Posts Written OnAugust 05, 2010

Sometimes, size does matter. Over the weekend, I tasted two samples of the same wine — Lieb Family Cellars 2008 Pinot Blanc ($20). One sample was from a standard 750ml bottle. The other was from a 375ml bottle. Many wine lovers already know that wine in smaller bottles ages more quickly. Partly, that's because a larger bottle has a smaller ratio of air to wine, but it's also because a smaller bottle is more susceptible to temperature changes. I knew all of that going into this little experiment, but I wasn't expecting such a different in a wine so relatively…

Photo courtesy of Bedell Cellars Pinot noir isn't the only grape going through veraison in New York. Syrah and malbec both are in the vineyards at Bedell Cellars. Focusing specifically on the syrah, Bedell's vineyard manager Dave Thompson says "The season today is about 10 days to two weeks earlier than average — but it's no indication that we will ripen two weeks earlier. It all depends on what the weather does over the next few weeks. Syrah is typically one of the first to go through veraison and it goes through fast and with lots of drama but it…