Wine

Email John at chjonmc@yahoo.com.

Even great wineries can be affected by weather quirks

John McDonald
1 day ago
How many spent the weekend hanging around? I was lucky enough to have a case of Natale Verga...

A selection of seafood-friendly whites for high summer

John McDonald
1 week ago
Rías Baixas is a Spanish wine region that has been getting some play lately, and rightfully so!...

Find a wine critic whose palate is in tune with yours

John McDonald
2 weeks ago
I decided to avoid politics in this column in hopes a letter to the editor may be posted. My e-...

Tasting unusual wines with unique backstories

John McDonald
3 weeks ago
Sosie (so-zee) wines are very interesting. Prior to tasting two, I read a lovely puff piece...

More affordable, excellent wines worth the search

John McDonald
4 weeks ago
I’m sipping French wine while typing this on July 14, aka Bastille Day or la Fête Nationale...

A summer sampler of diverse wines

John McDonald
1 month ago
Riff Pinot Grigio sent me a puff piece with hints about global warming. Riff stands for reef. Some...

Some (but not all) expensive wines are worth the price

John McDonald
1 month ago
Happy Independence Day+1. I’ll be working on the Fourth, and the traffic on my ride home may be...

Off to a good start with gold-medal Chardonnays

John McDonald
1 month ago
How about a listing of Chardonnay gold medal winners? Let’s start with California’s J Vineyards NV...

The Masi family has been producing wine since turn...

John McDonald
1 month ago
There was a hint of romance in those oddly shaped Chianti bottles with the straw casing named...

Give Dad the best: superb wines at great prices

John McDonald
2 months ago
Happy Father’s Day to all you gents with children. Years ago, my wife Barbara bought me a shingle...

SommCon event June 23-25 draws wine pros, enthusiasts

John McDonald
2 months ago
I just enjoyed the opportunity to sample some of the new release from Herdade Esporao, a highly...

Find great wines close to home or from afar

John McDonald
2 months ago
Who could resist sampling a wine named The Oddity? Certainly not McD. So, Royal Tokaji Furmint (say...

California floods may affect 2019 wine production

John McDonald
2 months ago
Memorial Day is Monday. At the end of a long, happy weekend, please pause to remember all our...

Reds worth trying include spicy and organic blends

John McDonald
3 months ago
Those who enjoy spicy red wine which is well made and won’t break the bank may wish to look for a...

Internet shopping for wine can bring mixed results

John McDonald
3 months ago
Happy Mother’s Day! Don’t forget a card or a call and a nice present. Or, best of all, making...

Yes, some wines go with Mexican food for Cinco de Mayo

John McDonald
3 months ago
Big doings on the horizon – it’s almost Cinco de Mayo, May 5 for those with English as a first...

Breaking into the cellar for a special occasion...

John McDonald
3 months ago
In addition to celebrating Easter, the clans McCandless and McDonald assembled from far and wide to...

Hop on these great value wines for your Easter meals

John McDonald
4 months ago
Happy Easter! The long Lenten fast ends Sunday. It is time to celebrate Easter for some, while...

Passover wines to go with a variety of dishes

John McDonald
4 months ago
Today, you will find some Easter and Passover wine tips. How many are aware that Christ and the...

World Malbec Day is April 17 – let’s get ready!

John McDonald
4 months ago
I was informed by Donna White of White Communications that April 17 is World Malbec Day. She sent...

Celebrate daily with wines of all varieties

John McDonald
4 months ago
These are some highly regarded chocolatiers in the USA. I was surprised that three were from...

Wine: Herr Weis is my go-to guy from the Mosel

John Mcdonald
4 months ago
As promised, here are some Mosels from the Nik Weis dinner at Fish On. Most are available at Bin 66...

Food-friendly wines can be fun and fine

John McDonald
5 months ago
Domaine Paul Mas Cremant de Limoux Brut Rosé, from Languedoc, Roussillon, France, is a beautiful...

Some California wine regions hit hard by flooding,...

John McDonald
5 months ago
National weather watchers are likely aware that California is suffering huge flooding- and fire-...

From France to China, the past and the future

John McDonald
5 months ago
Domaine Alain Voge Cornas les Vieilles Vignes is a top label from the Rhone in France. I have found...

Trendy new wine ideas may really be old hat

John McDonald
5 months ago
Tired of paying big bucks for Pinot Noir? Take a look at Mark West, who produces several bottlings...

Wine: Recent California standouts and a little...

John McDonald
6 months ago
I hope young lovers and longtime pals enjoyed a fantastic Valentine’s Day. As I have previously...

The best of Pet-Nats is coming from the Loire region...

John McDonald
6 months ago
Perhaps you have had your curiosity piqued by the brouhaha surrounding the “new” sparklers labeled...

Don’t wait for Valentine’s Day to enjoy wine and...

John McDonald
6 months ago
Regulars are aware I am a longtime fan of Rhone Rangers. Fortunately, Gabrielle, one of my...

Supreme Court considers changes to wine shipping rules

John McDonald
6 months ago
Big doings last week in D.C. On Wednesday, the Supremes, minus Notorious RBG, heard arguments...

From value wines to big-buck beauties

John McDonald
6 months 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
7 months 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
7 months 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
7 months 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
7 months 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
8 months 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
8 months 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
8 months 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
8 months 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
9 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
9 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
9 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
9 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
9 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
10 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
10 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
10 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
10 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
11 months ago
Bordeaux immediately evokes French, red, expensive. One should remember that Bordeaux, unlike...

A bounty of Bordeaux at prudent prices

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