Posts Written OnSeptember 05, 2007

The New LENNDEVOURS Wine-Rating System

I always go back and forth on wine ratings, their usefulness and whether or not I should use them here. I’ve given it a lot of thought, I’ve had lengthy email discussions with some of you, and I’ve talked it over with fellow wine bloggers. Clearly there’s isn’t a clear consensus. Some love ratings. Some hate them. And most fall somewhere in between. When I asked my readers, many of them seemed into ratings…but not at the expense of my commentary and tasting notes. So, here’s what I’ve decided to do… Starting with the next tasting note that I post,…

What Defines a Boutique Winery?

There is a seemingly endless array of adjectives that wineries use to describe–and okay, to market–themselves and their wares. Words like award-winning, artisanal, small-run, limited-production, hand-crafted and boutique come to mind quickly. They all have a real meaning at their core, but because we see them over and over and over again, that meaning, those definitions get watered down. I think that just about every winery going calls themselves "award winning" and in most cases, there is some evidence of that. Almost any wine can get some sort of award if it’s entered into enough competitions. In actuality, "award-winning wine"…