Dave McIntyre's WineLine

Worth Reading: Bye-Bye TTB? And those wacky 2010 Germans!

Dave McIntyre — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:24:23 +0000

Worth reading this week on the blahgosphere (actually the last two weeks – since I missed last Friday): A big shout-out to W. Blake Gray for his insightful reportage on President Obama’s proposal to kill off the TTB, the federal … Continue reading →

Figeac: The misunderstood Premier Grand Cru Classé of St. Emilion

Dave McIntyre — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:18:18 +0000

Opportunities to participate in a vertical tasting – spanning several vintages – of a premier wine are rare, so I jumped at the invitation to participate in an 11-vintage retrospective of Chateau Figeac, a Premier Grand Cru Classé producer in … Continue reading →

Living on the sweet side of life

Dave McIntyre — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:29:44 +0000

We don’t drink enough sweet wines. There are several reasons for that. We have been taught that “dry” wine is more sophisticated. Truly luxurious sweet wines that taste like nectar stolen from the gods can be ridiculously expensive, so thrift … Continue reading →

Virginia allows corkage – but does anybody know that?

Dave McIntyre — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:05:03 +0000

When a customer brought his own wine to Maplewood Grill in Vienna on New Year’s Eve, owner Marcel Kuchler smelled a rat. “You don’t want to mess around with the [Alcohol Beverage Control],” he said. “They send undercover people around … Continue reading →

Wine gives back to Virginia – Ka-CHING!

Dave McIntyre — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:32:07 +0000

How important is wine to Virginia? About three-quarters-of-a-billion. A new study released Thursday by Gov. Bob McDonnell concluded that Virginia’s wine industry contributed $747 million to the Commonwealth’s economy in 2010. That’s up from $362 million in 2005, the last … Continue reading →

Tickets on sale for DrinkLocalWine.com 2012 in Colorado!

Dave McIntyre — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:15:24 +0000

I’ve been away for a few days judging the Virginia Governor’s Cup wine competition – more on that later this month when the results are announced. For now, there’s other exciting news on the local wine front: In our continuing … Continue reading →

Worth Reading This Week: Hissy fits, DLW in Denver, and more hissy fits

Dave McIntyre — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:16:49 +0000

Some thoughtful keyboard tappings for oenophiles: Tom Wark, never one to mince words, continues his latest criticism of “natural wine” adherents as being the only sector of the wine industry that promotes themselves by being negative about everyone else. Wark … Continue reading →

Peter Chang, Kung Fu Master of Sichuan Cuisine

Dave McIntyre — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:16:22 +0000

In Chinese, the word we transliterate in English as “kung fu” (or gongfu in the current spelling system used in mainland China) does not mean martial arts. It means simply art, or technique. One displays exceptional gongfu when one has … Continue reading →

A quick guide to sherry

Dave McIntyre — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:29:48 +0000

Yesterday, I wrote about how sherry pairs well with Chinese cuisine, in part because of its resemblance to the shaoxing rice wine of China. Today I offer this brief guide to the various types of sherries and some of the … Continue reading →

Toast Chinese New Year with sherry

Dave McIntyre — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:01:09 +0000

Ask wine lovers what to drink with Chinese food, and they’ll probably say “beer.” Press for a wine recommendation, and one might grudgingly suggest Riesling or Gewurztraminer, explaining that the sweetness in those wines is a necessary counter to the … Continue reading →