Scoring the Sublime

Unfined, Unfiltered

Submitted by Clark Smith on Mon, 02/25/2008 - 3:43am

These revered words, first coined by Martin Ray and later popularized on Robert Mondavi Reserve bottlings, were early buzz words of noninterventionist winemaking as a hallmark of the ultrapremium.

Grilling the Candidates

Submitted by Clark Smith on Sun, 01/27/2008 - 12:22pm

As I explained in Spoofulated or Artisanal?, the conversion of grapes into that stuff in your glass is obviously a major technological reshaping every time. Unlike the free, open ‘70’s and ‘80’s, today’s winemakers are lying low and keeping mum while paparazzi fire live ammo over their heads.

Pinot = Syrah?

Submitted by Clark Smith on Thu, 01/10/2008 - 1:09pm

In Dan Berger's latest Vintage Experiences he relates a conversation with a fellow judge, and East Coast Burgundy junkie, who indicated concern about California Pinot Noir and the current fad to blend these with 24% Syrah to obtain more color at the expense of covering up nuance. I was with him all the way until he stepped off the cliff of absolutism: "Color in Pinot Noir ought to be pale, not black. If you see a black Pinot, something is wrong."

De Long's Extreme Pours 2007

Submitted by Clark Smith on Fri, 12/14/2007 - 8:28am

The irrepressible Steve De Long posts yet another jewel -- this time a jibe at internet pouring excess.

Wine and Music: Mysterious Resonances

Submitted by Clark Smith on Sun, 11/04/2007 - 12:00am

I confess I’ve been holding out on my readers about an intriguing area of research Susie and I have been pursuing lately, that of the relationship of wine and music. My wife, Dr. Susan Mayer-Smith, a French-trained clinical psychologist who holds two music degrees and was awarded first chair flautist for the Chicago Symphony at age 19, has been working with me to explore the GrapeCraft core notion that wine is liquid music.

Less Is More

Submitted by Clark Smith on Wed, 09/05/2007 - 8:08am

Dan Berger’s article in Appellation America offers a brilliant insight: overripe wines are wimpier. And as a winemaker weary of apologizing for youthful leanness and austerity, these words are a breath of fresh air.

He’s right! Today’s overpriced prune bombs may offer cheap thrills to impact thrill-seekers who lack the stones to appreciate good structure, minerality and integrity serious wine offers. But they’re wimps.

A Call To Artnership: Artists Cannot Control Context By Themselves

Submitted by Clark Smith on Tue, 05/22/2007 - 12:00am

Here's a note from Derrick Schneider whose excellent blog An Obsession With Food minces many dicey issues.

Clark,

One of my site's readers asked the question below (he sent in a similar note as a letter to Art of Eating), and I wondered about your opinion on the subject.

Anybody Out There Willing to Give a Straight Answer?

Submitted by Clark Smith on Sat, 04/14/2007 - 11:02pm

My recent suggestion to Alice Feiring or her fellow travelers got mentioned in her blog and has also just produced the thoughtful response to my question which I was hoping for.

Can Authenticity be the Enemy of Terroir? A call for an Authentic Wine Certification Mark.

Submitted by Clark Smith on Sun, 04/01/2007 - 10:53pm

Tannin in the Mouth

Submitted by Clark Smith on Mon, 03/19/2007 - 10:10am