And a bottle of Matthew Cellars 2001 Columbia Valley Red, compliments of the Culinary Fool and her Seattle Seahawks losing in the Super Bowl. We had a bet, and my winnings arrived yesterday. As you can see above and to the right, B tried to cover up her obvious shame by burying the bottle in Seahawks gear. She’s a gracious loser, I’ll give her that. I think Ben Roethlisbeagle will enjoy ripping the wrist bands to shreds. (Just teasing, I know a Seahawks fan here at the office I think he has kids. So they’ll get the gear most likely).…

Wine lovers and writers often debate the validity and usefulness of wine scores. I think they have their place, when taken as a part of a complete review that includes tasting notes and background information. But then I finally thumbed through the February issue of Wine Spectator and came upon some disturbing scores. It’s not often that I see many New York wines listed, even in the back. But this was their "ratings roundup" so there were quite a few. Some scary numbers: Yellow Tail 2003 Reserve Shiraz: 88 Bedell Cellars 2001 Reserve Merlot: 87 Wolffer Estate Vineyards 2001 Estate…

A discussion of sulfites and American vs. European winemakers seems to be underway here on LENNDEVOURS. One of my contributing columnists, Richard posted The Urban Legend of Sulfites a week or so ago and my other contributor, Charles, has chimed in with his feelings. What do you think? One of my favorite things about wine is the discussions (and sometimes arguments) that erupt from my love of it. Join in the fun and be heard.

Heavy, over-manipulated chardonnay is one of the wine community’s least appealing members, at least in the eyes, and palate, of this wine lover. Wine geeks often label these wines “flabby” but I compare drinking them to sucking on a butter-slathered two by four. And, despite what some sales-minded winemakers will tell you, pairing these wines with food is a crapshoot at best. Of course, chardonnay is a key chameleon variety, with a seemingly endless array of styles. On one end you have crisp, fruity, acidic chardonnay — those that don’t spend any time in oak barrels during or after the…

Crisp, clean and refreshing, this is a wine for those of you who think you hate chardonnay. Fermented 100% in steel tanks, you won’t find any overbearing, heavy-handed oak influence. No…what you get is ripe apple and pear, fresh citrus and hints of minerals on the finish. This is what chardonnay actually tastes like — and it’s delicious. (This "Vintage of the Week" appeared in the Long Island Press)

…it looks like I’ll be invading San Francisco in late June for part of Usability Week 2006. Assuming my day job doesn’t cut the training budget, they are sending their content manager (that’s me) out your way for a few days. And, I’ve graciously volunteered to stay an extra couple of days if it saves the company on my flights. I probably won’t know the details of my stay until April, but I hope to "bump into" as many of you as I can. Now I just need to figure out the best way to pack up a bunch of…

I love riesling…particularly those from the Mosel (in Germany) and those from the Finger Lakes. I drink riesling all the time and love its food-friendliness and relatively affordable quality. You can get top-flight riesling for a fraction of the cost of similar quality Bordeaux, California Cab, etc. Over the weekend I tasted The Brotherhood Winery’s 2004 Dry Riesling ($10) and had reasonably high hopes. Why? Well, I remember thinking a previous vintage, tasted at their tasting room in the Hudson Valley, was pretty good for ten bucks. Plus, this wine was made from Finger Lakes fruit… Well I was definitely…