What do wine, whiskies, coffee, tea, cheese, honey, and olive oil have in common? They each express terroir. Nonetheless, Robert Joseph thinks terroir is irrelevant to most people.

“Take a look around; there is an embarrassment of riches available in Italian wines in America. Better than ever before.” Alfonso Cevola looks at the past 35 years of Italian wine in America. (H/T: Eric Asimov.)

Alder Yarrow returns from Hungary.

“After ten years and 600 million bottles, how is Two-Buck Chuck still just two bucks?” Artjoms Konohovs of San Francisco’s KALW tries to answer that question.

In Palate Press, Kyle Schlachter profiles The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey in Cañon City, Colorado.

Elsewhere in Palate Press, Remy Charest explains how the Languedoc is “trying to show its identity.”

Paul Gregutt is sick of so much oak.

In Wine Spectator, Tim Fish drinks some old vintages of Pinot with Milla Handley, one of Anderson Valley’s first winemakers.

Elsewhere in Wine Spectator, Dr. Vinny answers a question I’ve long had — how does one decant wine yet also serve it at a cooler temperature?

In the Miami Herald, Fred Tasker writes a strong defense of rosé. (Who knew it needed defending?)

Talia Baiocchi tells us where to drink in Montreal, right now.

Fox News details “nine restaurants across the country where it’ll cost you to BYOB.”

Courtesy of Christie's.

Matt Kramer details three things that “restaurants, retailers, wineries and, yes, wine writers” don’t want you to know.

On Tuesday, a bottle of 238-year-old Vin Jaune from Arbois (in the eastern Jura) sold for nearly $50,000.

“This isn’t cat pee, it’s tiger pee.” In the San Jose Mercury News, Jessica Yadegaran writes about the allure of orange wine. (In case you’re wondering, that fantastic quote comes courtesy of Abe Schoener of Scholium Wines.)

“I have not found anything — not a drug, not a piece of technology, not a new-age technique — that can preserve connections like wine can.” In New York Cork Report, Evan Dawson writes a fantastic essay explaining why he writes about wine.

On the blog for First Vine, Tom Natan writes a a fasctinating piece on a scientific study looking at the damaging effects of heat exposure on wine during transport and storage. (He was inspired by a piece on the same study in Academic Wino.)

Lulu Roberts, author of FoodAndWineSF.com, shares her impressions from the recent Pink Out! event hosted by the Rosé Avengers and Producers. In her post, she details her 8 top wines from the tasting.

Over on the Wine-Searcher blog, an edited transcript of a recent TEDx talk from Canadian sommelier and writer François Chartier, where he discusses how he’s applied scientific principles to food and wine pairing. It’s a long but super interesting read.

In the Huffington Post, Richard Jennings writes a primer on Spanish wine — and explains how to find good values that are ready to drink.

In the Sacramento Bee, Mike Dunne writes the monks of the Abbey of New Clairvaux, who are making some exciting wines in Tehama County.

BottleNotes reports on the 40th birthday celebrations of Clos du Val and Silver Oak.

In Wines & Vines, an article on Platy Preserve – a wine-preservation system that looks pretty useful.

Uploaded to Flikr by Corey L. Kliewer

Last week, I was treated to dinner at one of DC’s few hidden gems, Obelisk in Dupont Circle. I’d heard many positive reviews, but I was nonetheless surprised to discover that Obelisk is, in fact, a “true” Italian restaurant — with fresh, top-quality ingredients and well-executed, simple preparations. But I won’t start blubbering about the best burrata I’ve tasted in the United States — this is a wine blog.

Instead, I will extol the merits of Obelisk’s wine list. It’s short. It’s handwritten. It’s all Italian. I was impressed.

I’m convinced that the art of putting together an exciting wine list hasn’t quite caught on in DC. Yes, CityZen, Citronelle, Proof, Bourbon Steak, and Blue Duck Tavern all have venerable, deep wine programs. For the sake of simplicity, let’s call those “first generation” wine lists.

Restaurants like Ripple and Dino have exploratory, expansive lists, which are rooted in the classics but tend to venture away from Napa, Bordeaux and Tuscany. These are our “second generation” lists. And while I’m surely excluding other excellent wine lists around the District, my point is that there are only a handful of noteworthy examples, and they tend to fall into one of these two categories.

