol from California is...

Make a splash with well-reviewed Sauvignon Blancs

John McDonald
8 months ago
This may be fake news, but I just heard at a rally in Michigan that both our senators and our...

Summertime brings easy-sipping wines to go with food...

John McDonald
8 months ago
If you are feeling charitable and enjoy Rita's Italian Ice, visit their new store opening Friday,...

WInemaker’s touch is key to well-made products

John McDonald
8 months ago
I was sent a very nice note from Patsy McGaughy at napavintners.com regarding last week’s mention...

Listen for news from wineries affected by 2017...

John McDonald
8 months ago
Kaiken Malbec Reserva from the Apalta region of the Colchagua Valley in Argentina is definitely...

Have some fun trying wines to pair with chocolate

John McDonald
8 months ago
I was looking for wines to go with chocolate for Jimmy. Although I located several, I was...

Too much great wine around to waste time on inferior...

John McDonald
9 months ago
Cabernet Sauvignoneurs who don't wish to pay big bucks for wonderful wine and who have a wine...

Wines reviewed last year score well in international...

John McDonald
9 months ago
Starting this week with some Berger's International Wine Competition 2017 results. When you look...

Coming down the home stretch for Easter wines

John McDonald
9 months ago
Before the last wine for Easter recommendations, let me suggest Stonestreet Alexander Mountain...

Think regional when pairing wine with ham

John McDonald
9 months ago
Still time for Easter lamb and ham wine. For those with a perverse sense of humor, I think I'll...

Making good wine is a little like brewing tea

John McDonald
10 months ago
As promised, this week's column will be about wine that fits Easter menus. The wines being reviewed...

Passover wines feedback leads to more research

John McDonald
10 months ago
Wine for Passover notes prompted more mail than most recent columns. Thank you all for reading and...

More Passover wines plus a note on reviews

John McDonald
10 months ago
Received a nice email from Gail asking where she could find the wines for Passover recommended last...

Good wine choices for Passover and other special...

John McDonald
10 months ago
Special note to those who enjoy mevushal wines at Passover. Sometimes they are difficult to locate...

California wine prices may rise despite bumper crops

John McDonald
11 months ago
I hope all enjoyed a wonderful Valentine's Day. Julie wrote, "Hey John, what is carbonic maceration...

Consider a Rosé for Valentine’s Day

John McDonald
11 months ago
It’s traditional to start with sparkling wine in some households. Let’s kick off this week with two...