Year: 2020

Tasting Marshall Stuart Fine Wines Again

Once again, we have the pleasure of tasting a few of the new releases from Marshall Stuart Fine Wines, along with an older vintage of his amazing 2015 Zinfandel.  Marshall Stuart has been making wines in the Temecula Valley for over 25 years.  His…

Winery in Focus: Claiborne & Churchill

Like many of you this year, I have been a bit stir-crazy staying home for the first three months of the pandemic and then at most just traveling within 30 minutes to an hour outside of my home. As things…

Cabernet Franc: Temecula vs. Napa & Paso

Once again we have come together to do another blind tasting. This time it was Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Franc is one of the six grapes that make up the traditional varieties use in French Bordeaux wine. This black skinned grape…

Mystery Wine

I have learned a few important factors while being stuck in the house for the past couple of months.   The most important detail……. the only thing that truly matters, is how to ration your wine to last through the crisis. …

A Small Retrospective: Stuart Cellars Winery

A look back at the first winery I worked for back in 2005.

Tempranillo: Spain vs. Temecula Valley

While still very much under the radar in California, Tempranillo is increasingly showing up as a varietal wine in warmer regions such as the east side of Paso Robles and the Temecula Valley where high diurnal temperature swings and an arid climate bear striking similarities to its native Spain. With these parallels providing a sort of talking point, “The Crush” recently decided to organize a blind tasting of wines in a sort of showdown fashion. Three Temecula Valley Tempranillos were grouped together with four Spanish Tempranillos in a blind format…

Gerd Anselmann 2016 Riesling Kabinett (Pfalz)

Enter this lovely German Riesling. Produced by Weingut Anselmann, this is 100% Riesling from an estate vineyard. This Riesling definitely over-delivered for the price. As such I would highly recommend you pick up a bottle or two for that night you need something to cut your spicy dinner with.

Sparkling Wines for 2020 (and beyond)

With all the red wine that I drink between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I find that I am left a bit palate fatigued by the time the New Year rolls around. How timely it is that the worldwide tradition of popping open a bottle of bubbly happens just when I need a change of wine style. Sparkling wine itself tends to be high in acid–and when taking into account the effervescent qualities as well, it becomes a serious tonic for the tired palate…