Obelisk’s wine list is a different creature altogether. While Citronelle’s list is classic and comprehensive, Obelisk’s list is thought provoking, tightly curated, and exclusionist. It is the Hirschhorn to Citronelle’s National Gallery of Art. Let’s call it a third generation wine list.

We drank only two bottles at Obelisk, but they sat on opposite ends of the traditional-to-über-hip spectrum. First was a 2009 Coenobium Rusticum from Monastero Suore Cistercensi, an “orange” wine from Lazio that is a blend of Trebbiano, Verdicchio, Malvasia and Grechetto. It was appropriately served to us at cellar temperature. It was more golden than orange, but the extended skin contact during fermentation and slight oxidization gave it a structure you rarely see in whites.

Some of the more adventurous wine lists around the city offer one or two “orange” wines, but Obelisk has an entire section for them between the Whites and Roses called “Whites made like Reds.”

The second bottle was a twist on a classic: a 2008 Fratelli Brovia Nebbiolo d’Alba from the region of Piedmont. It was tannic but approachable and somewhat fruit-forward for a Nebbiolo, with great acidity. And although this wine is made with a typical grape from a well-known producer, it is unusual to see a Nebbiolo d’Alba DOC in the United States — a rare treat.

These wines typify the best aspects of a third generation wine list. These lists boast wines chosen to complement the venue’s food, with an eye to impressing the savvy customer. The wines are often challenging, but they’re delicious and relatively affordable. It is the kind of list that persuades the diner to interact with the sommelier, and hopefully learn something new.

It’s disappointing that there aren’t more of these kinds of wine lists around the city. DC is home to some of the most celebrated beer lists and avant-garde mixologists in the country — hopefully it’s only a matter of time until the city embraces wine with the same enthusiasm. And if you have suggestions of other wine lists that would fall in this category, please share in the comments!

Skinny Girl's entire wine portfolio.

“According to the new ‘girly-wine’ brand marketers, we want to be skinny, to toss our hair playfully like ponies as we pick our bottles to match moods, not foods. We also crave an easy-sipping flavor profile with a naughty edge of sweetness.” In Bloomberg, Elin McCoy takes wine marketers to task for treating 21- to 34-year-old women as if they have “no more sophistication than a bevy of sorority sisters on spring break.”

“These are deck wines, boat wines, outdoor wines, picnic wines — easy and accessible.” In the Seattle Times, Paul Gregutt explains why he loves drinking rosé this time of year.

Dr. Vino poses an interesting question: “Which do you think represents the greater opportunity for improving quality particularly in far-flung or emerging domestic wine regions, tourism or locavorism?”

“With the Ironworkers Union and a window wholesaler as neighbors, Ed Kurtzman has pioneered San Francisco’s urban winery revolution — producing top Pinot Noir and more not only for his label (Sandler) but also with partners Gary Franscioni and Howard Graham for the Roar and August West labels.” In the San Francisco Chronicle, Jon Bonné writes about “Square 33″ of San Francisco.

“We are convinced that 2012 is the year that third party wine marketers will demonstrate not only their staying power but also their long term importance to the wine consumer and wine supplier that they bring together.” So proclaims Elizabeth Hansen of ShipCompliant.

“Juve y Camps Brut Nature Reserva de la Familia 2007… is an excellent example of what Spain can produce in a sparkling wine. At $20, it tastes like a $40 champagne. You could fool your friends, but Spain deserves the recognition.” In the Washington Post, Dave McIntyre writes about travel in a bottle.

“According to the Department of Motor Vehicle’s 2012 California DUI Management Information System report, Napa and Sonoma counties posted the highest rate of driving under the influence arrests in the Bay Area in 2010.” NBC Bay Area runs an investigative report on the prevalence of drunk driving in wine country. (Tom Wark listed drunk driving as an “uncomfortable truth” of the California Wine Routes earlier this week.)

From the AFP, an article on the efforts of Chinese vintners to convince local wine lovers that they “can compete with the very best there is.”

Lettie Teague visits the bar on Metro-North Railroad’s New Haven line, and discovers that the wine isn’t very good.

In Sommelier Journal, an interesting piece from Tim Gaiser, MS on the importance of mental imagery when tasting wine. (A reminder: Terroirist readers can get $10 off a 1-year subscription to the magazine by using the code TE1 at checkout.)

Attention DC wine lovers! Derek Swanson reports that Domaine Wine Storage is slated to open a facility in DC in the next few months.

Glen Carlou, which makes some fantastic wines.

As regular readers know, I write a free, twice monthly wine column that’s distributed to newspapers across the country.

All the columns are housed at Wines.com, the fastest growing wine portal on the Internet. If you don’t see my column in your local newspaper, please send an email to your paper’s editor and CC me (David- at -Terroirist.com).

My latest column — which looks at the history of South African wine and explains why it’s such a good value — went out this morning.

For Value, Look to South Africa

Value-conscious wine consumers know to avoid marquee regions like Napa Valley and Burgundy.

Those who are comfortable with the obscure find value in places like Spain, northern Italy, and France’s Loire Valley. Those who are more comfortable with easy-to-pronounce locales stick to places like Argentina, New Zealand, and California’s Central Coast.

All value seekers should add South Africa to their lists.

South Africa’s wine industry can trace its roots to 1650s, when the Dutch East India Company established an outpost at the Cape of Good Hope to provide its merchants, who were constantly voyaging from Europe to East Asia, with fresh food and supplies. The settlers were urged to plant vineyards, as wine could defend against scurvy.

Over the next 300 years, South Africa’s wine industry experienced all manner of ups and downs. But by and large, local vintners were more interested in quantity than quality, primarily producing cheap wine for local consumption.

South Africa’s modern wine era began in 1973, when lawmakers created the “Wine of Origin” system to regulate labeling. A number of quality brands soon launched, but even then, South African wine remained a local beverage. Because of Apartheid — the system of institutionalized racial segregation — most Western nations refused to trade with South Africa.

When South Africa’s last remaining Apartheid laws were abolished in the early 1990s, the world suddenly opened up. And a young entrepreneur — Andre Shearer — made it his mission to share South Africa’s finest wines with the world.

Twenty years have passed, and Shearer is still on that mission. Today, his company, Cape Classics, is the largest importer of South African wines to the United States. And Shearer hasn’t yet tired of promoting his nation’s wines.

“The value of South African wines is extraordinary,” Shearer explained over breakfast one recent morning. “The past few years have actually been very good for us, because Americans are seeking value. Retailers and sommeliers are looking for good wine that’s affordable — and American consumers are open minded and willing to try wines from unfamiliar places.”

To most Americans, South Africa remains an “unfamiliar place.” That’s why Shearer understands his job is far from over.

Consider a basic question. Is South Africa a New World or Old World wine region?

At first blush, the answer seems obvious. South Africa is still finding its footing in the global market, so obviously, it’s a New World region.

Then again, South Africa has been producing wine for nearly 350 years. When Napoleon was exiled to Saint Helena in 1815, he found solace in “Constantia,” a South African dessert wine that’s still produced.

So it’s a trick question.

Over the past year, I’ve tasted hundreds of wines from South Africa. With virtually every classic variety — Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon — the best wines bridge the gap between the Old World and the New World. In other words, South African vintners don’t try to hide the sunshine, yet they don’t go overboard. South Africa’s top wines are unabashedly ripe but also show finesse.

For these varieties, some labels to look for include Glen Carlou, Kanonkop, Thelema, De Morgenzon, Rust en Vrede, and Mulderbosch.

Then there’s South African Chenin Blanc, which is both stunning and affordable — yet somehow remains under the radar.

Although the grape’s ancestral home is France’s Loire Valley, more than half the world’s plantings of Chenin Blanc are in South Africa. Just like vintners in France, South African producers make the wine in a variety of styles, from bone dry to lusciously sweet.

For my palate, fresh Chenin Blanc is unbeatable as an everyday white wine. When well crafted, Chenin Blanc is bursting with fresh fruit and delicate floral aromas, and backed by crisp acidity.

Raats Family Wines and Ken Forrester both make delightful Chenin Blanc for around $13 per bottle.

Andre Shearer doesn’t expect South African wine to “explode” in popularity anytime soon. He’s seen slow but steady growth over the past twenty years, and expects that trend to continue. Yet his nation is consistently producing many fantastic wines, and virtually all are good values.

Americans are eager to try new wines, and we’re more price-conscious than ever before. So I’m expecting an explosion.

David White, a wine writer, is the founder and editor of Terroirist.com. His columns are housed at Wines.com, the fastest growing wine portal on the Internet.

Wine writer Andrew Jefford.

In case you missed it, Benjamin Wallace has an excellent essay on Rudy Kurniawan in the latest issue of New York.

“Food authorities have argued convincingly that the public benefits politically, environmentally, ethically and culinarily from eating local ingredients and supporting local agriculture. But where does that leave wine, a peculiar example that is surely both a food and an agricultural product but does not fit neatly into any category?” In the New York Times, Eric Asimov writes about the local wine movement.

In the Wall Street Journal Europe, Will Lyons contends that “it is in the valleys of southwest Germany where some of the most interesting examples [of Pinot Noir] are emerging.”

“The circumstances surrounding Jay Miller’s resignation… the Institute of Masters of Wine’s investigation into Pancho Campo MW… [and] the revelation that James Suckling was paid $24,000 by Quebec’s wine monopoly for “videos” (and not tasting notes) has continued to keep the spotlight on the means by which those at the top of the pile enrich themselves.” In Decanter, Andrew Jefford writes about wine writing – and argues that “objectivity and ethical conduct in wine writing are, in any strict sense, illusory.”

Jancis Robinson looks “at the relatively short list” of her favorite pink wines, and is surprised to discover “that there are as many Italian examples (five) as there are wines from Provence.”

Jordan Winery celebrates its 40th birthday on May 25. In the Sacramento Bee, Mike Dunne writes about winemaker Rob Davis, who “has had a hand in every Jordan vintage since arriving as an intern in 1976.” In the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Dan Berger writes an excellent piece about the winery and its history.

In the Seattle Times, Mary Ann Gwinn interviews the Wine Economist, Mike Veseth about his recent book, Wine Wars.

In WineLinesOnline, Thomas Madrecki details the red wines he prefers chilled during the summer.

The latest episode of Inspira, a web video series that profiles “inspiring Latino leaders across America,” features Amelia Ceja of Ceja Vineyards.

Good luck, wine! On Wednesday, “a first-of-a-kind government-sponsored study” will examine “whether resveratrol can alter or delay the destruction of the brain in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.”

Nominations for the 2012 Wine Blog Awards will open on May 18!

Last month came news that Paris auction firm Artcurial Briest–Poulain–F.Tajan was selected to sell the wines. On June 6, the firm will auction off 11 bottles — six from Juglar, four from Veuve-Clicquot, and one from Heidsieck. The bottles are expected to fetch around $13,000 each.

While a number of bottles will be kept for museum purposes, the rest will be sold at auction over the next few years. Proceeds from all the auctions will go towards Baltic marine conservation. Check out some amazing photos below. And if you purchase one of these bottles, I hope you’ll invite me over when you open it!

Rudy Kurniawan.

Wine Spectator details the indictment against accused wine counterfeiter Rudy Kurniawan.

“Now connoisseurs talk about wines from a handful of Wachau producers in the hushed tones once reserved for revered white Burgundies.” In the International Herald Tribune, Eric Pfanner profiles the Wachau and looks at rising alcohol levels in the region. Pfanner offers more thoughts on rising alcohol levels on his blog.

In WineReviewOnline, Tina Caputo interviews Harry Peterson-Nedry, founder of Chehalem Winery in the Willamette Valley.

“Consumers should be smiling. Second wines mature sooner and are far more approachable when young. They are typically only slightly less polished- lamb’s wool versus cashmere – than their big brothers. While less complex, they still qualify as refined Bordeaux.” In the San Francisco Chronicle, Michael Apstein praises Bordeaux’s second wines.

In the Wall Street Journal, Lettie Teague praises half bottles.

In Wine Spectator, Jennifer Fiedler chats with wine retailer Peter Eastlake, who is overseeing the wine selections at “the Great GoogaMooga… a combo wine, food and music festival organized by the creators of Outside Lands and Bonaroo” that will be held in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park this coming weekend.

In 2011, the U.S. market for imported still wine grew for the first time in three years.

Quite a few wine and culinary stars attended Jay McInerney’s party for his new book “The Juice.”

AOC Fine Wines chats with German wine writer Christian Schiller.

Keith began his winemaking career in 1999 when he finished a degree in enology and viticulture from UC Davis. His first job was with Cakebread Cellars, and after a year, he landed a winemaking position at Gundlach Bundschu. While there, he quickly rose through the ranks — and soon became the associate winemaker. In 2004, Emerson took a brief sabbatical in Martinborough, New Zealand, where he worked harvest at Palliser Estate Wines.

The next year, Keith joined Vineyard 29 as the director of winemaking, overseeing the production of Vineyard 29 and its sister labels, Aida and Cru. At Vineyard 29, Keith also manages the wine programs for the winery’s custom crush clients, which include Adler Deutsch Vineyards, Knighton Family, and Leaf and Twig. He also consults for Robert Craig Winery and Gundlach Bundschu, and recently launched two wine labels of his own. Together with his wife Stacey, he created Sonría, which focuses on Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Together with winemaker Brian Brown, he created Emerson Brown Wines, which focuses on Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.

Check out our interview with Keith below the fold!

What is your general winemaking philosophy?

Showcase the fruit. Be as gentle on the fruit and wine as possible through meticulous, hands on winemaking and minimal handling. Utilize gravity as much as possible when moving wines, especially as they approach bottling.

What’s open in your kitchen right now?

My 2011 Sonria Rose of Pinot Noir from the Shea Vineyard (I typically drink this while I am deciding what to drink) and a 2006 Grosset Polish Hill Riesling from the Clare Valley, Australia. Spring is here and the aromatic whites and pinks are flowing in my household.

Who are your favorite winemakers in history, through personal account, or their wines?

I have been fortunate enough to work with and learn from several world class winemakers. Three winemakers who have had a tremendous influence on me are Zelma Long, Allan Johnson (NZ), and Philippe Melka.

What new winemakers are you most excited about, and why?

Drew Voit from Shea Wine Cellars is a very talented winemaker producing some very exciting wines. I’ve been fortunate to walk several vineyard blocks and taste the last four vintages of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay out of barrel with Drew and I am very fond of the wines that he is producing for Dick and Deirdre Shea. I always leave having learned something new about Oregon Pinot Noir from Drew and for that I am very appreciative.

How do you spend your days off? 

Playing with my kids, spending time with my family, trail running, gardening, cooking, watching my beloved Boston sports teams, enjoying the great outdoors.

What’s the best wine you’ve ever tasted? The most interesting? 

1985 DRC La Tache was without a doubt the best wine I’ve ever tasted. 1991 Penfolds Grange was very interesting and an experience that I won’t forget.

What’s the oldest bottle in your cellar? The most expensive?

1967 Chateau Haut-Brion is both the oldest and most expensive wine in my cellar. It was a gift and I haven’t decided when to drink it.

If you had to pick one red and one white to drink for the next month with every dinner, what would you choose?

Difficult question. I’d say 1999 Joseph Drouhin Bonnes Mares (red) and 2006 E. Guigal ‘La Doriane’ Condrieu (white).

What’s your biggest challenge as a winemaker?

Pinot Noir. Enough said!

What’s your favorite wine region in the world — other than your own? 

Burgundy. That’s actually an easy question to answer for me. There have not been many wines that have left me speechless but those that have were from Burgundy.

Is beer ever better than wine? 

Yes, of course it is. On the beach, at a ball game, after a big run or hike, and most importantly during harvest. I drink less wine and more beer during harvest than any other time of the year… by far. Finished wines are just not the same when your palate is so focused on tasting juice and fermenting wine for three months.

What would people be surprised to know about you? 

My dream is to move to the Caribbean, make fine rum for a living, scuba dive regularly, and enjoy a lot of beach time. Most people refer to me as a ‘workaholic’ and would find this hard to believe but someday I’m going to make this dream a reality.

If you weren’t making wine for a living, what would you be doing?

I’d be cooking. I was planning on going to Culinary School until I did a little research and discovered the Enology & Viticulture program at UC Davis. Growing up in the restaurant industry, I fell in love with wine through food at a young age. I still love to cook and food continues to be a very important part of my life.

How do you define success?

I’m still trying to figure that out!  My philosophy has always been “work harder than the next guy.” I live my life that way and have certainly grown as a winemaker but I am not yet satisfied so I can’t say that I’ve “succeeded.” When both of my kids graduate from college and my family is happy and living comfortably, I guess I’ll feel somewhat successful!